Maybe it’s because I’m frugal, but I hate to throw away anything that can be reused or recycled — and that includes eggshells. No matter if you are raising chickens, ducks, guinea fowl, or turkeys, rather than simply tossing your eggs into the compost or trash, save them. You’ll be surprised to learn just how […]
20 Fun Sewing Projects To Tackle This Weekend
Sewing, a skill that lasts a lifetime, is an integral part of the homestead lifestyle. The hands-on, learn-as-you-go experience of creating something useful and beautiful with your own hands, is simply irreplaceable. For decades, homesteaders excelled at mending and sewing to ensure their families were warm and properly clothed. For today’s modern homesteader, sewing is […]
10 Beneficial Ways To Use Epsom Salt For Plants
Epsom salt is an all-natural, time-tested mineral compound composed of magnesium, sulfate, and oxygen. Not only does it make bathwater soft and silky, but a long, relaxing soak in a hot bath full of Epsom salt brings soothing relief from the aches and pains of a long day digging in the dirt. But Epsom salt […]
17 Delicious French Macaron Recipes
First baked in Italy during the Renaissance, the macaron, now known as the French macaron, was introduced in 1533 by a noblewoman from Florence, Catherine de Medici, who later married Henri II, the future king of France. King Louis XIV of France is said to have munched on macarons at his wedding in 1660. The […]
17 Natural Mosquito Repellent Options For The Home And Garden
I detest mosquitoes. I hate that itchy sensation they leave and the fact that they can carry Zika or the West Nile Virus. I also prefer not to use toxic chemical repellents like DEET. Especially when a plant-based, natural mosquito repellent gets the job done. Planning and planting a natural mosquito repellent landscape can be […]
13 Healthy Cake Recipes
Birthday cakes, wedding cakes, just-because-you’re-craving-it cakes. Who doesn’t love cake? In most households, cake is a food of celebration that brings family and friends together. But when one thinks of the foods featured in a healthy diet, cakes are seldom mentioned. Cakes are burdened with a bad reputation because they typically lack nutritional value and […]
23 Genius Epsom Salt Uses For Your Home, Garden, And Wellness
Epsom salt established its name 1600 years ago from the location where it was first discovered in Epsom Common, Surrey, England. It is most commonly marketed as bath products: powder, granules, crystal, flakes, and bath bombs. Although similar to common table salt in color and texture, Epsom salt and table salt are distinctly different. Epsom […]
10 Basic Cake Decorating Tips For The Perfect DIY Dessert
I come from a large family. Blessed with parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren, I have baked a lot of birthday cakes. Until I discovered the creative world of cake decorating, my attempts were limited to sprinkling a bit of coconut, writing Happy Birthday with purchased decorative icing tubes, and adding a few candles — but […]
15 Canned Chicken Recipes
Affordable, delicious, convenient, and easy to stack and store, canned chicken is a staple in my pantry. As a high protein, gluten-free, low-calorie snack, canned chicken is a guilt-free meat treat. Low in fat, a 2-ounce serving of canned chicken provides 15 grams of protein and 100 calories. And when it comes to nutrition, canned […]
Canning Peaches
After spending many memorable summers in the south, I am addicted to the smell and taste of peaches. Aunt Mildred and Uncle Elmer nurtured several different varieties in the peach orchard of their rural Georgia homestead. I loved joining Auntie Millie and the cousins, picking, peeling, preserving, and putting up peaches. Although most of the […]
Canning Peppers
Whether you overplanted peppers in your garden this year — or stockpiled a bunch that were on sale at the store — don’t let them go to waste! After you’ve made your red pepper soup and spicy jalapeno salsa, consider canning the rest of those peppers to store through the fall and winter. If you […]
10 Delectable Duck Egg Recipes
Duck eggs, a favored delicacy in China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines are quickly gaining popularity in the United States. If you’ve never tried them, duck eggs are richer, contain larger yolks, and (due to their thicker shell) stay fresh longer than chicken eggs. Not only are duck eggs considerably larger than chicken eggs, but […]
How To Grow And Forage For Lady Fern
