Interactive lessons

Some modules come with an illustrated, step-by-step interactive lesson: you see the order and exactly what to look for on the ground, and the module gives you the lists, calendars and worksheets. Every lesson has a free sample.

Module H00-04 · The closed-loop homestead: plants, animals, compostThe closed-loop homestead, step by stepInteractive lesson: how kitchen, garden and barn leftovers become compost and food for the soil and the animals, and where a homestead leaks.Open the lesson →Module H01-01 · Choosing and assessing landLand assessment, step by stepInteractive lesson: read a plot before you buy it or dig the first spade — water, soil, sun and frost, access, risks and paperwork.Open the lesson →Module H02-04 · Beds: flat, raised and ridgedGarden beds, step by stepInteractive lesson: choose the bed shape for your soil, set the sizes and paths, then build a flat bed, a timber frame, a bed filled in layers, a sunken bed and ridges.Open the lesson →Module H03-01 · Compost: cold and hot, from waste to humusCompost, step by stepInteractive lesson: from waste to humus — browns and greens, building a heap, hot and cold heaps, the compost corner, maturity and how much to use in the garden.Open the lesson →Module H04-03 · Rainwater harvesting: gutters, cisterns and tanksRainwater, step by stepInteractive lesson: from roof to tap — how much water your roof gives, gutters and first flush, the tank in the right place and rainwater in the house.Open the lesson →Module H05-03 · Sharpening, peening the scythe and tool careSharpening and peening, step by stepInteractive lesson: sharpen a spade, hoe and axe, hone a scythe while mowing, peen it on the anvil and keep your tools free of rust.Open the lesson →Module H10-02 · Raising seedlings: from seed to transplantSeedlings, step by stepInteractive lesson: from seed to transplant — when to sow, compost and containers, light, pricking out, hardening off and planting out.Open the lesson →Module H11-03 · A permanent polytunnel: step-by-step buildPermanent polytunnel, step by stepInteractive lesson: a 5 × 10 m hooped polytunnel of galvanised tube — setting out, footings and foundation tubes, hoops and braces, ends, film and snow.Open the lesson →Module H12-02 · Planting fruit trees step by stepPlanting fruit trees, step by stepInteractive lesson: from pegging out and the planting hole to the stake, guard and first year, so every tree takes and gets going.Open the lesson →Module H13-05 · Grapevines: planting and trellisingGrapevines: planting and trellising, step by stepInteractive lesson: from the warmest spot, the rootstock and soil preparation to a trellis with anchors, planting grafted vines and the vine's first two years.Open the lesson →Module H14-05 · Potatoes from planting to clampPotatoes, step by stepInteractive lesson: from healthy seed potatoes, chitting and planting, through earthing up and protection without chemicals, to lifting and the cellar.Open the lesson →Module H15-03 · Haymaking: mowing, drying, stacks and balesHaymaking, step by stepInteractive lesson: when to cut, mowing with a scythe and a mower, drying the hay, building a stack and bales, and preventing spontaneous combustion.Open the lesson →Module H16-05 · Drying and storing herbsDrying herbs, step by stepInteractive lesson: from picking to the jar — when to pick, how to prepare, drying in the shade, checking they are dry and storing them for a year.Open the lesson →Module H17-05 · Rootstocks and grafting in the nurseryRootstocks and grafting, step by stepInteractive lesson: from wilding seed to graft — stratification, seedlings, the stool bed, budding in rows and whip-and-tongue grafting at the bench.Open the lesson →Module H18-02 · Oyster mushrooms on strawOyster mushrooms on straw, step by stepInteractive lesson: from a bale of straw to a basket of oysters — chopping, hot-water or lime pasteurisation, bags, colonisation, fruiting and harvest.Open the lesson →Module H20-02 · The hen house: fixed and mobileThe hen house, step by stepInteractive lesson: a hen house for 10 hens from pads to roof, perches and nest boxes, deep litter, a fence against foxes and mink, and a mobile hen house.Open the lesson →Module H21-02 · Housing, run and waterHousing ducks and geese, step by stepInteractive lesson: a dry house without perches, bedding, water for dipping, the run and