wood

How to Make Your Own Wooden Spoons
December 26, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

Learning how to make wooden spoons is much simpler than it may seem. Jenny Underwood explains the basics.

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How Rabbit Farming Differs in the Winter
December 20, 2022 · · Homesteading, Rabbits

Whether you’re raising meat rabbits or rabbits for show, rabbit farming changes seasonally. What works in summer may not work in winter.

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How to Save Electricity at Home During the Holidays
December 7, 2022 · · Holiday, Self-Reliance

As beautiful as the holidays can be with lights and displays, it can also get pricey. Here’s some tips on how to save electricity through the holiday season.

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Safely Limbing and Bucking Trees

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

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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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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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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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
May 27, 2022 · · Growing

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?
May 9, 2022 · · Growing

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?
April 13, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

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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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
January 26, 2022 · · Growing

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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