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What Is Hugelkultur?

The name is funny, but for those seeking to have a garden that requires less water and fertilizing, hugelkultur is something to take seriously. The basic idea is to create raised beds on top of buried wood. It may take a little more effort to get in place, but in the years to come, it will require less attention and resources than conventional beds. Why Use Hugelkultur As with any other aspect of homesteading, resource conservation is critical in gardening. Hugelkultur allows you to make use of wood that is not suitable for fuel or building since you can […]

Why Baking Soda is Awesome

Two of the most constant themes in homesteading are resource conservation and improvisation. Having items that can be used in a variety of ways will help make both of these possible. One such item is baking soda. Baking soda can be used in virtually every aspect of homesteading life. It is cheap, natural, and safe. With a nearly limitless amount of uses this will probably not be the last time we talk about baking soda, but for now here is just a short list of a few ways that it can help you save money and improve your quality of […]

Super Simple Tips for Splitting Wood

Having a good supply of wood for fuel is crucial for your homestead. While using the proper technique is important for efficiency and safety, using the right tool for the job can be just as important. Here are a few items that will help save you time and energy as you get ready for the winter. Maul A splitting maul has several benefits over a chopping axe. Its wider angel will spread the wood easier, while a thin chopping axe can get stuck in the wood. It is less likely to bounce off hard wood because of its weight and the […]

Get Healthy with the Right Spices

Part of homesteading has to be about living a healthy lifestyle. You know the importance of having fresh and healthy food, so you can stave off common avoidable illnesses that are plaguing so many people in the country today. However, you might not have thought about all of the benefits that can come from using certain spaces in your food. Different herbs, plants, and roots can help to increase your health and make all that healthy food taste even better. Let’s look at some of the best options when it comes to spicing up your food. Cinnamon Most people like […]

3 Easy Ways to Keep Your Chickens Healthy

Chickens are some of the most common animals to see on a homestead or farm. One reason is that they are some of the easiest animals to care for. But even chickens can develop health issues like tape worms, mites, and various intestinal infections. As with everything else, taking care to prevent these issues will be easier than treating them retroactively and will ensure that you have a healthy supply of eggs and meat without interruption. These are 3 easy ways to help your chickens stay healthy. Pasture Just like you, chickens are healthiest when they are eating well. […]

Everyday Laundry Hacks for Off-Grid Living

Your clothes are not only going to get dirtier faster when living off-grid, but you will quickly find out how much more difficult it is to get them clean again, and how drying them can be even harder. Washing an average sized load of clothes by hand will take you close to an hour, then there is hanging them. And of course, while you are occupied with your laundry, you aren’t taking care of any of your other projects that all need your attention. Laundry is definitely a big chore without a machine! These are a few simple and practical […]

3 Things to Consider When Felling a Tree

Cutting a tree down can be dangerous, even deadly. But it is something that, if you are homesteading, you will probably be faced with sooner or later, if not regularly. Felling a tree is not something that should be rushed into or taken lightly, especially if the tree is particularly large, or close to a structure. Before felling any tree, give it some thought, and be careful. Limb pattern Trees are not 100% symmetrical. If a tree has anything obstructing its access to light on one side, it will grow more limbs in the other direction. Limbs can also […]

3 Dog Breeds to Consider for Homesteading

Dogs have the reputation of being man’s best friend for good reason. The possible benefits of having a dog on your homestead, whether it be urban or country, are virtually endless. But domestication of dogs has led to a wide array of physical and behavioral traits. Over breeding for desired traits has also led to genetic issues, for this reason a “mutt” is always preferable since it will have less health issues. For this reason, when selecting a dog that is right for you, you should consider what breed you are looking for, and search for a mutt that has […]

One Way to Clean a Chicken

As with the proverbial cat, I’m sure there is more than one way to clean a chicken. This is just one way, you can tweak it however you feel the need to for your situation. Kill it first Starting with a live chicken that you have a hold of, grab its neck with your strong hand down, so that your thumb is closer to its wings and your pinky is closer to its head. Now spin your hand in a tight circle fast so that the chicken’s body spins in a larger circle. This will kill the chicken for sure. […]

How to Build a Fire Pit (Infographic)

Fire pits are great for summer or fall nights when you want to be outside but want or need some extra warmth. It’s a great thing to have on a homestead not just for outdoor evenings, however, but also for burning small bits of waste or even cooking (with the right set-up, but that’s another article for another day). This handy fire pit infographic from fix.com breaks down the process of building a firepit and makes it easy-to-understand and manageable. To start, it’s important to think about what you’d like to use your fire pit for, and where to place […]

