For the past couple of years, I’ve had Self-Reliance magazine delivered to my apartment mailbox every quarter. Flipping through the articles in my third floor city(ish) apartment, I couldn’t help but feel far-removed from ever putting these ideas for my homestead into practice.
But now, I have good reason to revisit the old issues with a new perspective. I’m less than five months away from closing on a 10 acre farm property that abuts my adopted family’s hobby farm.
As I re-read these magazines, I’ve been extracting the ideas that I can reasonably implement in the first few months of building my homestead.
These are the 13 best tips from the 2023 issues of Self-Reliance that I’ve deemed useful for my specific situation – maybe they’ll be useful for you, too!
Spring 2023 Ideas for My Homestead
Idea #1: Plant rhubarb for a prolific, easy to preserve spring harvest.
Rhubarb is a perennial plant that is virtually pest-free and has the potential to increase my homestead’s food production with minimal upfront investment.
It is best grown using pieces of the rootstock, called ‘crowns’. My adopted family’s next door farm has an enormous rhubarb plant that is probably long past due for a rootstock division, so it will be free and easy for me to get rhubarb started on my farm.
While rhubarb isn’t my favorite of the spring vegetables, I do enjoy a strawberry-rhubarb jam or pie, and it’s easy to preserve by freezing it.
While the article indicated that rhubarb should be planted in early spring after the soil warms up, I think I will take the risk and plant it in June. If it doesn’t make it, I’ll just try again in the spring! Other helpful tips: don’t harvest the first year, and don’t remove more than two-thirds of the stalks at any given time.
Idea #2: Store root vegetables in high humidity in the fridge.
My homegrown carrots always seem to lose their crispness in the fridge. Soaking them in water helps a little, but they never regain their fresh-from-the-garden crunch.
An article about winter storage for root vegetables taught me that root vegetables are best stored in high humidity. Their solution was simple: before putting them in the fridge, put them in plastic bag with small holes cut in the sides. This traps the humidity while still allowing for airflow.
Other ideas included pressure canning and freezing (after blanching). While I won’t have a full season to grow carrots on my farm, I will use the carrots I grow next door to try all three of these methods to see what works best ahead of the following year’s harvest.
Idea #3: Sprout wheat seed to create protein-rich fodder for chickens.
I won’t have my own chickens on the homestead for a while – I don’t eat many eggs and want to keep my workload as manageable as possible to start. However, my family has chickens next door.
The author of this article essentially uses light from a window, reclaimed materials, and a 50 pound sack of wheat seed to produce approximately 200 pounds of high protein enrichment for chickens.
I thought this was a cool, simple idea using materials I already have (excluding the wheat seed). I could use the greenhouse next door, or even my barn by the windows. And, if it works well, it could be a great way to reduce the cost of having chickens of my own someday.
Summer 2023 Ideas for My Homestead
Idea #4: Store unwashed eggs in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
I had no idea you could do this! I always hesitate to bring home eggs from my family’s farm because I’m liable to let them go bad. At the same time, I occasionally have those moments where I wish I had an egg to bake with.
In the spring and summer, when the chickens produce a glut of eggs, I will tuck a few in the fridge to test out this method. I recommend using the float test to make sure eggs haven’t gone bad.
Idea #5: Install row covers to protected strawberries from pests.
This is another idea that is made possible by the absolute abundance of the next door farm; there are two separate sections of the garden that are overrun with strawberry plants right now.
I always planned to transplant some to my own gardens as soon as possible, but this issue of Self-Reliance included an image of row covers that looked like something I could construct relatively easily. Our strawberries next door are always picked over by birds and chipmunks, so row covers might help me improve my harvest.
Idea #6: Plant aronia berries (black chokeberry) for a reliable native berry harvest.
This native shrub is prolific and hardy in my Zone 6b climate, and it produces a very tart berry that can be used similar to chokecherry – which I had (and enjoyed) on occasion when I lived in Denver.
I hadn’t previously considered it, but this might be an easy perennial to tuck away on some unassuming portions of the homestead for a reliable annual harvest.
Idea #7: Use buckets, garbage cans, and locking bins as long-term, rodent-free storage for dry goods.
I grew up with a dad who was a ‘stocker-upper’, so I had the luxury of never running out of pantry staples. In all my years of living in apartments and small houses, I’ve been looking forward to returning to my bulk-buying roots.
