My first baby chicks were an impulse buy. We had an empty chicken coop in the backyard and my roommate and I got over-excited. A week after moving into that house we were in the car with a heat lamp, a sack of chick feed, and six cheeping chicks in a box on the back
Search Results for: cleaning
Integrated Solar
building-integrated photovoltaics or BIPVs
Wooden Bathtubs
The lowdown on today’s wooden bathtubs…
Miswak Stick Tootbrush
Toothpaste and Toothbrush in One; miswak toothbrushes
Water Security, Out of Thin Air
The ongoing drought in California is taking the issue of water security from outlying prepper culture to the mainstream- and one company thinks it can help.
Toxins in Leather Shoes
Toxins in Leather Shoes
Perfluorinated Compounds
Perfluorinated Compounds
Bark Walls
Bark walls
Telephone Wire Art
Telephone wire as an art medium. Telephone cord sheep by Jean Luc Cornec. jeanluc.cornec.de Telephone cord sheep at the Communication Museum, Frankfort, Germany. jeanluc.cornec.de Telephone wire Guinea Fowl by Celia Smith. celia-smith.co.uk Walking Puffin. Telephone cabling and copper wire. celia-smith.co.uk Telephone wire robin. celia-smith.co.uk Telephone wire Peacock. celia-smith.co.uk Telephone Wire Head by Hilary J. Baker.
Solar Roadways
The Solar Roadways project is working to pave roads with solar panels that you can drive on. Their long range goal is to cover all concrete and asphalt surfaces that are exposed to the sun with Solar Road Panels. They plan to start off small: driveways, bike paths, patios, sidewalks, parking lots, playgrounds, etc. This
Organic Shampoo
In the spirit of real talk, I will admit that I had never been an organic shampoo user until I tested products and conducted research for this article. In hindsight, I feel ashamed of myself for the years I spent buying into experiential โoh-oh-ohhhhโ shampoo marketing tactics the big brands use to lure us in.
Tiny House Kitchens
The design of a tiny house kitchen is a personal matter. Your final design will depend on your own individual needs and the needs of those whoโll live with you. If you want to build or buy a tiny house but donโt know a lot about design, there are some things you should look out
Reverse Graffiti
Paul “Moose” Curtisย (the father of Green Graffiti) A 140 foot mural of plants indigenous to California. Commissioned by Green Works – Broadway tunnel entrance, San Francisco. Paul and team used brushes, a spray gun and green cleaners to remove the grime. Those painted patches are covering up painted graffiti. See video below. Dutch Inkย Durban,
Thrive Market Review
Editor’s Note: We’ve been hearing awesome things about Thrive Market, but before we plunked down the $59.95 membership fee, we needed to know: Is it better than other online and local organic food options? We decided on a two-part strategy: Our writer road-tested the service, which she wanted to try anyway. Meanwhile, we compared the
DIY Soap Recipes
As an urban homesteading enthusiast, I definitely have the DIY bug. Gardening, landscaping, and chickens are all great for outdoor ideas, but in rainy Seattle itโs nice to find an indoor project too. I love all of the crazy scents available at our local farmers market (thai basil & lemongrass?!), that I chose this as
Writer’s Guidelines
About Our Audience: Insteading readers are active gardeners, beekeepers, chicken herders, permaculturalists, environmentalists, and many other things. Our readers range from newbies looking to plant their first raised bed, to advanced homesteaders who live in earthen homes powered by solar panels and produce most of what they eat. Our readers make sustainable and organic choices whenever
Raising Goats
Goats are sweet, social, mischievous and stubborn. They are a favorite of urban homesteaders who want fresh milk but canโt keep a cow. Homesteaders favor milking goats as a food source because of their milk’s mild flavor and moderate output. Even people (like me) who donโt like โgoatโ flavor in milk and cheese are startled
Growing Tomatoes
Delicious, versatile, juicy, nothing says summer to me like fresh tomatoes still warm from the sun. As the song goes, “thereโs two things money canโt buy: thatโs true love and homegrown tomatoes.” One of the home gardenerโs favorite staples is the tomato, but it can be a finicky plant, especially in cooler climates. Iโve grown
8 Toxic Chemicals in Conventional Dish Soap
Choosing organic produce is important, but so is making sure that the dishes you use to cook and eat aren’t washed in toxic chemicals. Here are some common bad guys to avoid and why you should give them the boot from your kitchen.
