Hey friend, We’re not quite into fall yet, but apple season doesn’t really care what the calendar says. And once the apples start coming in, they have a habit of coming in all at once. If you’ve got a tree producing, you’re heading to an orchard, or you simply spotted a good grocery store deal, today I’ve got three ways to put those apples to work. 10 Ways to Store Apples If you want fresh apples to last longer than a week or two, a little sorting and planning makes a big difference. Read...
about 8 hours ago • 1 min read
Free meat. Every box. For a YEAR. Hey friend, Late August always felt like two seasons at once. The garden was still producing, but the mornings and evenings were starting to hint at what would come next And that was usually when I started looking beyond the current harvest and thinking about the jobs I’d rather not scramble to finish later. Firewood. Repairs. Fuel. Animal shelters. Garden cleanup. Getting equipment ready for colder weather. It's too easy to get overwhelmed. A few years ago,...
2 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friend, Have you ever found yourself busy with summer projects like house renovations, chicken coop and animal pen chores, or even time away? If so, you may have been surprised at what a little neglect can do to your vegetable garden. A few days is plenty of time for cucumbers to get bigger, beans to multiply and perfectly manageable vegetables to turn into a counter full of work. So if your garden is doing the same thing right now, today’s reads are all about putting some of that food...
4 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friend, One thing I wish more people understood about homesteading is that you don’t have to wait until you own the homestead to start. You can learn how to preserve food in an apartment kitchen. You can grow something on a balcony. You can learn to cook without relying on another electric appliance. And you can start figuring out which skills matter to your family long before you ever sign papers on a piece of land. In fact, learning some of those skills ahead of time makes the eventual...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friend, August is one of those months when the garden can steal all your attention. You’re picking, preserving, watering, weeding and already thinking about what needs to happen before fall. Meanwhile, the chickens are still out there expecting room service. So today’s reads are three simple chicken projects worth keeping handy. Nothing complicated. Just practical ways to keep the flock comfortable, make better use of your feed, and do a little more yourself. How to Make a Chicken Dust...
9 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friend, By this time of the summer, a garden can go from "nothing’s ready yet" to "where did all these vegetables come from?" in the blink of an eye. And once you start picking, there’s another question. What are you going to do with all of it? A little planning now can mean less waste, fewer frantic preserving days, and even fewer seeds to buy next spring. Today I’ve got three practical reads for dealing with what’s coming out of the garden right now. 5 Vegetable Garden Harvesting...
11 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friend, There’s a big difference between giving kids chores and teaching them how to take responsibility for useful work. Feeding animals. Helping in the garden. Learning how to use tools safely. Cooking. Cleaning up. Figuring out what to do when something doesn’t go according to plan. Those everyday jobs can teach kids an awful lot. That’s why I wanted to let you know about a new free online training happening this Wednesday, August 12. It’s called Raising Successful Kids on the...
13 days ago • 1 min read
An Off Grid Life Thursday reads Hey friend, Deer (and rabbits, actually) can turn your gardening hard work into a buffet if you’re not careful. Use these ideas to keep them out. And get started on growing something new from garden scraps. Then try this recipe for peanut butter bread. It’s a great addition to a school lunchbox or as a healthy after-school snack. But first... 🏡 Free training for homestead families If you’re raising kids while learning homesteading skills, this looks worth...
14 days ago • 1 min read
An Off Grid Life Thursday reads August can feel like a blur, especially as I get older. Each year just flies by. I can't believe that our youngest is now a teenager. She was born shortly after I moved up to our Northwest Territories off grid home, where we lived full-time for many years. What about you? I bet you’re balancing harvest, planning next year’s beds, and grabbing family moments before the kids head back to school, or to homeschool. If you have it, now's the time to discover new...
16 days ago • 1 min read
An Off Grid Life Weekend Reads As my kids get older and now that our homeschooling journey has ended, I have learned so much about how children learn. And one of the biggest lessons was this. When worksheets feel stale, step outside and let nature be the teacher. Read about how we homeschooled through our previous summers and grab a bath salts tutorial easy enough for kids to make. You know, I think the girls were eight and five when we first started making this. Then head indoors to whip up...
18 days ago • 1 min read