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Welcome to Common Sense Home, where we believe in going beyond “sustainability” to abundance. We live in amazing times with access to so much information it can be like drinking from a firehose.
How do you know who to trust?
We have lived on our northeast Wisconsin homestead for over 20 years, transforming an abandoned pasture into a thriving homestead. We’ve combined old and new to become more self-reliant, producing our own electricity and most of our food.
For instance, we have root cellar and use a clothesline, but also have solar electric and solar heat. We have gardens and orchards, but also use permaculture principles to boost productivity. Sometimes we use traditional food preservation techniques, like fermenting. sometimes we use modern techniques like freeze drying.
Modern media and social media like to push gloom and doom to keep us glued to our screens.
I say we need to fix the mess. We can make better choices for our food, our health, and our lives. Let’s learn and build together!
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The Homesteading Resources page lists some of my favorite bulk food suppliers, nurseries, preparedness supplies, online education programs and other references.
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Dedicated to My Mom – “Never Buy Bread Again”
In 2017 I published my first print book, “Never Buy Bread Again – 20+ Homemade Bread Recipes“. It’s now available in spiral bound print or e-book format.
This book will help you bake amazing homemade bread, even if you’ve never baked before. Includes online baking tutorial and best bread storage tips.
Welcome!
Thank you so much for joining our online community, and I look forward to learning together with you. We live in amazing times, and it’s a wonderful gift to be able to blend old and new into into a better future for our loved ones, our communities and our world.
Laurie Neverman, Creator of Common Sense Home
Who We Are
I (Laurie) started blogging back in 2008. In 2012, we created the current website. Learn More About Laurie Neverman
My husband helps with preparedness and tech related articles. Our two sons have also been drafted into the family business, working on the homestead and the website.
Learn More About Our Homestead
If you have a question, comment or a post request, please leave a comment here on the site or reply to any of our emails. (Sometimes I miss comments on social media comments.) Your feedback is very helpful for giving me ideas on what to publish next.
Why I Created the Site
Over the years, a number of people have asked me why I started blogging. Back in 2008, our family went through a rough patch. My husband lost his job of 16 years, and the stress sent my health into a downward spiral and my weight spiraling up. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, but the meds he gave me made me feel worse instead of better.
Long story short, I decided to do what I could to be proactive about my health and providing for our family, doing my own research and figuring out what worked for us. I pulled out of depression, lost weight, and got things back under control.
After five years of working away from home, my husband found a job in the area and we were back together as a family full time. Of course, the only constant is change, and at the end of 2023, my husband’s local job ran its course. Now he’s starting a new venture, doing private consulting work. Visit Neverman Consulting for more information.
We are constantly told that only industrial agriculture can feed the world, or the only way to get rid of garden pests is with poison. Medical costs are skyrocketing, while access to care is getting more difficult in many areas. Disasters happen, and we’re supposed to wait for the government to “save us”, but we know they can’t even balance a budget.
I want a better future than this, and I hope you do, too.
I’m just popping in this morning to say hello. I’ve followed you for quite some time now -I enjoy your content and I’ve learned quite a bit from you.
Early this morning we woke up to huge claps of thunder and I hoped and prayed that we would get some rain. We are enjoying a light but steady rain, and I stood outside in it for a few minutes after moving some plants and containers to catch some of the water. It felt good to stand there on the wet grass. If any neighbors could see me I’m sure they would have it odd, although live in a semi-rural area of Michigan and no doubt there were many folks standing in their doorways, morning beverage in their hand, thinking “we really needed this”.
Anyway, after reading your recent message I hope you get some rain as well, and soon.
Thank you so much for your interesting content!
Hi Sharon.
Duncan and I were doing the same thing yesterday morning – standing in the rain giving thanks. We didn’t get much – less than half an inch – but every little bit helps.
Thanks for stopping in to visit and share your thoughts.
Several comments:
Years (decades ago) a friend had a large greenhouse and a much larger rose garden behind the greenhouse. One evening while tending the greenhouse he heard some strange crackling sounds from the rose garden. He checked it out with a flashlight and spent nearly an hour watching several skunks browsing through the rose garden chomping on Japanese beetles! Every beetle they could reach got crunched!
