Buckboard bacon

By Tanya Kelley Issue #131 • September/October, 2011 Last year, our family processed a hog for the first time. We made roasts, pork chops, bacon, Italian sausage, breakfast link sausages, and hams. All of the results...

Preparing for civil unrest

By Claire Wolfe Issue #118 • July/August, 2009 The most remarkable thing about civil unrest is that there hasn't been more of it. Politicians are making a hash of this country and much of the rest of...

Man vs. the machine

By John Silveira Issue #71 • September/October, 2001 About 10 years ago, I was living in southern California and I was summoned for jury duty. I was glad to be called. I've always liked the concept...

How to select the right backup generator

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #82 • July/August, 2003 Now that the threat of terrorist sabotage to our utility infrastructure has been added to our basic concerns about storm related power outages, this may be...

Confessions of a former liberal

By Dave Duffy Issue #50 • March/April, 1998 There is an old adage that goes something like: "If you're not a liberal when you're in your 20s you haven't got a heart; if you're not a...

Family dinner at Backwoods Home Magazine

By Richard Blunt Issue #129 • May/June, 2011 Last fall I was invited to Gold Beach, Oregon, to spend some quality time with my lifelong friend, Dave Duffy, and his family. On these visits it is...

New yarn from old sweaters

By Margaret Mills Issue #132 • November/December, 2011 Years ago, when my grandmother learned that some women purchased new fabric to make quilts, she was shocked. She was an "old-school" fiber artist — quilting, crocheting, and...

Drive your own freshwater well

By Len McDougall Issue #128 • March/April, 2011 The well point's slotted holes permit water to enter, while stainless steel mesh inside keeps out abrasive sand. X marks the spot. How "witching" for water works is a...

What to do when there’s no doctor

By Gary F. Arnet, D.D.S. Issue #75 • May/June, 2002 We are used to being able to see a doctor at any time for any reason, no matter how small. Will this always be the case?...

Disaster preparation!

By Gary F. Arnet, D.D.S. Issue #74 • March/April, 2002 Are you prepared for a disaster that could affect the daily function of your life or the lives of your family members? Or do you even...

Greens and rhubarb are spring tonics

By Jennifer Stein Barker Issue #45 • May/June, 1997 Rhubarb and greens are classic spring tonics. The reason for this is that they are among the first things to grow to a usable size in springtime,...

Design calculations for overshot waterwheels

By Rudy Behrens Issue #18 • November/December, 1992 (For good background information for this article, the reader should read "Waterpower for personal use" in Issue No. 16 and "Design calculations for overshot waterwheels" in Issue No....

Can an understanding of math and statistics save America’s freedoms?

By Dave Duffy Issue #66 • November/December, 2000 The other day John Silveira and I were walking by a gas station in Gold Beach, Oregon, where this magazine is located, when I remarked, "The price of...

SARS — Is this a glimpse of the future?

By Gary F. Arnet, D.D.S. Website Exclusive • March, 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, SARS, is a new respiratory disease that has recently infected people in Asia, Europe, and North America. The emergence of this disease...

How we found our remote backwoods home

By Jackie Clay Issue #65 • September/October, 2000 Right now I'm sitting in a south-facing huge, sunny window, looking through our own private valley to a larger mountain valley below and the pine covered mountains beyond....

Beans for Sarah

Recipe of the Week  Beans for Sarah  Courtesy of Richard Blunt   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1 1/4 cups dried pinto beans water to soak beans 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 12 oz....