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Homesteading – Page 57 – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Category: Homesteading

  • Your Homesteading Could Pay Off in Financial Gains

    Your Homesteading Could Pay Off in Financial Gains

    As a homesteader, or as someone who wants to be a homesteader, you probably aren’t thinking about the financial gains that you could make from the experience. Instead, you are thinking about the benefits of living simply and simply living better. However, there are quite a few ways that you can turn your homesteading into something profitable if you would like.

    One of the first things you might want to consider doing is selling some of the crafts that you make. As a homesteader, you might make your own candles, your own soap, and even your own blankets, scarves, and clothing. Once you’ve made enough for your family to be comfortable, you can sell some of the excess. The same is true if you are a beekeeper and have extra honey, or if you make your own maple syrup.

    People who like the idea of homesteading, but who lack the will to make the leap in their own life, will pay good money for the things you make. In addition, people will pay for your knowledge. You might want to start a blog, create videos about your lifestyle, or write e-books. If you raise sheep or chickens, for example, you can create a wealth of material for people who want to follow in your footsteps.

    Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to turn your lifestyle into a business. After all, there’s a good chance that you started homesteading so you wouldn’t have to think about things like running your own business. For others, though, it could be a nice way to earn a little bit of extra money, which you could put back into the homestead for you and the kids. Have fun and live your life the way you want.

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  • Tips for Raising Goats

    Tips for Raising Goats

    Homesteaders should certainly consider raising goats. They can be used for meat, milk, and more. However, it is important that you have a good understanding of how to raise the goats properly and safely, and to provide them with a healthy environment. The following are some tips that can help you get started.

    More than One

    Even if you have a relatively small space, you should still have room for more than just one goat. Goats are herd animals, and they like to be social. Having several, at least, is a good option. It keeps them happy and it keeps them safe.

    Think About Their Needs

    Learn about goats to have a better idea of what they need. They will want to have easy access to water, and they need to have plenty of food for the entire herd. In addition, they need to have shelter. You don’t want to keep them out in a field all the time. They will need to have a barn or a shed that’s large enough for the entire herd.

    Beware of Males in Rut

    While goats tend to be stubborn, they are generally an easygoing lot. However, that can change when the males are in rut. At this point, the only thing they want to do is to get closer to the female goats. In some cases, they can become dangerous, so you will want to be cautious around them.

    Your Fence Needs to Be Strong

    Goats like to wander, and sometimes, they do not realize just how far away they might roam. If you want to keep your goats safe and sound, you need to have good and strong fences, and you need to check them regularly so you can make repairs. If you don’t, the stubborn goats might just break it down so they can see what’s over there!

    Feed Them Well

    Even though goats have a reputation of being able to eat anything, that’s not true. They still need to have a good overall diet if you expect them to be happy, healthy, and productive. It’s not a cartoon, so you can’t feed them tin cans and garbage! They need a healthy diet. Keep in mind that they tend to like to roam and graze.

    Don’t Treat Them as Pets

    This can be difficult for many people who are just getting into homesteading. They want to have happy and healthy animals, and they end up spending a lot of time with them and get attached. You need to remember that these are your livestock, they are not your pets.

     

     

    It is important to remember that these are just some tips to help you get started with your goats. You will want to learn as much as possible about the proper ways to raise your herd so you can be successful. Also, make sure you start small and with just a few goats. As you gain more knowledge and become more comfortable with them, you can add more to the herd.

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  • Easy Flourless Fudge Brownies

    Easy Flourless Fudge Brownies

    I’ve been on a grain-free kick lately. I’m not really “paleo”, but I do love trying out new paleo recipes as I enjoy experimenting with dairy- and grain-free recipes in the kitchen. I’m a big believer in butter and eggs, so I’d never give them up completely, but I think my favorite thing about learning paleo recipes is learning how to use non-dairy ingredients. It’s just a great cooking skill to have, plus, if I’m ever out of them and don’t feel like running to the store, which happens a lot in the winter time, let me tell you!

    This is a cool recipe that not only is free of wheat and gluten, but also has paleo options. If you have any gluten-free relatives coming over for the holidays, it would be a great option for a sweet and healthy(ish) treat!

    Ingredients: 

    • 10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (Paleo alternative: unsweetened dark chocolate)
    • 4 tbs butter, chopped (Paleo alternative: virgin coconut oil)
    • 3/4 cup sugar (Paleo alternative: coconut sugar)
    • 3 eggs
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp salt

    Directions: 

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
    2. Line a 8″ baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil so that it hangs over the edge
    3. In a double-boiler, or heat-safe bowl resting in a saucepan with simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter or coconut oil together until blended and smooth.
    4. Add the sugar, and blend well, then remove from heat and set aside
    5. In a separate bowl, blend the vanilla extract with the eggs and beat with a hand mixer for about a minute, until frothy.
    6. Add the cocoa powder and salt to the eggs, and beat until blended well.
    7. Combine the melted chocolate and sugar with the eggs and cocoa powder mixture, and blend until smooth and glossy.
    8. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, keeping a close eye on it
    9. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.

    That’s it! Enjoy!

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  • Soil Tests

    Soil Tests

     

    Soil test kits are one of the most under-used tools for backyard homesteaders in their gardens.  Most gardeners seem to prefer to treat all soil as equal, equally bad, or equally good.  Adding compost and fertilizer to every square inch of growing space, and treating soil for every crop that goes in.  But money and hours of hard work can be saved though testing your soil for pH and mineral content.

