Homesteading

Even if you don’t own any chickens, you’ve heard the expression pecking order before. It’s a term, or sometimes a colloquialism, that simply means hierarchy: who’s the top bird, who’s the second in command, who are the middle managers, and who are the grunts down at the bottom. It might not be a surprise to […]

Hydrogen peroxide is something that you can reasonably expect to find in any household. It’s just one of those ubiquitous medicine cabinet items. When I was growing up, anytime I would get a little scrape, cut, or other boo-boo, my mom or grandma would whip out a little bit of gauze, the hydrogen peroxide, and

Most gardeners know that pretty much all plants, and certainly most vegetables, need lots of sunlight in order to thrive. They need it so they can convert it into energy, energy that’s necessary to help them establish strong roots, grow tall, and produce ripe, tasty fruits. A lack of sunlight or, worse, getting shaded out

Looking back on my own homesteading journey, I’ve got nothing but happy feelings for the trials, tribulations, and challenges that got me to where I am today. Well, mostly happy feelings. Some of my early experiences were learned the hard way, the way that life usually teaches us, which is to say backwards: we get

For those of us who didn’t grow up on a farm or in a homesteading family, there can be a whole lot to learn. Learning as you go is what I did—I jumped in with both feet—but as always, it is best to learn from the experiences and trials of others. One of the very

For room temperature food preservation, dehydration is one of my favorite methods. Dehydrated foods are easy to store, long-lasting, and often take on a unique texture that makes them interesting ingredients or delicious snacks. When most folks think of dehydrated foods, the very first things they think of are fruits and veggies. That’s for good

With any hobby or activity, there are always going to be recurring costs; and for most gardeners, one of the biggest ones is potting soil. Whatever brand you like and whatever kind of plant you’re growing, this nutrient-rich stuff is getting more expensive all the time. If you’ve got large containers or just lots of

They might not look like it because they are so small and tend to eat little tidbits, but chickens are big eaters. Like, really big eaters! Chickens need lots of calories at all stages of life in order to grow, stay healthy, and thrive. But what so many amateur keepers don’t account for is the

Raising sheep can be a great choice for homesteaders. They don’t cost nearly as much and are much easier to raise compared to cows, and they are one of the most versatile livestock species around: they can give you meat, milk, wool, and other sources of income besides. But don’t fall victim to the idea