Though we often consider our precious feline companions aloof and independent, itโs crucial they have physical and mental stimuli between napping in the glow of a sunbeam, or knocking things off tables. You donโt have to spend a bunch of cash at the pet store to provide your kitty with endless entertainment. Using materials you […]
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Human Urine As Fertilizer
A study out of Finland has found that plants fertilized with urine performed four times as well as nonfertilized plants and just as well as plants given commercial mineral fertilizer. Urine plus wood ash (collected from a wood stove) produced as well, yet with the added benefit of reducing the acidity of the soil. The […]
Masonry Heaters: Benefits, How They Work, And Photos
When you think of heating with fire, the first image that might leap to your mind is a crackling wood stove, the mainstay of cozy homesteading living rooms everywhere. But despite itโs current ubiquity in back-to-the-land imagery, the wood stove is a relatively recent invention, having been invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1742. If you […]
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 […]
Preparing for Evacuation with Pets
The Red Cross and the SPCA recommend that in addition to an Emergency Kit for you and your family, you create one for your pets. This is important step can help to save your pets live and your peace of mind. Many animal related groups have chimed in to build on the Red Cross list […]
๐ณ 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 wonโt can, dehydrate, or cook themselves! To make the most of your gardening, you have to know what to do with all of those […]
Safe Children’s Toys
safe wooden organic children’s toys
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 […]
How To Make Goat Cheese
At our goat dairy, we run summer workshops on making cheese. We like these cheeses because they don’t require rennet or even aging. In this article we’ll go through everything from getting the milk to setting up your operation so you can sell the cheese you make. We have pure Saanen goats, Nubian goats and […]
Online Homesteading Courses
Webinars and other online courses are great tools for homesteaders. Homesteaders who live in remote, rural areas will find online courses particularly useful. Online courses can fill community knowledge gaps that homesteaders might only have been able to fill through community college classes, conventions, or meetups. Dozens of courses in areas that will interest the […]
Tree Cookies
It may be difficult to find something to do with debris from a storm, but this simple project for creating art out of pine branches can help. Recently, a wet and blustery storm swept across the landscape near my home. The result of all this commotionย led to a wet dog, several branches laden on the […]
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.
What To Do When Plant Disease Attacks Your Garden
No matter if it is viral, fungal, or bacterial, plant disease can enter your garden in a diverse array of ways. Many plant diseases are difficult to identify or to even to determine if what is attacking your plants is, in fact, a disease. Symptoms appear similar from bacterial to viral to fungal. Even insects […]
Cooking With Cast Iron
What is durable, reliable, endlessly useful, and ruggedly handsome? A cast iron fry pan! If you are looking to have a good sear on a piece of meat or add minerals to your food, this is the skillet for you. How Cooking With Cast Iron Is Different Cast iron pans are no ordinary pan โ they […]
Best Wringer Washer
Electric washing machines use a lot of resources. Even โhigh-efficiencyโ washing machines use at least 10 gallons of water per load and require 500 watts of electricity. And they take up a lot of space. Fortunately, there is a time-honored, sustainable, and smaller alternative. Hand-crank washers and hand wringers are easy to use and use […]
Health
Homestead Stories
Sustainability
How To Get Rid Of Gophers
Thereโs 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 […]
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 […]
20 Outdoor Showers for Your Lake or Poolside Home
If you live near a river or lake, you know how frustrating it is when sand gets tracked into your house. It makes a mess, it’s dirty, and once it’s made its way into your home, there’s no turning back. It’s there for what feels like forever, and let’s not forget about all the dirty […]
