When it comes to barnyard livestock, ducks are probably the easiest-going of the bunch. When there is a slight drizzle, the goats complain and run into the barn. When the north wind blows ice crystals across the fields, your chickens are floofed-up and hiding in the coop. Meanwhile, the ducks are blithely waddling across slush
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7 Chicken Predators And How To Protect Your Flock
When I still lived in the city, I dreamed of chickens. I browsed breed lists like a bride-to-be looks through wedding catalogs. I anticipated morning egg gathering, rooster crows, egg-laying cackles, and lots of free fertilizer! But for all my research, I had no idea what it would feel like to face what I grimly call โpredator
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
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.
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
Growing Gourds
To those unfamiliar, there may not seem to be much difference between a gourd and squash. Fruit-wise, they share a lot of similar attributes — cool shapes, hard rind, seeds hidden inside, and beautiful colors. But once you try to grow one, you will quickly notice the enormously long, trailing vines, the beautiful, night-blooming flowers,
15 Things You Shouldn’t Feed Your Chickens
One of the best parts about raising backyard chickens is the fact you can feed them almost anything — and they’ll eat it! I love being able to give table scraps to chickens that even my dogs won’t eat. Throwing away food is wasteful, so it’s nice to know chickens will take care of some scraps
15 Natural DIY Perfume Ideas
Did you know there are over 4,000 chemicals that are used to create fragrances in skincare and beauty products? And since these fragrance blends are considered trade secrets, companies aren’t required to disclose the specific ingredients on their labels. I don’t know about you, but for me, that is reason enough to consider more natural
Grow Healthy, Flavorful Fruit With The Best Fertilizer For Tomatoes
โYou get your tomatoes in yet?โ My neighbor smiled with his usual good-natured grin, but there was no denying the competitive edge to his voice. This was no mere neighborly exchange. It was the opening to a summer-long challenge where plants were pawns and bragging rights, the prize. As a newcomer to the Ozarks, I
17 Of The Best Hanging Plants To Add Beautiful Greenery To Your Home
One of the most recent trends in home decor includes adding greenery to your home. Hanging baskets allow you to grow beautiful plants without sacrificing counter space. Hanging plants can add greenery inside your home and have been proven over and over to have positive impacts on your health and the air quality in your
How To Make Easy Blackberry Wine
Midsummer comes over the horizon, and with it comes humidity, mosquitoes, firefly nights, and hard work in the garden. But one of my favorite summer arrivals is wild in nature, both delicious and hazardous. Itโs blackberries! The ravines and forest edges that were full of white-spangled spring brambles are now absolutely loaded with free fruit
20 Interesting Uses for Coffee Grounds
If you drink coffee every morning or even just enjoy the occasional pot, the number of grounds left behind can really add up. Tossing those grounds into the trash may feel wasteful, but the good news is there are plenty of clever uses for coffee grounds. Not only is this helpful for your wallet, but
25 Free Bird House Plans to Welcome Feathered Friends to Your Garden
Ornithologists know something that many people donโt: Birdwatching can be a peaceful and restorative experience. Encouraging birds to visit your home or yard can be challenging, however. Especially if you donโt have any houses for those feathery friends. A well-made bird house could be the ideal place for a coupling pair to build their nest
Tropical Homesteading: How to Harvest Coconut for Fresh Water and Meat
Coconut palms are astoundingly useful to tropical or subtropical homesteaders. They provide everything from wood to medicine to nutritious, high-calorie food. Theyโre hardy, need minimal to no care, and produce (on average) anywhere from 50-200 coconuts per tree, per year. The icing on the cake? You can process the fruit to make oil, coconut milk,
Foraging for Wild Spinach
“Eat more healthy! Eat organic leafy greens!” The bleached-smile exhortations of the nutritional elite ring out from websites and health shows. So we trundle over to the grocery store and are greeted by the sight of an $8 bundle of organic spinach that would barely feed a rabbit — much less a whole family. Then
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
10 Off-Grid Projects You Can Finish This Weekend
Going off-grid is a huge endeavor and one that could take years to accomplish as you search for land, make the move, and set up your self-reliant system. If youโre just getting started, it can seem like an insurmountable task to think about all that needs to be done. And if you donโt have your
Foraging for Mulberries
The first time I met a mulberry, it was a confusing introduction. At the time, I considered my general plant knowledge to be better than average, but somehow, this unfamiliar tree didnโt make sense. It was a beautifully shaped, open grown tree with scalloped alternate leaves that I couldnโt identify offhand (because mulberry trees come
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 wasnโt the cheesy skits, it wasnโt dealing with sleepwalking campers, and it wasnโt screaming those stupid camp songs for the 10 thousandth time. It was cleaning
Growing Parsnips
I find it oddly infuriating when plants are described as old-fashioned — as if a living, growing thing occupies the same category as powder blue tuxedos, platform shoes, or rotary telephones. Youโll often find parsnips described with this unsuitable adjective, but thatโs merely because theyโre a root vegetable thatโs been around and depended on for
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
The Benefits of Raising Geese
When I was about 5 years old, my mom and us kids lived in a massive farmhouse with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. I loved being around all the farm animals but was always a bit skeptical of the loud, boisterous geese. One morning, while we were doing the morning chores, I had a nasty
How to Save Bean Seeds
Beans are an incredibly exciting plant to grow. This may come as a surprise to folks whose experience with the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is limited to the limp, gray-green cylinders that glorp out of a can and boil to depressingly mushy. If that’s the only way you know beans, I am delighted to introduce
