Free article Archives - Backwoods Home Magazine

A view of self-reliance from a more timid perspective — A woman’s opinion

By Claire Wolfe Issue #94 • July/August, 2005 My fellow Backwoods Home writer Jackie Clay is a domestic wonder woman who can do anything from can kumquats to butcher an elk. Not me. Unh uh. No way....

Raising your own beef for your family

By Charles Sanders Issue #57 • May/June, 1999 For most homesteaders, the raising of livestock plays a crucial role in the home based economy. The types of livestock which you choose to include on your own...

Bugging out in place

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson Issue #163 • January/February, 2017 Some emergency situations require quick evacuation. You barely have time to grab your bug-out bag, gather the family, and run out the door. Most of us are ready...

Running your own business: a mother’s perspective

By Ilene Duffy Issue #62 • March/April, 2000 When my middle son, Robby, was a baby, he had two seizures. After the second one the doctor informed me that I needed to get him to the...

Is it time for an education revolution?

By Dave Duffy Issue #77 • September/October, 2002 Education is important, right? Of course it is. Then college must be really important, right? ... Did I hear some of you pause before saying, "Well, yeah, I...

How to make kombucha

By Kristina Seleshanko Issue #172 • July/August, 2018 Kombucha is an ancient drink that’s recently enjoyed a revival because it’s a fizzy and healthy alternative to soda pop. Despite urban myths, it contains only trace amounts...

Green Shrimp Soup

Recipe of the Week Green Shrimp Soup Courtesy of Larry Elderson Ingredients 1 medium Onion, chopped fine 1 large Carrot, chopped fine 1-1/2 teaspoons Butter 3 cups beef broth, hot 1 Tablespoon fresh Savory, chopped fine 1 teaspoon Tarragon, chopped fine 1 pound Peas, cooked 5...

Cooking from long-term food storage

By Jackie Clay Issue #55 • January/February, 1999 All self-reliant families know they should have at least a year's worth of food and essential supplies stored up in a large pantry. Unfortunately, actually eating from long-term...

Gardening Tips and Tricks

By Charles Sanders Issue #99 • May/June, 2006 Gardeners are an ingenious lot. Trial and error, time, study, observation, and experience all help us to come up with ideas that result in better gardens, more produce,...

Texas Fireballs By Randy Young

By Randy Young Photos by Callie Blanks  Issue #158 • March/April, 2016 Sausage balls are great, period. They've got sausage, cheese, and biscuit, all in one bite....

Beef and Cabbage Soup

Recipe of the Week Beef and Cabbage Soup Courtesy of Troi Young Ingredients 1 pound lean ground beef 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 stalks celery, chopped 16 ounces kidney beans, drained 1/2...

Grow Open-Pollinated Tomatoes

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson Issue #166 • July/August, 2017 Nearly all of us homesteaders grow tomatoes in our gardens. Tomatoes are hugely valuable as a homestead crop. After all, they give us a wide variety of products. Many...

Building Eric’s house

By Dorothy Ainsworth Issue #112 • July/August, 2009 This is the first in a series of several articles documenting the building of a stud-frame house from start to finish by an amateur owner/builder, using the pay-as-you-go...

Take care of your knife

By John Lo Cicero Issue #98 • March/April, 2006 There was a time when I did not understand the value of quality, or respect for a fine tool. I received my tool education first-hand when I...

Smoked Salmon

Recipe of the Week Smoked Salmon Courtesy of Lisa Nourse The best meals are made from stuff you grow--or catch. Here's a tasty smoked salmon treat made from a 38-pound king salmon caught by 11-year-old Ian Nourse, who...

Build a Simple, Inexpensive Greenhouse

By Jennifer Poindexter Issue #157 • January/February, 2016 Since my family is homesteading on a budget, the task of building a greenhouse had to be done as inexpensively as possible. Luckily, my husband is extremely crafty;...