Hail is easily one of the biggest enemies that exist on our homestead. As some of you might know, last year a hail storm destroyed one of my gardens (and our trampoline). While there are many different solutions to this problem, we had to be mindful of not only the hail but also the extremely high winds that occur in this part of the country. Because of this, we knew we needed a heavy-duty, permanent structure, and not some of the lesser solutions that might be fine in other regions. Listen toda...
Jul 23, 2020•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast For anyone that’s followed me for some time, I don’t have to explain my long-time love for canning. It's perhaps my favorite kitchen activity on the homestead. However, there’s a lot of potential for error in the canning process, and for some, it can be intimidating to get started. On this special episode that was recorded live on Facebook, I answer all of your questions and concerns when it comes to canning. If you’ve ever had any questions in regards to canning, then press plays now. No s...
Jul 20, 2020•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dreams. Everyone has them, but not everyone achieves them. Why is that true? Believe it or not, a large number of people never even voice their dreams let alone create an actual plan to accomplish them. On today's episode, I'm once again joined by my sister Jenna. As she continues on her homesteading journey, we begin discussing Jenna's big goal for what's left of 2020 and the objectives she can hit to prepare herself for succes in 2021. My hope is that today's episode w...
Jul 16, 2020•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast While kefir might be the newest addition to the long list of things growing in my kitchen, it most definitely isn't new to my life. After taking a round of anti-biotics, I took to kefir to help repair the baceria in my gut. Upon discovering some of the incredible benefits of this tasty beverage, I started digging a little deeper. Incredibly I found out that keifer can be used to make cheese culture! While this might not be a huge deal for you, all my cheesemakers will soon discover why kefi...
Jul 13, 2020•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yes, you read that correctly. We bought a house. Rest assured, we haven't decided to abandon the homestead and head into the suburbs. On the contrary, we're making an investment in our future and and the future of our community. Join me today as I explain our plans to (hopefully) generate more income and jump start the growth of an old town. Follow along with our thought process of investing in tools over toys and how this can excel your growth in every area of your life. Don't ge...
Jul 09, 2020•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Raising beef can seem like a difficult and daunting task on the surface, but suprisingly it's one of the easiest methods of producing food on the homestead. While we've had issues in the past with other food sources, that's never been the case with beef. In today's episode I cover the essentials you'll need to begin growing beef of your own. Learn about the different fencing options, the differences bewtween heifers and steers, how to determine the type of animal you nee...
Jul 06, 2020•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Starting a homestead can be a daunting task. It can be even more overwhelming when you compare yourself to a seasoned homesteader such as myself. While "how do I start a homestead?" is one of the most common questions I receive, after living the homestead life for almost 12 years I'm a little disconnected from the startup portion of the journey. Today I'm happy to announce that my sister Jenna has come to save the day. Recent life changes have driven her and her husband to bu...
Jul 02, 2020•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast No matter the time of the year, there's one topic that always remains in high demand. Whether you're on the homestead or in the city, every single one of us has to eat. While I'm definitely not a meal planner by any stretch of the imagination, over the years I've learned several great tricks to save countless hours in the kitchen. In today's episode, I fill you in on what we're eating this summer. Listen to find out some of my favorite ground beef recipes, why I lov...
Jun 29, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you've come to know anything about me over the years, you've likely recognized that the phrase "slow down" simply doesn't exist in my vocabulary. As summer began and nearly all of our planned events and obligations were cancelled due to Covid-19, I started to seriously investigate my life and how I'm spending my time on a regular basis. On today's episode I discuss the Pareto Principle, a surefire method to increase efficiency and free up more time to do exa...
Jun 25, 2020•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Potatoes are by far my favorite food and it’s not even close. This easy to grow vegetable is not only versatile in the kitchen, but they last long in storage and are fun and easy to harvest from the ground. In today’s episode, I’m going to discuss how my potato growth has evolved over the years and provide my top tips for increasing your potato yield. If you’re looking to take your potato game to the next level you have come to the right place. A BIG thank you to Remond’s Real Salt for being our...
