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Category: DIY Projects

A Visit To Our Wood Lot for Locust Posts = $350 in Savings

A Visit To Our Wood Lot for Locust Posts = $350 in Savings

[ 5 ] By: Everett

The Home Depot sells 4″x4″ x 9′ long fence posts for about $25 each. Since we needed 14 of them for the garden fence it would have cost me about $350 had I purchased them instead of cutting them out of the wood lot. Though it doesn’t account for the price of property, I prefer [...]

DIY Portable Greenhouse and Food Dehydrator Combo

DIY Portable Greenhouse and Food Dehydrator Combo

[ 0 ] By: Everett

I inherited a food rack from the barn on a previous property several years ago and have always wanted to turn it into an Appalachian-style food dehydrator. I still plan on making the conversion this summer, but spring use as a portable greenhouse or cold-frame is another option for these restaurant food racks… The trays [...]

It was well worth the effort.

Making a Book Case with Old Apple Crates

[ 3 ] By: Everett

I’ve been working hard on getting the garden going on virgin ground (again), customizing a calf shelter to make a chicken coop, setting up the new house, turning a pig-pen in the front yard into an herb and fruiting shrub garden, cutting up firewood for next year, planting flowers, chestnuts and paw-paws in various locations…  [...]

Oil Lantern Safety Idea

Oil Lantern Safety Idea

[ 2 ] By: Everett

With a two-year old running around you can’t leave oil lanterns sitting out on tables to be knocked over. I’m sure there are dozens of ways to do this, but I settled on using materials I already had on hand: – About 8-10 feet of rope – Two small coat hanger hooks – Two small [...]

Automatic Chicken Feeder Contest

Automatic Chicken Feeder Contest

[ 0 ] By: Guest Bloggers

Mark Hamilton from The Walden Effect blog (my favorite homesteading blog in the world) asked if we would help him run a little contest to see if we can get in some great ideas for automatic chicken feeders. We’re excited to see what people come up with! The details are below… I made a post [...]

How to Can Green Beans

How to Can Green Beans

[ 2 ] By: Missy

This is the first time I’ve canned something by myself from start to finish. It took longer than I thought, but it’ll be well worth it when we are eating green beans all winter! Here is how I canned the green beans… First I put the jars and utensils in the dishwasher on a hi [...]

I forgot my camera so this isn't my actual swarm, but very similar

Catching a Bee Swarm

[ 3 ] By: Tommyfreerange

I belong to an email list for a local beekeeping club and for the past month it has been hot with folks postings leads on swarms – in buildings, on the side roads, in gardens and so on. It’s amazing how quickly beekeepers get on these leads and immediately snatch them up. Just the other [...]

Calculating the Height of a Tree. Click to see full size.

Rewiring Your Brain for Problem Solving

[ 6 ] By: Everett

One thing became abundantly clear when I started getting to know people who grew up in the countryside: They are often extremely talented at problem solving. This is especially true when it comes to solving a problem with little or no money. I am a creative problem solver in many ways (at least that’s what [...]

After being in the oven for a hour.

Guinea Hen for Dinner

[ 9 ] By: Tommyfreerange

I guess I will start this article with a “disclaimer” similar to what Everett did on one of his posts a few months back… Disclaimer: This post contains words, information and pictures on killing and eating a live animal. I make no excuses nor do I feel guilty about my current omnivore diet. I have, [...]

Band Saw

Setting Up and Using a Band Saw, or A.K.A. – Wrestling with a Bandsaw and Finally Winning!

[ 0 ] By: Tommyfreerange

I have a lot of power tools – a lot!  And up to this point in time I have not acquired a tool that I could not figure out how to use within the first 15 minutes.  Welp, it took at 9″ band saw, several hours of my time, and finally resorting to visiting a woodworker [...]