Gift Guide
Homesteaders
Gift Guide From The Homesteaders of Michigan!
We are so pleased to share our first gift guide with you. You may spot some familiar names throughout this guide. Over the past several months we have gathered opinions and reviews from homesteaders and gardeners across the state. We so grateful for this input and have curated a list of goods and services just for you! We hope it inspires you to give thoughtfully and shop locally.
While you’re reading, keep an eye out for promo codes graciously given by local businesses. This guide does contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission.
Stocking Stuffers
Just about any product from Fiskars will make a useful addition to a homesteader’s stocking, but you just can’t go wrong with these multipurpose garden snips.
A personalized Swiss Army knife. A useful and thoughtful gift that will stand the test of time
Gloves are always in need on the homestead, whether you’re digging in the dirt or cleaning the coop. We asked you for your favorite brands and this is what you said:
Dovetail Multipurpose Work Gloves
And… inexpensive ones, like these!
Tired of using your cellphone to light your way at night?
Go hands-free with a headlamp!
The CHARGE®+ TTI from Leatherman is a multi-tool, featuring a range of 19 different tools and the ability to customize for a personal touch.
Michigan’s Momma’s Home Skincare is an all-natural soap and body care company created out of the necessity for items that are safe for sensitive skin and use only simple ingredients with a loving, handmade process. Use code HOMESTEAD for 10% off of your order!
These chicken socks from Amazon are perfect for your favorite chicken keeper! Your local farm store will probably have other fun options so be sure to check there the next time you’re in.
Roberta from Nonie’s Custom Creations in Ann Arbor sells adorable gifts like these farm-themed paperclips! Click each photo to go straight to their item listing. Use code Instagram15 for 15% off your Etsy order!
Animals + Their Care
Want to spread rainbow joy this holiday season? Nothing better than a gift that keeps on giving! A dozen rainbow hatching eggs (quail or chicken!) from Mulberry Meadow Farm will certainly bring color and cuteness to your homestead!
A gift certificate for Meyer Hatchery located in neighboring Ohio. Meyer Hatchery offers over 160 breeds of poultry including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, peafowl and game birds, plus a full line of feed and supplies.
For horses, Coat Defense offers natural products that prevent common diseases such as rain rot and speed healing. It was originally sold as a skincare line for humans so you know it’s safe!
The SleekEZ Original Deshedding Grooming Tool for Dogs, Cats & Horses is the world’s top patented shedding tool. Their unique wave pattern blade is perfectly constructed to gently brush away loose fur, dirt, and dander without snagging! A reviewer said, “The SleekEZ is a great tool for brushing all the shedding hair off of them in the spring. It’s my favorite!”
Weaver Leather Silvertip Four Knot Rope Halter is “an amazing training tool for horses” and is sold by Silvertip Halters. Their products are hand-tied and only made from the best materials to last. This halter has two extra knots strategically placed on the noseband and is a favorite of top clinicians for use on young or difficult horses.
Farm function meets city style! Layne Couture‘s handmade apron makes gathering eggs fun and easy. Machine washable and available in any color, the adult apron holds 19 eggs; child apron holds 6 eggs. Each apron features a handy cell phone pocket as well. Use code HOM10 to get 10% off your order!
The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow is a one-of-a-kind reference book that covers the health problems that plague chickens of all breeds and ages.
Keep your animals safe with fencing from Premier1. Premier1 has been providing electric fencing and electric netting, sheep and goat supplies, clippers and shearers, ear tags, poultry products and expert advice for over 40 years. They also offer gift certificates which can be used to purchase fencing and other equipment for the homestead.
ChickenGuard automatic door openers are a splurge, but most people who have them say they are a blessing and couldn’t imagine going back to life without them! Keep your birds safe and sound and give yourself some time back in your day.
To make rabbit care easier in the winter, try this heated water bottle! An Amazon reviewer said, “These work really good in our Chicago cold winters. Normally do not have any problems with the water freezing. We did have a issue when we got hit with a polar vortex and the temperatures dropped well below -20 and they did freeze up. I don’t blame them, that was just too cold. Other than the polar vortex these have worked great and we have happy rabbits. Would definitely buy again.”
Keep your rabbit’s hay from getting spoilt with the Niteangel Pet Wooden Hay Manger. It even comes with a fun seat for your rabbit to enjoy the view from above!
Apparel
Treat yourself to some comfortable and quality apparel from your favorite podcasters, Bev and Michigander Sam! We Drink and We Farm Things releases a new episode every Friday. Their seasonal shirt designs are always fun so make sure to check them out!
Howling Moon Farm is on a mission to save the planet by upcycling feed bags into various apparel and home items. We love the aprons for adults and children alike; perfect to craft in!
