Jim Van Camp: Coffee roaster, painter
By Jim Van Camp
Issue #117 • May/June, 2009
The only thing we knew for certain when my wife and I moved to Gold Beach from the big city was we were passionate about good coffee,...
The cholesterol in your stovepipe can be fatal
By D.B. Frandsen
Issue #36 • November/December, 1995
The season is arriving. The garden is ready for its final turning, the apples are picked, and it's supposed to freeze by the end of the week. So,...
Garden injuries Part 2
By Joseph Alton, M.D.
Issue #141 • May/June, 2013
In the last issue of Backwoods Home, we discussed some of the hazards encountered by the homesteading gardener. Burns, cuts, abrasions, allergic reactions, and certain insect stings...
Make a quilt out of Levis
By Dorothy Ainsworth
Issue #77 • September/October, 2002
Back in the 80s I worked as a waitress in a busy little café where our mandatory uniform was a pair of Levis and a T-shirt. The only...
Get out of debt, stay out of debt
By Darlene Campbell
Issue #67 • January/February, 2001
Decades ago it was advised of young high school graduates to deposit a set amount of money into the bank each month, and when they retired they would...
Woolen winter mittens in minutes
By Anita Evangelista
Issue #84 • November/December, 2003
There's nothing so comfy and warm in the snowy dead-of-winter as a pair of thick, soft woolen mittens. Many of us have fond childhood memories of a favorite...
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...
Modify an E-Tool to make your own Combi-Tool
By Dave Strom
Issue #172 • July/August, 2018
Campers, soldiers, and off-roaders are familiar with military-issue Entrenching Tools, commonly called “E-Tools.” They are light, compact, and multipurpose. They can shovel, hoe, chop, pick, and scrape. The...
Cleaning a well
By Pat Barden
Issue #105 • May/June, 2007
We have a good well with sweet water. It was already in place when we bought our property and had been in use for more than 20 years....
Pysanki — You can make those biddies pay!
By Amy E. Peare
Issue #86 • March/April, 2004
There are usually two problems with raising chickens. a) You have too many eggs, or b) you aren't getting enough eggs to warrant shelling out the bucks...
Intake and exhaust upgrades for better mileage and performance
By Len Torney
Issue #120 • November/December, 2009
Well, it seems the price of oil and gasoline has peaked and plummeted, much like a lot of the rest of the economy these days. One upside to...
Clean up your act!
By Nanette Blanchard
Issue #100 • July/August, 2006
I used to get a headache just inhaling the chemical fumes while walking through the cleaning product aisle of the store. I started using less toxic products from...
Call me plumber
By Emily Chadwick
Issue #121 • January/February, 2010
Sometimes life requires you to climb in the toilet, and elbow deep in the bowl, you discover the path to self-reliance.
When I heard the flush, I knew I...
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...
How to organize an outdoor canning party
By Jennifer Grahovac
Issue #119 • September/October, 2009
When my husband and I decided to return to Ohio after living for 15 years in the mountains of Vermont, it was with some trepidation and a little...
