Homesteading
This is the place to post about self sufficiency or just about anything having to do with lifestyle, like Gardening, Farming, Beekeeping, Canning, Husbandry, Hunting, Fishing, Crafts, Hobbies, Alternative Energy, Wood Working, Off Grid Living.
45 topics in this forum
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I love the country but was brought up a city boy, so hunting has never really been on my radar. My meat comes cold packed from a supermarket. Never had Caribou ( have flown in one, but that is an entirely different subject!), but I do enjoy a bit of Bambi when I come across it. I never understood the idea of trophy hunting or sport hunting..... For food, absolutely ( even though I have never done it), but killing for fun or for bragging rights??????? Makes no sense to me. If you want hunt for sport use a camera or find range with targets. Oh yeah - it makes sense to me if it is me or the bear....... But the real point is getting …
Last reply by heartstrings, -
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- 52 replies
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This isn't hunting but is a "hobby" of sorts. I know it's a sensitive topic for some so, if it is offensive, it can be deleted at the admins discretion. This is the home defense shotgun my Wife and kids gave me for Christmas last year.. It has a "saddle" with picatinny rails for mounting a sight, which in this case is a holographic dot unit. It also sports an M4/military-style six position adjustable stock and an 8-round capacity magazine. The only problem I have with it is that it is a little heavy for me as I have a lot of pain in my shoulders. But on the plus side, it doesn't recoil too bad in spite of being 12-gauge. ...and yes, those are my feet. :)
Last reply by 1611mac, -
Woodworking 1 2 3
by heartstrings- 1 follower
- 42 replies
- 5.2k views
I started woodworking in 9th or 10th grade then ramped it up quite a bit after I was married and began to acquire more tools.. I made this rocking horse for our daughter, who was two at the time, and used my Dad's old meatcutting bandsaw to cut it out. There was a ton of rasping and sanding with hand tools to do afterwards but it was finally finished. I built several and sold them after that. Fast-forward about 25 years and I've made one for each of the three grandchildren. One more grandchild is on the way and, Lord willing, he will get one too. I now use my CNC to cut them out, which saves a lot of time. This is the first horse, sitting on the CNC, after I refinished it…
Last reply by heartstrings, -
- 2 followers
- 50 replies
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Hello members and admins, Would anyone be in support of there being a gardening section in the General Forums section? Perhaps between "Kitchen" and "Book & Movie Reviews." There could be sub sections for flowers, fruits & veggies and other things. The reason that I ask is that, among other things, I would like to learn how to garden proficiently and then start a fruit & vegetable garden at church and even set something up to teach others how to grow their own food as cheaply and efficiently as possible. Give a man a tomato and he eats for a day. Teach a man how to grow tomatoes and he eats for a lifetime. I am certain that there are members…
Last reply by Jim_Alaska, -
Gardens 1 2
by Jim_Alaska- 1 follower
- 28 replies
- 3.2k views
Ok you folks. I know that some of you are getting your gardens started, but I see no posts about what you are doing or planning this year. I am pretty sure that the southern zones are frost free by now. Remember that this new forum was put up specifically for subjects of this nature and we need to liven it up. I can't post anything about gardens because I have a "brown thumb". But some of you may have, or may benefit from what others are doing. It seems like there are always tips and tricks that others do that can helps someone out.
Last reply by Salyan, -
Homestead 1 2
by homesteadme-
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What is homesteading, and why does it matter today?
Last reply by Martyr_4_FutureJoy, -
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We have two of these. They were fairly young and much smaller when we bought the place over 30 years ago. I was putting out hay yesterday on the 'back 40' and decided to take a couple photos of this one.
Last reply by Jim_Alaska, -
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Beekeeping
by AdamL- 13 replies
- 1.8k views
Does anyone keep bees? I have never done it and looking for some advice. I have done some research on langstroth hives. What things are needed to get started? How do you know if the hive is doing well or sick? How often and how much honey is harvested and how do you make sure you don't take too much? Anyone that has any experience I would be all ears. Thanks!
