With the rainy days sweeping through our forecasts with the warmer temperatures, the soil is moistening and loosening up for the new planting season. Permaculture gardening is about more than just letting nature do most of the work for us, it is also about working with nature for the Earth’s well-being. Permaculture is about giving … Read more
Bees are great to have on your homestead. The term “worker bee” is an apt one, since bees can be an amazing asset to any homesteader, farmer, or even someone with a little bit of space on their urban rooftop. Honeybees are tremendous pollinators, and can ensure larger and healthier yields of the fruits and … Read more
When it comes to foraging, there are always plants out there that are important to recognize, but better left alone. On the top of any homesteader’s “hands off” list should definitely be white snakeroot. This plant, while it does have some purported medicinal uses, is a plant best left alone, or limited to some plantings … Read more
Nature has a way of offering amazing benefits in not-so-pretty packaging. Wild lettuce blends in with nearly any bed of weeds or forest ground, but offers a wide variety of benefits that can be mixed into salads, added to tea, and harvested for the latex-like sap. A great herb for preppers and homesteaders alike, wild … Read more
When most people think of clover, what comes to mind are the staple green leaves and the folklore of luck when you find a four-leaf clover. Clover is often viewed as a weed or derivative of grass, when actually it is a great crop cover and overall addition to landscaping. If you’re a homesteader, then … Read more
The flowering perennial milkweeds (falling under the genus Asclepias), grow all throughout the United States. Milkweed flowers range from soft pink, to green, to scarlet, and many colors in between. These plants aren’t just nice to look at. Milkweed is the only plant on which monarch caterpillars feed, making it critical for the survival of … Read more
The blooms of the Echinacea Purpurea, also known as the coneflower, are resistant to drought and attract songbirds, butterflies, and winged insects; their daisy-like look appeals to a range of pollinators. Hummingbirds are attracted to its rich nectar, and finches eat and scatter the seeds. Native to central and south-eastern US, this perennial blooms from … Read more
If you’re considering getting your very own flock of chickens, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans keep chickens these days; you can find them on homesteads as well as in the backyards of suburban America as well. One of the best reasons to keep chickens is for the fresh eggs that they produce. There is … Read more
If you’re a homesteader, preserving food is an absolutely essential skill. If you want to live a sustainable, low-cost lifestyle, you need to be able to optimize the foods you grow, harvest, hunt, forage or buy, so you have a healthy, low-cost supply on hand during cold weather, or during tough times when food is … Read more
If you’re a homesteader, preserving the foods you grow and harvest is extremely important. Preserved foods enable you to ensure you have enough supplies on hand during the winter, when your homestead will likely be less productive. While food preservation techniques like root cellars, canning and smoking are popular options to store the food you … Read more
If you’re a homesteader now or aspire to be one, sooner or later you’re going to start a backyard chicken flock. If you’re planning on getting those chickens soon, you should start thinking about what kind of breed you’d like to get. The so-called dual-purpose birds, which lay eggs reliably and also grow big enough … Read more
In February, when winter shows a few signs of being tired out – and yet it can still drop cold weather and snow on you in a heartbeat – it is time to tap those sugar maples and make some syrup! Maple syrup is delicious, and a real treat you can make from scratch right … Read more
If you’re a homesteader, you probably have a few rows of garlic planted in your garden bed. Garlic is easy to grow and to harvest, and it is an extremely useful herb. Fresh garlic has been cherished for its medicinal properties for decades. People also use garlic as a surface cleaner, or even to repair … Read more
It’s time to make some delicious apple butter! If you’re lucky, you’ll be picking a few bushels right on your homestead; however, even if you don’t have your own apple trees (yet!), fresh apples are abundant at farmers markets and pick-your-own orchards this time of year. So how can you take advantage of a good … Read more
What are you going to do with all of those grass clippings? If you just mowed your lawn and don’t know the answer, then you are really missing out. While grass clippings may be a nuisance to regular homeowners, you can put them to great use on your homestead. In fact, you may find grass … Read more
Ground beef is truly the pinch hitter for your weekday dinners. It is inexpensive, easy to prepare, and it is extremely versatile. A pound or so of ground beef in your freezer opens up a world of possibilities; you can prepare almost anything for dinner this evening! Whether you sauté it on your stove with … Read more