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.
Gardening
Growing food where you live. Frost dates and planting windows, soil and compost, raised beds, watering through drought, and keeping the deer and rabbits out of it.
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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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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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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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How to Drought-Proof Your Homestead Garden in 2026: The Mid-May Window That Decides Your Harvest
NOAA’s Summer 2026 drought outlook is locked. Here’s the mid-May action plan to drought-proof your homestead garden — drip, mulch, mix, and store.
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Garden Varmint Control on the Homestead: When a Suppressed .223 Earns Its Keep
Rabbits, groundhogs, coyotes — they cost a homestead more than a fence does. Why a suppressed .223 is the quietest legal answer in 42 states.
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May 2026 Planting Calendar by USDA Zone: What to Sow This Week
What to plant this May by USDA zone — peppers, beans, squash, melons. A working-homestead planting calendar for zones 3 through 9.
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Small-Batch Rhubarb-Ginger Freezer Jam: Capturing Spring in 35 Minutes
A small-batch rhubarb-ginger freezer jam that captures the bright spring flavor water-bath canning cooks away. 35 minutes active, yields 4 half-pints, keeps 12 months frozen.
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Hardening Off Seedlings: The 10-Day Schedule That Actually Works
Stop losing seedlings on transplant day. A day-by-day, 10-day hardening-off schedule for tomatoes, peppers, brassicas, and more — plus the three mistakes that kill more transplants than frost.
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Designing a Reliable Seed-Starting System: Setup, Timing, Soil, Light, and Success Benchmarks
A stability-first seed starting system: setup, timing, light, moisture, sanitation, decision tree, troubleshooting, FAQs, and next steps for strong seedlings.
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10 Day Homestead Challenge: Build Self-Sufficiency
Embark on the 10 day homestead challenge if you’re affected by the government shutdown — or simply realize how fragile our systems can be — now’s the time to take charge of your own stability. Building a homesteading foundation doesn’t have to take months or thousands of dollars. In just 10 days, you can start…
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Surviving Government Shutdown 2025: Homestead Resilience Tips
Surviving government shutdown 2025 is a growing concern for homesteaders as the U.S. federal shutdown stretches into its fourth week since October 1, delaying benefits and straining supply chains. We’re no strangers to self-reliance—whether it’s a late frost in the garden or a spike in feed prices—but this fiscal gridlock could ripple into our daily…
