Blog - Page 15 of 41 - Homesteader DepotHomesteader Depot

How to Use Bentonite Clay

If you don’t already have bentonite clay stashed away in your natural medicine cabinet, you should. Bentonite clay, which is a sedimentary clay made up of weathered and aged volcanic ash, is an amazing natural health tool with a wide variety of uses around the homestead. It’s strong electromagnetic pull naturally draws out toxins, heavy metals, and impurities and can be used both topically and internally. Here are just a few of the ways you can use bentonite clay for your natural medicine chest Toothpaste Bentonite clay can be used as a base for natural, homemade toothpaste, including this tooth powder recipe. Deodorant […]

The Best Homesteading Herb (Video)

I normally follow this YouTube channel for survival-related stuff, but I loved this video on lemon balm, a great homestead herb. Lemon balm is very easy to grow and has a multitude of medicinal and culinary uses. In this video, she explains it’s medicinal uses, and a few different methods for using it in cooking or as an herbal remedy, as well as how to make delicious lemon balm tea! Enjoy: If you enjoyed this, you might also like…. Do You Have What You Need to Hold Down the Fort? Natural Healing Secrets You Need to Know… Effective Primal Diet […]

The Easiest Way to Consume More Liver

We have been covering the health benefits of liver recently, including a very delicious way to prepare it that makes it quite enjoyable to incorporate into your diet. This way to prepare it is liver pate, which is made out of mostly liver and butter. While I certainly find this recipe to be quite delicious and enjoyable, it’s also pretty caloric and rich, and not necessarily what you want to eat on a regular basis. There are also many who simply do not find liver pate to be enjoyable, in fact, they find it to be just about as repulsive […]

Most Decorative Edibles for Your Yard

Maybe you’ve only got a small yard or a patio, and would like to combine your vegetable garden with your landscaping. Or perhaps you can’t have a garden where you live and you’d like to grow some veggies under the guise of decorative plants. Perhaps you’re just the visual, artistic type and would like to produce food and have a stunning, attractive, decorative garden. Either way, there are lots of beautiful options for you to grow vegetables that are both decorative and edible! Here are some of the best: Basil Basil is a cinch to grow and just so happens to be very […]

The Best Animals to Raise on a Homestead

Being able to raise livestock is one of the biggest appeals of homesteading, and it’s very rewarding too! Livestock can bring so much reward, from delicious byproducts, to valuable contributions to gardening and even landscaping, as well as companionship. Here are some of the best animals to raise on a homestead, and why. Chickens Chickens are just awesome. They’re cheap to feed, can be put to work in a number of ways, can easily be tended to using natural remedies, and produce delicious eggs and meat for you. Chickens are a globally popular animal to raise, for good reason to. […]

DIY Dry Shampoo

Last week I wrote an extensive post about how to wash your hair using the “no-poo” method, and one method I mentioned was using homemade dry shampoo. This is a method of freshening up your hair that can go in conjunction with regular washing, or the no-poo method. You probably won’t want to use it as your only mode of washing, but just as a way to absorb oil and grease in between washing, and adding texture to hair to help with styling. Dry shampoo is essentially what it sounds like; a dry rub you can use to clean your […]

Urban Homestead

This is a very inspiring short film about “the hub”, a 1/2 acre lot in the small town of Oxford, in North Canterberry, New Zealand. Kane and Fiona Hogan are able to grow a beautiful, productive, and lucrative garden right in the middle of their town, and use that revenue to get out into the community and help the elderly with their gardening needs as well. This humble 1/2 acre lot is the center of a growing urban gardening culture in this small town, and is working to establish a sustainable, affordable, and healthy source of food for the community. […]

Soaking and Sprouting Times for Seeds (Infographic)

I shared an article last week on sprouting alfalfa, and I did mention that you can use many other kinds of seeds and beans as well, using this method. It is definitely true that the basic principle of soaking, draining, and sprouting applies to many seeds and beans, they vary, sometimes quite drastically, in ideal soaking time and the amount of days it takes for them to sprout. Here is a great resource from nourishsystem.com for any aspiring sprouters out there. This is a chart that lists many of the popular sprouting seeds, grains, nuts, and beans, and all the information […]

Tips and Tricks for Starting Seeds

Winter is on its last legs and it’s time to get ready for this year’s garden! If you’re in a zone with a shorter growing season or just want to stagger your crops for a richer harvest, check out these easy seed starting tricks. We already mentioned the first two in a post on frugal ways to start seeds, so check that post out for a more detailed description of how to do them: Cut and fold paper tubes to use as a biodegradable seedling planter. Use the tubes from toilet paper, paper towels, or wrapping paper. Start your seeds […]

How to Make Moss Grafitti

Moss Grafitti is a really cool new trend which involves growing moss in certain formations to create words or images. It’s the height of urban-dwelling earth-loving hipster culture, but you can easily do it on your homestead to add some beauty and creativity. Maybe you’re looking to give your barn a bit of visual appeal, mark your property line on some trees, or just have fun with a new artistic medium. Painting with moss is a unique and ecologically-sound way to release your inner artist around the homestead. Here’s how: Choose your spot First, choose the appropriate place to grow […]

