From soil and seeds to livestock, preservation, and off-grid power.
By the Homestead Team Fresh milk from your own animals is one of the most rewarding products a homestead can provide, and it opens the door to butter, cheese, yogurt, and more. But dairy animals ask something of you that most livestock do not: an unwavering daily commitment, because a milking animal must be milked … Read more
By the Homestead Team Rabbits are one of the most efficient and practical sources of homegrown meat available to a small homestead, converting feed into lean protein faster and in less space than almost any other livestock. Quiet, compact, and prolific, they let even a modest property produce a steady supply of meat, along with … Read more
By the Homestead Team Chickens are among the most rewarding animals a homestead can keep, but their health, productivity, and safety depend heavily on one thing: a well-designed coop. The coop is the chickens’ home, shelter, and refuge from predators, and getting it right is the foundation of successful chicken keeping. A good coop keeps … Read more
By the Homestead Team Growing food without soil sounds futuristic, but hydroponics and aquaponics are proven, powerful methods that let a homestead produce fresh vegetables and, in the case of aquaponics, fish, year-round and in remarkably little space. These soilless growing systems offer real advantages in productivity, water efficiency, and control, and they can grow … Read more
By the Homestead Team Adding animals to a homestead is a major step toward self-reliance, providing food, materials, and a renewable source of protein that a garden alone cannot match. But not all livestock suit a beginner or a small property, and choosing the right animals to start with makes the difference between a rewarding … Read more
By the Homestead Team The most common reason a home garden disappoints is not poor soil or lack of effort; it is growing the wrong plants for the place. A crop that thrives in one climate will struggle or fail in another, and no amount of care can make a plant flourish where the conditions … Read more
By the Home Security Team When people think about defending their home, they tend to jump straight to the dramatic scenario of a confrontation. But real home security is overwhelmingly about the layers that come before that, the deterrents and barriers that stop an intruder from ever getting in, or convince them to choose an … Read more
By the Home Security Team Home security is not a single product you buy or a single action you take; it is a system of layers working together, each one making your home a harder, less appealing target. Security professionals think in terms of a chain of functions, deter, detect, delay, and respond, and a … Read more
By the Field Skills Team Time spent in the backcountry occasionally brings encounters that require knowing how to respond, whether with wildlife or, more rarely, with other people in remote places. The good news is that dangerous encounters in the wild are uncommon, and the overwhelming majority are avoided or safely resolved through knowledge and … Read more
By the Field Skills Team The best first aid kit is the one you have with you, but sooner or later someone gets hurt when the kit is back at camp, in the other vehicle, or long since used up. Knowing how to improvise care from what your surroundings provide is the skill that fills … Read more
By the Gear Team A reliable way to cook and boil water is a fundamental survival and preparedness capability, and the range of stove technologies available today means there is a good option for nearly every situation. From tiny backpacking burners to wood-burning stoves that run on twigs, each type has its strengths, its ideal … Read more
By the Homestead Team When the grid goes down or you are living off it, cooking becomes a genuine challenge, and how efficiently you cook determines how long your fuel lasts. A prepper who can cook a meal on a handful of twigs, or finish it with no fuel at all, stretches limited resources far … Read more
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