Blueberry Jam Step by Step

blueberry jam main

Are you ready to make some blueberry jam? If you’re a homesteader, finding a way to preserve delicious easy-to-grow fruits like blueberries should be a top goal this year. Making jam is easy, inexpensive, and can help you get the most for your dollar; and if you grow your own blueberries, you can make this … Read more

How to Pickle Garlic Step by Step

jars of pickled garlic

Garlic is a superstar in your garden, and pickled garlic is one of the best ways to enjoy this tasty vegetable. More and more people are growing garlic on their homesteads. It’s also easy to get your hands on garlic, even in bulk, at nearly any grocery store. However, most people use garlic solely to … Read more

The Top Canning Tools and Equipment You Need

canners and jars

Canning is a great way to preserve the foods you harvest, forage, hunt, or buy. Once you learn how to can, you will be able to keep your pantry stocked all year long. If you sell foods at a farmers’ market or run a community supported agriculture (CSA) program, foods like canned jams and pickles … Read more

What Rural Living is Really Like

children on small tractor

So, you’re tired of the hustle and bustle and high prices of city living, and considering a move to the country. Maybe you plan on planting a large garden, buying some livestock, and raising your own food. And those Mother Earth News articles about off-the-grid living have piqued your interest, too. Good for you! Moving … Read more

Cranberry Walnut Conserve Step by Step

cranberry walnut conserve logo

Cranberry walnut conserve is easy to make at home and preserve for use over the next year. It is also impossible to find in stores. And as a homesteader, you’re all about making as many things by hand that you can and improving the life experiences your family and you have, right? Well, let’s look … Read more

Crunchy Dill Pickles Step by Step

crunchy dill pickles featured

If you’re a homesteader and preserve foods, sooner or later you’re going to make pickles. When starting out with preserving foods, pickled cucumbers are often one of the first vegetables that people decide to can. Cucumbers are easy to grow en masse, and are inexpensive to purchase at grocery stores and farmers markets. And crunchy … Read more

How to Make Dandelion Wine, Step by Step

Dandelion Wine fermenting in a 1-gallon container

All homesteaders should learn how to make and enjoy dandelion wine.  Dandelion wine is hard to find, unless you make it yourself. Fortunately, it is very simple to brew at home. No matter how big or small your homestead is, it is easy to gather enough dandelions up to make this delightful beverage. And dandelion … Read more

Dilled Carrots Step by Step

jars of dilled carrots

If you’re a homesteader looking to fill up your pantry with preserved foods, dilled carrots are one of your best bets! These pickles taste delicious. Carrots are also plentiful all year round at the grocery store, and are inexpensive as well. Jars of bright orange dilled carrots will help add variety to your canned goods … Read more

Raising Chickens: The ULTIMATE Guide

four chickens eating red bell pepper

If you’re a homesteader, or about to become one, chances are you’re itching to buy a small flock of chickens really bad. In fact, it really doesn’t seem like you are even a homesteader at all until you have your own flock, right? But before you take the plunge, you should do some research… This … Read more

15 Cheap DIY Compost Bins for Homesteaders

a 3-bin composter made of scrap wood and wire mesh on the winter homestead

If you’re a homesteader or aspire to be one, sooner or later you’re going to make a compost bin. Turning yard waste, kitchen scraps, and manure into rich fertile compost is just plain common sense, right? If you’ve always wanted to have a compost bin, but don’t know where to start, don’t worry; this article … Read more

Planning Your Garden Season By Season

chicken coop next to garden and raised beds

Plans are nothing. Planning is everything. Dwight D. Eisenhower If you want to have a great garden, you have to plan for it. All year long. Your garden is the heart of your homestead. You rely on it for all of your fresh fruits and vegetables. You can and preserve other garden items to get … Read more

20 Cold Weather Crops to Farm or Forage

A crafty homesteader never stops harvesting, even when the weather turns cold. Most people call it quits when the first frost hits; they let their gardens sit fallow through fall and winter, and wait until spring thaw before they bother tending to it again. And they rarely take the time to venture into the woods … Read more