Grit

■ This quote by Tatanka Iyotake has always resonated with me. Not only because he was a great leader in my culture, but also because it rings so true. People needn’t waste time trying to be something they’re not. What’s the point? Each life is differ

In a drawer of my dresser sits a drawstring cloth bag containing various odd buttons. It’s the same bag that hung in the closet of my grandmother’s sewing room in 1941, when I was 4 years old. When she made a dress or shirt, she’d place the extra but

Gardening never stops at my house. When the temperatures drop, the ground freezes, and the winds outside begin to howl, I plant my salad garden under the grow lights in my basement winter garden area. I harvest salad greens all winter, and when it’s

■ Harvesting hay has been the lifeblood of farmers for centuries, which is why it’s become one of the most iconic farm chores, right next to milking the cows or collecting eggs. Modern-day technology has undoubtedly made baling hay less of a romantic

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The snowflakes fall sideways, shoot upward, and jet down. The wind curls around windows and doors, bringing a chill into every building. Getting to the livestock means wading through waist-high drifts, hauling water to refill buckets that have frozen

Water and electricity don’t mix, except in the case of electrolysis. People who collect and restore old cast-iron cookware use electrolysis tanks (E-tanks) to remove rust and even seasoning. Creating and using a homemade E-tank is relatively safe if

Tanning animal hides has been a long-standing practice in human history. But it’s no longer as common to learn and practice this skill. These days, you’ll most often find tanned hides as specialties sold through online marketplaces and in-person craf

Like many candies, butter mints seemed to be one of those mystical treats sold only in cellophane packaging. Then, I visited my dad in Salmon, Idaho. For several years, an Amish market had operated at the edge of town, and it had become so popular am

When you think of home-scale forest management, you might imagine using a chainsaw to gather your own firewood and lumber, or perhaps creating a process to monitor for and clear out invasives and diseased trees. Yet, managing a backyard woodlot can a

Sarah Green, of Kracken Crossings Farm, started raising Miniature Zebu cattle in 2020 on her small homestead just north of Tampa, Florida. Currently, she has a herd of six cows and one bull but is expecting two more calves soon. The critically endang

While I love the idea of putting a cooked-from-scratch meal on our table every day, I’m too familiar with seasonal busyness to think that’s always possible. Fellow homesteaders will understand why meals in a jar are such a win-win dinner solution. Yo

Rodents are everywhere—even if you don’t see any sign of them. If we put out livestock or pet food and water, feed the wildlife, or even keep a compost pile, we’re installing neon signs to welcome rats and mice onto our homesteads. The good news is t