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Search Results for: natural-foods/organic-food/organic-baby-food
๐จ Green Building
It seems like nowadays every time you look around thereโs another large suburb or apartment complex being built. Often times they replace large forests, greenbelts, and other natural ecosystems. Aside from that, the large construction machines emit carbon emissions for months at a time and all nearby residents have no other choice but to deal […]
๐ป Gardening
Gardening is a cornerstone of both homesteading and sustainability. Nothing is quite as local as growing your food in your own backyard! Gardeners can come in all sorts of shapes and forms, from the apartment-dwelling indoor gardener to the 20-acre owning permaculturist. Whether you have a few plant containers to maintain or entire fields of […]
Lessons From Facing Death On The Homestead
As a small girl in my suburban neighborhood, dealing with death was something unusual. So when my pet fish died, tears were shed and a solemn, toilet-side funeral was held, complete with speeches! Any time I found a dead baby bird in the spring, my long-suffering father would kindly wrap it in tissues and bury […]
10 Answers to Your Beginner Goat Questions
Itโs time for another installment in our series of articles where you ask us questions and we do our best to give you good answers. The theme of todayโs series: Goats! It seems you all have tons of questions about these capricious caprines, and rightly so — theyโre interesting, useful, and personable members of any […]
Flatpack Urban Farm Grows 6.6 Tons of Food in 538 Square Feet
This flatpack urban farm only takes up 538 square feet, but its creators say that it can yield as much as 6 tonnes (6.6 tons) of fresh produce per year.
How To Get Rid Of Pests In Your Vegetable Garden
Pests can harm your garden, but there are natural solutions available. A new piece of property, fertile soil, and lots of sun and water is all you should need for a successful vegetable garden. However, there are the invasions that you probably didnโt consider. For instance, you have the blue jays that peck mercilessly at […]
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, […]
No Till Gardening: To Till or Not to Till?
You may have heard a phrase that makes you wonder if youโre doing your garden bed prep correctly. No till gardening is a trendy idea right now and you may be wonderingโwhat the heck is it? How do I do it? Will I grow better food? Letโs take a look at what no till gardening means, […]
Growing Horseradish In The Homestead Garden
Horseradish, a member of the mustard family and a close cousin of both cauliflower and the common radish, deserves a place in the homestead garden. Cultivated for its thick, creamy white or yellowish roots, horseradish derives its heat from isothiocyanate, a unique volatile compound oxidized when exposed to air and saliva. The spicy taste, pungent […]
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.
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 […]
How To Make Sausage
Do you love sausage but get tired of the limited options your grocery store sells? Making your own sausages gives you control over the quality of the ingredients, the spice mix, the link size, and any allergens. The flavor of fresh, homemade sausages is completely unique, and the process of making it yourself gives you […]
How To Get Rid Of Squirrels: Natural and Effective Options
Most people love squirrels, delighting in their antics as they scamper through the trees and across the landscape. However, many folks quickly change their view when an infestation of squirrels exceeds their level of tolerance. One moment we want squirrels, and the next we want to know how to get rid of squirrels. Our patience […]
17 Effective DIY Dishwasher Detergent Recipes
Iโm probably one of the few people in this world who loves doing dishes — I love to load up the dishwasher and forget them, that is! Washing dishes by hand is an annoying and time-consuming task. And did you know it often uses more water than dishwashers? Handwashing dishes can use up to 27 […]
How To Get Rid Of Flies: Natural And Effective Options
Flies are everywhere. In fact, entomologists have named over 100,000 species of flies on earth. Not only are flies annoying, but they also carry germs and diseases. Though flies are a tasty treat for frogs, they are not good for us. The following article will provide you with a variety of tips to repel and […]
Natural Insect Repellent
If backyard barbecues, camping trips, yard work, or sporting adventures have you reaching for cans and bottles of commercial bug spray to ward off irritating insects, pause and think twice before you douse your children and yourself with noxious chemicals concoctions that often contain poisonous ingredients such as DEET. Consider safe, chemical-free alternatives that do […]