A former neighbor stopped by a couple days ago. Her boyfriend had a terrible tooth ache and she remembered I had some purple Coneflowers. She asked if she could have some root and of course we gave her some and a couple whole plants to transplant along with some Peppermint I had around the foundation to persuade ants to stay away. It’s great to have some plants that can help people in need.
We, my wife and I, love and grow Sunchokes, AKA Jerusalem artichokes, and by the Algonquins Kaishúcpenauk, a compound of “sun” and “tubers”. The Mohawk name is Ohnennata’ó:we, original potato. Let’s all take a moment to pronounce the Native names … OK, long enough. The Pennsylvania Dutch call them Aerdebbel in their Pennsylfaanisch. Cicoka in eastern Europe. To those of the Manglish persuasion they’re called Fartichokes.
I’ve got two varieties. Guesstimates on their IDs are as follows;
Stampede(?), a white-tan skinned knobby tuber about the size of small to medium potatoes with a potaoey-Sunflower seed-nutty flavor under 5′ to 8′ tops. The knobs make them a bear to clean. I brush off most of the dirt then toss them into a bucket with strong salt brine to soak over night. That loosens the remaining dirt, murders any little critters and sort of cures the skin. Next day I cut most of the knobs off and finish a good hard brushing on the knobs and the main tubers. With a good hard brushing they don’t need to be skinned. They have stolons, the rhizomes that the tubers grow on. They spread out around 8″ to 12″ from the crown. They don’t spread much at all from year to year which makes them super easy to keep contained and also makes them excellent for large containers such as bathtubs, split 55 gallon barrels, raised beds and such.
Fescue(?), a red skinned, not knobby tuber about the size of small potatoes. Picture small reddish sweet potatoes. They taste the same as the Stampedes with a nuttier flavor. They’re under 5′ to 8′ tops too. Their stolons spread them out a good 3′ to 5′ so they spread more than the Stampede and aren’t as good for containers, unless you go big! I rescued these from alongside a garage in DuBois, PA. that was being torn down and the tops had been weed whacked. They were going to be destroyed.
They both have large yellow flowers that have a bitter-sweet chocolate smell. These two varieties don’t grow seeds, but some varieties do. They are a perennial cousin of Sunflowers.
The Stampede(?) are more friendly than the Fescue(?). After 30 minutes of cooking or after a long zone 5 winter freeze the gas producing Inulin fiber converts into fructose reducing and, depending on the person eating them, eliminating the gas – issue! The Fescue on the other hand have either a different type of Inulin or much more of it. Even after a long winter freeze AND an hour or more of slow cooking, say in with a roast or a stew they can still cause enough gas to prevent going out in public! We keep them because my wife and I take a daily Inulin supplement for gut health so the fescue doesn’t affect us too hard and they taste so good. My wife takes it to treat Diverticulitis. I take it to prevent colon inflammation and cancer.
There are four ways to convert the Stampede’s Inulin, freezing, long cooking, cooking them in an acid such as vinegar or citric acid or lemon juice such as when canning, or fermenting them just like sauerkraut or Kimchi.
We can the majority of the Stampedes that I pull in the fall as pickles and relishes with some canned plain, like canned potatoes. I like them much more than cukes! I’ve dehydrated raw chips and ground them in a food processor into flour. Makes a good thickener for stews and gravies. Stiffens thin crust pizzas. It’s heavy bodied like Buckwheat flour, you have to mix it with wheat to get it to rise and you must mix it with other flours or you’ll end up with paper weights and door stops! I’ve tossed raw chips on pizzas, into salads and just nibbled on them. Raw?! But what about the gas?? Easy, we can what I pull in the fall, then in the spring, after months of freezing, I pull more and then we eat them raw, roasted, in soups and stews, boiled and mashed, shredded like hash browns, sliced for french fries, scalloped, pureed for a ‘choke soup and a whole bunch more. Their raw texture is the same as Water Chestnuts, so into stir fries they go! I’ve made wine from both whole flower broth and tuber broth. I’ve also boiled or steamed them, mashed and dehydrated them and ground the dried mash into instant mashed ‘chokes. The drier you can get them, the finer the powder and flour will be. A 50:50 mix of mashed ‘chokes and potatoes with a dab of garlic butter might be my favorite.
