How to Grow Comfrey… and Why You Should

comfrey growing in container

Comfrey is a beautiful and medicinal herb. You can easily grow this shrub style herb plant in either ground plots or containers. Comfrey can be cultivated in an apothecary patch on the homestead, or used as part of an edible landscaping project in traditional landscaping flower beds. This healing herb typically grows to reach heights … Read more

How To Use Mica Powder in Candles

DIY candle dyed in blue with mica powder

Dying candles with mica powder allows you to make truly unique homemade gifts that may look like a million bucks but cost only a few dollars. Not only can you dye candle wax with mica powder, you can also paint the finished candles either free hand, or by using molds with intricate or raised designs. … Read more

How to Grow Marjoram… and Why You Should

marjoram flowers

Marjoram is a superb “plant it and forget it” type of herb plant. Aside from being a little cold weather sensitive, marjoram thrives equally well when cultivated indoors in a pot, or outside in a raised bed. This member of the Lamiaceae family is a cousin to oregano, basil, summer savory, rosemary, thyme, mint, sage, … Read more

10 Clever Ways to Preserve Your Onions

dozens of harvested onions

Preserving onions is not usually high on the top of a homesteading garden “to do” list simply because they keep so long with extra effort and processing. When bushel after bushel of tomatoes, peppers, green beans, and other garden staples must be canned or dehydrated, onions often get lost in the shuffle… and ultimately go … Read more

Goat Fencing – Everything You Need to Know

goat behind goat fence enclosure

Goat fencing is the only downside to keeping goats – and it can be a huge one, fellow homesteaders. I thought I armed myself with enough knowledge to prepare myself for the escape artist antics of goats, but I was oh so wrong. Doing your due diligence when getting ready to keep goats will definitely … Read more

What Is Mica Powder and 23 Ways to Use It

packs of colored mica powder in wooden bowl

Mica powders are so fun to use when making homemade soaps and a plethora of other DIY natural home goods and gifts. The powders come in a vast array of colors, offering nearly endless options when creating one-of-a-kind products. What Is Mica Powder, Anyway? Mica powder is a mineral ground into powder that is derived … Read more

How and Why to Grow Dogwood Trees

dogwood tree with flowers

Homesteaders do not often focus the planting plan on any trees that do not produce food or firewood. Space if maximized to its best potential on homesteads both large and small. At first glance, planting a tree that isn’t going to bear edible fruit or good firewood for the wood stove might seem like a … Read more

14 DIY Natural Air Freshener Recipes

diy wax melt fresheners

DIY natural air fresheners, both sprays and other varieties, will keep your house smelling sweet and fresh without introducing and potentially dangerous chemicals into your home. I used to love the smell of my home after squirting a bit (OK, sometimes a lot) of air freshener spray from an attractive store-bought bottle. That is, until … Read more

How to Make Amish Black Drawing Salve

amish black drawing salve

Amish black drawing salve is a homesteading “medicine” cabinet staple in Appalachia. More times than I can count, we have used it to pull out tiny bits of a splinter that digging painfully into the skin with tweezers does not retrieve. I used to pay a pretty penny to buy the black drawing salve from … Read more

How to Set Up a Brooder for Your Chicks

chickens in brooder

Getting new chicks – especially if it is your first time, is quite exciting. But, if you fail to set up the brooder and start the little flock members properly, tragedy can strike. While there’s no need to purchase an expensive commercially manufactured brooder, the habitat must conform to the basic needs of the chicks … Read more