The Homestead Guru
We share what we are passionate about.
We help you unleash the guru, inside you.
The Homestead Guru was a project born by people who love talking about and trying practical solutions. We have hundreds of articles on all things practical and have built a sort of community over the years for those who want to learn and grow along with us.
Here we aren’t here to be your gurus. We are here to help you learn how to be your own guru, while we become our own gurus. Thank you for being here.


Years of Growth


Featured Posts
The Latest and Greatest

The Homesteading Act of 1862 + How to Get Land for Free in 4 US States
Did you know that you can get land for free in several states in the United States? Homesteading Act of 1862, Signed into Law by

How to Use All of Your Garden Tomatoes (Recipes)
This article was co-authored by Catherine Bleish and Elizabeth Klebart. Are tomatoes coming out of your ears, yet? Personally, I (Elizabeth) like to slice them

Study Claims Plants Can Feel When They Are Being Eaten and They Don’t Like It!
A ground-breaking new study has found that plants can feel when they are being eaten, responding at times with defense mechanisms. The study, titled, “Plants

Why You Should Use Essential Oils To Clean Your House
When it comes to cleaning your home many people believe it is necessary to use harsh chemicals to kill germs and sanitize appliances but that

Superfood Low-Water Soil Mix for Gardening Success!
Every good gardener who’s been at it awhile, knows that success starts in your garden’s soil. What’s the difference between soil and dirt? Dirt and

Kombucha Chronicles Part 9: Fine Tuning Your Brew and Cleaning Brewing Vessels
Everyone’s kombucha tastes are different. Some swear by the continuous brew method, in which you never really remove the scoby from the vessel in

What WEEDS Tell Us and Why We Should Care
For many a homesteader or gardener, weeds can be a major topic of conversation. They should be—but maybe not for the reasons you think! I’m

Dandelions: 31+ Medicinal and Culinary Uses for the King of Weeds
This article originally posted on The Grow Network is part of a series on weed gardens and identifying and using the plants you’ll often find

Kombucha Chronicles, Part 10: My Personal Unschooling and Learning to Brew
My kombucha hobby is a bit of an obsession at this point, which I find very interesting. It’s one of the few health food things

Tour of Converted Van in New Hampshire
Life Opted Out Podcast gives us a tour of their newly converted tiny home – a van conversion!Check out their electric and solar set up,

Media Blackout: A Cancer Cure Covered Up
It’s getting hardly any mainstream media attention, but there’s a showdown brewing in Austin, TX that may have grave consequences for cancer patients across the

Would Permaculture Have Prevented the Brazil Fires?
There’s been a lot of drama recently as far as Brazil is concerned with the deforestation and subsequent wildfires which have been largely started as

Most Popular Posts
Our Greatest Hits

BioIntensive Gardening – How to Double Dig, Make Compost, & Companion Plant
Biointensive gardening is an organic method designed to creative highly productive gardens with long term sustainability at its core. What is so great about this

IT’S ALIVE! Living No-Turn Compost: BioChar
Maybe you wanted to start composting this Earth Day, but you’ve heard it’s tricky to get right. I understand–nobody wants a stinky mess out back

The Tropical Fruit Tree Americans Forgot: The Pawpaw Tree
What if I told you that North America has an easy-to-grow native tropical fruit tree that you’ve never even heard of? The Pawpaw is our

Tomatoes Hate Cucumbers: Secrets of Companion Planting + Popular Planting Combinations
Did you know that tomatoes hate cucumbers? Consider companion planting. While they might taste great together in a salad, tomato plants dislike growing in close

How To Start a Kitchen Scrap Garden
How to Regrow Kitchen Scraps Feel like you never really get your money’s worth of lettuce or celery at the store? Why not grow another

This is Why Your Compost Stinks
You started out with good intentions–wanting to create richer soil for your garden and reduce your waste. Maybe you even bought the pretty compost crock