Why?

In this video we explain what unexpected events led to us changing our mind and stopping this off grid homestead project.

This episode is brought to you by OUPES

For a limited period—from March 13 to April 12—the Exodus 1500 is available at an exclusive introductory price of just $449, offering a cost-effective, high-performance solution perfect for homesteaders and off-grid enthusiasts.

BUY HERE USE COUPON CODE "Homesteady" for 5% OFF!

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https://youtu.be/oDfQtD_ScVQ?si=0iNEi95d1NrUAPKj

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Youtube is making major changes that favor small creators, creating an unprecedented opportunity for homesteaders to build successful channels.

In this episode, we follow the inspiring journey of Crystal and Reeve, who transformed their Alaska homestead into a thriving business by combining YouTube content with goat milk soap sales, enabling Crystal to leave her nursing career behind.

Discover the simple three-step process that helped homesteaders earn $60,000-$100,000 from their farms, and learn from Farm Marketing Solutions' John Suscovich about turning expertise into digital products.

Whether you're just starting out or already have a homestead, this episode reveals practical strategies to start making money today through YouTube, product sales, and consulting - without expensive equipment or previous experience.

Plus, get insider tips on common mistakes to avoid and how to take advantage of YouTube's algorithm changes before this unique opportunity window closes.

Starting or Growing a Youtube Channel?

FREE COACHING....JOIN MY EMAIL LIST

Need Some Help? Let's Work Together! Book a Consulting Call

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Checkout

Chrystal and Reeve at  @FlatTireFarmHomesteadingAlaska 

John Suscovich at  @farmmarketing ​

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From a freezer failure that cost us thousands in spoiled meat to a moldy hay bale blunder that wasted $500, we've made our fair share of mistakes. We'll also discuss our $1,000+ lesson in aquaponics, custom chicken feed, and more.

Don't let these mistakes discourage you from homesteading – instead, use our experiences to avoid making the same costly errors. We'll share the lessons we learned and tips on how you can prevent these issues on your own homestead.

If you're considering homesteading or just starting out, this video is a must-watch. Join us as we transparently share our journey and help you navigate the world of homesteading without breaking the bank!

#homesteading #homesteadingmistakes #homesteadingtips #moneysavingtips #selfsufficientliving

BACKWOODS HOME AND SELF RELIANCE MAGAZINE

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Backwoods Home and Self Reliance Magazine.

50% OFF! https://www.backwoodshome.com/shop/homesteady-special/

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In just 1 month we found over 1,000 Acres of land that we could start homesteading on with NO MONEY EXCHANGED!

In this episode we share 3 ways to find land to homestead on without spending a dime on it, and we also share 3 warnings with you if you decide to go this route to start homesteading.

Pioneers YURT Podcast

Become a Pioneer Here

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Don't miss out on the action!

Become a Pioneer and join our live streaming viewing party to watch this episode together and get exclusive behind-the-scenes insights.

Click here to become a Homesteady Pioneer and enjoy a year of membership with four months free

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Don't miss out on the action! CLICK HERE TO Become a Pioneer and join our live streaming viewing party to watch this episode together and get exclusive behind-the-scenes insights. Click here to become a Homesteady Pioneer and enjoy a year of membership with four months free.

Stay tuned for the next episode, where Kay and the kids arrive at the cabin for the first time, and we share their reactions to our off-grid cabin!

Links to stuff in the episode

Joolca System

Kencove Off Grid Fencing System

Oupes Solar System

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In this thrilling episode of the Alaska Off-Grid Challenge, we embark on an unforgettable road trip from Pennsylvania to the untamed wilderness of Alaska. Our mission? To live entirely off the grid in a remote cabin. But before we dive into our off-grid adventure, we must take you along for the ride, filled with road mishaps, grizzly bear encounters, and unexpected twists!

Pioneers... CLICK HERE to watch the next episode in the series, commercial free, in the Pioneer Library

CLICK HERE to Become a Pioneer Here

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I'm guessing you are not a full time farmer. Your growing time is limited. SO instead of trying to grow everything, focus on growing the most productive things…

How do we know what the most productive things to grow are?

We found over 100 homesteaders who were growing around 75% of their food. What are they growing? More importantly, what are they NOT wasting their time on? We will share that in this video!

This episode brought to you by -

LAUREL MOUNTAIN SOAPS - All Natural Homemade Soaps and Skin Products made from Goat Milk! Tim and Jocelyn started making soap for their baby, and grew that hobby into a business! Parents... Try their new Diaper Balm! CLICK HERE TO BUY and Use coupon code "homesteady" for 10% off!

PIONEER EPISODE - BEEF WITH A FULL TIME JOB

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A PIONEER

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HOMESTEADS THAT HELPED WITH THIS VIDEO

Steph from Red Pine Pastures RAISES MEAT!

Matt and Sara GROW VEGGIES - @mattsara2802 

Dana Raises CHICKENS in NEW ZEALAND  @FantailValleyHomestead 

Liv LOVES MILK COWS - https://www.instagram.com/livsalittlefarm/

Codi's GROWING TONS OF FOOD...  @morethanfarmers 

Steph and Chris are SQUASH'in the competition -  @HickorycroftFarm ​

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Yep. us too.

However, in today’s world, achieving this goal is far from easy.

We don’t live in Pioneer times anymore, there’s no Homestead Act which gets us free land, we have insurance and taxes to pay, not to mention most of us drive cars… not cattle.

This has led many people to wonder if true self-sufficiency is possible.

Can you be 100% self sufficient as a homesteader? If no, what % should you shoot for?

Learn what to expect in this episode of the Podcast!

Youtube Videos to Check Out

Grow a Years Worth of Chicken AND Stop Buying Chicken

10 Ways You are Killing Your Meat Chickens Without Realizing It

Best and Worst Food to Grow for Self Sufficiency

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90% of goat owners report having a goat die, for a reason other than old age.

That means most of us who own goats are going to experience some really heartbreaking death at some point in our goat journey.

The sad truth is, although they're super cute, they can be really hard to keep alive.

That's why we talked to Deborah Neiman, the author of Raising Goats Naturally and Goats Giving Birth all about these major problems facing goat owners and how we can overcome them.

So let's tackle these three major obstacles with Deborah... she shares some expert advice on how to keep our goats happy and healthy!

Pioneer Version of this episode

Click Here to Become a Pioneer

Checkout Deborah Niemann

Main Website

Youtube Channel

Podcast

Instagram

This episode brought to you by -

LAUREL MOUNTAIN SOAP - All Natural Homemade Soaps and Skin Products made from Goat Milk! Tim and Jocelyn started making soap for their baby, and grew that hobby into a business! Try their lotion bars during the dry winter months! CLICK HERE TO BUY and Use coupon code "homesteady" for 10% off!

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What if there was a better way...?

What if you could build your house out of materials that people were throwing away? Free materials, and a building method that was DIY friendly...

This is exactly why Annie and Jay built themselves an Earthship.

What is an Earthship?

An Earthship is a type of sustainable, passive solar home that is made of natural and recycled materials. The design emphasizes self-sufficiency, energy efficiency, and the use of renewable resources... Like beer cans, or in Annie and Jay's case... Tires!

Read the Blog Recap HERE

Checkout

Their Youtube channel

Blue Rock Station Website

Their Podcast

Pioneer Version of this Podcast

Become a Pioneer HERE

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Checkout Kerry's Channel

MAKE MONEY HOMESTEADING COURSE - https://www.thisishomesteady.com/time-make-money-homesteading-2/

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If you are planning on building a homestead from scratch, maybe even an off grid home, eventually you will need to choose a spot to put your house. 

How do you choose the best spot to place your home? Don't make a costly mistake, in this episode Logan Parker from Heirloom Builders joins us to talk about how to choose the best location on your property for your home. 

LISTEN TO THE PIONEER VERSION HERE

BECOME A PIONEER HERE

Checkout Logan's WEBSITE , his DESIGNS FOR SALE, and his YOUTUBE CHANNEL

This episode brought to you by -

LAUREL MOUNTAIN SOAP - All Natural Homemade Soaps and Skin Products made from Goat Milk! Tim and Jocelyn started making soap for their baby, and grew that hobby into a business! Try their lotion bars during the dry winter months! CLICK HERE TO BUY and Use coupon code "homesteady" for 10% off!

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#tinyhome #barndominium #homestead 

This Episode of Homesteady is brought to you by

KUJO YARDWEAR - Work shoes, pants and more! Checkout kujo.com for all your yard wear and use coupon code "homesteady" for a 10% discount!

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Are you looking for cheap land to get started with? 

Learn 3 ways to find cheap homestead land in this episode! 

This Episode of Homesteady is brought to you by

LAUREL MOUNTAIN SOAP - All Natural Homemade Soaps and Skin Products made from Goat Milk! Tim and Jocelyn started making soap for their baby, and grew that hobby into a business! Try their lotion bars during the dry winter months! Use coupon code "homesteady" for 10% off!

Resources for this Podcast

Gridlessness Interview

Just Start Chickens Course

Interview with Grant Woods

AJM Earth

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CLICK HERE TO GET THE PIONEER VERSION

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A PIONEER HERE

MISTY'S INSTAGRAM

MISTY on Wild and Whole

CLAY'S INSTAGRAM

CLAY'S PODAST

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Jackie Pollner is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with extensive experience in treating anxiety, eating disorders, and PTSD. Together with her husband Jack, and daughter Emma, they have woven these ideas into the fabric of their homestead in southern New Hampshire, being mindful daily of the food they produce, the animals they tend, and the life they live.

Checkout The Mindful Homestead Website and Youtube Channel

Use coupon code "homesteady10" for a discount on Dapper Pig Soap

Sign up to our email list so you don't miss any of our Podcasts

LOVE HOMESTEADY? Become a Pioneer - You get instant access to the new forum, discounts, and homesteading classes and podcasts!

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Just click that link then do your regular shopping, it doesn’t cost you any extra but we earn a commission for sending you there.

Get Homesteady Tee Shirts (and other clothing) Here - 

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JORDANS YOUTUBE CHANNEL

JORDANS FARM

FARM BUILDER SCHOOLS

CLICK HERE to watch the Homesteady Pioneer Version of this episode

 WANT TO MAKE MONEY HOMESTEADING?

The Pioneer Pro Program is a new program I am excited to announce here at Homesteady! You get access to the pioneer library, invited to all the interviews we have and all the bonus content pioneers get, AND it’s also bundled with the Make Money Homesteading course! This is a course that I designed to help you take the little baby steps it takes to go from wanting to make money from your homestead to actually having a product and the infrastructure in place to sell that product! It’s a one month long course but you can take it at your own pace and right now it’s bundled with the pioneer program to make this pioneer pro program!

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Pioneer Pro Program! 

MOST farmers don't make enough money from their efforts to live off their earnings. 

It's a sad but true statement.

An article written last year on the usda website stated that 96% of farm households get some income from off-farm sources and on average that off-farm income was 82 of their total income.

Yep. Farming for a living is hard.

And yet many of us want the life of a farmer...

So, can it be done? Can we make a living... living the life we want, farming full time? YES.

Jordan and his wife Laura figured out how to do this starting a regenerative multi-species pasture-based farm from scratch, both of them coming out of military jobs!

How? He shares their story in the latest episode of our podcast!

Jordan didn't exactly grow up farming.

"I did not grow up on a farm per se. I grew up on what now would now be called a homestead. We had egg laying chickens, a few pigs, and a herd of dairy goats...

CLICK HERE TO HEAD TO THE WEBSITE TO READ THE REST OF THE BLOG RECAP

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PIONEER VERSION OF THIS VIDEO - https://www.thisishomesteady.com/cheese-making-101-robyn-cheese-scratch/

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This spring we bought a new cow! (You will learn more about her later...) 

She is giving us GALLONS AND GALLONS of delicious farm fresh milk, and so in an effort to use all this milk, K started making cheese!

A few searches on instagram led her to...

Robyn from Cheese From Scratch

Instagram 

Website and Cheesemaking Course

YouTube

On this channel Robyn teaches how to make all sorts of cheeses, and the best part, she shows you how to do it all with very simple equipment you may already own!

BOOKS TO CHECKOUT 

Art of Natural Cheesemaking 

200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes

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Become a Pioneer - You get instant access to the new forum, discounts, and homesteading classes and podcasts!

Sign up to our email list so you don't miss any of our Podcasts

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My search led me to Laurel Mountain Soaps.

Tim and Jocelyn started making soap because their baby girl was getting severe diaper rashes.

The skin products they were buying were irritating their daughters skin to the point of blisters, and they decided if no one made a natural product that worked for their baby girl, they would just do it themselves.

They started experimenting with goat milk soap, and saw it work wonders on their daughters skin condition.

Years later they run a business making TRULY NATURAL goat milk soap that not only cleans your body, but makes you FEEL better too!

In this episode Tim and Jocelyn teach us WHY GOAT MILK SOAP IS the BEST SOAP for your body, and how you can make your own!

If you can't make your own soap you can buy some incredible stuff from Tim and Jocelyn!

CLICK HERE TO Visit Laurel Mountain Soaps Online and use Coupon Code "homesteady22" for 10% off all their products!

Jocelyn Suggested these good books for learning about Soap Making

Soap Crafting

The Everything Soap Making Book

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PIONEERS - CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL LENTH VERSION

Sarah spent her youth ‘playin in the mud’ and hunting in the gateway to the south, Louisville, Kentucky. Sarah spent years as a professional wrestler, where she met her husband Ray. They married in a Viking themed wedding, and in June of 2019, they announced Sarah’s pregnancy.

Rowesborg was established in 2019. Making the farm a homestead of their own, the goal is to live a sustainable life as healthy and naturally as possible. To the Rowes, homesteading is becoming self-sufficient with what you have at home. Growing, creating, hunting, and harvesting their food.

Checkout 

Sarah's Instagram

Youtube Channel

Website

BECOME A PIONEER

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I think we all agree the most fun part of homesteading is new animals... right? 

A new breed of chickens, a pair of cute little goat kids, or your first cow! 

It is SO FUN to get new animals. 

And that is why it is so dang hard to say NO when you have an opportunity to get a new animal! 

K and I are both pretty bad at this whole animal self-control thing... and that is why it was so surprising last week we BOTH... K INCLUDED... decided to say NO to a new animal we were offered!

Also we will have some fun cow pregnancy updates, a camel worm issue to talk about, and a live guinea egg candling reveal!

We are currently incubating guinea eggs in a Brinsea Incubator. We have used this little fully automatic incubator to hatch guineas and chickens for years! CLICK HERE to check out the BRINSEA INCUBATOR

(and remember if you shop through our Amazon Link we make a small commission for the sale without costing you a penny extra!

The Homesteady Podcast is brought to you by the Homesteady Pioneer Program! Join us for our monthly round table zoom meetups with the Homesteady pioneers! The last Pioneer Meetup we discussed how and why to start a Homestead Business!

Click Here to become a Pioneer!

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Checkout their Website to find all their products and their videos and more!

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Becoming a Pioneer - You get instant access to the new forum, discounts, and homesteading classes and podcasts!

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http://www.amsteady.com

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There are a lot of big claims surrounding it. What is fact and what is myth?

Today we share an interview on the channel with Mouse Creek Farm who has been raising these pigs for years.

Kirstin answers lots of our IPP questions including do you have to supplement their diet or can they live off pasture alone? Do they ever root? And how is their meat production and quality?

FACEBOOK GROUP FOR IPP

MOUSE CREEK FARM

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Becoming a Pioneer - You get instant access to the new forum, discounts, and homesteading classes and podcasts!

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http://www.amsteady.com

Just click that link then do your regular shopping, it doesn’t cost you any extra but we earn a commission for sending you there.

AFFILIATE LINKS To The HOMESTEADING GEAR I use everyday -https://www.thisishomesteady.com/gear-use/

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Are you interested in Camels? Check out Camel Connection here

www.camelconnection.com

See their Youtube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/user/RussellOsborne1

Sign up to our email list so you don't miss any of our videos here -

https://www.thisishomesteady.com/join-homesteady-movement/

SUBSCRIBE to our PODCAST HERE -

https://www.thisishomesteady.com/subscribe-podcast/

LOVE HOMESTEADY? Help us keep it going!

Becoming a Pioneer - You get instant access to the new forum, discounts, and homesteading classes and podcasts!

https://www.thisishomesteady.com/head-west-become-pioneer/

Are you shopping at Amazon? Shop through our Amsteady Link

http://www.amsteady.com

Just click that link then do your regular shopping, it doesn’t cost you any extra but we earn a commission for sending you there.

AFFILIATE LINKS To The HOMESTEADING GEAR I use everyday -https://www.thisishomesteady.com/gear-use/

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Raising Meat Rabbits in a Colony is joining us to talk Meat Rabbits 101!

Dana (said Daah naah, not the classic American Dayna) is a homesteading, homeschooling mama of 4 living on 10 acres in the south of New Zealand. She loves to garden and help people become more self sufficient no matter where they live.

She shares her adventures on her Youtube Channel

If you want to get started with rabbits, but are not sure what is needed, or if you should try a colony or a hutch, this interview will be perfect for you.

LOVE HOMESTEADY? Help us keep it going!

Becoming a Pioneer - You get instant access to the new forum, discounts, and homesteading classes and podcasts!

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Dr Tiffany Eurich joins us today to talk about farming, growing the farm business, and how to become a thought leader in your industry.

TIFFANY'S FREE TRAINING FOR HOMESTEADY

LOVE HOMESTEADY? Help us keep it going!

Becoming a Pioneer - You get instant access to the new forum, discounts, and homesteading classes and podcasts!

CAMEL TRAIN SHOUTOUT - THANKS to the Dozen Arrows Crew A.K.A. The Lopez Family for sponsoring this episode!

Dr. Tiffany Eurich is the founder of tiffanyeurich.com, a resource for communications strategy, dedicated to helping entrepreneurs increase their brand's visibility, authority, and impact.

She has a Ph.D. in communications, and over 20 years of experience in the communications industry. She spent a decade as a university professor and was the host of several award-winning television programs. She's also the author of "Knitting Together a Community," an in-depth analysis of the characteristics and practices of thriving online communities.

When she isn't working with clients, you can find her working in her family's homestead and vineyard (which she affectionately refers to as farming with a better publicist).

The Homesteady Podcast is part of the Waypoint Outdoor Collective, the Podcast Network for the Outdoorsman.

Checkout all of the Waypoint Outdoor Collective Podcasts HERE

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BUY CAMEL CRAZY HERE

Christina Adams is an award-winning writer.

She grew up on a Virginia farm where her family grew tobacco and hay and raised cattle, chickens, pigs and the occasional bee. She was active in 4-H and still visits farms today. She is the author of Camel Crazy (New World Library) and A Real Boy (Penguin), and a medical journal article on camel milk treatment for autism.

Her work has been featured by NPR, The Washington Post, OZY, The Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register, Open Democracy, RAVISHLY, Orange Coast Magazine, Web MD, Global Advances in Health and Medicine, Dubai One, Khaleej Times and more, and she consults with camel scientists and farmers worldwide.

She has spoken to audiences in Germany, India, England, Pakistan, UAE, and the US.

Check her out at her website - www.christinaadamsauthor.com

Follow her on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/christina_adams_author/

The Homesteady Podcast is part of the Waypoint Outdoor Collective, the Podcast Network for the Outdoorsman.