Last reply by AdamL, -
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I would so like to build this, and it is a steal. Free shipping, no FFL needed.....but I already have one and would need a very good excuse........ Good excuse suggestions welcome....... :) https://www.deltateamtactical.com/AR-15-Complete-Deluxe-16-Rifle-Kit-with-80-Lower-Bolt-Carrier-Group-Comes-With-Everything_p_6260.html
Last reply by heartstrings, -
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air rifles
by Orval- 2 followers
- 6 replies
- 1.6k views
Squirrels are killing my flowers this year and really frustrating me. I have had a few problems over the years but with my neighbor passing away a couple of years ago (he would trap them) the squirrels are breeding to fast and are really digging up my flowers this year. I borrowed a Ruger Blackhawk Elite .177 Pellet Air Rifle with Scope and have not zeroed it in. I am wondering if it is powerful enough to kill a squirrel. I am on the very edge of town and cannot use my 22 rifle but the squirrels need to move or end up in my frying pan. the fps is around 1000 - 1200 which should be enough to kill at 25 yrds. your thoughts?
Last reply by heartstrings, -
- 1 follower
- 6 replies
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Been itching to try this out for awhile now, and finally broke down and ordered one. The real fun will be in assembling it piece by piece and hopefully I can get my grandson involved. We'll see. http://www.ebay.com/itm/P802MA-Large-Size-Precision-home-DIY-i3-3D-Printer-Self-assembl-Card-material/192039421176?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Last reply by heartstrings, -
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So I'm excited! I'm moving to a new rental in a couple of weeks (a trailer - so my own walls! No more apartment neighbors, yay!) with a bit more storage space. Yesterday on Kijiji a shelf reliance can rotation storage system came up for sale. I'll be picking it up tomorrow night, Lord willing. I've been wanting to try can rotation for a while - it'll be neat to have the space for a proper system. Anyone else do the whole food storage bit? It's a little bit a.l.a. LDS, I know, but it's the one thing I think they're right on. ?
Last reply by heartstrings, -
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I am about two weeks behind this year. I should have had my straw bales out already and prepping them but will get them set tomorrow and provide some pictures. I was surprised by how much residual straw I had left over from last year a small pickup truck full. So I have decided I will use that all that good plant food for my flower and herbs beds on the south side of my house. It should drain well and if I do 10ft by 4ft bed I should be able to plant pretty much what I want for this year. I will set out between 10 and 16 bales this year and will attempt to plant pole beans and sweet corn together so the beans can climb the sweet corn and I should not have to sta…
Last reply by Orval, -
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I am wanting to start canning with my wife but I am kind of at a loss as of where to start. I have researched pressure canners some but am not sure exactly what to buy or other methods of doing it. I am wanting to can vegetables and meat if that makes any difference. Anyone that has experience that wouldn't mind sharing I would really appreciate it.
Last reply by Salyan, -
- 2 followers
- 11 replies
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I was moving some landscaping materials yesterday and found these skink eggs. I assume they're skink eggs because mama skink was bravely standing guard over them. Or maybe she was dining on them? I gently covered them back up, but will check back later. What if they were snake eggs?
Last reply by Ukulelemike, -
- 1 follower
- 8 replies
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The first one is a cluster of three on a crookneck yellow squash plant. See the teeny little squash? This one is a zucchini. The leaves are almost the size of two dinner plates.
