<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Homestead Consultant]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Homestead Consul]]></description><link>https://www.thehomesteadconsultant.com/articles</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 07:52:52 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.thehomesteadconsultant.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[How to Use LiDAR and Contour Maps to Read Your Homestead Before You Build]]></title><description><![CDATA[How to Use LiDAR and Contour Maps to Read Your Homestead Before You Build: A boring map can be one of the most useful homesteading tools you have. Before you clear land, dig swales, build a driveway, place a garden, buy a rural property, or decide where livestock should go, you need to understand the shape of the land. Satellite imagery helps, but it often hides the very things that matter most: drainage paths, old roads, low wet areas, erosion channels, old ponds, damaged earthworks, plowing...]]></description><link>https://www.thehomesteadconsultant.com/post/lidar-contour-maps-homestead-site-planning</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2aedcb948ac681a4fde774</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:42:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XklNtJElh5o" length="0" type="video"/><dc:creator>Ryan Steva</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why a Small Inverter Generator Belongs in a Homestead Backup Power Plan]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the video below, I walk through practical use cases for a small suitcase-style inverter generator, including outage backup, freezer protection, battery charging, remote homestead work, and fuel-efficient layered power. Why a Small Inverter Generator Belongs in a Homestead Backup Power Plan: A small inverter generator is not a whole-house power solution. It will not run every appliance, every outlet, the well pump, the HVAC system, and the rest of the modern home at the same time. That is...]]></description><link>https://www.thehomesteadconsultant.com/post/small-inverter-generator-homestead-backup-power</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a28bc2c579005354a9ffc9a</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 01:43:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="http://youtu.be/kfdC4pC8TWU" length="0" type="video"/><dc:creator>Ryan Steva</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Function Stacking for Homesteads: How to Make Every System Do More Than One Job]]></title><description><![CDATA[If your homestead feels like a collection of separate chores, function stacking is one of the first design ideas worth understanding. It is not about making a property complicated. It is about making the pieces work together so each system does more than one job and each output is used as many times as practical before it leaves the property. Most inefficient homesteads are not inefficient because the owner lacks effort. They are inefficient because the layout forces effort to be wasted. The...]]></description><link>https://www.thehomesteadconsultant.com/post/function-stacking-for-homesteads</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a286bd132d35aa9db66a199</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:58:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHUHJagVITA&amp;t" length="0" type="video"/><dc:creator>Ryan Steva</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Practical Homestead Automation: Smart Sensors That Actually Solve Real Problems]]></title><description><![CDATA[Smart Home Gadgets Are Not the Same as Homestead Automation: Most smart-home gadgets are built for houses, not homesteads. They are designed to turn on a lamp across the living room, adjust a thermostat, or tell a voice assistant to play music. That can be useful, but it does not solve the problems that show up on a working property. On a homestead, the valuable systems are often spread out: a chicken tractor several hundred feet from the house, a root cellar below grade, freezers in an...]]></description><link>https://www.thehomesteadconsultant.com/post/practical-homestead-automation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a28645e99361b5d20d50b67</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:21:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTT_SAujQMk" length="0" type="video"/><dc:creator>Ryan Steva</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Lay Out Swales Accurately Without Guessing at Contour]]></title><description><![CDATA[Swales can be incredibly useful on a homestead, but they can also fail before you even break ground. The problem is not usually the idea of a swale. The problem is bad layout. A lot of permaculture content talks about slowing, spreading, and soaking water. That is useful language, but it does not tell you where the swale should go, how to find true contour, how to avoid dumping water in the wrong place, or how to check your design in the field before digging. A good swale layout begins with...]]></description><link>https://www.thehomesteadconsultant.com/post/how-to-lay-out-swales</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2856fc5b452722a3b64ac0</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:52:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2d3069_c8db485ed4be4ad991243fe0d6990a43~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_720,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ryan Steva</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>