Circle of friends
By Claire Wolfe
Issue #111 • May/June, 2008
Hardcore survivalists cherish what I call the "George Romero Scenario." It goes like this: The proverbial poop has hit the propeller. Cities collapse into chaos. But we, the...
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...
Buy your country place from the government
By Dorothy Cady
Issue #54 • November/December, 1998
While looking for your place in the country, you've probably been researching real estate books, newspaper ads, and maybe even using the Internet. You may have even considered...
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...
Advice from second-time homesteaders
By Don and Patrice Lewis
In 1993, shortly after we got married, my husband and I took a leap into the unknown. We left urban California, left our jobs, left our families, and settled in...
Food security 101: part 2
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Food security 101: part 2
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By Rowena Aldridge
Issue #139 • January/February, 2013
Last issue we talked about some things you can do to stretch your food budget and make great use of every bit of food...
Dollar Store to the Rescue
By Jeffrey R. Yago, P.E.
Summer 2019, Self-Reliance
I have talked with emergency responders who have traveled all over the country to volunteer their rescue efforts at disasters like the recent flooding in Texas. While much...
Stashing Junk Silver for Bad Times
By John Silveira
Issue #131 • September/October, 2011
This is a pile containing $100 face value of pre-1965 "junk silver" coins, but it could represent 400 gallons of gasoline or 400 loaves of bread.
When I was...
Make a Quick and Easy Tipi
By Bob Van Putten
Issue #174 • November/December, 2018
The native peoples of North America were a very practical lot. Over the centuries they developed some very efficient tools. Yet, perhaps because of their appreciation of...
The cholesterol in your stovepipe can be fatal
By D.B. Frandsen
Issue #36 • November/December, 1995
The season is arriving. The garden is ready for its final turning, the apples are picked, and it's supposed to freeze by the end of the week. So,...
Homemade Toys! — Easy to make, fun to play with, and great for gifts!
By Cynthia Andal
Issue #72 • November/December, 2001
The garden needs planting, animals need feeding, Baby needs to nurse, and that chicken coop simply has to be finished but, there are three children who want you...
Clean up your act!
By Nanette Blanchard
Issue #100 • July/August, 2006
I used to get a headache just inhaling the chemical fumes while walking through the cleaning product aisle of the store. I started using less toxic products from...
Survival storeroom
By David Eddings
Issue #130 • July/August, 2011
This story begins in the mid-nineties when the Y2K threat was in the news. Several members of my family thought it would be prudent if we started stocking...
Homestead helpers
By Charles Sanders
My parents were children of the Great Depression. They learned to get by on very little, to make or repair or reuse almost anything, and never throw anything away — it might...
Woolen winter mittens in minutes
By Anita Evangelista
Issue #84 • November/December, 2003
There's nothing so comfy and warm in the snowy dead-of-winter as a pair of thick, soft woolen mittens. Many of us have fond childhood memories of a favorite...
