Keeping tools sharp

By Dana Benner There are some things on the homestead that we take great care of, like firearms, knives and machinery. Then there are those things that don’t get the attention that they should, such...

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...

The return of home emergency shelters takes on a dual-purpose approach

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #74 • March/April, 2002 After September 11, 2001, all of us became much more concerned with protecting our families from biological, nuclear, and terrorist attacks. However, if you followed up...

10 tips for selling your homemade product

By Lisa Nourse My husband and I purchased our current property when we were young and poor — very poor. Shortly after purchasing the property we got our first property tax statement. It was just under...

Small camp security

By Gary Lewis Issue #148 • July/August, 2014 It might be a sleeping bag in a lean-to with a small warming fire at the entrance. It could be a wall tent with five or six hunters...

Frostbite — Don’t flirt with this sneaky danger

By Tom and Joanne O’Toole Issue #96 • November/December, 2005 Frostbite can be defined, in its most severe stage, as when your fingers and toes freeze and have to be cut off because of gangrene. Wow,...

10 country do’s and don’ts

By Julie Crist Issue #96 • November/December, 2005 When we moved from the city to the mountains, I kept my eyes open and my mouth shut and and paid very close attention to other people's botchery....

Better wood heating

<!-- Better wood heating By David Lee --> By David Lee Shop heater. This example is a 55-gallon drum and stove kit surrounded with leftover concrete blocks. I stack extra bricks, slates, and metal on the top to give...

Based on years of personal experience, here are 10 good tips for homeschooling your...

By Mary Jo Bratton Issue #41 • September/October, 1996 Are you considering homeschooling your children, but don't know where to start? The following 10 tips will help answer some of your questions. Read, read, read But don't read...

Flea market stories and strategies

By Jim Capossela I’m convinced it’s clean living that’s helped me make it to the age 39 I’ve been for quite some time now. I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs and I normally take...

I heat my house by burning corn

By Judith W. Monroe Issue #42 • November/December, 1996 As I write this, it is fall in New England. If you burn wood, you are probably well along with the annual chores of chopping, splitting, and...

The many benefits of garlic

By Joe Knight Issue #113 • September/October, 2008 Garlic, used throughout the world for the taste it adds to foods, is also well known for its medicinal benefits. Known as Allium sativum in the botanical world,...

Preparing for a Temporary Catastrophe

By Dave Duffy Issue #139 • January/February, 2013 November's Superstorm Sandy on the Northeastern coast of the United States was our most recent grand reminder that society is fragile, most people are not ready to take...

Everybody talks about lightning and yes, there are things you can do about it

By Albert H. Carlson Issue #37 • January/February, 1996 What was a beautiful sunny day with large white billowing clouds low on the horizon has turned progressively darker. The clouds are now almost black, and the...

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...

Cast iron

By Jackie Clay Issue #118 • July/August, 2009 My very favorite cookware is old. Some of it very old. It's nonstick, is equally at home in the kitchen or wilderness camp, is the ultimate slow-cooker, and...