Insteading
Homesteading & Sustainability
Throughout much of the southwestern United States, pecan trees flourish. A tough and hardy tree, pecan trees can live and produce nuts for as long as 300 years. Pecan trees enhance the environment and …
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With a greater focus on the environment than ever before, more and more people are trying to figure out how they can make a positive impact. If this sounds like you, then indoor composting might be a …
We live in the rugged mountains of Western North Carolina. Some question the suitability of growing hops here, or think that growing hops is a new idea. To some it may be new, but those of us who are …
Turning a home over to new owners is never easy. All the renovations and decor you fretted over—the new owners may hate it and tear it out. All that work, dumped in the trash. Michelle Obama did not …
Continue Reading about Michelle Obama’s White House Vegetable Garden Will Likely Be Permanent →
Canning is a fun project that gets your hands dirty, keeps your food fresh, and gives you a last-minute gift option when the holidays roll around. The key to successful canning is starting with a …
Handy Camel Bag Clip The problem: Most bag clips are cheaply-made and used for light stuff like bags of chips. The solution: A hardy clip that seals bags without puncturing them, since the plastic …
Continue Reading about 10 Awesome New Inventions For Homesteaders →
Plants exist in a permanent spot on the Earth, while animals travel around it. That doesn't mean plants don't move—many orient themselves toward the sun as the day goes on. I've definitely had Sundays …
In 2011, the National Heirloom Exposition started off as a simple gathering of people wanting to celebrate pure food and sustainable living. It has since blossomed into the world's largest heritage …
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Homesteading expert Jackie Clay achieved a minor miracle in her garden this summer—growing pole beans from a 1,500-year-old seed. Obviously your local garden store doesn’t stock such a thing. Jackie …
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Like a child devouring a batch of cookies, we humans are using Mother Earth's resources faster than she can replenish them. But just how fast? The Global Footprint Network created Earth Overshoot …
Inspired by trash-free enthusiast Lauren Singer, this month I tried zero-waste grocery shopping, and it was awesome! Here are some tips to get you started. Last month at Wanderlust I was introduced …
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My Dad's running a gardening experiment in his backyard. What happens if you let an apple tree fully fruit, instead of thinning the smaller fruits in the spring? This is what happens: Yes, …
Continue Reading about Too Many Apples Broke This Apple Tree →
You now have two more dream tiny home possibilities, as Tumbleweed Tiny House Company just announced two new designs. Both designs answer a common request from Tumbleweed customers: Give us a house …
Continue Reading about Meet Farallon And Roanoke, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company’s Newest Models →
Small weeds lodged in cracks are unsightly and aggravating. The traditional options for dealing with them are: Spray them with noxious chemicals. Get on your hands and knees and attack them …
Continue Reading about NatureZap: Weed With Light, Not Chemicals Or Fire →
All the information for this quiz came from the 2016 USDA Vegetables Annual Summary. For just about every other vegetable or fruit they track, California grows the most, by far. …
Continue Reading about QUIZ: Which State Does Your Food Come From? →
This spring, my partner and I planted a small orchard on our new property. We ran into some confusion when deciding how far apart to plant our chestnut trees. Turns out there isn’t a simple answer, …
We've been looking for a good option for raised planters that were taller than some of our raised garden beds made with wood. After plenty of scrounging around on the internet, we ended up deciding …
If you're lucky enough to have an overabundance of fruit, veggies, or meat, you also have a problem. How to preserve this bounty? Refrigeration may only keep the stuff fresh for a few days. Freezing? …
The first time I heard the phrase “GMO” was at a rally, and I had to ask my 9th-grade science teacher what it meant. That was before ballot initiatives demanding GMO labelling and before Non-GMO …
Birch-Bark is waterproof and will not rot, its familiar surface is richly graphic. Birch-Bark has been used for millennia in the making of canoes, wigwams, scrolls, Buddhist manuscripts, maps …
Dewdrops on Dragonflies, all photos captured by Martin Amm Red Veined Darter covered in dew - Martin Amm Dragonfly Portrait with Dew- Martin Amm Emerald Damselfly - Martin …
Gutter sculpture watering system... maison-deco.com During a very heavy rainstorm I would imagine dirt and water must pour out of these pretty gutters. Lakeside cottage, Lake …
Using undergrowth, twigs, tips and small branches to make fences. Brushwood fences were probably one of the earliest fence types constructed in Japan. Today brushwood fences are very popular in …
Heirloom seeds are what our great-grandparents called “seeds.” My mother often complained during my childhood that you couldn’t buy tomatoes like her grandmother grew. The tomatoes in the grocery …