I am in love with lady ferns and tuck every variety into shaded crevices, niches, nooks, and crannies in my homestead rockery. Apple-green in the spring and a glorious golden-yellow in autumn, lady fern is one of the easiest plants to grow in moist, shaded locations. With hundreds of species of lady fern and dozens […]
7 Of The Easiest Vegetables To Grow
Do you wish to practice self-sufficiency and grow and preserve your own vegetables — but are concerned that you have little time to tend a garden? No worries! There are lots of easy-to-grow vegetables that won’t take too much time and effort to grow successfully. Many homesteaders new to vegetable gardening are intimidated by the […]
19 Eye-Catching Terrarium Plants For Your Miniature Garden
A terrarium garden is much like an aquarium, but a habitat for plants rather than aquatic life. A terrarium can be constructed in a diverse array of glass containers. When planted, it should look like a miniature forest or fairy garden; its own unique little world. Terrariums are fun to craft for home decor or […]
The Basics Of Straw Bale Gardening
An ancient gardening technique dating back to the Romans, straw bale gardening is a simple concept. As a straw bale starts to decompose or break down, it turns into a raised, compostable, 40-gallon planter that’s ideal for growing vegetables. Straw bale gardens are inexpensive, easy to set up, easy to maintain, and biodegradable. Straw bale […]
10 Fast-Growing Vegetables
If you love to garden, but live in a region with a short growing season, you can still successfully grow vegetables outdoors in the homestead garden. Fresh scallions, chives, lettuce, spinach, basil, and radishes are all fast-growing veggies that are easy to grow, easy to harvest, and easy to sell as a supplemental cash crop. […]
Growing Horseradish In The Homestead Garden
Horseradish, a member of the mustard family and a close cousin of both cauliflower and the common radish, deserves a place in the homestead garden. Cultivated for its thick, creamy white or yellowish roots, horseradish derives its heat from isothiocyanate, a unique volatile compound oxidized when exposed to air and saliva. The spicy taste, pungent […]
Osage Orange Trees: Durable Hardwood With Alien-Like Fruit
Grown for decades by farmers and gardeners across the mid-western United States, Osage orange trees are incredibly versatile and can serve all sorts of purposes on the homestead. The wood from the Osage tree has been used to make tool handles, fence posts, livestock stockades, and furniture with a stable, durable wood that can withstand […]
How To Grow Sunflowers
I love sunflowers. Sunflowers display a bright splash of cheerful color against the garden fence, they provide an abundant crop of seeds which both our family and the birds enjoy, and they are so easy to grow. It doesn’t matter if you have a green thumb or not. If you can stick a seed in […]
How To Grow Celery
If you want a gardening challenge, try growing celery. Celery requires a long growing season, plenty of sunshine, lots of water, tender loving care, and infinite patience. A popular herb in the parsley family with its crisp, crunchy texture and delicate earthy flavor, celery is one of America’s favorite vegetables. In fact, according to the […]
How To Grow The Yarrow Plant
Native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, yarrow is a hardy herbaceous perennial that’s a member of the Asteraceae plant family. Also known as old man’s pepper, common yarrow, nosebleed plant, or soldier’s woundwort, the erect, flowering plant is considered by many to be an invasive weed. Many homesteaders, though, appreciate the flower for […]
How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Yacon Root
With a sweet taste and crisp texture similar to apple, yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is a flavor-packed root vegetable that’s quickly gaining popularity with homestead gardeners. Yacon is a tasty treat to put away for winter. Yacon tubers are stored the same way as any other root vegetable and can be dehydrated, pickled, or canned. Dried […]
Eco-Friendly DIY Drain Cleaners
Why is it a slow or clogged drain always seems to occur at the worst possible moment? You’re busy preparing a dinner party, company is soon to arrive, and now you find the water in the guest bathroom sink doesn’t want to drain. What to do? You want something that will clear your plumbing problems […]
How to Grow the Vanilla Plant
Don’t you just love the fragrance and flavor of vanilla? Most folks do. In fact, the United States is the second largest consumer of vanilla per capita worldwide. While much of the world’s vanilla extract is synthetic, gourmet chefs and foodies alike know there is nothing like the flavor of pure, natural vanilla to add […]