Building With Hempcrete 101
Hempcrete is used as a highly insulative wall material. It is a carbon-negative, natural, and lightweight construction material that provides highly efficient temperature and moisture control. It is also formable, dynamic, one-seventh the weight of concrete, and cures within hours. What Are the Benefits of Hempcrete? The benefits are manifold. It is highly insulative, regulates […]
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 […]
12 Refreshing Natural Air Fresheners
My mother survived stage IV lung cancer (!) but the effects of the disease forced her to be on oxygen 24/7. Needless to say, she’s had to make adjustments to her lifestyle. One thing she had to give up was traditional air fresheners. She loves a clean-smelling house and used chemical-ridden sprays and plugins regularly. […]
The Recycled, Post-Industrial Green Building Material: Urbanite
Urbanite is the perfect symbol for the new natural building movement, the new wave of building that incorporates natural, local, and recycled materials in place of high embodied energy, destructive, and ultimately unsustainable building practices. Urbanite is the name for reclaimed, recycled concrete from the demolition of roads, buildings, and sidewalks. It is typically broken […]
The Story Of Our Waste
Each day we create an excess of waste that builds up in landfills, in our oceans, and in our bodies. Here is the story of our waste. We create a ton of waste everyday, there is no denying that fact. This is especially true if you live in the United Statesโ we would need FOUR […]
How To Grow Victory Gardens
During both World War I and World War II, people with land (even small parcels) planted victory gardens — also known as war gardens or food gardens for defense. It was a means to feed the family, to supplement the restrictions enforced with rationing, and to ease the food chain. Victory gardens provided people with […]
Canning
For several years after I started cooking and farming, I avoided canning. It intimidated me. I was afraid of making someone sick. I was overwhelmed by recipes. I didnโt have any of the special equipment or know-how. Canning seemed complicated, technical, and elite. Best to leave it to the experts, I figured. I couldnโt have been […]
How To Get Rid Of Aphids
If youโre a gardener, youโre probably familiar with finding colonies of tiny, gray insects and eggs clinging to the underside of a leaf. If youโre unlucky, you may have even taken a bite of a kale leaf and spat it out quickly. Aphids are a common and persistent pest that lives all over North America. […]
30 Meal Prep Dinner Ideas
Although itโs a big responsibility, I absolutely love meal planning. I have a meal planning notebook that helps me outline meals for the week and a spreadsheet where I keep a running list of favorite recipes. Every entry is numbered, so when Iโm feeling uninspired, I use a random number generator to make the decision […]
Edible Landscaping: The Basics And Plants To Get Started
What if you could turn your yard into an edible landscape with fruits, vegetables, and herbs? Edible landscaping, also known as foodscaping, brings more homegrown foods into your life while beautifying your home landscaping. And it’s easier than you think! While a lush green lawn is lovely in its own way, edible landscaping is, as […]
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. […]
What Do Ducks Eat?
Ducks, like chickens, are omnivores. So what do ducks eat? Typically, ducks eat foraged food including weeds, seeds, grasses, slugs, and other pests. Ducks also eat natural, homemade feedย or commercial feed.ย To know what ducks want and need to eat, look no further than a wetland in your local park. There, in the early morning, youโll […]
Ten (More) Ways to Change the World Through Social Media
Blogging, social news, peer-to-peer philanthropy, microblogging, social networking, wikis, video sharing, and more. These are the new agents of change. Back in May, we penned the original 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media. Though most of those first 10 are still relevant, the pace of innovation and advancement on the social web […]
How to Start a Compost Business (and Why)
Since 2015, I have owned and operated a fully-permitted Tier 2 composting facility in Johnson City, Tennessee. We have grown every year and our future looks bright. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to build a greener America, I encourage you to consider starting your own compost business. This article will give you […]
Food Waste
What Do Goats Eat?
