Food Choices Affect the Climate
Search Results for: fake meat
Raising Rabbits: How To House, Feed, And Care For Rabbits
Rabbits are one of the cutest animals you can raise on the homestead. Their soft and fluffy bodies are irresistible. Rabbits are also diverse. You’ll find quite a difference in the colors, sizes, and hair textures; you can raise them as meat or pets. Rabbits are often overlooked in favor of larger livestock like cattle, goats,
Frugal Homesteading Tips For Stretching The Family Food Budget
Many Americans experience the tight squeeze of tough economic times. In many parts of the nation, unemployment statistics may unexpectedly soar to an all-time high. When this happens, jobs are hard to find. If you are in a situation where you need to cut back on living expenses to stretch your budget, reducing the amount
How to Reduce Food Waste
Like many other college students (back in the day), I was a summer camp counselor. Though I loved the job, there was one specific task I absolutely hated. It wasn’t the cheesy skits, it wasn’t dealing with sleepwalking campers, and it wasn’t screaming those stupid camp songs for the 10 thousandth time. It was cleaning
Can I Compost Pasta?
Composting pasta has been linked to major composting issues, making it an unconventional organic material. However, with proper preparation and best pile management practices, you can convert leftover pasta into nutritious compost.
Best Dehydrator Recipes
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? Maybe a few months—less if your power happens to go out. Dehydration is the best way to store food for
Sustainable Living
With the effects climate change growing more and more obvious—now it’s actually shrinking the world’s reindeer—we all want to do more to live sustainably. Here’s how you can start to take action right at home. Meat-Free Kitchen The agriculture and food production industry has grown into a major environmental threat as a growing source of
Best Chicken Breeds For City Living
By the time neighbors acknowledge that you grow the most vigorous tomatoes and bake the tastiest bread around, you’ve probably thought more than once that raising chickens might be for you. Having done your homework, you know that more cities throughout the U.S. are permitting as many as four or six chickens in a backyard
Raising Nigerian Dwarf Goats
Before I really knew the term “homesteading,” and before I knew that I’d be working on 12 beautiful acres in the Ozarks, I knew one thing: I wanted goats. And when I finally did move to those Ozark hills, it wasn’t long before two beautiful little Nigerian Dwarf goats were housed in our barn. Deciding
Raising Cayuga Ducks
Though it was hardly a masculine name, I couldn’t help but refer to our male Cayuga as “Lisa Frank Duck.” He may have looked like a simple black duck in the shadows, but as soon as he waddled into a shaft of sunlight, a dazzling array of rainbow hues burst across his glossy feathers. And
Is Coca-Cola Vegan? Yes and No.
The Coca-Cola Company claims that the “vast majority” of their drinks are vegan. Is it true? Is Coca-Cola Vegan?
How to Attract Butterflies to Your Garden
Unbeknownst to many butterflies do not live on nectar alone, some species prefer, even require, overripe fruit to feed on. Decaying fruits have carbohydrates and minerals, necessary to most butterflies. Supply them with flowers, fruit, water, and plants for their caterpillar stage, and you will hopefully have a large and happy, diverse population.
Nick Cave Sound Suits
Upcycled suits…or as Nick Cave calls them – Sound Suits Twigs, one of Nick Cave’s first Sound Suits, he says they’re “full body suits constructed of materials that rattle with movement, like a coat of armor, (they) embellish the body while protecting the wearer from outside culture.” Cave constructed his first suit after watching the
5 DIY Projects for Indoor Gardening
When you live in a somewhat unpredictable climate, it can be truly frustrating to try and deal with a gardening routine. Many plants might even die if you accidentally plant too soon. That is why it can really pay off to do an indoor garden or, at least, prepare for it indoors until you are really sure a garden is workable outside.
Easy Upcycling: How To Update A Mirror And Frame With A Can Of Spray Paint
Got a perfectly good mirror and frame… that’s really ugly? Don’t trash it: get a can of spray paint, and turn it into modern decor.
Lard: What It Is And How To Use It
Lard is a type of animal fat specifically derived from a pig. It’s available both rendered and as unrendered fat. When fatty cuts of pork are cooked, lard is the liquid left behind. Its primary use is culinary, and it’s often used as a replacement for other types of fat in a variety of cuisines.
