Whether it’s harvesting firewood for winter or picking berries for a healthy snack, homesteaders work with what Nature provides. It teaches a sense of responsibility that’s often missing from modern society.

Homesteaders aren’t afraid to face failure. They learn from mistakes and try again.

By their very nature, homesteaders tend to be a pretty handy bunch.

It makes sense considering what it takes to keep a homestead running. With the endless chores, repairs and projects, the more a homesteader or farmer can do themselves, the faster and cheaper it often gets done.

It’s a constant learning curve though, so it’s probably impossible to master every handy skill for homesteading. But these six skills stand out among the most useful to master.

what fuel it uses — gas or diesel. Using the wrong fuel can cause severe and costly damage to an engine. Knowing how to change filters and fluids and other minor mechanical fixes is a good idea as well.

Heading backwards: There are days where it feels like you are doing nothing but going backwards. And that’s okay. When you have trailers, wagons and implements attached, you will still often need to back into spaces. Backing up when pulling something, though, can be a frustrating experience. That’s because while it can look easy in theory, it can be nearly impossible to execute — it’s key to know how. First of all, as you start to reverse, your trailer will go in the opposite direction you are steering. You also want to make wider turns than you think you need — but go too wide and you can end up jackknifing the trailer and starting all over again. Since you will likely find yourself backing a trailer every day, this skill is great to master — and you might even be asked to do it for others who can’t yet.

Using and maintaining blades: From pocket knives to the mower blades for cutting hay to chainsaws, a homestead can have an impressive array of cutting tools. What they all have in common is they work best when sharpened but get dull with use. There are people who make a living sharpening blades, but if you can do the job yourself it will save time and money. To do this, you’ll need to know the right sharpening device, such as sharpening stones, files or specialized leather strips, are best for each blade — and how to use them. You’ll also have to master using a vice to hold the blade. And don’t wing it — doing it wrong can make a blade duller or ruin it completely.

Tying the knot: Sometimes the best solution for a quick repair on the fly is a length of rope or bailing twine and a good knot. The best kinds of knots on a homestead are the ones that tighten when pulled. With descriptive names like farmer’s hitch, miller’s loop, halter hitch and bow line, these work well to tie down tarps, creating an impromptu towing line, mending a broken fence or wrangling livestock.

Basic carpentry: Materials can be pricey, so if you can save some money on the labor side, why not? Knowing how to measure accurately, using a hand or power saw safely to cut straight or curved sections of wood and hammer in or remove nails can mean the difference between a sturdy construction or something that will fall down in the strong breeze. Sooner or later, a chicken coop will need repairs, a shed will need a new roof or it might be time for a larger building on the homestead.

Thinking on your feet: It can feel like every day on a homestead is dealing with one minor crisis after another that you never see coming. So the ability to think quickly and critically is key. It helps you figure out how to best deal with a situation or when to call for help. Part of that is the ability to look at a situation and figure out how to use what’s on hand to fix it. That’s why homesteaders hate to throw anything away and are some of the original upcyclers. That old pallet leaning against the barn wall today? Tomorrow it could be quickly turned into a handy rolling platform tomorrow with the simple addition of four old wheels saved from a broken wagon.

Source: bangordailynews.com