Browsing: Homesteading

There’s a lot that winter (or early spring) can tell us about our properties, both for planting decisions, siting various things around our property, and for mitigating some of the weather that comes with winter and spring.

Analyzing homestead elements for multi-functionality and redundancy were covered in the first article. This time we’ll look at combining them into multi-function spaces.

Stacking functions is a quick term for the concept of planning things (elements) and areas (space) to perform the most services for us.

Managed Livestock Breeding Livestock keeping is one of the things that those interested in self-sufficiency regularly end up considering. There…

Right now, here’s a look at my top five perennials preppers should consider, selected as such due to their versatility for all stages of preparedness.

Thinking through what we prepare food in can save us labor in various ways. Both can help us prioritize for purchases moving forward.

Here are some formulas and ideas for turning common storage foods into actual meals, increasing the variety of meals we can make with a few standard ingredients.

In this part, we will look at some other things to consider before you install your storage shed. And some general lessons learned to keep in mind through the process.

I do like my breads and I do like something sweet now and again, so here’s half a dozen ways we can still get them, even without a working oven or supermarket.

Livestock keeping requires some research. It seems obvious, but it’s apparently not.

You don’t need to go off the grid to have these types of alternative energy sources in your home.

Faced with a SHTF event, I know that the acquisition of security, shelter, food, and water will be imperative to ensuring my family’s survival.

And yet in these periods when death by violence and disease was prevalent, when survival was a constant chore, we find castle gardens within the very walls that were so utilitarian.

There are a lot of times when we’d be equally or better served with a smaller tree, and lots reasons to consider a dwarf tree or semi-dwarf instead of a standard

It can be frustrating to plant a garden and watch it fail. It can be mean life and death when it is the food your family is counting on for survival.

Rabbits truly are the “one-size-fits-all” preppers domestic livestock and after reading the reasons why raising rabbits could be ideal for any prepper, we think you will agree.

When we work our way toward a goal of self-sufficiency, a lot of times producing and preserving food comes up.…

Baking soda is one of those items that has about a hundred and one uses, only some of them limited to the kitchen and it’s hugely beneficial to have plenty of it on hand.

There are a ton of ways we can help cool our bodies and little changes to activity and habits that can lower the heat in our homes, too, but for this article, I’m going to concentrate on the dwelling space itself.

A great deal can go into site planning for your survival homestead, even when the infrastructure is already in place and funds don’t exist to renovate lines or move buildings. Where we place things can increase or decrease our defensive abilities, success in growing, and how likely we are to see something – which can be good or bad

Having some backup ideas and methods in place as alternate feeds is rarely a bad thing, especially if we’re counting on meat rabbits and chickens, eggs, and milk in a collapse or Great Depression situation.

Using history and modern innovation, we now have a lot of options for keeping our clothes clean, even if we end up off the grid, conserving power, or lacking electricity entirely.

One of the hardest cords to cut for homesteaders is dependence on commercial feeds. However, I’ve put together some ideas for root vegetables that can cut some of our feed bills and feed dependency and alternative or “forgotten” ways of storing and using grains.

Both tracking seeds and their results and separating seeds in storage can help limit some of the pains and aggravations of gardening.

Maybe we’re stuck in a rut because of the things we read about seeds, and maybe aren’t really and truly understanding seed types and some of the terms we see.

I believe it is of great value and importance to know about the wild edible plants in your vicinity and how foraging for edible plants can benefit you. You may need this information if one were to be lost or stranded in the woodlands for some time.

Imagine a long-term situation where you have food and water, but survival is a constant struggle. Will lack of sleep and uncomfortable surroundings take a toll on you over time?

Plants with really good, healthy soil can fight off a lot of diseases and overcome leaf damage from pests without problems. However, even when we start with really good soil, certain practices mean we strip it out, stop the nutrient cycling, or otherwise break those systems. Rotation is one way we can prevent some of the stripping and reduce the disease load for our plants.

In a disaster we all know water is going to be very precious. Water is also one of the hardest things to store. Now is the time to think about ways to get the most out of every drop.

Goats can supply milk, meat, hides for clothing and be a work or pack animal if needed. It’s time to look at what the goat has to offer and why I think it is better than a cow.