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Tag Archives: prepping
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
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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
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
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
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
Wiring Our ICF Off-Grid Home
The first thing I have to say is please don’t attempt to do any wiring of any kind unless you understand electricity and the proper way to install electrical boxes and circuits. I don’t want to hear about any shiny … Continue reading
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
Spring 2018 Update On Our Off Grid Homestead
It’s been quite some time since we gave everybody an update on our progress or lack thereof. Let me give you the spring 2018 update on our off grid homestead. We made it through the winter in the tent just … Continue reading
Posted in Homesteading/Prepping
Tagged homesteading, off grid, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
8 Comments
Forest Fires and How We Survived Them – Part 2
Imagine if you will, being outdoors and hearing a chugging sound in the distance and realizing that chugging is not a choo choo train coming. When you run down to the lake’s shoreline, four miles in the distance, you fix … Continue reading
Posted in Homesteading/Prepping
Tagged homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance, wilderness living
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Forest Fires and How We Survived Them – Part 1
You never want to look out your window or step outdoors and see a column of black/gray smoke rising from the nearby forest. That happened several times to us when we lived out in the Saskatchewan wilderness. Those experiences give … Continue reading
Posted in Homesteading/Prepping, Uncategorized
Tagged homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
6 Comments
Christmas Update on Our Nova Scotia Homestead
With the approach of Christmas and Holidays, I figured I’d give everybody a quick update and then resume normal posts after the first of the year. Here’s our Christmas update on our Nova Scotia homestead. We made a valiant effort … Continue reading
Posted in Homestead Building
Tagged Homestead Building, off grid, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
8 Comments
Let’s Talk ICF For Our New Off-Grid Home – Part 1
There are any number of construction materials and methods a person can use to build their new home. The traditional method is stick frame using conventional framing lumber. That’s the method we chose for our last 2 off-grid homes. As … Continue reading
Posted in Homestead Building
Tagged homesteading, off grid, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
8 Comments
Campfire Cooking
Living in a wall tent as a temporary residence presents many challenges, one of which is meal preparation. Yet anyone who thinks camp meals are limited to burgers and hot dogs is in for a surprise. The possibilities are endless, … Continue reading
Posted in Homestead Cooking
Tagged homesteading, off grid, Off Grid Cooking, prepping, self-reliance
2 Comments
Is a foundation really that important?
Is a foundation really that important? The answer to the question is yes! As far as I’m concerned, it’s the most important part of a building to ensure its long term survival. If the foundation crumbles, shifts or isn’t square … Continue reading
Posted in Homestead Building
Tagged homesteading, off grid, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
8 Comments
