What do you do when you finally find a property that checks all the right boxes–water well, mature trees, fertile soil, enough acres–but doesn’t have a liveable structure on it? Most would-be homesteaders want something they can live in temporarily while they work on building a … [Read more...]
Historic Kitchens vs. Modern Kitchens
When you go to the kitchen, which appliances are you most likely to use? Probably the refrigerator and the microwave, right? For some people, those are the only appliances they ever use. And yet, these things weren't even invented until the twentieth century. Kitchens existed for … [Read more...]
Reading the Sky – How Clouds, Smoke, the Sun, and the Air Can Predict the Weather
Native Peoples Knew How to Read the Signs in the Sky, and You Should Too. Long before the weather channel, our pioneer ancestors and native tribes looked for signs in nature to forecast the weather. The sky was their primary focus, but how the sky, air, and barometric pressure … [Read more...]
5 Little Known Tips For Off-Grid Living
Homesteaders are a resourceful lot who tend to overthink the big-picture details involved in self-sufficient living. But sometimes that laser-sharp focus can mean we ignore possible situations that have the potential to put a major cramp in our comfort. Everyone thinks of the … [Read more...]
How To Make At Least $1000 a Month From Your Homestead
Making money with a homestead is not a difficult task, but it sure can be time-consuming. If you plan to make a living off of your homestead, it will require a time investment equal to a 40-hour per week job. Instead of quitting your job to live off the land immediately, make … [Read more...]
How to Make Soap from Fat and Ashes
DIY Soap is Easier Than You Think, but it Takes Some Time and Requires Some Caution There’s very little in the history books on the invention of soap. Some stories on the Internet claim it occurred when someone picked up some wet ashes from a fire that had been mixed with … [Read more...]
Man Shares REAL Experience Living Off Grid For 13 Years
There are countless articles about off-grid living, but what is it REALLY like? The only way to know is to try it yourself. The next best option is to learn from someone who's done it. Peter from TreeEater Farm & Nursery lived off the grid in British Columbia for 13 years. He … [Read more...]
How To Read The Language Of Nature
Tristan Gooley writes in his book, The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs, that it is “not the map that should make sense of the land, but the land that will make a map for us.” Although we have access to more information than ever before in history, many of us have lost the … [Read more...]
35 Old-School Life Hacks That Used to Be Common Knowledge
You’ve probably seen numerous blog articles that list the latest “life hacks.” According to the Urban Dictionary, the phrase “life hack” describes any “tips and tricks that get things done quickly by automating, increase productivity and organizing… Formerly known as "good … [Read more...]
15 Pioneer Skills That Will Make You Completely Self-Sufficient
If the off-grid way of life is calling to you, you already have an adventurous spirit. However, to succeed as a self-sufficient homesteader, you also need to learn these basic pioneer skills. Our forefathers and foremothers did not consider this list to be anything other than … [Read more...]
Off Grid Living: Washing Clothes by Hand
If you’re tired of seeing your money and your water supply go down the drain – literally - every time you do laundry, it is time to think about alternative methods for washing and drying your family’s clothes. In addition to saving energy and water costs, you will discover … [Read more...]
15 Self-Sufficiency Skills to Teach Your Children
Our parents had it easy. They totally trusted the school system’s ability to take snotty nosed kids and turn them into fully functioning members of society. But look at us now, mom! We’re still confused when it comes to filing our taxes, we had to learn the hard way about … [Read more...]
Top 10 States for Living Off the Grid
You can live off the grid just about anywhere, but some locales are more suited for a self-reliant lifestyle than others. There are many “best places to live off grid” lists floating around on the internet, but the majority of them focus on just one key aspect of setting up an … [Read more...]
How to Make Activated Charcoal (With Pictures)
Yes, you can make it at home, but it's a little more complicated than you might think. A little more complicated is an understatement. If you can buy activated charcoal and stock it, go for it. Making it is a complex and tedious chore. Some websites say it’s so easy. Well, it's … [Read more...]
Baking Soda Trick To Fix Almost Anything
Do you buy baking soda in those tiny little boxes they sell at the grocery store? Not me. I buy huge 20-pound bags from Sam's Club. Sometimes people look at me weird when they see the big bag of baking soda on my kitchen floor. My friend once asked if I was starting a bakery. … [Read more...]
3 Things To Know Before Going Off The Grid
When people hear the words "off the grid", they usually think about a nice little cabin in the woods or a homestead out in the open country. What they often don't think about is no power, no cable, no water, no sewer, no garbage pickup, and all the other things we take for … [Read more...]
20 Things We Wish We’d Known Before We Went Off Grid
For the past several years, Nick and Esther of Fouch Family Off Grid have been living off the grid in a yurt while building their off grid timber frame dream home. In that time, they've learned some valuable lessons about living off the grid. In this video, they share those … [Read more...]