How To Make A DIY Rain Water Barrel
Water is life. The more water that we can store around the homestead, the better. Once you build an outdoor collection system, it will store water without you having to think about it. Plus, the water is stored outside in the rain collection barrel, so it’s not taking up precious space inside your home. Rain
My Goat Is Pregnant, Now What?
I was so excited. It was a complete surprise. That little goat wasnโt supposed to be pregnant. The fat round goat over there was supposed to be. Not this tiny girl! (The round goat turned out not to be pregnant.) This was my first goat pregnancy and can I just say I was all grins.
Lambing: Shed or PastureโWhich Is Best?
Months of work goes into the planning of the arrival of lambs. You must be as prepared as possible to ensure success. I have been raising lambs for over 20 years. I have shed-lambed in January and February in South Dakota and Indiana and also pasture-lambed in Indiana in April. Profit margins are slim in
Root Cellars: The Original Refrigerator
Root cellars are the original refrigerator. Back in the days before refrigerators were invented, homesteaders stored their produce, among other things, in the root cellar. They have been around for a very long time. Many homesteaders still prefer letting the Earth’s natural coolness keep our vegetables fresh, rather than refrigerating. Root Cellars: The Basics Root cellars
Preparing Your Homestead For Winter
Freezing rain, sleet, high winds, heavy snow, ice, and extreme cold can present serious hazards, so it’s imperative that your homestead is ready. Whether or not you think it’s too early, it’s always a good idea to begin prepping your homestead for the winter. Preparation For Power Outages Cold temperatures and winter storms can be
Rodent Control Without Poison
As the weather starts to cool, rodents such as mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels attempt to find a warm place to stay well fed during the cold winter months. While these rodent pests are small, they can cause huge problems for homesteaders. Rodents contaminate food and indoor surfaces with salmonella and a diverse array of
Homestead Stories: Dealing With A Copperhead Den
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
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
Why Manure Is The Unsung Hero of the Homestead
When I lived in the city, I had the luxury of ignoring poop. If a neighborโs dog left it on my tiny lawn, it was a rude, unusual inconvenience. Aside from what I delicately flushed into oblivion with the touch of a lever, my experiences with poop were largely nonexistent. My suburban upbringing trained me
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
How To Dye Fabric Naturally
If you are a homesteader or just a do-it-yourselfer you are going to love this. Natural dyes! I once dyed my curtains using turmeric. They turned out a beautiful golden yellow that complimented the room beautifully. Natural dyes, dyes, or ants, as they are called, are derived from plants, invertebrates or minerals. Most natural dyes
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
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.
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
How to Ferment Safely: Sanitize Those Jars!
Well-sanitized jars are so important for safe fermentation. Here’s how to ferment safely with properly sanitized jars.
Edible Mushrooms
No doubt, white mushrooms (also known as button mushrooms) are yummy. Those little white fungi that you can find at nearly every grocery store are adorable, affordable, and super versatile for cooking. You can turn them into veggie tacos, stroganoff, scrambles, veggie burgers, and they are the perfect shape and size for stuffing.ย Button mushrooms have
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,
10 Steps To Attract Birds In The Winter
Do you want to attract birds in the winter 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
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.
5 Sustainable Eco Bath Mats
Your bathroom may be the least appealing room in your house by definition of purpose but that doesn’t mean that it can’t serve as an oasis of peace and solitude! While many aspects of your water closet determine exactly how appealing it is, there is no denying the power of the bath mat in setting a tone of design and usefulness as your bathroom’s centerpiece.
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