What to Plant in August for a Fall Harvest: A Zone-by-Zone Homestead Guide (2026)
What to plant in August for a fall harvest, zone by zone. Frost-date math, the crops to sow now, and how to protect a homestead fall garden.
Author: James Nicholas
NFA Firearms Manufacturer & Professional Gunsmith
The XDMAN has a talent for taking complex firearms subject matter and breaking it down into an easy-to-understand format that all experience levels can relate to. James is an 07/02 NFA Firearms Manufacturer, a Professional Gunsmith with over 20 years of experience, and a Firearms Writer, Photographer and Firearms Expert. Connect with him on Instagram, X, and Facebook as @therealxdman.
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Home Canning Safety: The Botulism Rules Every Homesteader Should Recheck in 2026
Home canning safety starts with acid and heat. Here are the botulism rules for tomatoes, low-acid foods, and tested recipes to check before you fill a jar this season.
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What to Do With Too Many Tomatoes: A Homestead Glut Plan (2026)
The vines won again? A quick triage plan for what to do with too many tomatoes: freeze, can, dry, cook, or share the glut without burning out.
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Dehydrating Tomatoes: Dryer, Oven and Sun-Dried at Home (2026)
Shrink a whole basket of tomatoes into a jar: how to make dehydrated tomatoes in a dryer or oven, store them safely, and use them all winter.
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Canning Salsa: Safe, Approved Ratios for Shelf-Stable Jars (2026)
How to can salsa safely: why the tested ratio of tomatoes to peppers and vinegar is a safety feature, plus a step-by-step water-bath method.
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Canning Tomato Sauce: Start to Finish (2026 Guide)
Turn a heavy harvest into shelf-stable jars: how to can tomato sauce safely, with acidification amounts, USDA-based processing times, and an altitude note.
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How to Freeze Tomatoes (No Blanching Needed) 2026
The fastest way to preserve a tomato harvest: freeze them whole with no blanching, then peel after thawing for soups, sauces and stews all winter.
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Canning Tomatoes: The Water-Bath Method, Step by Step (2026)
A safe, step-by-step guide to canning tomatoes in a water bath, with acidification amounts, USDA-based processing times, and an altitude adjustment.
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How to Preserve Tomatoes: 5 Proven Methods for a Full Pantry (2026)
Five reliable ways to preserve a tomato harvest — canning, freezing, drying, sauce and salsa — plus the one safety step every canned method shares.
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Homestead Guns: Building a Practical Battery from the Used Market
A homestead needs a few practical guns — a .22, a shotgun, a centerfire rifle, a handgun. Here’s how to source them affordably from the used market with GunsAmerica.
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Heighth Defense HGM724: A Foldable Echelon PDW Built for the Homestead
The Heighth Defense HGM724 turns a Springfield Echelon into a foldable, packable property-defense PDW. See how it works and enter Day 92 to win.
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Best Egg Incubator: The 2026 Homestead Hatching Guide
Four egg incubators from Brinsea, GQF, and Incubator Warehouse ranked for homestead hatching — automation, capacity, and hatch-rate features compared.
