-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
- Ron & Johanna Melchiore on A Homestead Staple – Potatoes
- Connie Holub on A Homestead Staple – Potatoes
- Ron & Johanna Melchiore on Wood Cookstoves – Tips and Tricks
- Carolyn Perkons on Wood Cookstoves – Tips and Tricks
- Wood Cookstoves - Tips and Tricks - Off Grid and Free: My Path to the WildernessOff Grid and Free: My Path to the Wilderness on Homestead Hot Water – A Thermosiphon Loop
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Please Give Me A Vote. Thanks!
Tag Archives: self sufficiency
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
Leave a comment
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
Leave a 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
8 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
Drainage Tile and Foundation Membrane
One item I haven’t written about is waterproofing our foundation walls and preventing water problems in the basement. As a kid growing up, we lived in a house with a basement that became a shallow pond at one end during … Continue reading
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
Leave a comment
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
ICF Floor System
Floor systems is the topic of today’s post. It’s actually more complicated than it would appear. In a standard stick frame home, floor joists are laid down on a knee wall or a wall top plate, sheathing is put down … Continue reading
Posted in Homestead Building
Tagged Homestead Building, off grid, self sufficiency, self-reliance
9 Comments
Order Now For Spring Planting
Building a new homestead from scratch means establishing new gardens. Not just a vegetable garden but an herb garden as well as an orchard. Now is the time of the year to get seed and nursery stock on order whether … Continue reading
