I knew before making the move to the South several years ago that I would get to see a lot of snakes, especially since that area is hot, humid, and rocky. The climate in combination with the rocky terrain makes the area perfect for snakes. Iโve encountered beautiful queen snakes, king snakes, garter snakes, and
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Best Electric Kettle
Electric kettles are a modern and more efficient version of the traditional tea kettle. For tea and coffee lovers alike, an electric kettle is a kitchen necessity. While most electric kettles range between 1-2 liters in size and generally have most of the same basic features, there are some things to keep in mind that
Chicken Coop Plans
A well-built chicken coop is a worthwhile investment. Options range from simple and affordable to elaborate. With so many options available, and a world of creative possibilities to build yourself, it can seem daunting to decide what you want in a coop. Types Of Chicken Coops Here are a few chicken coop design options: Upcycled
World Water Week: 10 DIY Conservation Tips
Although Americans have access to some of the cleanest, most prolific water supplies, we waste more than anyone in the world. Let’s change that today!
Emergency Water System Holds 100 Gal. in Your Bathtub
Water is critical to your survival in any situation, but how many of you have an emergency water storage plan? You need to read about these systems.
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
28 DIY Chicken Feeders
Once youโve designed your chicken coop and decided on chicken breeds, choosing a style of feeder for your birds seems trivial, but itโs not! It can make your daily routine more efficient, keep your birds on a healthy diet, and reduce the chances of disease. Alternatively, choosing the wrong feeder can lead to overeating, wasted
Homesteading Stories: Maple Sugaring
There are a lot of different types of maple trees โ at least 128 species. Some grow better than others. Some are a harder wood, making them ideal for use on bowling alley floors, while others are considered a weed maple because they grow too big, too fast and too soft. Thereโs the silver maple,
Best Garden Shoes
Gardening requires walking in dirt, and mud, and gravel, and mulch โ you get the idea. Garden shoes are work shoes, and they need to be able to hold up in rugged conditions and keep you comfortable. Letโs go through our top picks, followed by some basic criteria to look at when deciding which are
Ecopreneur or Entrepreneur: What’s The Difference?
There are many ways in which entrepreneurs and ecopreneurs are similar. Both embrace failure and are idea-driven, innovative, creative, risk tolerant, flexible, adaptable, freedom-minded and independent. Perhaps you could add a few more defining characteristics as well. However, ecopreneurs go beyond organic, beyond compliance to laws and regulations (or redefine them), beyond consumerism, beyond minimum
Why World Food Prices May Keep Climbing
In February, world food prices reached the highest level on record. Soaring food prices are already a source of spreading hunger and political unrest, and it appears likely that they will climb further in the months ahead. As a result of an extraordinarily tight grain situation, this yearโs harvest will be one of the most
How to Build a Chicken Tractor: 4 Plans
Thinking about raising chickens for eggs or meat? A chicken tractor allows you to move the birds’ home around easily, so they’re getting a varied diet, and fertilizing your yard as you’d like.
The DIY Aquaponics System: 6 Plans for Bringing Fish and Plants Together to Grow Food
Putting fish and plants together in a closed loop (that’s organic by necessity) strikes me as a brilliant use of biomimicry… or, at least the notion that “waste equals food” in the natural world. But can a backyard tinkerer put together an aquaponics system on the cheap?
10 Headphone Repair Hacks
Headphones not working or broken? Avoid the temptation to toss and replace, and try one of these headphone repair tactics to get them back in shape.
