Cottages & Cabins
SMALL COUNTRY BUILDINGS: How to Create Good Ones That Last
Updated on December 12th, 2017
Q: How should I build the first small building on my 15 acre country property I don’t have a lot of experience,...Continue Reading
Article
Free Plan Download: Build this Backyard Chicken Coop
Updated on May 17th, 2022
There's nothing quite like fresh eggs from your own hens, and this backyard chicken coop lets you make that happen I...Continue Reading
Article
CASE STUDY: Earning a Homestead Living
Updated on December 12th, 2017
Whenever I tell people that I live deep in the country, on an island at the end of a dead-end road, two hours from the...Continue Reading
Article
PODCAST: The Beauty of a Manitoulin Blizzard
Updated on July 8th, 2021
Steve shares his thoughts and experiences living at the end of a dead end rural road during the harsh, beautiful and...Continue Reading
Article
Q&A: Tiny Home Bylaw Issues
Updated on December 12th, 2017
Q: Did you ever have trouble with zoning bylaws when you built the tiny house you’ve written about I want to follow...Continue Reading
Article
Keep on Truckin’: How to Make Your Vehicle Last Longer
Updated on July 8th, 2021
Some people manage their vehicles like tubes of caulking – use them up and throw them away Not me I aim for a long...Continue Reading
Article
Sane & Sustainable Rural Living Part 3
Updated on February 27th, 2021
Click if you missed the first or second part of this series Every so often I find someone who has given up on the...Continue Reading
Article
Sane & Sustainable Rural Living Part 2
Updated on February 27th, 2021
Back in my previous blog I talked about the reasons I see would-be homesteaders change their minds and give up on...Continue Reading
Article
The Hidden Truth About Insulation
Updated on August 12th, 2021
If home insulation was a character in a fairy tale, it’d be the plain, hardworking younger sister who never gets the...Continue Reading
Learning & How-To
Q&A Podcast: Choosing a Generator
Updated on July 8th, 2021
Listen in as Steve explains the basics of choosing a backup generator for a reader who has a lot of "essentials" at...Continue Reading
Article
Free Plans to Build Your Own Workbench
Updated on September 14th, 2021
If you don’t have a workbench somewhere in your home, you should fix that problem with the free workbench plans here...Continue Reading
Learning & How-To
WINTER WINDOW CONDENSATION: A Video Explanation of Why I...
Updated on August 12th, 2021
One of the most common problems in modern homes is window condensation and poor indoor air quality during cold winter...Continue Reading