Homesteading Made Simple is a podcast about practical homesteading skills for real life.
Homesteading looks a lot different in real life than it does on the internet, and this podcast is about making it feel doable.
I’m Wendi, and each episode focuses on homesteading skills that actually fit into everyday life. We talk about gardening, food storage, food preservation, kitchen skills, preparedness, and self-reliance. The calm, common-sense kind. Not extreme. Not fear-based.
You’ll also hear about real estate, land, and choosing homes that support homesteading and self-reliant living. Whether you’re dreaming of land, managing a backyard homestead, or simply making better decisions where you live, real estate plays a big role in the life you’re building.
This podcast is practical, honest, and rooted in real experience. Some lessons go smoothly. Others are learned the hard way. Either way, the goal is the same. Build skills. Build confidence. Keep it simple.
New episodes release regularly.
Subscribe and start building homesteading skills that support a more prepared, capable life.
On Homesteading Made Simple, you’ll hear conversations around questions like:
How do I start homesteading when I don’t have land or a perfect setup?
What homesteading skills actually matter most for everyday life?
How do I build real homesteading skills without getting overwhelmed?
What does modern homesteading look like for families today?
How do gardening, food storage, and kitchen skills work together on a homestead?
How can homesteading make life feel calmer, not harder?
What does preparedness look like for homesteaders who don’t want to live in fear?
How do I become more self-reliant through simple homesteading skills?
How does real estate and land choice affect homesteading success?
How do I build confidence and capability at home, one skill at a time?
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Données mises à jour le 30/09/2026
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Learning to Knit: Let Go of Perfectionism & Find Joy with Alice O'Connell
Épisode 235
mardi 29 septembre 2026 • Durée 45:33
Have you ever wanted to learn something new but talked yourself out of it because you were afraid you wouldn't be good at it?
You're not alone!
This week, I'm joined by the absolutely delightful Alice O'Connell of Learn to Knit Online. Alice spent years working as a British television and theater actress before discovering knitting as a way to stay calm, grounded, and awake during long days on set.
What started with a rather lumpy scarf eventually became a lifelong passion for teaching others.
And let me tell you, Alice has some incredible stories to share!
In this episode, we talk about:
How Alice discovered knitting while working as an actress.
Why being a messy beginner is actually a wonderful gift.
How knitting can encourage calm, creativity, and self-compassion.
Letting go of perfectionism and harsh self-criticism.
The surprising transformations Alice has witnessed in her students.
Why learning practical skills is an important form of self-care.
How repetitive creative activities can provide a welcome break from everyday stress.
The joy of making handmade gifts and creating family heirlooms.
How to get started knitting without spending a fortune.
We also share some personal stories about learning new skills, including my own adventures in quilting and learning to knit mittens and socks while serving as a missionary in Finland.
One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation is that we don't have to be perfect at something to find joy in doing it.
Sometimes the greatest gift we can give ourselves is permission to learn, make mistakes, laugh, and celebrate the little victories along the way.
So grab two sticks and some yarn, and come join us!
Here's what I want from you this week: make something. Knit a wonky row, bake a lopsided loaf, plant one pot of herbs. It doesn't have to be pretty. It has to be yours.
Then send me a picture. I mean it. Ceramics, bread, a scarf with a hole in it — I don't care what it is. DM me on Instagram at @joyfulprepper, post it in the Joyfully Prepared Facebook group, or send it through the website. You will get the biggest cheer you can imagine, because I know you're doing your best.
And share this one with the friend who says, "Oh, I could never do that." She can. She just needs someone to tell her it's okay to be messy first.
Two Is One, One Is None: Why Backups Matter with Greg Peterson
Épisode 234
mercredi 23 septembre 2026 • Durée 47:45
Have you ever thought you were prepared for an emergency, only to discover that something you were counting on didn't work?
That's exactly what happened to Greg Peterson during Hurricane Helene. His generator failed. His backup battery failed. And suddenly, the old preparedness saying "Two is one, one is none" became very real.
But preparedness doesn't have to be complicated, expensive, or frightening.
In this conversation, Greg and I talk about what it really means to live a prepared life. We share stories, laugh about our collections of pressure canners and dehydrators, and explore how small, everyday choices can make a tremendous difference when life takes an unexpected turn.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why having a backup isn't enough if you never test it.
What Hurricane Helene taught Greg about generators, water, and cooking without electricity.
How to build a stocked pantry using meals your family already loves.