Few things express summer more than the smell of a campfire while sitting out under the stars. Add some marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers and you have the perfect setup for a summer …
In Western Washington, our apple trees have two major enemies: codling moths and apple maggots. While codling moths can be a nuisance (they don’t ruin the apple), apple maggots can leave the entire …
What Is Mycelium? Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus. It is a network of cells living within and throughout almost all landmasses on Earth. More than 8 miles of these cells can be found in a …
Starting a worm bin can feel overwhelming - where do I keep it? What kind of worms do I need? What if it smells awful? What if I kill my worms? Not to worry! Humans have been throwing food scraps in …
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Every year about 109 million bicycles are produced, and 140 million people are born. That adds up to lots of extra bikes to make art with. Burning Man Festival 2007 by Mark Grieve and Ilana …
A green roof—essentially, a garden atop any office building or home—helps save energy, promote drainage, and feed you. Why Build a Green Roof? Sod roofs are common on the Faroe Islands, west …
Calling all used awning windows, bay windows, storm doors, and clerestories back to service. 1) Recycled Window Greenhouse, Minnesota Greenhouse made from recycled windows by Jan and Ed …
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A study out of Finland has found that plants fertilized with urine performed four times as well as nonfertilized plants and just as well as plants given commercial mineral fertilizer. Urine plus …
Firewood Sculpture By Jaehyo Lee Wood ring. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Wood chair. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Wood chair. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Wood Stool. By Jaehyo Lee. …
Wattle edging has surrounded kitchen gardens since gardening began. Has seasonal pruning left you with numerous, long, flexible tree suckers and saplings? You will need to move fast, as those …
In Arizona the governor signed into law an order banning confiscated or surrendered guns from being destroyed. One solution: turn them into art. 'Gun Sculpture' by Canadian artists Sandra Bromley …
Carved by wind, water and sand, driftwood makes a striking material for sculpture. Driftwood Sculpture By Andries Botha Andries Botha has created more than 20 elephants from recycled materials …
Banksy is the pseudonym of an English graffiti artist, political and environmental activist, film director, and painter. His true identity is unknown. These images are very powerful. The …
Living willow structures or fences start with live cut rods or withies. Once inserted in the ground, they take root. Willow sculpture may use green wood but the rods are not planted, so the sculpture …
Just a spritz of water here and there and succulents take care of themselves. These artistic sculptures utilize wireframes and other methods to keep succulents in place. Succulent Topiary, created …
Supply a home to our ethereal friends in your backyard, in a park, or in your city apartment. Great fun with kids, as the activity is usually outside in nature, and sparks imagination and creative …
Farmland shaped into terraces are built for long-term success. When it rains, instead of washing away the soil, the soil stays in place. Nutrients are also held in place or carried down to the next …
Why sculpt out of chicken wire? Ask the artist who's started a Kickstarter to fund 8-foot high chicken wire sculpture of Minnie Pearl. "When people see sculptures, they often walk straight past but …
Bringing out the beauty of this 350-million-year-old plant. Mud Maiden Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornall, England www.heligan.com Mud Maiden Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornall, …
What Is An Insect Hotel? Insect hotels are winter lodgings for your backyard crawling and flying bugs. Usually made of found or upcycled materials around your yard, these hotels consist of …
This flatpack urban farm only takes up 538 square feet, but its creators say that it can yield as much as 6 tonnes (6.6 tons) of fresh produce per year. Danish company Human Habitat has developed a …
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Urban Agriculture: Outside on the ground and on the roof. Today the average food item travels 1300 to 1500 miles from farm to plate. Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City - Plan for The Living City. …
CC Photo by Roving-Aye! on Flickr Fruits And Vegetables with Lowest Pesticide Loads: For detailed USDA specifics see below... Onions: Insects leave onions alone. Scallions: Insects leave them …
Farm to Table School Lunch Programs: www.farmtoschool.org National Farm to School Program is a collaborative program of Center for Food & Justice and the Community Food Security Coalition. Program …
A living wall, or green wall, is a gorgeous display of life that helps to keep buildings cool. Green Walls By Patrick Blanc The Caixa Forum in Madrid. Patrick Blanc vertical designer. The …
Biointensive Passive Solar Straw Bale Greenhouse A winter greenhouse also used as a summer harvest dehydrator. Via ourhandmadelife.com. Greenhouse under construction in Michigan. Via …
