Plan the Perfect Homestead
(Page 6 of 9)
April/May 2006
Edited by John Stuart, Carol Mack and Megan Phelps
Many homesteaders heat with wood, a renewable resource that is readily available in most parts of the United States and Canada. Wood-burning stoves have become cleaner and more efficient in the past few years, so if you are purchasing a new woodstove, be sure to look for a recent, EPA-certified model. Any woodstove can heat a home, provided the stove is an appropriate size for the building and the house has an open design and good insulation.
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“It can be zero outside, yet we heat our entire house with just the woodstove in our living room,” says DeVault. His stove is a large Consolidated Dutchwest airtight with a catalytic converter. “One of my greatest joys after working outside for a few hours in winter is to stretch out on the floor in front of the blazing stove and take a nice, long nap,” he says.
Making Connections
No matter how extensive the plans for your homestead, the most important thing to remember is that it doesn’t need to happen all at once. Start with a small garden, a few chickens or a small home-repair or building project, and let your plans evolve based on those experiences.
And don’t neglect one of the most important aspects of your homestead — building community. Experienced homesteaders always come back to the importance of being part of a community of like-minded people they can turn to for advice and support. The homesteading life is simply much richer and more rewarding with a strong community of friends and neighbors. Among those who share a passion for gardening, renewable energy, green building and the like, those connections are easily forged.
10 Easy Garden Crops
If you’re planting your first garden, consider these 10 crops. All are easy to grow, and this combination offers lots of possibilities for cooking. Some of these plants can be started from seeds, but most are easier to grow if you start by purchasing seedlings.
Radishes. Radishes do well even in not-so-great garden soil and are ready to harvest in only a few weeks. Plant the seeds in spring and fall.
Salad greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula or corn salad). Pick your favorite, or try a mix — many seed companies sell mixed packets for summer and winter gardening. Plant the seeds in spring and fall, and you can pick salads almost year-round.
Green beans. Easy to grow and prolific. If you get a big crop, they freeze well, and they're also delicious when pickled as “dilly beans.” Start with seeds after danger of frost has passed.
Onions. Start with small plants, and if they do well, you can harvest bulb onions. If not, you can always eat the greens.
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