The topic of a recent Prepper Zoom Meetup was: “If you had 30 minutes notice to bug out, what would you take?” I said, my Quick Camper Kit as emergency mobile shelter. A few of the attendees wanted to see…
Bug-Out Vehicle: Improvising A Camper
Dismal Hatch & Mailorder
The very same day that the bobcat took our rooster, I started collecting eggs that the hens were laying. A hen can remain fertile many days after a mating, so I figured (hoped) that the eggs they laid that same…
Bobcat Strikes: Rooster Lost
A sad day at the homestead. Our rooster was taken by the bobcat, and in mid-afternoon too! I was in the house when he struck. I had been out in the front of the house, cutting up fallen branches with…
Lime-water Stored Eggs at 10 months: A Taste Test
The second dozen eggs I had stored in lime-water last May was now 10 months old. Time for the second taste test. How did they do? Read on. I tested the first of the two half-gallon jars of stored eggs…
Bringing Home The Bacon: Literally. Processing half a pig
This year, we bought a half a pig as an alternate food sourcing and storage exercise. These would be raised and butchered by ourselves. DIY meat. Here’s the story, from piglet to pork chop. Promoting The Idea Our pastor had…
Preserving Eggs in Lime water, 5 month test
Every spring, the hens lay more eggs than we can comfortably eat. This spring we tried something new (to us), preserving whole eggs in lime water. Today was the first taste test at 5 months. We regularly leave unwashed eggs…
Pine Fries: A Survival Food
If you’ve read my books, or listened to the podcast/audio version, you might be asking, are pine fries really a thing? I didn’t make them up. They are a thing. Actually, some Native American tribes were known for their eating…
Well Hand-Pump Maintenance
A hand pump on your well is an excellent off-grid alternative. Mine is about as simple as they come, but still requires periodic maintenance. This month, I had to replace the bottom seal. I coaxed a few more months of…
Building a Hügelkultur raised bed
For a while now, I’ve wanted to try out some Hügelkutur in my gardening. This Spring provided an opportunity. This post is a step-by-step of my experiment. I’m always looking for where else around the property I might grow things.…