Preserve the harvest naturally through wild fermentation

By Jereme Zimmerman Issue #154 • July/August, 2015 Little hands are ideal for helping to stuff jars with vegetables. Just be sure to "pay" your help — but don't let them eat it all! For a homesteader,...

An Introduction to Small-Scale Home Hydroponics

By Ben Richards Issue #154 • July/August, 2015 As most people are already aware, hydroponics is the practice of growing plants without soil. This is done by using a water-based nutrient solution to deliver the necessary...

Winter in the High Desert — Understanding the music

By Claire Wolfe Issue #121 • January/February, 2010 My old friends from the Pacific Northwest think I don't love them anymore, now that I've moved far away to the high desert. It's all a misunderstanding. One after another,...

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?...

Nursing: A perfect backwoods career

By John McLane, RN Issue #88 • July/August, 2004 For many of us, a job in the traditional economy is crucial to being able to maintain our chosen lifestyle. Others who are pondering a move out...

The coffee mug knife sharpener

By Michael Cantrell Issue #105 • May/June, 2007 Not too long ago, I watched a man open his pocket knife by pulling it partway open to a wide L-shape with his hands, and then push it...

Teach your kids math with the banking game

By Micki Warner Issue #41 • September/October, 1996 One of the tricks of successful education is the "exceptional teacher's" ability to make the process fun. When a parent takes over the teacher's job in the home,...

Make your own firestarters

By Claire Wolfe Issue #129 • May/June, 2011 I bought an old house last summer and inherited lots of the former owners' stuff — some of it good and welcome, some strictly landfill-fodder. Among other things that...

Used bookstores can be sucessful in the hinterlands

By Jennifer Stein Barker Issue #52 • July/August, 1998 If you stand reading at the rack closest to the window, you can look up from your book to see the Strawberry Wilderness looming its wooded heights...

A canoe livery — An honest, clean business

By Harry Spetla Issue #46 • July/August, 1997 A canoe and kayak livery business is inexpensive to start and it's easy to operate. The business fits in well with country living since it can be as...

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...

Teaching the joy of reading

By Amy E. Peare Issue #96 • November/December, 2005 Most parents want to see their children well equipped to succeed in life, and homesteaders are no different in that regard. Many homesteaders choose this lifestyle to...

Choosing a chain saw

By Steven Gregersen Issue #119 •September/October, 2009 Winter will be here soon and along with winter comes cold weather and high heating bills. Obviously there's nothing new about any of this but with the current economic...

10 ways to make money on your land

By Anita Evangelista Issue #106 • July/August, 2006 There's something very visceral about having your own piece of land, whether it's a little scrap of green terrace or a vast expanse of fertile bottomland. Ownership (or...

A determined Rose Bley escaped the city

By Gene Sheley Issue #51 • May/June, 1998 Rosie Bley's self-reliance and confidence has served her well all her life, permitting her to live in one of the most remote areas of California and to meet...

Start a fire in any weather

By Charles Sanders Issue #161 • September/October, 2016 Most of us living in the backwoods are comfortable with utilizing fire as a tool. We use fire to heat our homes, burn brush, power our forges, help...