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
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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;...































