I feel like Thanksgiving in particular is a great holiday for homesteaders. The traditional Thanksgiving feast is very reflective of the seasonal delights many North American homesteaders know all too well: sweet potato, pumpkin, turkey, seasonal greens, apple pie, etc. This morning this old video floated across my YouTube suggestions of the butchering of a … Read more
Many homesteaders prefer to utilize wood stoves to help offset the cost of other power sources. It can help them to limit their dependence on the electric company, and if they have solar panels as well, it could eliminate the need entirely. However, if you are going to use wood for heating and even for … Read more
Homesteading is hard work and takes experience, know-how, and sensibility. Homesteading has gotten very romanticized as of late, and a lot of people are diving in head-first with a lot of preconceived notions and misconceptions about homesteading. This is a great little video busting some of the common homesteading myths and explaining the reality of … Read more
One of the biggest concerns for long-term self-reliance as a homesteader is energy. Most energy sources that we rely on seem to be finite. Especially if you are focused on survival when the grid goes down or being completely off-grid. Gasoline, propane, coal, even wood, all will run out at some point and are difficult … Read more
I am all about ways to make value-added products like liquid hand soap yourself to save money and reduce exposure to harmful perfumes and toxins. Liquid hand soap is a really great DIY because you can re-use old hand soap pumps, or if you put them in a pretty container they make great and meaningful … Read more
When one thinks of raising animals that offer benefits for your garden, chickens are probably the first to come to mind. But not everyone has the ability or the desire to have animals that require as much care as chickens do, or make as much noise as chickens do. Luckily, there are animals that offer … Read more
We love our feathered friends, so it’s important that we make sure they have the best care through the winter! This clever Chicago couple kept getting questions as to how they cared for their backyard chickens through the notoriously brutal Chicago winters, so they made a video to show what they did. Their chicken coop … Read more
Cast iron cookware is fantastic. It is durable, lasts forever, can be used over an open flame and is often called “the original non-stick”. A cast-iron skillet is an essential to any homestead kitchen. However, they have to be cared for properly. There are differing opinions on how to properly clean cast iron, so this … Read more