The home inspection for my farm purchase revealed some mice activity, so proper storage of dry goods is going to be vital.
This issue of Self-Reliance shared some ideas for long-term storage of pantry goods. Storing some dry goods, such as brown sugar, in their original packages inside of five-gallon pails seems very attainable. It also suggested new garbage cans with locking lids, but depending on the size that might get unwieldy.
Fall 2023 Ideas for My Homestead
Idea #8: Build a small greenhouse structure as a winter project.
I consider myself fairly ‘handy’ and a decent problem-solver, but I am well aware that I have a steep learning curve ahead of me with regards to construction. I will have a lot of DIY renovation and farm infrastructure projects in my future.
This issue of Self-Reliance lays out a straightforward small greenhouse structure made with simple, basic tools that I already own. As I start collecting materials for my upcoming homestead, I’ll keep an eye out for reclaimable lumber for a possible winter project. This is a great low-stakes way to rack up some experience and practice before tackling larger projects.
Idea #9: Soak your cucumbers to make CRISP pickles!
I make pickles every year with our homegrown cucumbers, garlic, and dill. My refrigerator pickle recipe is incredible, but when I process them they lose their crunch.
I already trim the blossom end off, due to the presence of an enzyme that can cause softening, but it hasn’t made much of a difference.
Self-Reliance offered a couple of interesting solutions to this. First, soak in ice water or salt water (perhaps both?) for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if possible. Second, add a freshly picked grape leaf, as it contains tannins that can help retain crispness.
I’ll try both this year to see how it works. Grapes grow wild all over the property, so these techniques are easy and risk-free.
Idea #10: Use a (clean) garbage disposal to grind apples for cider.
It will be years before my orchard produces an apple harvest worthy of producing cider, but this idea was so clever that I had to mention it. The author got an old garbage disposal for free, cleaned it, and installed it in a piece of discarded countertop. Throw a bucket underneath, and suddenly hundreds of pounds of apples are mashed up and ready to be pressed for cider. I’ll have to be on the lookout for a garbage disposal.
Winter 2023 Ideas for My Homestead
Idea #11: Store potatoes in dark plastic totes to keep them from turning green.
Similar to Idea #2, potatoes need to be stored in a cool, dark place with relatively high humidity and good ventilation. They don’t do well in the fridge, and any access to light (artificial or otherwise) can cause them to turn green.
“Ask Jackie” of Self-Reliance‘s had a great solution: store the potatoes in dark plastic totes. Whenever you grab a few to eat, check under the lid – if there are some moisture droplets, leave the lid cracked to allow it to dry out and avoid mold and rot. This will be very attainable in my basement.
Idea #12: Be pro-active and learn how to use your chainsaw.
Raise your hand if you feel personally victimized by a magazine… 🙋
I inherited my late father’s Stihl chainsaw, but I have on idea how to use it. I also have all the tools that my dad used to maintain it, along with extra parts. Our division of labor was simple: he chainsawed the rounds and I split them with a maul.
In the name of independence, I guess I’m going to have to figure out how he did his part of the job. This issue of Self-Reliance includes a very comprehensive breakdown on how to take care of your chainsaw.
Idea #13: Freeze food when the harvest gets overwhelming; then, process it over the winter when you have the time.
We’ve all been there – your kitchen is filled with produce from the garden, it’s insanely hot outside, and the idea of firing up the stove again to boil water for the canner is enough to put you over the edge.
An excellent solution is to freeze some of your produce and deal with it later, in the winter, when you have the time and wherewithal. This is especially doable with berries and fruits – simply dry pack and freeze, and then you’ll have a lot of flexibility for which recipe to follow in the future.
In the past, I’ve done this with foraged fruits. One cup of grapes or autumn olives isn’t worth making jam out of, but collecting a few cups here and there will add up quickly, and the freezer keeps them ready until you have enough.
I’m so excited to put these ideas into practice in a few months when I start building my own homestead.
Can you use any of these tips on your farm or in your garden? Do you have any other resources like Self-Reliance that you would recommend to a soon-to-be homesteader?
My next task is to revisit the 2024 editions of Self-Reliance, so stay tuned for the gems I find in those!
Talk soon,
KC
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