Sweetgrass, regarded as a sacred purification plant by indigenous people around the world, is a hardy, perennial grass that deserves a special spot in your homestead landscape if you are serious about cultivating medicinal plants.ย Many consider tobacco, cedar, sweetgrass, and sage to be the four most powerful healing plants. Native to Eurasia and much
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8 Best Plants for Clay Soil
Clay soil can be a challenge for gardeners. However, some plants can tolerate and benefit from those growing conditions. Shallow-rooted vegetables, for example, can tolerate clay, and others can benefit from the stability of heavy clay soil. Root crops like potatoes and daikon radishes help break up clay. One of the issues with rich clay
Types of Cabbage
Cabbage is an annual vegetable crop known for its versatile culinary use. Get to know these dense-leaved heads that come in many varieties โ each with distinct features and flavor.
Eating Acorns: From Foraging To Cooking & Recipes
The first summer my family and I moved to our homestead, we were not able to get a garden into the rocky, wild ground, but somehow we had a fantastic fall harvest and started accumulating jars of dry goods from the plenty. How was this possible? One surprising wordโฆ acorns.
Farm to Table
Inspiration Green. Farm to Table School Lunch Links and Reports. Green Gardening links and food/nutrition links.
Art From Old Books
Many old books simply get thrown outโeven by libraries. Artists have found a better second life for unwanted books. Jonathan Callan of London – The Defrauder. joseebienvenugallery.com Jonathan Callen uses large screws to hold the books together. joseebienvenugallery.com Jonathan Callen – The theoretical assumptions of management, 2008. Originally found at “https://www.artnet.com/galleries/kudlek-van-der-grinten-galerie/” Cara Barer of Houston,
Understanding GMO Foods
The first time I heard the phrase โGMOโ 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 Project logos became familiar on food labels. Since then, awareness about GMOs has increased dramatically. It is an issue that
Top 7 Tips for Legally Taking Video of Police
America’s police force is out of control, and our best weapon against a police state is the camera on our phones. Here are 7 tips to legally videotape cops.
10 Best Resources for School Garden Lesson Plans
School gardens are a wonderful way to build a connection between students and the outdoors all while covering necessary subjects in a hands-on environment. A difficult part of running a school garden is finding lessons to follow for the appropriate age group. Many organizations and schools have compiled free lesson plans and resources to help
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
The Greenpeace Australia GMO Wheat Action: A Sad Day For Bread. A Sad Day For Science
On July, 14, three Greenpeace activists dressed in hazmat suits scaled a fence, and used weed whips to destroy a GMO wheat experiment in Canberra, Australia. The experiment was being conducted by CSIRO (the USDA equivalent for Australia). The activists posted video of the attack on You Tube. They also posted “explanations” by activists who could
The Urban Lumberjack – The Accidental Eco-Warrior of the City
Urban lumberjacking is a new term that has been coined to describe a growing core of people who seek lumber in urban situations. Typically the urban lumberjackโs activities include diving into skips (dumpsters) and rubbish bins in an attempt to find the precious wood stored within. The great thing about the army of urban lumberjacks
Why You Should Keep Your Dandelions
Yellow, yellow everywhere. Interspersed with the yellow, were just as plentiful white puffballs of fluff. Hardly any green. It was a dandelion haven. As a child, I recall picking dandelions as a flower bouquet for Mom or Gran. They loved them, or so they claimed, and made a big deal of placing them in water
10 Summer Flowers to Make Your Garden Pop With Color
Summer is a time of bold barbecue flavors, bright sunlight, vivid green on the fully-leafed trees, and hot temperatures. The garden would be remiss if it didn’t have colorful flowers to match the intensity of the season! Move aside, you pale pastel spring flowers, these eye-zinging blossoms are here to fill the garden beds with
10 Gifts To Give That Will Change The World
Every time the holidays come around, do you find yourself wondering what in the heck you’re going to get for all those special people on your list? Chances are you have at least one relative or friend who literally never wants anything. And if you love the tradition of spoiling your loved ones during the
9 Of The Best Decorative & Festive Christmas Plants
