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Tag Archives: self-reliance
Ten Non-electric Small Appliances for the Off-Grid Homestead Kitchen
For the off-grid homestead kitchen with limited power options, there are non-electric versions of various small appliances available to make kitchen duties easier. If, like us, you are solar powered with ample power, the following non-electric utensils are still invaluable. … Continue reading
Posted in Homestead Cooking
Tagged homesteading, Off Grid Cooking, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
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Home Grown Rhubarb Juice for More Self-Reliance
While home grown orange juice is out of the question for us self-reliant homesteaders in most of North America, home grown rhubarb juice isn’t. In our book, The Self-Sufficient Backyard: For the Independent Homesteader, we write about rhubarb and rhubarb … Continue reading
Posted in Homestead Cooking
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, Off Grid Cooking, self sufficiency, self-reliance
6 Comments
Plant Belgian Endive Now for January Salad Greens
For those of us seeking independence from the supermarket, winter salad greens are a challenge. But there’s a little known vegetable that fills the void – Belgian endive otherwise known as Witloof chicory. So plant Belgian endive now for January … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, Off Grid Cooking, self sufficiency, self-reliance
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The Homestead Herb Garden
Our previous two homesteads wouldn’t have been complete without the homestead herb garden and neither would our new homestead here in Nova Scotia. Because herbs don’t require much space, they make good candidates for containers and can even be grown … Continue reading
Rhubarb for the Self-Reliant Garden
Rhubarb, sometimes referred to as pie plant, has a place in every self-reliant garden especially for us northern gardeners. This hardy perennial is a boon for any of us in cold climates as it’s one of the first things to … Continue reading
Time to Get the Garden Started
With winter-like weather still in the forecast, garden season seems so far away. But it’s actually time to get the garden started unless you plan to buy seedlings from a nursery center. Seeds for vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, celery, … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening
Tagged Gardening, homesteading, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
2 Comments
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
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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
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
