THE HOMESTEAD LIFE

Solar panels are an almost free way to generate electricity, but in some cases, you don’t want to keep your panels outdoors. This could obviously lead to efficiency issues, which is what I want to investigate and test out in what follows. The question I’m trying to find and answer to today is: Do solar … Read more

The other day, I was looking at some old pictures of my grandfather. He was one of the early pioneers who started a homestead on the Canadian prairies. Wow, it was a hard life for those early pioneers! Things were certainly different in those days. It is difficult to see how they managed to survive. … Read more

Is it legal to live off-grid in the United States? In most cases, yes – but this isn’t a dream that will work for everyone. It’s a dream that many people have, though. In fact, if you mention to anyone that you live off-grid, most people will gasp and tell you how lucky you are. … Read more

Deciding I wanted a lifestyle change late in life, I caught the off-grid living bug. Did I want to be self-sufficient? Well, I do not think I asked myself that question at the time. However, it sounded like a good idea then – and still does. Exactly how much land do you need to be … Read more

When I first got started homesteading, I had no idea how challenging it would be – or how rapidly our backyard garden and “just a few chickens” would explode into something that became a lifestyle and later, for us, a full-fledged business. Today, on my farm, we have several large gardens, a 30” x 96” … Read more

Vinegar is one of those staples that I always keep in stock around my house and homestead. I rely heavily on it, using it as an alternative to harsh chemicals and other abrasive agents. Not only can it be used for a large variety of recipes in the kitchen, but it’s also a super miracle … Read more

Buff Orpington ducks have an extensive history of being both high quality meat, and egg birds. These hardy beauties cannot fly away and can thrive both on large homesteads and in small town backyards. Ducks of this breed are affable, docile, and bond well with their keepers. In addition to being used just for their … Read more

Starting a homestead is an exciting process. Learning to be more self-reliant and produce your food and energy on the land you live on is rewarding. Everyone from the city to the country can start a homestead, whether it is fully self-sufficient or not, however some people don’t have the luxury of a large plot, … Read more

You’re baking cookies or wrapping up homemade caramels, and what do you reach for? Chances are, it’s wax paper. I always keep a few rolls of wax paper in my kitchen, just because I never know when, exactly, I will need it. It’s a versatile material that can be used for all sorts of things … Read more

The Amish lifestyle in real life is a lot different than what most folks watch on television reality shows. Amish communities are present in most regions of the United States, but the largest congregations are located in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The culture in Amish communities varies in many cases. Amish and Minnonite communities may share … Read more

If you have a farm, you might be wondering about the best ways to winterize your barn… Truth be told, there’s no single right way to winterize a barn, chicken coop, or any other kind of livestock housing facility. The steps that you need to take to do so will depend largely on where you … Read more

This year marked our very first garlic harvest! We were excited to try our hand at growing garlic for the first time, and we were pleased to be able to harvest several dozen cloves. Even more exciting was the prospect of bringing it into the kitchen, and using it in our cooking. What wasn’t so … Read more

Staying organized is tough – and if you have a homestead, you might find that’s doubly true. There’s a lot going on both inside the house as well as outdoors, and getting organized always seems to me to be an uphill battle. I’ll get one aspect of my life organized just to find another has … Read more

I think I have been homesteading my entire life in one way or another since I was a child. Perhaps I was inspired by my love of Little House on the Prairie and Grizzly Adams television shows that I loved, and my by Sunshine Family dolls. They were far more awesome than those superficial Barbie … Read more

Grandma was very frugal and I recall one year asking grandma why she saved everything. She told me that everything should be repurposed on the homestead. Grandma had an entire shelf in the root cellar that was full of reusable containers and other things. One thing that grandma never threw away was sawdust. The fact … Read more