Have you started decorating your house for Christmas? Hung a holly wreath? Dangled some mistletoe over the entryway, decorated a Christmas tree, and bought your poinsettia? Or did you choose different Christmas plants? Are they all real? Or plastic? Personally, I prefer real. There’s nothing like the smell of pine from a real tree to
Healthy Homemade Homestead Snacks
Sometimes, you just get a hankering for something salty and crunchy. Usually, that itch is scratched with a snack from a shiny, throwaway bag that has more multisyllabic chemical ingredients than there should be. But on a homestead seeking both a healthier lifestyle and a less wasteful existence, those Bag OโSalt crunchies really shouldnโt have
Starfish Snake Plant
“Come see my newest succulent.โ My friend greeted me at the door. She is always trying to grow something new, so I wasnโt surprised to be invited (yet again) to study a plant. I followed her to the sunroom and looked where she pointed. โOh my!โ I exclaimed. “That is something, isnโt it? What’s it
Scientists Discover New Global Warming Threat: ‘Methane Time Bomb’ Under Arctic Seabed
Scientists have today warned that global warming could rapidly accelerate as millions of tons of methane escape from the arctic seabed. According to preliminary findings, as the Arctic region gets warmer massive deposits of the greenhouse gas – 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide – are rising to the surface. Orjan Gustafsson of Stockholm
Midway Island Albatross
Midway Island Albatross
10-Step Guide to Buying a Used Laptop That Works
Buying second-hand products is always green, but it’s easy to be discouraged by the stories of broken laptops from eBay or Craigslist. To quell these fears, here is a 10-step checklist on how to find a used laptop that isn’t just a high-tech lemon. Most wouldn’t flinch at the idea of buying a used car,
How to Build a Raised Bed with Grass Sod Walls
Pictured Above: Here are our finished raised beds before planting. All together there are 7 beds, all roughly 5′ x 9′, totalling about 450 sq feet. It’s May, and I need to overhaul a large section of the yard to make way for this year’s vegetables.ย I have big plans in store for replacing the
Community Supported Agriculture
The Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, movement is an important step in locally sourcing your food. With more and more food recalls being issued by the government and food producers on non-meat items and food prices rising along with oil prices, having locally sourced food can be a key component of a family’s budget and
Beat The Drought: 4 Ways To Recycle Water
Water rationing is common in the more arid regions of the United States during summer months, which can make it difficult to maintain a healthy garden and lawn. Recycle water safely with these practical tips.
Seattle Resources
Here’s a never-quite-complete list of the local businesses & organizations we support. Almost all of the businesses on this list support sustainability, organic practices, or other environmental issues we’re concerned about. There’s also a few listed that are just good local businesses that we like. Please email or tweet or leave a facebook comment if
Big Vegetables in Small Spaces – How to Start a Container Garden
If you have a deck, porch or even a window sill, you can have a garden. Container gardening can be a great way to start gardening, try something new, out wit predators, or bring kids into gardening. Having a garden, even a modest one, will bring beautiful food to your table and a sense ofย satisfaction.
About Us
Insteading helps people on their journey to live a more positive lifeโpositive for themselves, for their neighbors, and for the world around them. As the world awakens to the need to transition away from fossil fuels, people are making alternative choices with the clothes they wear, the products they buy, and the transportation choices they
81 Awesome Documentaries for Homesteaders
From honey bees to tiny houses to TEDTalks on Capitalism and Humanity’s Future, we’ve assembled a complete list of documentaries and shows on Netflix & Hulu that would interest our fellow homesteaders. Leave a comment below and let us know which ones are your favorite, and which programs we missed! Topics Food & Agriculture Documentaries
๐ก Homestead Living
Homesteading is the foundation on which Insteading was built. The core values of homesteading are ones that we at Insteading like to promote to our readers and ones that we like to establish in our own lives Self-sufficiency, living off the land, and choosing eco-friendly alternatives are all things we encourage. Our Homestead Living content
Hundertwasser Architecture
Hundertwasser Architecture
Fresh Drinking Water Resources & Links
Inspiration Green Fresh Water Resources. Links to water associations and organizations. Info on conservation, data, water and climate change, fresh water research organizations and much more.