How to Store Onions
Onions are an essential ingredient in a great many main dishes, appetizers, salads, slaws, soups, stews, and sauces. In fact, onions are the third most consumed vegetable worldwide. With proper handling and storage, it’s easy to store onions to enjoy their pungent goodness throughout the long, cold months of winter. Whether you’re storing a bag […]
How to Grow an Avocado Plant
Avocados have long been considered a perfect food. If the avocado were newly discovered today, it would be marketed as a miracle food. Irresistibly flavorful with a smooth, creamy texture, avocados should be part of everyone’s daily diet. Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, avocado trees thrive in sub-tropical and tropical climates around the world. […]
Growing Raspberries
Across the country, market demand for raspberries far exceeds availability and provides an ideal opportunity for homesteaders to cultivate the fruit for local markets as well as home use. A berry patch of an acre or less can provide a significant cash crop with little expense for equipment or supplies. Brambleberry production is ideally suited […]
Canning Green Beans
To reduce our reliance on commercially grown produce, we grow as much of our own food as possible and preserve it for the offseason. Preserving fruits and vegetables is a centuries-old homesteading tradition. Growing up on my grandparents’ farm, I have fond memories of rows of pantry shelves packed full of colorful jars of syrup, […]
Growing Pumpkins
Native to Central and South America, pumpkin is a low growing, vining groundcover plant with bell-shaped yellow flowers and shallow roots. Pumpkins are members of the plant family cucurbit (Cucurbitaceae) that includes melons, cucumbers, squash, gourds, and zucchinis. Growing pumpkins is easy, and they are also easy to harvest, easy to transport, and store well […]
Eco-Friendly Homemade Ice Melt Solutions
If you reside in a region where the temperature drops below freezing, you know firsthand the dangers of ice accumulation. When the winter winds blow, temperatures drop, and the rain turns to sleet or snow; driveways, sidewalks, and steps become hazardous. Anti-icing products help prevent snow and ice from bonding to steps, sidewalks, driveways, and […]
How to Store Garlic
A staple in homestead gardens, garlic is easy to plant, easy to maintain, easy to harvest, and transports and stores well. With a little effort, homesteaders can grow garlic for home consumption and a supplemental cash crop. Garlic: fresh, pickled, dehydrated, packed in olive oil, or used to season savory edibles, is always a big […]
Flowering Trees
Flowering trees are available in a variety of sizes and shapes for almost any landscape application. Not only do deciduous flowering trees bring visual impact and beauty to your homestead, but they also provide habitat and food for birds and other wildlife. These types of trees also provide cooling shade for people, pets, and plants. […]
Dwarf Fruit Trees
When landscape professionals talk about dwarf trees, they refer to trees both deciduous and evergreen that are explicitly cultivated to remain small and manageable. If space is limited, dwarf fruit trees are the ideal solution for both visual impact and fruit production in small gardens. Dwarf fruit trees are generally short trees with broad canopies […]
Acid-Loving Plants
Experienced gardeners know: A healthy productive garden is one in which the plants are compatible with the pH of the soil. Not all soils are the same, and it’s important to recognize that many plants, shrubs, grasses, and trees require a specific nutrient balance. View this post on Instagram Just wanted to share an update […]
12 Ingenious Everyday Borax Uses
Inexpensive and readily available, powdered borax, also known as sodium tetraborate, is a naturally occurring common boron mineral salt. Borax is a component in a diverse array of laundry soaps, bath salts, hand soaps, cleaning products, and cosmetics. It’s a product homesteaders have used for more than 100 years. First discovered in dry lakebeds of […]
Fast Growing Shade Trees For Your Homestead
It always seems like you don’t realize the lack of shade in your backyard until it’s too late. You’ve already settled on a good book, put out the lawn chair, and made yourself a nice lunch when you discover that the heat of the sun is simply too much. While you could settle on a […]
How To Get Rid Of Squirrels: Natural and Effective Options
