For those living with disabilities, Innisfree Village is the place to prove what they can do when it comes to homesteading.
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SELF-RELIANCE
5 Adventures in Suburban Farming
One couple traded their farmstead dream for a suburban jewel after realizing the potential their property already had.
10 Equip Yourself for Your Permaculture Farm
Learn how to integrate permaculture practice with the right machinery to improve soil quality, decrease disease, and save water naturally.
14 Security and Monitoring Systems for the Homestead
Many modern devices will track temperature and movement around your home.
18 Living Off-Grid without Money
By cutting costs, trading labor for equipment, and bartering with neighbors, this family is able to live off-grid with no expenses.
20 Certified Naturally Grown: A Seal of Approval for Beekeepers and Mushroom Growers
This national standard of excellence for apiaries and fungi
farms endorses hives and products free of pesticides and genetic modification.
26 From Cubicle to Cultivar: How to Leave the Office and Become a Farmer
Hands-on apprenticeships cultivate opportunities to leave the city and lead an agrarian lifestyle.
31 Self-Reliance Reimagined
Creative farming adaptations allow people of all abilities to work the land.
DO IT YOURSELF
36 Go with the Flow
Build a rain barrel that cleverly uses gravity to send water uphill.
40 Build an Indoor Grow Light Table
Readers share their tips for starting seeds indoors.
42 Water-Resistant ‘Plybarrow’
Build a sturdy plywood wheelbarrow that can weather everyday work, come rain or shine.
45 Build a Garden Fence on a Budget
Add beauty and functionality to your growing space with a durable wooden fence that won’t break the bank.
48 Quite the Coop
Two readers share how their family built a quality custom coop for a fraction of the cost of a pre-made model.
51 Build a Copper Trellis
Striking and functional, this DIY trellis will add an artistic flair to your garden while supporting plants that like to climb.
54 Building with Balecob
This hybrid of cob and straw bale building techniques can offer unique flexibility to the natural builder.
FARM ANIMALS
60 A Market for Meat Birds
Get the most bang for your cluck: Turn raising and processing poultry into a moneymaking, communitysupported agriculture venture.
66 Keep Shetland Sheep
Small, hardy, and colorful, Shetland sheep are a natural choice for shepherds and fiber artists alike.
72 Honoring the American Guinea Hog
A former breeder shares stories of rare heritage hogs known for their docile temperaments and flavorful meat.
76 Animals on the Farm: A Holistic Approach
Small farmers across the globe are developing creative ways of integrating livestock into their agricultural operations.
79 In from the Cold
Livestock are resilient in winter, but you can ease the chill with these steps to lessen their stress.
GARDEN TECHNIQUES & METHODS
82 Profitable, Small-Scale Flower Farming
Cut flowers are one of the highest-grossing crops per acre. Create a debt-free farm and surround yourself with beauty by following this expert advice.
86 Small-Scale Composting
A longtime composter offers techniques and tips that make recycling organic waste in cramped spaces not just possible but also accessible.
89 6 Ways to Practice Climate Farming
Turn your garden into a carbonguzzling, food-growing oasis.
94 Agroforestry for Your Property
Integrating trees into agricultural practices can improve your farm’s efficiency and soil quality.
100 Vermicomposting Basics
Add worms to your composting process to form a nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden.
104 Challenges with Cultivars
The long-running native plant cultivar debate stems from concern about their ecological functionality and possible environmental consequences.
FOOD & RECIPES
110 Naturally Sweet Recipes
Enhance the flavor of the season with these honey and maple syrup dishes.
114 Pumpkin Cornbread with a French Twist
Squash turns this naturally gluten-free dish into a light, moist bread worthy of nights around the fire.
118 Classic Ciabatta
From polish to plate, this versatile bread is as forgiving as it is flavorful.
123 Reusable Food Wraps
These eco-friendly fabric food wraps are the bee’s knees, and you can choose any color or print you like when you make them yourself.
126 Scrapple: Tasty Economy
The ultimate meat frugality begins at home, where you can feed your family with trimmings and scraps, and no one will feel deprived.