Checkout all of the Waypoint Outdoor Collective Podcasts HERE

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This is the story of 2 crazy homesteaders who just bought a milk camel.

Watch the Camel Arrive in THIS VIDEO

Learn about the Camel Train in THIS VIDEO

JOIN THE HOMESTEADY CAMEL TRAIN HERE

The Homesteady Podcast is part of the Waypoint Outdoor Collective, the Podcast Network for the Outdoorsman.

Checkout all of the Waypoint Outdoor Collective Podcasts HERE

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As a child, she was fortunate enough to be able to spend much of her free time exploring and playing in the woods. Little has changed now that she older. She moved to a place with a bigger woods and still enjoys spending her time outside hiking, gardening, and photographing the natural world. 

As the eldest of seven children who grew up in a homeschooling family Ariel had the opportunity, not always appreciated at the time, to learn to do quite a bit of work. She's enjoyed a wide range of jobs, everything from greenhouses and flower arranging, to wilderness therapy with teens, to milking cows.

Mostly, she enjoys doing the kinds of things that try to provide a real service or value to others. Some of her other hobbies include backpacking, hosting people, cooking, preserving food, anything to do with nutrition, skiing, reading, journalling, and sitting around a fire and talking to close friends.

You can follow Ariel's adventures here at her Youtube Channel - youtube.com/fynyth

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Morgan's dream was to build a farm!

After he quit his finance job in Washington, DC, his wife and he moved to a farm in a remote part of Northern Vermont.

He planted a 600 tree integrated orchard consisting of chestnuts, hazelnuts, elderberries, mulberries, apple, black locust and many others.

He also established a flock of 40 egg-laying ducks that will live in a mobile duck house that travels through our orchard.

His ultimate goal is to develop a long-lasting sustainable farm that is sustainable on three levels - environmentally, financially and personally.

Morgan has been documenting his farm's development through a YouTube channel and a newly launched podcast.

Enjoy listening to this podcast episode as Aust and Morgan talk making the leap from living in places like New York City and Washington, DC to town of 700 people in Northern Vermont,

planting a 600 tree orchard, being a duck farmer who is allergic to duck eggs, and so much more!

CHECKOUT MORGANS YOUTUBE CHANNEL and PODCAST

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They learned in a barn.

Cutting up their own home grown pigs, and curing the meat in an old refrigerator, the guys decided they would try to follow their passion and start a butcher shop. 

They found an old bank in the middle of Pennsylvania farm country. Perfect.

Lots of elbow grease, experimenting with old world recipes, and bourbon, and here they are running a successful butcher business from scratch. 

Check them out at their Facebook Page or at Instagram

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I feel one of the best things you can do for yourself, and especially for your children, is to raise some livestock, even if only for a short time.

The connection you and your family will form to these animals that are so dependent on you is powerful.

If you are thinking about getting some livestock in the future but are not sure how, you will enjoy this excerpt of the 4th Lesson in the Start Homesteading Today course, Your First Livestock.

In this 4th lesson we will talk about

• The Golden Rules of Livestock
• What are the best kind of livestock for beginners
• Basic infrastructure for livestock that will make your life easier
• And MORE!!!!

HOMEWORK

Raising Chickens Masterclass 

Raising Feeder Pigs Masterclass

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Hatching and raising poultry on the Homestead can be a great way to feed your family, and entertain yourselves at the same time!

Today we are joined by Jake and Becky of White House on the Hill to talk poultry!

WHITE HOUSE ON THE HILL CHANNEL - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfuEu0ff9Yy_oA5U21C5Stw

WHITE HOUSE on INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/whitehouseonthehill/

Jake , Becky and their three boys make up White House on the Hill.

YouTubers and homesteaders in NW Missouri that are interested in growing their own food, hatching and raising birds, and starting a farm from scratch.

They recently bought a large piece of property (previously renters on a small farm) where they plan to build a house, barn, big exterior fence so they can raise a number of animals for meat, some animals for fun, and explore a new life that they never thought was possible when they started doing this three years ago.

Join us as we talk all things poultry and homesteading! 

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TAKE THE COURSE

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A PIONEER FOR FREE FOR 1 MONTH

If that sounds familiar, you are not alone.

Over the last 2 years we have been doing a survey at our website.

We found most of our followers are either new homesteaders, or are homestead dreamers.

• Not how to make money raising pigs
• Not how to raise enough food for your own family
• NOT EVEN how to fence in goats

So....

I WANT TO HELP YOU START YOUR HOMESTEAD THIS YEAR.

I have been working on a course for the last year.

Since we have moved to a new homestead in a new state I have been paying special attention to the things that need to be taken care of so someone can actually start AND MORE IMPORTANTLY continue homesteading without burning out!

I have taken notes on all these steps, and compiled this info into a simple process that you can replicate, which will be presented to you as an online course.

I am happy to announce we will be launching our new course next week!

START HOMESTEADING TODAY

the Start Homesteading Today course is a 5 lesson course designed to help you do just that... start today!

The 5 Lessons are

1. How To Start Homesteading Today
2. Finding Your First (next) Homestead
3. Your First Garden
4. Your First Livestock
5. Growing a Sustainable Homestead

This course will walk you through the journey that it takes to take a dream and turn it into a farm fresh eggs on your plate each morning reality.

I will be starting this course on Monday Jan 13, at 5 P.M. Eastern Time. It will be a live webinar that you can join me for. After the 30 Minute Presentation there will be a Q and A session. This will be repeated each Monday after that for all 5 lessons. If you miss the live show you can watch the recording and leave questions in the chat box.

If you are a pioneer just join me in the Pioneer's Live From the Barn Show on Monday and you will be able to be a part of the show.

If you don't like it you still will have taken 4 lessons for free and can cancel your membership after that.

Click below to sign up. You will need to put in your credit card info, but you will not be charged for 30 days. If you like the program, keep going. If not, cancel any time.

I hope to see you Monday Night!

Pushing People into the Pig Pen Aust

FOOD PRESERVATION CLASS 

BOOK HOMEWORK 

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How did he earn enough money from grazing livestock?

Find out in this video.

CHECKOUT

GREG JUDY'S CHANNEL 

GREG JUDY'S BOOKS

Comeback Farms 

No Risk Ranching

GREG JUDY'S WEBSITE

BECOME A PIONEER

Greg and Jan Judy of Clark, Missouri run a grazing operation on 1620 acres of leased and owned land.

Greg and Jan went from near bankruptcy in 1999 to paying off a 200 acre farm and house in 3 years with custom grazing on leased land and are completely debt free. They own 4 farms and lease 12 farms.

They graze cattle, hair sheep, woods pigs, pastured laying hens, sawmilling and grow shitake mushrooms.

Greg wrote his first book in 2001, entitled “NO RISK RANCHING, Custom Grazing On Leased Land”, which details the methods they used to build their operation from scratch. In 2008 Greg wrote a second book “COMEBACK FARMS, Rejuvenating Soils, Pastures and Profits with Livestock Grazing Management”.

Greg’s second book covers all the methods they use with Holistic High Density Grazing, multi-species grazing, grass finishing animals, eliminating costly inputs.

Greg gives talks and schools all over the US, New Zealand, Germany, England & Canada teaching the benefits of Holistic High Density Planned Grazing, leasing land, multi-species grazing, custom grazing, agroforestry and wildlife management. The Judy’s hold an annual grazing school the first week of May each year at their farm teaching the principles of HHDG.

Greg quit his off farm job in 2009 and is now a full time rancher. The Judy’s website is: greenpasturesfarm.net.

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In this video we are joined by Butcher and Educator Jamie Waldron.

Together we explore the world of home butchery and how it can greatly increase your home economy by taking control of how you purchase meat and providing you with more flexibility by purchasing whole carcasses.

Jamie was born in Windsor, Ontario, and raised in the small rural town of Harrow. He started his career in a small country butcher shop as a teenager.

Since then, he has dedicated 18+ years to the art of butchery. Jamie has worked at some of the top butcher shops in Canada, helped craft menus and meat programs for restaurant groups, consulted for butcher shops, and worked with and for abattoirs in Ontario.

In 2013, he wrote the Home Butchering Handbook (Penguin/Alpha). It covers all aspects of traditional meat cutting, from whole carcass to usable cuts.

JAMIE'S BOOK - https://amzn.to/2Sbokln

JAMIE'S WEBSITE - http://www.jwaldronbutchers.com

JAMIE'S INSTAGRAM- https://www.instagram.com/j.waldron_butchers/

JAMIE'S RECOMENDED KNIVES 

6 Inch Boning - https://amzn.to/35L2g4X

8 Inch Boning - https://amzn.to/2sMLWCe

Saw - https://amzn.to/2ZcCpjJ

JAMIE'S RECOMENDED BOOKS

River Cottage Meat Book - https://amzn.to/2Sq2AlZ Meat the Ultimate Companion - https://amzn.to/2EIMlrQ

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Her main passion since she was little was with the cattle, from handling to pasture management.

She currently works as a forage-beef extension specialist with the provincial government and is working towards getting into farming of her own some day.

She shares thoughts, and advice on all things cattle at her website 

https://www.bovinepracticum.com/

Karin is coming on the show to talk about working with Cattle. She will help us cover safety, how to make their life as comfortable as possible, and share some tips and tricks to working with cattle.

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At 9 years old, milking her first goat, Rachyl had no idea that someday she would be running a successful family farm business.

A pet goat given to her at 9 years old soon turned into multiple goats, and when Rachyl wound up with 15 goats in milk, and 15 gallons of milk a day to process, she had to figure out something to do with all of the milk.

Rachyl didn’t want the milk to go to waste.

She enlisted the help of her older sister and together they came up with the first goat milk product: the famous goat milk soap.

In June 2012, Rachyl’s Goat Milk Soap was born after family and friends raved about the soap they received as gifts and asked to buy it!

Now Rachyl sells her product in many stores and farmers markets through out Rhode Island with her mom and sister at her side!

Rachyl shares her story, and the secret to overcoming fear when starting your own farm business.

CHECKOUT RACHYL AND TRAVIS FAMILY FARM at Travisfamilyfarm.com

A new feature on our podcast will be a Q and A session, called ASK HOMESTEADY. Each episode we will feature Questions asked by our Audiance in the podcast. To have a question answered just leave a question in the comments section of our Youtube Channel with the hastag #askhomesteady. 

This episodes question... Goats Milk vs Cows Milk vs Sheeps Milk... which is best for your homestead?

Sign up to our email list so you don't miss any of our videos here -
https://www.thisishomesteady.com/join-homesteady-movement/

SUBSCRIBE to our PODCAST HERE -
https://www.thisishomesteady.com/subscribe-podcast/

LOVE HOMESTEADY? Help us keep it going!
Becoming a Pioneer - You get instant access to the new forum, discounts, and homesteading classes and podcasts!

https://www.thisishomesteady.com/head-west-become-pioneer/

Are you shopping at Amazon? Shop through our Amsteady Link
http://www.amsteady.com
Just click that link then do your regular shopping, it doesn’t cost you any extra but we earn a commission for sending you there.

AFFILIATE LINKS To The HOMESTEADING GEAR I use everyday -https://www.thisishomesteady.com/gear-use/

Get Homesteady Tee Shirts (and other clothing) Here - https://shop.spreadshirt.com/homesteady/

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Homesteading roots began with people trying to turn their life around  by making a profit.

Signed into law in May 1862, the Homestead Act opened up settlement in the western United States, allowing any American, including freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land.

Modern Homesteading is similar. Google pallet homestead projects and you will know, it's often people with little, that dream big.

But dreaming and reality are 2 different things. Is it possible to run a profitable homestead? Let's see if our guest can help.

GUEST INFO : Accountant Mike

Mike currently works as a Senior Accountant at DiLeo & Charles. He has spent about a decade working providing accounting, tax, and consulting services to small business clients and high net worth families. He uses his extensive knowledge of tax and financial statements to help small business owners set and achieve business goals, both financial and otherwise. He currently specializes in strategic planning, income tax reduction, and cash flow management for small businesses. When he isn’t working Mike enjoys following Formula 1 and playing peek-a-boo with his infant daughter.

What is a profit?

Profit : a financial gain, especially the difference between the amount earned and the amount spent in buying, operating, or producing something.

2 - advantage; benefit.

TO BE PROFITABLE SOMETHING MUST PRODUCE MORE THAN IT CONSUMES

A profitable garden produces more than it consumes.

A profitable chicken produces more than it consumes.

A profitable Homestead produces more than it consumes.

To find out if we are running a profitable homestead we need to identify what is produced, what is consumed, and see if there is a gain in the difference.

The 7 Costs Every Homestead Has to Cover

1. 1. Startup Costs - land, Infrastructure, fencing (Generally Amortized Costs)
   2. Running Costs - more than feed, Electricity, water, taxes on land,
   3. Surprise Costs - Vet bills, storm damage
   4. Finishing costs - butcher, packaging, storage
   5. TIME and Labor
   6. Opportunity Costs - time spent raising egg laying chickens could be spent driving for uber
   7. WASTE - Veggies grown not eaten, eggs go bad

The PASTURED POULTRY PACKET is good at this.

3 Ways to Profit From Your Homestead

1. Direct Products - lettuce, eggs, milk, cheese, REPLACING WHAT YOUR BUYING
2. Indirect products - manure, land management, (BUT NOT UNLESS NEEDED, if you don’t NEED manure in your life it’s not brown gold)
3. Sales - selling excess

How much do you charge above your costs? Accountant Mike suggests a MINIMUM of 10%!

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When our homestead in CT went onto the market to be sold things moved quickly. In just 10 days we had an offer on the place and accepted it.

Suddenly we needed a place to live in PA WAY FASTER than we expected. We needed to figure out what we were going to live in.

We have wanted to live in a Yurt for almost as long as we have been married.

The dream of the yurt resurfaced. We needed a inexpensive structure that could house us for at least a few months, that we could put up quickly.

The yurt seemed like a perfect idea.  But a harder look at the yurt, and the expense, made us decide otherwise.

On the family farm there was already a Pole Barn build, with insulated walls and electricity run to it. The shell was done, and upstairs above the pole barn was 1000 square feet of unfinished space. It was a no brainer.

The yurt dream had to die… once again.

Maybe someday K and I will wind up as empty nesters, living our days within the round cozy walls of a yurt. But for now, that remains just a dream.

Work began on the pole barn. Turning an unfinished pole barn into a home takes a LOT of materials!

The upstairs space was wide open. The floors were plywood, and the walls and ceilings metal. There was big LED lights on the ceiling and electric already run, but the rest of what we needed to put into the house we needed to buy or scrounge.

We purchased lumber, sheetrock, flooring, paint, and all the hardware and supplies needed to build the interior.  In addition to those supplies we needed to buy a toilett, 2 sinks, and bathtub. We put in a washer, dryer, and dishwasher. Also we added an electric hot water heater and 2 heat/AC units.

The kitchen cabinets were a steal for us, as we had a family member who was turning a home into a salon and was getting rid of an entire kitchen, cabinets, stove and fridge. That we got for FREE and it was a big savings to us! The only added expense to the kitchen was the counter tops that needed to be made to match the new layout.

We couldn’t DIY the entire project, we would need to hire some contractors.

We wanted to finish the space all ourself, but unfortunately we still had a farm in CT to run (until move out day) and so we could only dedicate 1 week to working on turning the pole barn upstairs into a living space.

We spent about $30,000 turning this unfinished space into a beautiful little living space for our large family.

When the dust settled, about 12,000 was spent on supplies and materials for the space, and between the carpenters, electricians, and plumbers we spent about 18,000 on labor.

All and all it was worth it.

Our family had a great space to live in for the last year while the second house on the family farm was being built, and now that we are out of the pole barn, we have a great guest space for visitors, and I have a awesome office to run my business out of.

Once the place we need to live in was built we could move onto the new homestead.

Since we had moved onto a homestead once before we had a good idea of what NOT to do and what we should spend our time doing on our new homestead.

 3 Things You Don’t Want To Do On Your New Homestead

1. DON’T Invest a Whole Bunch Of Time and Money On Infrastructure. 
2. DON’T Get New Animals Right Away. 
3. DON’T Expect to Make Money Right Away. 

You are going to make mistakes the first year.  Mistakes are a natural way we learn. The first time you burned your hand on something hot you learned not to touch hot things in the future.

If you avoid these 3 mistakes you will be ahead of us when we were new homesteaders, and you will get to learn your own lessons the hard way 😉

So what should you spend time doing on your new homestead?

Take walks daily on your new property.

Get to know it. Spend some time learning it. Whatever you see on those walks… capture it. Photos, journals, videos, whatever way you can capture what you are observing on your walks.

Setup temporary movable infrastructure.

If you have animals or are getting a few new ones, don’t setup permanent fences and waterlines yet… use moveable electric, hoses, and whatever other moveable infrastructure you can to learn your property before investing in permanent changes.

Fix what is broke. 

If you don’t spend a bunch of time and money on new permanent infrastructure you will be saving it for the things that are going to break on you.

Our first year on our new PA homestead is done. We have settled in. What is in store for us? What farm plans do we have in our future? Find out in the next episode of the Homesteady Podcast.

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selling our homestead in CT, and headed to a new farm in PA. We said that you would be getting updates from us as we went on this journey to our new home in the state of PA. 

Then silence. 

In our official Season 2 of Homesteady, we start to fill you in on what happened, where we went, and what is going to happen going forward.

In this first episode, brought to you by the Homesteady Pioneers (BECOME ONE HERE) we talk about selling Squash Hollow Farm, our farm in CT and Moving to PA.

The truth is we have been talking about doing this for years. K's Dad has been trying to get us to move to PA for the last decade. 

K grew up on the 100 acre family farm, and her dad wanted us to take it over.

K loved the land, the location, and was excited about the idea of being close to her family again. I was the hold out. 

My entire life was spent in CT. My friends, family, all my roots were there. The older a tree gets the HARDER it is to uproot it. 

Every year K's dad would pitch us the idea to move back home, and farm off the family farm. And every year I had an easy out. My business, my clients, the means of feeding my family, all of that was located in CT. Honestly it was too scary to shake that up.

The idea of building a new business in a new place, searching for new clients, with a ever growing family to feed, that was too scary for me.

But over the last few years something was slowly changing... As Homesteady grew, K and I started pushing towards making it our full time work and means of income. My business went from a local client based operation, to an internet business that allowed us to earn a living anywhere.

Last winter K and I decided it was time to try to jump into doing Homesteady full time.  This meant we were now making all our money off our online show, and no longer did it matter where we lived, as long as we could homestead and produce our show.

We started discussing the idea of moving to a new place with a lower cost of living than Connecticut, and where we could own a larger farm.

About that time K's Dad made his annual pitch to take over the family farm. Suddenly it all made sense. Taking over the family farm in PA would be the perfect move. Still, it was scary, and I needed a nudge.

So I called the guy I always call when making big decisions... Accountant Mike. 

After a long discussion of goals, what we wanted in life, and looking at the hard logic of it all, it became clearer. PA was the right move for us. 10 Years of saying no, it was time to say yes to taking over the family farm. 

Before we could move to PA we needed to sell our farm in CT. Selling a farm is not easy, but we were able to get the offer we wanted in just 10 days. HOW? 

STEP 1 - CLEAN YOUR PROPERTY UP

The first thing we did to our farm to sell it was to CLEAN IT! 

