Featured Stories

12 Benefits of Learning How to Crochet
October 5, 2022 · · Homesteading

What does “crochet” mean? Let’s start with the basics. Crochet is defined as the process of hooking thread or yarn to create fabric.

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Surviving a Weather-Related Power Outage
October 4, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

It’s all fun and games until it’s lights out. But a little preparation can help you survive a power cut or outage.

Losing power during summer is hot, sweaty, and miserable. You hold glasses of milk against your perspiring forehead then drink before the milk goes bad.

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Facts about Floods and Surviving Them
October 4, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

Tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes come on fast and strong. But floods can be just as devastating.

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How to Build A-Frame Pig Shelters
September 29, 2022 · · Pigs

We have found that our A-frame pig shelters are the best protection for our pigs when raising pigs on pasture. Whether farrowing outdoors or just providing shelter to your adult pigs, some of the important things to consider are shape, space, dryness, and function.

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Matching Dyeing Techniques to Fibers
September 28, 2022 · · Homesteading

Experimenting with different plant sources from nature can yield an amazing range of color when dyeing wool or cotton.

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Safely Limbing and Bucking Trees
September 28, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

Bucking trees isn’t as easy as it looks. Learn how to limb a tree and buck wood safely.

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Know Your Firewood Moisture Content
September 28, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

Knowing firewood moisture content can make the difference between creating steam or heat. Most folks agree that water doesn’t burn, not unless you break H2O down into H and O, both of which are highly flammable, and that doesn’t happen in your stove or furnace.

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What is the Best Way to Store Firewood?
September 28, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

You’ve put in all the hard work of chopping the tree, splitting the wood, and now you’re ready to stack it for storage. But what is the best way to store firewood?

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A Guide to the Best Trees for Firewood
September 28, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

Whether you’re cooking or heating the house, not all wood is created equal. So, what are the best trees for firewood?

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How to Store Firewood: Try Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Racks
September 28, 2022 · · Fences, Sheds & Barns

One thing we have in abundance here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina is firewood. Last winter, we noticed that the number of wood piles on our neighbors’ properties increased dramatically.

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How to Cook Venison and Elk: A Healthy Indulgence
September 21, 2022 · · Canning & Kitchen, Recipes

Toward the end of the year, deer and elk seasons open. Avid hunters trek into the wilderness in search of wild game.

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Sourdough From Scratch
September 21, 2022 · · Canning & Kitchen

Baking Bread has to be one of my favorite things to do (and eat), and while I love all types of bread, sourdough is my absolute number one! Why?

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Finding the Best Pumpkins for Pies
September 21, 2022 · · Canning & Kitchen

What are the best pumpkins for pies? Well… it’s not even a pumpkin… depending on your definition of “pumpkin.”

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The Underutilized American Acorn
September 21, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

For those with an eye to see, the acorn is very likely the most underutilized food source in the United States.

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African Swine Fever
September 12, 2022 · · Pigs

While ASF is not transmittable to humans, it spreads easily and rapidly among swine, and humans can transport the disease. Learn how to recognize African swine fever symptoms to protect your and your neighbors’ animals, and how to practice good biosecurity.

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