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How to Make Hard Candy (Video)

This is a homemade recipe I’ve always wanted to try, and this fun and informative video on how to make your own hard candy at home is really great! Using simple tools and ingredients that you probably already have at home, (with the exception of a candy thermometer, not everyone might have that), they walk you through the simple process with clarity and humor. Candy making is simple, but it’s also a very precise chemical reaction that’s taking place, as you bring the ingredients to extremely high temperatures to achieve the desired consistency, so I think it’s really useful to […]

Homesteading on a Budget

Many people spend a substantial amount of money on homesteading. They end up spending far more than they should on all the latest and greatest gear and equipment. While it might be nice to have all those things, you need to realize that it is certainly not necessary. Just because you do not have a lot of money, it does not mean that you can’t homestead. Think about it for a minute. The pioneers, the original homesteaders here, did not have a lot of money. They were self-sufficient, and that’s what you need to be as well. You can get […]

How to Use Extra Whey

Every aspiring or seasoned dairy farmer is familiar with whey, the byproduct of making yogurt, cheese, and other delicious dairy products. In the process of making many of these dairy products, the whey is often discarded, but it’s actually quite nutritious on its own, and can be reused in many different ways. Use in almost any recipe in place of water or even milk. Whey adds depth of flavor to bread, soups, sauces, marinades, and main dishes. If you are overrun with whey, you can even boil pasta or rice with it! Soak grains and legumes The acid and cultures in […]

DIY Tooth Whitening Recipe

We’ve shared a lot of DIY health and personal hygiene products on this blog, and for good reason. There are so many products out there that are full of chemicals and toxins, that can be easily made at home for a fraction of the cost. This whitening tooth powder is packed with beneficial ingredients you’ll want to try. Ingredients: 4 tablespoons bentonite clay. This is a natural, mineral-rich powder that gently cleans your teeth. It also detoxifies your mouth to freshen breath and fight gum disease 2 teaspoons baking soda. Baking soda is a very mild abrasive that polishes […]

Mother of Four Builds House From YouTube Video Instructions

These days, we all rely on the internet for literally everything. I personally believe that YouTube instruction videos are one of the greatest inventions of all time (seriously!). It is such an incredible thing to be able to search for a video to help you out with a confusing or intimidating project, and homesteaders know this better than anyone! Whether you want to learn how to build cold frames, shear a sheep, or birth a baby cow, YouTube has videos for pretty much everything. Still, it might surprise you to learn what this incredibly ambitious mother of four did, using […]

Ways to Recycle Sawdust

Woodworking projects and home repairs top the to-do lists of many homesteaders, but they generate a copious amount of a largely unwanted byproduct: sawdust. Before dumping your next shovelful of sawdust into the trash, take a look at this list of creative ways to make good use of it: Use for traction when you’re stuck in the snow. Sawdust is traditionally used by logging truck drivers to prevent slipping and getting stuck in harsh winter road conditions. Keep a sealed bag or two of it in your trunk to spread around your tires for extra traction if you get […]

Five Must-Have Cast Iron Pieces

When first making the switch from toxic nonstick cookware to cast iron, you may have a few reservations about the care or cost, especially if you run your homestead on a tight budget. The good news is that cast iron cookware outlasts its nonstick and other counterparts by decades, even centuries; you won’t be replacing cheap pots and pans every few years. This coupled with a good grasp of the simple process of caring for your cookware, leaves no reason not to take the plunge! If you’re ready to start your cast iron collection, check out these essentials first! […]

The Productive Homesteader’s Secret Weapon

Does your to-do list start off on the fridge on Monday and end up buried in mail and seed catalogs on the kitchen table by Friday? You have the best intentions to manage your work and goals, but at some point, they just snowball and when Sunday night comes to an end, you’ve met only a few, if any, of that week’s goals. Or maybe you have a system for getting livestock fed and crops watered but are looking for a way to do it more efficiently and make more time for other things. If any of these sound like […]

DIY Udder Balm for Goats or Cows

When you have a milk-producing goat or cow, their udders might get a lot of work. They can get sore or irritated, so it’s handy to be able to have a balm to soothe them on hand in case this happens. However, unfortunately, most storebought balms are petroleum-based and expensive, and, if you live in the country, might be far away! Today, we’ve got a very simple DIY udder balm recipe that can be used making the same ingredients we recommend for a lot of our homemade remedies. What you need: 1/2 ounce beeswax 1 ounce shea butter 1 ounce […]