As a homesteader, we save a lot of random things that we think we could use to build infrastructure. These random things included random old metal bunk beds, lots of plastic barrels, pallets, pallets and more pallets....

These junk piles make your property look less valuable to a potential customer, and should be removed. 

SETP 2 - FIX WHAT'S BROKE

You don't want potential buyers to see glaring issues. So walk your property, see what is broken, cracked, etc, and fix it. This does NOT mean remodel your farm, just find cracks in drywall, broken windows, or unfinished projects and make finish and fix them! 

STEP 3 - STAGE YOUR PLACE TO SELL

Once the property is clean and fixed up, you want it to look like a place anyone could see themselves living in. This means removing your personality from your home and property, and make it a more blank pallet. We took down bunk beds, family photos, and even changed the sheets on beds to bright white sheets. The goal was to make the home look bright, white and warm, and the property big, beautiful and clean. 

STEP 4 - TAKE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES (and Marketing Materials)

When your property is all staged and ready to be seen, help more people see it online with beautiful pictures. This does NOT mean snap a couple quick pics on your phone. We bought a lighting kit ($90 kit like THIS one) and used a wide angle lens - ( LIKE THIS ONE ) on our canon camera to get the best looking photos.

Good lighting and a wide angle lens makes your rooms look large, bright and beautiful.

Then we put these in a brochure with our story and history of the property. 

Once the house was sold it was time to start packing up. This was NO small feat, with all the animals, farm equipment, feed, etc. 

But the hardest part of it all was saying goodbye to the homestead we loved so much... 

After spending years building a beautiful little homestead from the ground up, we were leaving Squash Hollow Farm forever. While we were excited to go to our new home, leaving the place with so many memories, a home we brought 3 little babies home to, was very hard to do.

Selling and Moving was just the beginning, stay tuned to a future episode of the Homesteady Podcast, which will talk about Day 1 in PA, and living in a tiny home for 9 months.

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It has been almost 1 year since we released a podcast. What happened? We talk about that in this little announcement episode...

I have been busy working on our Podcast studio! The studio is almost done, and now we are taking submissions to get you on our show!

Do you have a homesteading story to share? Want to discuss a topic with us on the podcast? Submit an application to get on our show by
CLICKING HERE --- https://www.thisishomesteady.com/guest-application/

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We meet Dan through the story of the loss of his mom. He cites it as a strong influence in his first career as a state trooper. He was raised by his dad on a homestead with a small cattle herd, hunting, fishing, and spending his days outside. Growing up as a homesteader was a confidence building experience for Dan, and as an adult he took over the family farm after his dad's passing. After ending his cow raising days due to cost, Dan went back to the land as a hobby gardener.

Unexpectedly, the garden grew into a small homestead business, as Dan's community started asking him for fresh fruits and vegetables from his garden. However, Dan's business growth was stymied when his work schedule as a state trooper limited the amount of time he was able to put into his garden. His schedule and logistics made the harvesting and delivery of produce for others unsustainable.

Enter the goats. You know, Aust's LEAST favorite homestead animal. You know how we feel about goats, at this point, right?

Before you think this is a sudden change of heart, a flip flop, a goat endorsement: heed the following rules:

1. Even though the baby goat is cute, DON'T BUY THE GOAT.
2. When you ignore us and buy the goat anyway: don't get more than one.
3. When you ignore rules number one AND two: Remember that BABY GOATS GROW UP. Like Gremlins.

We warned you. If you need a really solid reminder, we have some NEW goat shirts in our Homesteady swag store!

Moving on.

The third time trying a side-hustle was the charm: Dan's money maker on the farm, believe it or not, is GOATS.

Beginning with Boer Goats from South Africa, Dan then identified Kiko Goats from New Zealand as the best match for his homestead.

Kiko Goats are great goats for homesteaders. Specifically bred by Garrick and Ann Batten for the island country of New Zealand. Aust was able to interview Garrick to discuss the step. by step development of the goat breeding process in New Zealand. Using the theory of population genetics, Gerrick was able to breed the Kiko goat to meet the needs of the farmer in New Zealand.

(Extraneous Lord of the Ring Footage Here.)

But back to Dan. Dan is able to breed, raise, and sell Kiko goats on his property. They an excellent match for his lifestyle, his property, and his family. Their grazing patterns also allow Dan to simultaneously feed the goats on his pastures and hay his fields. While not without challenges, Dan is able to make approximately $3000 per year on his side homestead hustle. In addition, he is able to write off farm equipment on his taxes (which gets a check plus from Accountant Mike!).

However; is Dan truly making a profit? You may be (not) surprised to learn that...technically, no, not really. However, the value added to the experiences of Dan and his family in participating and contributing to all his homestead endeavors- goat breeding, chickens, gardening- are worth it to Dan.

Dan isn't planning on giving up his day job; as he puts it, "This lifestyle is about what makes you happy."

We have a new partner! Aust is so pleased to partner with Wildcat Outdoor Gear as they premier their collection of tents designed by and for "Outdoorsy Dads." Watch a great video of Aust, Kendra and the kids enjoying their tent here. Enter coupon code Homesteady at check-out for a discount!

Join our email list, and don't miss any of the exciting updates we have coming up in 2018!

We have a new addition to the Pioneer Program: A PIONEER ONLY FORUM! Learn from one another and get to talk with Accountant Mike, The Foraging Beard, Dave from Northeast Edible, Alexia The Suburban Escapee. Our podcast guests will also be in the forums!

If you are looking for more information about Kiko goats, we have an extended version of our interview with Garrick available in the Pioneer Library. Not a Pioneer? Join today! Instantly download twenty bonus episodes when you become a Homesteady Pioneer.

Want even more ways to support the show? Do your Amazon shopping through our affiliate link- www.amsteady.com.

The wait will be shorter than ever for the next episode, as Aust is now creating Homesteady Content FULL TIME. What does that mean? A daily YouTube Video and a NEW podcast every two weeks.

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Now, she's an alpaca farmer.

Wait, what? Let's back up.

We met Elaine in the Homesteady Launchpad business course hosted by Aust and Accountant Mike. Elaine is currently finding success in agrotourism- giving tourists an "on-farm" experience that is projected to net $11,000 this year.

Elaine isn't from Walla Walla Washington. Originally from Indiana, Elaine completed a successful military career and followed her then boyfriend (now husband) to Washington State. Falling in love with the beautiful landscape, they put down their roots. Elaine credits her time in the military for giving her invaluable perspective, and assisting her success in homesteading.

Elaine felt that the time she spent as a solider helped her become a stronger person and put hardship in perspective.

It was after her military experience however, that Elaine met what was to be a true test of her strength: her desire to have a family and her journey through infertility. After seven years of exhaustive medical intervention and ongoing mental stress and disappointment, Elaine and her husband found themselves choosing the end their journey to become pregnant and take a different path. This led them to selling their family-ready home and moving to the country.

"Undervalued" was the word Elaine and her husband had in mind when searching for their property- looking for a "country fabulous" property they could bring to its full potential.

They found their "gem" of a fixer upper, and the work the property needed was the perfect project to distract the Vandivers from their previous seven years of heartbreak. The property also came with a few surprises- in-tact perimeter fencing, a history of a previous homestead,  3 pastures- and two llamas, Leroy and Loretta.

If Elaine was going to have her country home, she was going to have to take in the llamas.

Googling the care of llamas, Elaine took her new (pets? livestock?) day by day. In her research, she came upon alpacas. They were softer! Cuter! Nicer! When spring came, Elaine purchased a couple to take care of the pastures full of grass on her property. When a connection with a local alpaca farmer was made, the alpacas increased from 2 to 41. In exchange for taking care of the alpaca heard she had acquired, she could keep their product. Through happenstance, Elaine became an alpaca farmer, and began her unplanned, unexpected journey to being a homestead business owner.

Things began to fall together so nicely; Elaine wasn't going to stand in the way. Cementing her path was a manila envelope with the original paperwork detailing her property's history as a parcel from the Homestead Act of 1862.

Deciding to go all-in, Elaine went step by step to become a legitimate business, following the appropriate protocol to ensure the growth and success of her alpaca farm. It is important to note, however, that the alpaca farm is Elaine's side hustle- she is a "cubicle dwelling bureaucrat" by day. She credits her job with working one side of her brain, and her farm working the entire other side- creativity, problem solving, and passion.

However -what about the alpaca fiber- is this really a valuable product? How do we make it that way?

Turns out, it is a "diamond in the rough" type product, requiring many steps to become useful and beautiful. Two years, actually, from start to finish. Elaine realized that with such a long turn around time, she needed to re-think how to utilize the value in her property.

Turns out, the BEAUTY of the farm could be capitalized on. Check out Elaine on Instagram to see the gorgeous vistas of her farm. If you find a photo of Elaine and an alpaca on the back of a Volkswagon bus, follow her feed, leave a comment identifying yourself as a Homesteady listener, and Aust will give you a FREE month of a Homesteady Pioneer Membership!

Elaine started giving tours and opened a little gift shop. More on-farm events have followed: alpaca yoga, a farm to needle workshop series on alpaca fiber, (check out the upcoming sunset yoga and wine tasting!) and then: Airbnb. For her Airbnb, the guest received a port-a-potty and land to put up a tent or camper. For $50 per night, Elaine's farm was extremely popular.

Would Elaine's business come out as profitable according to Accountant Mike's standards? No, not yet. But in terms of the added value of happiness- Elaine puts it best:

There is a difference between making money, and making a life. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Hells yeah, because I had a BLAST doing it.

We have a new partner! Aust is so pleased to partner with Wildcat Outdoor Gear as they premier their collection of tents designed by and for "Outdoorsy Dads." Watch a great video of Aust, Kendra and the kids enjoying their tent here. Enter coupon code Homesteady at check-out for a discount!

Join our email list, and don't miss any of the exciting updates we have coming up in 2018!

We have a new addition to the Pioneer Program: A PIONEER ONLY FORUM! Learn from one another and get to talk with Accountant Mike, The Foraging Beard, Dave from Northeast Edible, Alexia The Suburban Escapee, and Allyson, our producer. Our podcast guests will also be in the forums! Ask Elaine any questions you may have in our forum. Not a Pioneer? Join today!

Want even more ways to support the show? Do your Amazon shopping through our affiliate link- www.amsteady.com.

The wait will be shorter than ever for the next episode, as Aust is now creating Homesteady Content FULL TIME. What does that mean? A daily YouTube Video and a NEW podcast every two weeks. We will also

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On this episode of Homesteady, we explore our most valuable non-renewable resource: time. Beginning with the story of the Village on the Hill, we see that looking outside the box for a different solution may be the best way for us to achieve our goals. In part two of our ten part Homestead Business Series (miss part one? Listen here ) we head to North Idaho to meet Dan Ohmann on his grassfed homestead.

How did this police-officer-turned-stay-at-home-dad-and-farmer do it?

On the surface, we see a couple and a child living on a homestead raising lamb and pastured poultry. Dan's spouse still works a traditional job in the software industry, and they gross approximately $2,250 from their meaty side hustle. Like so many of us, the arrival of his first child inspired Dan and his wife to escape their HOA-ruled suburb for something different.

Dan decided he needed to take a lot more responsibility for his resources-namely, food, and increasing food security and self-sufficiency. 

(An aside-food security is an incredibly weighty and important topic. Learn more here.)

Dan's explorations led him to the concept of permaculture. Designing sustainable systems using the natural resources that are available led him to Geoff Lawton's work.

"The primary goal of permaculture is to provide a permanence of culture on the earth for people and all living things."

-Geoff Lawton

So, what is permaculture, anyway? It is an amalgamation of social and agricultural systems that, like most things, is best defined by Wikipedia.

Dan experienced a paradigm shift in watching Geoff Lawton's permaculture videos and taking his online permaculture course. Dan realized that like so many of us, he had designed his life according to the socially accepted success formula- good grades+ good college= good job, good money, good life. The permaculture model not only shifted Dan's thinking about sustainable agriculture, but showed him that he could apply these same principles to design a lifestyle that deviated from the acceptable success formula. Why?

There has been a growing awareness though that firstly, there is the need to pay more attention to the peoplecare ethic, as it is often the dynamics of people that can interfere with projects, and secondly that the principles of permaculture can be used as effectively to create vibrant, healthy and productive people and communities as they have been in landscapes.

(Wikipedia 2018)

When Dan's son ran into health problems that were directly related to his diet, that was the final push he needed to start figuring out how to provide what he needed for his family himself. They were able to make a big change, and leave their home in suburban Atlanta when his wife got a big promotion at work where she received a large pay raise and could work remotely.

Leaving the police force was a difficult transition for Dan. It was his entire career: he had worked his way through the ranks for many years. This was a meaningful job for Dan, with real value in serving his community, and he knew that he had continued career growth with his department. However, North Idaho was calling, with the land and lifestyle that Dan and his wife wanted for their family. After a two year search for the right property was finally completed, Dan started developing his homestead right away. Sheep were delivered less than 48 hours after move-in day, and they were off! Currently, they are in their second season of raising animals, with a focus on grassfed lamb.

How is Dan growing his business?

1. Start small and with with people you know. Dan raised four lambs his first season. Sending strategic emails that resulted in a friend buying a half a lamb, Dan networked his way into selling two lambs, which left two for his family to eat.
2. Make a marketing plan based upon on-the-ground feedback from your possible customer base. When Dan was marketing his lamb, everyone asked, "But how do you cook lamb?" With a series of YouTube cooking videos, he answered this question for his consumers. He developed these videos over the winter to share at a local food advocacy group event. In alignment with slow food principles, Dan showed his consumer where their food came from and what to do with it.
3. Have reasonable growth expectations. Through word of mouth, Dan has sold six lambs and cut off sales. He has since been turning people away.

"I can't meet the demand-yet," says Dan.

Also- is the business profitable? Let's get down to brass tacks, shall we? (What does that even mean, anyway?) Aust invokes the spirit of Accountant Mike to get down to the nitty gritty dollars-and-cents with Dan.

Through a value system that incorporates money as only ONE part of the value of an enterprise, however: is Dan's homestead profitable?

Through a permaculture lens, yes. Despite challenges, Dan has built many different forms of capital into the value of his endeavor. Namely? Control over his life- specifically, his TIME. He values being able to schedule his work around his son. As parents, the truth of the matter is that we have to spend time on commutes, on working out of the home- time doing what I call "The Things" that take us away from our children. However, you ARE able to build your OWN system to optimize your opportunities for fulfillment.

Shout out to The Survival Podcast for inspiring the story of the village on the hill.

Thank you to our sponsor Freight Farms: grow food anywhere with the help of the Leafy Green Machine. Thanks for continuing to sponsor the podcast! Go to www.freightfarms.com/homesteady for access to a FREE Business planning guide!

Join our email list, and don't miss any of the exciting updates we have coming up in 2018!

We have a new addition to the Pioneer Program: A PIONEER ONLY FORUM! Learn from one another and get to talk with Accountant Mike, The Foraging Beard, Dave from Northeast Edible, Alexia The Suburban Escapee, and Allyson, our producer. Our podcast guests will also be in the forums! Ask Dan any questions you may have in our forum. Not a Pioneer? Join today and get TWENTY bonus podcast episodes with just one click!

Want even more ways to support the show? Do your Amazon shopping through our affiliate link- www.amsteady.com.

The wait will be shorter than ever for the next episode, as Aust is now creating Homesteady Content FULL TIME. What does that mean? A daily YouTube Video and a NEW podcast every two weeks.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REALITY CHECK: It is RARE to make more money than you spend on your homestead. But does that mean you have to give up the dream?

Based on our Homesteady poll, (thanks for your responses!) THREE OUT OF FOUR of you have the dream that someday, you will be able to exit your current careers due to the successful pursuit of a full-time homesteading business.

Through a new series, Aust is going to share his six years of experience with all of you. Full-time podcaster Aust (one dream, now more of a reality!) is going to make ten episodes about making your homestead profitable. Along with interviews to exploring others' journeys and sharing knowledge, we hope to help you, the burgeoning homestead businessperson, to get off to a positive start.

It should be no surprise that Accountant Mike has a lot to say on the topic of failed businesses. This episode on failing businesses EXCLUSIVELY features Accountant Mike.  (PS: the tax laws have changed. Stay informed!) On this first episode about Homestead Businesses, we are going to talk about The Side Hustle. To qualify as a side hustle, the homesteader in question has to fit the following criteria: the homesteader, or one half of a homesteading couple, has to have a full-time job outside the homestead. Secondly, the homestead based business had to have grossed $1,000 or more.

The Side Hustle common theme: lots of people aren't anywhere near profitable.

Aust takes us back to his first failed business: selling custom POG slammers made out of Sculpy clay. Developing his business acumen through his youth via Pokemon cards and spare lunch burritos, Aust has learned throughout his lifetime as a "hustler" the basics of a profitable business. Now, as a homesteader, Aust shares with us that the farm is a side-hustle. Even six years in, he is not relying on his farm to be profitable or the main source of support for his family.

There are three main areas where a business side hustle can fail:

1. Failure to Plan: This results in wasting time, effort, and money. However, don't get stuck in analysis paralysis! A concrete goal is the best way to move forward.
2. Starting without Sufficient Capital: Do you ACTUALLY know how much your business venture costs? Take note of all of your data: infrastructure, supplies, and repairs.
3. Not Planning Ahead with your Time: Time is Money! Pay specific attention to the scalability of your enterprise.

The number one way to stay safe? GROW SLOW. Make a plan, stick to it, and stay small. Remember that the business skills you learn along the way are infinitely applicable. 

Freight Farms: grow food anywhere with the help of the Leafy Green Machine. Thanks for continuing to sponsor the podcast! Go to www.freightfarms.com/homesteady for access to a FREE Business planning guide!

Join our email list, and don't miss any of the exciting updates we have coming up in 2018!

We have a new addition to the Pioneer Program: A PIONEER ONLY FORUM! Learn from one another and get to talk with Accountant Mike, The Foraging Beard, Dave from Northeast Edible, Alexia The Suburban Escapee, and Allyson, our producer. Not a Pioneer? Join Today!

Want even more ways to support the show? Do your Amazon shopping through our affiliate link- www.amsteady.com.

The wait will be shorter than ever for the next episode, as Aust is now creating Homesteady Content FULL TIME. What does that mean? A daily YouTube Video and a NEW podcast every two weeks.

We are looking forward to even more Homesteady in 2018!

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Kendra set a goal for the homestead to be NEAT and ORDERLY. 2017 was the year of form and function. Every change, every innovation, had a purpose.

Improving the infrastructure on the farm was the number one priority. Our YouTube Video shows the giant machine that made a road to the barn in just one day! An improved, more accessible barn opens many possibilities for Aust and Kendra, and increased efficiency for all barn related tasks.

Have a new barn? How about getting pigs earlier, as they can be easily cared for and sheltered in the new barn? Aust and Kendra were able to buy their pigs in April, a whole month earlier than they usually do. The combination of an early start, mild weather, and Stone House Grain led to pigs that were 100 pounds heavier than their previous heaviest batch of pigs. Heavier pigs allowed Aust and Kendra to create more flavors of bacon and sausages with their pigs.

Who doesn't like sausages?