20 Homemade Floor Cleaners For A Sparkly Clean House
Mopping is one of my least favorite chores. At least, it was until I stopped using store-bought cleaners and transitioned to homemade solutions. The store-bought stuff never seemed to clean my floors (they’re mainly wood, laminate, and tiles) and left them feeling tacky to the touch. I also hated the odor of anything store-bought. Everything
10 Of The Best Vine Plants To Add To Your Landscape
Are you looking to up your landscaping game this year? Have you considered adding vining or climbing plants? Vine plants can add a unique, vertical element to any landscape. Use them to climb walls, archways, gazebos, and pergolas or for trellises and fences. You can even plant smaller vine plants in hanging containers and watch them
Foraging for Wild Mint
There are some flavorings that don’t seem to bear any resemblance to their natural counterparts. Artificial cherry sodas resemble cough syrup more than a juicy, tree-ripened fruit, freakishly purple grape drinks hardly bring to mind anything that ever came from nature, and don’t get me started on banana-flavored candy. I have a special loathing for
13 Fall Crafts Ideas for the Family
The evenings are getting cooler, and I can sense that special, autumn crispness all around me. If you haven’t already done so, check your crafting supplies, because here come the autumnal-themed crafting ideas for you and your whole family. There’s something for everyone on this list. Grab your hot cocoa or warm cider, gather your
Raising Muscovy Ducks And Why You Probably Want Them
With their clawed feet, bizarre-looking caruncles, mohawk-like crest, and lack of quack, Muscovy ducks don’t quite fit the “bill” (if you pardon the pun) for what you might consider a “normal” duck. But on our homestead, these are the only ducks we want to keep because they have won our hearts with both their utility
🐓 Animals
On the homestead, animals can serve all sorts of different purposes. Whether they’re providing your family with eggs, milk, or meat, chickens, cows, ducks, goats, and pigs are more than just livestock, they’re part of the family! Whether you’re keeping them as lifelong pets or selling their meat as a small family business, we have
🥗 Food
2017 Tilth Conference
As the managing editor of Insteading, I get to learn a lot about farming and gardening from our writers as well as my own research. And every once in a while, I have the opportunity to attend conferences and classes. Back in November, I had the pleasure of attending the 2017 Tilth Conference, organized and
How to Get Maggots to Take Over Your Kitchen, On Purpose (w/ video)
In the future, we’re going to be eating bugs. I think that’s the real message of schmeat and the Eat-a-Bug cookbook. Oh, and that thing, up there. It’s called the Farm 432, and it promises to turn 1 gram of black fly maggots larvae into 2.4 kilograms of high-protein, low-fat black fly maggots larvae every
15 Tropical Fruits You Should Know About
Ever been to an international grocery market and didn’t recognize half of the fruits that were stocked? Or how about a tropical vacation where you had the opportunity to feast on new and exotic fruits? Wanna widen your knowledge of fruits? Tired of the common grocery store fare (e.g., apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes)? This
How to Make Bone Broth
Bone broth has recently come into vogue, showing up in health food stores and gourmet restaurants—for a pretty penny. Making your own bone broth is a simple and rewarding practice for a fraction of the price you’ll find on the shelves. Bone Broth Basics For homesteaders or hunters, bone broth is a wonderful thing to
Oklahoma Governor Signs Bill to Allow Horse Slaughter
On Friday, Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin signed a bill to allow horse slaughter within the state.
Can I Compost Bones?
Leftover bones are uncommon composting ingredient. We explore the benefits and challenges of composting bones, best methods to do so, and other composting alternatives.