Fennigan’s Farms is a Black-woman owned business on a mission to build resilient communities through sustainable agriculture. Share their mission with one of their many casual tees. Our favorite is the “Let’s Grow Together” tee.
Wormies is a composting business specializing in vermicomposting (composting with worms) serving the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. They offer eco-friendly tees on their website.
Henstooth Homestead is located in Bloomingdale, Michigan, and offers maple syrup, farm fresh eggs, and awesome tees like this one! Be on the lookout for 2021’s newest design coming soon!
Michigander Tiffany of the Vela Homestead offers fun and festive themed face masks. These are perfect to wear while cleaning out your chicken coop!
Jenna from @victory.homestead produces beautiful gifts and goods on her urban homestead outside of Detroit, Michigan. Showcased here is a hand-knitted bonnet for infants made from 100% Superwash Australian wool.
Cooking & Recipes
A cast iron skillet from Detroit Skillet Company. All of the skillets made by this company come from 100+ year old Detroit homes prior to their demolition. According to their website, by “utilizing this resource, we can assure that each and every pan contains only original Earth ore metals, mined right here in Michigan or in Pennsylvania.” This is truly a special hand-crafted product and well-worth the investment. Thank you to @westsidedetroitfarms for sharing them with us.
Store your recipes in style with Rural Girl Studio‘s recipe binder! This farmhouse chic binder features a 300 page capacity; plenty of room for treasured recipes. They offer chic matching pages to record your recipes and retro-themed recipe cards to share them with your friends and family.
Perry, Michigan’s Old Wood Art Company creates high-quality wooden products for the home such as this hand-carved wooden spoon. Their kitchen products are “coated in a food-grade conditioner made with beeswax and mineral oils for a beautiful shine and protection.” We love their hand-carved honey dipper for your neighborhood beekeeper (or lover of locally-sourced honey). The mitten-shaped cutting board is a perfect gift for Michiganders and family alike!
Beginner’s Guide to Canning: 90 Easy Recipes to Can, Savor, and Gift is written by fellow Michigander Diane Devereaux; the Canning Diva! According to an Amazon reviewer, “This book isn’t just for beginners, when it comes to Canning. While the author does a great job in bridging the classics of Canning, she brings it into the present day, she takes most of the guess work out, the cross referencing is spot on and the tables of altitudes, measurements and language are all like a mini Bible, all in addition to the. fantastic recipes! She makes you look and feel good about what you choose to make, because the book gives you confidence in executing each recipe, it’s just fantastic!”
The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis. According to Delish.com, “Edna Lewis grew up in a Virginia farming community settled by formerly enslaved people (she’s the granddaughter of one), and went on to espouse the use of fresh, local ingredients in her recipes. In here, you’ll find wild mushrooms in a spring salad and freshly picked blackberries in her summer cobbler.”
Prairie Homestead Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Heritage Cooking in Any Kitchen is definitely a fan-favorite and comes highly recommended from our Instagram community. “Jill teaches people how to make delicious traditional American comfort food recipes with whole ingredients and shows that you don’t have to use obscure items to enjoy this lifestyle.”
HOM Community Cookbook
Check out our very own Community Cookbook. We came together to put together a beautiful e-cookbook of 20+ recipes from Michiganders across the state. From cast iron fried corn to beet chocolate cake, this book has got a little bit of everything and it is very near and dear to our hearts.
Erin Reinholtz Art
Erin Reinholtz is a talented Michigan artist. Her studio is outside of Grand Rapids, adjacent to the home she and her husband share with their four children, 18 chickens, 9 ducks, a zillion Siberian honey bees, 2 goats, dog, and cat. Learn more about Erin’s artistic journey here.
Browse the rest of the Farm Animal Collection here and enjoy 10% off your order with code MIHOMESTEADERS.
Upon visiting an alpaca farm with my art group for some outdoor painting time, I saw these fluffy bodies with big, brown eyes and alert ears, and I fell in love with them. My husband and I almost added some alpacas to our own little farm, but we wound up with goats instead. My love for these cute creatures remains, and I painted this one with much joy.
The Farm Animal art reproductions are created with high-quality dye printed on archival cold press textured watercolor paper for a look and feel similar to the original painting. Your new alpaca print is available in three sizes and will be hand-cut, signed, and shipped right from my studio. Mats and frames pictured are examples only and are not included.
Whenever I see a flock of sheep grazing in a meadow, I just want to stop and stare at them for a few hours because sheep are impossibly cute! I imagine having a small flock of my own someday.
The Farm Animal art reproductions are printed with high-quality inks on archival cold press textured watercolor paper for a look and feel similar to the original painting. Your new sheep print is available in three sizes and will be hand-cut, signed, and shipped right from my studio. Mats and frames pictured are examples only and are not included.
