Why I Started An Elderberry Orchard And Why You Should Too
Homestead farming is therapeutic, allowing you to cultivate a diverse range of vegetables and fruits. Its true beauty lies in nurturing different plants and savoring the rewards they bring. While I have grown a number of orchards on my farm, that of elderberries is...
How To Use Weeds To Read Your Soil
“Why are these weeds growing in my garden?” Well, you’ll be surprised to find out that they are growing in your garden for a reason. North America has a diverse range of gardening soil types due to its varying climate, geology, and ecosystems. While the specific...
How To Choose The Best Plants For Your Soil Type
While many of us take for granted that sticking a seed in the soil and watering it will grow a plant, this isn't always the case. For instance, shoving a watermelon seed in heavy clay soil will probably end up with a plant. That's true. Your single watermelon you...
A Homesteader’s Worst Enemy
Homesteading is an incredible journey filled with joy and rewards. But let's be honest, it's not all rainbows and butterflies. From backbreaking labor to weather uncertainties, homesteaders face a whole lot of challenges. Yet, amidst all these hurdles, one foe truly...
Cover Crops – The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Homesteaders have been planting cover crops for ages. However, these unsung field heroes have often been misunderstood as competitors to our beloved cash crops. For decades, we diligently focused on maintaining tidy fields, believing that anything other than our main...
What Molasses Does To Your Garden
I don't often talk about the exact procedure that you need to work with to make the best of your blossoms and to heavily fertilize your plants. ...And, let's be real, to make your entire garden area smell like someone's just baked something delicious. Today, I'm...
This Is Making Your Plants Sick
After spending weeks and days looking after my homestead, I couldn't get the desired results. Even after a lot of effort, my plants were unhealthy and never looked lively. This was when I realized I had been doing something wrong. That sounds like a familiar...
Watering Mistakes You Must Avoid This Summer
Summer is here, and I have been religiously watering my vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens. Some of you might be wondering how much water these plants need and when is it best to water them to have the optimal health and success of your plants. This article will...
Canning $5 Amish Stew
Many people hold the Amish lifestyle in high regard due to its simplicity, which starkly contrasts with the modern conveniences that most of society takes for granted. The Amish people adhere to a lifestyle that abstains from these conveniences. When it comes to food...
How To Pickle Watermelon Rind The Amish Way
The Amish are famous for a few things: they live without modern technology, care about nature, and cook fantastic food. They lead a basic life and want to take care of themselves as much as possible because of their strong faith in God. One unique example of their...
Corn Pone – The Pioneers Bread
This may differ from the food you eat regularly, but the classical Corn Pone should be on every homesteader's list of go-to recipes for various reasons. For those not familiar with the dish, let me introduce it to you. This is a traditional Southern dish that has...
10 Civil War Foods Every Homesteader Should Know And Try
The American Civil War was fought between the North and the South, divided only by the Mason-Dixon line on a map. This war was a major turn in American history where brothers fought against brothers. Wartimes are not historically known for feeding soldiers well on...
Ingenious Ways To Keep The Critters Out Of Your Pantry
Even before setting up my homestead, I was always afraid of critters. After all, it's natural to be cautious because these creatures can actually destroy your precious fruits in no time. However, my fear was triggered when some serious critters invaded my pantry. To...
If You Have This In Your Pantry, Throw It Away Immediately
Having a fully stocked pantry for everyday life or for emergency situations is not always an easy task, there are often so many different variations of foods and varying opinions on what you should and shouldn’t have. I understand the great task of stocking your...
Pioneer Recipes Every Homesteader Should Learn
Ah, howdy! I’m glad y'all just pulled your wagon on up and asked us for some cookin' advice. Okay, I can't write the whole post like that, but we're looking at Pioneer recipes. These are primarily the recipes of white colonialists that were making their way through...
7 Foods You Can Cook From Scraps You Normally Throw Away
Did you know that each year, about 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the US? That equals about 130 billion meals and $408 billion in food thrown away. It is unbelievable to think that nearly 40% of the food in America is wasted every single year. Besides using...
How to Ripen Greenhouse Tomatoes (Without Guesswork)
Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse comes with a lot of perks—controlled temperature, protection from pests, and an extended season. But one challenge that even experienced growers face is this: Why won’t my greenhouse tomatoes ripen? You’re not alone. While the plants...
How to Make Depression-Era Potato Cakes
During the Great Depression, every meal was an important act of survival. People had to stretch what little they had, and potatoes quickly became a kitchen hero. The Depression era was brutal. You’d toil all day—sweating, scraping—for just a dollar. Then head home to...
Bone Meal Fertilizer: The Secret Soil Booster Hiding in Your Kitchen
When it comes to organic gardening, the answer to stronger roots, bigger blooms, and healthier harvests might be hiding in something you'd normally toss away — bones. Yes, actual bones. Ground into a fine powder, bone meal fertilizer is one of the most time-tested and...
8 Cheap Ways to Cool Off Your House This Summer
When summer hits full force, even the best-built homesteads can feel like they’re baking from the inside out. Sure, air conditioning helps, but not everyone has it, and even if you do, running it all day can burn through your power supply and your budget. But here’s...
How to Germinate Seeds
Starting a garden doesn’t begin in the soil—it begins with a seed. And knowing how to germinate seeds properly is one of the most vital, yet often overlooked, steps in building a successful and sustainable garden. Whether you’re looking to grow your own vegetables,...
Ingenious Uses of Tallow You Never Thought Of (Except Eating!)
If you’ve got a jar of tallow sitting in the pantry, chances are you’re saving it for cooking. But did you know that this old-school fat is good for way more than this? Before you use it for the usual, here are seven unexpected ways tallow can become a handy tool in...
10 Medical Home Emergencies and How to Manage Them
What if your body suddenly betrayed you with a raging migraine, a blood sugar crash, or a night you just can’t sleep? When medical help isn’t right around the corner, knowing how to take control can mean the difference between panic and peace of mind. This isn’t about...
Best Indoor Propane Heaters: Stay Warm When the Grid Fails
When the power’s out and the temperature’s dropping, what keeps you warm? An indoor propane heater can be the difference between shivering and surviving. But not all units are made the same—and using the wrong one can be dangerous. Here’s what you need to know—and...
Tomato Preservation Recipes
When we start to talk about preserving, we usually end up with a canner on our counter. That will be the case for this article, but I must note that you can certainly preserve tomatoes in other ways. You can dry them in a dehydrator or freeze finely chopped bits of...
Deinfluencing You: Stop Stockpiling These 14 Items Right Now
In light of recent unexpected events impacting the United States and the world, there has been a growing awareness among Americans regarding the significance of maintaining emergency provisions like food, medication, and beverages. Being well-prepared for unforeseen...
Canning $5 Amish Stew
Many people hold the Amish lifestyle in high regard due to its simplicity, which starkly contrasts with the modern conveniences that most of society takes for granted. The Amish people adhere to a lifestyle that abstains from these conveniences. When it comes to food...
How To Pickle Watermelon Rind The Amish Way
The Amish are famous for a few things: they live without modern technology, care about nature, and cook fantastic food. They lead a basic life and want to take care of themselves as much as possible because of their strong faith in God. One unique example of their...
10 Civil War Foods Every Homesteader Should Know And Try
The American Civil War was fought between the North and the South, divided only by the Mason-Dixon line on a map. This war was a major turn in American history where brothers fought against brothers. Wartimes are not historically known for feeding soldiers well on...
Items You Should Have In Case Of An Emergency
Living as an experienced homesteader off the grid, I have gained valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of a self-sufficient lifestyle. Whether it's overcoming natural disasters, extreme weather conditions, or unexpected circumstances, being prepared for...
Worst States To Live In If You Have To Defend Your Property
Self-defense is supposed to be a universal right. You don’t see anyone “policing” nature, telling deer that they can’t use their antlers against a coyote’s teeth. While the deer have a definite disadvantage in that contest, they can still try to do what they can to...
Pioneer Recipes Every Homesteader Should Learn
Ah, howdy! I’m glad y'all just pulled your wagon on up and asked us for some cookin' advice. Okay, I can't write the whole post like that, but we're looking at Pioneer recipes. These are primarily the recipes of white colonialists that were making their way through...
Long Lasting Apple Recipes to Make This Fall
Everyone loves apples, they are a delicious fruit with many health benefits. However, you can do a lot more with apples than munch on them when you are feeling peckish. With their crisp texture and natural sweetness, apples can turn ordinary dishes into mouth-watering...
Natural Remedies From The Civil War Era
The time during the Civil War was really tough, and it wasn't just the fighting that made life hard for regular people. Back then, they didn't have all the fancy medicines we do now, so lots of folks relied on natural cures from plants and such. Let's take a closer...
DIY EMP-Proof Truck
Americans are a mobile people. Whether it’s for family, work, or just the love of travel, we’re always on the move. For those concerned about staying prepared, an EMP-proof truck can offer a reliable way to maintain mobility even in challenging situations. The road...
Canning Bone Broth That Lasts For More Than 2 Years
Whenever I see someone throw away a chicken carcass after making a nice roast, I cringe a little bit. Just because you’ve picked all the meat off, there’s no need to waste those bones! Making and canning bone broth is a great way to become more self-sufficient....
Foods You Shouldn’t Cook In Cast Iron
There are few things better than cooking with cast iron. It cleans up easily, we all know what it is and what it does, and there are few fumes from it that may bother the lungs of pet birds or young poultry still inside (especially during the winter). That said,...
How To Make Condensed Milk That Can Last More Than 2 Years
When you start making lists and taking inventory of the products and foods you’ll want to have on hand in the case of an emergency, the items you can either buy and stockpile or make and store for the long term, one that you will undoubtedly want to include is milk....
Tomato Preservation Recipes
When we start to talk about preserving, we usually end up with a canner on our counter. That will be the case for this article, but I must note that you can certainly preserve tomatoes in other ways. You can dry them in a dehydrator or freeze finely chopped bits of...
Deinfluencing You: Stop Stockpiling These 14 Items Right Now
In light of recent unexpected events impacting the United States and the world, there has been a growing awareness among Americans regarding the significance of maintaining emergency provisions like food, medication, and beverages. Being well-prepared for unforeseen...
