Articles - Backwoods Home Magazine

Animals

The homestead cat

Raising Rabbits

Forget the dog, chicken is man’s best friend

Redworm farming

Building

The poor man’s ceramic knife sharpener

By Rick Brannan Issue #87 • May/June, 2004 There are few things more frustrating and dangerous than working with a dull knife. In my quest for...

Build a poultry killing cone

Build a portable woodstove for $30

Make a fully functional cold storage pit/mound and enjoy your garden’s...

A recycled dresser makes a useful bathroom vanity

Farm and Garden

Growing the Eternal Tomato

By Leonard Trebor Issue #57 • May/June, 1999 It's an old story to longtime gardeners (and a new story to novices): each spring you buy some...

Fruit Trees

Tracing a bean

How to Grow Garlic

Gardening with a Chicken Tractor

Americana and History

The summer of ’35

By John Graesch Issue #64 • July/August, 2000 Sixty five years ago I was living in that part of Seattle, Washington, known as South Park. Few...

Oregon Trail preparedness: What supplies did the settlers carry?

Doesn’t anyone remember Tom Paine

The greatest American who was never President

Who were the best…and worst U.S. Presidents?

Food and recipes

Boiled crawfish

Apples and sweet potatoes

Creating and maintaining your own sourdough starter

Apple slaw

Self-reliance

Learning to love the high desert

Storing dry foods

Survival storeroom

Drive your own freshwater well

Energy

Sunny Solutions for north slope applications

Hydronic woodstoves

Just for Kids: Sun-kabobs and solar sizzle

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

Guns and Hunting

Tailoring guns to females

By Massad Ayoob Issue #131 • September/October, 2011 So, I'm sitting here in a hotel writing this, less than three hours after getting off the witness...

Choose your ammo… police style

Understanding the gun debate, part 3

Answering some well asked questions about personal defense

Sight and sound enhancement

Science

Gee-Whiz: Sleep

By O.E. MacDougal November/December 2017, Backwoods Home For thousands of years, sleep has been one of life’s great mysteries. As humans, we spend about one-third of...