Say hello to Rhoda, a hen with real character. She’s always coming around to see what’s going on. This face is a chicken-expression-favorite of mine! I had to paint it, and I am so happy to share it with you. Rhoda’s portrait hangs in my kitchen and her hilarious expression makes me chuckle every day. It is my pleasure to offer these beautiful prints for your enjoyment, too.
Your new print of Rhoda the chicken is created with high-quality inks on cotton watercolor paper and is available in three sizes. Prints are hand-cut, signed, and shipped right from my studio.
Gardening
A dump cart from Gorilla Cart is helpful to transport things like soil and compost from one spot to another. In our experience, it’s more efficient than a wheelbarrow. When asked about must-have tools, many Michiganders recommended this item.
Seca Hose Holder is a clever product with one end-goal: hold your garden hose. Fill up your animals’ water or wash up after a long day in the garden with total ease and free up your hands! It truly offers a multitude of purposes for the home, lawn, and garden. This product was created by a wonderful father and son team in Texas and is manufactured in their home state with American-made steel.
Tom’s Garden Stones is a Michigan-based business that specializes in beautiful stones for your garden. To browse their creations, visit their website.
A Rolling Work Seat is a great tool to save aches and pains in the garden, especially in times of weeding and harvesting! You can maintain two rows at one time with ease due to the rotating seat. One reviewer said, “Very easy to put together. Sturdy and works great, also has a tractor seat for my ample behind! I did hook a bungee cord to the frame, so I could pull it from place to place. The storage tray comes in handy to put tools or your cell phone in, to play your music as you garden! I highly recommend!”
“It was a gift. I love all the space to fill it up. And very comfortable.” – back9farm.lindsay
The Roo Apron is unique and operates more as a garden tool than a piece of apparel. One way to utilize the Roo is to collect leaves and yard waste in the pocket of the Roo. Take a stroll over to your compost pile, release the ropes, and voila! The leaves and yard waste will fall into the compost pile. Simple and efficient.
This Grow Dammit sign was first spotted on @ervindale.farm and is 100% made in the USA by a husband and wife team, 81MetalArt. They have a wonderful selection of products including metal garden markers and signs for the coop.
Herbalism
Opinel No.8 Mushroom Folding Knife
“A MUST when harvesting mushrooms.” – fishngypsy
The first Opinel knife was crafted by Joseph Opinel in 1890 at the age of eighteen years old. He had a passion for new machines and innovative technologies. Over one hundred years later, the Opinel knife was recognized by the Victoria and Albert Museum as being one of the best-designed items in the world. To this day, Opinel knives are recognized for their outstanding craftsmanship and affordable price point.
We consulted fellow Michigander Jen Saltzman on great gifts for herbalists.
She recommends jars and little strainers. We highly recommend following her on Instagram to learn more about herbalism!
Written by Lucy Jones. According to bookshop.org, “Lucy Jones is a medical herbalist with a busy high street practice in Somerset, UK. She grows or gathers the majority of her herbs and is a passionate proponent of self-sufficient herbalism. Prior to qualifying in western herbalism, she studied Tibetan medicine with the great master Khenpo Troru Tsenam. This experience deeply influences her approach to therapeutic practice as well as the way she grows and processes her herbs. She originally trained in agriculture and forestry and has two degrees from the University of Oxford.”
Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine
Written by David Hoffman. According to bookshop.org, “David Hoffmann, a Fellow of Britain’s National Institute of Medical Herbalists, has been a clinical phytotherapist for more than twenty-five years. He started his herbal practice in Wales, continuing at the Findhorn community in Scotland, and has been practicing in California since 1986. A long time activist in the environmental and peace movements, he ran for parliament in Britain for the Green party in 1983. He is one of the founding members and a past president of the American Herbalists Guild and is on the advisory boards of the American Botanical Council and HerbalGram.”
Midwest Foraging: 115 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Burdock to Wild Peach
Written by Lisa M. Rose.According to bookshop.org, “Lisa M. Rose is an herbalist and forager with a background in anthropology and a professional focus on community health. Her interest in ethnobotany and herbal medicine has taken her to study plants, people, health, and their connection to place internationally. Rose leads foraging plant walks and teaches classes on edible and medicinal wild plants. She forages for her own family, herbal apothecary, and community herbalism practice.”
Memberships & Subscriptions
A subscription to Mother Earth News, the most popular and longest-running sustainable-lifestyle magazine.
A subscription to Higher Grounds Coffee based out of Traverse City. Higher Grounds Trading Co. is Michigan’s first 100% fair trade & organic certified coffee roastery.
