Self Reliance Archives - Page 7 of 11 - Homesteader DepotHomesteader Depot

DIY Animal Shelter

Many structures you see on larger farms will often rival a designer house in style and amenities. However, if design awards are not what you are looking for but only to keep your friends protected from the elements, this basic structure will do. A simplified shelter with basic material will satisfy all of these requirements. What You’ll Need 3 Posts = Eight-Foot (8’) Long Pressure Treated Four-Inch by Four-Inch (4”X4”) 3 Posts = Ten-Foot (10’) Long Pressure Treated Four-Inch by Four-Inch (4”X4”) 6 Roof Boards = Eight-Foot (8’) Long Pressure-Treated Two-inch by Six-inch (2”X6”) 17 Roof Joists = Ten-Foot (10’) […]

3 Keys to Choosing the Perfect Livestock

A farm or homestead without livestock seems unusual, to say the least. Whether you see yourself with a flock of cheerful chickens, a herd of graceful goats or a few calming cows, livestock are a valuable food source that should be planned for carefully, then cared for consistently. Are You Ready to Be Available Every Minute of Every Day? Are you prepared to be “on-call” for your animals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year? When you enter the world of livestock, a few things to be aware of are: Newborns usually come in the […]

5 Creative Ways to Reuse Old Cans

When faced with a number of empty cans in the kitchen, most of us choose to toss them into the recycling bin and call it a day. Instead, why not turn this common resource into some interesting, fun and creative ways to organize and decorate your home and garden? Whether you use some leftover paint, glue, and fabric, go crazy with a tin punch or drill, or just leave them in their natural metallic finish, there are a number of ways these little cylinders can occupy your time and beautify your life. Option 1 – Indoor Herb Garden Standard vegetable […]

3 Creative Ways to Fish Without a Pole

Fishing can be many things, from a food source to recreation, a type of meditation for some but to others a popular competitive sport. Often a rite of passage full of tradition that is passed down from generation to generation. Most of us are at least familiar with the concept of fishing, usually with a rod and reel, or if out on the high seas, with a really big net! But, are there other ways to get the job done, especially if you are looking to feed your family inexpensively? You bet! Here are 3 ways to catch fish in […]

A Brief History of Goats

Goats are a wonderful choice for an animal to keep on a homestead. They provide delicious milk which can be used for cheese, yogurt, even butter. They help out with clearing land or mowing since they are notorious for eating nearly everything (we’ve all seen the ubiquitous imagery of a goat gnawing on a can). Meat breeds of goat can quickly and easily fill up your freezer with delicious, nutritious meat. They are also relatively easy to care for, and, since they can provide either meat or dairy, are much smaller and easier (not to mention cheaper!) than cows. […]

Homemade Suet Cakes for Chickens

Suet cakes are a great treat for your chickens, especially as the summer heat creeps in and they have a hard time sticking to their normal activities. Chickens love to peck and scratch, it’s truly what they live for. If you have chickens in a coop who can’t freely forage this way, they might end up getting bored and unhappy. And bored and unhappy chickens means less eggs and less delicious meat! It is vital not just for the animal’s quality of life but also for the “services” they provide you to keep them occupied and entertained. Homemade suet cakes […]

Tips For Raising Your Own Holiday Turkey

If you’ve considered how cool it would be to raise and cook your very own Thanksgiving turkey, then we at Homesteader Depot fully encourage you to do this. We are all about raising and growing your own, and this is a very fun way to get started raising poultry and save some money over the holidays! That being said, there are a couple things you should know. It’s not quite as simple as buying some baby turkeys, known as poults, and feeding them until November, then slaughtering and serving. If your goal is to have a freshly slaughtered turkey for […]

8 Health Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea is much more than the complimentary beverage offered at Chinese food restaurants! Whether you love or hate the taste, it’s worth knowing about its amazing health benefits. Green tea has been used for centuries in China and throughout Asia to treat a number of maladies and diseases, everything from regulating blood pressure to killing cancer cells. It is a wonderful natural supplement to take because it’s list of benefits is long, but it’s also quite affordable. You can get a month’s worth of green tea for a few dollars! That sure beats a lot of other expensive herbal […]

Cooking Skills Every Homesteader Should Cultivate

One of the primary reasons many people homestead is to have a closer relationship with the source of their food. You yearn to grow your own vegetables, raise your own meat and dairy, forage, and hunt; essentially, to be independent of the increasingly complicated globalized food system. These are certainly noble aspirations, and we share them here. Going back to a simpler time, to our roots, is something many of us are striving for in this modern world. Only a few generations ago, many people lived much more self-reliant and independent lives, and with the precarious situation our whole planet seems […]

How to Make Aromatic Potpourri

If you are a flower gardener or simply love the smell of fragrant potpourri, you should definitely learn to make your own. You can harvest and process your own flower petals or buy your own and make several sachets to give to friends and family. There are few more thoughtful, easy homemade gifts than an aromatic sachet of potpourri! The most common bases for potpourri are rose petals and sweet geranium leaves. If you grow roses, this is a wonderful way to use the petals once the flowers begin to die. You can add to these whatever you like, and […]

