Homestead Money-Making: Grapevine
Thick grapevine like the ones in the photo above are incredibly sturdy, making them perfect for using to build furniture and large garden decorations. Chances are if you live on a rural homestead in most […]
Articles by Tara Dodrill
Homestead Money-Making: Free-Standing Lace Jewelry
Do you want to ditch your day job and work full-time for your homestead? It is a dream many, if not most homesteaders share. Maybe you want to become a homesteader but just are not […]
How To Bale and Store Hay
Hay baling is hard work, really hard work. But engaging in traditional farm chores will vastly cut down on animal feed costs while ensuring meat, milk, and recreational livestock. Typically, a hay field can be […]
Dealing with Yellow Jackets Quickly and Easily
Save the bees..but kill all the yellow jackets you can find. I love honeybees, without them we would all die because they pollinate 70% of the food we consume. But, I never feel even the […]
This Month on the Homestead (July): Learning and Losses
It has been a tragic couple of weeks here on our survival homesteading retreat. We lost our most long-standing and skilled self-reliance tribe member, the last of my ducks, and my favorite chicken. We have […]
The Most Deadly Predators On The Homestead
Keeping the livestock safe on the homestead, no matter how large or small the land, can seem like an insurmountable chore. Barnyard and even backyard livestock live under constant threat of attack. Before you can […]
How to Build A Massive Wood Playhouse For Less Than $350
If you possess at least moderate construction skills and have some “junk” lying around you homestead, you too can build an enormous wood playhouse on the extreme cheap. I could no longer stand all of […]
How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles Naturally
Japanese beetles can destroy the bulk of your garden crop in just days. They not only have a devastating impact on growing plants, but are extremely difficult to kill. Short of standing in your garden […]
Today On The Homestead: Goat Babies, Hay Mishap, And DIY Play Structure
It was hot, I mean a record-setting heat wave on the homestead this weekend. In spite of the 101 degrees heat and off-the-charts humidity, we accomplished some essential chores, infused some self-reliance training of the […]
How To Make A Boy’s ‘Dollhouse’
Yard sale season is finally upon us, fellow homesteaders. Now is a perfect time to stock up on homemade toys and gift making supplies for Christmas and all of the birthdays that are coming up […]
Today On The Homestead: Wacky Predator, Toxic Discovery, Barn Troubles, And Tragedy Averted
It has been another busy and new experience-filled week here on the homestead, folks. I thought the swarming yellow jackets who deeply disliked their nest under the boards of an old barn we are tearing […]
Chicken Mites: Getting Rid of and Prevention
Are your chickens scratching relentlessly, losing feathers, and generally in a miserable mood? If so, they probably have mites – or poultry lice. These nasty little infestations happen frequently, especially when birds are living in […]
Homemade Toys Part 2: Wooden Peg People
You can read Part 1 of the homemade toys series here, where you’ll learn how to make a wooden dollhouse. I stumbled across wooden peg people, also commonly referred to as wooden peg dolls on […]
The Art of Forgaging: 54 Wild Edibles You Can Eat
Foraging should be an essential part of any homesteader’s and prepper’s plan to grow his or her own groceries. Learning how to identify, find, harvest, and prepare wild edibles will vastly increase the family’s healthy […]
How To Make A Free Play Area On The Homestead
How do you make a free playground area on your homestead? Well, go shopping in your husband’s junk piles, garage, and sheds…of course. Keeping your eye out for so-called junk on the side of the […]
Homemade Toys Part 1: How To Make a Fairy Dollhouse
I am incredibly excited to announce the launch of a new New Life on the Homestead series. This ongoing column is going to be solely devoted to the making of homemade toys and upcycled DIY […]