DIY maple syrup: building a local tradition
Eight years into our do-it-yourself adventures in maple syrup, things are getting serious.
Steve's Latest Articles
Bringing home the bees
Honey bees need our help, and Newfoundland is one of the last places on Earth where they can still be raised organically.
Hate the budget? Time to get some chickens
The recent provincial budget reaches deep into the pockets of every citizen of our province. One way to combat ‘the age of austerity’ is to take steps towards self-sufficiency, just like our grandparents did when times were tough.
Protecting our Traditions: the case for backyard animals
When cops come for your backyard chickens, it’s time to rise up and speak out about the importance of sustainable, respectful food-producing practices.
The Cost of Convenience
We spent a year going without the dishwasher, microwave, electric heating, and laundry machines to find out what our power consumption habits were costing us. Now we’d never go back to using them.
Food security for urban homesteaders
Self-sufficiency can seem daunting at first. Here are some tips on foraging, community gardening and guerilla gardening to get you started on the path to food security for you and your family.
“Time is not money”: Homestead Economics (Pt. 1)
Are you caught up in the rat race? The principles of homestead economics might just be your way out.
The apples of my eye
Fall is a forager’s delight, with apples ripe for the picking throughout the province — scattered near trails, alongside rivers, in schoolyards and parking lots. You can stockpile them, but then what?
Why local?
‘Eat local’ has become a bit of a buzzword over the past few years here in Newfoundland, yet we still import over 90 per cent of our fresh fruit and vegetables. Here’s why local food is so important.
The bats in my attic
Living with bats was not something I ever expected in life, but after finding a colony in my cabin attic and learning about them, I quickly became a convert. Now, I eagerly watch each night as our own little anti-insect armada takes flight over the yard.