Posts tagged as:

rural life

The Zen of Chopping Wood

by Andy Greene

Swing. Thwak! Swing. Thwak! Swing. Thwak!
Chopping wood is time-honored tradition on many homesteads. You’d think there would be more complaining about the intense work involved. But if you ask seasoned wood choppers, most will shrug, and smile a little as they admit, “I like to chop wood.”
Take a few [...]

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Beating Boredom with Toys Made from Junk

by Andy Greene

“I’m bored!”
Kids on the homestead are less likely than most to voice this familiar complaint, because there’s usually plenty for them to do. But every once in a while it happens. When it does, it’s nice to have some projects up your sleeve.
Here are some fun toys you can make with the stuff [...]

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Sledding – Not Just for Kids Anymore

by Anne

Wheeeee!
Remember sledding when you were a kid? That hill back of the school, or behind the barn, or at the end of your street? The long trudge up and the thrilling reward when you finally reached the top and pushed off, speeding down that hill so fast the wind whipped tears from [...]

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Home Made Wreaths From Your Homestead

by Andy Greene

Looking for a special, budget-busting way to introduce a little holiday cheer?  Try making your own holiday wreaths!
Nearly every homestead has abundant raw material to create striking and unique holiday decorations. Of course the old standbys of evergreen boughs and grapevine spring to mind, but if those are scare at your place don’t despair.  Just [...]

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Preparing Root Vegetables for Winter Storage

by Andy Greene

When it comes to winter food storage without using up lots of electricity or other fuel, root vegetables are king.   After all, their whole purpose is to last until spring!  Storing your root vegetables doesn’t have to be complicated.  Just keep these few rules in mind·

Keep them some place cool, but don’t let them freeze.  [...]

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Pressing Apples for Cider – a Blast from the Past

by Anne

A small crowd gathered around the cider press back of the local food co-op.  Batch by batch, volunteers took turns loading plump red and gold apples into the hopper and grinding the fruit into an aromatic pulp, called mast.  Under the intent gaze of watching children, they loaded the mast into a lined wooden tub [...]

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Australian Rednecks are Greener than U.S. Rednecks

by Andy Greene

A recent article from AAP published in stuff.co.nz reported that Australian farmers are becoming greener.  This appears to be happening at a rate much faster than in the U.S.  The article cites that idea that farmers who live closer to the land and depend on the weather are naturally more concerned with issues such as [...]

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