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 life that can run itself, even when the world as the rest of us know it begins to falls apart. This made me wonder what...
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. Ah, what fun it is…not! It’s a great idea to give your health a little more attention during the cold months. A hot,...
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 wonders. But there’s more to manure than plant fertilizer. Some of the uses may surprise you. Let’s go down the list and...
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 keep your pantry stocked at all times. But what if the food gets spoiled and you end up wasting all your hard-earned money...
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 the simplest, cheapest, and most flexible methods for turning even the smallest spaces into productive gardens. With...
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 absolutely no need to alter. Despite the fiscally and emotionally challenging times during the Great Depression, the lady of...
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 America. They didn’t have any of the modern tools we have today. Instead, they learned to work with the natural...
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, and at the edge of gardens. Most people walk right by it without a second thought. But here’s the part that caught my...
11 Medicinal Plants You Should Save Before the Frost
As the frosts and freezes of late Autumn approach, it’s time to think about what you can save and salvage from your yards and gardens that have medicinal value. And this isn’t just about herbs; there are many plants and flowers that have medicinal benefits. We’re...
Tomato Worms: How to Identify, Manage, and Protect Your Garden
Tomato worms can surprise even the most attentive gardener. One day your plants look strong and full of life, and the next morning you find large bite marks, stripped stems, and droppings beneath the leaves. These pests blend so well into the plant that many gardeners...
How Does a Greenhouse Work
If you’ve ever stepped into a greenhouse on a cold morning, you’ve felt the quiet miracle it holds. The frost may linger outside, but inside, the air is gentle and alive. The greenhouse isn’t just a structure of glass or plastic; it’s a living balance between...
How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes
Tomatoes have long been called the jewels of summer, bursting with flavor and rich in vitamins. But their season is short, and once the weather cools, that fresh taste fades fast. Drying tomatoes is one of the oldest and most effective ways to preserve their sweetness...
How to Preserve a Carved Pumpkin Naturally
When autumn arrives, pumpkins take center stage. Their rich orange color, earthy scent, and nostalgic charm have made them a symbol of harvest, protection, and celebration for generations. But anyone who has carved one knows the heartbreak of watching it wilt and rot...
Planting Garlic Right
Garlic has long been a cornerstone of both the kitchen and the apothecary. Revered for its pungent flavor and powerful healing properties, this humble bulb deserves a place in every garden, whether you have sprawling garden beds or a few pots on your balcony. Planting...
How Much Mulch Do I Need?
Mulching is one of those old, quiet garden tricks that does far more than people realize. A good layer of mulch doesn’t just make a garden look neat—it protects the soil, feeds it, and helps your plants thrive through harsh seasons. But before you grab a shovel and...
Vertical Gardening for Self-Sufficient Living
In a world where every inch of soil matters, vertical gardening reminds us that nature’s abundance isn’t limited by ground space — only by imagination. 🌿 This time-tested growing method lets you turn fences, walls, and trellises into living gardens that feed you, heal...
10 Household Items You Can Use as Mini-Greenhouses
Using everyday household items, you can transform your casual gardening into an innovative one through mini-greenhouses. Mini-greenhouses are a practical way to boost your gardening capabilities and planting game. They can help you create a controlled environment for...
DIY Root Cellar In A Box
A root cellar is a storage space built underground to preserve perishable items like fruits, vegetables, and other root crops for an extended time. The root cellar’s environment provides a cool, dark, and humid environment that helps slow the natural decay process and...
Ingenious Traps You Can Set Up On Your Property To Catch Looters
Over the years, I've learned that protecting your property isn't just about locks and alarms. It's about outsmarting those who'd try to take what's yours. I've had my fair share of close calls with looters, and along the way, I've discovered some effective traps to...
How To Keep Your House Cool Without AC
It's blisteringly hot and the background noise in your home changes. You pause and realize the worst has happened: your AC has died. You race to the phone, you call the techs but nothing can be done for a week. No one is available to help you. What do you do? Can you...
Do Not Throw Away Your Plastic Bottles, Do This Instead
If you're like me, you probably don't have a recycling plant nearby. Sounds strange to those in the city, but I'm pretty sure my southern, country county hasn't even considered putting one in. Much less, I doubt that anyone would even use it. Frustrating to some,...
Small Survival Projects You Are Missing On Your Property
Since isolation, we've come to see 'home is our sanctuary,' and we can make it even better! While getting out is important, we can prepare for success and survival by adding some small DIY survival projects to our to-do list. From leisure activities to practicing...
Off-Grid Tools You Should Look For At Flea Markets
Preparing to go off-grid can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to ensuring you have all the tools you may need. Then, once you are off-grid, finding an inexpensive option to buy tools becomes paramount when saving every penny matters. That’s why attending...
Backyard Projects That Might Get Banned In The Future
Most people assume that being on my own land means I can do with it whatever I want. However, as homesteaders have already experienced, this isn't always the case. I was wondering if there are any projects that might get banned in the future. Let's see together! We...
Shelf-Stable Foods That Kept Coal Miners Alive During the Great Depression
When the Great Depression struck, coal miners and their families were among the hardest hit. With their paychecks slashed and the mines shutting down without warning, putting food on the table became a daily battle. Every meal was uncertain, and survival often came...
Copper Cookware Pan – Pros, Cons, and Choosing the Right One
Copper cookware has a long, respected history in traditional kitchens. Its beauty is obvious, but its real value lies in how intuitively it cooks. Copper responds instantly to heat changes, distributes warmth evenly across the surface, and gives you control that few...
The Ultimate Depression-Era Immune Booster
During the Great Depression of the 1930’s people were unaware of multi-vitamins as a way to boost the immune system. In fact, most people weren’t even aware of what an immune system was, let alone how to support one. Fortunately, many of the foods that were cheap and...
Fermented Milk
Fermented milk has been part of traditional diets for thousands of years, valued for its tangy flavor, gentle preservation, and surprising health benefits. Long before refrigeration, people relied on fermentation to keep milk safe and nourishing. Today, the same...
5 Healthy Harvest Soup Recipes
Harvest season always brings an abundance of vegetables. Many continue to thrive into winter including many root vegetables like carrots, onions, turnips and parsnips, and brassicas like broccoli, cabbage, kale and cauliflower. Others like tomatoes, peppers and peas...
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
A Simple Way to Perfect Eggs Every Time Hard boiled eggs have long been one of the simplest, most nourishing foods we can make. They are quick, satisfying, and naturally balanced, providing protein, healthy fats, and essential vitamins in a form that nature already...
Best Ways To Preserve Your Fall Harvest
For most of us, Autumn is harvest season. One reason is that the fruits and vegetables in our gardens have ripened. Another reason is the onset of winter as the first frosts and freezes turn many fruits and vegetables into toast. It’s those first frosts and freezes...
20 Foods You Can Preserve in Pantyhose
Wearing pantyhose is something that has more or less gone by the wayside with the traditional 9 to 5 – but you shouldn’t toss your favorite pair of worn-out stockings just yet. Did you know that you can easily preserve a large assortment of foods in a pair of...
Why Growing Bees Is Easier Than You Think
What if I told you that one of the most powerful allies in your garden doesn’t come from a seed packet, but has wings? 🐝 Most people assume beekeeping is complicated, expensive, or only for seasoned homesteaders. But the truth might surprise you. Growing bees (yes,...
I Fed Stinging Nettles to My Chickens, and This Happened
Stinging nettles are everywhere in your garden, and I'm not gonna lie; we often overlook them and have them discarded. No need to do this anymore! In this guide, I will reveal how feeding nettles to my chickens changed their lives. Keep on reading to get all the...
Can Chickens Eat Bread?
