We've had a few seasons of raising pastured pork and are starting to understand the pros and cons. We aim to share them here for those who really want to understand some of the potential blessings and hardships associated with raising pastured pork. We love Joel Salatin. It was largely his videos on pigs raised … Continue reading Pastured Pork Pros and Cons
Author: Sven Masterson
Simple solar power for outbuilding lights and pumping water
In this post, we'll show you the simple steps we took to setup our goat barn with solar-powered lighting and running water. Note: Though titled as 'simple', some will no doubt find this complex. Understandable, however, nothing beyond grade-school math or a calculator is necessary for figuring this out. Take your time and try to … Continue reading Simple solar power for outbuilding lights and pumping water
Homestead Tech: Drones
The multiple ways in which drones can be used for the small homestead. We typically like to keep things pretty low-tech. We don't have an aversion to technology, we just want to do things by means which are easily repeatable by anyone. Nevertheless, there are a few modern technologies that can be really helpful at … Continue reading Homestead Tech: Drones
Ten essential gear items for homesteading
Homesteading is gear/tool intensive. Below are some items we feel are indispensable to our homesteading operation. These are in no particular order, except the first. 1. Tractor It was a couple years into homesteading before we were able to get a tractor. Now, we can't imagine homesteading without one. A tractor saves our bacon on … Continue reading Ten essential gear items for homesteading
Reconsider your food budget
We don't budget for food. Gasp! We are of the belief that "we are (quite literally), what we eat". Why then would we want to be frugal or even worse - stingy - with what we place into our bodies? We are all about wisely using the resources we have available to us. However, we … Continue reading Reconsider your food budget
Homestead uses for Thermacore panels
Thermacore panels are the technical/trade name for insulated garage door panels. They have many valuable uses on a homestead or farm. At $.70/sqft (in our area), they are among the least expensive options for most cases where they can be used. Thermacore panels are painted steel panels filled with about 1 - 1.5" of solid … Continue reading Homestead uses for Thermacore panels
Inexpensive plant edging
We were growing tired of trying to keep the grass encroaching on our blueberries, so we decided we needed to surround them with some sort of barrier. Unfortunately, most of the barriers sold at big box stores were over-priced and not the most fun to install. In our neck of the woods, barrels like the … Continue reading Inexpensive plant edging
Potential pitfalls of hyper-frugality
Frugality often seems to go hand-in-hand with the homesteading crowd. People naturally inclined to do things for themselves that others rely upon others to do results in such, or maybe it's the other way around? Frugality is great... but can one get carried away with it? This is what I would call "hyper-frugality" - being frugal to … Continue reading Potential pitfalls of hyper-frugality
Ten Reflections of a seasoned chicken wrangler
We've been keeping chickens for nearly a decade (9 years actually) - certainly a lot less than some, but enough to be 'seasoned' in the same sense that a cast iron skillet could be considered so after as much time. We've had a lot of failures and frustrations along the way, but enough enjoyment, fresh eggs, … Continue reading Ten Reflections of a seasoned chicken wrangler
A simple, strong materials rack for the workshop
I like to keep my materials up and outta the way, mostly because I am a procrastinator and don't get to things right away (I've been thinking about changing, but.... I haven't gotten to it yet). I wanted something simple and durable. So I just picked up a few 3/4" pipe flanges, a few sections … Continue reading A simple, strong materials rack for the workshop