Ask your local flower shop about subscription services! For example, Viviano Flower Shop in Detroit offers a Flower of the Month Club subscription to give to a loved one… Or yourself! Each month, they deliver a fresh single-variety bouquet to your doorstep.
First Saturday Lime is an environmentally-friendly pesticide alternative. Gift a monthly subscription so your favorite homesteader never runs out!
A membership to Seed Savers Exchange, a network dedicated to the preservation and sharing of rare and unique seed varieties. Membership perks are impressive, including a quarterly magazine, free or reduced costs to select gardens, aboreta, and conservatories, member exclusive seeds, discounts, and more.
A premium membership to a streaming service such as Pandora or Spotify is a great gift for a homesteader so they can listen to their favorite programs and music while chopping wood or cleaning out the coop. A premium membership allows for ad-free listening so we can listen to podcasts like We Drink and We Farm Things or The Coop With Meyer Hatchery.
Off-Grid
The Water-Wise Home: How to Conserve, Capture, and Reuse Water in Your Home and Landscape is written by Laura Allen, cofounder of Greywater Action, a collaborative of educators who teach residents and tradespeople about affordable and simple household water systems that dramatically reduce water use and foster sustainable cultures of water.
John Wiseman is a British survival consultant and author. He was part of Britain’s Special Air Service, a unit that undertakes a number of roles including covert reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, direct action, and hostage rescue. He’s written ten books on the art of survival, but the fan-favorite is The SAS Survival Handbook. It was originally released in 1986 and covers subjects such as reading the weather, creating tools, and how to deal with natural disasters.
A Complete Foxfire Series 14-Book Collection Set with Anniversary Editions (Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 plus 40th and 45th Anniversay Editions) What can we say about the Foxfire series? The contributors of the Wikipedia article summed it up best, “The Foxfire magazine began in 1966, written and published as a quarterly American magazine by students at a private secondary education school located in Georgia. An example of experiential education, the magazine had articles based on the students’ interviews with local people about aspects and practices in Appalachian culture. They captured oral history, craft traditions, and other material about the culture. When the articles were collected and published in book form in 1972, it became a bestseller nationally and gained attention for the Foxfire project.” A truly incredible gift to give.
The Berkey Filter is actually a water purifier because it removes bacteria and viruses that conventional filters cannot. At least 99.9%+ of bacteria and viruses to be exact. Whether you live on a urban homestead or in seclusion, I think we can all agree that pure water is a necessity. This Travel Berkey purifies 1.5 gallons of water at a time and is portable so it can travel with you on camping trips or around the homestead.
Fellow Michigan homesteader Tasha (@hawaiihomesteadinmichigan) recommends Sawyer products. Their LifeStraw water filter is particularly popular as it removes 99.9%+ of bacteria, parasites, and microplastics. It is quite small and easily fits into a backpack.
Tasha also recommends checking out MPOWERED. Their Luci Pro Series lantern is quite impressive. According to their website, “With mobile charging capabilities, 150 lumens, and lasting up to 50 hours on a single charge, this compact solar lantern will take you further than ever before.” They’re dedicated to providing affordable, accessible energy around the world and creating sustainably made products.
Seeds and Seed Saving
Seed Savers Exchange aims to conserve and promote America’s culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants. You can support them by:
Gifting a membership, which includes a quarterly magazine, free or reduced admission to gardens, arboreta, and conservatories through the American Horticultural Society, etc.
Browsing the merchandise on their website. Their gift shop is filled with goods like aprons, seed collections, and, our favorite thing –
The Seed Savers Exchange Garden Planner Chart. You slide the guide to match up with your frost dates, which in turn helps determine planting dates for common garden vegetables. As of late October 2020, this gift is only $5 and is so handy for every gardener!
Native Seeds/SEARCH is a nonprofit seed conservation organization based out of Arizona. Their mission is to conserve and promote the arid-adapted crop diversity of the Southwest in support of sustainable farming and food security. They’re a wonderful organization to support by purchasing seeds or other goods and services such as:
Seed saving supplies, including envelopes, corn ear shoot bags, and blossom bags.
Memberships, which include discounted tuition to workshops and courses, a 10% discount on product purchases, and more.
Personalized Wooden Box Storage that is thoughtful and customizable.
Photo Box Storage
Practical, organized, highly recommended by fellow gardeners.
Antique Wood Seed BoxThere are many vintage seed boxes and tins available on Etsy, but we thought this one was particularly interesting!
I keep my seed packets simple with the Kraft Envelopes from Amazon, but if you’re giving seeds as gifts and want to beautify the packaging, try something like this Heirloom Seed Packet Stamp…
Or these stunning labels.
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Connecting homesteaders of Michigan with informational resources, and most importantly each other.