Most people love squirrels, delighting in their antics as they scamper through the trees and across the landscape. However, many folks quickly change their view when an infestation of squirrels exceeds their level of tolerance. One moment we want squirrels, and the next we want to know how to get rid of squirrels. Our patience […]
Growing Cabbage
Cabbage, a dietary staple in cultures around the world, is a hardy, green leaf vegetable packed full of vitamins. Although it establishes itself easily, cabbage can be somewhat challenging to grow. A magnet for many garden pests, cabbage requires cool temperatures, fertile soil, excellent drainage, and plenty of moisture. Plant Description A member of the […]
10 Steps To Attract Birds In The Winter
Do you want to attract winter birds to your homestead landscape? Do you enjoy their sweet sounds and would like to have more feathered friends come to visit? Birds make the garden magically come alive with beauty, color, music, and motion. Read on to learn more about foods that will attract specific birds to the […]
All About Sage
Experienced homesteaders suggest that if you want to attract birds, bees, butterflies, and wildlife to your rural homestead, plant and grow sage. Sage is a favorite in homestead herb gardens because it is one of the easiest plants to grow. A member of 200 genera and more than 3,200 species of the plant family Lamiaceae, […]
Herb Gardening 101
Planning and planting an organic herb garden is a traditional part of the homestead lifestyle goal of self-sufficiency. Growing rare and beautiful culinary and medicinal herbs is a glorious gardening experience. Herbs offer brilliant flowers, delightful fragrance, eye-catching foliage, and they are one of the easiest types of plants to grow. Think of the herbs […]
7 Ways To Mouse-Proof Your Homestead
For homesteaders, the common house mouse is one of the most troublesome of pests. A small brown or gray rodent with little beady eyes, large ears, and a skinny three to four-inch long tail, house mice flourish under a diverse array of conditions in and around homes, sheds, barns, and outbuildings. The unwelcome intruders consume […]
All About Organic Skincare
Organic and natural products are coming out of the shadow of mainstream beauty preparations, demonstrating likely and proven restorative results. Both women and men are more frequently choosing not to apply products with chemicals and possible noxious toxins that may irritate or damage delicate skin. Instead, they are opting to only use pure organic/natural preparations. […]
Growing Broom Corn
If you’re getting through the long, dark days of winter reading the seed catalogs and dreaming of having your hands in the dirt, you may want to consider adding some new and visually exciting plants to your homestead landscape. Broom corn fits the bill. Native to Central Africa, broom corn, (Sorghum vulgare) a variety of […]
Growing Carrots
Carrots are an easy-to-grow, easy-to-store root crop. Valued for more than a thousand years, the humble carrot gives color, texture, substance, flavor, and life to a diverse array of dishes. Serve grated to complement salads and sandwiches or chopped to add tone and substance to soups, stews, and casseroles. Sliced, steamed carrots, glazed with butter […]
Pet Waste Management Tips For Homesteaders
Many rural homesteaders faced with a continual problem of dealing with pet waste, ask “can pet poo be composted?” The answer is a resounding yes. Dog poop can be easily composted in a backyard composter bin containing red worms where it is readily converted into rich compost. Composting pet waste prevents these materials from reaching […]
Amazing Health Benefits Of Eating Fish
Packed full of high-quality protein and low in saturated fats, fresh fish is an exceptional source of omega-3 fatty acids and essential vitamins and minerals including vitamin D, B2, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, and iodine. Extensive medical research studies support the American Heart Association’s recommendation of eating fish twice per week as part of […]
Geckos In The Garden
Do geckos call your homestead home? Household geckos are said to bring harmony, good luck, and good fortune to the household. Killing a gecko invokes an unhappy chain of bad luck events of long duration. If you have geckos in your garden, celebrate their presence but try not to invite them indoors. A small to […]
What To Do When Plant Disease Attacks Your Garden
No matter if it is viral, fungal, or bacterial, plant disease can enter your garden in a diverse array of ways. Many plant diseases are difficult to identify or to even to determine if what is attacking your plants is, in fact, a disease. Symptoms appear similar from bacterial to viral to fungal. Even insects […]
