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Quilts — Masterpieces of the heart and windows into women’s history

Small Town America: Thermopolis, WY — Horses and hot springs

How to become a backyard beekeeper

Practical Ideas for Self-Reliant Living

Woodbarrow

By Setanta O’Ceillaigh When I first abandoned a slum town and fled back to the countryside I gathered and carried firewood with a laundry basket....

Vitamins D and K — way more important than you thought

Boost your immune system with fast and easy fish dishes

Grow some winter squash this year

Growing Productive Strawberries

By Edna Manning Issue #86 • March/April, 2004 Here on the Canadian prairies, I have found strawberries to be perhaps one of the most delicious, least-demanding...

Swiss Chard — The Leaf Vegetable That Keeps on Giving!

Tomatoes, the Essential Garden Crop

Gardening in the Desert Using Only Rainwater

Follow Jackie Clay-Atkinson and her husband, Will, as they homestead a 120-acre piece of northern Minnesotan woods entirely off-grid. Sharing their homestead are horses, beef cattle, a milk cow, dairy goats, chickens and turkeys.

Massad Ayoob on Guns

This blog, from a retired police captain and self-defense instructor, covers the use of different firearms, political musings, and self-defense tactics.

Building

Build a deluxe barrel stove

Build Your Own Hoop House

Build an all-purpose ladder

Build your own portable forge

Self-Reliance

SARS — Is this a glimpse of the future?

Just for Kids: Some good clean fun!

By Lucy Shober Issue #24 • November/December, 1993 Click on pictures for printable, full-sized versions to color. When a chill hits the air and the first cool...

Caveman walking stick

By Jim Van Sant Issue #108 • November/December, 2007 The lake near our rural home has a long hiking trail that winds around its shore. We...

Animals

The homestead cat

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson We have had at least one cat in our home ever since I was a young child. So it’s no wonder we...

Cheaper than Store-Bought Eggs

Raising your own beef

Fermenting Chicken Feed

Keeping homestead animals healthy

Science and Education

Gee-Whiz: Insects

Gee-Whiz: Bad Fish, Big Fish

Gee-Whiz: Time

Gee-Whiz: Presidents

Energy

Solar power for farm and ranch

By Jeffrey R. Yago, P.E. It may be surprising to learn that there are now all kinds of do-it-yourself solar powered devices specifically designed to...

Power-up bag

Amateur Ham Radio – The Ultimate Tool for Survival Communications

Keep the Ice On

Power Up

Americana and History

Presidents’ wives of the past Part 3

the gee-whiz! page: Animals, humans, extraterrestrials, and tools

Grandpa’s justice

From Martha and Abigail to Dolley and Louisa, America’s earliest First Ladies were fascinating

Firearms

Military surplus and military “clone” rifles

Thoughts on ammunition

By Massad Ayoob Issue #108 • November/December, 2007 Ammunition is to firearms as gasoline is to automobiles. However, with guns and ammo, the fit isn't quite...

BHM hosts Appleseed marksmanship event

By Massad Ayoob Issue #139 • January/February, 2013 Long a supporter of the Appleseed concept, Backwoods Home Magazine hosted one in Gold Beach, Oregon, in second...

Get a piece of history — An M1 Garand rifle

By Mike Blank Issue #89 • September/October, 2004 What follows is my personal quest to acquire an M1 Garand through the Civilian Marks-manship Program (CMP). We've...

Preparedness

Preparing for a Temporary Catastrophe

Build a community assistance recharging station

Handy Keychain Mini-Gadgets

Help your home survive in the path of a wildfire

What to do when there’s no doctor

The fire wick fire starter

Articles By Dave Duffy

My View: Call Me Miracle Man!

By Dave Duffy Issue #177 • July/August/September, 2019 Superheroes are the rage these days at movie theaters. Even I am fascinated by them. Old style heroes...