Jun 22, 2020•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever had garden amnesia? It’s that time of year you get so excited about beginning your garden that you completely forget about all the time and hard work needed to make it happen? That’s where I’m currently at right now. Even with the well-documented struggles I’ve had, I’m ready and raring to go for this gardening season. Why you might ask? This year I’m armed with three secret weapons that I know will save tons of time and prevent many headaches throughout this busy summer. Listen to...
Jun 19, 2020•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast A BIG thank you to Remond’s Real Salt for being our podcast sponsor for the month of June! http://theprairiehomestead.com/salt Redmonds is my #1 go-to salt for cooking and food preservation. I love that it’s mined in the USA and contains 60+ trace minerals which makes it an easy choice for stocking your homestead pantry. During the month of June, use code HOMESTEAD to save 15% on your order. >>Do you want to start canning but don’t know where to begin? Head over to https://www.learnhowtoca...
Jun 17, 2020•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Darryl Bosshardt of Redmond’s Real Salt. Darryl is a true salt expert. His grandparents founded Redmond's 60 years ago and they have been my salt of choice for as long as I can remember. As we discuss today, salt is an essential mineral for our daily lives, but it’s often misunderstood and sometimes carries a negative connotation. Darryl provides an advanced course in everything related to salt as we talk about the harmful use of dextrose, why sea salt isn...
Jun 15, 2020•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast After being hardcore proponents of hand milking for a decade, we finally made the decision to cave in and buy a milk machine. So why is now the time to make a change? As I’ve mentioned in recent episodes, we’ve committed to becoming producers for our community. Simply put, in order to be able to produce milk in large quantities, it was no longer viable to milk by hand. While I did have some reservations at first, I soon found out the time saved greatly outweighed any cost or additional clean up ...
Jun 12, 2020•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you’re hoping to grow high quality plants, you must first dig deep (no pun intended) into your soil. Much like the foundation of a house, your soil sets the tone for everything that follows. In today’s episode, I’m going to cover a variety of tips and tricks to help you strike the perfect balance in your soil that will allow your crops to flourish. Learn about the three primary components of soil, how to determine if you have clay in your soil, and why organic matter is your best friend. Disc...
Jun 10, 2020•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast To put it lightly, this year has been one of revelations on our homestead. As I’ve discussed in previous episodes, our goal to become producers for our community has necessitated some changes. We’ve raised meat birds for almost five years now, but as you’ll find out today virtually nothing is the same from when we first started. Listen to find out why we ditched the chicken coups, how we sped up our plucking process, and discover the best $200 I’ve ever spent in my adult life. A BIG thank you to...
Jun 08, 2020•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you’ve watched any of my videos or have seen any pictures on my social media, it’s pretty easy to tell that I’m not a gadget girl when it comes to the kitchen. I must say that this does come with one key exception; the instant pot. Being the control freak that I am, I understand there is a bit of irony in me using an appliance I’m not supposed to touch. On today’s episode, find out why the instant pot is the best way to make farm fresh hard boiled eggs, bone broth, beans, rice quinoa, and mor...
Jun 05, 2020•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast I don’t believe it’s any secret by now; we like to raise our own meat. More than any part of the process, people question how we handle the butchering of animals. While it isn’t always easy, I’ve come to recognize that butchering animals ourselves has only helped us to gain an even greater appreciation for the meat the we raise for ourselves and our community. While some might find it inhumane or even try to convince us to go vegan, most would be surprised to know animals raised on the homestead...
Jun 03, 2020•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Homesteading with kids isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you’re up for the challenge it will certainly make an incredible impact on their lives. I know with our kids, life on the homestead has taught them the value of hard work, how to establish boundaries, and how to be creative. More than anything, perhaps the most valuable lessons kids can learn is learning how to fail. If you’v ever doubted your decision to raise your kids on the homestead, I encourage you to listen to this episode. It’s ...
Jun 01, 2020•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Now more than ever, interest in locally grown food is booming. Not only are people looking to support small and local businesses during this chaotic time, but they’re also coming to realize the high quality food that exists outside of their normal grocery store. On today’s episode I’m here to help guide you on your journey of tracking down some incredible locally sourced food. Believe it or not, the internet will be your best friend on this quest. Facebook has become the most effective place to ...