This question comes up much more often than you might believe. Can chickens eat bread? The answer is much simpler than you might believe but there are some really important things you should take into account before deciding to let your chicken eat bread. Chickens can...
Why You Should Keep Guinea Fowl on Your Homestead
Guinea fowl are quickly becoming a favorite among homesteaders and self-sufficient enthusiasts. These unique birds do more than just add a touch of rustic charm to your property—they bring practical benefits that can help make your homestead more sustainable and...
Chicken Coop Mistakes You Should Avoid at All Costs
It’s easy to raise chickens, and you can do it in the smallest spaces. Six chickens can provide you with six fresh eggs a day, and you always have the option to cook chicken as they mature. It’s the first step that many people take toward animal husbandry. But it...
This Is How I Kept My Livestock Alive During The Disaster
Taking care of livestock during a natural disaster's fallout is... whew. I'm still sore in places that I didn't know I could be sore in and, to be brutally honest, I only did about half of the hard work. This is how I kept my livestock alive during the disaster. My...
Common Cowkeeper Mistakes Even The Most Advanced Can Make
Has your herd been getting sick too much lately? Are your cows not as productive or happy as they used to be? These challenges can leave even the most experienced cowkeepers scratching their heads. Cowkeeper mistakes? There are definitely some common ones even an...
Better Than Chickens?
Thinking of raising poultry like ducks, or quails for lower feed cost or egg varieties? Whatever the reason may be, exploring alternative options can be a learning curve for many, as different poultry types have distinct needs and requirements. Let’s dive deep to know...
This is Why the Amish Bury Their Food
The Amish have quietly preserved a way of life that values simplicity, self-reliance, and the natural rhythms of the earth. They offer a time-tested, proven example of how to not just survive, but thrive off the grid. One of their lesser-known but deeply practical...
I Just Completed The Amish Ways Academy… And You Won’t Believe What I Found
Many people think they can survive off-grid until they’re forced to live without power for a week. By day three, the food’s spoiling, the generator’s running on fumes, and tempers are boiling. But the Amish? They’ve been doing it for generations! No drama, no panic....
Why Do Amish Women Remove Their Teeth? The Sad Truth Behind The Practice
When outsiders hear that Amish women sometimes have all their teeth removed at a young age, the first reaction is usually shock. But the real story behind this practice isn’t about strange rituals or hidden rules—it’s about health, cost, and survival in a community...
Best Hand Grain Mills You Can Buy
If you want the ability to turn stored wheat, corn, or other grains into fresh flour without power, a quality hand grain mill is one of the most useful pieces of gear you can own. Below are three real-world picks (top-tier, mid-range, and budget-friendly), plus the...
Foraging In Autumn: Edible And Medicinal Plants You Need To Forage Before They’re Gone
We often consider foraging a springtime activity as we anxiously await the first greens after winter. But autumn is harvest season. Traditionally, this is when we stocked our root cellars with nature’s final bounty to help us last through the winter. Even though...
Smart Ways To Reuse Things That You Usually Throw Away
My grandparents never threw away a thing that could have been used later on. They were the old time preppers: stockpiling and re-purposing almost everything. Today we live in a throwaway society, where even our water comes in a disposable, single use bottle....
10 Natural Remedies for Common Livestock Ailments
When livestock fall sick, things can go downhill fast. What starts as a minor cold in a goat or a patch of scours in a calf can quickly spread, costing you valuable time, money, and even animals if you’re not prepared. Out here, waiting on a vet isn’t always an...
8 Invisible Threats Hiding in Your Water Supply
You hauled the buckets, dug the well, or set up the rain barrels. That clear water looks pure, tastes fine most days, and feels like victory. A direct line to your independence. But here's the hard truth nobody tells you upfront: you're now the entire water...
I Wish I Stockpiled These Before The Hurricane Hit
While I may not always be the top-notch prepper I, perhaps, should be; I do like to be prepared. In fact, whenever a storm is forecast to hit us, I'm usually one of the ones making sure we have water in the tub and a little extra food tucked away. Hurricane Helene was...
