Oregon Trail preparedness: What supplies did the settlers carry?
By Don Lewis
Issue #176 • April/May/June, 2019
The year was 1834, a year that didn’t really stand out as all that particularly important in American history. But like any other year, it had its share...
A worthwhile journey
By Kim Scheimreif
Issue #124 • July/August, 2010
In February of 1996 my husband, Kevin, two-year-old daughter, Kayla, and I moved from New Jersey to Maine. Our goal was to find a farmhouse with substantial acreage...
Breastfeeding — A primer
By Kathy Parkes
Issue #49 • January/February, 1998
Unfortunately hospital practices that negatively affect breastfeeding are often the cultural norm. Our society pays only lip service to breastfeeding and then makes women feel guilty if their...
Harvest your own firewood
By Pete Earl
Issue #83 • September/October, 2003
Harvesting firewood has many rewards: exercise, satisfaction, saving money, and the security of having your own fuel supply for winter warmth. Here are some pointers in the art...
Water development for the homestead: Ponds, cisterns, and tanks
By Roy Martin
Issue #102 • November/December, 2006
In most areas, wells or springs are able to provide water sources for the homestead, but there are places where groundwater is either not available or where it...
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...
Pump water for free
By Kai Moessle
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Issue #158 • March/April, 2016
I opened the valve on the output side of the pump slowly, like the instructions said, and after a few more starts it ran just by itself. Still...
Grandma will love this personal ‘Helping Hands’ wall hanging
By Sally Boulding
Issue #46 • July/August, 1997
Here's a relatively easy gift that you and your child can make together. The instructions here are to make a wall hanging or a lap blanket, but consider...
A survival key ring — Your everyday tool for emergency preparedness
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #117 • May/June, 2009
If you saw the movie, "Castaway" starring Tom Hanks, you might remember that his character always carried a small pen knife with him. Early in the...
Help your home survive in the path of a wildfire
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Help your home survive in the path of a wildfire
By Brent Stainer
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By Brent Stainer
These firefighters fought hard to save this house, but the best way to save your house is to make basic preparations...
Seventeen great tips for caring for windows, mirrors, and other household glass
By Sandy Lindsey
Issue #43 • January/February, 1997
1 To make windows and mirrors sparkle, dip a clean cloth in a 50/50 mixture of borax and water or denatured alcohol and wipe down. Polish with a...
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...
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...
Start a post-construction cleaning business
By Dorothy Ainsworth
Issue #76 • July/August, 2002
Wherever construction is going on, there will be a big mess left in its wake that somebody has to clean up. That somebody can be you, and you...
Drive your own freshwater well
By Len McDougall
Issue #128 • March/April, 2011
The well point's slotted holes permit water to enter, while stainless steel mesh inside keeps out abrasive sand.
X marks the spot. How "witching" for water works is a...
Shearing, carding, spinning, weaving and creating with Margaret Boos
By Annie Duffy
Issue #52 • July/August, 1998
"If you're going to make something that you want to last, why not start with good quality material," says Margaret Boos who raises and spins her own wool....






























