HOMESTEADING

Episode 148 | Small Homestead Living: Raising and Sourcing Quality Animal Foods | Amy Sliffe of Blue Whistler Farm

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What began as a conversation about options for sourcing quality meat turned into a fascinating discussion on all that you can accomplish on a small homestead.  Amy homesteads less than five acres, and she is full of creative ideas for making the most of a small space.  For those who are interested in raising their own meat, we dive into what that looks like on a small scale.  For those who want to source high-quality meat without raising it themselves, we also share our best tips for that.  And if you stick around until the end of our discussion, you might just find yourself adding dairy sheep to your homestead!  May this episode inspire you to think creatively about producing and sourcing animal foods no matter the size of your homestead.

Episode 146 | Misconceptions About Homesteading | Ash Turner of Turner Farm

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With the growing popularity of homesteading on Instagram, it’s easy to look at this lifestyle through a romanticized filter.  No one would say that the homesteading life is 100% glamorous, but it’s hard to fully grasp the weight of the difficult moments until you are in them.  Ash of Turner Farm wrote a beautiful article for Homestead Mamas on this very topic, so I’m excited to bring her on the podcast to dive deeper into this conversation.  Ash shares about the ups and downs of starting and growing her homestead from scratch— everything from losing newborn livestock to milking her cow in a field under a beautiful sunset.  Whether you are dreaming of starting a homestead or you are already in the trenches, may this episode inform and encourage you about the challenges and blessings of this lifestyle.

Episode 145 | Health Priorities and Compromises + Herbalism for Beginners | Amy of The Fewell Homestead

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Because of the pervasiveness of harmful ingredients in food and household products, living a toxin-free lifestyle requires swimming upstream! We have to be intentional about sourcing our food well, reading labels carefully, and monitoring what we allow into our homes. However, there may be certain compromises we must make along the way, and those compromises will look different for everyone. Amy Fewell has been living this homesteading lifestyle for years, and she started on this path in search of healing for her son. I knew Amy would be perfect to discuss this topic with because she brings balance to the conversation. While we can’t do it all when it comes to taking care of our families’ health, we can prioritize the things that make the biggest impact for us. We also chat about herbalism and the importance of learning our bodies and how to support them!

Episode 142 | Avoiding Burnout as a Homemaker, Homesteader, Homeschooling Mom, and Business Owner | Kate of Venison for Dinner

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It’s easy to look at someone like Kate and wonder how she does it all.  Between homemaking, homeschooling her five children, maintaining her Canada homestead, and running her successful online business, Kate’s plate is certainly full.  In our conversation, we discuss the realities of what it looks like to manage all of these responsibilities well without burning yourself out.  A little spoiler alert: Kate doesn’t do it all alone and neither do I!  If you have a goal of pursuing a new opportunity—a business or homestead or some other dream—but you wonder how you will manage it all, may you be inspired by this honest look behind the scenes of the lives of two fellow homemakers and business owners.

Episode 140 | How to Ease Into a Natural Lifestyle | Roxanne Ahern of Happy Holistic Homestead

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If you desire to live a natural lifestyle—whole foods, less toxins, holistic health—it can be intimidating to know where to start.  Many people are also concerned about the cost of living this way.  In this episode with Roxanne of Happy Holistic Homestead, we tackle the question of where to start if you simply can’t afford to jump all in.  What changes make the biggest impact on your family’s health?  We also bust the myth that it takes a lot of money or a lot of land to begin prioritizing your health by sourcing high quality foods.  You might be surprised by some of our money saving tips!  No matter where you are starting from, may this episode encourage you to take the next step in your journey towards a more natural lifestyle.

Episode 139 | Building a Debt-Free Homestead from Scratch | Katie Metka: Mother of 9, Photographer, Homesteader

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If you dream of starting your own homestead but worry that you don’t have the skills or time or money, you’ve got to hear Katie’s story.  Six weeks after giving birth to her ninth daughter, Katie and her husband moved their family from their established homestead in Texas to a piece of raw land in Missouri to start over.  They are building everything themselves and doing it debt-free!  Katie shares how she and her family of 11 found joy in the simple pace of living in a small shanty without electricity or running water.  Whether you have a homesteading dream or are pursuing another goal, may Katie’s story remind you of all that is possible with patience, sacrifice, and hard work.

Episode 134 | Teaching Kids About Farming | Brianna Widen of Widnor Farms

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With the many conveniences of our modern food system, it’s easy to become detached from the knowledge of how our food is actually produced.  Brianna is on a mission to reconnect the community to its farmers.  At her family’s ranch in Washington, Brianna welcomes her neighbors—especially children—to come experience what farm life is truly like.  Children learn invaluable, lifelong skills as a result of participating in animal care and food production.  Brianna shares age-appropriate ideas for teaching your kids about farming and responsibility whether you live on a farm or in an apartment.

Episode 133 | Should Everyone Try Making Cheese at Home? | Robyn Jackson of Cheese From Scratch

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If you have ever thought of making cheese at home but have been overwhelmed at the idea, this episode is for you!  Robyn of Cheese From Scratch joins me to talk all things cheesemaking.  Robyn’s desire is to make this skill accessible to everyone.  We talk about how cheesemaking can become a normal part of your everyday routine, just like any other skill on the homestead.  A common misconception is that cheesemaking is just for those who own a dairy animal, but this isn’t true!  Anyone can learn to make cheese from scratch.

Episode 131 | Getting Kids Outside | Ginny Yurich of 1000 Hours Outside

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to get outside more with your kids, you don’t want to miss this conversation with Ginny Yurich of 1000 Hours Outside.  Not only does Ginny share a whole host of reasons why outdoor time is beneficial to our children, she also shares practical strategies for making outdoor time an achievable and celebrated part of your family’s life.  I make it a priority in my own family to get plenty of time outside in nature, and the benefits are undeniable.

Episode 129 | Learning Old-Fashioned Skills | Carolyn Thomas of Homesteading Family

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When diving into the world of homesteading, it can quickly become overwhelming when you realize just how many skills there are to learn.  Where should you start?  I’m so glad Carolyn of Homesteading Family joined me for this conversation.  As a long-time homesteader and mother of 10, Carolyn shares how she got started building her skillset to support the homesteading lifestyle she desired for herself and her family.  Carolyn is a wealth of information, and she is passionate about teaching others how to live this beautiful way of life, too.