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Building a Cheap, Seasonal Greenhouse
A greenhouse can be crucial for extending the growing season. It keeps plants warm while letting in a full day’s worth of sunlight.
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How to Store Firewood: Try Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Racks
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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Off-Grid Battery Banks: The Heart of the System
Add to Favorites By Dan Fink – Anyone who owns a vehicle likely already has a love-hate relationship with the starting battery inside. It’s heavy, dirty, expensive, dangerous, and always seems …
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When to Add Perlite Soil to Container Gardens
Add to Favorites What in the world is perlite soil anyway? Is it organic? I do a lot of container gardening, especially with my herb plants. Since I try to …
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How to Build a Cattle Panel Hoop House
Add to Favorites By Julie Harrell, New York, Zone 5B My cattle panel hoop house is a community gathering place. Recently, my sweet neighbor of almost 20 years and soul …
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What is the Best Mulch to Prevent Weeds?
Add to Favorites All Photos By Shelley Dedauw The best mulch to prevent weeds depends on where the mulch lies, what else you need it to do…and, of course, cost. …
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Growing Shiitake Mushrooms on a Log
Add to Favorites By Anita B. Stone, North Carolina – If you ever wanted to grow mushrooms on the homestead and make a decent wage, growing shiitake mushrooms is the way …
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Water on the Homestead: Is Filtering Well Water Necessary?
Add to Favorites Many homesteads have wells drilled for their water source. But is filtering well water necessary? There are, as usual, different thoughts on the subject. I grew up …
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Do It Yourself Privacy Fence Tips For Success
Add to Favorites In suburban settings, a do it yourself privacy fence may be necessary to shield and protect you from those who live around you. They can also provide …
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Wild Plant Identification: Foraging for Edible Weeds
Add to Favorites On a sleepy Sunday afternoon, on the grounds of an ex-horse stable, Nate Chetelat presents a wild plant identification tour for a local gardening group. The focus …
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Drop Spindle Spinning: Making and Using Your First Spindle
Add to Favorites By Angela Hammer – I’ve always liked making things with my hands. I learned how to crochet years ago, so spinning became the next logical step for me …
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Recycling Materials on Hand for Compost Bin Plans
Add to Favorites There are endless compost bin plans available online. A basic understanding of what components a compost bin must have is essential. Composting is among the easiest, environmentally …
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Upping the Ante with Tractor Bucket Attachments
Add to Favorites Scoop, scrape and push are really the only things a tractor bucket was meant to do, but with the right tractor bucket attachments, there’s so much more we can do …
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Choosing Yarn for Rigid Heddle Loom Weaving Projects
Add to Favorites When learning to weave, the rigid heddle loom is a good choice. It’s easy to work and you will quickly master the basics of weaving. Plus, setting …
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Fire Evacuation Procedures: Do You Have a Plan?
Add to Favorites Our recent fires in the state of Washington have been a lesson in preparing fire evacuation procedures. The fires swooped in so fast that there was little …
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