     

    pH

    Without knowing what the pH of their soil is, most people will add acidic soil amendments like elemental sulfur to their soil if they are planting crops like blueberries that thrive in acidic soils.  But what if your soil is already acidic?  Then you will waste your money on the soil amendments, and likely damage or even kill your blueberries that you spent time and energy planting.

    Mineral Content

    If you have a large garden, then more than likely you are composting more than just kitchen waste.  You probably go out of your way to gather material like leaves that require raking, or even going and getting bags of coffee grounds from your local coffee shop.  Then, if you don’t test your soil, you probably apply that compost to every area of your garden.  But time, energy, and resources can be saved if you test your soil.  Areas that are rich in minerals can be maintained simply by mulching with comfrey and wood chips.

    Guess Work

    Knowing the soil in each area of your garden will give you a better idea of where to plant what, and will help in determining why some crops might not be doing as well as you would like them to be doing.

     

    Soil tests don’t need to be performed regularly, they don’t take long, and don’t cost much.  But they can give you valuable knowledge about the soil in your garden.

  • Saving Space While Growing Corn

    Saving Space While Growing Corn

     

    Corn is a crop that has disappointed many backyard gardeners.  Mostly because they watch lush green stalks grow up with anticipation, only to find that the ears didn’t produce any corn.  One of the more common reasons why is that they didn’t plant enough corn.  In order for corn to properly pollinate it needs to be planted in several rows, if you are planting in rows.  This can take up more space than most backyard gardeners have, or are willing to give to one crop.  But there is a way to grow corn successfully without using so much space.

     

    • Make some space throughout your garden, it doesn’t have to all be in the same bed, but try not to have each space separated by more than a few feet.
    • Mound some compost into a “hill” several inches high and about 2 feet across in each of the spaces that you have available. Corn is a heavy feeder, so rich compost is important if you want nice corn.
    • I recommend mulching the mounds even before the seeds have sprouted with a thin layer of coffee grounds. They are rich in nitrogen which will help the seedlings get started, and the sprouts will have no problem pushing a little coffee out of the way.
    • Thin any extra sprouts, or sprouts that are too close together. Preferably you should have about 6 plants left after thinning on each mound.  If you have less they will not pollinate.
    • Make sure that you keep them well watered and as the corn grows add thicker mulch to help with water retention and add nutrients as they grow.

    With 6 mounds, and 6 stalks on each mound, and each stalk producing 2 or three ears, you can end up with over 100 ears of corn without sacrificing a large area of your garden.

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  • The Meat Makers (Infographic)

    The Meat Makers (Infographic)

    I recently found this great infographic from HobbyFarms.com that breaks down each standard farm animal, recommended breeds, needs, and amount of dressing each typically provides.

    When you invest in livestock, it’s important that you are getting what you want out of the animal, if your intention is to get a return on your initial investment in sustenance. Obviously, there are plenty of other factors that might influence your choice of livestock, but if meat is your goal, this is a really handy at-a-glance breakdown of the needs and return from each animal. Enjoy!

    infographic-meat-makers

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  • Making Candles in a Pringles Tube! (Video)

    This is entire too cool not to share!

    I’ve always loved those big, tall, chunky pillar candles, but I’ve always figured they needed fancy candle making molds that I couldn’t afford, and I really prefer to do everything as simple as possible.

    However, I have seen floating around social media a simple trick: using a Pringles can! It works as a perfect mold for tall pillar candles, and is so simple and easy you could make a bunch for easy and meaningful holiday gifts, or to stock up on survival candles for the homestead. Check it out!

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  • 3 Homesteading Skills to Learn

    3 Homesteading Skills to Learn

    Whether you have been merely thinking about homesteading, or you’ve given it a go for a while now, it is vital that you have a good and varied skillset. The goal of homesteading is to be as self-sufficient as possible, and the following skills are all good to have under your belt. You will find that some of them can be quite fun as well.

    Candle Making

    Making candles has several advantages. First, if you’ve considered buying any decent candles lately, you’ve probably been struck by just how expensive they are. When you learn how to make your own candles, you will see that it’s one of the cheaper hobbies that you can enjoy and skills you can acquire. In fact, this and soap making could even be a good side business if you choose to make and sell the products.

    In addition, you can determine just how much scent, if any, goes into the candle. Many of the store-bought candles today are oversaturated with scent, and you and your family might prefer something a little less offensive to your nostrils. Understanding how to make your own candles also means you will never run out of them. When the lights go out, you will have a supply of your own handmade candles ready to go no matter how long they stay out.

    Soap Making

    Keeping clean is important if you want to stay healthy, and having some quality soap is one of the best ways to keep clean. You don’t have to stock up on Dove though. Instead, you can learn how to make your own soap. It’s generally a good idea to learn several different techniques and how to use different ingredients.

    While you can experiment, and make some nice and wonderful smelling soap right now, it’s also a good idea to learn how to make “survival soap” from simple ingredients. All you need is wood ash, water, animal fats or plant oils, and salt.

    First Aid

    While it is always a good idea to seek out a medical professional when it comes to serious health issues, you should still learn some basic first aid that you can employ at home. If you live in an out of the way area that could get snowed in or if it could take you a long time to reach civilization for whatever reason, understanding how to perform first aid becomes truly essential. You should certainly learn the basics, but you might want to go beyond and learn how to suture as well.

    Since we’re on this subject, it’s a good idea to know some basic animal first aid and care as well, especially if you are raising animals. It can make a huge difference in the health of your livestock in those times when you can’t get to the vet or the vet can’t come to you.

    Of course, these are certainly not the only skills you should try to learn when you are homesteading. You want to become a repository of knowledge with many different types of skills. Also, be sure to share this knowledge so more people in the family have the same skills. It’s much easier when you can share in all these tasks and more.

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