I originally wrote this blog piece in the spring of 2018. Things have changed a bit since then. On a personal level, life happened. Putting that aside, I am pretty safe in saying to those who are still reading that we’ve gone through a pandemic, and global climate concerns are on the minds of just…
Some Great Books to Add to Your Permaculture & Gardening Bookshelf
I confess, I have been away from updating this blog in a while, and I am here to remedy that. Life, as I am sure many of you know, has a way of happening. However, in the world of homesteading, sometimes a step back can actually end up as a few steps or even a…
Jumping Back In
After a long hiatus, and much encouragement I have decided to bring this blog back to life. Never mind that I absolutely loathe WordPress’ new block layout., which is one reason why I stayed away. (Sorry, guys…you didn’t improve a damned thing here!) During the pandemic over the last two years, I was dealing with…
Cold Weather Reflections
It would seem that the past year rather got away from us here at the homestead. The funny thing is, life really does have a way of doing that. So here I am, ready to dust off this blog and get things restarted here. I have to apologize. I let some of the content writing…
Hummingbirds
There are tons of instructions all over the web, on Pinterest in particular, about how to make your own hummingbird feeder. Personally, for something like that, I didn’t think it was worth the effort, and I refuse to use plastic if at all possible in our homestead. At our homestead, named the Sanctuary, I believe…
Internet Providers and the Homesteader: What You Should Know Before You Sign
Most of us who are homesteaders know the value of having a reliable internet connection. Many of us get the luxury of being able to work from home for employers in urban areas nearby or even in the woods or in the country. Many of us m write blogs or books or upload instructional videos…
Homesteading Things to Do While Waiting For Spring
It’s been a few weeks since I last posted. There’s been so much to do for clients and here at the homestead in recent days that inevitably, I’ve lost track of time. Still….that’s no excuse. Today we are waiting for another late in the season snowstorm. Unlike the one of the last storms where we…
Finding & Using the Perfect Wood Burning Cook Stove
Sooner or later, nearly every homesteader thinks about the possibility of heating and/or cooking with wood. It is certainly more labor intensive than what most modern houses have for heat and cooking. There is nothing in the world quite like the ambient heat coming off a wood stove in wintertime, or the smell of freshly…
Snowbound Contemplations
The last week has presented a bit of a challenge with a late-season snow and ice storm. Thankfully, we haven’t lost power yesterday or today, so I have the ability to keep working without any noticible downtime. Other friends to the East are not so lucky. My friend Jaye, has been without power and internet…
Homesteading Resources to Help You Get Started Wherever You Are – RIGHT NOW!
So…..Do you like my SEO-friendly, click-tastic title there? Nah. Me neither. Personally, I don’t have much use for hyping up a blog or webpage, and that may very well end up being my undoing. The truth of the matter is, my goal is to give readers the kind of information that they can use to…
A Log Cabin in the Enchanted Forest
For more than 20 years our family has lived in a log cabin in the Wapsipinicon River Valley. Our small acreage overlooks Buffalo Creek and our neighbors are mostly wildlife and the beautiful woodlands that provide shelter for them. Back when we started, there were few neighbors with most of the large parcels being being…
Starting Out: Herbalism
Several years ago, I put this information on Ezine articles and also on my blog at fannyfae.com. Since starting this blog, I felt it important to update a bit of the information – and tailor to fit this blog’s specific focus. Herbalism was probably the biggest influencer for me to get into the whole mindset…
Real World Homesteading 