greenrednecks

Are you one of the masses of people who don’t reduce reuse and recycle because figuring it all out is just too discouraging. Which bin is for what? How do you know what’s recyclable and what’s not? Does your city or town have a recycling program? Click here to search for recycling centers .  If your locality has a center you can slso look for their website or call them up (they’ll be in your phone book’s blue section, the government pages). Ask them to send you information on recycling in... Read Full Story

You know the old saying – “You can take the girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the girl.” If you’re a country girl (or boy) at heart but find yourself doing time in the city, don’t despair. There are plenty of things you can do to make yourself feel more at home. One of my favorite urban homesteading activities is windowsill gardening. If you have a sunny window (south is great but east or west light will work fine, too) you, too can have at least a taste of... Read Full Story

Are you interested in adding solar energy to your home? You can spend thousands of dollars on solar panels, thin film, inverters, batteries, water heaters, etc. But solar doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re building a new home, or remodeling an existing one, you needn’t spend a great deal of extra money to take advantage of the power of the sun. Incorporating the principles of passive solar design will make your home easier to heat and cool, and keep you more in touch with the natural... Read Full Story

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 minutes to watch one of these masters at work. There’s a ritual involved that’s as inspiring in its way as watching a martial artist bow onto the mat and perform his routine. He selects a... Read Full Story

In cities we spend huge amounts of human and fossil energy raking, blowing and carting them off – not to mention the thousands of plastic bags used to hold them. In the country we tend to simply let them fall and ignore them. But the millions of leaves that fall from our broadleaf trees each year represent a bounteous harvest far too few people ever realize.  How about you? Dead Leaves for Feed and Bedding Do you have sheep, goats or small animals?  Do you pay good money for hay and... Read Full Story

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“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 you probably already have lying around. Depending on the ages of your children, you can either make these toys yourself, or with your kids – or put an older one in charge of making them for the younger... Read Full Story

What do you do with your favorite clothes when they get too ratty to pass down? You know the ones – the sweatshirt with the dingy cuffs, the shirt with the ketchup stain on the front, the jeans with gaping holes where the knees used to be. Sure, you can turn them into rags. But how many rags can you use in a year? And besides, a lot of that fabric is still perfectly good. It seems a shame to throw it away. Women have been solving the very problem you face by turning old clothes and quilts... Read Full Story

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 your eyes? Where’s that old sled now? Gathering cobwebs in your shed? Well, if you live where there’s snow it’s time to dust it off and polish up the runners. Because I have good news for you. Sledding isn’t just... Read Full Story

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 minutes to watch one of these masters at work. There’s a ritual involved that’s as inspiring in its way as watching a martial artist bow onto the mat and perform his routine. He selects a... Read Full Story