Articles - Backwoods Home Magazine

Animals

Raising your own beef

Hog butchering — Using everything but the squeal

This St. Bernard backwoods hero saved old Grandma’s life

Protein — The Cornerstone of a Survival Diet

Building

Our Unconventional House

By Judy Zent Website Exclusive • December, 2002 Fig. 1 - Tire walls with roof framing. Need a prolonged workout? Want to do some major recycling? Want...

Getting logs

Build an inexpensive but durable jackleg fence

Build a lean-to greenhouse

Build a chicken tractor

Farm and Garden

Start a Self-Sufficiency Garden Even in a Cramped Apartment

By Nancy Wolcott Issue #61 • January/February, 2000 You are sitting there in your recliner chair in your small city apartment desperately longing for the day...

Home-Grown Eggs

Clover — From Livestock Forage to Medicinal Tea, This Humble Plant...

Grow Open Pollinated Seeds for Self-Reliant Gardening

Tracing a bean

Americana and History

George Washington Carver — He wrote the book on self-reliance

By John Silveira Issue #31 • January/February, 1995 "What were you listening to when I got to your house? Sounded nice. I don't think I've ever...

The summer of ’35

Gee-Whiz: Presidents

Emancipation Proclamation by Historical Document

Was the first government gun confiscation attempt foiled by an unsung...

Food and recipes

Dishpan cookies

Layered casserole

Jerusalem artichokes with brown rice

Ham and sausage jambalaya

Self-reliance

The joys of making soap

In the classroom and at home, this system will help you grow self-reliant kids

A guide to buying silver and gold

Space heater safety tips

Energy

Keeping your food cold — Solutions to refrigeration when electricity is scarce

Converting a Gasoline-Powered Rototiller to Electric

Water: a safe supply when you’re off the grid

Portable solar power

Guns and Hunting

Hunting, processing, and serving black bear

By Linda Gabris Issue #162 • November/December, 2016 Bear was a popular meat in our house when I was growing up in the rural woods. Black...

A used shotgun bargain: The Browning Auto-5

Firearms handling refresher Part II: Shotguns

Catch your own bait

Thoughts on ammunition

Science

Subduction zone tsunami — What the residents of the Pacific Northwest...

By John Silveira Issue #94 • July/August, 2004 I was sitting in my cubicle poring over a map of the Oregon coastactually, just that...