Many of usโparticularly those who didnโt grow up on a farmโhave some strange stereotypes embedded in our minds about what farms are like. All cows are black and white, all farmers wear overalls, all barns are painted red. One of the oddest ones I remember inheriting is the idea that goats enjoy munching on tin […]
Koch Brothers’ Products
Koch Brothers Products and Pollution
Raising Pekin Ducks
When you think โduckโ 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 mindโs eye. That duck is the Pekin. This duck breed is by far the most popular of the domesticated duck breeds, and its popularity has […]
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 […]
Debunking Compost Misconceptions
For some, composting is a stinky mess that half-reformed hippies insist on building in “decent” neighborhoods. For others, it’s a mysterious, alchemical process that master gardeners alone comprehend. Still others may think composting is a grand idea but are intimidated by the initial setup and assumed learning curve. And finally, some can admit composting is […]
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 […]
Tim Pugh
Summer Arrangement by Tim Pugh. www.timpugh.co.uk Sand Blooms, 2004. Mussel shells on sand. www.timpugh.co.uk Scallop Clusters. www.timpugh.co.uk Woodland Floor Rearrangement, 2005. www.timpugh.co.uk “Beech Weave” Beech Leaves,, 2005. www.timpugh.co.uk Mid-summer Portrait. Beech Stars, beech leaves. “Seren” Braken Leaves, 2005. www.timpugh.co.uk Beech Leaves, 2005. www.timpugh.co.uk Snowball Composition, 2006. www.timpugh.co.uk “Oak Fall” Charcoal, 2005. www.timpugh.co.uk “There Short Respite” […]
Homestead Stories: Rare Orchids
I love orchids. I have dozens lining my plant stands in the sunroom, and I nurture the wild orchids that pop up, unexpectedly, on my property, but they are just a few of the varieties that exist in the world. There are orchids of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and some that look like animals […]
25 Bathroom Rugs
When you step out of your shower in the morning do you step on a towel, or even worse, the cold tile floor? Do you find yourself slipping around on the floor and leaving a trail of water everywhere? If this sounds a lot like your daily routine, you could probably benefit from a bathroom […]
How To Clean A Showerhead: 5 Natural Options That Actually Work
A showerhead is one of many often-neglected home fixtures. When was the last time you gave your showerhead a proper scrubbing — or even thought about it? You might not think much about washing this fixture during regular bathroom cleanings. And why bother? Water spurts out the holes and knocks away any nasty grime anyway, […]
Homestead Stories: The Ghost Orchid
With Halloween around the corner and the thought of ghosts and goblins prowling the darkened nights, how about a real flower that looks like a ghost? Yes, thatโs right. There is actually a flower called a ghost orchid, and its tiny, spindly flower with no leaves, looks eerily like a ghost clinging to the bark […]
Eco Friendly Toys Ages 3-7
Eco Toys Ages 3-7
Soil pH: What It Is And Why It’s Important
I know, I know, as youโre browsing all the excellent articles on Insteading, you see that this one is about soil pH and you probably want to just gloss on past it. When there are tomatoes to pluck, chickens to chase, and compost to turn, rehashing 9th-grade chemistry terms might seem a bit dry. BUT […]
Skinnygirl Exposed (Again): Not-So Naturally Flavored Vodkas
Bethenny Frankelย recently unveiled four newย Skinnygirlย flavors: Mojito, Sweet โn Tart Grapefruit Margarita, Moscato and White Cherry Vodka. And while all of them sound kind of suspect, I am particularly suspect about the “natural” flavored vodkas. As I wrote in Skinnygirl Wine Exposed, theย Skinnygirl wine’s low-calorie positioning is nothing more than marketing and promotional bluster (low calorie […]
Health
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 […]
How To Get Rid Of Japanese Beetles
I didn’t know about Japanese beetles until I moved to the Southeast. As it turns out, the early summer heat makes Tennessee a literal hotspot for these pests. To my dismay and endless frustration, they made quick work of my rose bushes and feasted on the broccoli plants in my garden. Present in every state […]
Pea Gravel Patios
Using natural materials in hardscaping is among one of most the popular trends in patios right now. Among these natural options, pea gravel is one of the best. Pea gravel is visually appealing as the small, round stones offer a soft look to the space they occupy. The gravel is also versatile and can accommodate […]