Real Food, Real Life: Balancing Motherhood, Homeschooling, and Homesteading Without the Pressure | Meg of Hollar Homestead (Episode 284)
What does it really look like to raise kids, cook from scratch, and run a homestead — without burning out?
In this episode of The Simple Farmhouse Life Podcast, I’m joined by Meg Hollar of Hollar Homestead to talk about embracing a life rooted in intention, not perfection. Meg is a homeschooling, homesteading mom of six raising her family in North Carolina while growing their food and documenting it all on YouTube.
We talk about the ups and downs of homesteading with kids, the real cost of raising your own food, how to prep for power outages, and how to stay grounded while running a household and content business. Whether you’re living this lifestyle or just dreaming about it, this episode is packed with practical ideas and honest encouragement.
In this episode, we cover:
- How Meg’s life has shifted since welcoming her sixth baby
- Why her family chose to homestead in North Carolina
- Starting a homestead from scratch with pigs, raised beds, and small steps
- The decision to pause owning a dairy cow — and what they learned
- The true cost of raising your own milk and grass-fed beef
- Easy, nourishing meals for large families using real, whole food
- How Meg’s kids each cook a meal weekly — and why it works
- Creative pork meal ideas beyond sausage and bacon
- Sourcing groceries from Azure Standard and local stores
- How Hurricane Helene impacted their preparedness mindset
- Building daily rhythms for homeschooling and homesteading
- Encouragement for moms who feel overwhelmed trying to “do it all”
- How to prioritize from-scratch cooking even in busy seasons
- Raising kids with real food values in a modern world
About Meg
Meg and her family homestead on seven acres in the beautiful foothills of North Carolina, where they run barefoot, cook from scratch, work to grow more and more of their own food, and enjoy living a life worth living. They document their homestead journey on their YouTube channel, The Hollar Homestead.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thehollarhomestead
Website: https://www.hollarhomestead.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollarhomestead
Resources & Links Mentioned
Hollar Homestead YouTube Channel
HSLDA – Homeschool Legal Defense
My Courses & Resources
Join my FREE masterclass to learn my 4-step framework for making money on YouTube
Master the rhythm of sourdough with confidence in my Simple Sourdough course
Gain the sewing knowledge and skills every homemaker needs in my Simple Sewing series
Turn your content creation dreams into a profitable business with my YouTube Success Academy
Keep all my favorite sourdough recipes at your fingertips in my Daily Sourdough cookbook
Connect
Lisa Bass of Farmhouse on Boone | Blog | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Pinterest
Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.
Thanks for listening to the Simple Farmhouse Life Podcast — where we explore homemaking, real food, slow living, and creating a home that reflects what truly matters.
