Happy Earth Day! What better way to celebrate than choosing to make some positive changes in your everyday life! Whether you want to reduce your carbon footprint, teach your kids about the importance of protecting the environment, or support a company that makes donations to earth-conscious charities, we’ve found 80 things to do on Earth
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Hydropower
The Basics Of Cordwood Construction
In the realm of natural building, you have many different options. From rammed earth to straw bale to adobe, there is a building method suitable for almost any situation within the United States. In this article, we will be taking a look at a method that is perfect for the many forested areas of North
Greenhouse Plans
A greenhouse is one of the most well-known garden structures. Providing shielding from extreme sun, wind, and rain — greenhouses can significantly extend your growing season. These sunny buildings come in a variety of shapes and sizes too. Heated glass greenhouses can fight against snow and cold in severe climates. Plastic sheeting can help create
Living Off-Grid: What It’s Actually Like
In our modern day, with cable TV shows banking off of the “weirdness” of living off the grid, the very phrase “Off-Grid” images of end-of-the-world preppers stocking up MREs and ammo, wild-haired hermits digging in the dirt for acorns and mushrooms, or maybe criminals attempting to elude capture. But if you visited our off-grid homestead,
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
Delaware Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Delaware used solar power, it would take 11 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover an area more
Georgia Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Georgia used solar power, it would take 132 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover all of the
Idaho Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Idaho used solar power, it would take 2 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover 658,000 acres of
Nevada Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Nevada used solar power, it would take 32 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover 17% of the
Tennessee Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Tennessee used solar power, it would take 85 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover all of the
Homesteading Resources
Want a chance to win free homesteading gear every month? Sign up for our email list and every month (sometimes more) we send freebie emails with stuff like free books, seeds, gift certificates, and tons of other great resources for fellow gardeners & homesteaders! SIGN UP FOR CONTESTS HERE Our Most Popular Content: Earthbags Shipping
Rocket Mass Heaters: What Are they, How They Work, And Photos
Rocket Mass
Salvaged Wood Cabins
Salvaged Wood Cabins
Keyhole Gardens: What Are They, The History Behind Them, And Photos
Drought. Nutrient depletion. Bending over with a bad back or dealing with mobility issues. Have you ever had to battle with any of these gardening-impeding troubles? Don’t you wish there was an accessible method for growing your own food that eliminated these problems and more? Maybe keyhole gardens are the answer you’ve been looking for.
The Art Of The Dry Stack Stone Wall
Dry (without mortar) stone work in the hands of a skilled waller is an art form. An art form that will last multiple lifetimes and serves multiple functions. Using but one tool; the hammer, and much patience and strength, a skilled waller can lay yards of fence per day. Most modern wallers do not like
Wattle Fence
Wattle is woven wood fencing. Hurdles are woven wattle fencing panels. Historically moveable hurdles were employed for pasture and livestock rotation. We have been wattle making (wattling) since Neolithic times. How To Weave A Wattle Fence The upright stakes are sometimes called “sales” and the saplings called ‘weavers’. Hazel, willow, sweet chestnut, plum, forsythia or any supple, long, straight, slender saplings make
Dale Wayne
The amazing Dale Wayne turns plastic bottles into shimmering joy… Plastic Bottle arrangement, close-up. The plastic bottle wreath Dale made for her mom & dad. dalewayne.com First Place at the Festival of Trees, Orlando Museum of Art, 2011. Dale conceives a large project, then asks the community to assist as to craft skills. Students from
Tiny House Interiors
Creativity is essential when planning and designing the interior of your tiny house. Trying to incorporate your kitchen, bedroom, living room and bathroom into an average of 200 sq. ft. is tricky. With the rise in people living tiny, there has been an increase in innovative designs that have come out to help incorporate all
Galvanized Water Trough Planters
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 to use galvanized water troughs, also known as round end tanks, to fill these spaces in our yard. Check out
Gutter Gardening
