Sewing and using cloth diapers is easier than you think
By Annie Tuttle
Issue #113 • September/October, 2008
I'll admit that it was the pastoral vision of a laundry line full of sun-bleached diapers above barefooted, rosy-cheeked, milk-fattened babies that first drew my attention toward cloth...
Mosquitoes outnumber us and no one likes them
By Tom and Joanne O’Toole
Issue #80 • March/April, 2003
Mosquitoes are responsible for irritating bites, cause itching welts, can spread diseases, are a constant aggravation at picnics, and are ear-tormenting little beasts. No wonder they...
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...
Vinegar — A splash is all you need for healthful eating, natural healing, and...
By Linda Gabris
Issue #97 • January/February, 2006
Call me a sourpuss, if you will, but I love vinegar and can't imagine a day going by without calling upon one type or another for cooking, curing,...
Annie on Everfree Farm, Part III
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Annie on Everfree Farm, Part III
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By Annie Tuttle
Issue #147 • May/June, 2014
Previous in Series
Me with Brownie, Cupcake, Red Velvet, and Flan (mostly hidden).
These were our first four goats, and are all Kiko x Boer...
Homemade pest traps
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By Patrice Lewis
Issue #164 • March/April, 2017
Last summer, my little compost bucket near the kitchen sink became home to a zillion fruit flies. Once they’re established, it’s devilishly hard to get rid of these...
Get the most out of your vehicle and your maintenance dollar
By Len Torney
Issue #116 • March/April, 2009
Let's face itwe all own vehicles. Our rural lifestyle pretty much leaves us dependent on our vehicles for all of our daily transportation needs, as well as the...
You could furnish an entire homestead at Lehman’s ‘Non-electric’ Hardware Store
By Don Fallick
Issue #47 • September/October, 1997
Let me state my bias right at the beginning: Lehmans Hardware has been advertising in Backwoods Home Magazine for a long time, but I made my first purchase...
For safety’s sake, homestead fuel storage must be handled properly
By Emory Warner
Issue #43 • January/February, 1997
Home storage of fuel is a necessity for homesteaders. Even if you are still on the grid, your truck, tractor, standby generator, etc. will still require fuel. I...
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...
Drawing the line on timber trespass
By Paul Lamble
Issue #78 • November/December, 2002
Over the 4th of July weekend, my wife and I learned an important lesson the hard way. We live near Kansas City, but for several years we've owned...
The Trigger Line
By Len McDougall
Issue #108 • November/December, 2007
With most of our planet underwater, fish have been a part of the human diet since before recorded history. Almost any permanent body of water can be presumed...
Seed art — It’s fun to collect the seeds and create these unusual pictures
By Alice B. Yeager
Issue #42 • November/December, 1996
Seed art is an old craft going back to long, long ago. Where the art of turning seeds into pictures first began is obscured by time, and...
Finding wealth you can wear at yard sales
By Thomas M. Buckley
Issue #126 • November/December, 2010
When you go to yard sales this year, be sure to look for jewelry. I used to always look for tools or other items that a self-reliant...
The wonderful world of axes
By R.E. Rawlinson
Issue #171 • May/June, 2018
In 1845, Henry David Thoreau began his now-classic experiment in self-reliance at Walden Pond. He soon realized that if he was going to make a go of it...






