May 29, 2020•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast For many different reasons, grassfed meats are all the rage at the moment. While the incredible benefits are obvious, there seems to be one issue most people run into when preparing grassfed meats; if you’re not careful it can become extremely tough. Don’t fret my friends, this simply means that grassfed meats tend to be much leaner due to more time in the pasture. Listen today to learn best practices for defrosting, how to to season a good steak, how to use your grill and oven to cook a perfect...
May 27, 2020•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast The fear of failure can prevent even the strongest among of from pursuing dreams and passions that will lead to a truly fulfilling life. I know Christian and I have had our own share of fear throughout the process of building our homestead and dealing with it hasn’t been easy. Over the years I’ve actually come to see failure as my best friend. Crazy, right? On today’s episode I’m going to explain to you why fear will never disappear from your life and what you can learn to harness it and use it ...
May 25, 2020•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast No matter how excited you might be about your homesteading venture, I can guarantee you not everyone around you shares this same excitement. How do I know? I’ve been there myself. Sharing your passion with loved ones only to get instantly shot down is one of the most discouraging things that could ever happen. The truth of the matter is when you do anything that is as far out of the norm as homesteading, you’re bound to get pushback from friends and family alike. On today’s episode, I explain ho...
May 22, 2020•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Even amongst the homestead community, raw milk isn’t necessarily a common topic of conversation. Maybe it’s a product of our current situation, but in our household we can’t get enough raw milk at the moment. For the completely uninformed, raw milk is simply unpasteurized milk. On today’s episode, I go well beyond the unpasteurized label and explain the phenomenal benefits of raw milk, including how it’s made, the incredible taste, and the wonderful cream. While I cover the amazing benefits of r...
May 20, 2020•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s no secret. The vast majority of the world considers us homesteaders to be a bit of an odd bunch. If we’re being honest with ourselves, what we do on a daily basis is certainly abnormal in modern society. Even my non-homesteading friends have a major misconception when it comes to why we actually do what we do. I must admit, it certainly would be much easier to go to the store and buy a gallon of milk than it is to own your own milk cow. It would also be much easier to grab a cheap loaf of b...
May 18, 2020•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast With the widespread quarantines across the country, we’ve witnessed disruption in nearly every single industry. Perhaps has this been most apparent within the food supply chain. Isn’t it incredible that we’re seeing both food shortages in areas at the same time farmers are dumping out excess crops? It seems what we’re feeling at the moment are some of the repercussions of a shift away from small businesses over the last 10-20 years. Today I’m going to dive into why I’m choosing to take the hard ...
May 15, 2020•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Even prior to our current situation, there has been an explosion of interest in local food production. While we’ve always produced food for our own use, it wasn’t until this year that we chose to start producing for our community. For our family, grassfed beef was an obvious place to start. On today’s episode, I begin from the ground up with everything about grassfed beef. Learn why every calf is typically grass fed but not always grass finished. Discover the health benefits of grassfed beef, wh...
May 13, 2020•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Recently I’ve been sorting through my library of homesteading books. I’ve read countless books over the years, but the ones that still remain on my shelf today are the one’s that I truly cherish. Finding great homesteading books can be a pretty difficult task. Many books tend to be more of a broad brush rather than digging into specific topic. Listen today to find incredible reference books for extending your seasons, organic gardening, beef cows, cheese making, cookbooks, and everything in betw...
May 11, 2020•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tomatoes are easily one of my favorite things to grow. These versatile vegetables can be eaten off the vine, turned into pasta sauce, and so much more. On today’s episode, I explain my preferred process for growing tomatoes and what I do to get the best yield. Find out whether it’s best to plant your own seeds or buy them from the store. Learn why you might be getting “leggy’ seedlings and what you should can do about them. I also discuss some of the best companion plants you can put in your gar...
May 08, 2020•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Just a few weeks ago, I made mention of our mission to increase our food production this year. While I’ve already covered several topics regarding food production, chicken power is one we’ve never really utilized. While this might be a foreign concept to some, it’s truly incredible how useful (and even entertaining) chickens can be on the homestead. From disposing of food waste to pecking compost and even tilling sod, listen today to discover how these little birds are so much more than just eff...
May 06, 2020•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast