You’ve got two options to prep yourself for off the grid living: you can either spend three weeks in the wilderness butt ass naked where you bond with a pack of wolves who teach you how to survive, OR you can binge watch Netflix for an entire weekend. Okay, those aren’t your only options, but they’re both pretty good. Let’s assume you choose … [Read more...]
7 Natural Mosquito Repellents and Traps That Really Work
Zika Virus. Dengue Fever. Malaria. West Nile Virus. No, thanks. I’ll pass. While I’m certainly not going to sign myself up to catch one of these mosquito diseases… I also don’t want to drown my body in harmful mosquito repellent chemicals like Deet and other lab-created concoctions. So! I set out on a deep dive of the internet to collect all … [Read more...]
5 Ways Our Life is Better Living Off The Grid
Here's an inspiring video for your weekend. Anyone who's ever attempted to live off the grid as much as possible has had those moments where they thought, "Why am I doing this?" Living a self-sufficient lifestyle is not easy, but it can still be very rewarding, as Jamie from Guildbrook Farm reminds us in this video. She made a list of 5 ways … [Read more...]
Diatomaceous Earth: The Miracle Mineral With Dozens of Uses
So what exactly is diatomaceous earth (DE)? Well, it's the fossilized remains of small aquatic organisms that are usually found in the bottom of rivers, oceans, and lakes. These little organisms are called Diatoms. To create DE, these Diatoms are ground up to create a smooth food grade powder that is easy to use in a multitude of ways, from skin … [Read more...]
11 Most Useful Medicinal Herbs You Can Grow
Learning to use herbal remedies can be a great way to increase your self-reliance. While there’s no way to totally eliminate the need for modern medicine, herbal remedies can help you avoid some trips to the doctor. Unfortunately, good quality organic medicinal herbs can be expensive. Luckily, there are many healing herbs that are easy to grow … [Read more...]
How to Survive This Year’s Deadly Flu Season
All around the nation, hospitals are feeling the strain of this year’s deadly flu virus. The scenarios being laid out are, frankly, hard to believe. What if I told you an entire school district shut its doors for a whole week because so many staff and students were exhibiting flu-like symptoms? Don’t believe me? Date: January 16, 2018 Dear … [Read more...]
4 Things You Can Burn for Heat When You Run Out of Firewood
If you haven’t started already, you should be in the habit of stocking up on firewood year-round. Chop your trees into manageable pieces and create a pile either in a woodshed or covered with a tarp in a dry area. This pile will serve as your main heat source if and when there is a power outage that leaves you in the cold. That’s Plan A. Now … [Read more...]
9 Tips for New Homesteaders
If you are thinking of homesteading or are just starting out, you probably have been immersing yourself in tons of information and advice. Maybe some of it is helpful; maybe some it is confusing. And just maybe, you are feeling overwhelmed. Yes, there is a lot to learn, but no, you don’t have to learn it all at once. You couldn’t even if you … [Read more...]
15 Great Gifts for Homesteaders
The gift-giving season is just around the corner! When it comes to giving gifts to homesteaders, there is one important factor that you must consider... Homesteaders are known for making great use of their space! They don’t deal with clutter and they don’t collect useless knickknacks. Everything thing has its place and purpose. That means … [Read more...]
14 Delicious Ways to Add Turmeric To Your Diet
Adding helpful herbs to your diet can be a great way to be more self-sufficient and responsible for your own health and well-being. While herbs cannot entirely take the place of modern medicine, they can help reduce the need for it. Medicinal herbs are not just for when you actually get sick. They can also help keep you well when you incorporate … [Read more...]
17 Ways to Stay Warm When It’s Freezing Outside
Each year, hypothermia kills 1,500 people in the United States alone. Many of these deaths happen during winter storms when the power gets knocked out. People take their electric home heating system for granted and don't make any preparations in case it stops working. Of course, it doesn't just take a winter storm to knock out the power. There … [Read more...]
How To Crush It At The Farmers Market
If you've ever sold fruits, veggies, or anything else at farmers markets, you have to see this video by Urban Farmer Curtis Stone. He does farmers markets all the time and has come up with five ways to sell every last piece of food. Here are his tips: Stand up and stay engaged. Pile it high and watch it fly. Monitor your customer … [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...]
8 Worst Mistakes New Homesteaders Make
Living a self-sustainable lifestyle on a homestead where you can take care of your own land, plants, and animals can be very satisfying. For many people, the idea of not being dependent (or at least less dependent) on outside sources for food or other resources makes them feel free. If homesteading appeals to you for the same reasons, you … [Read more...]
How to Prepare Your Homestead for a Hurricane
Hurricane season is upon us, and we all are familiar with the TV and internet weather maps that track the ominous swirls of wind and water that develop this time of year. However, if you live in a hurricane zone, it is foolhardy to wait until a hurricane develops to prepare for its fury. Here are 15 steps to follow, so that if a severe storm is … [Read more...]
Can You Homestead When Your Spouse Doesn’t Want To?
There are a lot of people out there who dream of setting up a homestead and being as self-reliant as possible. The problem is, many of them have spouses who don't have that dream and think the idea of self-sufficient living is crazy. Wash clothes by hand? Cook food without power? Work in the garden every day? No thanks! What is one to do in this … [Read more...]
25 Ancient Remedies That Used To Be Common Knowledge
Home remedies and herbal cures are as ancient as mankind itself. Mentions of ancient herbalism are found as far back as the Sumerian civilization, who more than 5,000 years ago documented their process on clay tablets. Much of modern medicine dates way, way back to natural means. In fact, did you know aspirin (or acetylsalicylic acid) can be found … [Read more...]
