Doug Smith

Home Winterization Anyone Can Tackle

There's something romantic or heartwarming about seeing a home in a clearing in the woods or down a lane with…

5 months ago

Homestead Gift-giving Guide: The Best Gifts for Homesteaders

I remember at least one of my Christmas gifts from 1970.  I was five years old, and my dad and…

5 months ago

Homestead Woodlot Management

You might suspect that when you say farewell to the bright lights of the big city, pack the belongings, and…

6 months ago

Heating with Wood on the Homestead

I wake early on a Saturday morning to a chill in the air, the thermostat on the wall showing a…

6 months ago

Preparing the Homestead for Winter, Part One: The Buildings

Winter is a lot like death and taxes… it’s one of the few constants in life.  Here on our property in…

7 months ago

Go Nuts! Squirrel Away These Savory Snacks

Just like the squirrels I watch as I jog near my rural Missouri home each morning, every fall I get…

8 months ago

Mystical Morels

Different portions of society consider differing seasons as the "busy time".  For retailers, it might be the Christmas season.  For…

12 months ago

Attract Wildlife to Your Property

Living in the country means you have to deal with fewer people.  Country neighbors are few but often become like family.…

1 year ago

Spring Turkeys

Whether you’re a follower of the “Good Book” or not, the time-honored classic contains a lot of good advice for…

1 year ago

A Better Cabin, Quicker and Cheaper – Part 1

Our Portable Building Cabin Adventure Begins Dick Proenneke is a name familiar to many who have made the decision to…

2 years ago

Friend, Anybody Can Weld

Some of my earliest memories were of gluing paper together to make something in kindergarten. My materials then were pieces…

2 years ago

Green Burial: The Frugal Funeral for an Ecological Eternity

We spend our lives trying to get back to our Earthly roots, living simpler and off the land, recycling when…

2 years ago