Why skills are more valuable than stuff.
Simple alternatives for cooking, lighting, and staying comfortable during a power outage.
Why preparedness looks different depending on where you live.
How to get started by taking inventory of what you already own.
Why self-reliance allows us to serve our families and communities.
Greg's wonderful idea for a neighborhood potato planting party!
A thought to take with you
Preparedness isn't about collecting enough stuff to survive every possible disaster.
It's about learning to live in a way that gives you confidence, peace, and the ability to help others.
Start with what you have. Learn something new. Build a little at a time.
And don't forget to test that generator!
Connect with Greg Peterson
Greg is the founder of The Urban Farm and host of The Urban Farm Podcast, where he shares inspiring stories and practical knowledge about growing food, urban farming, and creating stronger communities.
Listen to The Urban Farm Podcast: Available on your favorite podcast platform.
Connect with Wendi
Why Does Everything Fall Apart When You Stop?
Épisode 233
mardi 15 septembre 2026 • Durée 20:30
Why does everything seem to fall apart the minute we stop working on it?
It started for me with a red towel.
That towel reminded me of a brilliant organization system I created years ago for my seven kids. Everyone got their own color. No more missing towels. No more confusion.
Except, of course, it didn't quite work that way.
And that's what got me thinking about entropy.
Things naturally move toward disorder. Dishes pile up. Laundry returns. Weeds grow. Houses need repairs. Our bodies need care. And somehow there is always another meal to make.
It doesn't mean we're doing it wrong.
In this episode, we're talking about what happens when you have too many plates spinning and why constantly trying harder may not be the answer.
We'll talk about:
• Why organization requires ongoing energy • The difference between falling behind and failing • How many invisible "plates" we're carrying around in our heads • Which responsibilities might need to be eliminated • What you can delegate to your children, spouse, or someone else • How simplifying routines can reduce the amount of maintenance your life requires • Why clutter creates another plate to manage • Giving yourself permission to rest when a plate falls
You already know how to spin a lot of these plates.
The question might not be, "How do I get better at keeping all of them spinning?"
It might be, "Why am I spinning all of these plates in the first place?"
Iridology & Homesteading: An Old-School Approach to Health
Épisode 232
mardi 8 septembre 2026 • Durée 42:22
Can someone really look into your eyes and learn something about what’s happening inside your body?
I’ve been fascinated by iridology for years, so I invited naturopath and iridologist Dr. Angel Hill to finally help me understand it.
Angel is a second-generation naturopath who has studied thousands of eyes during her career. She explains how iridology works, what she looks for in the iris, and why she considers it a non-invasive, non-diagnostic tool for helping her clients understand their bodies.
We also get into a much bigger conversation about taking responsibility for our health and learning some of the signals our bodies may be giving us.
In this episode, we talk about:
• What iridology is and how Angel uses it • What an iridology chart looks like • What Angel calls “stress lines” in the eyes • The connection between iridology and homesteading • Gut health and why Angel considers it foundational • Cortisol, insulin, thyroid, and what Angel calls “Hormone Heaven” • Why protein matters, especially with your first meal • Getting outside in the morning and evening • Minerals and electrolytes • Simple ways to become more observant and proactive about your health • Why learning about our bodies can be another form of self-reliance
Angel also shares three simple practices she recommends people start with:
Get about 30 grams of protein with your first meal.
Spend at least 10 minutes outside in the morning.
Make sure you’re getting adequate minerals and electrolytes.
This conversation reminded me of something I believe deeply about homesteading: self-reliance isn’t just about growing food, preserving the harvest, or preparing for emergencies. It’s also about learning how to care for the body God gave us.
Connect with Dr. Angel Hill
Website —
Connect with Wendi
Who's Actually Homesteading in 2026?
Épisode 231
mardi 1 septembre 2026 • Durée 25:08
42% of American homesteaders came from zero farming background. No grandparent with a garden, no summer on somebody's farm. Nothing. And 28% of them are doing this on less than one acre.
Homesteaders of America just released their 2026 survey — over 4,000 homesteaders, compared against the survey they ran in 2022. So for the first time, we can see what actually changed in four years. Retirement nearly doubled. Full-time employment dropped. Land got smaller, not bigger. And every single reason people gave for homesteading got strongerbetween the day they started and today.
I read the whole thing twice, because apparently I'm that person now. But here's why I cared: I have people sitting across from me trying to decide whether to buy a piece of land, and almost all of them say some version of the same sentence — "I feel like I'm the only one." This report says: no, honey. You're the majority.
