Category Archives: Uncategorized

I had plans of uploading the video directly so you wouldn’t have to follow a link. Sadly however the device I recorded it with bricked on me and I’m not paying youtube for the privilege of downloading my own video. Anyways, this shows how I prepare cans to start making heat risers for pop canContinue reading “Watch “Heat riser for a solar pop can heater” on YouTube”

I have posted before about my compost piles but I haven’t really said much about composting itself. Personally I compost pretty much any and everything that will break down. Even many of the things that are not reccomend to be composted. For meats and other things they say not to compost, I dig a holeContinue reading “Composting.”

Last Fall the oldest boy picked up a fair amount of acorns. I figured I would try to start them come Spring. Turns out they are not interested in waiting to grow. I’d put one in a soil block the other day. It hadn’t sprouted yet but the shell had split so I figured itContinue reading “Growing oak trees.”

  I’ve been considering a raised bed for some time now. On one hand I really like the idea on the other I have hopes of moving to a larger place and hate the thought of building only to leave it behind.   On the upside, so long as I don’t sell the property IContinue reading “A raised bed for the micro homestead.”

While I am certainly no expert on the subject of building with cordwood, it is something that caught my attention some years ago. I believe I saw an article on the subject in Mother Earth. The above picture is not mine but is free to share as long as credit is given and a linkContinue reading “Cordwood construction”

  One of the simplest things to make yet they are far better than store bought.   Once you make your own you won’t want the prepackaged store bought noodles anymore. However if your like me,you may not always have the time to whip a batch up. Which is really sad because it doesn’t takeContinue reading “Home made noodles.”

  About four years ago, the boys and I played with making adobe bricks. Our soil is adobe and so it only made sense.   I once lived on a farm in Southwest Kansas that had a huge chicken coop that was built with adobe bricks. Knowing some of the history of the farmstead andContinue reading “Adobe brick making”

Something new to me starting last year is fermentation of foods. Things started out great but then kind of fizzled when the heat of Summer kicked in. At least three batches failed before I gave up for the Summer. I read up more and decided it was the heat, I don’t have air conditioning. ThatContinue reading “Fermentation”

My version makes a block just shy of three inches square. I also have some that are original size and they all work well. Still working on the composition of my blocks but feel like I’m closing in on my favorite recipe, I think. There are of course proven recipes that can found online, howeverContinue reading “Soil blocker”