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Skills Every Homesteader Should Master

Homesteading is more than just what you do with your land or in your home, it’s a way of life. And with that culture comes a certain set of skills that every homesteader should learn to master. Modern humans have forgotten so many of the specialized skills our ancestors relied upon for daily life. But the entire spirit of homesteading is to regain this knowledge, this autonomy, by doing it ourselves. Here are some of the most important homesteading skills that everyone should master, whether you’re living on a 10-acre farm or a studio apartment-turned-urban homestead. Gardening/Regional Gardening Growing your […]

Why Should Homesteaders Hunt?

If you love the idea of homesteading, and you want to do the same types of things that your forefathers and foremothers did, you will want to add hunting to your list of activities for the homestead. Of course, it is about far more than tradition. You will find many benefits for the homesteader who hunts. When Times Are Lean One of the biggest benefits to those who hunt is that they have the capacity to put extra meat on the table. Even if you raise chickens and other livestock to use as meat, having extra in the freezer is […]

First Time Butchering Chickens (Video)

Being able to raise and butcher your own animals is a dream of many aspiring homesteaders. I think a lot of people don’t think about what it actually involves to butcher chickens, and in this video, you hear the account of some novice homesteaders trying to butcher two roosters for the first time. Chickens are feisty and evasive, and it’s never as simple as simply grabbing them, killing them, and roasting up dinner, and you’ll hear the various challenges this couple faced when they spontaneously agreed to take two roosters for butchering. They did do a bit of research before […]

How to Cultivate the Homesteader Mindset

Let’s be honest. People like the simple things in life. They enjoy when things are nice and easy, and if given a choice between an easy path that leads to an average life and a more rigorous path that leads to true joy, people will take the easy path. They live the fast food lifestyle. Everything is instant. People gorge themselves on Netflix and never bother getting out and having real adventures any longer. They have forgotten how to do many simple things. It’s a shame. You do not have to live that way though, and since you are interested […]

Homestead Hog Slaughtering (Video)

I think hogs are some of the best animals to have on the homestead. They are cost efficient and can produce a lot of meat in a short amount of time. And who doesn’t love lots of pork and bacon? Of course, there’s the dirty business of slaughtering them. They’re pretty big, heavy, strong animals, so it’s important to know what you’re getting into. I like this simple guide to slaughtering a pig, and seeing how it’s done by seasoned hog farmers. Check it out! Hopefully it won’t scare you off from raising hogs, but I found it quite fascinating! […]

Tips for Pruning Fruit Trees

Fruit trees, like all perennials, are a great source of food for years to come, and should therefore be taken care of to keep them healthy and productive. Some find it hard to bring themselves to cut anything from their fruit trees thinking that pruning will harm the tree, or that it will reduce productivity since in other cases in the garden, the more the plant grows the more food that it will be able to produce. But this isn’t the case, fruit trees can benefit greatly from pruning when it is done correctly. Here are a few tips […]

3 Homesteading Skills to Learn

Whether you have been merely thinking about homesteading, or you’ve given it a go for a while now, it is vital that you have a good and varied skillset. The goal of homesteading is to be as self-sufficient as possible, and the following skills are all good to have under your belt. You will find that some of them can be quite fun as well. Candle Making Making candles has several advantages. First, if you’ve considered buying any decent candles lately, you’ve probably been struck by just how expensive they are. When you learn how to make your own candles, […]

Quick Candle Making Tips

Making candles is fun and easy, and it can be a great activity for any homesteader. You can make candles for you own use, for gifts, and even to sell if you choose. Getting started with candle making is much easier than you might think, and before long, you will even be making custom candles that are good enough to buy. Get the Right Supplies First, you need to make sure you have the right supplies on hand. If you are making pillar candles, you will need to have aluminum molds, which are readily available online. You could also make […]

5 Pre-Industrial Skills Everyone Should Have

The modern era has many advantages. Modern technological advancements have made daily life much simpler and less labor-intensive. No longer do we need to spend hours hand-washing our laundry, hauling water from streams and creeks or pumping it from a well, harvesting and grinding grain. etc. However, modern life has also made us very reliant on a complex industrial grid that could go down at any time, or of course, that many are trying to escape. There are many skills of yore that we grow up simply not doing or experiencing, that might quickly become a way of life if […]

DIY Beeswax Candles (Video)

Beeswax candles are a really fun indoor activity for wintertime, and a great skill for homesteading. Beeswax is one principal motivation for keeping bees, and you can use the wax to make crafts like homemade candles that will do very well at farmer’s markets or perhaps an Etsy shop. You can add essential oils or even herbs for a lovely, all-natural aroma that is far better than a toxic parafin candle with perfumes and dyes. But even if you don’t keep bees, you can find organic beeswax at your local health food store or online and make lovely homemade candles to […]

Crock Pot Soap

Making soap at home is a great homestead skill to have. Not only can you make your own all-natural soaps using non-toxic ingredients and even herbs or flowers from your own garden, but you can save money and give your soap as gifts too! You can even make a little money on the side selling them at the farmer’s market or Etsy. At the very least, soap is a very important aspect of clean healthy living, especially when you’re off-grid. Crock pot soap is an awesome method for soapmaking, and I’ve been meaning to try it out myself. I found […]

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 […]