Grit

Rebecca Martin’s “Little Shop of Disorder” editorial (July/August 2019) inspired me to write about my dad’s workshop, a repurposed chicken house where chrome-plated Craftsman tools hung on the walls. Poultry netting covered the window, and clumped to

Three plants that appear around the holidays to add cheer to any room are the poinsettia, Christmas cactus, and amaryllis. Poinsettias can flourish for up to 8 weeks in your home. To rejuvenate for next year’s holiday season, move the plant outdoors

Of the more than 1 million firefighters serving the United States, 65 percent are volunteers, and nearly 95 percent of those volunteers protect rural communities with fewer than 25,000 people. Volunteer firefighters, as the name implies, are unpaid,

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard someone say wild hog tastes terrible, I’d be rolling in nickels. Truth is, with a little preparation, wild hog, or wild boar, as many refer to it, makes a flavorful addition to virtually any recipe calling

Of all the breeds we work with at The Livestock Conservancy (TLC), the Meishan is among the oldest and most unique. Dating back thousands of years in central China, they were a classic “village pig,” treasured in the countryside of the Taihu Lake reg

What began as a hunt for oyster mushrooms turned into a much bigger adventure when my wife, Elaine, and I spent a chilly day outdoors with Jim Crumley, a wild food enthusiast, in a winter forest in Botetourt County, Virginia. Our objective was to gat

Espalier is a strange topic. Either you’ve never heard of it, you’re too intimidated to try your hand at it, or you’re obsessed with it. There isn’t much gray area on the subject. Those of you in the first category may be wondering: What is an espali

It was well before sunrise on opening day of the 2019 Kansas spring firearm turkey season. I didn’t bust any turkeys from their roosts as I snuck into the timber and settled into a brush blind near a large oak tree. As the eastern sky began to lighte

For two tripods, you need 6 straight branches or saplings (1 to 2 inches in diameter and about 40 inches long) and 2 sets of natural fiber cord (10 feet long). Tripod lashings begin and end with a clove hitch on each outside pole, and consist of 6 wr

As homesteaders, we have a never-ending list of chores. There’s food to harvest, wood to cut, and buildings to repair, and that’s just the beginning. Faced with this endless list, we sometimes forget about the dangers we face every day. How many time

Once you have your winter layers settled, follow these tips to reduce stress from the cold, which can have a negative impact on winter production: ▪Ensure coops have plenty of thick, deep bedding across the entire floor to trap in the heat from the h

Generally, a small engine is defined as a gas- or diesel-powered engine of 25 horsepower or less. There are two basic types: two-stroke and four-stroke engines. Two-stroke engines are usually found on handheld equipment, such as chainsaws and string

For most of us who live on farms or homesteads, the chainsaw is the modern equivalent of the pioneer’s broadax: a multiuse, indispensable tool. Probably the most vital part of chainsaw maintenance is keeping the chain sharp. However, the overall perf

Most livestock are only productive during specific cycles. In general, goats and cows produce milk only after birthing, hogs are suitable for processing only after months of growth, and sheep are relieved of their wool only once a year. Laying hens a

HEATMASTER SS I The Heatmaster SS G200 is widely recognized as the flagship outdoor furnace of the industry. With world-class engineering and thorough field testing, the G200 is the first furnace to combine ultra-high efficiency with ease of use, whi

When my husband and I began teaching homesteading skills at our school, Koviashuvik Local Living School, we knew that locally grown meat would be on the menu. Being excited about all things DIY, we planned to raise the animals ourselves. We wanted cr

Gardeners love the CobraHead Weeder & Cultivator! This tool does it all: weed, cultivate, scalp, edge, dig, furrow, plant, and harvest with ease. It features a comfortable and efficient handle and a sharp blade that cuts through tough soils. The Wisc