We have a patch of Stampedes about 5′ x 25′ and can get at least 45 gallons, much-much more than we need. Our Fescue patch is about 8′ x 8’ and gives us plenty which we don’t share with others, for their protection!! If you’ve never had ‘chokes, eat only a small sample of an ounce or possibly two to start with to see how they affect you. Too much for some sensitive people can cause enough gas and painful bloating to require a visit to the ER. NOT recommended for people with gut issues such as IBS, Chron’s, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), etc. Inulin may help treat these conditions, but only with close medical oversight. Seriously. They must be frozen and/or cooked with this in mind.
Interesting. I knew that skunks are bug eaters, and regularly dig beetle larvae from the soil, but I didn’t realize that they nosh of Japanese beetles (though it’s not surprising). Our ducks will nab the ones they can reach, too, but so many are on higher foliage.
Thanks for sharing your sunchoke experience (and words of caution and advice). You two are true devotees.
I think you meant to write leafing out not leaving out. I know computers self correct but they are not always correct. Haha Thanks for the good information.
I did indeed mean “leafing” and not “leaving”. That’s on me, as I was rushing a bit to get done before supper.
Not sure if I ordered this Summit twice. Please let me know if I did.
Thank You!
Linda E.
Hi Linda. I don’t have access to the purchase records for the summit, as Audrey is the event organizer. You’ll need to contact her to find out. Her email is audrey@audreyslittlefarm.com.
I just want to say “thank you” for your willingness to share from your experience! I am thrilled that my niece and her family are choosing the homesteading life and I share whatever I can. God bless you and yours and may He continue to use you to encourage others in their quests.
Thank you for your kindness, Andrea. It’s been a bumpy road at times, like nearly losing the place shortly after we built due to job loss, but we’ve hung in there and learned quite a bit along the way.
Thank you, Neverman family, for your knowledge, tenacity, and willingness to share with us. God bless you all.
If you have any wisdom about herbs, tinctures, etc. for elderly victims of memory loss and all the other ills which accompany being bedridden, it would be GREATLY appreciated. my mom is 99 years old, and she is my hero. Anything I can do to make her life easier would be a blessing.
Hi Pat.
I’m so sorry that your mother’s health is struggling. I lost my mom back in 2010, and a piece of my heart went with her.
Everyone’s situation is unique and what works for one person may not work for another, but here are some potential things that might bring comfort/small improvements.
The book, The Alzheimer’s Antidote has suggestions for helping with memory loss. I did a review here – https://commonsensehome.com/the-alzheimers-antidote/
Honey works wonders for bed sores if those are an issue. Any real honey will do.
This video shows tai chi exercises that can be done in bed to help with stroke recovery and other mobility issues – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnWRWqozC0E
Gelatin and collagen are easy to digest protein sources that may help with muscle wasting, joint mobility, and other age related issues. You can mix collagen peptides into hot or cold drinks, though with a frail constitution I would opt for room temperature or warm drinks. I make simple fruit juice based gelatin “jello” and gummies with only fruit juice and gelatin, nothing artificial. That recipe is here – https://commonsensehome.com/finger-jello/
I also have an herbal version with immune boosting herbs – https://commonsensehome.com/immune-boosting-herbs-in-finger-gelatin/
Both are simple and soothing, especially for someone who doesn’t have a lot of appetite.
I would love to do as you do, but, husband and I are both 81, he with Parkinson’s. I admire what you do, but see that it is a full time, all hands on deck lifestyle. So, I’ll just follow along and garner what tips I am able to put into practice. I hope you gain lots of young followers who can start living as you do.
It is definitely a full time commitment, but my hope is that most people can find some small piece of what we do that is a fit for them. Whether it’s a recipe, a preparedness tip, or a home remedy, anything that keeps us engaged and better able to care for ourselves is a win.
Hi Laurie,
I took was diagnosed with hashimotos hypothyroiditis. I feel like doctors are a blood draw and pill pushes. check my blood once a year just to get a refill on the only med that worked for me and not against me. Tirosint. I have a lot to say on that, but I keep digging. Thank you for your news letters. They are greatly appreciated. Kudos to better health and food.