This year, the farm raised 50 Cornish Cross and 25 Ranger Chickens, plus seventeen new egg layers. This was the first year of raising two different types of chickens, and Just was very impressed with the rangers. Pro Tip from Kendra: Keep the two breeds separate, as the rangers were found to be aggressive towards the Cornish Cross!

Raising turkeys seemed like an excellent idea for the oldest Martin child to expand his existing egg selling farm business. However, a shipment of turkeys arrived in very poor health. The two surviving turkeys imprinted on the family as their own flock. With some adventures in turkey behavior notwithstanding, the turkeys have survived the holiday season (so far). Stay tuned...

Raising ducks is something that has been done on the homestead before. However, during the at-home butchering process, a few things went awry...

SHOUT OUT TO NATHAN: In 2016, Nathan let us know that he had an allergy to duck eggs. Aust does too, and was able to recognize the symptoms thanks to his letter.

Between the egg allergy and not wanting to butcher ducks on the homestead, ducks are going to be a "decoration animal" on the farm from this point forward.

The biggest adventure? Dairy Cows! Kendra shares her journey exploring which cow is best, taking care of a cow, and birthing her first calf. Spoiler Alert: A cow is EASIER than goats.

Throughout this episode, we refer to many of our past podcasts and YouTube videos. You can find all of our past episodes here, and search through all of our YouTube Videos and subscribe to our channel so you don't miss any updates.

The Biggest Update of all: Aust is going to be doing Homesteady FULL TIME. This means more of everything: videos, classes, and bonus podcasts.

Plus: We will be opening a new Homesteady Pioneers Forum. Want a sneak peak? Email us at Aust@thisishomesteady.com if you'd like to be a tester.

Wait, are you not yet a Pioneer? For $5 a month YOU can be a homsteady pioneer. You get bonus episodes of the podcast through the Pioneer Library, plus access to our new "one click" feature that will allow you to download 20 episodes of Homesteady WITH JUST ONE CLICK.

Thank you to Freight farm for sponsoring this episode. Their innovative hydroponics systems allow you to grow farm fresh food year-round. Check them out on our hydroponics episode.

Do you want to support the podcast? Are you doing some online shopping? Use our Amazon affiliate link and a portion of your spending supports the show. www.amsteady.com.

2018 promises to be an exciting year. Stay Tuned!

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The very first episode of the Homesteady Podcast was released....

Since then we have released

• 55 episodes of the podcast
• 286 Youtube videos
• blog posts
• courses
• swag!

I didn't start this thinking I would ever go full time with it. I didn't think content creation could be a career...

But the world has changed!

Back in Feb, 2015 we launched the Pioneer Program...

It consisted of

• Bonus videos and podcasts
• Courses I taught to local schools
• Discounts from homestead vendors

It sells everyday for $5 a month.  (https://www.thisishomesteady.com/head-west-become-pioneer/)

Slowly we built this podcast, then youtube channel, and turned it to a better and better business.

NOW ITS TIME TO LEAP!

Learn our big news in todays LIVESTREAM!

Or... If you don't feel like watching that ....

Here it goes...

I AM GOING TO DO HOMESTEADY FULL TIME!!!

For the last few years we have been building our show to the point where I could do this full time. Now, my life has had some changes that allow me to focus on Homesteady, and we are going to try for the next 3 months to do this full time!

We could only do this with the help from our Homesteady Pioneers! Their support has been huge.

If you would like to become a Homesteady Pioneer, get access to all our Classes, Bonus Podcasts and Videos, and Pioneer Discounts, we are going to have a special BLACK FRIDAY - CYBER MONDAY Sale! 

CLICK HERE to become a Pioneer for the whole year, for just $33! It is the cheapest sale we have ever done. It will go away on Tuesday.

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT FROM HOMESTEADY?

In the next month we will be ramping things up over here. Starting in 2018, expect to see 2 Podcast episodes a month! About 45 min long, released every other week.

On the YouTube side, we will be releasing 1 or 2 vids weekly, as well as a livestream...

FARM FRIDAYS - ABOUT TO CHANGE BIG TIME TOO...

In addition to our emails every Friday, we will be hosting a livestream on Fridays! The farm Friday livestream will be a recap of our week, share our latest content, and answer a weekly question! Email us or comment on a video with a Question and you could be featured in that piece.

Thats it! Thanks for helping us get here... We couldn't do it without you!

-Aust

PS - if you want to help us produce this show, but can't do the pioneer program, no worries! You can do your cyber Monday shopping at amazon through our www.amsteady.com link, spend nothing extra, but we get a little affiliate bonus!

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This episode is for those of you who are not currently hunters. We ask that you listen to this episode with an open mind as we present the facts and feelings on hunting from multiple perspectives.We know that Aust is a hunter now- but we learn that he wasn't always this way. After learning about factory farming, Aust and Kendra wanted a healthier option for their growing family. Once figuring out that hunting was the most affordable option for his family, Aust became a self-taught hunter, and soon after harvested his first deer.

"At a base level, every single one of us is a hunter." Tyler Sharp, the founder and creative director of Modern Huntsman, our first hunting interviewee, takes an historical perspective on hunting that he is aware can be polarizing amongst mixed company. Growing up in Texas, he grew up with hunting as a typical part of his culture. Once he moved to California to college, and disclosed his experience filming hunts to his peers in his photography and film classes, he was made aware that many regarded his experiences with gross disdain. As friends close to him expressed they found hunting appalling, Tyler was pushed to search within himself why hunting was an ethical choice.

Spending several years in Tanzania filming safaris post-college, Tyler filmed and photographed the hunting safaris for an established outfitter on a game reserve. Living in the Kilombero region for several years, Tyler had the opportunity to learn outdoor skills from those in the region- and come face to face with a lion.

The takeaway? To be a good hunter, you have to be a good outdoorsman, and be comfortable spending a lot of time there. Also- hunters love animals. Surprised? It was after his encounters with animals that Tyler decided that hunting was actually the best thing one can do to take care of wildlife.

After three years living in the bush and hunting in Africa, Tyler shares these facts about hunting that support his perspective:

Fact #1: There is a difference between hunters and poachers.

Fact #2: Hunters produce more money than any other group when it comes to taking care of our animals.

Despite the fact that it is unfashionable to be a hunter, Tyler argues that hunting can be an ethical lifestyle choice.

Brad Neathery, our next guest, is the co-founder and CEO of Modern Huntsman. Since childhood, Brad has seen a different side of what a modern hunter could be.

"Hunting was essentially a medium to pull together some father-son bonding time. To be honest, we'd rarely pull a trigger, because we got lost in conversation more than anything else."

Brad does, however, have an issue with mainstream general media, and mainstream hunting media, in its portrayal of hunters. He feels that the image portrayed has been homogenized to one stereotype in most American media. Instead, hunters need to be portrayed in all the diversity they represent- traditional tribal hunters in Tanzania, master trackers, fathers and sons in Texas, husbands and wives learning together to hunt in adulthood. The media celebrates those who are in it for shooting, as opposed to those who use and respect all parts of the animals they harvest.

BUT HEY- Did you know you can purchase meat at the supermarket? So why hunt?

The emotions you experience while hunting, as beautifully detailed here, by Eamon Waddington, are not the same as those you experience when finding ground beef for 99 cents a pound in your grocer's meat case.

"My anticipation had my heart pounding – whatever was in front of him was close. I hold back every urge in my body to get closer and peek over his shoulder like a curious child – the suspense was killing me."

The Modern Huntsman Magazine portrays this alternative view of hunters. In finding and sharing stories about hunting that sit with the hunter's remorse of taking a life, and their gratefulness for the harvest of the animal, and the details of their acquired skills, Brad shows that many hunters are thoughtful, respectful, and keepers of tradition. The alternative narrative he presents is a stark counterpoint to mainstream media's homogenous bloodthirsty portrayal of the hunter.

Food for thought, to be sure.

Thank you to Brad and Tyler at the Modern Huntsman Huntsman for sharing their stories, perspective, and their mission. To make Modern Huntsman a reality, visit their Kickstarter campaign to support the first issue.

$5 off an edition of Modern Huntsman for Homesteady backers!

Are you homesteady? Help us find YOU on social media with the hashtag #iamhomesteady.

Thanks for your patience with our current slow production schedule! Stay tuned for our plans for 2018 in our December podcast!

Also, have you supported us by becoming a Pioneer? If not, you can join us here for tons of free classes, videos, bonus podcasts, and discount codes for some of our favorite vendors.

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When a hydroponicist... (is that even a real word?) thinks of hydroponics, they think of gardening with no bugs, in a controlled environment, year round, with perfect yields in half the time as a conventional garden. 

Sounds pretty good... right?

Learn all about Hydroponics, and how you can grow farm fresh veggies in half the time as you usually do... year round, in this episode of Homesteady, all about Hydroponic Gardening. 

In this month's episode you will learn about the history of hydroponics, from back in the Aztec times, to the space station, to our modern day. Today we can find awesome companies like Freight Farms using hydroponics to grow farm fresh food in the cities. But hydroponics has become a great tool for homesteaders as well!

Jonathan Russo shares his family's homestead hydroponic system, and accountant mike gets inspired to give it a shot!

Special Thanks to Jonathan Russo from Fairfield County Hydroponics for sharing his hydroponic system with us! Check out Jonathan's website to learn more about his services. 

This episode of Homesteady is brought to you by Freight Farms, the creators of the Leafy Green Machine. Checkout their Farm Business Plan Guide and learn all about Freight Farming HERE

And by HelloFresh,  a dinner delivery service that gets meals to you in an  easy, pre-portioned kit. Use promocode Homesteady30 to get $30 off your first meal delivery.

Are you  huge fan of the show? Join the Homesteady Pioneers by following this link and for only five dollars a month, you get bonus podcasts, free online webinars, discount codes (on awesome products like these, or maybe some Russian comfrey), and more! Dave from Northeast Edible will also give you a Pioneer discount on planning your orchard. Become a Pioneer today!

We love hearing from you! Have you filled out our survey? You will be entered to win a $100 gift card from Tractor Supply Co. Want to hear more about what’s coming up next? Join our mailing list for up to the minute updates on our YouTube Channel and podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

******* Disclaimer: this blog and podcast are NOT a source for identifying wild plants************************************

Our guest, Jared White, is an extreme foraging enthusiast and hobbyist of The Foraging Beard on Instagram and YouTube is our guest on the show, to give us education and guidance on learning to forage. As a stay at home dad, Jared has dived into homesteading, with foraging emerging as his prominent interest. An avid photographer, his research into the flora he was photographing led him to the knowledge that lots of the plants he was photographing were edible! With his trusty Audobon Field Guide and the help of Google, Jared began to learn more and more about identifying wild edibles.

But-how do we determine what is edible? And to NOT panic when we take a bite?

Jared recommends starting with the onions. The allium tricoccum, or ramps, in particular, are great for the beginning forager. With their distinctive aroma and taste, the beginner can feel secure that they are eating the wild onion they think they are eating. Mushrooms, however, are trickier. Local and regional names can confuse a forager looking for the safely eaten variety. Using scientific names for all foraged plants helps ensure that no one finds an unwelcome variety on their dinner plate, and allows foodie enthusiasts to savor their chanterelles without fear.

What other kinds of wild edibles are out there?

Depending upon your region, the edible plants available vary. The best way to find them? Just keep looking. And looking. And looking.

After your search, how do you decide whether to take a bite? What protocols do you follow to determine whether dinner is deadly? Jared, who had his own scare after thinking he ate a death cap when he meant to eat a russula, shares these safety tips:

• If it looks like food, take a picture or a plant home, and research it thoroughly.
• Learn to identify poisonous plants, so you don't take an accidental nibble!
• Use three sources to confirm what you found.
• Start with the foolproof four.
• Immediately go to your local ER and call Poison Control if you fear you have made a mistake.

This cautionary tale shows you can never be too careful.

Does Accountant Mike think foraging is worth the risks? Could he possibly be anti FREE FOOD? Or does the math add up in a surprising way? Listen to find out if gathering gourmet food pays off not only for your curiosity, but your wallet.

Thank you to our sponsors! When your schedule prevents you from foraging your dinner, let HelloFresh deliver dinner to you in an  easy, pre-portioned kit. Use promocode Homesteady30 to get $30 off your first meal delivery.

Are you  huge fan of the show? Join the Homesteady Pioneers by following this link and for only five dollars a month, you get bonus podcasts, free online webinars, discount codes (on awesome products like these, or maybe some Russian comfrey), and more! Dave from Northeast Edible will also give you a Pioneer discount on planning your orchard. Become a Pioneer today!

We love hearing from you! Have you filled out our survey? You will be entered to win a $100 gift card from Tractor Supply Co. Want to hear more about what's coming up next? Join our mailing list for up to the minute updates on our YouTube Channel and podcast.

Want still more Homesteady? Follow us on Instagram! You can follow Aust @homesteadyshow (see the morels for yourself) and Alexia, The Suburban Escapee, @suburbanescapee (I have finally grown something as opposed to killing it!).

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On the farm this week we successfully planted an entire orchard in just a few hours! How did we get so much work done in so little time? With an on-farm workshop! On-farm workshops are a great way to help a farmer get a lot of work done in a timely manner, and a great way for farm dreamers and homesteady types looking to spend some time living the farm life get some real hands on experience.

But workshops can be tricky… How do you make sure they give both parties, the farmer, and the visitors, the experience they need?

We have been running workshops on the farm for years, most of them have been great. Over this time we have learned a lot about how to do a successful on-farm workshop. Here are some of the lessons we have learned…

Make sure you prepared for non farmers on the farm…
People who come to workshops are not farmers, and not familiar with the risks, dangers, and responsibilities of a farmer. They may want to bring children, go places they don't belong, hurt themselves… If you're going to do workshops protect yourself legally and inform your guests.

The visitors are not the same as hired help…
When you host a workshop you are getting additional hands on the farm. And this can be incredibly helpful for a small farm to get a big project accomplished…. BUT these are not hired workers. You will need to make sure your students enjoy the workshop, learn a lot (because that is why they are there) and feel like they enjoyed their day on the farm. Sometimes you will get more done than you normally could. SOMETIMES… Less…

It is OK to charge money, but consider what your getting from your workers….
Some workshops that you may plan give more to the students than to you. We used to do a chicken butcher workshop, this was only to teach others, it didn't do anything for us as far as production goes, so this we charged a lot for. Our Orchard workshop, however, was very cheap, as we were paid in work done on the farm. The little bit of money from tickets was given to the instructor. Sometimes you as the farmer get paid in work, sometimes in money…

Everyone can get something from a good workshop…
If you plan ahead, treat your guests well, you can get a lot of work done and enjoy time with your local community!

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Early in February, the weather got nice, and so we decided to jump start our season! It began with a serious upgrade to our existing barn. The barn was built on a gravel pad. The gravel drained well but made it very difficult to clean the barn. So it was time to pour a concrete floor. This has been on of the best improvements on the homestead!

The next big project we began working on was our pasture improvement. Over the last few years, our biggest problem with livestock was a lack of enough pasture and good pasture at that. Lots of our property that we were not using was heavily sloped, and not good for pasture. So we cut a road to our barn, (to get the concrete truck in) and used that to fill our sloped area. Now we have some serious pasture area!

Finally, we began prepping for our new orchard. This year we realized, (as we talked about in a previous show) the importance of growing fruit and other perennials on our homestead. The beauty of fruit is that it takes less and less work each year while yielding more and more fruit! So preparations began to install an orchard of many different fruit and nut trees! This Saturday we have an Event at the farm, where we will be installing the orchard!

Join us for that event: https://www.thisishomesteady.com/early-bird-orchard-planting-workshop-tickets/

It has been a busy spring! We’re excited to tell you all about it! Join us for the chat, and Q and A session afterward.

See all we do at www.thisishomesteady.com
Watch our Daily Videos at the Homesteady YouTube Channel 
Want to follow all of Homesteady’s Podcasts, Videos, and Classes? Sign up to our Email list HERE! 
Get access to the Pioneers Only library by becoming a Homesteady Pioneer HERE!

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Making connections between wealth, a homesteading lifestyle, and the practical steps you can take to leave the rat race, and the hands-on work of raising animals, planting plants, and building infrastructure is part of the Homesteady culture. To this end, we'd like to bring you a quote from the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Aust learns the following important lesson: You must know the difference between an asset and a liability. But what does this have to do with fruit trees?

It's like planting a tree. You water it for years; then one day it doesn't need you anymore. It's roots are planted deep enough. The tree provides shade for your enjoyment."- Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad Poor Dad

As homesteaders, we want even more than shade. We want the work we do each year to result in greater and greater yields. Our guest tonight, Dave Hunt of Northeast Edible, shares how his passion for fruit trees and feeding his family better led to planting fruit trees, then to a homestead-based fruit tree business. Learn everything you need to know about how to choose plants, where and when to plant them, and the timeline from planting to having a harvest.

Learn everything you need to know about how to choose plants, where and when to plant them, and the timeline from planting to having a harvest.

Want more specifics? See Dave's visit to Aust's farm here on YouTube.

We would love it if you'd come see the Homesteady Farm! We will be hosting Dave from Northeast Edibles May 6th for a live orchard workshop. If you'd like to come, click here for some more information. If you can't make it, we will be posting the entire thing on our Pioneer page. For just $5/ mo, becoming a Homesteady Pioneer gives you access to members-only video, discount codes, how-tos, and exclusive podcasts. Become a Pioneer today! 

For regular updates on what we are doing here at Homesteady, join our email list. Just for joining, you'll get our free "21 Steps to self-sufficiency" and access to our "Go Homestead" video course.

Getting new orchard equipment? Or are you already an Amazon shopper? We would love if you'd support the podcast through our Amazon affiliate link: www.amsteady.com. Buy whatever you normally buy, and with your purchase, you'll be supporting the podcast with no additional cost to you. Thanks!

Join us this upcoming Tuesday on our YouTube Channel or at Prepper Broadcasting at 9 PM EST to be a part of our live taping of our next Homesteady episode on foraging. There will be a Pioneers-only discussion following the taping at 10 PM EST.

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On this episode of Homesteady, we will explore the idea of the "rat race." What is it? And, most importantly, how do you escape it? We will explore these ideas, and give you some steps on how to escape it and live your idea of your ideal life.

The term "the rat race" finds its origins in a series of experiments where rats, motivated first by hunger, and then by avoiding pain (behaviorism's operant and classical conditioning for you fellow psychology enthusiasts out there) develop patterns of repetitive behavior based upon the ease or difficulty of attaining the goal set up by the experiment.

When we say, "I want to escape the rat race, buy a homestead, and move out to the country," how do we do it? In order to escape the rat race, we need to understand it. Using the aforementioned experiment as a guide, there are essentially four elements to the rat race:

• The rat
• The race
• The stress
• The reward

Let's break down each piece.

1. The Rat. There is scientific proof that humans and rats, despite our obvious physical difference, have a lot in common. (Did you know rats laugh when tickled? Check it out.) Rats have empathy, a sense of humor and fun, and they are able to think about thinking. If we go directly back to our rats in the experiment, these are rats that did not self-select to be lab rats, who were motivated by their stressors to find a solution that relieves their stressors. Sound relatable? We often find ourselves, as humans, in lifestyles we did not choose, being motivated by our own stressors of feeding our families or escaping a painful situation. Unlike the rat, however, we are able to make a plan to change our lives.
2. The Race. What is this race, and how did we enter? What were your dreams when you were in middle school? How about high school? Are you on a path of following your dreams as they have evolved, or have you found yourself placed in a lifestyle that feels like an unnatural fit? What about each part of your lifestyle: does your commute, how you spend your workday, and how your breakdown of hours, work for you? Lastly, are you working to achieve your own goals, or are you advancing someone else's plan?
   