Last reply by Invicta, -
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- 4 replies
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Three years ago, I started out with a hand-broadcaster and later a tractor-mounted one. In both cases, after broadcasting, I had to try to cover the seed with a home made drag made of heavy timbers and chain-link fence. Much of the seed did not get covered, "had no depth of earth", and the "fowls of the air" ate bellyfuls of it. This year I bought an old grain drill from a junk yard for $425. I had to buy some parts, do some repairs and use up a couple cans of WD-40 but It's working fine now. I think we have about $1000 in it now but that's pretty good for a contraption that, when new, costs about as much as a new truck. So far, I have planted seven acres with it and the …
Last reply by heartstrings, -
- 1 follower
- 6 replies
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It has about 7 or 8 blooms now. I don't eat them but planted this one for my step-dad.
Last reply by Jim_Alaska, -
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The sheep wanted more food and needed a more efficient means of growing forage and transporting hay. So they had a few meetings, pooled their resources, and bought this.........
Last reply by Invicta, -
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Hurricane Michael wreaked havoc in our part of the world. Many folks lost their homes and some lost their lives. We were fortunate in that, even though the western eyewall passed directly over our home, we had minimal damage, thank the Lord. A big oak tree fell against our house but basically just crushed the chimney cap, bent about 8' of the eve drip metal and tore a few window screens. Our fences were not so fortunate. All along the north and west fences, big trees had fallen from the neighbor's side onto ours, crushing down the fences Since I knew we would be removing big oak trees for awhile(about 18 or so) I searched online and bought a "grapple" to attach to the loa…
Last reply by heartstrings, -
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Here is something that I thought folks might like to see. My wife makes these hair sticks by hand, using all natural wood. Most of the wood is gathered by her in the forest. There are many hours of work in each one. The sanding and oil sanding is meticulous, starting out with graduated sanding grit from 100 grit and all the way up to 1500 grit with oil on highly polished sticks. I edited this post because I just remembered that my wife makes sticks out of stuff other than natural wood that she has gathered herself. She has also made them out of bone and antler, they were gorgeous and looked a lot like ivory. She has also made some custom sticks from exotic wood …
Last reply by Jim_Alaska, -
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I was going to post a progress on my Spring garden but, unfortunately it will first be a progress report on the tiller. The tires were flat so I replaced one of the tubes. Almost immediately one rotten tire disintegrated. So I searched for tires online and found that the ones made for this Italian-made tiller were an unheard-of size and are super expensive. BUT, they so fit an 8" rim. So I found some cheaper "Carlisle" brand which were 8' but a good deal larger and taller; however they're also a fraction of the price. Now the tiller is jacked up a little high on the front and looks like it's ready to go mudding. Anyway, I tilled my Monster truck/tiller over the garden one…
Last reply by No Nicolaitans, -
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Many of the older folks around here, including my grandparents, planted "by the signs" with a good measure of superstition thrown in. An old guy, former member of our church, once asked one of the young ladies in the church to drop the seed in his garden because she was with child at the time: She complied. He really believed a pregnant woman planting the seeds would benefit his crop somehow. My Dad, on the other hand, planted big gardens for years and never put any stock in "signs", superstitions, or "old wives tales". Dad just planted when the weather was right and as time permitted and he grew enough vegetables to feed a family six, while Mom canned and froze tons of i…
Last reply by Invicta, -
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I'm almost certain that a "rod and staff", as used by Old Testament Middle Eastern shepherds, was most likely a "comfort" to the shepherd instead of the sheep. This is me trying top walk in the pasture as my "lead sheep" (actually a pet) constantly crosses in front of me against my legs. I have to bump her with my knees to keep from tripping and falling. I will try to post another video later, to show you the difference it makes when I carry a staff. However, I have to admit; Sissy and Honeybun seem to enjoy using the staff for a scratching post.
Last reply by heartstrings, -
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Last weekend, the controller on our well pump went out. The capacitor had melted down. I went to town, bought another, and installed it: quick fix. But yesterday morning, the points (contacts) on the pump's pressure switch burned out on one side so there were no baths until I got home from work with a new unit. I changed it out after dark with my sweetie holding the flashlight. The parts on a farm's well do take a beating. Surprised this one lasted as long as it did.
Last reply by heartstrings,