Raising Champagne d’Argent Rabbits
Iโve raised a few different breeds throughout the years and Iโm currently waiting for a pair of Champagne dโArgent rabbits. This breed is said to be one of the oldest from France. I love their temperament and disposition as well as their beautiful coats. The Champagne dโArgent breed makes great show rabbits and pets, and […]
How to Make a Bruise Poultice
On the homestead, getting dinged-up by daily activities is just a part of life. Youโd be hard-pressed to ever find me without some sort of cut or bruise somewhere! Sometimes, those minor wounds can be surprisingly incapacitating. Just ask someone with a paper cut or hangnail thatโs in the exact wrong spot! And even though […]
Homestead Stories: The Purple Passionflower
โDid you know there are hundreds of varieties of passionflowers?โ I thought I was talking to my husband, but he had wandered off to another part of the nursery while I studied the array of color in front of me. Glancing around, I realized I’d been talking to myself with others giving me wary looks. […]
A Beginner’s Guide To Buying In Bulk
There are many reasons to shop in bulk. For one, bulk shopping can minimize your impact on the environment by reducing the use of plastic bags and single-use packaging. Shopping in bulk can also save you hundreds of dollars and cut down on trips to the grocery store. Buying in bulk can be intimidating, however. […]
Homestead Stories: A Colorful Mosaic Of Nasturtiums
“I love my nasturtiums,โ Mom declared years ago as she led me on a walk through her extensive garden. The nasturtiums were everywhere. Every color imaginable — from solids pinks, reds, yellows, and oranges, to multicolored mixes. The long stems wove through and around the other plants, cushioned by the large umbrella leaves that served […]
40 Smart Uses For Dryer Sheets In Your Home And Garden
When you put laundry in a dryer, static builds up on the clothes, sheets, and towels that bounce and tumble in the heat. Throwing in a dryer sheet can reduce static cling and leave your clothes smelling fresh. That said, dryer sheets have gained a bad reputation because they contain quaternary ammonium compounds that can […]
How To Get Rid Of Mildew Smell To Freshen Your Space
Mildew is a type of fungus that produces a distinct, foul odor. The growth is often confused with mold which has a different texture and is usually darker. Mildew has been linked to health issues like respiratory problems, skin irritation, and chronic fatigue. Often, the terms mold and mildew are used interchangeably. Mildew growth occurs […]
Homestead Stories: What Color Is Your Bleeding Heart Flower?
โAnd what do we have here?โ I shook my head as I worked around some sprouts that had poked through the ground. It was early spring and the garden was coming back to life. I wasnโt talking to anyone in particular — just myself. I do that a lot when Iโm gardening. I hadnโt planted […]
Homestead Stories: The Burglar Bear
We were living down the canyon in a big, round house with a 45-minute drive one way just to get to the grocery store. So we grew some of our own produce and raised chickens (and a duck) for eggs. Living out in the woods with gardens surrounding your house and a small flock of […]
A Beginnerโs Guide To Restoring Cast Iron
Letโs say youโre walking down the aisle of an antique store, mildly browsing the booths, hunting for treasure. All of a sudden, there! You see it. A cast iron skillet. Sure, there are rust spots, and it looks like it hasnโt seen service for a few decades, but youโre smart enough to know this thing […]
๐ฅ Food
Homestead Stories: My Great-Grandfather’s Gladiolus
I have fond memories of walking with my great-grandfather through his garden. In late August, the gladioli would be in full bloom and much taller than me. Of course, I was only a 6-year-old at the time. With clippers in hand, Great-Grandpa would cut stalks full of blooms, and carefully lay them in my outstretched […]
How to Pay Off Debt by Thinking Like a Homesteader: 20 Practical Ideas to Try
When you have the burden of debt hanging over your life, you don’t feel free. Living paycheck-to-paycheck, coasting by on minimum payments, and playing hot potato with your credit cards is not the way anyone wants to live. Watch The Video It can feel like youโre stuck in a dead end rut, working hard at […]
Homestead Stories: Pachysandra – Pretty Ground Cover or a Blight to Eliminate?
