Water wells, septic systems, electricity supplies and food storage – these are four of the biggest things you need to deal with directly if you’re a hands-on person leading a hands-on rural life. And success is often based on specific […]
Continue ReadingTHE BAILEY LINE ROAD CHRONICLES: Chapter 11 – Tractor, Stones & Social Scenes
This is chapter 11 in my book The Bailey Line Road Chronicles, the 30-year story about moving from the city to live a modern homestead life deep in the country on Manitoulin Island, Canada. Missed Chapter 10? Click here to […]
Continue ReadingFROST SEEDING: See How to Plant in Winter and Why
Frost seeding is the practice of broadcasting certain kinds of seeds on frozen ground near the end of winter. It’s an effective way to improve the species makeup of pastures without plowing, discing and reseeding bare ground. Why bother? More […]
Continue ReadingGLOVES GALORE: Canadian Company Celebrates 100 Years of Great Gloves
I’ve used work gloves every week for more than 30 years, so I was surprised to find that it took me until late 2017 to discover the story of Canada’s largest, oldest and most interesting work glove company. In April […]
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Got a Question for Steve?
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What’s It Like to Move From City to Country?
The website you’re on now – BaileyLineRoad.com – is named after the little country road where my wife, Mary, and I live and are raising our kids. When people find out both Mary and I grew up in the city […]
Continue ReadingSANE & SUSTAINABLE HOMESTEADING PART 1: How to Thrive Without Burnout, Despair & Failure
Many people in the world long for a life in the country, lived on their own terms, close to nature, honest and hands-on. A few of these people take this feeling far enough to make the leap, leaving the city, […]
Continue ReadingGENERATOR GIVEAWAY 2018: Enter to Win
Each year I give away thousands of dollars of tools for free, and I’ve got a particularly nice giveaway going now. One lucky person from Canada and another person from the US will each win a 3000+ watt Champion generator. […]
Continue ReadingVIDEO: See Pasture Management Trick in Action
Over the last few years I’ve been increasing the productivity of the cattle pastures on our Manitoulin Island homestead, and a big part of this is rotational grazing. By restricting cattle to relatively small areas of the pasture for a […]
Continue ReadingVIDEO: Cedar Rail Fences Tell the Story of Hope
Each spring since 1987 I’ve maintained a nearly forgotten part of Canadian heritage that’s still a working feature of the rural landscape where I live on Manitoulin Island. Nestled along the shore of Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada, you’ll find […]
Continue ReadingSMALL COUNTRY BUILDINGS: How to Create Good Ones That Last
Q: How should I build the first small building on my 15 acre country property? I don’t have a lot of experience, but I’m thinking of completing a stackwall and timber frame structure measuring 16×24 feet this summer, then something […]
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