Hugelkultur: What It Is & Inspiration For Your Permaculture Garden
Instead of putting those small branches, leaves, and grass clippings in bags by the curbside…build a hugelkultur bed. Simply mound logs, branches, leaves, grass clippings, straw, cardboard, petroleum-free newspaper, manure, compost, or whatever other biomass and organic matter you have available, top with soil, and plant your veggies or perennial plants. What you’ll get in return
Hundertwasser Paintings and Textiles
The Colorful Hundertwasser. No straight lines, please! Friedensreich Hundertwasser- Red Streets- amazon.co.uk Hundertwasser Poster- pic source: sanfchorn.wordpress.com “The work of the artist is very difficult, because it cannot be done by force, diligence or intelligence.” Hundertwasser- Irinaland over the Balkans, 1969. hundertwasser.at Hundertwasser- Blobs grow in beloved gardens. hundertwasser-kalender.de “We are in need of magic
Organic Codling Moth Control
In Western Washington, our apple trees have two major enemies: codling moths and apple maggots. While codling moths can be a nuisance (they donโt ruin the apple), apple maggots can leave the entire fruit bitter and unusable, even for cider. Yet some of the easy solutions for apple maggots don’t protect from codling moth. The
Stinging Nettles
Type: Perennial Region: Native to Western North America Used For: Food, medicine How To Forage Nettles Everyone is familiar with these forest plants, and most people do their best to avoid them. However, nettles are one of the first spring greens, and cultures around the world celebrate them as a gift and a harbinger of
Why Bill Gates Would Raise Chickens
What’s the best way to get a poor family in the developing world on the road to self-sufficiency? Cash? Education? Internet access? Tech industry pioneer Bill Gates has a decidedly low-tech suggestion. In a short and sweet post on his personal blog in June 2016, Bill Gates gave four main reasons why chickens are the
Rustic Coffee Tables
Redecorating with Rustic Coffee Tables Moving into my new home, I sadly realized that a cottage by the greenbelt was going to look pretty strange with the sleek modern coffee table I had on my wishlist. In trying to stay true to the architecture Iโve got, I started shopping for some rustic coffee tables, especially
20 Pumpkins You Should Have Planted This Year
In September you’ll start to see bins full of orange pumpkins at the grocery store. Why settle such a monochrome display? More than 30 different varieties of squash are grown in the U.S. These specialty pumpkins are for decorating, soup, even cutting slices off at eating raw. Find one to grow next year. Black Futsu
Companion Plants for Lavender
Lavender can help protect your garden as a companion plant. The biggest reason is that deer, rabbits and other wildlife nibblers tend to ignore lavender due to its strong odor. Lavender is easy to cultivate in most U.S. Plant Hardiness Zones. The aromatic, herbaceous perennial adds a delightful scent to the air. The popular, colorful
Growing Garlic
So you love garlic, and you are ready to take the leap into growing garlic on your own. This culinary staple is easy to grow and has a long shelf life, to keep your kitchen stocked all year. Look no further than this article for the basics of growing garlic, along with some tips, tricks,
How To Make Maple Syrup
It’s February in Minnesota, and we’ve already tapped our maple trees! We typically do this in March, when the temperatures are above freezing during the day and below freezing at nightโthis is when maple trees typically begin to fill with sap. This year weโve gotten a taste of spring quite early! Hopefully, this will mean
Growing Basil
Nothing adds that je ne sais quoi to a dish like basil. Whether you use it as a garnish, a dried seasoning, or in pesto, basil is delicious. And lucky for us, itโs not hard to grow! Here are some tips and tricks for growing basil. There are dozens of types of basil, from culinary
Growing Herbs Indoors
The long, cold, winter months or even the fate of living in a small apartment are not enough to stifle the need for fresh herbs. The smell of basil, the sight of green cilantro, is something that we should be able to enjoy all year round, no matter where we live. If itโs the weather,
Companion Planting For Peppers
Do you love mild, crisp peppers in a broad spectrum of colors? Or hot red chili peppers that make your taste buds tingle and your eyes water? Grow peppers in your garden and you’ll have an assortment to add bold flavor to soups, stews, stir-fries, sandwiches, salads, and salsa. Folks who say they don’t like
Companion Planting For Sweet Corn
Companion planting can help you grow delicious sweet corn. The gardening method combines good neighbor flowers, herbs and vegetables that support the growth of each other. Good neighbor plants can provide essential nutrients to the soil, attract pollinators to the garden, provide shade, shelter or support for other plants, control weeds, andย deter and confusing predatory
Growing Broccoli
Broccoli is an undervalued but delicious crop that is easy to grow in many climates and versatile in the kitchen. If you are new to broccoli, or just looking to improve your harvest, find some tips and tricks on growing this classic crop. Varieties of Broccoli There are more exciting types of broccoli than most
Growing Shiitake Mushrooms
We got involved with Shiitake Mushrooms through our Agricultural Cooperative Extension Agency. (This is a great resource for any farmer. Make it a point at least to visit your local office and see the different programs they have going on for the farmer.) Back in 2003, our local office started helping traditional tobacco farmers transition into
Companion Planting For Broccoli
Experienced organic gardeners bring diversity and balance to the garden with the age-old wisdom of companion planting, a time-tested method of close planting specific species based on their propensity to enhance each otherโs growth and quality. Companion planting can help you grow a thriving crop of delicious, healthy broccoli. Companion plants offer shade or shelter,
Growing Cucumbers
Growing cucumbers is a rewarding experience. Nothing is quite as satisfying on a hot day as that juicy crunch when you bite into a fresh cucumber. These delicious vegetables can be a little tricky to grow, especially in cool climates, but there’s no looking back once you find the varieties and practices that work for
How To Start A Blueberry Patch With Three Plants
There are many reasons why you should introduce blueberries into your landscape, and the first is theyโre delicious. Blueberries are a tiny, but mighty fruit that packs a punch. Full of antioxidants, cancer-fighting, and having anti-aging properties, blueberries should be a part of your summer diet. Blueberry bushes also produce subtle, white blossoms that are beautiful