Articles - Backwoods Home Magazine

Are aliens stealing our honeybees?

Mountain lions — Attacks are still rare, but just in case…

Chickens — The most valuable animal on the homestead

Claw Hammers

By R.E. Rawlinson Scottish writer and philosopher Thomas Carlyle observed that “Man is a tool using animal … without tools he is nothing, with tools...

Making a wooden kitchen countertop

How safe is your electric fence?

Your Manure Pile — For Fuel, Fertilizer, and Maybe Even Improved...

By Rev. J.D. Hooker Issue #87 • May/June, 2004 It's been well over a decade now since I first heard my friend Pete voice his amazement...

Leafy Green Vegetables — The Underrated Heroes of the Garden

A Small Space Yields a Big Crop of Garlic

The barnyard scramble

By Michelle Hampton Issue #106 • July/August, 2007 Each year during our local county fair, one of the best-attended events happens when farm animals, donated by...

Declaration of Independence: The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States...

George Washington Carver — He wrote the book on self-reliance

Constitution of the united States of America

Just for Kids: Some good clean fun!

Buying the right emergency radio

Phantom solar — The crucial invisible system needed before you install solar

Use solar landscape lights for emergencies

Firearms handling refresher Part III: Rifles

By Massad Ayoob Website Exclusive • January, 2004 Our three part series on firearms handling ends with this installment. In Part I, we covered handguns and...

Firearms — Tools of rural living

Inexpensive retired Russian military rifles can be the ideal backwoods meat...

The subtleties of safe firearms handling

Frontier style handguns for the modern backwoods home

Zombie Apocalypse

By John Silveira Issue #134 • March/April, 2012 "Can you survive a zombie apocalypse?" a familiar voice asked. I turned in my seat to see O.E. MacDougal,...

The world is coming to an end… and this time, I’m...

Activists on both the left and the right spotlight a broken federal government

Let’s stop apologizing for guns

The tenuous hold of honesty in modern America

This St. Bernard backwoods hero saved old Grandma’s life

By Margaret Wright Issue #35 • September/October, 1995 When we think of a backwoods dog we generally think of a Pyrenees, German Shepherd, or other breed...

Raising cattle on your own place

By Charles Sanders Issue #85 • January/February, 2004 Winter won't last forever. It won't be long before spring will arrive and pastures will start to green...

Forget the dog, chicken is man’s best friend

Llamas guarding sheep? — Not such a far-fetched idea

Finding, buying, milking, and living with the family milk cow

Grandma will love this personal ‘Helping Hands’ wall hanging

Shearing, carding, spinning, weaving and creating with Margaret Boos

By Melissa Souza Issue #174 • November/December, 2018 On our homestead, we eat yogurt, kombucha (fermented tea), sauerkraut, and kimchi to add probiotics to our diet. These beneficial bacteria promote good digestive health, strengthen the immune...

Companion Planting

By Beverly Mettot Issue #81 • May/June, 2003 Companion planting is nothing new, and yet in recent years it has made an extraordinary comeback, not only in fooling those pesky pests who thrive on fruits and...