The great depression brought out both the resiliency and ingenuity of literally millions of people. With few options, people had to make do with what was on hand. Clothes were sewn with spare flour sacks and shoes repaired with cardboard. Food, however, is where things got really interesting. Some foods were still plentiful and reasonably … [Read more...]
9 Ways to Preserve Dairy for Long-Term Storage
Keeping your "perishables" from perishing can be tricky. Most chickens don't produce eggs all year, and homestead cows go through dry periods. How do you make sure you have enough milk, eggs, butter, and cheese to keep your family eating well all year round? Here are 9 methods... 1. Freezing Freezing is a dependable way of extending shelf … [Read more...]
9 Medicinal Herbs to Look For in Your Backyard
Foraging your own medicine can be intimidating. If you're just getting started, how do you know where to look? You don't need to live far out in the wilderness to find your own medicine. There are a number of powerful medicinal herbs that grow right in most people's backyards. Within the reach of your back steps, you can likely find herbs … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Dehydrate Food Without Electricity
Dehydrating foods is one of the oldest methods of preservation, and it was practiced by people around the world long before the advent of electricity. When water is removed from food, the bacteria that cause spoilage cannot grow and multiply, which means that dehydrated foods are shelf stable for extended periods. Any modern electric food … [Read more...]
Blacksmithing Basics: 7 Things You Need to Know
There was once a time, as little as 150 years ago, where everything made from metal was made by a blacksmith. A box of nails that we can carelessly pick up at the hardware store was once a treasured commodity, each nail made by hand. It’s no wonder that during that time, as much as 20% of the adult male population would have been employed working … [Read more...]
20 Foods to Cook on a Wood Stove
Wood stove cooking is a great way to let your fuel work double duty in the winter time. With a wood stove already running, you can save on stovetop electricity or propane. Wood stove cooking can be especially handy if the power goes out, or if you live off grid or are planning to live off grid someday. There are a number of specialized tools you … [Read more...]
7 Luxuries That Even Off-Gridders Can Enjoy
Most people think of off-grid living as “roughing it.” They assume you’ll be hauling water, hand splitting wood, and enduring long days of backbreaking labor. While that can be your off-grid experience, it doesn’t have to be. You can choose to give up your suburban luxuries when you move off the grid, but it’s a choice, not a necessity. When we … [Read more...]
5 Birds (Besides Chickens) That Are Worth Raising (& 3 Not To Raise)
Though chickens are the best-known type of backyard poultry, there are many other breeds worth considering. A mixed flock has many advantages, as each type of bird will eat different forage rather than directly competing, meaning you can keep more birds in a single space without depleting resources. If provided with ample forage and outdoor … [Read more...]
9 Questions to Ask Before You Start Beekeeping
Beekeeping can be incredibly rewarding both to the beekeeper and the entire community as the bees go to work pollinating crops, regardless of fence line boundaries. Though bees are one of the few homestead animals that largely feed themselves, tending them can require a huge investment of time and money, especially if you're not prepared before you … [Read more...]
3 Things to Know Before Moving Off The Power Grid
While you may dream of moving to an off-grid homestead, the reality may not be what you’d expect. When most people think of “off-grid living” they imagine a simpler lifestyle, where a rudimentary electrical system powers only basic conveniences. You may be picturing hard rustic living, but in truth, off-grid living can be easy, and even include … [Read more...]
