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How to Make Infused Vinegar for Cleaning

If you want to clean using natural, green cleaning products, but miss the fragrant smells of conventional, store-bought cleaners, then this is a great idea for you. Scent-infused vinegar is a really great, and cheap way, to make your own fragrant cleaners that actually work. We’re definitely fans of essential oils here, but we understand a lot of people aren’t ready to make the dive into buying them, or aren’t sure how to use them properly. This recipe is cheap, easy, involves no essential oils, and cleans amazingly well. You even can most likely make your own custom cleaner with […]

Clever Ways to Teach Children About Self-Reliance

Kids these days! The new generation seems to be so fixated on their devices and pop culture, and I think a lot of us who grew up with these things are looking at today’s youth and shaking our heads. But of course, the truth is, that adults as well as kids need to learn more about self-reliance and basic survival skills, because our world is in a precarious state! Start them young, and we just might be able to raise a few kids who can carry on the traditions and self-reliance of past generations. Here are a few ideas for […]

Why Are My Plants Turning Yellow?

Yellow leaves are never a happy sight to see on plants you’ve been caring for and watch grow. And they’re not a good sign. Yellow leaves on plants or entirely yellow plants can be indicative of a number of different issues. Here are some of them: Pests One possible cause of yellow leaves is pests that are living on the plant and leaves and taxing the plant’s energy and resources. To determine if this is the cause, inspect the plant carefully to see if you can find any pests. To treat this, you’ll need to eliminate the pests themselves. Neem […]

Butchering a Year’s Worth of Chickens (Video)

A few days ago we shared a video of some new homesteader’s first time butchering chickens, well, this is the opposite extreme! Seasoned homesteader and YouTuber Justin Rhodes shares his experience of butchering a whole year’s worth of chickens in one day. Videos like this are really inspiring and motivating to me, and stand as a reminder that while it takes lots of hard work, self-reliance is not entirely outside of the realm of possibility. Watch as this family butchers enough Cornish game hens to eat at least one a week for a year! They raised them all themselves and […]

Easiest Indoor Herbs to Grow

Herbs are a wonderful way to start gardening, either in a starter garden, on your patio, or even your windowsill. They don’t usually require a whole lot of work, are fine in containers, and are wonderful for adding fresh, healthy flavor to all kinds of dishes! Of course, if you want to use herbs primarily for cooking, or simply want a house plant that provides more than just decor, indoor herbs are perfect. Here is a list of some of the easiest herbs to grow indoor: Basil Basil is so easy to grow anywhere, and that includes indoors. You can […]

Best Brands That Are Non-GMO (Infographic)

We feel strongly about living a healthy lifestyle, one that is both self-reliant and supportive of businesses that promote sustainable foods. This infographic lists some of the best natural food brands that contain non-GMO ingredients, so you know you’re getting the healthiest, most whole ingredients for your family. A lot of “natural” food brands just package themselves as healthy but really use GMO ingredients and donate to pro-genetic modification lobbies and companies, so it can be hard to make informed decisions on the fly at the grocery store. So we put together this list of a few companies you can […]

5 Ways to Cut Back on Weeds

Weeds are one of the biggest downsides of gardening. Just as soon as you get the whole garden weeded it seems like they’re sprouting up again. It is true that weeds are nearly impossible to fully get rid of, but fortunately, there are ways to stunt them so much they’re barely a problem in your garden. Here are ten ways to reduce your need for weeding. 1. Mulch Mulch is the go-to for many gardeners, and for good reason. You can use all different kinds of organic material for mulch, such as hay, grass clippings, leaves, wood chips, even store-bought organic […]

How to Grow Watermelon in a Pot

There’s nothing quite as refreshing on a hot summer day as a nice, juicy watermelon. Unfortunately, the watermelons you find in the supermarket are often conventional and even GMO. If you’d like to harvest some of your own this summer, you don’t need a whole field, you can grow them right in your backyard or porch! Here’s how: Container: Watermelons will need a large, deep container, at least 2′ deep, so that it’s long taproot will have enough space to expand. Choose something sturdy as well, and with proper drainage. Soil: Watermelons like both sandy and loamy soil, with plenty of […]

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 Americans Survived the Great Depression

A very good touchstone for both how to survive with very little and how precarious our comfortable, modern lives are is the Great Depression. As the economy took a downward turn and hundreds of thousands of lives were turned upside down, farming families were forced to migrate and city dwellers had to do what they could to get by. It was a gruesome time in America’s history, but when we look back, it’s always amazing to see what people did to survive. To start, back then, many of the people who were most severely affected by the Great Depression already […]