Essential Items for Your Emergency Survival Kit (Infographic)

Whether you’re a survivalist, prepper, homesteader, or simply someone who wants to create a culture of self-reliance in your home, you need to be prepared for emergencies. It can be overwhelming thinking about everything you might need to survive long-term, but it’s always prudent to simply start with the basics. Every family should have a basic emergency survival kit, and this infographic from SHTFPreparedness.com is a great guide for how to build this kit and what you should have in it. These simple items are essential for any kind of emergency, and even if you’re not set up with enough food […]

Make Money on Your Homestead

You love the idea of living simply and living on a homestead. However, you probably also love the idea of having some extra money coming into the household. Fortunately, you can combine these two loves and find some interesting ways to make money from your homestead, and it is easier than you might imagine. Here are just some of the different ways that you can start using your activities on the homestead to earn more to supplement your life. Grow and Sell Excess Food If you are already growing a nice garden, and perhaps some fruit trees to provide for […]

The Reality of Homesteading: What No One Tells You

Homesteading is a noble pursuit, and we obviously strongly encourage everyone to try their hand at it! Growing your own food, raising livestock, and living off-grid are a wonderful way to enrich your life, get healthier, and truly embrace self-reliant living. But it’s not all puppies and sunshine! There are some harsh realities of homesteading that a lot of people won’t tell you. Here’s what you need to know if you want to face the music. You Will Make a Lot of Mistakes Homesteading is all about trial and error, and it is through these errors that you learn. It is just […]

How They Feed a Family of 9 for $250 a Month (Video)

I’ve heard of low grocery bills, but this one takes the cake! One of my favorite homestead YouTubers, Big Family Homestead, share how they feed their family of 9 for a mere $250 a month. What I love about this is that so much of their diet is supplemented by their chickens. They don’t live somewhere that they can raise dairy or meat cows or pigs, but they’re able to eat lots of free chicken and eggs and it clearly has a great impact on their grocery bill! Also, they are smart with their meal planning. They plan out a […]

13 Useful Ways to Reuse Eggshells

If you raise chickens or simply eat a lot of eggs, you probably produce a lot of egg shells! And simply throwing them in the trash is a huge waste. Egg shells are loaded with beneficial nutrients and properties, and there are lots of ways to reuse them and make the most out of your chickens or grocery budget! First off, you need to make sure you store them properly. You might be able to get away with tossing them all in a 5-gallon bucket on your back porch, or, if that attracts pests or mold, you might want to […]

Gardening Tips From Seasoned Gardeners

When you just get started with gardening, it can be easy to feel very overwhelmed! As a beginner, there’s so much to learn, and so many ways things can go wrong. But never fear–you can learn from those who have gone before you. We’ve got some great tips for beginner gardeners to help you beat the stress and have a flourishing, healthy garden in no time. Let’s begin! Ask for help Don’t be shy! Usually, seasoned gardeners love to talk gardening, so reach out and ask for help! People at your local nursery, in local gardening FB groups, or even community […]

18 Ways to Become Food Independent

The ultimate goal of homesteading for many is to be completely self-sufficient, and entirely food independent. There’s nothing as empowering as growing and making your own. While getting 100% of your food from your own land might be setting one’s sights pretty high, there’s nothing wrong with aiming for it! The thing is, while most people will always rely on at least some outside sources for their food (even homesteaders back in the day did, too!), any degree of self-sufficiency you can achieve is a step in the right direction. If you are wondering what would be involved in having a […]

Become a Better Homesteader Using These 4 Tips

When it comes to homesteading, there is no such thing as knowing too much or working too hard. Yet, many people want to get into this lifestyle without truly understanding what it means or by looking for shortcuts. Instead of trying to find the “easy” way to be a homesteader, you need to find ways that you can become a better homesteader. The life is not always easy, but it can be extremely rewarding. The following are a few tips that will help you to get into the right mindset and to make sure homesteading for the long haul is […]

10 Powerful Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

While I’m thrilled for warm weather to finally return, I’m not as excited about the flying pests that come with it. As spring marches on and the land is replenished with rainfall, potential hotspots for mosquitoes are developing. In addition to checking your property for areas where water is allowed to pool (your mosquitoes will use these as their own personal birthing centers), you can take safe steps to prevent infestation with these naturally-repellent plants! Citronella Grass/Lemongrass is the source of citronella oil that is used in many commercial insect repellent products like citronella candles and tiki torches. It can […]

7 Simple Ways to Keep Your Homestead Safe

You love living on your homestead, and you cannot imagine living in anywhere but a rural area. One of the elements of having a homestead that deserves plenty of attention is keeping it safe. Whether it is wild animals that decide to get a little too close for comfort or people who are looking to steal from you or do you and your family harm, you need to have a method of keeping things secure. Since you might be far from local law enforcement and help, it is up to you to take measures to secure your property. You do […]