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 Erie. Paint your old gutters attach to painted stockade fence. www.bhg.com Painted gutter garden. How to: au.lifestyle.yahoo.com Gutters on fence – filled with flowers blooming in a riot of color. pinterest.com
The Best Amazon Prime Day Deals For Homesteaders
Amazon’s massive Prime Day promotion started Monday, July 15th at 12 am PT. They’ll be announcing deals throughout the day. This year’s Prime Day will last for 48 hours. Each deal will be one of four types: Prime Day Deals: Deep discounts on top products that last until Amazon runs out of stock (in some cases,
Meet Farallon And Roanoke, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company’s Newest Models
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 with a downstairs sleeping area! The designs incorporate a downstairs flex room. The room can be used as a second bedroom for kids/guests
Outdoor String Lights
There is almost no place and no occasion that cannot be improved with ambient string lighting. Most places and occasions become that much more special because of the lighting. The trick is to make the moment special without anyone really realizing that the lights are creating half of the magic. The trend toward decorating outdoor
25+ Sustainable Stocking Stuffers To Give This Holiday Season
It’s not always possible to buy that new greenhouse or build a rain garden as a holiday gift. At Insteading, we understand that garden gifts can easily run on the large and expensive side. We wouldn’t want to substitute our love of natural and sustainable products for a plastic and battery-operated gadget, though, so we’ve
Bonne O vs. SodaStream
Bonne O Carbonator vs. SodaStream: The Ultimate Sparkling Water Smackdown
Orloff
Characteristics Orloff chickens aren’t your typical-looking chicken. They resemble game birds in their posture, with strong legs and a much more vertical orientation than the curvy Orpingtons or Rhode Island Reds that you may be used to. Their heads are set atop thickly feathered necks—often referred to as “bull necks”—and their eyes are surrounded by
How To Build An Earthbag House For $6,164
In this post, guest author Jay Eisenberg details how he and his wife built their earthbag house for $6,164, completed on Oahu recently in 2017. For years I had dreamed of building my own home and not being enslaved with a mortgage. While living in New Zealand I was connected with Shaye Boddington of DIY
Salvage Inspiration From Ballard Reuse
One of the most unique show gardens at the 2017 Northwest Flower & Garden Show was the display set up by Ballard Reuse. The entire area was decorated with salvaged items, used very creatively. This table was made out of bleachers salvaged from a school gym. The patio bricks are salvaged as well. The placesettings
How To Build A Headboard
Your bed is your second home—a place where you’ll spend one-third of your life dreaming up your next DIY project. The bed is your safety zone, a lovers’ sanctuary, a creative child’s train, boat, or horse-drawn chariot. Yet, a bed is also just a soft and characterless loaf in need of textiles and furnishings to
Tiny House Transition: Downsizing
Downsizing is a difficult aspect of tiny house living. It’s often overlooked on social media platforms or in the press. Making the transition to a tiny house isn’t as simple as it seems, but If you downsize well, the transition will be much easier. What Is Downsizing? https://www.instagram.com/p/BTwaLWkFJrQ/ Setting realistic expectations and changing your lifestyle
How To Make A Healing Salve From Backyard “Weeds”
Before I was interested in natural ways of healing, I had no problem reaching for the common OTC cough syrups, ointments, and multi-syllabic pills available at my local big box store. However, as I learned more about the side effects of synthetic additives, petroleum-based ointments, and hormone-disrupting chemicals, I started wondering about the safety and
Homestead Fire Prevention
Many people fail to realize that they face serious wildfire danger. However, if you live in the rural prairies, foothills, or mountainous regions of North America, you are at risk. Fire is frightening, unpredictable, and life-threatening. Weakness in your homestead’s fire protection scheme can create opportunities for a fire to take control, often because of
How To Get Rid Of Morning Glory
Morning glory (Ipomoea lacunosa) is a flowering vine that is native to the eastern and southeastern United States. On the East Coast and in the South, it’s a well-loved and beautiful part of well-tended gardens. But on the West Coast, it’s an invasive, pesky weed. When I moved into my new house, the yard was
Electric Fireplaces
There’s no denying that the ambiance of a fireplace has almost no equal. There’s something special about sitting in front of a fireplace that invites us to linger a little longer. However, having the maintenance of a real fireplace, along with it not being terribly environmentally friendly, makes some people reconsider having one at all.
