Self-Reliance

The Catastrophic Dust Storms of the 1930s, in Retrospect
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites By Karin Deneke — More than eight decades ago, a serious transformation took place on the grasslands of the Midwest, commonly known as the Great Plains. Thousands …

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Turning Trash to Treats
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites By Justin Thaxton — Four years ago, my family broke free from the bondage of suburban living. After 10 years in a subdivision, we were thrilled by …

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Foraging Safely
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites By Anita B. Stone If you want to meet a true forager, it is imperative to visit one who lives solely off five acres of land. I …

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On the Road Again (Hopefully)…
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites By Jim Cobb — For many, summer means vacation. Even homesteaders need to get away once in a while. Here in the United States, many families opt …

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A Simple Solar Electric Backup System
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites By Ben Hoffman If the electrical grid goes down, I need a backup to keep my freezers and wood furnace going. The furnace, a wood gasifier connected …

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Solar Water Heating Off the Grid
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites By Dan Fink, Colorado Solar electric systems are getting a lot of exposure these days, capturing media and public attention with massive utility-scale photovoltaic arrays covering acres, …

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Wood-Burning Cook Stoves: How and Why
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites The sound of wood cracking against an ax, the hollow thuds of the blocks hitting the ground, the popping and hissing of evaporating moisture as the fire …

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New Off-Grid Battery Technology
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites By Dan Fink, Colorado The new Tesla Energy Powerwall home battery storage system made quite the media splash when Elon Musk officially launched the product on April 30, 2015. The …

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What to Cook in a Solar Oven
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites Several years ago, we added a solar cooker to our homestead tools. We have long, hot summers and cook from scratch every day, which was taxing our …

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Tips for Tiny Living on Your Land
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites By Molli McGee of the Tiny House Society — Have you heard about tiny living? Tiny living refers to living in a tiny house typically no more …

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8 Tips to Avoid Giardia and Cryptosporidium This Fall
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites Fall’s a great time to enjoy the great outdoors with friends and family. However, there might be two microscopic parasites in the water trying to crash your …

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Make Sure All’s Well With Your Well Water
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites Well water, a treasured gift from our good earth, is relied upon by 43 million Americans every day — that’s 15 percent of the country’s population. And …

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Cattails: A Useful Pond Plant
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites The cattail plant is ubiquitous in many parts of the United States. In Ohio, it grows in drainage ditches and along roadsides, ponds, and lakes. There are …

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Pros and Cons of Building a Pond
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites By Joe Cadieux of midwestponds.com – So, you’re considering building a pond. Well, there are few things to think about before heading into a project of this nature. In this article, …

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Managing Healthy Farm Ponds
March 13, 2019 · · Self-Reliance

Add to Favorites By Joe Cadieux of midwestponds.com – Farm ponds are a fantastic resource for livestock, wildlife, fish, and irrigation for farming and homesteading today. They come in many shapes and sizes …

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