   Often, people work long hard hours at jobs they hate, to earn money to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't like. — Nigel Marsh

3. The Stress. What do we do if we find ourselves acting like a stressed out rat? We often begin our journey by wanting to take care of our families and fulfill our basic needs. Humans do need to eat, and as adults, we often find ourselves with older or younger family members to take care of. However, as we satisfy our basic needs, we often find our need for "more" growing. We stop feeling satisfied by fulfilling our needs for food and shelter and begin to accumulate more materialistic needs for "more." Also, how, like the rats, are we motivated to learn behaviors to avoid pain? Often the pain we want to avoid is psychological as opposed to physical. When we have the "right" jobs and possessions, we do not need to feel the pain of others showing skepticism or disappointment in our choices. Feeling like a "success" is a strong motivator for keeping up with others. We are also often motivated by debt. We go into debt to buy the things we don't need, and are motivated by keeping up with payments to avoid the pain of falling behind financially.
4. The Reward. What is the reward? How do we know when we have found the reward in our own lives? In the rat race, we often find a ladder of career promotions that come with greater efforts and earnings. With more success in a traditional corporate career path, we see individuals with beautiful cars, bigger homes, and more social influence. However, there is always a "next" on this path to happiness. Whatever level of achievement we reach, there will always be a nicer car, a bigger house, or more money. But what if we are just trying to stay away from the "shocks" of life? We live paycheck to paycheck, just getting by, staying ahead, paying our debts.

Why did we even sign up for this? Mostly, because public school has taught us to do this, all of our lives. We learned to work for rewards, to do what others told us to do, and the feel the "shocks" of grades.

Don't despair! You CAN get out of the rat race. Unlike rats, we can make a difference in our own lives.

TODAY: Tell yourself, "I will NOT be a lab rat. I have control over my OWN life." Regardless of your work and life circumstances today, you are able to take steps to develop your own path in life.

RECOGNIZE Your own Rat Race. Once you realize what your own "rat race" is, evaluate what works, what doesn't work, and what needs to change. Write down what needs to change, and hold yourself accountable to finding an exit strategy. Maybe this book will help?

Avoid Stress. The most common stressor we all share? Debt. Avoid debt if at all possible. Dave Ramsey's book can assist you in evaluating your financial choices. If we avoid debt and save money, we will feel more satiated.

Redefine the Reward. Is the reward buying things? If you are stuck in a cycle of buying things in order to satiate your appetite, try to decide what would satiate it instead. More free time? More social time? What about more time with your family? Know that this takes time, and start to develop an exit strategy.

Make a Vision Board like Alexia the Suburban Escapee, who is an Expressive Arts Therapist (and who is writing this now because she has DROPPED OUT of the rat race), uses to keep her eye on her reward.

Are you enjoying the podcast coming out weekly? Thinking of dropping out of the rat race, but need to gain more skills? Become a Homesteady Pioneer! For only $5/month you get access to extended podcasts, exclusive videos, online live chats, how-to courses, discount codes, and more.

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Join us for our live episode with Dave of Northeast Edible, as well as some other homesteader who have left the rat race, and learn about fruit trees and orchards this Tuesday at 9 PM on our YouTube Channel. We will have a Pioneers Only Q&A at 10. Excited about planting orchards? We have an exciting on-farm opportunity for you to join us! Learn more here.

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***The Suburban Escapee here: New to fishing? Haven't fished since you were a scout? This cheat sheet of fishing terms will help when you are listening to this episode!***

Truth: "Fishing" is synonymous with "disappointed." Aust shares a story of his childhood fishing with Uncle John. On a bucolic day, planned for fishing under a waterfall, Aust arrives at this special spot to find that the waterfall is completely dried up. However, a couple of things can really change your luck. A little bit of know-how goes a long way.

When should you fish? Where should you fish? And what should you use? This episode will cover this, and so much more, so that next time you go fishing, you will actually catch fish.

The season, month, and weather greatly affect how many fish you will catch. In the Northeast, Aust and his buddies believe that May is the best fishing month. Particularly for fly fishing, the "hatch" is best in May. The spring is the best time to catch the fish, because the fish start spawning and they are "in the shallows" where even the most novice fisher can catch a fish while standing on the shore. A nice, overcast day will be the most comfortable, and fishing early in the morning or at nightfall are the best times of day for catching fish. Remember this rhyme:

If the barometer is risin' on their beds they'll be lyin'

If the barometer is droppin' in your boat they'll be hopin'

Where do you find the fish? It's often said 80% of the fish can be found in 20% of the water. Where to find the fish is dependent upon what type of fish one is trying to catch, the time of year, and what body of water is being fished. Fish like rocks, docks, shallow points, and downed trees. Fish eat insects, so anywhere insects lay eggs and hatch is a great place to cast your lure.

The right fishing gear can greatly improve your chances of catching fish. You need the right size pole, hook, and line to attract your desired fish. Different water conditions, different fish species, and different bodies of water require different gear.

Ready to start fishing? We've got a how-to on YouTube showing you exactly what to get.

Do you have more questions about fishing? Email Aust at aust@homesteady.com. Show us your fishing gear and the fish you catch by tagging your social media posts #iamhomesteady.

As we are now recording the podcast LIVE on YouTube and Prepperbroadcasting Tuesday evenings at 9, (join the email list to get the link) we were able to take phone calls from our listeners (and a very special guest!). Our listeners shared their best fish stories and asked advice on how to keep and prepare fish you catch properly for eating, fishing around heavy weeds, and how to best take kids fishing.

Did you know we do a Pioneer Only live discussion on the week's topic Tuesday at 10? Become a Pioneer today to receive the Pioneer Only link. For five dollars a month, you get access to exclusive podcast episodes, how-to classes and videos, discount codes, our weekly live Pioneer Discussion, and so much more.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Support the show without spending an extra dime. Shop Amazon by clicking on www.amsteady.com to do your Amazon shopping, and we receive a referral bonus since Amazon knows we sent you. Use your next bulk toilet paper order- or maybe now you're motivated to order some new fishing supplies?-to support our show.

Special Event Alert! We are thrilled to host Dave Hunt of Northeast Edible at the Homesteady Farm May 6, 2017 for an Orchard Planting Workshop. Interested in getting tickets? Join our email list and be the first to know when tickets go on sale. Unable to attend but want all the knowledge? Homesteady Pioneers to get access to an exclusive how-to video from the event.

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Aust brings us through history, recounting the trials of General Peter Stuyvesant in New Amsterdam to keeping pigs from destroying the Dutch fort with their rooting. Known as "mortgage lifters" for their dependable moneymaking attributes, Aust has been raising pigs on his homestead for five years, and sells them for his most profitable homestead business. We've discussed pigs many times before, on the blog and on the podcast (here, here, here, here, and here to give you a few.) Now, with experience as a guide, Aust and Mike are able to give detailed information on the financial and practical applications of raising pigs.

What is the right kind of homestead for pigs? How do you know if pigs would be a good fit for you? From grass to woods, pigs are versatile and able to flourish in diverse landscapes. However, there are several things to consider before deciding to buy pigs for your property:

• How far are the neighbors? Even well kept pigs smell like, well, pigs.
• What are the zoning laws in your town and state regarding pigs?
• Is your infrastructure appropriate for easily bringing food and water to your pigs?

What kind of pigs should you get? How many pigs are a good start? And what should you expect for them to give back to you? (For Accountant Mike, who only needs companionship from a pig, maybe a tea cup pig? Ok.. don't do a Tea Cup.. they are a scam ;)

• Stay away from rare, expensive breeds like this one.
• Reach out to local farmers, and buy what is available in your area. (Aust prefers the Yorkshire Landrace Cross.)
• Start with two and scale up based on your success. It's better to have more demand than supply.
• Rely on a larger pig farmer to maintain breeder pigs. Buy feeders.
• Purchase feed. Growing your own feed is not a cost savings unless you raise many pigs.

Thomas Dexter, Aust's local source for his Yorkshire Landrace pigs, shares important information on raising pigs, and the care it takes to raise and maintain breeder pigs year round.

Are pigs profitable? Listen to Accountant Mike do the cost breakdown to see if pigs are the "mortgage lifters" Aust wants them to be.

On our next episode we are discussing fishing! Want to be part of next week's podcast? At 9:00 PM EST Tuesday on the Homesteady YouTube Channel and at the Prepperbroadcasting Network we are live! Not able to join us live but want to share your own fish story? Call 657-223-3276 to leave us a voicemail and you may hear your story on the air.

Pioneers get an exclusive after show where you are able to chat with Aust and Accountant Mike about your specific questions. Not a Pioneer? Become one today for exclusive access to discounts, podcasts, how-tos, and more.

A special thanks to our new sound engineer, Allyson Holley, who has been mixing the Homesteady Podcast since we've gone weekly. We couldn't do it without you!

Thank you to our sponsors! Try Hello Fresh for fresh, delicious, perfectly portioned ingredients that even the most novice cook can turn into delicious meals. Enter promo Code "Homesteady30" for $30 off first week of delivery. I (the Suburban Escapee) love Hello Fresh. My family (including the kids!) still ask for the Mediterranean Meatballs on the regular. Their fresh, sustainably raised and sourced meats and produce are a delicious way to integrate healthy, easy meals into your week.

Need to shop for some new products for your homestead? Or would it just be easier to have your toilet paper delivered? No matter what you buy, clicking on www.amsteady.com to make your Amazon purchases helps support the show through no cost to you.

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What if the grid went down?
What if there was another world war?
What if there was a pandemic?

These games of what if can be a fun mental exercise. But the reality is that these disasters will probably not ever happen to us. BUT… That does not mean we will not experience disasters in our life.

We absolutely will experience disasters.

The disasters that will happen to us may not harm as many people as a WWIII or Global Pandemic. But they have the same ability to ruin our own life, and maybe those around us.

What is the disaster that WILL happen to you? It could be…
A loss of a Job
A Health emergency (You or a loved one)
A local natural disaster (depending on where you live)
These disasters actually happen all the time, and to all of us. The truth is that someday you or a close loved one will absolutely experience one of these 3 disasters, if not all of them.

Are you ready? Not for the Zombies or Plagues… But for the day your handed a pink slip?

The day your child is rushed to the Emergency Room? The day you need to evacuate from an approaching hurricane?

This week our family experienced an emergency.

My 8 month old was rushed to the emergency room, and hours later to a second hospital for an emergency surgery. All this, at the same time a major blizzard was headed our way.

We learned some very real lessons on Emergency Preparedness, and we want to share them with you. Join us for a discussion about prepping for the disasters that WILL happen to you, and learn all about Family Emergency Planning, Go Bags, and Basic Preparedness.

We will tell our story, and then be joined by J.J. Johnson from the popular Youtube Channel Reality Survival https://www.youtube.com/user/RealitySurvival to discuss how to get the basic preparedness covered for the disaster that will happen to you.

Go to Listen and Chat This Tuesday 9pm/Est. 6pm/Pt

Visit Homesteady…

See all we do at www.thisishomesteady.com
Get access to the Pioneers Only library by becoming a Homesteady Pioneer HERE! https://www.thisishomesteady.com/head-west-become-pioneer/

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On this episode of Homesteady, we take an in-depth look on our LIVE YouTube stream to examine, even more closely, The Family Cow. In a Homesteady first, Emily, our guest for tonight, was invited onto the show after she sent Aust an email highlighting the missed points on the first family cow episode. Emily OWNS a family cow and Aust and Accountant Mike engage her tonight in a live discussion, fueled by viewer questions, to truly examine the family cow from every angle.

Emily lives in mid-Missouri on three acres, with a small garden, chickens, three farm cats, and a family cow. Emily knew two years prior to even purchasing her homestead that cows "spoke to her." Their calm nature and her affinity for butter made the acquisition of Caroline Faith, Emily's first year heifer, an inevitability. After extensive preparation through self-directed education via classes (like these ones), blogs, books, and farm visits, Emily and her husband procured their farm and are now immersed in cow ownership. Being a new cow owner has come with its challenges.

Emily reflects on her challenges and mistakes with the insight that regardless of her preparation and research, experience brings it all together. Emily met challenges almost immediately when her cow caught shipping pneumonia on her way to the farm.

The level of sustainability a cow offers to a family is substantial. This is the hardest part of cow ownership to put a price tag on. Aust and Accountant Mike based their first breakdown on raw milk consumption. Would it be cheaper to have a cow than to purchase gallons of raw milk? In her letter to Aust, Emily focused on the missing pieces of this argument: what about the other dairy products that are produced with milk? The savings on producing these products at home needed to be compared with the prices paid for artisan products at your local grocery store or specialty shop. Emily also compares the prices of fertilizer compared to obtaining compost and fertilizer by collecting the cow poop. All the other livestock can eat sour milk as supplemental feed, like these pig farmers do.

Is Accountant Mike Convinced? Reflecting on all the factors previously considered, and adding in the additional points brought up by Emily, Accountant Mike is forced to reconsider.

Are you a Pioneer? For only $5/mo, in addition to all the incredible Pioneer-only podcasts, interviews, and classes, we are now offering a Pioneer-Only Aftershow. At 10:00 EST on Tuesday nights, enjoy a live forum with Aust, Accountant Mike, and the special guest of this week's livestream. Head over and become a pioneer today!

Thank you to our sponsors for making Homesteady possible! You can support us by using this link to shop on Amazon: www.amsteady.com. Without any extra expenditure on your part, you can use this link to make your regular purchases on Amazon, and a small percentage of your purchase will support the podcast.

Thanks to our friends at Prepper Broadcasting for streaming our Tuesday night live show.

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On this episode of Homesteady, we revisit chicken ownership. As we examine homestead chickens closer, we have to wonder: are chickens a "gateway animal?" Does buying chickens lead to more chickens, then to pigs, goats, sheep, and even (perhaps) a cow? John Suscovich from the Growings Farms Podcast and Farm Marketing Solutions became a full-time farmer.

But First: We've got some changes happening on Homesteady! We are going weekly! For the next two months, we are going to broadcast weekly. We are hosting a LIVE SHOW at 9:00 PM EST, every week, live with Accountant Mike. Watch us on YouTube, on the Homesteady Channel, or on Prepperbroadcasting.com.

Today is our first time using our YouTube live-stream from last Tuesday evening! Did you know we will be live AGAIN this and EVERY Thursday event at 9:00 PM EST

Cornish Crosses' were Aust's first meat bird. Purchased at Tractor Supply Co, and treated more as pets, it was a very different experience at the beginning. Aust is able to reflect by re-reading an old Homesteady blog post on how his perception of raising chickens for meat has changed with experience. Now, Aust raises pastured pork along with meat chickens, and that pork is one of the most profitable of his homestead endeavors.

For Aust and Kendra, meat chickens were a gateway to raising pastured pigs; for John, chickens were the gateway into a career. John and his wife both wanted to farm; but they didn't own any land. Not only that, they had been homeless for two years, embarking on a cross-country bike trip across the United States. After touring farms and craft breweries, they knew that living on the farm was the life for them. But, John had a fascination with chickens, and knew how to process meat birds. Becoming a pastured poultry farmer seemed the next logical step.

NO money, NO job, NO land; John saw only opportunities. The broad decision of going into agriculture was passion-based...but it had to work on a spreadsheet before it was going to work on the field. John went door to door until he had accumulated several offers from landowners with hay fields he could use to begin his chicken business. He used chicken tractors to develop a mobile pastured chicken business. John started with Joel Salatin's chicken tractor design, and then...innovated. He designed a custom chicken tractor to meet his own needs. With a background in technical theater design, John was able to parlay his skills into his ideal chicken tractor. (See! EVEN THEATER can help on your homestead journey!) As John was selling chickens, people started to ask, "Where did you get those chicken tractors?" and another arm to his business was born.

Chickens for meat are great for a homesteader. Their infrastructure is mobile, they are affordable, they only take eight weeks to mature to processing if you use Cornish Cross chickens, and they are a very manageable animal. Running two or three groups of ten chickens will fertilize your lawn and fill your freezer. John has progressed from leasing open land to now running Camps Road Farm. He has diversified to not only raise chickens, but grows hops for his on-farm brewery and an apple orchard for his off-farm distillery.

There are two great resources John shares with us. The pastured poultry packet breaks down the process from purchase to processing. And of course the plans for his chicken tractor. If you'd like to build a John Suscovich chicken tractor, you can buy his book here. Homesteady Pioneers get ten percent off! Log into the discount section of the pioneer library. You can see the extended version of this podcast- an hour and a half long video- in the pioneer library.

You can do this. But what will you need to make the leap? And what about the butchering? You know, when the time comes to "process" the bird. While it is possible to process the chickens yourself, you are looking at a significant time commitment. At the very least, get a Power Plucker to help you pluck the feathers off the chickens.

What does Accountant Mike have to say? Is there a large enough profit margin? Does it get a thumbs up? Listen to find out.

With this being the THIRD Homesteady chicken episode, there is lots of material in our pioneer library about egg laying chickens, and now meat birds. Inspired after this episode to start with meat birds? John's books, the power plucker, and so much more have discount codes available in the Pioneer portal.

We are a growing internet community! You can follow Aust on Instagram at @homesteadyshow and Alexia, The Suburban Escapee, at @suburbanescapee. Tag your homesteading posts with #iamhomesteady and we will find you and see what you are up to, as well as connect with other homesteaders and fans of the show.

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Kendra and Aust are interviewing cows and farmers to figure out for themselves: Is a family cow a good fit for our homestead?

Debra Tyler, the dairy farmer of Local Farm, compares a relationship with a cow to a marriage.

"Somebody I used to milk with said milking cows is worse than being married...and I say, there are good marriages out there, and a lot of advantages to good marriages. And there are a lot of advantages to the needs of a cow."

 As Aust concurs, it makes sense to "court" a cow, the way you would court a partner, as becoming the owner of a cow affects every aspect of daily life on the homestead.

Deb shares with us,"My main focus is getting people and cows together." With this mission, Deb has opened her farm to interested cow owners. Twice yearly, she runs workshops on what the lifestyle of a family cow is like. She also offers other opportunities to individuals and groups on her farm, such as milking and tours, by appointment. 

Not ready for a family cow? Even buying milk from a local farm can facilitate a lifestyle change. Deb has noticed amongst her customers, picking up weekly gallons of raw milk leads to the creation of family rituals; separating the cream, making butter, and spending time on the farm each week.

She says she finds families spending more time together, and more time at home, when they embrace any part of the "cow lifestyle."

Aust and Kendra are particularly interested in a Miniature Jersey Cow. This is the type of cow Deb breeds on her farm. These cows are more expensive to purchase, as they are a specialty breed, but they hold several advantages over a full-sized cow. As they are five to ten inches shorter than the standard Jersey cow, they take up less space, and require less feed.

They produce, on average, one to one and half gallons of milk per day, which is a useable amount for a family of four or more people. It is possible to feed them exclusively on grass and hay, which saves on the cost of purchasing grain for a larger cow.

