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How to Optimize Your Food Storage
Following all the turmoil in the world, it’s no surprise you might be making plans to optimize your food storage for emergencies and worse. A recent United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report stated natural disasters now occur three times more often than in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, there’s now a broader…
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Freeze-Dried Apple Chunks
As one might expect, I’m already behind on posting my weekly freeze-drying posts. That’s partly my fault (because I got started way too late this week) but I’ll attempt to blame the freeze dryer soon. I decided to buy some apples at the store because our orchard is still too young, and our vegetable garden…
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Small Rainwater Catch, Does It Work?
Last Friday, my son began to ask me about our water preparedness plan. I was honest; it’s not great. I told him we had eight 55-gallon drums that had clean water we could drink, and six IBC totes collecting rooftop rainwater that would certainly need filtered and then boiled before I would feel comfortable consuming…
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How to Handle Plumbing While Living Off the Grid
We take plenty of things for granted in our homes that might be a bit more difficult to manage if you decide to go completely off the grid. Sure, you can install solar panels for electricity and dig a well to ensure you have water, but how do you get that water to your home?…
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Freeze-Dried Bananas
Although I intend on freeze-drying eggs again ASAP, I bought a bunch of bananas for something to freeze-dry in the meantime. I believe I purchased a total of about sixteen pounds of bananas since I really didn’t have any idea of how many I would need. I tried to ensure they weren’t too ripe: I…
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I Bought a Large Freeze Dryer
A few months ago, I finally convinced myself to purchase a large Harvest Right freeze dryer. At about $4,000, that’s a big investment for me! But I had to wait to use it because I needed an electrician to come out and check things out. Basically, the large freeze dryer needs a dedicated 20-amp circuit,…
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40 Clever Ways to Earn Money From Your Homestead
Living on an old-fashioned homestead eliminates many employment opportunities by design. The environment forces you to carve out a living for yourself however you can. Although you primarily live off the land, you still need some money to expand and improve your home. There are many clever ways to earn money in the country and…
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7 Steps to Control Garden Pests on Your Homestead
You’ve spent months planning your garden — preparing the ground, ordering heirloom seeds and carefully coddling your seedlings. Transplanting went well and you were anticipating a huge harvest. Unfortunately, the aphids, moths and deer found your garden first. In an SHTF scenario, you have enough to worry about. The last thing you need is for…
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DIY Ceramic Pot Water Filter
I continue to believe that we’re heading for a big problem here in America, and likely the world. Precious resources, like water, will become more expensive and scarce, so I’m always on the lookout for ways to do things on my own. While I have an assortment of water filters, like the gravity-fed Berkey, Sawyer…