grazing, and a fence that keeps the fox out.Open the lesson →Module H22-02 · Housing and runHousing for turkeys and guinea fowl, step by stepInteractive lesson: a dry floor, a high perch and a fence the fox can't clear — site, building, perches and litter, the run, bringing guinea fowl home, protection, winter and summer.Open the lesson →Module H23-02 · Aviaries and cagesA quail aviary, step by stepInteractive lesson: choose the housing, fit a safe ceiling, build an aviary with no gaps, fit it out inside and protect the birds from rats, heat and draughts.Open the lesson →Module H24-02 · Hutches, runs and coloniesRabbit housing, step by stepInteractive lesson: hutches, a run and a movable ark — shade and air, sizes, mesh and bolts, summer and winter, cleaning.Open the lesson →Module H25-05 · Milking and milk hygieneMilking goats, step by stepInteractive lesson: milking area and stand, equipment, the first squirts, whole-hand milking, chilling to 4 °C, washing up, the CMT and safe milk.Open the lesson →Module H26-05 · Shearing and woolShearing sheep, step by stepInteractive lesson: when to shear, how to catch and turn a sheep, take the fleece off in one piece and pack the wool all the way to the bag.Open the lesson →Module H27-05 · Milking: by hand and by machineMilking a cow, step by stepInteractive lesson: place and kit, udder preparation, hand milking and the bucket milker, washing and cooling, mastitis and the CMT, and safety beside the cow.Open the lesson →Module H28-02 · Pig housing and outdoor runsPig housing and outdoor runs, step by stepInteractive lesson: the site, sizes and three areas of a pig house, floor and bedding, summer and winter, a fence pigs can't dig under, and biosecurity.Open the lesson →Module H29-04 · Swarms and expanding the apiarySwarms, step by stepInteractive lesson: recognise and prevent swarming, make an artificial swarm, catch and hive a swarm safely and introduce a queen.Open the lesson →Module H30-02 · Building a small fish pondBuilding a fish pond, step by stepInteractive lesson: a fish pond you can drain and harvest — bottom profile, digging, monk, inlet with a screen, heron protection and first filling.Open the lesson →Module H31-02 · Stable and turnoutStable and turnout, step by stepInteractive lesson: stabling for a horse and a donkey — siting, stable sizes, bedding and the muck heap, air and winter, mud-free turnout, fencing and fire safety.Open the lesson →Module H32-02 · Guard dogs and herding dogsLivestock guardian dogs, step by stepInteractive lesson: the dog that sleeps among the sheep — choosing the breed and number of dogs, the fold, fence and feeding station, wolves and coyotes, passers-by and the health of a working dog.Open the lesson →Module H33-06 · Storing feed without lossesStoring feed, step by stepInteractive lesson: keep grain, compound feed and hay free of mould, rodents and fire: grain moisture, mycotoxins, containers, the hay barn and a stock record.Open the lesson →Module H34-05 · First aid: wounds, birthing, bloatFirst aid for animals, step by stepInteractive lesson: what to do in the first hour until the vet arrives — safety, a quick check, wounds, bloat, birthing and the newborn.Open the lesson →Module H40-04 · Fresh cheese and brined cheeseFresh cheese and brined cheese, step by stepInteractive lesson: from pasteurised milk to cheese — rennet, the clean-break test, cutting and draining, acid-set fresh cheese, sliceable cheese in brine and safety.Open the lesson →Module H41-03 · Sausages and sudžukDry sausage, step by stepInteractive lesson: home-made dry sausage on the scale — Trichinella and botulism, curing salt, cold mincing, filling, cold smoke and drying to the right weight loss.Open the lesson →Module H42-05 · Homemade pasta and noodlesHomemade noodles, step by stepInteractive lesson: egg pasta dough — ratio, kneading, rolling, noodles, pasta squares and trahana, safe drying and storage.Open the lesson →Module H43-02 · Ajvar and pinjur: roasted pepper relishesAjvar, step by stepInteractive lesson: from 10 kg (22 lb) of red peppers to safe jars — roasting, peeling, cooking, vinegar and pH 4.2, filling and the water bath.Open the lesson →Module H44-05 · Dried fruitDried fruit, step by stepInteractive lesson: from choosing and cutting fruit to the dryer, the dryness test, conditioning and storing it free of moths.Open the lesson →Module