I'm Wendi Bergin — homesteader, realtor, and the host of Homesteading Made Simple. Preparedness brings peace, not fear. This one's a foundation episode; I'll be pulling threads out of it for weeks.
We talk about:
Why 42% of homesteaders have no farming or homesteading background
The surprising number homesteading on less than one acre
Why homesteaders are getting older, and why that's actually encouraging
The biggest financial challenges facing today's homesteaders
Why people's reasons for homesteading seem to get stronger over time
The skills homesteaders most want to learn next, including herbalism, food preservation, gardening and water
Why you don't need 20 acres, a barn or generations of farming experience to begin
If you've ever wondered whether you're too late, don't have enough land, or don't know enough to call yourself a homesteader, this episode is for you.
The land is the container. What matters is whether that container fits the life you actually want to live.
Start where you are. Learn one skill. Then another.
Preparedness brings peace, not fear.
Come find me
When Do You Get to Call Yourself a Homesteader?
Épisode 230
mardi 25 août 2026 • Durée 27:19
When do you actually get to call yourself a homesteader? Is there some committee that sends you a certificate? 😂
I've realized that I have a funny habit of doing the thing and then still telling myself I'm not quite the real deal.
So in this episode, I'm opening up my Transformation Journal and looking back over the last eight weeks of life.
We're talking about:
Harvesting and preserving elderberries, moringa, goldenrod, skullcap, and butterfly pea flowers
Why walking through my food forests brings me so much joy
Finishing my quilt top and finally saying, "I'm a quilter!"
Cooking more from scratch and becoming more intentional about the food I eat
My adventures as a substitute goat milkmaid
Some pretty exciting milestones for my daughter
Celebrating 29 years of marriage
How motherhood prepared me for the emotional side of real estate
The real estate experience that made me realize, "I AM a Realtor"
Changes I've made to the Joyfully Prepared Library
What teaching the Old Testament has taught me about God, Christ, and myself
Why I believe Jesus Christ celebrates our growth with us
And the realization that yes, I really am a homesteader
We are very good at finishing something and immediately moving the goalpost.
But sometimes we need to stop, look backward, and notice the evidence.
You may already be becoming the person you've been trying so hard to become.
Ask yourself: What evidence from the last eight weeks shows who you're becoming?
A few things worth writing down
The five categories, if you want to start tonight: three wins, at least one tender mercy, one way you were anti-fragile, one transformation, and your goals for tomorrow. That's it. It fits in a cheap notebook.
Would You Date This Homestead? Red Flags Before You Buy
Épisode 229
mardi 18 août 2026 • Durée 27:15
Nobody puts a picture of the barn in the listing and says, "We're not completely sure what's holding this thing up." Buying a homestead is a lot like dating — and today we're playing Would you date this homestead?
We're past the basics. You know your price, your location, your acreage. This is what happens after the property catches your eye: what the listing photos aren't showing you, what to look for when you finally walk the land, the deed restriction that nearly cost us the property we loved, and the plumbing problem hiding under our slab that no inspection caught.
I'm Wendi Bergin — Realtor, homesteader, and someone who has crossed a beautiful property off her own list more than once. Preparedness brings peace, not fear. That applies to buying land too.
Chapters
00:00 — Falling in love with a listing before you've seen the barn
00:45 — Why buying a homestead is a lot like dating
01:05 — Welcome to Would you date this homestead?
01:20 — The dating profile: what the listing photos are not showing you
01:55 — Decoding listing language: "rustic," "peaceful country living"
02:20 — The Polk County drive-by, and the water we found
02:55 — Not in a flood zone yet: how new construction changes that
03:40 — The property that was 30 minutes from church, and why I crossed it off
04:25 — "Plenty of room for animals" doesn't mean you're allowed to have them
04:50 — The real question: the property, or the life you're imagining in it?
05:05 — First date: get out of the kitchen and walk the land
05:35 — Would that fence actually hold the animals you want?
06:00 — Why we tore out every fence on our property
06:15 — Outbuildings: is there water and power to the barn?
06:40 — The pig waterer I didn't know existed
Too Many Tomatoes? Preserve the Harvest
Épisode 228
mardi 11 août 2026 • Durée 46:31
Greg Peterson says the only place that lack lives is between our ears — and if you've ever stood in your kitchen staring at 50 pounds of tomatoes, you know he's right. We talk about what to do with all of it.
