Olivia Brooks

The Amish are often seen as a people set apart from the modern world, living simple lives without electricity, cars, or technology. Because of this, one of the most common questions people ask is: Do the Amish pay taxes? The short answer is yes —but with a few exceptions that are rooted in their religious beliefs and legal accommodations.

Homemade soap isn’t just a craft—it’s a return to self-reliance, to knowing what touches your skin, and to honoring the wisdom our grandparents carried without needing a label to prove it. But like all good things, soapmaking comes with a learning curve. The beauty is, once you know what to avoid, the process becomes not only safer but deeply rewarding. I am writing this article because it enhances the How To Make Homemade Soap guide I got the privilege of editing for Self-Sufficient Projects.  Here are some of the most common mistakes folks make when they first start making soap at home , and how you can sidestep them with ease and confidence.

There’s no real logic to it, not that I can explain, anyway. I’ve always been drawn to the scythe. Before I ever swung one, before I even had much of a garden to speak of, something about that long, curved blade and the old wooden handle just felt right. It wasn’t nostalgia — I didn’t grow up using one — but something deeper. Like it was a tool I was meant to know.

Out of all the herbal teas I’ve tried—and I’ve sampled quite a few— Yerba Santa is one of my favorites, very top of the list. It’s not just about the taste, though that’s part of it. There’s something grounding and comforting about this plant, especially when I brew it as a warm tea on a cool evening. If you’ve never heard of Yerba Santa, or you’ve only seen it mentioned in passing, let me share why this herb has earned a permanent place on my shelf.

If you're serious about self-reliance and long-term food storage, there’s one canning method that consistently comes out on top: pressure canning . While water bath canning has its place, and newer methods like steam canning have gained popularity, neither compares to the reliability, versatility, and safety that pressure canning brings to the table. Whether you're putting away meat, hearty soups, beans, or low-acid vegetables from your homestead garden, pressure canning is the gold standard. Let’s dig into why every prepper should make this method their go-to for food preservation. Safety First: Pressure Canning Kills More Than Just Time Low-acid foods —like carrots, green beans, potatoes, and meats—are prime candidates for long-term storage, but they’re also the most dangerous to preserve incorrectly. These foods can harbor Clostridium botulinum , the bacteria responsible for botulism. A simple boiling water bath isn’t enough to kill those spores. You need the high heat of...

When it comes to gardening for self-sufficiency and survival, most seasoned homesteaders and preppers already have their trusty collection of tools: shovels, hoes, hand trowels, and the like. These are the essentials that everyone knows about and uses regularly. But if you're looking to truly optimize your garden for long-term sustainability, especially in a world where resources are unpredictable, there are several lesser-known tools that deserve your attention. These tools are often overlooked by the average gardener, but for those of us who think ahead and plan for the long haul, they can make all the difference. Organic gardening is not properly understood so we should discuss the basics. Nothing is more basic than the tools used. Let’s dive into the underappreciated, yet incredibly useful, tools that should be part of every homesteader's garden arsenal.