Rugged, self-sufficient, fiercely loyal – despite stereotypes to the contrary, the Appalachian mountaineers were, and are, an admirable people who developed a rich culture…
When my husband and I ditched our rat-race city lives to lead a “simple” life in the country making a living off the land,…
When sitting at the computer I have only to look slightly left to see a substantial part of my rural kingdom. The view is…
I am here to tell you about how homesteading in the United States and the United Kingdom differ; there are many aspects that are…
I subscribe to a number of homesteading blogs. One in particular chronicles the adventures of a single person running a small farm. While I…
In the grand scheme of acquiring, establishing and running your homestead, you will be paying A LOT of people. You’ll be paying the sellers…
The following is a true story. Names have not been changed to protect the innocent. On a picnic one fine day several years ago,…
Modern homesteading is difficult. Rabbits love tender garden sprouts; every wild thing loves a good chicken dinner; and neighbors sometimes spew pesticides and herbicides…
Anyone who succeeds without some measure of failure first is either not trying very hard, or lying about it. Farming, gardening, homesteading, or crofting—all…
There is a common misconception we come across when talking to non-homesteaders about our way of life. A picture of open fields, livestock grazing, and…
For centuries now, owning a home or plot of land has been a linchpin in the mythology of the American Dream. It’s also a…
A Trip to Lehman's Store Jay Lehman had a dream. It was a modest dream. But the dream that started in a tiny community among…
Nobody’s life is without challenges. But homesteaders are among the demographic of people who often find ourselves butting up against the very edges of…
My dad grew up in a big family, eight kids. He was the youngest of the four boys, and he had four sisters. My grandpa…
A croft is a smallholding (a parcel of rural land under 10 acres) that is rented from a landowner. Crofting originated in the Highlands and…
I decided when going back to college that I would major in Fish and Wildlife Biology. Now, understand that my previous endeavors had all been…
In life it doesn't seem to matter what undertaking you do, be it getting married, changing careers, going into business, starting a family, buying a…
As I sit here at the kitchen door, holding Maddie (my African Grey parrot ) on my lap, with Baby Girl (our Boston Terrier) standing,…
We began our homesteading experience from scratch. At that time my husband and I had no friends or close relatives with farming experience. In fact,…
Bravo to those already on their own land, who are old hands at gardening and raising animals and bettering their lives. These are the folks…
