Homesteading

Cream of tartar is just something you put on fish, right? Oh, heck no. There are a plethora of uses for the little white powder both around the house, and as part of natural home remedies. Not only can cream of tartar be highly beneficial when baking, it is also an active base ingredient in … Read more

If you walk the laundry section in the grocery store, you’ll find borax in a plain-looking box with a wagon train on the front of the box. 20 Mule Team Borax is made in the United States starting in 1891, and borax deserves a place in your homestead cabinets. As homesteaders, we love versatile items. … Read more

Homesteaders have found many ways to use lemons on the homestead, whether it’s through the actual fruits, the essential oils, or preservation methods. More parts of the citrus fruits are wasted than used. For example, you might squeeze a slice of lemon into your water, then toss it out later. You eat the flesh of … Read more

My great grandparents purchased their homestead via the Homestead Act of 1862. My family and I were curious as to what the Homestead Act actually entailed so we did some research. Per the law that was signed into effect by then President Lincoln in May of 1862, the Homestead Act was designed to encourage people … Read more

So you’re finally on a homestead. You’re excited and overwhelmed and have no idea where to start. Setting homesteading goals is important, have you taken the time to set goals for your homestead? If you’re not setting goals, you’re likely wasting a lot of time and money. The first step to owning a homestead is … Read more

Not everyone who wants to homestead can start out on a homestead. Some may start out in a friend or family members driveway living in an RV, others may start out in an apartment or small house. Regardless of where you start out, you can still find ways to homestead in the burbs while you’re … Read more

At their best, electric fences are inexpensive, effective, and flexible. They can make permanent boundaries around or within a property. Electric fences can also be set up on a short-term basis to protect special crops or vulnerable animals, and they can also be used to create rotational grazing systems to maximize pasture yield. Fences work … Read more

How much does it cost to buy a pottery wheel? Well, that depends. There are multiple varieties and sizes of potter’s wheels on the market. There are electric-powered pottery wheels and old-fashioned kick wheels that are fueled by your feet and legs. But, in general: Expect to spend between $400 and $2,000 for a pottery … Read more

Maintaining quality pastures and hay fields, as well as “grubbing” wooded survival homesteads to create more grazing and gardening space requires diligent tending to the land. Brush hogging is a method of landscaping that rids woodlots of heavy bush that inhibit grass growth, to clear it using a rotary cutter for various agricultural uses, or … Read more

Epsom salts are inexpensive, easy to find, and have copious amounts of uses in the garden, house, and around the homestead. The handy little carton or bag of magnesium sulfate should also be a part of any natural first aid kit. Epsom salts are named for the English town in which they were discovered bubbling … Read more

To cut the tree down with an axe, you need to be sure that it’s sharp. A dull axe will take forever to chop it down, and it can be dangerous to use. Plus, it can bounce back off the tree instead of lodge into it making a cut. There are different items that you … Read more

As homesteaders, we are always preparing for the next season. Being sure you have enough wood to get you through the winter is a never-ending chore. There are a couple different ways to fell a tree, being a chainsaw or an axe. Whichever method you use to cut down a tree, it can still be … Read more

Living on the homestead means finding ways to use everything to its fullest extent. Eggshells are a useful resource, but most people toss them away without thinking. Before you decide to use eggshells throughout your homestead, it’s best only to use eggshells from healthy natural chickens if you or your animals will ingest the shells. … Read more

The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan quickly made its way onto every homesteader and wanna-be homesteaders bookshelf. Full of inspiration and resources, Madigan does a fantastic job of painting a picture of what your property could be, despite its lack of space. Whether you have one-tenth of an acre or a full acre, Madigan shows … Read more

Chopping wood with a dull chainsaw does not only make the task far slower and more dangerous, it can also ruin one of your most essential homesteading tools. If your chainsaw is “bucking” during the wood cutting process, it is overdue for a sharpening. Sharpening a chainsaw yourself can save you hundreds to a few … Read more