Homesteading Archives - Page 14 of 36 - Homesteader DepotHomesteader Depot

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 Store Food in Vacuum Packed Canning Jars (Video)

I’ve had a vacuum sealer for years that has an attachment on it for canning. I never thought much of it, and figured it required a bunch of fancy additional equipment to use. However, it recently just clicked that I can use it for vacuum canning! And it doesn’t take much at all, just a lid for my jars, and I’ve got plenty of canning jars already. So, I wanted to learn how to use it. This video is a great tutorial on how and why to use your canning attachment to your vacuum sealer. She explains how long the food will […]

How to Make Raw Cat Food (Video)

Wait! I know this sounds pretty gross, but it’s actually really cool. If you’re a cat person, you probably understand the desire to feed your feline friends something nutritious and delicious. Cats are notoriously picky eaters, and part of the reason this may be is that the majority of the time, they’re being fed cooked, grain-based foods they’re simply not meant to eat! Some of my favorite health-focused homesteaders on YouTube shared this video recently of how they make their raw, super affordable cat food. They start the video by explaining why they don’t enjoy making it, so if you […]

Reasons to Stockpile Alcohol

Whether or not you like to enjoy a refreshing cocktail after a long day of homestead duties, or you’ve been sober for years, there’s actually a lot of very good reasons to stockpile alcohol, for use around the homestead and also long-term survival. To be clear, when we’re talking about alcohol, we’re talking about liquor. There are many different kinds of liquor, obviously, so let’s discuss a bit what kind you’ll want to stockpile. First of all, rubbing alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol, is great to stockpile as well, for many reasons, but this is not what we’re talking about. It does deserve […]

Frugal DIY Nesting Box Ideas

If you want your chickens to provide you with lots of wonderful, nutritious, farm-fresh eggs, they’re going to need some cozy nests to get the job done! You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to trick your coop out with some nice, comfortable nesting boxes for your lovely egg-laying ladies. Here are some frugal nesting box ideas for you that can all be purchased cheaply, recycled, or even scavenged for, if you’re lucky! Dishpans Dishpans, the kind you can grab at Walmart or the Dollar Tree for very cheap, are great for nesting boxes, if you cut […]

How to Can Butter (Yes, Really!)

Lately, butter has come raging back as nutritionists reveal it’s actually quite healthy for you. For a few decades, butter was demonized as too fattening and unhealthy, but as vegetable-oil based alternatives were introduced, we saw obesity rates skyrocket. Not sure why no one ever noticed the correlation, but it turns out that in fact, the saturated fats that come from butter are not only better for you, they can ultimately help lose weight when coupled with a balanced diet full of “good” fats, and free of processed foods and sugars. I personally love butter, and was really excited to […]

The Health Benefits of Eating Liver

Most people will turn their noses up at the suggestion of eating liver. What used to be a staple in many Western cultures has fallen out of favor in recent generations. However, liver is actually incredibly healthy, and also quite affordable. It’s coming back in fashion among foodies and health nuts, and for good reason. It’s packed with nutrients and vitamins, and, if you can find a way to prepare it that you enjoy, it is a great staple to add to a health-minded diet. Here are some of the many reasons to integrate liver into your diet: Protein: liver is […]

How to Make Almond Milk (and Almond Flour!)

I love recipes that kill two birds with one stone (come to think of it, if you know a recipe that does this literally, let me know!), and making almond flour out of the leftovers from almond milk couldn’t be easier, or healthier! It’s very simple, and all you need is almonds and clean drinking water. Almond milk is a great alternative to dairy whether you are on the paleo or whole 30 diets, are lactose intolerant, or just enjoy a delicious and wholesome nut milk! Homemade almond milk is not only cheaper than store bought kinds, it’s actually way […]

3 DIY Solar Projects for Your Homestead

The sun is an amazing source of energy, and it is entirely renewable and free. Unfortunately, most people think of solar energy as costly and complicated. You don’t need to break the bank and spend a fortune on fancy, on-grid solar panels to harness the power of the sun! First of all, we use the sun’s energy daily. Our garden thrives on it, our grazing animals live on solar-powered food (grass!), even our chickens harness the sun’s amazing power to produce eggs! Pastured meat, dairy, and eggs are actually one of the best ways to harness the power of the sun, […]

Shade Tolerant Vegetables

Sun is a crucial commodity in any garden, and if you don’t get enough sun in your garden, you might be wondering what to plant. Even having half your garden or yard covered with a shadow for part of the day seems like it excludes a great many options for planting. Fortunately, there are shade tolerant vegetables you can experiment with that can maximize that shady space in your garden and keep it producing as seasons change and light fades. Planning When planning out your garden, spend time watching the way the sun moves for a few days, and designate […]

Ways to Profit Off Your Land

When you invest in a homestead property, it probably won’t be cheap. You won’t want to buy cheap, useless land to get started, after all, since it won’t be much use to you. So how can you offset the cost of settling on the perfect slice of property? Well, there are a lot of possibilities. Here are just a few, to be followed up with more as time goes on. Be sure to let us know how you’ve made money off your homestead, so we can add it to the list! Vegetable Gardening Build additional beds to what you will […]

Why Are My Chickens Not Laying Eggs? (Video)

There are definitely reasons to keep chickens other than for producing eggs, but for the most part, eggs are probably why you’re raising chickens! So when they stop laying, what do you do? Well, Becky from Becky’s Homestead on YouTube has some solutions. There are several different reasons why your chickens might not be laying, and she’s got some suggestions for how to determine what those reasons are, as well as how to help them out get producing again. These simple tips will help you determine what kind of environment and nutrients chickens need to lay eggs. They’re not just […]

3 Beginner Compost Mistakes to Avoid

Getting a good compost pile going is an awesome way to build your soil and contribute valuable nutrients to your organic garden. There are lots of methods for getting started, and lots of options as far as bioavailable, organic material you can use to build it. However, you can also make mistakes, and before you build your own compost pile, try to avoid these simple “don’ts” to ensure you have a successful compost pile and save yourself a lot of trouble. Cover your pile Compost piles left out in the open are not only stinky and unsightly, but they also […]

3 Reasons to Keep Raw Honey Around

Honey is a staple of any well-stocked pantry, but most people just think of it as a condiment to be added to tea or perhaps to top sweets or desert. The majority of conventional, store-bought honey, however, is actually pasteurized. Pasteurized honey sounds like a good idea, like any pasteurizing process, as it supposedly eliminates the possibilities of harmful bacteria growing in the honey. However, when you pasteurize honey, it actually eliminates the vast majority of beneficial qualities of the honey, and it is also largely unnecessary, as honey rarely contains any harmful bacteria. Here are three reasons you should […]

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 […]