Homesteading
Creating An Evergreen Christmas Wreath
An old-fashioned Christmas tradition is to hang an evergreen wreath on your door to welcome family and friends.
Wreath making is quick and very inexpensive.
Farm Estate Planning
Farm estate planning is essential to the process of passing a farm on to the next generation as smoothly and successfully as possible. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Startups Service reports that family-owned farms account for 97% of the 2.1 million farms in the United States.
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Different Types of Fire Extinguishers and Their Uses
Not only is it smart to keep fire extinguishers in your home, but it’s also the law in many states. Many of us do not realize that a single fire extinguisher does not work on every type of fire.
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Horses, Donkeys, and Mules
Here’s a short course in the three different worlds of three very different equines — horses, donkeys, and mules. Their various characteristics, foibles, and behaviors are interesting, and knowing more about them will give you a better ability when being around them.
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How Zombie Culture Shaped Homesteading Today
We can thank apocalyptic fiction and zombie mania for a giant surge in self-reliance and homesteading today. It’s amazing how people grow when they question, “What if?”
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Making Biodiesel: A Lengthy Process
When James began looking into the process of making biodiesel as opposed to buying petrodiesel (what we buy at the gas station), he was hoping for a cheaper alternative to the $4 per gallon that he was spending at the pump. While he did not find that cheaper alternative, biodiesel is much better for the environment.
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How to Repel Rats, Mice, Skunks, and Other Interlopers
Add to Favorites By Cheryl K. Smith – We’re not the only ones that want to spend our time indoors. Rats, mice, skunks, and other furry interlopers are busy finding their …
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Get Rid of Mice Naturally: No Antidotes for Modern Rat Poisons
Why would you want to get rid of mice naturally? Well, sooner or later, if you have chickens, you’re going to have to deal with mice and/or rats.
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Flystrike Treatment for Livestock and Poultry
Animals and flies seem to go hand in hand on a farm. So what is flystrike? If you have livestock, you most likely battle the common stable fly, and you’re always on the hunt for effective fly deterrent strategies.
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Home Heating Options for the Homestead
With the weather cooling down, it is time to review our home heating options. You probably already have a heating system in place for your home, but is it actually heating your home to the extent that you need?
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Beginning Blacksmithing
Some of the best advice on self-reliance I’ve received was given to me by my grandfather while we worked in his blacksmith shop. “Never buy something that you can make,” he told me.
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Homesteading After Retirement: Part 5
Retirement dreams often include plans to travel both near and far. Depending on your previous occupation, travel may not have been possible very often.
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Nominate a Homesteader for the I Am Countryside Feature
Add to Favorites Know a homesteader who inspires others? Want to see them featured in Countryside & Small Stock Journal? Nominate them (or yourself!) and we’ll tell their story in the …
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Building Our Debt-Free Home
We had been married for six years when we became debt-free. Like many couples starting out we had a vehicle loan, a loan for our mobile home, and a few other debts.
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Keeping it Cool With a DIY Walk-in Cooler
The time was drawing near to process lambs. My husband and I had processed our own venison for years. We were ready to venture out and try something new.
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