Start a fire in any weather

By Charles Sanders Issue #161 • September/October, 2016 Most of us living in the backwoods are comfortable with utilizing fire as a tool. We use fire to heat our homes, burn brush, power our forges, help...

Grandma’s persimmon pudding

Recipe of the Week  Grandma’s persimmon pudding  Courtesy of Charles A. Sanders   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 2 cups persimmon pulp 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 cups sweet milk 1/2 cup margarine 2 cups flour 2...

Crabapple jelly

Recipe of the Week  Crabapple jelly  Courtesy of Charles A. Sanders   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 3 lbs. crabapples (about 10 cups, cut up) 4 cups water 2 cups sugar 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1...

Persimmon cookies

Recipe of the Week  Persimmon cookies  Courtesy of Charles A. Sanders   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1 cup persimmon pulp 3/4 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. baking soda 2 cups flour 1 tsp....

Corn cob jelly

Recipe of the Week  Corn cob jelly  Courtesy of Charles A. Sanders   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 12-14 red corn cobs 6 cups sugar 2 pkg. Sure-Jell Method Start by gathering a few dozen red...

Persimmon bread

Recipe of the Week  Persimmon bread  Courtesy of Charles A. Sanders   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1 cup persimmon pulp 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp....

PVC pipe in the home, garden, farm, and workshop

By Charles Sanders Issue #94 • July/August, 2005 Perhaps one of the most important innovations in modern plumbing has been the development of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), and related plastic pipe. These materials...

35 country jobs — How folks make a living near my hometown

By Charles Sanders Issue #89 • September/October, 2004 If you're relocating to the backwoods, you will very likely have to give some thought to generating some income, that is, making a living. Hopefully, the topic is...

Raising cattle on your own place

By Charles Sanders Issue #85 • January/February, 2004 Winter won't last forever. It won't be long before spring will arrive and pastures will start to green up. This may be the year for you to consider...

Beekeeping basics

<!-- Beekeeping basics By Charles Sanders --> Issue #88 • July/August, 2004 Bees have been managed for their honey production for about 5000 years or so. Especially for the smallholder, beekeeping can be an interesting and rewarding pursuit. They...

Build a stone wall

By Charles Sanders Issue #70 • July/August, 2001 The natural beauty of a stone wall has been romanticized in poem and picture for hundreds of years. There is a soothing permanence that can be seen in...

Hog butchering — Using everything but the squeal

By Charles Sanders Issue #142 • July/August, 2013 A 450-pound hog will provide a lot of delicious meat. Hogs are raised throughout our neighboring Amish community for many of the same reasons old American homesteads raised them....

Wheat

By Charles Sanders Issue #130 • July/August, 2011 There are few foods and crops that homesteaders consider as essential as wheat. In these days of pasty loaves of over-processed "store-bought" bread, the mere phrase "whole wheat"...

Redworm farming

By Charles Sanders Issue #112 • July/August, 2008 If you are looking for a way to earn extra income, a retirement job, or even a new livelihood, then raising earthworms might just be the thing. This...

How to build a good fence for your homestead

<!-- How to build a good fence for your homestead By Charles Sanders --> By Charles Sanders Issue #103 • January/February, 2007 One of the basic fixtures on a homestead is fencing. Fences are used to keep animals in, or...

This country job really rocks

<!-- This country job really rocks By Charles Sanders --> By Charles Sanders Issue #105 • May/June, 2007 Down here in the hills and hollers of southern Indiana, there is rock a'plenty. Old farm fields still show evidence where early...