5 Ways for Your Chickens to Earn Their Keep

Chickens are more than just egg producers, if you utilize them correctly, they can be a vital part of a smoothly running homestead! They are excellent additions to any gardening effort, and can even be useful with raising larger poultry as well! Here are some ideas for how to get the most out of your chickens, and as all these ideas utilize what chickens are born to do, your hens are guaranteed to be more happy as well! And happy hens means more eggs. It’s a win-win for everyone! 1. Prep garden beds You will probably want to keep your chickens […]

DIY Mason Jar Beehive

Just when you think you’ve seen it all! I am slightly freaking out right now because this is just about the coolest thing I have seen in a VERY long time. You can, in fact, make a beehive using mason jars as the hives, and the bees will produce honey right in your jars! How cool is that? Here’s what the finished product looks like, to give you an idea: Want to give it a try yourself? Here’s what you need: Supplies: 2 pieces of 2″ x 12″ x 6′ wood 2 pieces of 1″ x 1″ x 6′ wood […]

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 […]

What Is Urban Homesteading?

When most people think of homesteading, they consider a farm on vast tracts of land in a very rural setting. Most people believe that homesteading will require a couple of acres, but that’s not the case. Many who live in rural areas and homestead, can do it on relatively little land, so long as they are smart with their space. In fact, many people who live in cities have even started homesteading. Whether they live in the suburbs or the concrete jungle, there are things they can do that will help them to become more self-sufficient. You will find that […]

The Easiest Gardening Method You’ll Ever Try

A thriving garden is the beating heart of the homestead. For many people, though, keeping a garden can be a challenge. Traditional methods require heavy machinery for soil preparation, questionable chemical fertilizers, all adding up to a prohibitive upfront cost. A great and easy method of gardening that has a very low financial demand is the “lasagna garden”. It was given that name because the method involves developing arable soil by composting an existing plot with layers of organic matter. You create the layers in the fall, to be ready for planting in the spring. Here’s a quick guide to […]

Homeschool on the Homestead

If you’re an avid homesteader, you already know the value of a self-sustaining lifestyle. However, you may be one of thousands of families who just isn’t sure if you’re up to the task of in-sourcing your children’s education in addition to everything else you do in your homestead. Let me challenge you on that. If you’re already bold enough to get your food from your farm or garden and not the supermarket, you’re bold enough to educate your children. If you’re intelligent enough to learn the basics of permaculture or architecture and apply them to your property, you’re intelligent enough […]

Choosing Vegetables For Your Winter Garden

Stop digging up your garden after fall harvest and start planning your winter crop! If you’re blessed enough to live in a climate where the winter months don’t come with a thick blanket of snow and sub-zero temps, you can have a successful winter gardening season. Seasonal favorites include most root vegetables such as beets, onions, turnips, and parsnips. Hardy leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and baby beet greens keep salad on the menu (try them in soups, too!) Spice up your winter selection with exotic veggies like gai lan or kohlrabi. Check out your favorite heirloom seed […]

Preparing Your Homestead Vehicle for Emergencies

For the average homesteader, one of the biggest and most undeniable benefits of the self-reliant lifestyle is the security of a constant, sustainable source of food and fuel, especially in our fluctuating economy. Security and preparedness around your home are incredibly important, but you could be one of many people who leave out a key location when it comes to securing yourself and your family, not just your home: the car. Here are a few simple points to consider when building the right travel survival kit to meet your needs: Seating Capacity: How many people you vehicle can seat […]

How To Convert the Homesteading Skeptics In Your Life

Have you ever gotten a confused stare in response to mentioning your homesteader lifestyle? Maybe even a disapproving scoff or an insult? You’re definitely not alone. While the revival of the homestead lifestyle is definitely gaining steam, the minds of many people in our modern world boggle at the thought of working toward self-reliance and living off the land. For those of us still attached in one way or another to contemporary society via work, church, or family, justifying something even as small as keeping a compost heap or a dozen chickens is a source of constant frustration. My […]

Common Mistakes When Going Off-Grid

Getting off-grid and energy independent is really appealing, but can also be pretty intimidating. It’s hard to know where to start when you’ve lived your whole life reliant upon a municipal grid, and as I wrote recently about homesteading in general, it’s OK to make mistakes. But, you can always learn from the mistakes of others! There are common mistakes a lot of people make when first getting off the grid, and here are some of those mistakes and how to avoid them. 1. Aiming too high Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have goals and aim for […]

How to Secure Food When Your Garden Fails

Gardening is the first place to start if you’d like to be more food-independent on your homestead, and for good reason! There’s nothing quite as satisfying, healthy, and cost-effective as growing your own food. But, sometimes crops fail, or your garden doesn’t produce as much as you want. It’s always important to have a plan B, especially when it comes to food, as well as supplementary and alternative options for food. If your homestead is for the purpose of being totally self-sustainable or prepared for when SHTF, you’ll need to make sure you have multiple sources of food beyond your […]