Engineer Turns Trailer Into Luxurious, DIY Camper
Bill Southworth took a 16′ trailer and turned it into the DIY camper of his dreams, complete w/ solar panels, extra large water storage, and satellite TV.
Geckos In The Garden
Do geckos call your homestead home? Household geckos are said to bring harmony, good luck, and good fortune to the household. Killing a gecko invokes an unhappy chain of bad luck events of long duration. If you have geckos in your garden, celebrate their presence but try not to invite them indoors. A small to
Herb Gardening 101
Planning and planting an organic herb garden is a traditional part of the homestead lifestyle goal of self-sufficiency. Growing rare and beautiful culinary and medicinal herbs is a glorious gardening experience. Herbs offer brilliant flowers, delightful fragrance, eye-catching foliage, and they are one of the easiest types of plants to grow. Think of the herbs
All About Sage
Experienced homesteaders suggest that if you want to attract birds, bees, butterflies, and wildlife to your rural homestead, plant and grow sage. Sage is a favorite in homestead herb gardens because it is one of the easiest plants to grow. A member of 200 genera and more than 3,200 species of the plant family Lamiaceae,
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
Growing Potatoes (The Best Varieties, Avoiding Disease, And Harvesting Tips)
Potatoes have a place in our kitchen and our culture that is unlike any other crop. They are cheap to buy and easy to grow. They are filling and delicious. From the Irish potato famine to the American potato chip, no other vegetable carries a legacy of such mythic proportions. And can you really call
How To Get Rid Of Gophers
There’s nothing like planting a beautiful garden, only to have burrowing animals eating your carrots and making tunnels through your lettuce patch. Despite being cute and fluffy, gophers are a farm and garden pest. Along with rabbits and field mice, gophers are some of the most common mammals that disrupt growing crops. There are plenty
Marking The Way Naturally – Rustic Garden Edging
It really began with the secret garden. No, I’m not referring to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel by that name, though it is a favorite, and I’ve always wanted my own secret garden. Perhaps now I do. My secret garden really was a secret. At least initially. And hence its name which it holds to this
30 Kitchen Shelves To Declutter Your Space
Your kitchen serves many purposes. It’s the place where you make your morning cup of coffee and pack the kids’ lunches. It’s also where you cook your famous macaroni, and above all, spend time with the ones that you love. There’s a reason that the party always ends up moving to the kitchen. There’s something
10 Smart Small Kitchen Ideas
Small kitchens can be challenging. Especially when you love to cook and entertain. It’s easy to feel the walls caving in when you have a few cabinets open and the pot is about to boil over and your kids are asking when dinner will be ready. Before you do something rash — like throw a
12 Office Plants to Add Greenery to Your Workspace
As gardeners, we all aspire to spend our mornings and afternoons planting seeds, pulling weeds, and finishing the day off with a dinner made of home-grown vegetables. But for some of us, gardening is a passion we unfortunately only get to enjoy on the weekends and evenings. If you find yourself at the office wishing
Deer-Resistant Plants
Deer are graceful, nearly ethereal creatures. Their silent forest ways and magnificent appearance may inspire paintings and poetry, novels and songs. But for the hard-working gardener, they may more likely inspire enraged streams of cursing, because deer are also opportunistic jerks who readily translate the hard work invested in a garden into a free, all-night
Osage Orange Trees: Durable Hardwood With Alien-Like Fruit
Grown for decades by farmers and gardeners across the mid-western United States, Osage orange trees are incredibly versatile and can serve all sorts of purposes on the homestead. The wood from the Osage tree has been used to make tool handles, fence posts, livestock stockades, and furniture with a stable, durable wood that can withstand
10 Types Of Moss For Your Garden
There’s something mysterious and intriguing about moss. Maybe it’s because of the way it drapes over trees and rocks in places like the Hoh Rain Forest of Washington state. It looks like a land outside time. Or maybe it’s a bit of residual childlike wonder from the days we were small enough to crouch on
Gardening Resources for Seniors
Gardening is a rewarding hobby that boosts both physical and psychological health among all ages. If you’re a senior searching for relaxation, consider growing your own garden. Reconnecting to nature is one way to relieve the daily stress of modern life. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to cultivate relationships with other gardening enthusiasts.