7 Low-Budget Projects You Should Make This Winter
Summer is primetime for projects. The sun’s out, the weather is fair, and the temperatures are comfortable. Winter is another story. Windchills dip...
Ash + Meat
When you first hear it, it doesn’t seem to make sense. People for centuries have successfully preserved meat in wood ashes. It seems to contradict...
How I Saved $400 a Year by Harvesting My Garden Seeds
Throughout the growing season and into the fall our gardens often provide us with a regular harvest of fruits and vegetables. We carefully cook...
10 Foods You Should Never Keep in Your Fridge
It's easy to assume that most fresh foods should be refrigerated. But that’s not true. Cold temperatures can have an adverse effect on the texture,...
DIY Solar Food Dehydrator from Pizza Boxes and Aluminum Foil
Ancient cultures around the world have been sun-drying foods for thousands of years. It was in fact the first food preservation technique. Fruits...
Why You Should Rub Lard On Your Windows
You’re probably chuckling at the thought of smearing animal fat on your windows—and honestly, you should. But this idea isn’t born from quirky...
The Amish Ways: Book Review
If anyone knows how to live a self-sufficient life, it’s the Amish. When a crisis hits, they barely even notice. And that’s because they’ve built a...
How to Make Penicillin Soup
'Tis the season. You know the one. The one where communal bugs make their way from one household to the next, spreading snotty noses and misery. ...
8 Unusual Uses for Manure Around Your Homestead
When most of us think of manure we head to the compost heap. We want to break it down and know that as a side dressing in gardens it will work...
These 15 Foods Can Never Spoil
Living on a homestead means that you can't go grocery shopping whenever you want. To not starve yourself and your loved ones, it is important to...
Bucket Gardening: How to Grow Your Own Food Anywhere
Not everyone has access to sprawling garden beds or fertile farmland—but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow your own food. Bucket gardening is one of...
Root Cellar vs. Solar Fridge
When living off-grid, keeping food fresh becomes a daily challenge that affects every meal you eat. Two storage solutions stand at opposite ends of...
Grandma’s $1 Desperation Pie
Grandma’s $1 Water Pie, also known as Depression Era Pie, is a simple recipe that has often been passed down generation after generation with...
8 Backyard Projects You Can Make on a Budget
For many of us, our backyards represent both a comfortable and functional living space. How much we use that space can be limited by the seasons in...
The Native American Way To Self-Water Your Backyard
For thousands of years, Native American tribes lived closely with the land, while growing their food in some of the toughest environments in North...
DIY Mosquito Repellent Candles
Ever try to enjoy a quiet summer evening on the porch… only to end up as the main course for a swarm of hungry mosquitoes? Yeah, me too. And it’s...
The Most Dangerous Berry in the US (You Might Have It In Your Backyard)
There’s a berry growing in backyards all across America that looks harmless, even inviting. Some birds eat it. It pops up near fences, along trails,...
Grandma’s Survival Stew
When the grid goes down…when supply chains break… when the grocery store shelves are bare, what are you going to feed your family? In times like...
The Soap That Might Be Growing In Your Backyard
Most people see a weed. They yank it out and toss it on the compost pile without a second thought. But a few generations ago, this weed was worth...
How to Make Cowboy Bread (Lasts Months in Your Pantry)
It calls for ingredients we all keep in the pantry, and it doesn’t even need an oven. This old-fashioned bread goes back to the days when meals were...
Shelf-Stable Rice Meals That Stay Fresh for Years
When stored right, rice can outlast just about every other grain in your pantry without losing its bite or nutrition. But what if I told you that...
Better Than Concrete: DIY Cob Projects You Should Do Today
Cob building material is a mix of clay, sand, and straw, forming a sculptable mortar that dries rock-hard. Unlike concrete, it requires no permits,...
How to Preserve Milk for Years
Back in the day, people didn’t run to the store every time they needed milk. They had ways to keep it fresh long after the cow had been milked, even...
Automatic Chicken Feeder That Needs No Electricity: How Do You Make It?
Chickens don’t care if you’re sick, busy or on vacation. They demand food daily. Store-bought automatic feeders? Pricey, power-hungry, and prone to...
The Best Guardian Animals for Your Homestead (Besides Dogs)
There’s a description of dogs that protect livestock. They’re called “guardian” dogs. They protect poultry like chickens and ducks and even more...
How to Make Your Own DIY Homestead Defense Kit
At 3 a.m. one night, I noticed someone outside, wandering around with a knife in hand. When he got near the backyard, the chickens went crazy, then...
Greenhouse Mistakes I Learned from Building My Own
I’ve built 3 greenhouses. And like so many things we do, each one was progressively bigger. Along the way I learned some hard lessons. Some were...
Can You Catch Bird Flu From Chickens? What No One’s Telling You
Bird flu has been spreading rapidly, wiping out flocks across the whole country. While its effects on birds are well-known and often fatal, many...
Homemade Amish Apple Butter Recipe With 12+ Months Shelf Life
Apple butter - this old-fashioned powerhouse food was a favorite among early American settlers. They relied on it as a way to preserve apples for...