โHelp!โ I complained. โWhat is this plant? Itโs taking over my garden!โ My friend, always a great resource, had once again come to my aid. โI think thatโs pachysandra. Very invasive. Pretty little flowers and a great, fast-growing ground cover, but it takes over quickly. Worse than periwinkle and lily of the valley.โ โOkay. So […]
Introduction To Integrated Pest Management
There’s one major challenge that applies to all levels of agriculture, from starting a garden to running an orchard, and everything that falls between. It’s a shared challenge that growers face regardless of location, climate, or economic resources. It’s pests – whether it’s weeds, ants, beetles, caterpillars, goats, sheep, cats, or even other humans (the last […]
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 […]
Homestead Stories: Fungus Gnat
โNot again,โ I groaned. Perhaps I should have said, โGnat again?โ It seemed every time I opened a new bag of potting soil, my house became infested with these fruit fly-like critters. I know fungus gnats are not harmful, but they multiply fast. It had only been a week since I opened a new bag […]
8 Mistakes to Avoid as a New Homesteader
If youโre a new homesteader on new land, youโre in an interesting place. Youโve probably just left everything in the city, your job, your friends, your family, your inherited way of life, to start over in the country. And, like earlier generations of back-to-the-landers, you may not really know what you are doing, have had […]
Homestead Stories: Growing Vegetables Indoors
The growing season is too short and I long for fresh vegetables year-round. Whilst most supermarkets have fresh produce (at a price depending on where it came from), thereโs nothing quite like growing oneโs own food, indoors or out, and enjoying the benefits of the harvest. I have had considerable success growing lettuce and herbs […]
Introduction To Permaculture
Interested in permaculture and not sure what to plant? This could be a great article to get ideas for unique and useful permaculture species! Before we begin, let’s talk about what permaculture is. What Is Permaculture? Permaculture is a land management or agricultural approach which aims at adopting itself to mimic natural ecosystems as closely […]
Stinging Nettle: A Medicinal Herb
Stinging nettle (many gardeners’ adversary) can be a powerful medicinal plant. Generally, when we hear a plant name that has the word “sting” in it, the associations aren’t good. May this article broaden our horizons! Stinging nettle has been a staple herb medicine since ancient times, dating all the way back to ancient Egyptians using […]
Can I Compost Grass Clippings?
Learn how to prepare grass clippings for composting with this comprehensive guide. Explore various composting methods, alternative uses for grass clippings, and important safety precautions to follow.
Can I Compost Eggs?
Learn how to compost eggs effectively with this comprehensive guide. Discover the optimal conditions and explore composting methods for eggs while avoiding issues like odors and pests.
Can I Compost Bread?
Discover which types of bread are suitable for composting, how to prepare bread scraps, and the optimal composting conditions. Additionally, explore alternative ways to reuse bread and find out what bread should not be composted.
Can I Compost Rice?
Discover the correct preparation and optimal composting conditions for both cooked and uncooked rice, as well as the benefits and challenges associated with composting rice. Find the best approach for rice using this comprehensive method.
Can I Compost Coffee Grounds?
Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, making them ideal for composting. Discover the best preparation methods, optimal composting conditions, and alternative uses for coffee grounds in your garden and home.
Can I Compost Coffee Filters?
Learn how to properly compost coffee filters efficiently to enhance your compost pile’s microbial activity. Discover the types of coffee filters suitable for composting, the optimal composting conditions, and various methods like hot composting, vermicomposting, and more.
Can I Compost Meat?
Learn the best methods and safety precautions for composting meat with this comprehensive guide. Explore sustainable alternatives when composting at home is not readily available.
Can I Compost Shrimp Shells?
Learn how to compost shrimp shells effectively in this comprehensive guide. Shrimp shells, packed with valuable nutrients like nitrogen and chitin, can nourish your garden soil and enhance plant defense against infections. Discover various composting methods, from hot composting for quicker results to Bokashi composting for limited space. Uncover alternative uses for shrimp shells, such as creating homemade fertilizer or enjoying unique recipes, and explore safe disposal options for shells that shouldn’t be composted. Maximize your composting efforts and reap the benefits for your garden and the environment!