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Treating Your Homestead Wounds the EASY Way

As the name suggests, an open wound is an injury that has resulted in an opening in the skin. Minor versions are commonplace and can be treated at home with over the counter first aid products. Fundamental wound care is a useful skill to have in any situation. Keeping a First Aid Kit handy can go a long way to ensuring they don’t develop complications. In this post, we’re going to take a quick look at the different types of open wounds that can happen as well as basic instructions on how to care for them. TYPES There are four […]

DIY Animal Shelter

Many structures you see on larger farms will often rival a designer house in style and amenities. However, if design awards are not what you are looking for but only to keep your friends protected from the elements, this basic structure will do. A simplified shelter with basic material will satisfy all of these requirements. What You’ll Need 3 Posts = Eight-Foot (8’) Long Pressure Treated Four-Inch by Four-Inch (4”X4”) 3 Posts = Ten-Foot (10’) Long Pressure Treated Four-Inch by Four-Inch (4”X4”) 6 Roof Boards = Eight-Foot (8’) Long Pressure-Treated Two-inch by Six-inch (2”X6”) 17 Roof Joists = Ten-Foot (10’) […]

3 Keys to Choosing the Perfect Livestock

A farm or homestead without livestock seems unusual, to say the least. Whether you see yourself with a flock of cheerful chickens, a herd of graceful goats or a few calming cows, livestock are a valuable food source that should be planned for carefully, then cared for consistently. Are You Ready to Be Available Every Minute of Every Day? Are you prepared to be “on-call” for your animals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year? When you enter the world of livestock, a few things to be aware of are: Newborns usually come in the […]

Essential Elements Your Homestead Property Needs

Those who are considering buying a homestead property are often very excited about starting this new lifestyle. They are looking for the “perfect” piece of property, and this is not always easy to find, as they do not know exactly what it is they should seek in a homestead. This is especially a problem for those who are just getting started with homesteading. The following tips will help you to remember some of the essentials. First, you need to have a good source of water on the property. This will typically mean a well and pump. You will want to […]

Back to Nature Garden (Video)

This is a super cool concept that I’ve often wanted to try myself. The folks at Deep South Homestead, one of my favorite YouTube channels, have tried the “Back to Eden” gardening method, without much success. Back to Eden is the gardening method that was shown in the film by the same name, that involves layering wood chips and manure that sit for a season. The idea is to mimic the natural formation of soil in the forest. Danny from Deep South Homestead explains in this video that because of termites infesting their wood chips, that Back to Eden did […]

Shooting at Homestead Shooting Range in Kananaskis (Video)

I’d love to have a homestead shooting range one day! I loved watching this short video from Kananaskis, Alberta in Canada of a short tour of a wintery homestead shooting range. One of the great things about an outdoor range like this is how much the noise echos and dissipates, which is a great improvement from indoor ranges. It’s really cool to hear the noise of his gunshots in the cold, wintery air. Of course, the other great advantage of a homestead range is distance. And as you can see from this video, he’s able to cover quite a bit […]

First Snow of Winter on the Homestead (Video)

All across the country, temperatures are dropping and snow is beginning to fall. Winter is officially almost here! Of course, for many homesteaders across the country this means a big change of pace. “Off the Grid with Doug and Stacey” is a really cute channel that documents their off-grid adventures in their tiny log cabin homestead. A few weeks ago they published a video of the sights on their first snow day of the year. It’s fun to see their authentic, simple, small homestead get covered with it’s first layer of 2016 winter snow. Enjoy! If you enjoyed this, you […]

Stay Safe on the Homestead

People eventually get into a routine. They do things without thinking about it because they’ve done them so many times in the past. This happens in every aspect of life, and the homestead is certainly not immune. However, this has the potential to be quite problematic, as it doesn’t exactly promote safety. If you aren’t careful, you could make some dangerous or costly mistakes. The following are a couple of simple tips you will want to employ to help reduce the risks. First, you always need to understand the dangers of any equipment used on the homestead. This includes mowers, […]

How to Reduce Electricity Use

Are you using too much energy in your house? The answer for most people is going to be yes. Often, people are wasting energy without even realizing it. If you are a homesteader, and you have electricity through the grid – or through solar power for that matter – you have to take steps to reduce the amount of electricity you use to make your home more efficient. It will also help to reduce the cost. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to save on your electricity and these simple tips will help you get started. One of the first […]

Getting the Homestead Ready for the Winter

Days are getting shorter and nights are getting colder. Are you and your homestead ready for the changing season? Here are a few tips on getting ready for the winter so that you don’t get caught out in the cold. Preparing the Home The first preparation should be firewood. If you don’t already have a nice big pile of wood cut and dry, then you are going to go buy a cord of wood or have it delivered. Locate gaps and cracks that will cause drafts, fill them with caulk or foam to help insulate your home. If your home […]