Mother Earth News Backyard Projects
Mother Earth News Backyard Projects • BACKYARD PROJECTS SUMMER 2023
Build a Backyard Edible Ecosystem • Use compost, yard waste, and recycled paper to construct a small permaculture ecosystem that supports your food garden.
Edible Ecosystem Example
A Visual Guide to a Profitable Farm Business
Quite the Coop • Two readers share how their family built a quality custom coop for a fraction of the cost of a pre-made model.
Craft a Quick-Sew Chicken Saddle • Prevent feather loss with this simple back cover made of durable fabric.
Water-Resistant ‘Plybarrow’ • Build a sturdy plywood wheelbarrow that can weather everyday work, come rain or shine.
Portable Field Kitchen • Build a customizable sink setup that’ll allow you to have running water in your outdoor work areas, wherever they might be.
DIY Dual Watering System • Readers share how to build a unique watering system that incorporates both soaker hoses and drip irrigation.
Irrigation Tips from Mother
DIY Tool Belt • Assemble these pockets and pouches and mount them on your favorite belt to hold your most-used tools.
Grow a Green Roof • Turn your roof into a canopy of lovely plants that will keep your house comfortable year-round.
Keep Your Cottage Cozy with Insulation
Build an A-Frame Tomato Trellis • More dependable than cages and other trellis structures, this simple woodworking project will get your vines off the ground in no time at all.
Protect Your Plants with a Raised Bed and Row Cover • Provide a safe haven for your vegetables when wildlife and insects want to take a bite out of your crops.
DIY Composters for Your Garden • Fall into the magic of composting with these three easy DIY composters.
Food Scraps Benefit From Burial
Sustainable Seed Starting • Reduce costs and plastic use with seed-saving and soil blocking.
8 DIY Cold Frames for Year-Round Gardening • Expand your growing season and upcycle local materials by building one (or a few!) of these simple, inexpensive cold frames.
Best Vegetables for Cold Frame Culture
Boost Thermal Mass
Construct a Secure Storm Shelter • Stay safe when tornadoes or high winds hit your area with this severe weather shelter that can be added to a garage or basement.
Potting Bench Plans • Build a potting bench with everything … and the kitchen sink.
Small-Scale Composting • A longtime composter offers techniques and tips that make recycling organic waste in cramped spaces not just possible but also accessible.
Composting in Style
Waste Recycling, Indoors and Out
Build Your Own Incubator • A poultry farmer offers up the lessons she learned after constructing her own incubation cabinet to hatch rare heritage chicks.
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DIY System to Save Rainwater • Harvest rainwater in a low-maintenance collection setup to water your garden and fill your stock tanks with this free, life-giving resource.
Ultimate Pallet Coop • Suffering from champagne tastes on a chicken-feed budget? Try this “cheep” DIY shelter to keep your birds in maximum creature comforts.
Vermicomposting Basics • Add worms to your composting process to form a nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden.
DIY Greenhouse for Winter Growing • Growing food in this solar-heated structure will be far more productive than with electric lights indoors. Plus, you can build it with low-cost materials.
Simple Ways to Boost Your Greenhouse’s Effectiveness
Set Up Your Own Small Animal Shed • Stack timbers to shelter your animals from...