Greg hosts The Urban Farm Podcast (he just passed episode 1,000), and this one runs on both our feeds. We get into the harvest mindset, the one mistake that turns abundance into panic, and a long list of ways to put tomatoes, zucchini, and basil up for winter — including a few I'd never tried until this year.
If you're new here: I'm Wendi Bergin, and I believe preparedness brings peace. Not fear. Peace.
Chapters
00:00 — Welcome, and why we recorded this for both our audiences
01:20 — "The only place lack lives is between our ears"
03:30 — Seed starting and seed saving: what a grex is and why you'd want one
04:45 — Wendi's confession: she won't eat a fresh tomato
06:15 — The biggest mistake people make when harvest season starts
07:20 — Freeze first, can later — handling the early trickle
08:15 — Jars, lids, and buying in bulk before you're desperate
10:10 — Pint or quart? Wide mouth or regular?
11:30 — Why Wendi stopped canning seasoned sauce and cans it plain
13:40 — Why tomatoes need added lemon juice now
14:10 — Water bath vs. pressure canning, explained simply
16:00 — Tested recipes, rebel canning, and "when in doubt, throw it out"
19:30 — Bone broth and canning elderberry juice
21:10 — Fixing watery salsa, and the steam juicer trick
22:30 — Freezing tomatoes to release the water
23:40 — Don't throw out tomato water: stews, chili, and cooking pasta in it
Everybody Needs a Carol
Épisode 227
mardi 4 août 2026 • Durée 21:10
Some days the news is too much. The food industry is working against us, the wars won't stop, the education system is a mess, and there's a phone in your pocket demanding you pay attention to all of it. You can't fix any of that today.
But you can create peace, calm, and rest inside your own home — and that starts with you.
Wendi's friend Carol was her cheerleader through years of raising seven kids and homeschooling them. On the days Wendi called crying that she was a horrible mother, Carol told her the truth: you're doing a great job. Even on the day she sat on the couch and did nothing, Carol said, "I think that was your best today."
This episode is Wendi being your Carol.
In this episode:
Why you're doing a better job than the voice in your head is telling you
What it means that women are mothers whether or not they've borne a child
Isaiah 55:8–9 and what "higher thoughts" actually asks of us
Why the comfort zone is comfortable — and how to think your way out of it anyway
Wendi's quilting breakthrough, and the moment a skill becomes an identity
Heading into a new school year without losing yourself in it
Where the ten minutes of peace are hiding (hint: check your scroll time)
A short, honest rant about processed food, white flour, and the Industrial Revolution
Thinking and behaving like your future self — starting today
Why keeping a journal is how you notice your prayers being answered
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." — Isaiah 55:8–9
The April episode with Judith Horvath, on how the food industry hired scientists away from the tobacco industry —
BeanTok: Why Everyone Is Suddenly Eating Beans
Épisode 226
mardi 28 juillet 2026 • Durée 25:22
Welcome to BeanTok!
Apparently, the internet has finally discovered what homesteaders and prepared families have known for years—beans are pretty amazing.
In this episode, we're separating the hype from the helpful, exploring why beans are suddenly trending on TikTok, and talking about how one inexpensive pantry staple can improve your health, simplify meal planning, and save money on groceries.
Today's Joyfully Prepared Takeaways
Discover why #BeanTok has millions of people talking about beans.
Learn Wendi's simple method for cooking a week's worth of dried beans in the Instant Pot.
Understand what really causes bean gas—and why it's often a combination of bean preparation and allowing your gut time to adjust.
Learn how soaking and pressure cooking improve digestion and help your body absorb more nutrients.
Find out why Wendi started adding cannellini beans to her morning protein shake—and why she isn't stopping anytime soon.
Compare the true cost of dried beans versus canned beans and see how small changes can save your family money over time.
Discover easy ways to use cooked beans in tacos, soups, salads, dips, breakfasts, smoothies, and freezer meals.
Learn how replacing part of the meat in your favorite recipes can stretch your grocery budget without sacrificing flavor.
Be inspired to rediscover one of the most affordable, nutritious, and versatile foods already sitting in your pantry.
This Week's Joyfully Prepared Challenge
Cook one pound of dried beans.
Use them in at least two different meals this week.
If you're feeling adventurous, blend a few cannellini beans into your morning protein shake—you just might surprise yourself!
A quick note: Iridology is considered a complementary or alternative health practice and should not be used to diagnose disease or replace appropriate medical care.
