If there’s one thing I’ve learned about homestead/farmer folk…
…it’s that you guys are a ingenious bunch (especially when it involves baling twine or duct tape!)
I’m all about conserving time whenever possible, and I’m always on the look-out for a good homestead hack to add to my collection.
What’s a “Homestead Hack?”
Good question. Here is how Wikipedia explains it:
“Life hacking refers to any productivity trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to increase productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life; in other words, anything that solves an everyday problem in a clever or non-obvious way”
70+ Life Hacks for Homesteading
Farm Animal Hacks:
- How to Weigh a Pig without a Scale
- A Cheap DIY Waterer for Ducks and Geese
- Turn an Old Kitchen Sink into a Dog Water Bowl
- 5 Tips for Putting Your Chickens to Work
- DIY $1 Chicken Feeder and Waterer
- How to Trim Your Goat’s Hooves
- How to Make a DIY Goat Feeder
- How to Make Your Own Udder Balm
- How to Stop Your Milk Cow from Kicking
- How to Remove Skunk Smell (without tomato juice)
- DIY Beehive in a Mason Jar
Garden Hacks:
12. How to Kill Squash Bugs and Eggs with Duct Tape
13. How to Freeze Root Vegetables
14. How to Get Free Containers for Starting Seeds Indoors
15. How to Repurpose Masonry Ladders in the Garden
16. 6 Tips for Planting and Growing Beans
17. 10 Tips for Growing Awesome Tomatoes
18. How to Warm Up Garden Soil for Early Planting
19. How to Get Superpowered Garden Soil
20. How to Grow Heirloom Vegetables
21. 10 Kitchen Herbs that Grow Well in the Shade
22. How to Grow Tomatoes from Cuttings
23. How to Make a Greenhouse from an Old Trampoline
24. How to Save Money on Lumber for Your Raised Bed Garden
25. How to Make DIY Grow Lamps for Starting Seedlings
26. How to Grow Potatoes in a Vertical Space
27. Make An Easy DIY Watering Can
28. How to Grow Mushrooms in a Laundry Basket
29. Easy DIY Raised Garden Cover
30. How to Test Your Garden Soil Using a Mason Jar
31. How to Make a Whiskey Barrel Container Garden
32. How to Make a No-Dig Fence Post
33. How to Start Seedlings in Egg Cartons
Kitchen Hacks
34. The Hands-Free Way to Skim Fresh Milk
36. How to Quickly Cook Dry Beans (The No-Soak Method)
37. Simple “Pioneer Soup” Formula for a Fast Supper
38. How to Make a Super-Quick Fruit Fly Trap
39. How to Use a Shower Cap to Replace Plastic Wrap
41. How to Freeze Fresh, Raw Kale
42. The Easiest Way to Peel an Onion
43. A Free (or Super-Cheap) Source of Food Grade Buckets
44. A Nifty Alternative to Buying Cheesecloth
45. A Handy Way to Help Dough Rise Faster
46. How to Make Caramelized Onions in the Slow Cooker
47. A Quick & Easy Way to Remove Corn Kernels
48. A Creative Way to Store Homemade Tortillas
49. How to Bake Bread in Your Toaster Oven
50. How to Can Peaches without Sugar
51. How to Reheat Foods Without a Microwave
52. The No-Stick Way to Measure Honey and Liquid Sweeteners
53. Simple Way to Measure Solid Cooking Oils
54. How to Use a Mason Jar as a Liquid Measuring Cup
55. Convenient Frozen Lemon & Lime Juice Cubes
56. How to Make Homemade Dried Lemon Peel
57. The Secret for Perfectly Measured Spices
58. How to Use Up Leftover Whey
59. How to Use Old Coffee Grounds
60. How to Make Your Own Brown Sugar
61. How to Test Your Eggs for Freshness
62. How to Peel Farm-Fresh Hard Boiled Eggs
63. How to Cook No-Stick Eggs in a Cast Iron Skillet
64. How to Store Onions, Garlic, and Shallots for Months
65. 3 Ways to Wash Your Produce
66. DIY Meat Smoker Made from a Flower Pot
General Home Hacks
67. How to Cut a Little Boy’s Hair to Save Money
68. How to Easily Remove Labels from Glass Jars and Containers
69. How to Remove Crayon from Painted Surfaces
70. How to Freshen and Clean Carpet Spots with 2 Ingredients
71. How to Organize Your Pantry with Glass Jars
72. Easy (and Cute) Boot Tray with Rocks
73. 13 Homesteading Supplies You Can Get at the Dollar Store
74. DIY Drying Rack for the Wall
Do you have any hacks for horses?
Just when you think you’ve read every tip imaginable on Pinterest, the Prairie Homestead strikes again! Thank you!
Thanks for including me!
You bet! 🙂
Eeee! Thanks for including my chicken feeder and waterer… feeling pretty excited to have you include me 🙂 Have a great weekend friend!
You are totally welcome! It’s a great idea! 🙂
This is a great one to Pin and bookmark, thanks!
This is an amazing list! Thank you so much for posting great resources for us!
interesting page
Everybody wants want simple life but nobody was to put any efforts.. Thanks for making it more simpler for us.. Thanks for sharing..
Great list! Thank you for sharing it! 🙂
Bookmarking and pinning this one.
I have literally had this post open on my desktop since the day you posted it…last week, maybe? Anywho…I have made my way from the top to the bottom and I am just so excited that you put this list together! I’m still very new to my urban, and someday rural homestead, so I’m soaking up every little bit! Omg…scrambled eggs in my cast iron pan?! Love it, Jill!
LOL– love it Tara! 🙂
This is a keeper!
A lot of good information here. We look forward to using or trying a bunch of these!
What a great list! Can’t wait to pass it on to our newsletter subscribers. They love stuff like this!
Yay! Thanks for passing it along. 🙂
Love all the infomation here. I am working to get me a farm soon and want to make my own things rether then buy things. I plan to hunt, fish, forage & grow all of my own food.
I just watched permaculture student video baker seeds Q&A. He says Epsom Salts will kill the beneficials in your soil and the Epsom Salt is a chemical reaction, may get result but not great if your trying to build your soil chemically independent.
On your superpowered garden, you mentioned not to use straw. Did you not put 10″ of hay on the garden to help the no weed garden by Ruth Stout?
Easy to follow, easy to read…heck I had fashioned to leave a commment!
Wow this must have taken you an age to compile! Fantastic work!