I read with interest and some concern the letter from Mary Hammersmith in the February/March 2004 issue regarding the waste oil heater from the September/October 1978 issue. I helped build that ...

We were pleased to report in “Homemade Motor Fuel Through Wood Gasification” that our experiments concerning the use of wood scraps for vehicle motor fuel showed promise. But little did we ...

From a homesteader who raises rabbits for both meat and leather, here are the basics of how to tan a rabbit hide. You probably know that tanning (which is also called tawing or pickling) is the ...

Many would-be beekeepers shy away from the idea because they're afraid of being stung. The author explains that, with a little know-how, stings can be a rarity, and the payoff is well worth the risk.

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening by William Woys Weaver is the culmination of some thirty years of first-hand knowledge of growing, tasting and cooking with heirloom vegetables. A staunch supporter ...

Learn the basics of lasagna gardening, a non-traditional organic, earth-friendly, easy gardening method using layers of newspaper, cardboard, compost, hay, sand, and rotted barn litter. If someone ...

After fruit was thinned to 8 inches apart, this 5-year-old tree still produced 84 large apples. Many fruit trees — including semidwarf varieties — can easily grow to 15 feet and taller.

Dennis Scanlin stands behind his solar food dehydrator--a highly tested design that will dry 10 pounds of food in only two sunny days. Nearly two decades of expert testing and experimentation have ...

Learn how to build an a frame house (complete with a cozy sleeping loft) in this illustrated, step-by-step guide. One of the sturdiest of all structures is the A-frame, whose skeleton consists ...

Harness the Power of Self-Sufficiency One New Skill at A Time It’s never been easier to pick up new skills to boost your independence and keep more money in your wallet while you’re at it. Let ...

Pool water needs to circulate continuously for the plants' roots to cleanse the pool. You also may need to aerate the water so the water organisms' oxygen needs are met. Whether you like to ...

Learn how to build a purple martin birdhouse. These purple martin house plans create stackable floors to accommodate a growing colony, year after year. Some things are just intrinsically appealing ...