Items You Need to EMP-Proof Before It’s Too Late
When power goes out, most homesteaders reach for their backup generator. But what happens when every circuit board within a thousand miles gets fried simultaneously? Your generator, solar system, and emergency radio become useless in an EMP event. The threat of an EMP...
The First 7 Days After Hurricane Helene Hit My Homestead
This article may be a little more intense than you're used to from me. Hurricane Helene was forecast to hit the Atlanta area. Instead, it barreled right through my life and our farm. We were extremely lucky that it wasn't worse, but we had no internet for 21 days, no...
High-Risk Looter Places You Have To Stay Away From In A Crisis
Desperation can drive ordinary people to extremes. Over the years, I’ve seen how quickly society’s rules crumble when disaster strikes. Places that seem safe today can become high-risk zones overnight. After analyzing looting patterns across various crises, I’ve...
Hide This Immediately If You Have It On Your Property
There are plenty of items related to homesteading that we’d want to keep hidden from outsiders—like food, water, essential gear, tools, gold, silver, or even a survival garden. Why hide these things? Well, aside from protecting what’s ours, it’s also about avoiding...
I Tried Drinking Water From My Stockpile and This Is What Happened
Without water, it doesn’t matter much what other preparations you’ve made – you’re only going to survive for a matter of days. In a crisis, the mains water supply most of us rely on is likely to be cut off, and even if it isn’t there’s no guarantee the water will...
7 Survival Skills You’ll Need After the Collapse
In a world where the systems we have come to depend on collapse, survival hinges on a set of skills most in society have never learned. These skills are about more than just getting by—they are about ensuring you and your loved ones can navigate the chaos and come out...
How To Thrive Without Running Water For A Year
When I was younger, I never gave much thought to the availability of running water. Never once did I have to stress about not having enough clean water to drink, or about where the next shower was going to come from. My decision...
How To Collect Gray Water
Few of us ever pause to consider the amount of water that runs down our drains. What if you could put that water to better use? And I guess that most of us would like to do that, but think it's difficult or too much of a hassle. But what if it was really easy? This...
How To Change A Flat Tire
It’s the Monday morning rush and just when things get really tight, you see your car sadly listing to one side and the rim is far too close to the ground. Well, perhaps now would be a good time to phone in, and say you are going to be late, because it will take you a...
The Lazy Man’s Tricks And Tips To Homesteading
Running a homestead demands you to constantly be thinking outside the box, searching for new and exciting ideas to up your level of self-sufficiency. Below are some simple tips and tricks that can help you to do just that, even if you have little time and energy to...
The Best Places In America To Start Your Homestead
It doesn’t matter if you grew up in the country or a big city because the idea of homesteading can appeal to anyone. It’s a determined way to start afresh, but it will need some planning on your part. So what are the best states for homesteading? How can you choose...
50 Off the Grid Homesteading Tips and Tricks
Whether you’re living off the land or in the city, there are lots of ways that you can become more self-sufficient! These 50 off the grid homesteading tips and tricks should be in the arsenal of every single person interested in self-sufficiency. Read on to learn them...
How To Heat Your Home Without Electricity
Everything nowadays depends on electricity, and most people feel lost and powerless when they suddenly discover their house doesn’t have electricity anymore. It’s one of those things most people take for granted! But one of the major problems a long-term blackout...
How To Homestead In The City
Homesteading is seen by most as a lifestyle for people living in rural areas. Most don’t even dare to think of becoming homesteaders because of the thought of having to leave the city to go and live in the countryside. Well... that is not supposed to be the case at...
10 Things To Do To Winter-Proof Your Home
Cold exposure can kill you or leave you miserable all winter long. So why don't you just turn up the heat? Well, heating your home can be expensive, or take up all you time. I will be presenting some ideas that will save you time and effort this winter, along with...
