De-Cluttering for DIYers, Homesteaders, Artists, Preppers, etc.

...own tool set. Canning equipment. Baking supplies. Brewing equipment. Soap making bowls and molds. Woodshop tools. Gardening supplies. Sewing and knitting stuff. All this stuff is wonderful, but it takes up space. There’s no getting around that basic fact, but we can be more disciplined about keeping those supplies trim and tidy. Speaking from experience, I know I don’t need a hundred canning jars on hand at all time, much less their dented and ru...

Read…

Saturday Tweets: Trade Your House For an Entire Medieval Italian Village

...Simple (@rootsimple) April 6, 2015 Six ways local officials can encourage urban farming: http://t.co/ysRVP84REp — Root Simple (@rootsimple) April 11, 2015 Cover Crops Have Got It Covered Part IV: Planting and Managing Cover Crops in Vegetable Gardens http://t.co/a1nF2Xg3SD #aaatopblogs #feedly — Root Simple (@rootsimple) April 11, 2015 Bicycle Powered Chili Roaster http://t.co/c2wgqEeOTs via @Natural Building Blog — Root Simple (@rootsimple) Apri...

Read…

My Apologies to the Skunk Community

...ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCQBA58VoGQ For years I’ve blamed the nightly vegetable carnage that takes place in our raised beds on skunks. The other night, our CritterCam (a Wingscapes BirdCam Pro ), revealed the culprit: raccoons. And they work in trios! No wonder it’s been so difficult to secure the beds! Given the strength and agility of Racoons, I’m surprised that bird netting has worked at all (though, I’ll note, only when that netting is fi...

Read…

Backwoods Home Magazine

...is rural off-grid living, every issue has something to offer for the urban homesteader. The current January/February issue features a detailed article on how city dwellers can maximize their vegetable production in small spaces. Even the article on running a cattle ranch has the side benefit of letting us all know where our food comes from, and the challenges of running a family farm, “Jessica Troxel has donned a plastic sleeve, greased it with mi...

Read…

Italian Dandelion Redux

...an army of aphids, the Italian Dandelion seems immune to both pest and disease. And, nearby, volunteer mallow hints at a spring of easy foraging. Horace was on to something. And to all who responded to my call for urban homesteaders: I’m overwhelmed by the response (and the emails!). You are all an incredible inspiration and, like my botanical friend Cichorium intybus, a sign of abundance in the midst of adversity....

Read…