While owning a cow is a big time and financial commitment, Debra, Kendra, and Aust are quick to note the priceless intangibles of cow ownership.

Taking care of an animal such as a cow necessitates a family to develop a rhythm, as cows need to be milked regularly both to maintain their milk production and for their own comfort. In families with children, cows provide "meaningful" chores, as it is immediately evident to children the effect care taking has a on a cow.

Will Aust and Kendra commit to a family cow? It appears they are still in the courting stage ;)

Want more Homesteady? Are you a Pioneer yet? If not, with spring just around the corner, now is an AMAZING time to become a Pioneer! Membership is only $5 per month, and gives you access to free classes, tutorials, and extended podcasts on sheep, hunting, and more. Join today! Another great option is to join our mailing list, where you will be the FIRST to receive updates on new podcasts, live web events, our YouTube Channel (we are live streaming our new ducklings!), and so much more.

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Why were Aust and Kendra going to sell the farm? Where Aust and Kendra live in Connecticut, land is very expensive. In selling the farm and traveling, they were hoping to find a larger homestead in a more affordable part of the country. A large homestead would allow hunting on the property, increased permaculture practices, and the ability to further diversify the homestead.

With the intent of traveling and moving, Kendra and Aust worked hard to ready the house and the farm. They made repairs, had a tag sale to minimize their belongings, and sold their sheep and goats. They listed the house with a realtor.

BUT.

Life happens.  Family circumstances have changed, and Kendra and Aust now see themselves in Connecticut, near family, for a few more years. A cross-country trip is still in the works, but the house won't be sold.

The HOMESTEADING BUG Caught Kendra and Aust (again). The chick catalogues came. The seed catalogues came. And they realized: they have brand new ideas for 2017.

On Learning Lessons...

Many discouraging events occurred on the homestead in 2016. However, Aust and Kendra are encouraging:

If you learn from the mistakes, then they are ok. Don't treat it like it's the 'end all' to your endeavors.

Make plans for this year based on last' years's lessons. Infrastructure is the homestead priority for 2017, and this is going to be THE YEAR to work on it. Aust and Kendra are committed: THIS is the year they are going to learn to farm together. As a team, they are going to work to balance their needs for form and function.

Focusing on infrastructure has Kendra and Aust asking themselves: What works on the homestead? What doesn't work? What can we improve upon? While they admit replacing hinges isn't as exciting as getting new livestock, they have made a commitment to spend two-thirds of their time working on much-needed repairs to the homestead, as opposed to taking care of livestock.

Big Projects for the 2017 Season:

• A new poultry house
• A new pig house
• A new road (You'll see Austin run an excavator!)
• Purchasing a livestock trailer

And don't worry- Kendra and Aust will still have livestock.

In addition to the big projects, Aust is going to continue to do pig farming and raise six feeder pigs, in addition, Aust and Kendra will be raising forty meat birds for their own consumption. Each of the Martin children are having their own special project on the farm. As homeschoolers, raising the animals and having a small business as part of their education.

2017 is going to be THE YEAR on the farm, as Aust and Kendra draw on their five years of experience to homestead better than ever before. Do you want to see the Homesteady Improvement Projects as they develop? Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

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The podcast will get support, at no cost to you, no matter what you buy!

Do you live in or near Connecticut? Sign up to the Homesteady email list, as we will be hosting workshops as we make these infrastructure improvements on the homestead.

Caught the homesteading bug yourself? Join our Pioneer Program and have access to exclusive podcasts, homesteading courses, and so much more, for only $5 a month.

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Are you excited for this new year?

Or are you thinking, "This year, I want to REALLY homestead, but I don't have the money." Your concern is valid. Growing a farm- or farm business- does require money.

So how do you do it if you don’t have any money?

On this episode of Homesteady, we look at the steps it takes to walk away from a "typical" job and responsibly take charge of your finances- and your life.

John Pugliano, of The Wealthsteading Podcast, and owner of Investable wealth, LLC, currently runs, "independent investment advisory firm that specializes in helping clients build wealth with active portfolio management."

John’s clients start with an investment portfolio of $250,000 to invest.

Oh wait, you don’t have an extra $250K hanging around?

Here's a secret: John didn't start out that way either.

"To me, wealth means freedom."-John Pugliano, The Wealthsteading Podcast

In our first interview, John shares with us his Seven Lessons to Building Wealth.

Lesson One: It doesn't matter where you start.

John comes from Western Pennsylvania- mining country.  My father passed away when I was six months old, passed away unexpectedly of an annurism.

Learned a very important lesson from his dad:

Find value wherever you are.

In many ways, I was a slow starter, but at the same time I was constantly improving myself and building my wealth.

It doesn't matter where your start from, as long as long as you start at that point and move and advance from there.

Lesson Two: Identifying what wealth actually is.

"My perception of wealth is that wealth is just an extension of your life. You are trading your time for money and the reason you build wealth is so you have more control over your time."

John shares that when you have investments, you are really building "time in reserve." The goal is not to be rich in money, but to be able to enjoy your passions in life while maintaining your responsibilities- to care for yourself, your family and loved ones.

Lesson Three: Don't Believe the Myth

"The 'ah-ha' moment came for me when I was about 35," John shares with us, "instinctually I knew wealth was built by having a business." We are often taught that the way to build wealth is to attain advanced levels of education and procure a while-collar job. This path, and these jobs, are closely associated with financial security. The source of the myth for John started with schooling and his mom. But all around him, he saw individuals in the neighborhood he grew up with their own businesses and his definition of wealth: having what you need, and the freedom of time.

"The 'ah-ha' moment came for me when I was about 35," John shares with us, "instinctually I knew wealth was built by having a business." We are often taught that the way to build wealth is to attain advanced levels of education and procure a while-collar job. This path, and these jobs, are closely associated with financial security. The source of the myth for John started with schooling and his mom. But all around him, he saw individuals in the neighborhood he grew up with their own businesses and his definition of wealth: having what you need, and the freedom of time.

When John looked around his corporate environment, he didn't see wealth. He saw consumption, and he saw individuals stuck always reaching for more.

Do you see yourself in this description? Fear not, there is a way out.

The Millionaire Next Door is an inspirational story about individuals who developed true wealth by finding their own path, developing their own business, and are financially independent. Which brings us to the next lesson.

Lesson Four: Saving Money is Just as Important as Making It

Instead of investing increases in income in more lavish expenditures, put that money in the bank and use it to pay down existing debt.

Lesson Five: Don't Quit Your Day Job

Use it to fund your side hustle. John continued on his corporate path in his career. He needed to continue to support his family. But he began to work harder at developing a money-making hobby into a money making-business. For John, trading stocks was both fun and lucrative. He built his skills and his knowledge while continuing at his corporate job. He invested his increased earnings at his existing job towards building his own business.

Lesson Six: Monetize what you enjoy doing.

As a homesteading podcast, most of the businesses that immediately come to mind to Aust have to do with selling homesteading products. However, as Aust shares with us, his homesteading led not a giant pork business, but instead to an online marketing business, which includes podcasting and video production. Following your interests leads to an exponential growth in opportunities. If you enjoy your "side job," you will want to keep going when the going gets tough.

Lesson Seven: The Opportunities Will Come.

We all want to get rich quick, and find success overnight. However, this rarely, if ever, happens. However, by studying and continuously improving your product or service, you will open yourself up to opportunities that will bring wealth.

Bonus episode in Pioneer Library to learn about apprenticeship, business model, and investment.

If you want to access this bonus episode, become a Pioneer Today! For only $5 you receive bonus podcasts and access to a video learning library full of useful homesteading topics.

In the meantime, listening to the Wealthsteading Podcast will give you tips and tools to start building wealth.

Next, meet Matt Brechwald Off-farm income podcast. Matt took a path to farming from a starting point working as a police officer, despite his animal science degree. A job with his father-in-law hearding cattle on a ranch didn't work out as planned. After years of the Sunday night blues caused by dreading the workweek, Matt and his wife Autumn began to plan an exit strategy. Despite enjoying police work, Matt found his interests and priorities had changed.

"When I decided to leave, all I did was read about or consume audiobooks and podcasts about entrepreneurship." Matt was energized by a new season in life: one where the correct fit for him and his family was moving out of the city and working for himself.

Much like John, Matt kept his day job while learning and preparing for the next stage- a self-employed Gopher Exterminator. After putting pressure on himself to identify a passion, Matt instead decided to pursue a business he could run by himself. During a "start your farm" class with his wife in which gophers were identified as a major issue, Matt finally decided to take the plunge. See him talk about his transition to Gopher Exterminator here!

While Matt's passion is not trapping gophers, this business allowed him to be outside, in the country, as an entrepreneur, and leave the police force. It allowed him to provide a needed service to the community, as gophers are pervasive pests on midwestern farms.

See the pattern? Lesson Six: Follow Your Passion (Farming and Entrepreneurship) and Lesson Seven: The Opportunities Will Come.

Matt, like 9 out of 10 farmers, farms for part of his income, but needs an additional revenue stream to support his family. Matt farms because he loves the lifestyle, and he has made the decision that supporting himself "off-farm" allows him to pursue his farming habit without the financial pressures.

So what does this all mean for you? Are you ready to explore your passion, follow your curiosity, and start making steps towards wealth?

"Just Start," says Matt. "Just. Start. Right. Now."

Feeling your pennies pinching? Our friends at the Survival Podcast have a list of Ten Businesses You can Start with Minimal Income.

Need more inspiration?

Listen to Shia LaBeouf and Just Do It.

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“Seeing you don’t object, I’ve decided to go see the West.

Are there any homesteaders amongst us who haven’t found inspiration in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House Series?

As you know from our last podcast, Aust and Kendra are packing up the four kids and taking them West. Like the Ingalls family, they are looking for greener pastures.

The desire to hit the road. What motivates this? Is homesteading so challenging that after awhile, everyone wants to quit?

We realized many listeners were forlorn after learning we were selling the homestead to travel- “First Justin Rhodes (and wife Rebecca) and Dirtpatch Heaven (Julianne and John), now you guys-doesn’t anybody just want to keep farming?”

Instead of ignoring this question, we figured we would attack it head on.

There seems to be a common thread amongst homestead families. They want to give their families the best, but they can’t afford to when just starting off. So, to save a little money, they decide to do a few things themselves. One thing leads to another. Once this journey, all these families grew their homesteads, meeting challenge after challenge. They have collected a wealth of knowledge.

Each of these families problem-solved their way down different paths. “Lifestyle Business” is a catchword these days, mostly invoking images of an individual earning money by producing content on the internet. After Lyme disease waylaid Justin Rhodes, he was forced to learn new ways to homestead and earn an income. His path led him to taking up permaculture, and making daily YouTube videos.

John and Julianne found themselves in a precarious financial situation. With necessity always being the mother of invention, Julianne decided to go onto YouTube and share the day to day of her homestead. The ads that ran on her videos brought in the extra income that was so desperately needed to change the family’s situation.

One thing that Justin and Rebecca, the folks at Dirtpatch Heaven, and Aust and Kendra at Homesteady all experienced is that once they developed internet content to support their homesteading business, they simultaneously began to do more on their homesteads than ever before.

As you grow your homestead, one thing in your life decreases- the ability to travel. With crops and livestock needing constant care and attention, traveling goes on the back burner.

For John and Julianne, a severe back injury for John changed the course of their homesteading journey. As his day job as a delivery driver became un-doable, a new opportunity presenting itself. As they looked at their finances, they decided that “van life”- or life on the road in a motor home- was the solution. With a generous gift of a motor home from a neighbor, they were on their way.

Justin and Rebecca didn’t have to make a drastic change in their life, but an opportunity arose. They decided it was time to go on an adventure.

So- are Justin and Rebecca, Julianne and John, and Aust…quitters?

Justin and his wife, Rebecca, and Julianne and John of Dirtpatch Heaven, and Aust and Kendra want to travel to share their love of homesteading, not to quit! Travel allows them to share all of the skills they have learned, and tell the stories of their experiences. They want to visit other homesteaders and learn new skills, all while seeing new places.

Is the personality of the homesteader to always strive to move forward and seek new challenges? For all you “Little House” fans out there, you know that Pa Ingalls moved the family multiple times, until Ma finally put an end to his insatiable wanderlust. The take-away? Homesteaders want to live free.

So what IS going to happen to Homesteady? Don’t worry, the podcast will continue. You can also follow our adventures on the Homesteady YouTube Channel.

What about the Pioneer Program? Are you a Pioneer? Do you want access to master classes by experts about orchards, food preservation, and so much more? We are having a sale- Pioneer membership is usually $5/mo, but for the month of December we are selling a year long membership for only $40. Thats only $3.30/mo! Click here to become a Pioneer today!

Thanks to our new sponsor, Audible.com. Go to Audible.com/trynow for a free 30 day trial of Audible, and support Homesteady while listening to a good book.

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In this episode we talk to Brittany Colebush, from BCB Shepherdess http://brittanycolebush.com/
Brittany shares with us how she has turned her love of being a shepherdess into a great business.

Then we enjoy listening to Accountant Mike break down the numbers and see whether or not he gives goat farming a "thumbs up".

Find out if he does in this episode of Homesteady.

Brought to you by the Homesteady Pioneers. Homesteady Pioneers gain access to the pioneer library, full of exclusive pioneers only podcasts and videos. Become a Pioneer HERE:
https://www.thisishomesteady.com/head-west-become-pioneer/

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We have a tag sale coming up soon on the farm, come by and say hi! 

We also have a new project in the works, head on over to www.thisishomesteady.com to sign up to our email list and receive the news when our new project goes live!

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On this episode of Homesteady, Aust introduces us to the work of Allan Savory, of The Savory Institute. Allan grew up in Zimbabwe, and regularly saw lions, elephants, and many other species while assisting his father in surveying the Hwange Game Reserve.

"My father made it impossible not to love the bush. By the time I left high school I could not imagine spending my life anywhere else." Alan pursued a degree in ecology, and his life's work is preventing desertification. Alan takes us through history, highlighting the fact that preserving our natural resources is necessary not only for our survival, but for maintaining a peaceful coexistence between nations. Again and again, wars have ensued over resources; gold, spices, oil. Imagine if the world was in a race for water. Land that has succumbed to desertification can no longer hold water to support plant life. EVEN WHEN IT RAINS. Alan shares with us that as homesteaders, we can truly be part of the solution.

People blamed livestock and overgrazing. The thought was the the livestock ate all the plants, and the bare land then resulted in desertification. However, Alan noticed that within wild herd, such as zebra, wildebeest, elk, or bison, the animals rotated through the land naturally. Wild herd animals graze in large, tightly compacted groups. This led

"Slowly," says Alan, "The murky picture became clearer. The healthiest land I had seen was always associated with the largest herds." On the grasslands, large, tightly compacted groups of prey animals were naturally rotated by the predators who were consistently were a few steps behind, waiting for an animal to break from the herd for their next meal. As the predators closed in, the herd would move, staying a step or two ahead of danger. After the herd had moved on, the land, fed by urine and dung of the animals, and enriched by trampled vegetation, would spring back, fertilized by its encounter with the animals.

Rotational grazing, which seeks to mimics the natural movement of wild herds, is a solution to the prevention of desertification. "In the United States," Allan reports, "millions of cattle are fed grain in a fossil fuel based factory production system while so much of the land in the western half of the country is desertifying due to too few livestock." The majority of livestock is raised in feedlots, where animal waste, instead of fertilizing the ground, becomes toxic waste in need of disposal. Allan encouraged farmers in Africa to adopt rotational grazing, even making a bet with the Rhodesian Minister of Agriculture that his methods could produce healthy land and support twice the amount of livestock in the current amount of space. Learn the whole story in this book, The Grazing Revolution.

Rotational grazing is heavily managed. It requires a planning, investment in equipment, and consistent monitoring. There are many practical applications for rotational grazing for farmers. Farmers who plant crops on fields that are first heavily grazed by cattle have reported seeing 2-5 times previous yields. But does it get Accountant Mike's seal of approval? This debate actually originated on our episode To sheep or not to sheep, during which Aust pitches grazing sheep over buying a new lawnmower. Accountant Mike gives rotational grazing the thumbs up! For the first time, Aust took Accountant Mike's advice, bought sheep, and, after trying to take a few shortcuts, took the leap into electric moveable fencing with help from Stephanie from Premier1 Supplies.

Stephanie from Premier1 Supplies uses moveable electric fencing to practice rotational grazing. She and her husband returned to his family farm to make a go at raising livestock after her father-in-law passed. With she and her husband both working off-farm jobs to continue to support their dream, Stephanie and her husband are able to move 100 head of cattle every weekend. She explains the many benefits of moveable electric fencing to meet the changing needs of her herd. This product is an important part of the history of Premier1. The company evolved from a sheep farm to a farm equipment company based upon the founder's use of moveable electric fencing from England spreading in popularity amongst farmers in his area.

Intrigued by rotational grazing? Want to try it on your homestead? Plan carefully to accurately assess your needs! A solar powered energizer unit, electric netting, and a grounding rods complete a circuit that will give your livestock a little zing if they push their grazing boundaries. The amount and types of fencing, with different options available, runs between $230-$600 for a small homesteading herd. The time commitment per week for moving the fencing? Approximately 45-90 minutes. As homesteaders, this is one way we can positively affect the earth AND improve our bottom line.

Thank you to our partners for making this episode of Homesteady possible!

Is it time to start your fall seeds? Check out the GrowJourney Blog to find the right time for planting in your area.

Want a non-sales newsletter? Sign up for the Premier1 newsletter here.

Liked Stephanie from Premier1? Pioneers have access to this extended interview with Stephanie: How to install Electric Netting for Livestock.

Wait, do YOU want to be a Pioneer? Join here to access all the Pioneer content, including this month's live webinar: how to start a farm. Make sure to wave hi to Dorinda, our Homesteady Pioneer of the Month!

Dorinda, I am going to post a picture of my bolted (and now I think fully dried out) spinach on Instagram. See the pic and follow The Suburban Escapee here. Share pics of your gardening triumphs and fails with the hashtag #iamhomesteady.

FREE Learning Opportunity!

As mentioned on the top of the show, Aust is hosting a FREE online business webinar! The button to sign up is below. With the guidance of Aust and Accountant Mike from the first Homesteady Launchpad I have gone from working 40+ hours per week outside my home, for someone else, to opening my own business. I now work outside the home only 25 hours per week. I STRONGLY encourage the webinar.

Lastly, to ensure your get all of Aust's Jurassic Park References: Little Timmy from Jurassic Park.

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In this episode of Homesteady we share with you a sneak peak of the Go Homestead! Course, letting you listen to the entire lesson on chickens. 

Learn about the Pros and Cons, equipment needed, best breeds, and more!

And visit www.thisishomesteady.com to sign up for the free video course. 

We also make a big announcement in this episode about a change to the Pioneer Program. Become a Pioneer at https://www.thisishomesteady.com/head-west-become-pioneer/

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What is the best breed of pig to raise?

When is a goat episode of Homesteady coming out? 

Are these the questions that keep you up at night? 

We hope not! But you can learn the answers to them. Check out the special Homesteady Live Episode! 

This was our first time ever Live Streaming an episode. We answered your questions, submitted before the show, and asked live on air!

Enjoy sitting with Accountant Mike, and Aust, and listening to the Q and A. 