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
Raising Tennessee Fainting Goats
My first interaction with fainting goats was unintentional. I was jogging along a park trail, watching the trees go by while enjoying the quiet rhythm of my pounding feet. That reverie was jostled into confusion, however, by the sound of something screaming. It wasn’t human, and as I looked for the source, a goat blundered
🐔 Chicken Breeds Guide
If you want just a few birds, call up your local farm and garden store, and find out if they bring in live chicks in the spring. Otherwise, you can get on craigslist and see if someone is selling. Check out our article on buying chicks. Browse By Chicken Breed: Which Chicken Breed Is Right
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
Buckeye
Characteristics Comparisons to the popular and similar-looking Rhode Island Red abound, but this breed is distinct in character, coloration, and conformation. Resembling the color of the large seeds for which it was named, it is darker in color and meatier in the thigh than the Rhode Island Red. Any resident of Warren, Ohio, where it
Houdan
Description One of the most noteworthy traits of the Houdan–aside from that pouf created by it’s combined muff, beard, and crest–is it’s incredibly gentle personality. With a tolerance for small spaces and such charming looks, it may make an ideal pet chicken. Hens are a better choice than a rooster for this purpose, however, as
Raising Pekin Ducks
When you think “duck” what image do you see? I bet for a majority of people, the endearingly chubby, orange-billed and white-feathered barnyard duck leaps (or rather waddles) into your mind’s eye. That duck is the Pekin. This duck breed is by far the most popular of the domesticated duck breeds, and its popularity has
Food Dyes Linked to Behavioral Problems
Food Dyes Linked to Behavioral Problems
Green Home Plans
Raw Milk
There is nothing more bucolic and familiar in our imagination of a farm than the image of milking a cow by hand into a bucket, and then pouring a glowing glass of milk for two or three smiling children. How charming. How American. There is a serious disconnect between that image and the reality of
How To Cool Down A Room: 15 Easy Methods
Lately, summers have been getting hotter. Without some sort of home cooling mechanism, the scorching temperatures quickly become unbearable — and in some cases, deadly. The human body isn’t designed to withstand high heat for long periods. Without reprieve, high temperatures eventually lead to heat illness and heat stroke. Discomfort, dizziness, profuse sweating, and disorientation
17 Great Depression Era Recipes
Nowadays, with the never-ending supply of cookbooks online and in bookstores, and the family recipes your parents passed down, there’s an exhaustive supply of meal ideas. And with modern technology and agriculture, we can basically get any ingredient we need with a quick and affordable trip to the grocery store. But back in the 1930s,
5 Unusual Benefits of Going Vegan (Warning: Poop Talk)
There are two types of vegans in this world: the ones who do it for the animals and the ones who do it for their own health (this one also includes doing it for the environment, which impacts our health).
🍳 Homestead Kitchen
On the homestead, sometimes it seems that aside from the garden, we spend most of our time in the kitchen. After all, those vegetables and fruits you spent all spring growing won’t can, dehydrate, or cook themselves! To make the most of your gardening, you have to know what to do with all of those
Can I Compost Garlic?
Inclusion of garlic in compost pile is a double-edged sword. Although it boosts the nourishment of your compost, large quantities of garlic scraps can significantly impact your pile, especially its microbial action.
Getting Started With Self-Sufficient Living (And Why It IS Possible)
Self-sufficiency. What other term in the homesteading sphere carries such a weight of history, responsibility, and hope? Watch The Video Visions of lush, productive gardens, cozy wood stoves crackling with hand-split hardwood, provisions lining the pantry shelves, and healthy animals moving through the fields; all dance in our heads backed by the resounding questions: Is
8 Ways to Practice Homesteading While Living in a City
The (most recent) Back-to-the-Land Movement may have peaked in the 60s and 70s, but that doesn’t mean people haven’t had the desire for a more land-based way of life every decade before and since. Many armchair homesteaders find themselves tirelessly reading through the Storey’s Guides to Livestock at their local library, browsing websites like Insteading
20 Dutch Oven Camping Recipes for Your Next Outdoor Adventure
I’ve always loved camping, and one of my favorite parts is the outdoor cooking experience. Food cooked over a campfire is something you just can’t replicate at home in your kitchen. A lot of times, you will see what I call traditional camping food. Hot dogs, hamburgers, various salads (prepared before the trip) and an
Can I Compost Avocado?
Avocado is a popular fruit, flexible for various dishes. The resulting avocado wastes, however, can be used for composting, instead of contributing to landfill wastes.
20 Cozy Fall Soup Recipes to Try When the Weather Gets Cool
There is just something about the crisp air of autumn that brings out a desire for a delicious hot fall soup. Butternut squash is ripe and abundant, pumpkins are in their prime, and so many other delectables are available — leading to crockpots full of fresh soups and stews. Some soups are thick and creamy
Feel-Better Remedies and Recipes for Sick Days
You first feel it with that tickle in the back of your throat. Maybe you ignore it. Maybe you pretend to ignore it because you have things to do — then by evening, the tickle feels like someone took sandpaper to your trachea. Your head is pounding, and you feel chilled. It’s obvious you’re coming