If you've got questions about buying homestead property — including the "can I really do this on a postage stamp?"question — reach out. I'm a licensed realtor here in Florida, and if you're somewhere else, I can help you find an agent in your state who actually understands homesteading properties. We've got to band together and be a community.
And there's a whole run of episodes coming out of this report — the retirement number, the under-one-acre number, the faith number, why herbalism is beating gardening. Tell me which one you want first. Leave a comment or send me a message, and I will genuinely reorder my schedule for you.
Share this one with the friend who keeps saying she'll start homesteading "when we finally get some land."
Anti-fragile isn't "nothing can break me." It's that you've been broken before, and the next hard thing meets a person with more experience and more insight than the last one did.
Write both first and last names of anyone you mention. A week later you will read "ran into my friend" and have absolutely no idea who that was.
Freeze-dried herbs are the low-effort win. Harvest, wash, tray, freeze-dry, blitz in a blender. Moringa, goldenrod blossoms, skullcap, butterfly pea flower all went in the same summer.
Single-ingredient preserving buys you options. Plain tomato sauce becomes anything later. Pre-seasoned spaghetti sauce only ever becomes spaghetti.
Batch-cook, don't meal-plan. A cooked chicken pulled off the bone, a pot of dry beans, and cooked pasta in the fridge means dinner is assembly, not a project.
You are not starting at zero in a new career. Patience, negotiation, listening, keeping people calm — those transfer. Wendi's motherhood is doing real work in her real estate business.
If you don't keep a journal yet, don't buy anything. Grab whatever notebook is already in the drawer and write down three wins tonight. That's the whole assignment.
If this one landed, send it to the friend who does more in a week than anyone you know and still says she "hasn't really gotten around to anything."
07:20 — Pipes running there isn't the same as water that works
07:50 — Stand still and listen: traffic, dogs, shooting ranges, smells
08:30 — Distance matters: barn to house, feed, groceries
08:55 — Why our goats may never make it to the barn
09:25 — The one nobody asks: what will chores be like in the rain?
09:45 — The coughing goat, the nice sandals, and church
10:30 — What a good agent is actually there to do
11:05 — "Would I still want to live there on a tired Tuesday?"
11:40 — Meet the family: zoning, deed restrictions, and yes, HOAs
12:20 — Five acres each, horses allowed, goats not
13:05 — "It takes one person to pull up those deed restrictions"
13:50 — What I screened for: ag zoning, no HOA, flood zone
14:25 — Easements, insurance requirements, and animal rules
14:50 — Why we couldn't raise pigs in New Jersey
15:20 — Can you sell eggs? Park an RV? Run a business? Build a barn?
15:45 — Go deeper: episode 207 on buying land
16:05 — Well or city water, septic, who maintains the road, internet
16:40 — Calling the county until you get a real answer
17:25 — The baggage: every property has history
17:55 — Inspection questions worth asking out loud
18:50 — When the vines are doing most of the work holding up the fence
19:10 — None of this automatically means walk away
19:45 — Red flags don't turn green because the farmhouse sink is pretty
20:10 — Slab houses, buried plumbing, and what we didn't know
21:00 — Jackhammering up the half bath
21:40 — Relationship material: can you afford the house and the work?
22:35 — Land care in New Jersey vs. Florida, honestly
23:35 — What will you have to give up to own it?
24:20 — Maybe you need two acres, not five
24:50 — There is no perfect property
25:30 — Marry it, or thank it for a lovely afternoon
26:00 — What I actually want to know before I show you anything
26:40 — Buying outside Florida? I'll help you interview an agent
A few things worth writing down
The listing tells you whether you want a first date. It's not enough to decide whether you want to marry it.
Fencing, outbuildings, water, and power are separate questions. Pipes to the stall don't mean working water; a barn can have water and no electricity.
Stand still on the property for a full minute. Photos can't carry traffic noise, barking dogs, a shooting range, or the smell from the neighbor's operation.
"Plenty of room for animals" and "legally allowed to have animals" are two entirely different things. Check zoning, deed restrictions, and HOA documents yourself — even on large acreage.
Inspections don't catch everything. Ours didn't catch the plumbing under the slab, because nobody had lived in the house for three years.
The question isn't whether the property has baggage. It does. The question is whether it's baggage you can afford, manage, and live with.
If you're thinking about buying a homestead here in Florida, I would love to help you. If you're buying somewhere else, I can still help you interview an agent in your area who knows that "room for chickens" is not enough information.
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