Chicken Mites
Like many animals, chickens can play host to parasites that live on skin, in feathers, and around their living spaces. One such parasite is Dermanyssus gallinae, the chicken mite, a tiny pest found worldwide, that stresses chickens, reduces egg production, and can also transmit diseases. Finding parasite infestations in your birds is always scary, but
Low Light Plants
Not all of us have the luxury of owning a plot of land to fulfill our gardening dreams. Some of us just have to face the fact that we are, for now, apartment-dwellers. Not only do I live in an apartment with no garden space, but I happen to live in what feels like the
Homestead Stories: How I Accidentally Grew Trout Lilies
When I first moved to the country, I was amazed at the bounty of both wildlife and wildflowers. I had a big job ahead of meโtidying the forested part of our property. I wanted to clear out the brambles and remove the garbage that had been randomly dumped in a place the previous owners believed
How To Dry Herbs From Your Garden
Growing fresh herbs is a delightful task. Raising basil, dill, cilantro, oregano, mint, parsley, and other fragrant plants provide a fun distraction each day as you caretake your little greens. But the best part about growing herbs is that you get to enjoy a wide variety of flavor in your foods on a budget! But
Cedar Pergola Kits
Cedar pergolas are the quintessential example of a traditional Mediterranean-inspired pergola. The strong perpendicular beams encourage the growth of climbing vines and flowers and invite your guests to enjoy the garden for an hour โฆ or two. A pergola creates a gathering place that you didnโt even know you needed. But once you have it,
18 Laundry Room Ideas For Better Organization And Decor
Our laundry rooms are typically one of the smallest rooms in our homes, yet they are one of our heaviest-traveled spaces. Iโve often wondered: Why is such a well-used area given so little attention? Though I’ve seen the odd wine refrigerator or reading chair in a laundry rooms, most folks go with utilitarian decor. Most
Best Grill Gazebo
Grilling outside can get hot. You’re already contending with the heat of the grillโthe sun beating down on you only makes things worse. While you can buy covers that protect your grill from the elements, they don’t protect you. Adding a grill gazebo to your patio will accomplish both tasks. Grill gazebos also serve as
The Many Varieties Of Mint
The little, red squirrel was determined, Iโll say that much. He, I assume it was a he because he couldnโt take a hint and go away, kept jumping on the patio door window and trying to climb inside. He wanted to join me while I watched the evening news. I donโt know why; there was
Guinea Fowl
My sister and her husband recently visited our homestead, and upon being โgreetedโ by our male guinea, my brother-in-law exclaimed good-naturedly, โOh look, itโs a space chicken!โ And really, thatโs pretty much how it feels to meet a guinea for the first time. Though the guinea fowl has been on farms and homesteads for centuries,
Caffeine-Free Coffee Substitutes That You Can Forage In The Backyard
Coffee is something I really used to enjoy. In my memories, that roasted, dark liquid is synonymous with warm cafes, good conversation, and air perfumed with delicious aromas. But now that I’m more than a decade past college, I’m finding that my appreciation for the flavor of this ubiquitous American beverage is quickly being eclipsed
Lucky Bamboo
Lucky bamboo is a fascinating little house plant. Adorable and easy to grow, they are quite common in homes around the world. Yet there are some myths that we need to get out of the way before we discuss this plant. Firstly, one of the most interesting things about lucky bamboo is that it is
Storage Sheds
Whether it’s time for some spring cleaning or winter decluttering, chances are the biggest project on your to-do list is organizing the garage and backyard. You’ve got your kids’ bikes in one corner, garden tools strewn about in another, and let’s not even get started with the holiday decorations that are shoved in that less-than-weatherproof
10 Considerations For Your Backyard Duck Coop
When it comes to barnyard livestock, ducks are probably the easiest-going of the bunch. When there is a slight drizzle, the goats complain and run into the barn. When the north wind blows ice crystals across the fields, your chickens are floofed-up and hiding in the coop. Meanwhile, the ducks are blithely waddling across slush
7 Chicken Predators And How To Protect Your Flock
When I still lived in the city, I dreamed of chickens. I browsed breed lists like a bride-to-be looks through wedding catalogs. I anticipated morning egg gathering, rooster crows, egg-laying cackles, and lots of free fertilizer! But for all my research, I had no idea what it would feel like to face what I grimly call โpredator
5 DIY Composting Toilet Ideas And Details To Consider
Most of us were raised on flush toilets. You go in the bathroom, do what youโve got to do, and then the press of a shiny lever flushes all your unpleasantries into oblivion, never to be thought of again. But that modern luxury — and it is a luxury — is something that many of
Growing Gourds
To those unfamiliar, there may not seem to be much difference between a gourd and squash. Fruit-wise, they share a lot of similar attributes — cool shapes, hard rind, seeds hidden inside, and beautiful colors. But once you try to grow one, you will quickly notice the enormously long, trailing vines, the beautiful, night-blooming flowers,
15 Things You Shouldn’t Feed Your Chickens
One of the best parts about raising backyard chickens is the fact you can feed them almost anything — and they’ll eat it! I love being able to give table scraps to chickens that even my dogs won’t eat. Throwing away food is wasteful, so it’s nice to know chickens will take care of some scraps
Grow Healthy, Flavorful Fruit With The Best Fertilizer For Tomatoes
โYou get your tomatoes in yet?โ My neighbor smiled with his usual good-natured grin, but there was no denying the competitive edge to his voice. This was no mere neighborly exchange. It was the opening to a summer-long challenge where plants were pawns and bragging rights, the prize. As a newcomer to the Ozarks, I
How To Make Easy Blackberry Wine
Midsummer comes over the horizon, and with it comes humidity, mosquitoes, firefly nights, and hard work in the garden. But one of my favorite summer arrivals is wild in nature, both delicious and hazardous. Itโs blackberries! The ravines and forest edges that were full of white-spangled spring brambles are now absolutely loaded with free fruit
Tropical Homesteading: How to Harvest Coconut for Fresh Water and Meat
Coconut palms are astoundingly useful to tropical or subtropical homesteaders. They provide everything from wood to medicine to nutritious, high-calorie food. Theyโre hardy, need minimal to no care, and produce (on average) anywhere from 50-200 coconuts per tree, per year. The icing on the cake? You can process the fruit to make oil, coconut milk,
Foraging for Wild Spinach
“Eat more healthy! Eat organic leafy greens!” The bleached-smile exhortations of the nutritional elite ring out from websites and health shows. So we trundle over to the grocery store and are greeted by the sight of an $8 bundle of organic spinach that would barely feed a rabbit — much less a whole family. Then
What Is Fruit Tree Grafting?
