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DIY
Wooden pallets are more sustainable than plastic ones
The scientific results are in: in a sustainability contest between wooden and plastic shipping pallets, wood reigns supreme. You may not think the findings impact you, but shipping pallets play a bigger role in daily life -- and global!-->!-->!-->…
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Could hedgelaying catch on in the United States?
Forget the white picket fence. Hedgelaying may be the perfect fencing option for your homestead. Here's what you need to know to try it.
A European buckthorn hedgerow in Caledon laid in the Midland style. | Photo by Jim Jones
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What to make with goat milk
Mandy Wheaton milks one of the Nubian goats on May 22, on her homestead, Wheaton Mountain Farm in Bucksport. | Photo by Aislinn Sarnacki
Aside from being quirky and charismatic livestock, goats produce a fair amount of milk for!-->!-->!-->…
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8 uses for hydrogen peroxide
Photo by Sam Schipani
If you were prone to injury as a child, you may know hydrogen peroxide best as the burning, bubbling antiseptic your parents liberally poured on scrapes and cuts. For years, medical professionals recommended using!-->!-->!-->…
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A farm by any other name is still a lot of hard work
Ask any four or five people to define “farming” and you will, in all likelihood, get four or five different answers. Farming is one of those things that while people know it when they see it or smell it, they have a hard time putting it!-->…
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What you should know about cleaning with hydrogen peroxide
Photo by Sam Schipani
Hydrogen peroxide is available at nearly all drug stores, pharmacies and big box stores. Held in opaque bottles, it has made its way into almost every medicine cabinet and first aid kit. But it’s more than just a!-->!-->!-->…
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I tried to make pallet wood wall art. Here’s how it went.
I see art in everything. I have a blue enamelware spoon hanging on the wall of my kitchen. A cleaned jar of salsa with a flame-licked label (spoiler alert: it was hot) sits proudly on display in my living room. When I moved to New England,!-->…
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How to make a small scarecrow
A how-to by Morgan Mitchell
Photo by Morgan Mitchell
As fall spreads deeper throughout the Valley in Aroostook County, Maine, and the leaves change to their peak fall colors, more and more decorations celebrating the season have!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
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I tried to make almond milk from scratch. Here’s how it went.
I have more experience with plant-based milks than your average non-vegan consumer. During my six-month fellowship at the California-based “Sierra Magazine” before I moved to Maine, I spent one sunny afternoon sampling an array of!-->!-->!-->…
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7 ways to reuse polystyrene
Photo by Troy Bennett
Maybe you have just received takeout in disposable foam containers or a package filled with packing peanuts. You may be wondering what to do with all that extra polystyrene. It’s not as simple as tossing it your!-->!-->!-->…
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Welcome to Sam Tries Things. I’m Sam.
I am a curious person. My curiosity has taken me all over the country and the world, from New York City to the Mojave Desert, from Australia to Vietnam and beyond. No matter where I am, I want to try something new. I have cultivated!-->!-->!-->…
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8 Ways to reuse mesh produce bags
Mesh produce bags holding various forms of produce at the Hannaford's on Union Street in Bangor, Maine. | Photo by Sam Schipani
If you are looking to reduce waste in your shopping habits, you may already be accustomed to carrying around!-->!-->!-->…
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