The First 5 Steps of Homestead Preparedness

A huge part of the reason one might be compelled to homestead, either on your own property or even in a city or suburb, is to be more self-reliant in case of disaster. But if you’re just a hobby farmer or an urban dweller who wants to prepare for emergencies, what do you need to get started? Here are a few tips to build a survival stash and plan to keep your family safe when disaster strikes. 1. Be Sensible Survivalism is pretty popular these days, and there’s a huge mix of reasonable admonition to prepare and hysterical doomsday hype. […]

4 Health Benefits of Frozen Blueberries

Blueberries are well-known as a delicious source of antioxidants and valuable nutrients, and although they’re not as glamorous or trendy as acai berry, they’re actually more nutritious and top many dieticians have named them the #1 superfood out there. But did you know that when you freeze them, contrary to what you might think, it actually increases the nutrients? Anthocyanins are what gives blueberries their dark, rich color. They are a are a type of flavonoid, which is a phytonutrient found exclusively in plants, and they’re what make blueberries so incredibly healthy. What happens when you freeze them is that is […]

How to Can Hamburger

I’ve been sharing a bit about canning meat lately, and I thought I’d share an actual recipe for how to do it. Now, remember that you do need an actual pressure canner to can meat, but given the amount of foods you can preserve with a pressure canner, it’s definitely worth the investment. Any way in which you can preserve meat is great to be able to do, since it’s nutritious and caloric. When it comes to canning hamburger in general, this is a great option for meat canning as you can take advantage of sales (ground beef goes on […]

Off-Grid Cabin Security (Video)

When you live out in the country, it might seem safer than an urban environment, and in many ways, it definitely is. Those low crime rates aren’t misleading; way less people means way less crime. That being said, there’s still a risk of your property being vandalized or stolen if you aren’t at home, especially if you live far away from other houses. They say locks are to keep honest people out, and if you don’t feel safe simply locking your gate and front door, you probably want to take additional measures to secure your homestead when you’re not there. […]

Grow 53 Plants in 4 Square Feet (Video)

We’ve been talking a lot about urban homesteading here lately, and when you’re talking about gardening in an urban or suburban environment, space is always going to be an issue. A lot of urban gardeners are turning to vertical gardening, which is an excellent way to maximize space and production when growing area is limited. This is a very inspiring example of vertical gardening, in which a whopping 53 plants is grown in a four square foot area. Imagine how much you could grow on a single porch or patio! Check it out: f you enjoyed this, you might also like…. Home […]

Genius Ways to Use Lard

Lard is something many of us have considered unhealthy for years, but it’s making a comeback as nutritionists reveal the healthy, complex fats in lard are actually pretty good for you! It’s way better for you than vegetable or seed oils, and definitely better than margarine or imitation butter. If you fry bacon at all, you definitely want to collect the fat that builds up in the pan and keep it for cooking! I keep a small jar in my fridge and use it as I would oil or butter all the time. But did you know you can render […]

Dehydrating Food: A Beginner’s Guide

Dehydrating is a great option for preserving food for the long term, especially for gardeners or homesteaders. But even if you’re just an urban homesteader, it might be an excellent way to get started with food preservation. If you like to shop sales, frequent farmer’s markets, or grow veggies or herbs in your own little urban homestead, dehydrating is a great way to maximize your finds and easily store food for the long term. Here are some of the benefits to dehydrating vs. other food preservation methods: it preserves the nutritional content of food it condenses food and also makes […]

3 Ways to Protect Your Dog With Neem Oil

We’re all looking forward to the return of summer’s warm weather, but nobody’s excited about flea and tick season! Whether your pet is your hiking trail buddy or the king of your homestead’s acreage, it’s unavoidable he’ll be exposed to fleas and ticks. Even dogs who spend most of their time indoors can become unwitting hosts for these parasites. Unless daily tick checks are your idea of fun, a good repellent is an absolute necessity. However, the mainstream options for protecting your pet aren’t without risks of their own. Flea collars, sprays, and other products are often made with […]

Why You Need a Pond on Your Homestead

Building a pond is immensely useful and beneficial for the homestead or garden. While there are a few points to consider, such as cost and labor, there is so much that a healthy pond brings to the table. A Habitat for Wildlife Providing your local pond-dwelling creatures with clean water for a home environment and breeding site is a great way to positively impact your region’s ecosystem. The following pond components are especially beneficial to animals: A shallow portion for bathing/wading birds and migrating amphibians. Native plants, which provide shade, food and cover for diverse pond life. Large […]

The Easy Way to Make Milk Kefir

Kefir is a cultured dairy product made from milk which turns out similar in flavor to yogurt but with a thinner, drinkable consistency. Because of the culturing process, kefir is packed with beneficial bacteria and yeasts. To make kefir, you will need the starter culture (called “grains), which can be purchased online. Directions: Add a heaping tablespoon of kefir grains to a quart-sized glass jar and fill it up with milk. You can almost any type of dairy milk- cow, goat, pasteurized, unpasteurized, full fat, skim. If you wish to make more or less than a quart at a […]