Do you have an orchard or a beautiful fruit tree you would like to see produce more fruit? Are you interested in growing more fruit varieties but not necessarily planting more trees? And would you like to produce fruit quicker on younger trees? If the answer was yes to any of the above, you might
10 Off-Grid Projects You Can Finish This Weekend
Going off-grid is a huge endeavor and one that could take years to accomplish as you search for land, make the move, and set up your self-reliant system. If youโre just getting started, it can seem like an insurmountable task to think about all that needs to be done. And if you donโt have your
Foraging for Mulberries
The first time I met a mulberry, it was a confusing introduction. At the time, I considered my general plant knowledge to be better than average, but somehow, this unfamiliar tree didnโt make sense. It was a beautifully shaped, open grown tree with scalloped alternate leaves that I couldnโt identify offhand (because mulberry trees come
Growing Parsnips
I find it oddly infuriating when plants are described as old-fashioned — as if a living, growing thing occupies the same category as powder blue tuxedos, platform shoes, or rotary telephones. Youโll often find parsnips described with this unsuitable adjective, but thatโs merely because theyโre a root vegetable thatโs been around and depended on for
How to Fix Stinky Compost
When I was fresh out of college, I worked as a guide at a wilderness retreat center. We hosted weekend retreat groups, encouraged participants to compost food waste in our big compost bins, and provided a pamphlet to help them do it correctly when one of the staff wasn’t present. One hot fall afternoon, I
The Benefits of Raising Geese
When I was about 5 years old, my mom and us kids lived in a massive farmhouse with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. I loved being around all the farm animals but was always a bit skeptical of the loud, boisterous geese. One morning, while we were doing the morning chores, I had a nasty
How to Save Bean Seeds
Beans are an incredibly exciting plant to grow. This may come as a surprise to folks whose experience with the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is limited to the limp, gray-green cylinders that glorp out of a can and boil to depressingly mushy. If that’s the only way you know beans, I am delighted to introduce
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Can I Compost Cooked Food?
Composting cooked food is a tricky challenge, especially for beginners. Learn the pros, cons, and intricacies of processing cooked food safely and efficiently.
Seed Companies
List of safe seed companies that sell non-gmo, open pollinated, untreated, heirloom seed. How to steer clear of Monsanto seed. Buying non gmo seed.
Celebrity Endorsements Sling Unhealthy Food to Consumers
Should celebrities be more careful about their endorsements? A new study found that celebrity endorsements of food products encourage less healthy food choices.
Can I Compost Corn?
Maximize benefits from your corn scraps, benefitting for your soil and plants. Learn how corn effectively improves compost quality, the best methods for composting corn, addressing potential issues like attracting pests and odors, and much more.
What to Feed Ducks Instead of Bread
When the weather starts to get warmer, lots of people enjoy feeding waterfowl at local parks, lakes, and ponds. Unfortunately, we have all been making a common mistake by tossing them bread and other flour-based products! In this article, I will explain why we shouldnโt be doing that, and what is actually safe to share
Recycled Glass Bottles
Much of the glass we throw out is not recycled because different glass has different melting points and recyclers only melt the most common containers. Artists use old and new glass to create unique pieces of home decor. Glass Bottle Windows Hanging window composed of serving plates, wine bottle bottoms, stemware bottoms and faceted stained glass
5 Successful Reforestation Projects
Between the Arab Spring, the weird weather, and, well, the Casey Anthony trial, you may have missed the fact that 2011 was proclaimed “The International Year of Forests” by the UN General Assembly. This celebration is long overdue: forests not only provide habitat to animals and plants, but also purify air and water, prevent soil