Michigan Survival & Homesteading Guide

05/31/2026

If you had a bushel of rhubarb right now, what would you do with it??

05/22/2026

Many good native plants to use instead 😁

What's your favorite native plant?

Mine is Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

🔗 https://l.mlive.com/3h9c2p
Michigan will phase out six invasive plant species commonly used in landscaping and water gardens, including two aquatic plants that will be banned next month.

05/13/2026

05/06/2026

We own a sandwich shop

We currently don't have a garden (crazy year)

Everyone around us is cash crops (corn/soybeans)

Tomatoes come from elsewhere at $5/lb.

Treat your tomato plants well, raise them up good, see if you can make some $ off the local establishments that are looking for a crazy good deal 👀

05/01/2026

Have you found sweet sweet Morels yet?

04/27/2026

I'm reeeaalllyyyyy thinking I need my own dehydrator! While the the stuff from all these companies like ReadyWise or My Patriot Supply is nice, I also like the idea of dehydrating meals instead of just canning... super great for bugging out quick!

04/22/2026

🌱 Alright… real question for my plant people… 🌱

How are we starting seeds these days?

Are you doing the whole hydrogen peroxide soak thing? I keep seeing it everywhere and part of me is like “science!” and the other part is like… do I really need another step? 😂

🤷🏻‍♀️ are you a paper towel + baggie person?
It works. It’s simple.

Do you just stick them straight in soil and let them figure it out?
Nature’s been doing this longer than we have.

And then there’s the seed starting trays (that's me and I loooovveee solo cups!)…
All neat and organized.

I feel like everyone has that one way they swear by…
👇 So what’s yours? What actually works for you?

📸 credit to MiSHG

04/03/2026

Has anyone kept tabs on House Bill 4122 and what it will do for Michigan Cottage Food/home based food businesses?

Here's a quick rundown:

💰 You can make WAY more money now
Old limit: $25,000/year
New limit: $50,000/year
•Will adjust for inflation starting Oct 2026
•You can grow a real business now without immediately needing a commercial kitchen.

2. 🌐 You can sell online now (this is huge)
👉🏻Before: Only in-person (farmers markets, roadside, etc.)
👉🏻Now you can:
Sell online
Ship orders (within Michigan)
Offer delivery (even via third-party apps)
•You still need some form of direct interaction before the sale (like messaging, email, or even a quick virtual convo)
•You can run this like a modern small business, not just a market booth.

3. 🏠 Multiple businesses per home allowed
You can now have more than one cottage food operation per residence
👉🏻You + a partner, or multiple brands/businesses = totally fine.

4. 📦 Still NO license required
This part stays the same:
No commercial kitchen
No inspections
No licensing fees

5. 🚫 What DIDN’T change:
❌Still only non-hazardous foods (no refrigeration needed)
👉🏻Still direct-to-consumer only
❌ No wholesale
❌ No selling to stores/restaurants

What are your thoughts?