This episode was brought to you by www.premier1supplies.com and www.growjourney.com

Join us for the next live recording by becoming a Homesteady Pioneer at www.thisishomesteady.com. 

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We have an answer for you....

On your mark...get set...GO!

What do these words actually mean? It means to find your lane, get in your position, and then off to the finish line.

What's your finish line? Are you on your mark? Can you see your own finish line?

In this episode of Honesteady, we are focusing on the stories of people who made homesteading happen.

What's stopping you? Whatever the roadblocks are, today's episode is going to help you bust through those barriers.

We're also trying a new set-up with this write-up. In the past, links to our guests, our sponsors, additional information, and products we love have been interspersed throughout the write-up. This time, there will be a list of links at the end of the post. Let us know what you think!

On your mark...

Our first guest, Mary Anne, is from Norway. Despite a 24/7 on-call job, Mary Ann draws on her Norwegian heritage and the stubbornness she attributes to it to motivate her to follow her own path. She weaves the story of her journey by sharing with us her family's shepherding past, her father's hobby farm, and her own connection to the wind, the beach, and the rich farmland she grew up with.

"It's in my blood," she tells us, "You bend your neck, and walk towards that wind."

Mary Anne channeled her Viking stubbornness and sense of ethics and ingenuity to go, full-steam ahead, on her own path. When her job moved her across the Atlantic to America, she got to the point where she realized focusing exclusively on work wasn't really living. For Mary Anne, finding that work-life balance meant bringing animals into her life.

"There were parts of me I loved using that I couldn't really use in my daily job. I was feeling lacking not being able to use those parts of me."

Mary Anne encourages us to fit our passions into our existing routine. It is hard work, and it takes time. The key is, YOU HAVE TO START. Even if you wake up one hour earlier each day to feed chickens or water the garden, it's necessary to start somewhere.

What is holding you back? Identify your homesteading challenge and walk against the wind.

Need help getting started? We are in the production stage of a Ready...set...go! homesteading class. And did we mention it will be free? Become a test pilot and sign up on the big yellow button on our homepage now. Sign up for the email list to be notified about the release of this new course!

"There was only one four letter word in our family growing up. And that was 'can't'."

Cody, or the Wranglerstar Youtube Channel, shares with us the "figure it out" mentality he was raised with that led him down his homesteading path. After starting small businesses throughout high school, he graduated from high school and bought himself an excavator. With a huge monthly payment, he was highly motivated to take on work, and made a name for himself for taking on the toughest jobs. Cody realized through his work in construction that he took good craftsmanship seriously.

Cody encourages us to do our best work, even if no one will ever see it. We should be proud of the work we do.

Cody introduces us to the concept of the "makers mark," where each craftsperson had a mark they put on their products to identify everything they make. Tradespeople throughout history used their own personal marks to identify their products from the others in the marketplace.

Cody's own journey is full of risks. He became a firefighter, and started his own online business selling auto parts.  He had a successful business, and his dream home. His wife was making a six-figure income. They would work six days a week and drop their son off at his grandparent's house each day.

One day, Cody came across a book written by a man who quit his high-income job and moved to an off-grid homestead in Montana. After visiting this homestead, Cody and his wife decided to walk away from their lifestyle and move into the wilderness.

"We were rowing in the same direction,"Cody says, "And together we made it happen."

The values Cody holds dear make him feel that even though his bank account is smaller, he has much more. He values that 100% of all his efforts directly benefit his family. Cody and his wife are now able to work entirely on their homestead, with their son, and live debt-free. Every day, they inspire others to take a look at their lives, and see where they can make changes.

"If the deep end isn't the right spot for you-that's ok."

Cody shares that he started with a 4"x8" garden bed. His wife learned to can. Everyone starts somewhere. You don't need to buy 60 acres to start homesteading.

So where are you right now? Are you feeling the motivation to make a change? Don't let the feeling pass you buy.

Get set....

Make the decision to walk against the wind.

Sit down with a pen and paper. List exactly what you want. What is your personal definition of success? How can you adjust your life to steer it towards your vision? There are steps that you can take, today.

And...Go!

Are you on our email list? Sign up here.

From the Suburban Escapee

This episode hit on so many important points. As a former runner myself, I remember those hours of practice on the starting blocks, waking up the next day with muscles aching I didn't even know I had. Yet another metaphor for the homesteading journey. What muscles are inside of you, that YOU have never built up before?

The stories of Mary Anne and Cody are so important to hear together, because Mary Anne has incorporated homesteading and her passion for animals into her existing life, while Cody completely opted out of his former existence and has made homesteading his entire life. These stories, juxtaposed against one another, highlight again that each path is unique- our view on homesteading is about creating a lifestyle that is right for YOU.

I am a person who is passionate about her "day job," and have a tool from my professional repertoire as an expressive arts therapist that can help set you on your path. I am going to encourage you to take Aust's recommendation to sit down with a pen and a notebook one step further, and make a Vision Board. Here's how you do it:

• Gather some supplies: a piece of paper, magazines, markers, pens, pencils, photos of people and places that are important to you. Have a computer and a printer available, if possible, to allow you to print pictures or quotes
• Create a quiet space for yourself, and your partner, if applicable, and ask yourself/yourselves the following questions:
  • What does my ideal lifestyle look like?
  • What makes me feel good?
  • What are my values?
  • Where am I now?
  • What am I good at?
  • What do I want to learn?
  • Where do I want to go from here?
• Take your supplies that you have collected and create a collage with pictures, words, and images that capture your answers to your questions. There are several ways you can do this: glue the pictures to paper, use magnets or thumbtacks to stick them on a bulletin board. In the spirit of vulnerability, and encouraging the sharing of dreams, here is a picture of my current vision board. I used little clothespins and some twine to hang my inspirations and motivations:

I'm in the middle of my own transition right now. I just took the leap, with the support of the Homesteady Launchpad, into starting my own business, and transforming my life to match the vision of it I have in my head. Seeing images of my values- family, friends, education, fun, art-the forces that drive me-keep me focused when I feel scared. They keep me walking, one step in front of the other, against the wind.

What is your vision? How can we help? Let us know- and we'd love to see your vision boards in the comments below.

Thank you to our Partners for supporting Homesteady!

Support your livestock with top-quality products from Premier 1. (I am about to go get one of those chicken nipple waterers STAT.)

Get your garden going this spring with a seed subscription from GrowJourney. I got The Country Boy a subscription for Valentines Day and we've got some great broccoli rabe sprouting in our little greenhouse.

Links and Topics from the Go Homestead! Podcast Episode:

• Cool Runnings. If they can bobsled where it doesn't snow, you can homestead.
• Mary Anne's farm business
• Cody at Wranglerstar channel on youtube
• 10 things you may not know about Vikings
• Infant Swimming and a video
• Nirvana Nevermind Album Cover (PS, that baby is 20 now!!!)
• Share your #fencingfails at (657) 223-3276

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Do you have ridiculously cutesy names for every one of your ducks?

Do you refer to yourself as a duck person?

Then you've been AB-DUCK-TED.

Ducks. How could anyone resist adding adorable, fuzzy, ducklings to their poultry flock? Whether for meat or for eggs, ducklings are pretty adorable.

But...ducks grow up. Into messy, smelly, adult ducks, who need water and an overall wet place to live. Aust's short experience at his homestead with ducks has prompted him to give ducks a firm thumbs down.

Or has it?

In this episode of Homesteady, we sit with Aust's friends Lauren and Joe or "Pac-man," and hear the story of Little Foot Farm, and their "Ab-duck-tion". Despite warnings to the contrary from Aust and Kendra...Lauren and Joe are Duck People. The are passionate about their ducks at Little Foot Farm, and have some sage advice to get the most enjoyment out of your ducks.

If you're deciding to get ducks, prepare. Things turn out much, much better. Don't just jump in! Lauren and Joe tell us how if you set up the appropriate housing and environment for the ducks, there are very good reasons to enjoy ducks and the value they add to your homestead.

Little Foot Farm is on Instagram. Are you a duck person? Share your picture with them, and hashtag it #schmuckswithducks

A big shout out to Square Globe Studios for their help with the segment with Lauren and Joe! Check them out here.

Sometimes this ab-duck-tion process begins with fair warning.

Other times this ab-duck-tion can happen suddenly... out of nowhere.

Roy Sharp is a ski bum, a professional chef, a Homesteady pioneer...and a duck person. The head "Ducklehead" of The Ducklehead Ranch, his duck farm, to be exact. He happened to live on a farm the day a duck was unexpectedly was left by the front door of his restaurant job. "Ruby" came home with Roy...and the ab-duck-tion was completed. Want to follow the current happenings on The Ducklehead Ranch? Visit them on Facebook!

Are these duck enthusiasts changing your mind about ducks yet? Not convinced? Are you concerned with having access to very high quality food?

Nutritionally, duck eggs are a more nutritious food than chicken eggs. Denise from Core Nutrition shared these compelling duck egg facts:

1. Duck eggs improve your ph.
2. They are full of Iron. 4 mL per serving!
3. These eggs have anti-inflammatory properties, including nutrients like choline
4. Allergies! Can't eat chicken eggs? Duck eggs may be an option for you.

Learn more about Denise and hear approach to health eating at mycorenutrition.net, and receive bonus duck egg frittata recipe if you sign up for the email list!

Ab-duck-tion stories are not all the spontaneous love stories we've presented so far. Some people really do plan out their duck acquisition! Aaron and Susan von Frank from Grow Journey, one of our Homesteady partners, love their ducks. (See a picture of them with one of their feathered friends right here!) At Tyrant Farms, they researched ducks for six months before adding them to their livestock. After their research, they have found that ducks are both excellent producers and wonderful pets. They share their top four reasons to add ducks to your homestead:

At Tyrant Farms, they see a duck as "A Small dog that poops eggs." Who wouldn't want that?

Tyrant Farms has a fantastic blog with an entire duck archive, where you are able to benefit from their research and experience. Find the duck archive here!

Don't forget to check out the GrowJourney Tip of the Month!

But do the profits of ducks cover the "bills?" What does Accountant Mike have to say? Accountant Mike is unswayed by cuteness or mess. It's all about the profit. Are the profits there? Step out of the way, chickens, because Accountant Mike's money is with the ducks! This Tyrant Farms infographic lays out the facts for the Ducks vs. Chicken debate.

From the Suburban Escapee

Despite the fact that this episode could be called "Ducks: A Love Story," I am still resisting ab-duck-tion. I am slightly swayed by the nutritional and flavor accolades of the duck egg, but overall, I am not convinced.

I laughed out loud when Lauren admitted in her interview with Pac that she didn't like animals. I don't like animals, either, and having stinky, smelly ducks does not appeal to me. I have a current rule about animal acquisition and my family: nothing that needs its poop cleaned up can come live inside or our home or in our yard while I still have a child in diapers.

I have chickens, and cleaning up after the chickens is easy. The Country Boy wants ALL the animals, and has tried to sell me on ducks numerous times. This episode left out what is, to me, the major deterrent of ducks: the water. If you have to build a pond, this comes with major financial, maintenance, and drainage implications. Creating a body of water also requires you to check in with your homeowners insurance policy as well, as you will likely need to add coverage.

Do you have ducks? Did you love them or leave them? Share your experience in the comments.

Are you a duck person, and want to tell the world? Check out our "abduckted" t-shirt!

Win a T-shirt! Share this episode with the hashtag #abduckted to be entered to win.

COMING SOON: The LIVE Recording of Homesteady with YOUR Questions!

What burning homesteading questions do you have? Email them to aust@thisishomesteady.com. The live event is an INVITE-ONLY web broadcast for Pioneers, with Aust and Accountant Mike. If you want to be invited, click to become a Pioneer today!

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Thank you, listeners, for your support regarding the loss of Boone.

We were, and continue to be, profoundly moved by your outpouring of empathy. Your stories of the beloved companion animals you have lost help heal the hole in our own heart.

We are heartened by  how many of you told us that you have made changes on your own properties- reducing and eliminating your own use of poisons-in honor of Boone. This is why we shared Boone's story.

On the podcast, we share parts of several of your stories- of your much-loved pets, of the changes you've made on your properties. Our hearts are so grateful for this podcast community.

As you may remember, I was able to get a spot put on the waiting list of Three Cedar's Retrievers list for JUST ONE MORE puppy sired by the same parents as Boone. How did this selection process go for us? Watch this video to find out. It will be the cutest thing you see all day. With the help of Jack's matchmaking skills, we selected "Socks" to come home with us to the farm.

Or maybe, "Socks" picked us.

To be honest, it was hard to get a new puppy while still grieving Boone's loss. But we moved forward and started to build a spot in our family for our puppy. All purebred animals are registered, with a an official name. We re-named Socks "Bones" for his call name, a name that honored Boone. His official name? Three Cedars Boone's Little Brother. After earning the nickname Lazy Bones, for his marked lack of interest in any training activities, Bone matured into an eager retriever.

More than that, he has filled the hole next to me, and has become my new best friend.

This episode of Homesteady really highlighted how this podcast engenders community. Want to be a bigger part of this community? Become a Pioneer today!

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Robin Follette decided one morning that she wanted a change in life.

She had been a Market Farmer for years. She knew the importance of raising and harvesting your own food. But she wanted to take farm to table lifestyle one step further. She wanted to learn to hunt. 

Her Father was a hunter, and she remembered as a young girl all the boys leaving for hunt camp. 

Girls were not allowed to hunt. 

Now, as she realized her daughter was about to Graduate, and her life was going to be changing.

She figured it was the perfect time to take on a new life challenge. She was going to learn to hunt.

Years later, she still had no success in the field. Close calls, and some scary interactions with bears and moose, but no meat in the freezer. 

One day a 400 Lb Boar began showing up on Robins Game Camera.

This bear was frequenting her spot, often. Robin Decided that this was the bear she was going to take home. The average bear taken in Maine weighs under 200 lbs. This was a special bear, and it would feed Robin's family for a long time. 

Sitting in her treestand one evening she hears the loud sound of a bear crashing through the woods.

Its no doubt a big bear, Robin thought, because of how much noise it was making. 

The Bear steps out into the clearing, and Robin realizes its not the bear she was hunting.

Its a much smaller bear. And its wounded. 

What is the right thing to do? 

She knows the Big Bear is coming, he often visits this spot. But this bear is badly wounded and suffering. 

She has one Bear tag, and if she uses it on the wounded bear, her hunt for the year is over. 

But the little bear is suffering, and will most likely starve over the winter. 

Listen to the story and learn what decision Robin made. 

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In this episode of Honesteady, we meet Beekeeper or "beek" Dane Strickland of RJS Beefarm. Dane is truly fascinated with bees. Dane was introduced to the power of bees when severe asthma symptoms prompted his children's pediatrician to suggest a daily spoonful of dark honey as a remedy for the allergies triggering his son's asthma attacks. When his son showed improvement on his dark honey regimine, Dane dove into research to understand how honey could be responsible.

Personal Fulfillment. Satisfying Curisoty. All good reasons to get into beekeeping. But of course, let's not forget...HONEY.

Dane tells us that honey is a syrup generated 100% by the bees. It is primarily nectar from living plants. Dane is committed to chemical-free beekeeping. This means that his honey is all-natural, only composed of the nectar made by his bees from what they consume in their natural environent.

The health benefits from natural honey come from the small amounts of natural pollen particles found in minimally filtered honey. This is why some people do experience desensitization from their allergies when ingesting local dark honey.

While the benefits of local honey has been found to benefit some people in treatment of their allergies, this information is certainly not to be taken as or in lieu of advice from your medical professional.

Dane himself shares that his son experienced relief from this remedy; his daughter did not experience great results.

There is a big difference between processed honey and local honey. 

Dane enlightens us to the fact that commercially processed honey uses pumps and filters in order to produce a product with "flow" for commercial container. This is why your favorite honey bear shaped bottle is able to pour a smooth stream through the spout. Consumers mistakenly believe that sugar crystals signal honey that has "gone bad."

Local, raw honey retains the original enzymes from the nectar produced by the bees. The commercial process of heating the honey to 160 degrees kills the enzymes and dissipates the flavor. The main difference between local honey and commercial honey is that different colors, flavors, and textures between hives. These changes are made by the differences in the bees' diet. The district, intense flavors of local raw honey is what has made honey a preferred sweetener for centuries.

Each jar of local honey tells a story about the bees who made it, and beekeepers who are supporting the bees.

Dane alerts us to the fact that our bee population is in danger. Bees are credited with 22-25% of the pollination of plants that produce our food supply. Even if you don't see yourself as a beekeeper, you can choose to maintain your outdoor space in a bee-friendly way, by avoiding chemicals and pesticides that are harmful to bees.

Now, do you want to become a beekeeper?

Dane lets us in on the three essentials to becoming a beekeeper: a beehive, tools and protective gear, and of course, BEES! Dane also shares start-up cost estimates, and sets realistic expectations for a beginning beekeeper. In three years, Dane thinks you can break even on the initial investment by selling honey!

Making your own honey and keeping bees is deeply satisfying, which is important to the Homesteady idealist...but do the dollars make sense to Accountant Mike?

Accountant Mike takes everything into account and breaks down the numbers- stings, time spent tending the hive, and time spent making honey. Does it get a financial thumbs-up, or does fascination with bees have to be its own reward?

Need a little more information on beekeeping before you take the plunge?

Homesteady Pioneers have access to a Pioneer-Only Intro to Beekeeping podcast! Not a Pioneer? Join here!

Want to start your own honey business? (Or any other business?) Get on the early warning list for the next Homesteady Launchpad Business Course, and get your own thumbs up or thumbs down, along with practical tips and know-how from Aust and Accountant Mike.

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In this episode of Homesteady, Aust talks to two individuals in different stages of their journeys to the ultimate destination: The Dream Farm. You-yes, YOU! can go from owning nothing, to finding stepping stones towards the perfect spot for reaching your own homesteading goals.

Stepping Stone 1: A Mission for what type of Property YOU want.

The Proving Grounds is one example of stepping stones leading to a dream property come true. Grant Woods, a wildlife biologist who lives in 2000 acres in the Ozark Mountains in Missouri, documents and teachers others successful land management techniques through his web series and website, GrowingDeer.tv. Grant's "mission" was to manage his land for the optimal growth of both plants and animals, while enabling him to spend more time with his family. Grant's land is called "The Proving Grounds" because with it, he has proven that his land management techniques lead to successful, bountiful results.

Stepping Stone 2: Don't wait! Start now. Practice.

"If ever a person has looked at their life as a series of stepping stones laid out in front of them on the way to that big 'ol lake full of bass, that's Alexia."

Not everyone owns 2000 acres of land. In his interview with Alexia Johnstone, The Suburban Escapee, Alexia talks about taking one small step at a time.

A self-proclaimed "anxious achiever," Alexia urges the burgeoning homesteader to set a series of small goals, each with a result that is rewarding. Achievable goals allow us to build towards bigger goals by feeding our self-confidence with small successes. Wherever you live, whatever your life right now, PRACTICE the skills that will lead you towards your homesteading goals.

Stepping Stone 3: The Property Search.

Grant, Alexia and Aust all reflect on how jumping for the first piece of land they saw, or right to a giant farm, wasn't the right choice for their families, due to location, cost, or size. While Grant is already there, Aust and Alexia are both in different spots on their journeys to their Dream Property.