H45-04 · Baking under a sač and in a bread ovenSač and bread oven, step by stepInteractive lesson: the hearth and safety, firewood and embers, bread under a sač, firing a bread oven, measuring the heat and the order of one firing.Open the lesson →Module H46-01 · Extracting and straining honeyExtracting honey, step by stepInteractive lesson: from ripe frame to full jar — honey room, equipment, uncapping, extracting, straining without an extractor, settling, jarring and washing up.Open the lesson →Module H47-05 · Cider and fruit wineCider, step by stepInteractive lesson: from apples to bottle — juice and sugar, hygiene and CO₂, fermenting under an airlock, racking, resting and sparkling cider.Open the lesson →Module H48-05 · Cooking on a wood-burning rangeCooking on a wood range, step by stepInteractive lesson: how to lay a cooking fire, use the hotplate by zones, tame the oven, cook with retained heat and work safely by the fire.Open the lesson →Module H50-03 · Clamps and earth pitsClamps and earth pits, step by stepInteractive lesson: winter stores without a cellar — a clamp for potatoes, cabbage and roots, an earth pit, a buried barrel, lifting stores in midwinter and safety.Open the lesson →Module H51-03 · Wood-fired and solar dryersWood-fired and solar dryers, step by stepInteractive lesson: how a dryer works, building a small wood-fired dryer with a heat exchanger, firing in stages, fire and CO, the solar dryer and maintenance.Open the lesson →Module H52-02 · Building a smokehouseBuilding a smokehouse, step by stepInteractive lesson: a smokehouse with a separate firebox and smoke channel, from the site and the trench to the chamber, a cabinet, a drum smoker and the first firing.Open the lesson →Module H53-02 · Dry-curing meatDry-curing meat, step by stepInteractive lesson: salt, cold and the scales — preparing the meat, equilibrium curing, days by thickness, the salting tub, pastrma and poultry.Open the lesson →Module H54-02 · Sauerkraut in a crockSauerkraut in a crock, step by stepInteractive lesson: a crock that feeds the house until spring — cabbage and crock, shredded kraut, packing and weight, whole heads for cabbage rolls, fermentation, taking it out and jars.Open the lesson →Module H55-06 · Rendering lard and tallowRendering lard and tallow, step by stepInteractive lesson: render tallow and fat in the oven or with water, lift off the cake, wash tallow for soap and candles, and store fat free of water and rancidity.Open the lesson →Module H56-02 · Granaries and corn cribsGranary and corn crib, step by stepInteractive lesson: a house for grain — choice and size, site, posts with rat guards, building the granary, the corn crib, filling and upkeep.Open the lesson →Module H57-04 · The clay pot cooler (zeer)Clay pot cooler, step by stepInteractive lesson: a pot in a pot, wet sand and a little wind — how it works, what goes inside, the pots, making it, daily care and cleanliness.Open the lesson →Module H58-05 · Organising the pantry and cellarOrganising the pantry, step by stepInteractive lesson: six climates in one house, what goes where, shelves and containers with measurements, mice and moths without poison, and a safe pantry.Open the lesson →Module H60-04 · Splitting, stacking and seasoningSplitting and seasoning firewood, step by stepInteractive lesson: log size and tools, safe splitting, the hydraulic splitter, stacking, measuring moisture and a log store for two winters.Open the lesson →Module H61-02 · Solar panelsSolar panels, step by stepInteractive lesson: the panel and its label, the site, tilt and shade, a small 12 V kit for the henhouse, safe installation and maintenance.Open the lesson →Module H62-07 · Fences and gatesFences and gates, step by stepInteractive lesson: a post that doesn't rot, a braced corner, tight netting, timber fences and wattle, a gate that doesn't sag and strong gate posts.Open the lesson →Module H63-05 · Basket weavingBasket weaving, step by stepInteractive lesson: from your own willow bed to a round basket — cutting and soaking rods, the base, stakes, sides, border and a roped handle.Open the lesson →Module H64-05 · Selling: markets, farm gate, onlineSelling from the homestead, step by stepInteractive lesson: how to sell your surplus legally and without losing money — farm gate, farmers' market, fair, weekly veg box, online and regular customers.Open the lesson →