The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

87 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 11, 2019

DIY Laundry Spot Remover

I am a perfectionist about many areas of my life. Laundry is not one of those areas... I know a lot of gals are super fastidious with their laundry habits-- always separating lights and darks, always folding right out of the dryer, always ironing their sheets, and never, EVER leaving a load too long in the washer. *cough* I don't have a lot of "fancy" clothes, so I generally just wash everything together, and I usually use my ...Continue Reading

40 Comments | |    Last Updated: February 26, 2022

8 DIY Seed Starting Pots

  I'll be honest... I'm slightly grumpy at the thought of gardening season starting up again this year. Normally I can hardly wait for the ground to thaw so I can get outside, but last year was brutal... Let me tell ya. But, I'm a glutton for punishment, so you can be sure I'll still be outside come April working in the dirt and getting my garden spots ready. I'm definitely going to pray for a better result than last ...Continue Reading

91 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 17, 2018

What are Those Spots in my Farm-Fresh Eggs?

I think the irregularities of homegrown food add to its beauty.. Wouldn't you agree? From the irregular-sized eggs to the twisted carrots in the garden, homegrown food has a rustic charm that screams, "I'm the real deal!" However, there are a lot of folks who very accustomed to the uniform, "everything must look exactly the same" food from the grocery store. And to those folks, some of the rustic charm of the homestead food we love ...Continue Reading

22 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 11, 2019

Simple Peppermint Citrus Scrub

As a rule, Wyoming is generally a pretty dry place... But since we've been in this drought, it's been even worse. I've really struggled with dry skin this winter-- even though I've been drinking tons of water (getting this glass water bottle for Christmas helped a LOT!) and eating pretty healthfully. Thankfully, I've found some relief with a simple, homemade remedy. And of course, this little solution is greatly enhanced by the ...Continue Reading

119 Comments | |    Last Updated: October 24, 2016

Are Natural Choices Hazardous?

  Last night I was flipping through a magazine and came across one of those run-of-the-mill pharmaceutical ads. You know the ones-- they are usually about four-pages long and a serious annoyance when you are right in the middle of a good article. Usually I can't flip past them fast enough to get to the good stuff, but for some reason, I was compelled to read through this one in particular. It was for a prescription ...Continue Reading

107 Comments | |    Last Updated: April 10, 2019

How to Render Lard

It was the mystery of the missing pig fat... That almost sounds like it could go with a Nancy Drew novel, huh? Our first home butchering experience was last year when we cut up our steer. (If you are curious about the emotional aspect of butchering one of your own animals, you'll find this post interesting.) We rely heavily on the home butchering video series from Ask The Meat Man (read my full review here), and after watching the ...Continue Reading

Nice to Meet You

I’m Jill. I’ve never been very good at following prescribed paths.

For the last 15 years, that instinct has led me through homesteading, entrepreneurship, and creating a life my younger self could have only dreamed of.

These days, I’m less interested in living the perfect "old-fashioned life" and more interested in knowing which ideas are worth carrying forward. The first half of this story was about building a homestead. The next part is about building a life that actually fits.
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