After listening to this episode, are you motivated to learn more about land management, sustainability, and achievable goals on your way to owning your own Dream Property? Then join us this February for #iamhomesteady. We are so excited to bring you bees, bears and more in this four-episode month! In February's #iamhomesteady special, we will be encouraging you to become a Pioneer. If 50 new Pioneers sign up to the program this month, we will host a celebration episode, a live Q and A with Aust and Accountant Mike. All Pioneers will be invited, and we will share that episode with the entire Homesteady Audience.

Sign Up Here to become a Pioneer!

Also, share the show with #iamhomesteady to win a subscription to Grow Journey!

From the Suburban Escapee

Hey everyone! It was lots of fun to be part of the podcast this month. I am so excited to have the opportunity to share the journey my family and I have embarked on to be more Homesteady.

Want to amaze your friends with homemade tomato sauce? Here is the recipe, as promised.

Nonna's Basic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2- 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
• 1-2 fresh tomatoes, if you can find good ones. Otherwise, leave them out.
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 small onion
• 1/4 cup olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of a soup pot)
• 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning Blend, OR
• 1/4 Tablespoon dried oregano
• 3/4 Tablespoon dried basil
• Garlic Salt or Garlic Powder, to taste
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• A soup pot or dutch oven

To Make:

1. If using, chop the 1-2 fresh tomatoes and blend them in the blender. Put aside.
2. Coat the bottom of a soup pot or dutch oven with olive oil. Turn the heat to low to slowly warm up the oil. While the oil is warming up, chop the onion into thin strips and throw them in. Cook 2-5 minutes, until translucent, but not brown.
3. Peel the two cloves of garlic and put them in whole. Let cook about a minute with the onions, and then pour in the two cans of tomatoes, and the blended fresh tomatoes, if using, and stir.
4. Sprinkle in the herbs. Stir again. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to please your own palate. If the sauce seems overly acidic, garlic salt or garlic powder can take the edge off. If you use garlic salt, be aware that you probably won't need much regular salt. Add small amounts at a time- you can always add more, but you can't take it out!
5. Partially cover and let simmer on low for 20 minutes. Stir every 3-5 minutes to prevent a burnt spot on the bottom. Then the sauce is done, it should nicely coat the back of a spoon.

This makes enough sauce for 6-8 servings of pasta.

Notes: If you are an experienced cook, feel free to vary the herbs. Rosemary, parsley, and thyme also are nice in this sauce. Fresh herbs work well too.

If you use plain stewed frozen garden tomatoes or home-canned tomatoes, blend the tomatoes before pouring them into the sauce. I have found that you need to lengthen the cooking time due to the extra water compared to commercially processed tomatoes. This is particularly true for frozen stewed tomatoes.

Mangia!

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This Episode was brought to you by our Partner Grow Journey, Join their Gardening Tip of the Month Email List here!

Want to sart a Homestead Business? Our Homestead Business Class is coming to help you do that!

Join the Early Warning List

In this episode Aust and Accountant Mike revisit the subject of Farm Fresh Eggs....

Do egg-laying chickens save a homesteader money? Accountant Mike said, "Not worth it!" in this previous episode. But what if you sell the eggs produced by your flock? Does that income equal the time, money, and energy from raising chickens? We interview John from The Growing Farms Podcast to find out on this episode of Homesteady.

Want more chicken tips? Dr. Michael Darre from the University of Connecticut, chicken specialist, may home some answers for you.

Want to learn more about farms and finance? The Farm Finance Project gives you an insider view on the workings of 12 small-scale farms.

John's extended interview giving his own chicken tips is available in the Pioneer Library. Pioneers also have access to an audio chicken raising class in the Pioneer Library. Join now!

Motivated and educated enough about chickens to build your own chicken tractor? Click here checkout John's Plans. (BTW... it's an affiliate link) 

Check out Homesteady on YouTube for great videos about many homesteading topics, including this one on How to Get Your Chickens to Lay More Eggs in the Winter.

The Suburban Escapee- Tales from Raising Roosters Farm

Do you see that fancy, $400 coop posted up there?

That is NOT what my backyard chicken coop looks like. This is the "Budget Coop:"

And it cost us MAYBE $100. In fact, this is the Budget Coop 2.0. Version 1.0 consisted of the lifted roof part you see on the left being made of free pallets buried into the ground like a fence with chicken wire over the top. The part on the left is actually a chicken tractor a friend of ours gifted us when they moved. We call it "the extension." As you can see, I really do have backyard chickens- the coop abuts my shed, and that's my house in the background.

Before I gloat about my Budget Coop, however, I have to admit: Accountant Mike has a point.  Over the last 18 months, we have brought home and fed, at one time or another, no fewer than 18 chickens.

We currently have five. One of them lays eggs. I am not great with numbers, but even I know the math on that one does not work out.

What happened to the other THIRTEEN CHICKENS? I could go on for days, but here is a short list:

• Raccoon (The Country Boy threw it like an Olympic hammer out of the coop.)
• Neighborhood husky attack
• Free-range gone amiss (did you know baby chicks can climb into the undercarriage of your car?)
• Hawk
• And finally...Roosters. We have had so many roosters I have re-named our home "Raising Roosters Farm."

To continue to justify the expense of backyard chickens, we have stuck to a few budgeting tips:

• We get free chickens from the Spencer Fair. If you want free chickens, I suggest contacting your local 4-H chapter to see if chicks will be bred for the purpose of an agricultural fair or other educational venue. Free chicks could be yours!
• Source free building materials to build your coop. We had to buy the wood for the frame and the screws. Everything else was gifted from leftover projects of friends and family.
• Chicken poop and eggs shells are great fertilizer!  We save money on gardening expenses this way. In fact, I challenge Accountant Mike to calculate, pound for pound, how much I would have spent on compost and fertilizer for my garden if I didn't have chickens.
• Chickens can eat all household plant-based table scraps. In New England, when my compost pile is frozen, my chickens eat all my vegetable scraps and peelings, saving them from the trash.
• We dispatch the roosters. Or give them away. But most have gone to the "Soup Pot."

However, it's not completely about the money.

There are, however, as Accountant Mike's mom said, intangible benefits to owning chickens. Rather than getting chickens to replace our children, we got chickens for our children.  My oldest daughter is a chicken whisperer, and she is the one that is able to hold, pet, catch, and herd the chickens.

The chickens have brought us more than eggs. My children have learned about where food comes from. They have learned to take care of another creature. They have learned about predators and death from the chickens. They have learned to be "calm and confident" when they approach animals, and to gage the effect of their presence.

For me personally, it's all about the taste. Farm fresh eggs are MUCH better than a "big ag" egg. I am an eggs over easy aficionado, and recently ate eggs at a popular chain restaurant. Spoiled by months of rich, delicious yolks, I nearly spit out my toast as my tongue met the insipid, watery yellow of the factory farmed egg I had ordered. An over easy egg cooked while still warm from the coop? Priceless.

Like what you heard? Want to read more? Visit our archive of show episodes and blog posts.

Not a Pioneer? Join here.

The Homesteady Pioneer Shoutout of the Episode

Paul and Katie

YOU could be next!

This episode was also brought to you by our partners RJS BEE Farm, and PowerPlucker.

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In this Episode of the Homesteady Campfire, we meet Aust's friend "Sweet Lou", and hear his story of survival in the wilderness.

A true "city boy"

Sweet Lou and his friend Jonathan pick Mount Washington, located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, as their first ever overnight backpacking trip.

Not only is Mount Washington the highest peak on the Eastern seaboard,

it's also, according to Gear Junky, the eighth most dangerous mountain in the WORLD.

How do Sweet Lou and Jonathan fare?

Follow along Sweet Lou's trip on his Instagram Feed: @lfvision_ and join us around the Homesteady Campfire (I would suggest with a nice hot pouch of chicken a la king) for this comedy of errors on the mountain with the world's most dangerous weather!

Special Guests Heather and Josh Weigh in

As you know, normally we end the show with Accountant Mike giving the ceremonial "thumbs up" or down to the topic. Since this weeks topic was about hiking and wilderness survival, we decided to bring in some experts. Heather and Josh breakdown Luis' performance on the mountain. Does he pass their test?

Hear more from our guests at The First 40 Miles Podcast.

But Wait! There's More!

A Leatherman is a true friend in the wilderness. We are pleased to announce that we are hosting a giveaway! Subscribe to our email list and be entered to win a Leatherman knife!

I wish I was sitting with all of you, literally around a campfire, listening to this story.

I don't want to post spoilers, but let me tell you: I was literally freaking out while listening to the tale of Sweet Lou's adventure. I laughed, I yelled at the podcast, and I nervously bit my nails while waiting to see how things were going to turn out for the intrepid adventurers.

Also, I make EPIC s'mores.

Wilderness backpacking is more than a simple walk through the woods.

The amount of preparation, training, skills, and gear that is necessary varies depending upon you who speak to, and where you are going; but going to the eighth most dangerous mountain in the world for your first overnight is generally not recommended.

That being said: I wanted to share my favorite fire-starting tip with all of you, from my very first camping trip. Which coincidentally, also happened in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, at Crawford Notch State Park.

At nineteen, I had never been camping before.

When I told my parents I was going camping with my then boyfriend and a group of friends, their response was, "Why?" My parents are not fans of "roughing it," and while we certainly spent long days outside as kids, those days ended with showers and beds.

My then boyfriend and his best friend were accomplished Boy Scouts.

They spent the drive up to the park bragging about past campfires; how big, how hot, how much wood they gathered.

When the time came to make a fire for the evening, they went and bought wood at the ranger station, came back, and proceeded to build a fire.

If only tall tales could fuel an actual fire.

Boy Scouts or not, that thing would NOT light. After about thirty minutes of fruitless effort, they decided that the only solution was lighter fluid.

The boys piled into the car and took off for the nearest gas station.

My two friends and I (one of them my own longest-standing friend) stood around the un-lit fire and watched the car drive away.

"You guys," I said, all my freshman anthropology classes on my mind, "Cavemen made fire. This cannot possibly be that hard. I mean, we have a lighter."

"They didn't put enough tinder," said my oldest friend, a seasoned camper, who had watched the proceedings with quiet amusement, "We need something that will smolder and get really hot."

We started going through our bags of food and supplies. I pulled out a tube of the greasiest item I found in my backpack. "What about these?"

The boys returned an hour later, stunned to find us sitting and snacking around a roaring fire.

"How did you do that? Did someone help you?"

We looked at each other and started laughing. "Would you like a Pringle?" I offered, "Not only are they delicious, but they make a great fire starter."

It's hardly a Man vs. Wild moment, but that small success from my first campout remains one of my favorite camping memories.

Now, go join the email list and win a knife to help you create your own campfire!

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We also share an announcement regarding the Homesteady Pioneer Library!

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Aust pulls out all the stops and brings in Accountant Mike to develop a comprehensive pro/con list to investigate this completely new venture for the homestead. Have you ever thought about the ways lawnmowers are dangerous? And we all know from the last episode the downside of growing useless grass.

Sheep, however, cannot simply be parked in the shed once they're done dining. They require food in the winter, when the lawns of New England are covered in snow, medical attention, and shelter. As opposed to lawnmowers, when they are fully grown, they can be butchered and either sold or served for dinner. There is also the possibility of shearing sheep and selling wool. Do these ventures create a profit that make sheep a good business decision?

Accountant Mike and Aust battle it out: To mow or not to mow? Do the numbers add up in favor of sheep?Find out on Part 1 of this FIRST serialized episode of Homesteady!

Know a lot about lawn mowers, but nothing about sheep? Aust shares his entire conversation with Susan Napotnik about selecting the perfect breed of sheep here on the Pioneer sheep episode. Not a Pioneer? Join here.

P.S.: Did you know Accountant Mike is a reality star?

From the Suburban Escapee:

I began to write an reflection of this episode where I waxed poetic about lawns, livestock, and this episode of Curious George. (Which, yes, is about goats, but it's relevant.) I mean, I'm from the suburbs. Is there anything more suburban than lawnmowers?

The backbone of this episode, however, isn't so much about the topic itself, or the debate of Animal vs. Machine. This is the first time we have Aust step out from behind the curtain of his homestead in a particularly vulnerable position: as a newbie. Despite his success in other areas of his homestead, many of which have been shared on the podcast, Aust is revealing that decisions on the farm aren't made in a vacuum. They are made after hours of research, consulting with experienced mentors, and running numbers about the cost of any new venture vs. any possible revenue.

Decision-making is an art and a science. In my own life, with a family, a job, and multiple interests, needs, and dreams, learning to make decisions has become a necessary skill. A biography of my early adulthood could be called "The Consequences of the Poorly Thought Out Choices."

In trying to reverse that trend, the Country Boy and I have grown more cautious and methodical. After living in the city, we found a town where we could afford enough land (not a farm, just a big yard) to start experimenting with homesteading. After two seasons of growing plants based upon capricious wants (see here for how that turned out), we finally began to do research to inform ourselves on the best possible way to grow the vegetables and plants we want and enjoy. This year, we have purchased a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmshare with two goals in mind: increase the variety of vegetables in our freezer, and meet local farmers to begin the make the relationships that could possibly gain us a few mentors for our homestead journey.

And yet, despite the careful mathematical calculations of profit margins, and scientific research on varieties and methods, and the technical ins and out of any pursuit, there is also that most incalculable of all variables: passion. Regardless of how much logical, financial, or any other type of sense any decision makes, without passion to fuel the effort, I truly believe success is limited.

I believe that passion is what largely fuels this community. Passion for eating whole, fresh food. Passion for the outdoors. Passion for animals, hard work, and being a "maker" as opposed to strictly a consumer. Making smart, well-researched decisions is what allows us to pursue our particular passion in a sustainable, fiscally responsible way.

Rather than listening to this episode and thinking "wow, I should look into livestock," I urge you all to take away the larger message and ask yourself: What is ONE decision I can make to further my passion?

Add to our blog community by sharing that step in the comments!

A special thanks to our partner: RJS Bee Farm. Pioneers get 10% off beekeeping equipment.

Raising chickens? Our sponsor The Power Plucker will make your life easier. Save 20 days of your life you would otherwise spend plucking chickens!

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In this episode of Homesteady, we discussed learning to hunt, and how many mistakes one can make when learning without a mentor.

Aust learned to hunt by trial and error for his first few years, spooking many a deer his first year.

One November afternoon, after still hunting for the good part of the morning, Aust sat down for lunch, making a rookie move of sitting on his butt, when suddenly a big buck arrived, catching him unprepared and off guard.

Lessons learned the hard way finally brought Aust to a point where now he harvests multiple deer each year, filling his freezers.

Venison is awesome

Deer hunting is challenging, but the rewards are great. Venison is a flavor filled meat, with a wide range of uses.

One deer can provide a hunter with

• Steaks
• Chops
• Roasts
• Sausage
• Burger

And when prepared right, venison can pass even the most anti hunters palate.

Wild Harvest: Whitetail Deer 101 Course

Homesteady is preparing to launch the Wild Harvest Whitetail Deer Course.

This course will teach the beginning hunter all the essential knowledge needed for a new hunter to prepare for, and succeed in his first year of hunting.

The course will cover:

• Introduction to Whitetails and Hunting
• Hunting and Treestand Safety 
• Equipment - What do you really need to kill a deer?
• Practice to Succeed
• Land Acquisition- Tricks for gaining access to private land for hunting
• Scouting and Strategy
• Tracking and Recovery
• Field Dressing, Butchering, and Preserving the Harvest
• Cooking Delicious Meals 

This class will be a series of live webinars, with a Q and A at the end of each session.

Our goal is to be able to answer all of the questions you might have, so to make this possible, there will be limited availability.

The first day the course goes for sale there will be a early bird discount.

Sign up for the warning email list so that you can get first shot at the class and early bird discount before it sells out! 

Get The First Shot

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Like what you heard? Here's more:

Korby Taylor has his own podcast! Check it out here.  If you are a member of the Homesteady Pioneers, he's also posted a "Turkey Hunting 101" podcast in our member's only library. Not a pioneer yet? Become a pioneer today!

Interested in learning more about wild turkeys? My life as a wild turkey has the in-depth information you are looking for.

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We discus fishing stories, talk about chickens and canning, and reflect on the year in Homesteading that the Homesteady show has brought you. 

We share a Gift with the listeners too... 

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Until our Labrador Retriever puppy found it. Listen to hear this warning tale. 

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This story was shared with us by Rae Elliot. You can see all of her work at raeelliotbooks.com and listen to her science fiction podcast Fractured in iTunes. 

To hear the behind the scenes episode, where we discuss hunting and the making of the score for this story, become a Homesteady Pioneer!

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In this episode we discuss planning ahead 

On the Farm

In the Home(stead)

and Outside in the Forests and Streams

Wether you want to grow more veggies, or havest a deer this season, NOW is the time to start preparing for a year of sustainability! 

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First we will hear the story of the Food Cyclist John Suscovich. John lived in the city, had a great job with the Howard Stern Show, and was well ahead in his life and career. Then, he decided to leave it all... Find out why in this episode of Homesteady. 

Our next story is about a family of homesteaders from a Farm in Italy. When the sounds of promise in the new world become to much to ignore, they left the farm and moved to Brooklyn New York. But the farmer spirit stayed strong in their bones. 

Enjoy these stories, and stay tuned for a very importiant announcement regarding the Homesteady Pioneers...

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• Save on your food expenses
• Save on taxes
• Earn you money through sales

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And... A special HOMESTEADY Announcemnt! Click HERE to find out what it is!

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In this new kind of episode, Campfire, the crew of Homesteady, Austin, Mike, and the rest, take you on their annual trip to Rhode Island.

On this annual trip, they wake each day long before sunrise, and head out into the salt ponds to try to catch keeper sized stripped bass or fluke. 

Facing tough fishing conditions, the crew begins to wear on each other, and wear out!

Listen as they tell this tale, and at the same time, teach you how to come up to the campfire and share your own story, whether it has a happy ending or not...

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But should they be? Do egg layers make financial sense in a world of $2 per dozen eggs? Listen to this months episode to find out!

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Here is how I get my family of 5 (... Ok, one is a baby...) enough meat for a year, without ever buying it from the supermarket.

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Don't have 100 acres? Don't want to bother with electric fencing? Can't spend all day supervising your pig herd?

Ya, me either! In this episode we discuss how to raise grassfed pork, without all the hastle. All you need is 2 paddocks and a call. Listen to find out the secret to easy pig farming. 

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Theres nothing quite as good, except maybe homemade berry jam! 

This month on Homesteady, PYO- Pick Your Own... Who doesn't want to do that?

When your in the supermarket buying apples, you know your squeezing em' to see which is best... so why not skip the middle man!

Go right to the farm that grows them and pick your own fruit at that perfect moment!

This Month were discussing PYO Berries. June is prime strawberry season, July brings in the blueberries and raspberries! (and thats just the tip of the iceberg).

And the fun doesn't stop with picking, when you bring home that goodness, you can make Jams, Jellies, and Preserves to last all year!

Make Jam!

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How did I get hooked on fishing because of the one that got away? What is the best way to catch, clean and cook trout? Does Acountant Mike think fishing is a good way to put food on the table? Find out... Listen to this months episode of Homesteady!

In this Episode...

How to catch, clean and cook your dinner.

Accountant Mike likes to fish!

The story of a fish named O'Henry.

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