Homemade skin care products

By Carly Egger Issue #145 • January/February, 2014 When you think of skin care products that soften, moisturize, and nourish the skin, do the words extravagant, unnecessary, and expensive come to mind? The skin is the...

Garden injuries

By Joseph Alton, M.D. Issue #140 • March/April, 2013 Cuts and scrapes are the most likely wounds gardeners incur (hopefully, not on that green thumb of yours). In many cases, these could have been prevented by...

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...

Essential oils

By Joseph Alton, M.D. and Amy Alton, A.R.N.P. Issue #135 • May/June, 2012 As a medical doctor/registered nurse practitioner team, we received conventional medical training at university hospitals while getting our degrees. Since that time, however,...

The fire wick fire starter

By Len McDougall Issue #114 • November/December, 2008 When my hunting buddy Dar met me for lunch at our rendezvous point, he said he doubted we could make a small cookfire on the wet, snow-covered ground....

There’s no such thing as free land!

(But if you're smart, you can get it cheap) By Setanta O'Ceillaigh Issue #165 • May/June, 2017 I have been a homeowner since I was 18 years old and I still continually shop for land opportunities in...

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...

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...

Medicinal uses of garlic

By Joseph Alton, M.D. and Amy Alton, A.R.N.P. Issue #134 • March/April, 2012 One of the greatest gifts of natural medicine that can be found on this earth is garlic, or Allium sativum. It has been...

Homestead burnout — What it is and how to avoid it

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson Issue #134 • March/April, 2012 We've all been there: the roof is leaking on your temporary housing while you try to build a start on your new homestead. It's rained for a week...

Annie on Everfree Farm, Part I

<!-- Annie on Everfree Farm, Part I --> By Annie Tuttle Issue #145 • January/February, 2014 So here we are. Truth be told, it was a complete accident that we found our farm. We weren't even looking for it. We...

Building and stocking your pantry

By Jackie Clay Issue #125 • September/October, 2010 At the turn of the 19th century, most country homes had a walk-in pantry, as well as a root cellar for keeping vegetables and fruits. This pantry contained...

Wash day

By Jackie Clay Issue #130 • July/August, 2011 I was in a Lowe's store yesterday and happened to walk past the appliance section, where I saw gleaming stainless steel, black, and white washing machines and clothes...

Small Town America: Thermopolis, WY — Horses and hot springs

By Emily Salinger Photos by Richard Coffinberry Issue #85 • January/February, 2004 When Nate and MaeCile Brown amble down the main street of Thermopolis, Wyoming, everybody recognizes them. They're old friends, honored citizens, and local characters. They...

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...

The art of living in small spaces

<!-- The art of living in small spaces By Claire Wolfe -->By Claire Wolfe Issue #92 • March/April, 2005 Long ago, I read that to live in the country you must have the soul of a poet, the dedication...