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Tag Archives: homesteading
The Off-Grid Dream – the Realities
Going off-grid is your dream, but how do you proceed? Where do you begin? First you need to come to grips with the realities of going off-grid. We’ve lived the off-grid dream for 41 years beginning in northern Maine at … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living, Uncategorized
Tagged homesteading, off grid, self sufficiency, self-reliance
2 Comments
Fall Garden Care
One would think that with the onset of fall frosts, cooler weather and blustery winds, garden chores would have come to an end. But in reality, the success of next year’s harvest begins now. Fall is the time to replenish … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, Orchard, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
3 Comments
Tomato Propagation for a Winter Harvest
As you can imagine, tomatoes are a staple in our household. We grow a lot of them and process them into many different products. We can tomato quarters, stewed tomatoes, make plain sauce, pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce and tomatoes … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
2 Comments
Freezer Slaw for Winter Salads
For those of us wishing to live as self-sufficiently as possible, homegrown winter salads are a challenge. However, if you have access to a freezer, preserving garden cabbage as freezer slaw helps quell the desire for a crunchy, crisp salad … Continue reading
Posted in Homestead Cooking
Tagged homesteading, Off Grid Cooking, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
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Make the Most of Your Garden’s Bounty
It’s the height of the growing season. The garden is yielding a bounty of fresh produce each day. How can you possibly make use of it all? That’s the dilemma for beginning and experienced gardeners alike. How does one make … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
1 Comment
Thoughts Regarding The Coronavirus
This will be one of those non-negotiable, we won’t budge on our philosophy type posts. Johanna and I are a bit frustrated! We felt it might be of value to some of you to discuss our thoughts regarding the coronavirus … Continue reading
Posted in Homesteading/Prepping
Tagged Coronavirus, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
10 Comments
Quilting, Weaving and Other Worthwhile Homestead Pursuits
We recently received a comment from a reader of our book The Self-Sufficient Backyard: For the Independent Homesteader who asked how I do quilting and weaving on the homestead and whether my fabric and yarn are purchased from elsewhere. This … Continue reading
What Does It Mean to Live Off-Grid?
Bear with us for a minute and this will all make sense in the end. As kids, (only a few short years ago), we were entertained by some great TV. One of the many shows we watched was the dynamic … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living
Tagged homesteading, off grid, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
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A First Step To Self-Reliance – Plant a Garden
You’ve decided to become more self-reliant, but don’t know where to begin. With 40 years of homesteading and self-reliance behind us, we’d suggest you plant a garden as your first step. This is especially important in this new virus era … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
1 Comment
Our New Book – The Self-Sufficient Backyard: For the Independent Homesteader
Johanna and I are thrilled to announce that our new book The Self-Sufficient Backyard: For the Independent Homesteader is available for purchase in both ebook format and/or printed copy. Here is the link to the webpage: https://self-sufficient-backyard.com/my-book/ We are not … Continue reading
Posted in Homesteading/Prepping, Uncategorized
Tagged Gardening, Homestead Building, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
30 Comments
Garden Record Keeping Ensures Success
Garden record keeping is part of ensuring a successful garden. The mundane task may seem trivial, unnecessary, and of no value but the truth is once you get into the habit of recording vital bits of information, you’ll wonder how … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
3 Comments
Mapping Out Your Vegetable Garden
Mapping out your vegetable garden so you have a plan on paper once planting time arrives is a key component to a successful growing season. So is detailed note taking. I have a sketch of every garden I’ve ever planted, … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
5 Comments
Planning Your Vegetable Garden – Part 1
With 40 years of off-grid homesteading under our belts, we can sincerely say that one of the keys to self-reliance is a successful vegetable garden. A well thought out, well planned garden can save time, effort and aggravation come spring … Continue reading
Mulches and Mulching
We’ve used mulches on our gardens from day one. Mulching is a key component to a happy garden in our opinion. There are a number of benefits to mulching. Let’s delve deeper into mulches and mulching. Benefits of Mulching It … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, Orchard, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
9 Comments
Dry Beans – A Homesteader’s Staple
Dry beans, a homesteader’s staple should be in everyone’s larder whether they are a homesteader, prepper, city dweller or rural resident. As long as they are properly stored in a cool, dry location, they keep indefinitely without the need for … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
2 Comments
Almost Killed Our Orchard and Half of Our Potatoes
Living on the ocean is wonderful but fog and dampness are typical throughout the growing season. It’s not unusual to hear water dripping off the roof eave over night from high moisture in the air. And along with that dampness … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, Orchard, self sufficiency, self-reliance
4 Comments
Establishing an Orchard
Establishing an orchard is a big investment not only in money but in time and effort as well. At our new Nova Scotia homestead, getting an orchard underway was a priority last spring and continued this spring. Selecting what varieties … Continue reading
Vertical Grow Tower
It’s good to be back after a long hiatus. The new book manuscript and pictures are in the publisher’s hands and we can now focus on our normal routine. As you know, we’ve been gardening for a long time. Not … Continue reading
Fall 2018 Nova Scotia Off Grid Homestead Building Update
So!… Some might surmise we spent summer swimming, snorkeling; surely somewhat slouched semi-supine sipping sweet seven eleven slurpees by the seashore. Seriously? No way! We have been maxed out since we last wrote. Where do I even begin? Let’s give … Continue reading
Posted in Homestead Building
Tagged Homestead Building, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
12 Comments
The Real Dirt on Garden Soil
Gardens with the vegetables and fruits they provide are an integral part of our self-sufficiency plan. We derive a great deal of satisfaction in providing the majority of our fruits and vegetables. In order to get the best results, we … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
8 Comments
