Free article Archives - Backwoods Home Magazine

Home Dairying

By Marcella Shaffer Issue #64 • July/August, 2000 There is a big difference between home dairying to produce food for your family and dairying to sell milk or milk byproducts to others. Since milk and dairy...

Build a Heated Germination Bed

By Charles Sanders Issue #92 • March/April, 2005 Many of us who garden have learned the benefits of starting our own vegetable and flower plants. There are several benefits to having a spot to start your...

Starting a Roadside Farm Stand

By John Murray  Issue #158 • March/April, 2016 For country landowners who desire a way to supplement their income, operating a small roadside farm stand is an excellent business venture. Produce which is harvested on a...

Talking to your kids about death

By Dave Duffy Issue #97 • January/February, 2006 How do you talk to a child about the death of someone they love? How do you explain the impossible? It's a task many of us parents have...

Pickled nopalitos

Recipe of the Week Pickled nopalitos Courtesy of Jackie Clay You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 4 lbs. de-spined, sliced fresh nopalitos mustard seed dill seed (if dill flavoring is desired) garlic cloves, halved dry red...

Basic brown stock

Recipe of the Week Basic brown stock Courtesy of Richard Blunt You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 5 lbs. raw beef bones (it helps if some of them are meaty) 5 qts. cold...

Food security 101: part 2 — Convenience mixes make life easier

By Rowena Aldridge Issue #139 • January/February, 2013 Last issue we talked about some things you can do to stretch your food budget and make great use of every bit of food you buy. This article...

Book Review: Guns Save Lives — True Stories of Americans Defending Their Lives with...

Reviewed By John Silveira Issue #79 • January/February, 2003 I like movies with heroes: High Noon, Death Wish, Dirty Harry and the like where the good guy comes to the aid of guys like you and...

How to use those leftovers

By Marjorie Burris Issue #58 • July/August, 1999 Congratulations! You've worked hard and have enough food stored away to feed your family, possibly for a year or more. Now, go to your store room, pick up...

Mountain lions — Attacks are still rare, but just in case…

By Gene Sheley Issue #50 • March/April, 1998 Near the top of North America's wildlife food chain is the mountain lion, a close second to bears in various forms in ferocity, strength, and killing ability. In...

Easy-to-make farmer’s cheese

By Leah Leach Issue #152 • March/April, 2015 Ingredients Making cheese is one of the easiest and most satisfying tasks that you can accomplish in the homestead kitchen. While there are many wonderful cheeses out there to...

Raising kids simply

By Patrice Lewis Issue #131 • September/October, 2011 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live simply? When asked what constitutes a simple life, nine out of ten people will answer something along...

Boost your income by adding a processing step to what you sell

By Harry Styron Issue #36 • November/December, 1995 Three boys spent several raw November days picking up black walnuts. We hoped to get a nice bit of cash when we took them to the huller. As...

Ambidextrous chainsaw filing

By Thomas Brewer Issue #57 • May/June, 1999 I am not ambidextrous. My wife, Judith, uses chopsticks with either hand or even both hands at once. She is ambidextrous. I can barely write with my right...

Tomato-Avocado-Buttermilk Soup

Recipe of the Week Tomato-Avocado-Buttermilk Soup Courtesy of Jimmy Andalli Ingredients 3 pounds tomatoes, peeled and seeded 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 avocado, mashed to a puree Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley Salt...

Currants and Gooseberries

By Sylvia Gist Issue #155 • September/October, 2015 Currants and gooseberries all belong to the genus Ribes (pronounced "rye-bees"). There are varieties of currants and gooseberries native to Europe and North America, along with some developed...