6 Reasons Why I Chose Clover as a Living Mulch
I mentioned in my post about building raised beds that I chose to add New Zealand white clover to the edges of the raised bed to act as a living mulch. First off, I should explain what a living mulch is, and how it differs from a cover crop: “In agriculture, a living mulch is a
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
Wood Stove Decathlon
Wood Stove Decathalon
Vertical Farming
Vertical farms, urban agriculture, hydroponic vertical farms, urban hydroponics, urban skyscraper farms, urban vertical agriculture, skyscraper farming…
Why Pesticides Are Actually Important for Agricultural Sustainability
I know that some readers will find my title surprising or offensive, but I hope you will read on. I’m writing this because I’m involved in a “broad stakeholder process” that is trying to define “scientifically sound metrics” to measure the sustainability of specialty agriculture (fruit and vegetable crops…). Its a very ambitious effort and
Plastic Packaging Waste
plastic packaging waste
Styrofoam Art
Expanded/Extruded Polystyrene Inspiration – (C8H8)n Styrofoam is a trademark name of Dow Chemical and is ‘extruded’ polystyrene (hard insulation). The white stuff used for packing and coolers is ‘expanded’ polystyrene, but often mistakenly referred to as styrofoam as well. Nurdle Beach. A nurdle is a pre-production plastic pellet or ground down particles which were formerly
Gun Art
In Arizona the governor signed into law an order banning confiscated or surrenderedย guns from being destroyed. One solution: turn them into art. ‘Gun Sculpture’ byย Canadian artists Sandra Bromley and Wallis Kendal makes the secret life of weapons visible. Standing at 8′ x 12′ x 8′, and weighing 5 tons, the rectangular structure is a monstrous
Best Electric Cars For City Drivers
Wheego Whip Life All electric. 100 miles per charge, 5 hours to charge, top speed 70 mph. MSRP $32,995. Qualifies for Federal and possibly State and Local Tax Credits. ($7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles.) Final assembly in California. Company is based in Atlanta, Georgia. www.wheego.net MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) Mitsubishi’s electric version
Algae Streetlight
Microalgae Street Lamps (in prototype stage). French biochemist Pierre Calleja has invented a streetlight that is powered by algae AND which absorbs CO2 from the air. Pierre reports that one lamp can take 1 ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere per year. This is as much CO2 as an average tree absorbs during its
Wedge Shaped Cars
The future looks wedge shaped… The 3 Wheeled Elio. Order yours now. More than 50,000 have already been pre-ordered… Made in America. Costs $6800. Designed for a 6โ1โ 220 lb person in the single front seat with one additional seat in the back. Elio projects that it will employ 1500 in Shreveport, LA, at an
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
Acronyms
Green Acronyms & Abbreviations A A Ampere AAAS American Association for the Advancement of Science AABW Antarctic Bottom Water AAC Antarctic Convergence AAIW Antarctic Intermediate Water A AMS Arctic Air Mass AAMW Australasian Mediterranean Water ABL Atmospheric Boundary Layer ABW Arctic Bottom Water or Antarctic Bottom Water AC Alternating Current ACC Antarctic Circumpolar Current ACIA
Biofuel
Blogs: biodieselnow.com Biodiesel Now. Very active blog-forum. www.biopact.com Biopact is a Brussels-based connective of European and African citizens who strive towards the establishment of a mutually beneficial ‘energy relationship’ based on biofuels and bioenergy. News-Blog. BioFuel Companies of Interest: www.blackgold biofuels.com BlackGold Biofuels has developed technology to convert low-value organic-based waste greases (FOG) like those
Sustainable Musical Instruments
Will acoustic guitar solos sound as sweet a century from now? No chanceโnot if we destroy the tonewoods that the best guitars are made from. Deforestation and climate change put the future of many tree species in doubt. The World Resources Institute, a non-profit study group supported by private and government donations, created a guide to
Arkansas Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Arkansas used solar power, it would take 80 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover 89% of the
Washington, D.C. Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in District of Columbia used solar power, it would take 88 million pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover 75%
Iowa Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Iowa used solar power, it would take 79 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover 83% of the
Idaho Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs 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 yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover 658,000 acres of
Illinois Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Illinois used solar power, it would take 197 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover an area more
Indiana Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Indiana used solar power, it would take 219 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover an area more
Kansas Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Kansas used solar power, it would take 71 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover more than half
Louisiana Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Louisiana used solar power, it would take 119 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover all of the
Maryland Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Maryland used solar power, it would take 45 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover an area more
Maine Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Maine used solar power, it would take 8 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover 15% of the
Minnesota Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Minnesota used solar power, it would take 61 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover nearly half of
Missouri Solar
Going solar? Good call. Itโs the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Missouri used solar power, it would take 158 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every yearโaccording to the EPAโs greenhouse gas calculator, thatโs the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover all of the