Foraging
How to Forage and Use Yellowroot in the Southern Mountains
Yellowroot grows along mountain creek banks. Learn to identify Xanthorhiza, dig a little root the kind way, dry it, and use it the old traditional ways.
Foraging
How to Forage and Use Cleavers in the Pacific Northwest
Cleavers is the sticky green plant that greens up first along Pacific Northwest fence lines. Learn to identify it, gather it clean, and make a cold…
Backyard Chickens
The Best Supplies for New Chicken Keepers (An Honest List)
The chicken keeping starter supplies I'd actually buy for a first flock, what I'd skip, and what to get locally. An honest list from a Tennessee…
Gardening
How to Grow Bush Beans in Containers on a Small Balcony
Bush beans are the easiest vegetable I grow in pots. Here's how to grow bush beans in containers: the right bag, the right mix, and when…
Fishing
How to Fish a Creek for Panfish From the Bank: A Simple Guide
Learn how to fish a creek for panfish from the bank: where the bream hold, how to approach the water, a simple float rig, and how…
Foraging
How to Forage and Use Slippery Elm Bark in Appalachia
Slippery elm bark has a long history in the mountains. Learn to identify the tree, gather bark without harming it, and prepare it the traditional way.
Foraging
Herbal Bath Soaks for Winter Evenings: A Beginner’s Recipe
How to make an herbal bath soak for cold, wet evenings: oats, calendula, chamomile and lavender in a cheesecloth bag, with a gift-jar version for the…
Backyard Chickens
How to Get Your Chickens Ready for a Sudden Cold Snap
A 48-hour cold snap checklist for backyard chickens: unfrozen water, dry deep litter, flat roosts that cover their feet, and the heat-lamp mistake to skip.
Gardening
How to Reuse Potting Soil in Containers (and When Not To)
How to reuse potting soil in containers: what to toss, how to sift and refresh it with fresh mix and fertilizer, and how to store it…
Fishing
How to Use a Spincast Reel: A Beginner’s First-Cast Guide
How to use a spincast reel: the push-button cast, setting the drag, a bobber rig, and fixing a tangle, from a retired shop teacher who taught…