Everyone has seen the posts on any one or more of the various homesteading groups on social media, or memes showing an idyllic scene with a log cabin surrounded by a nearly perfect off-grid life. This highly romanticized image depicts a sprawling farm where chickens cluck in pristine coops in the early morning sunlight, the…
Food Preservation Options
You’ve done all that gardening, harvesting, and you know that in order to properly prepare for the upcoming winter or any food shortages is to preserve what you have in some way. There are a lot of ways to preserve your harvest, some are specific for the kinds of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Some are…
Going Analog Again
Last month, Wired Magazine published an article about the US government’s plans to assemble teams of agents to monitor social media on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and other social media sites. ICE reportedly wants to hire dozens of agents to monitor 24/7 in its quest to find people to arrest and/or…
Making Plans for a Changed World: Part 2
A bit has changed since I posted the previous article on making plans for a changed world. I won’t get political about it, only to say that we are now under a new administration that is going after a complete overhaul of the things that many of us have taken for granted for much, if…
Making Plans for a Changed World
“This we know the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. “- Chief Seattle Returning…
Let’s Get Gardening! 40+ Seeds to Start in March
I confess, that February was cold enough that we didn’t think too much about what seeds to start yet. We were hunkered down during a rash of freezing temps and below-zero windchills. Instead, I spent my time writing and doing research about planting where the garden will go. Along with ordering seeds and plants from…
Learning More About Herbs and Herbalism Part 2
As I mentioned in my last post, there is no shortage of books on herbs and herbalism. However, separating the excellent references from those that are less impressive can be a challenge. This post will include some of the best books, blogs, vlogs, and other resources I didn’t include last time. Many of these books…
Learning More About Herbs and Herbalism Part 1
I realize I missed last week’s blog schedule. Things were a little crazy here at the Homestead. One of the things that was holding up some of my chores was being without wheels. Well, I finally got my beloved pickup truck back after a 10-point buck killed himself by running into me on the night…
Planning Your Garden
Most of us remember what a garden was supposed to look like from our experience as children. It could be the garden that our parents or our grandparents planted. Everything was probably arranged in neatly tilled rows, sometimes in graduation of sizes, specific types of food, or compatibility of plants. Such an arrangement would have…