Delicious Beef Liver Pate Recipe

I recently shared a post on the health benefits of liver, and I did promise I’d post a liver pate recipe. Liver pate is a great way to eat liver, it’s super delicious and actually very good for you, at least in moderation, as while it includes lots of healthy fats, it’s still pretty caloric. It is a classic example of fattening-but-healthy French food, and liver pate from France has gained a worldwide reputation for its decadent flavor. And it’s really not too hard to make at home! I chose a very basic recipe that calls for ingredients you already […]

The Simplest Way to Peel Garlic. Period. (Video)

Garlic is a homestead kitchen staple, but let’s face it; it’s more than a little tedious to fidget with the papery skin of each individual clove. Sure, you could smash your garlic with a knife or a mallet and make a big mess. If you have half an hour or more to spare, you could soften the skins in hot water. If you need to peel enough garlic to season food for an army, or make a hefty portion of a natural remedy like honey-infused garlic, you can shake them into oblivion between two bowls, but that’s more trouble than […]

Frugal Ways to Start Seeds

It’s almost time for spring planting, are you ready? This is a great time to start your seedlings indoors to transfer to prepped garden beds in a few weeks. However, if you’re not set up with lots of fancy seed trays and want to get started anyway, here are a few frugal hacks for starting seeds indoors. Egg shells Did you know you can actually start seeds in egg shells? It’s true, and really cool too! All you need to do is save your egg shells, clean them with warm water and soap, and let dry. Collect enough to start […]

Most Caloric Foods for Long-Term Storage

Whether you’re a homesteader or not, it is always prudent to have a good supply of emergency food for when disaster strikes. And while stocking up on your own canned peaches and tomatoes is definitely great, you want to make sure to have high-calorie foods stored up as well. Fat and protein can be more difficult to store than other foods, but they’re what you need the most to keep your strength up. High-calorie foods are also more efficient, as it takes less food to fill you up, which means more sustenance for less storage space. Here are a few […]

More Ways to Profit Off Your Land

A few weeks ago, we wrote an article on ways to profit off your land as a homesteader, and we promised there’d be more, so here it is! This week’s post on how to profit off your land is all about livestock, dairy, and meat. Being able to raise, consume, and sell your own animal byproducts is one of the biggest appeals of homesteading, and, with the right set-up, experience, and a bit of time, you can conceivably pull quite a profit. We already covered eggs, which is a really good start and has relatively low overhead. It’s a great […]

5 Ways to Use Vinegar for Your Chickens

Vinegar has so many uses around the home in general, it should be no surprise to you that there are a lot of ways to use it around your chicken coop! Both distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are wonderful to keep your chicken coop clean, your chickens healthy, and keep you happy! Here are a few of the many ways you can use vinegar for your chickens: 1. Added to water Chickens are subject to parasites and digestive issues as much as any other creature, and adding a bit of vinegar to their water can help keep them healthy […]

The $5 Chicken Tractor (Video)

Popular homesteading vlogger Justin Rhodes has been on a tour of American homesteads this month, and through his travels, he found this impressive $5 chicken tractor made by his friend, Ryan from Wholesome Roots. I love seeing great, innovative, and frugal ideas for homesteading in general, but it seems people seem to get particularly innovative when it comes to housing and accommodating chickens! Just this week we shared our frugal chicken nest ideas, and I’ve actually found a few more since posting it. This is a very clever little system for moving chickens around the homestead, which is a great […]

Simplest Bulletproof Coffee Recipe

You may have heard of bulletproof coffee, which is gaining massive popularity among foodies everywhere. It is an aspect of the bulletproof diet, a book and diet plan designed by a man named Dave Asprey, that focuses on lots of good fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrates. Healthy fats are making a huge comeback, after decades of “low-fat” being considered healthy, nutritionists have changed their tune on saturated fats, which they now say make up an important part of a healthy diet. And bulletproof coffee is a great way to make sure you’re getting healthy fats, and make your morning coffee […]

How to Train Horses (Infographic)

I came across this infographic from Thoroughbredstallionbestminister.com on Pinterest recently and I thought it was really cool. I’m not a huge horse expert, but my ideal homestead would most definitely include horses. There’s a reason they were such a huge part of Western Civilization for centuries, and why, despite much faster modes of travel we have today, many people still choose to keep them around. First of all, they’re always reliable for work and transport. Sure, tractors and cars are much more efficient…or are they? When the grid goes down, how reliable will your fossil-fuel reliant vehicles be? Or maybe […]

How to Grow Alfalfa Sprouts

Spring will soon be upon us, and you might be eager to get your garden started. If you’re impatient to have fresh greens again, you might want to try sprouting as you wait for the seeds in your garden to germinate. Sprouting seeds is a great way to get quick, delicious nutrients you can throw in sandwiches and salads, and they only take a few days to grow right on your countertop. This is also a great option for folks who don’t have room to garden! Fresh sprouts are not only delicious and easy, they’re actually really good for you […]