Tips for Creating the Best Garden for Your Homestead

Homesteading and gardening tend to go hand in hand. However, as gung ho as you might be about being more independent, it can still be tricky to find the perfect place to put your garden. You have to think about a lot of things before you choose the location. Let’s look at some of those things you have to consider so you can find the top spot for your vegetable garden. First, you have to think about just how you’re going to be using the garden. Are you going to be using a garden as a supplement to food supplies […]

Developing Skills Prior to Homesteading

Given the drastic lifestyle changes inherent in making the transition from typical modern life to homesteading, preparation is a must. Along with gathering tools and resources, one should not overlook practicing the skills that are soon to be a regular part of your life, but which are typically unfamiliar to those living in suburban or urban settings. While not everything can be simulated, even a little experience can provide you with the skills and attitude that can transfer to many other aspects of your new homesteading life. Gardening Starring at a plot of fallow ground without having any experience gardening […]

How to Safely Handle Raw Milk

Probably the primary appeal of having a family cow is the delicious, nutritious and plentiful milk you can get from her. Raw milk, meaning fresh, unpasteurized milk, has many more beneficial enzymes and bacteria than store-bought milk. But it is important to handle it safely to maintain optimum freshness and sanitation. This is particularly important if you plan on selling your raw milk. If you want to sell your milk, make sure to check your local laws. In some states, it is highly illegal to sell raw milk. In other places, there may be certain restrictions. But even if you […]

Tips to Keep Your Chickens Safe from Predators

Most homesteaders have chickens. The chickens are essential for providing eggs, so you don’t want anything to happen to them. Of course, we all know chickens are delicious. And quite a few predators know the same exact thing. Therefore, you need to take steps to keep your chickens safe from all manner of predators. Here are some tips to make it easier on you. What Predators Are in Your Area? The first thing you need to do is take some time to research what types of predators are in your area that are likely to prey on chickens. You may […]

Going From Urban to Country Homesteading: What You Need to Consider

If you are one of the many people these days considering a transition from urban or suburban life to country homesteading, then you are in for a massive lifestyle change. This will involve things you may have never considered since they might not have had a large impact on you in your current way of life. Considering what these factors are and preparing for them may just make the difference between living happily ever after in an idyllic setting of your choice, or blowing your savings only to move back to the city with nothing to show for it. […]

How to Use Fall Leaves

This time of year many of us are going to have a layer of leaves all over the lawn. Many people simply rake and bag them to put on the street for the trash men to pick up, others will even pay someone else to do this. But there are more options for what to do with this fantastic free garden resource. Fall Mulch Mulching with leaves can have a drastic impact on your garden’s soil mineral content. Not only do the leaves of many deciduous trees have an NPK of around .5, .1, .5, but they also have calcium, […]

Are Vertical Farms The Future Of Agriculture?

When space is tight and the demand for food is high, vertical farms might be the best answer. Check out this piece from PBS on the subject. Here are some fun facts about vertical farms. If you are interested in building your own vertical farm, https://homesteaderdepot.com/supports-for-vertical-gardens-infographic/here are some alternative or unique supports you could use to get started. How to get started with Aquaponics. Other things your might like… Advanced Gardening Course To Accelerate Your Food Production… A to Z Survival Medicine & Wilderness Survival… Traditional Survival Techniques From Long Ago, Re-purposed For The Modern Era… The Ultimate Natural Medicine […]

Tips for Making Your Own Crispy Pickles

Do you and your family love the taste of fresh crunchy pickles? If you do, and you are a homesteader, you have probably been trying to make your own pickles. It is not a difficult process, but you might’ve found that pickles you’ve made don’t quite have the same snap and crunch that you really like. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with soggy, bendy pickles for much longer. Just use the tips that follow and you will find that your pickles will have a much more significant crunch. One of the first things you want to do is make […]

Homestead (and Life) Lessons From the Great Depression

The Great Depression was one of the most harrowing periods of history in our country, and there are many lessons we can take from it. It dramatically changed our economy, our government, our agriculture and our people. We made it through the recent Great Recession with far less damage than the Great Depression, but the possibility of something far worse seems to be constantly looming on the horizon and it’s hard to imagine we’d be prepared the way our resourceful ancestors were. The thing is, life has changed so much since the 20’s and 30’s, and we have become far […]

Benefits of Bees for Homesteads

Bees can be greatly beneficial to the homestead. Becoming a beekeeper requires some knowledge, but it is still relatively simple to get into the field. Once you start to look at beekeeping, you will see that bees can provide a number of wonderful benefits. If you have a large garden that is meant to feed you and your entire family, then you need to make sure everything is pollinated properly. Same is true if you have some fruit trees on your property as well. By having bees on the property, you can ensure the pollination and fertilization of various crops. […]