Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Homestead Journey
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S4E171 Season Finale: 2023:A Season of Change | 23 Oct 2023 | 00:21:59 | |
2023 has been a season of change on our homestead. Some of that has been planned. So of it, not so much. On this final episode of season 4, I share with you some of those changes and some lessons I've learned. I also share with you my vision for season 5. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S4E170 11 Reasons Why Empty Nesting Hasn't Been As Traumatic As We Thought It Would Be | 16 Oct 2023 | 01:08:27 | |
In this final episode Bonnie joins me on one last episode in our series on Empty Nest Homesteading . We expected this transition to be far more traumatic than it has been. While we understand that everyone's journey is different, on this episode we share 11 Reasons why we think we've been able to make this transition so smoothly . http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S4E161 Empty Nest Homesteading: 3 Questions To Ask To Right-Size Your Homestead | 17 Jul 2023 | 00:27:18 | |
On this episode we look at 3 questions we are asking ourselves to try to help right-size our homestead as we head in the direction of being empty nest homesteaders. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E83 Trading Dollars For Hours | 17 May 2021 | 00:33:11 | |
http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| FMF2 Grow Up! (Thoughts On Trellising) | 14 May 2021 | 00:06:07 | |
On this episode of Five Minute Fridays, we talk about trellising. We talk about it's benefits and my favorite way to trellis vegetables. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E82 Should We Get Goats? Should You? With Special Guest Deborah Niemann | 10 May 2021 | 01:30:50 | |
On this episode I am pleased to be joined by two wonderful guests. My lovely wife Bonnie joins me as we talk to Deborah Niemann from thriftyhomesteader.com. Deborah is the author of several books, including Homegrown and Homemade and Raising Goats Naturally. She is also the host of the podcast, "For the Love of Goats". We talk about how goats can be great contributors to a homestead and how many times they get an undeserved "bad rap". Could Deborah convince Bonnie that we need goats on 3B Farm and Homestead? Listen and find out!!! facebook.com/thriftyhomesteader
http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| FMF1 Introduction and the Importance of Soil Temperatures and Condition for Great Germination | 07 May 2021 | 00:07:33 | |
This is the first episode of our new series, 5 Minute Fridays. These episodes will be my answers to questions or take on a homesteading topic in 5 minutes or less. They will also include a motivational quote of the week to help you tackle your homesteading weekend. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E81 Homesteading Is Under Attack | 03 May 2021 | 00:34:54 | |
This week I learned of a ballot initiative in Colorado called PAUSE, "Protect Animals from Unnecessary Suffering and Exploitation". That sounds like a good thing, until you read the text (click here to do so). What you find is that it criminalizes normal homesteading practices with regards to raising animals and it places onerous burdens on the raising of livestock for meat. Activists are attempting to get a similar ballot initiative on the ballot in Oregon (you can read about that here.) http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E80 Pigs 101: Why We Notch and Tag Ears and Cut Males | 26 Apr 2021 | 00:30:22 | |
On this week's episode we talk pigs; ear notching, ear tagging and my LEAST favorite chore of all time. I share with you why we do what we do, I explain a little about the Universal Ear Notching System and I explain why we castrate males on our farm. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E79 Will Homesteading Save Me Money On My Grocery Bill?? | 19 Apr 2021 | 00:26:33 | |
This week as I was scrolling through Facebook homesteading groups, I ran across this post, "Is having meat chickens worth it to you??? We have about 28 currently and I feel like we’ve put so much money into these things. I thought this was going to be cheaper than buying store bought meat... I was very very wrong" http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E78 How To Make $$ On Your Homestead | 12 Apr 2021 | 00:27:50 | |
This week a listener by the name of Jeremiah reached out and asked me some questions about the best way to make money on your homestead. After I answered him, I got to thinking that this might be a good topic for an episode. And, upon further reflection, I felt that my original reply to Jeremiah was lacking. And so I have put together my thoughts on how to use your homestead to generate income. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E77 Small Scale Permaculture and Food Forests With Farmer Greg Peterson of The Urban Farm | 05 Apr 2021 | 01:13:02 | |
On this episode, I am happy to be joined by Farmer Greg Peterson from theurbanfarm.org and host of The Urban Farm Podcast. Greg is a green living and sustainability innovator whose mission is to inspire people to embrace their own greenness, which he does daily by living what he speaks. As a resident of Phoenix for the last 48 years, Greg is well-versed in urban sustainability and food production in dry lands. He was first introduced to desert gardening at the age of 12. In 1991, he discovered the concept of permaculture, bringing together many sustainability concepts into one cohesive system. Then in 2001, Greg created a new concept called the Urban Farm, a real world environmental showcase home in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona. He applied his extensive background to transform this 1950’s built tract home into an innovative holistic home site. The Urban Farm, featuring an entirely edible landscape, including over 70 fruit trees, rainwater and greywater harvesting, three solar applications, and extensive use of reclaimed and recycled building materials. Greg has hosted the Urban Farm Podcast since 2015 and has produced almost 600 episodes, interviewing farmers, authors, business leaders, advocates, and changemakers in sustainable living practices and urban farmer. Guests have included Jason Mraz, Joel Salatin and David Holmgren to name just a few. When I was talking with Greg and his team about coming on the show, there were so many topics that I wanted to discuss with him. But, today's show will be focused on permaculture and food forests. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E76 Why I Plant Hybrid Varieties and Why I Think You Should Too | 29 Mar 2021 | 00:45:58 | |
On this week's episode we head back to the garden to talk about hybrids varieties of vegetables. Many times, in homesteading and gardening circles, hybrids get a bad rap. People love their heirlooms and open pollinated varieties (and so do I) and treat "hybrid" like it's a dirty word. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S4E160 Surving The Emotional Roller Coaster of Empty Nest Homesteading | 03 Jul 2023 | 00:49:42 | |
This year has been an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. At times we have felt excitement, pride, sadness, anticipation, nostalgia, happiness and relief. And sometimes we have felt them all at the same time. On this episode I am joined once again by Bonnie as we discuss those emotions and how we have survived (and are continuing to survive) this emotional rollercoaster as we hurtle towards becoming empty nest homesteaders. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E75 The Lumber Prices Are Too Darn High. What Should Homesteaders Do? | 22 Mar 2021 | 00:33:13 | |
Currently lumber prices are through the roof. A friend I work with told me the other day that the trusses that she had ordered last year for $8,000 (and then had to cancel) were going to cost her $24,000 this year. If you go to Lowes (or Home Depot or your local lumber yard) you'll find that 2x4's that used to cost $2 or $3 are going for $6 or $7 each. Plywood that used to cost $15 now costs over $30 each. So, as we head into springtime when many homesteaders are looking to make improvements or add animals (and thus need to build shelters), what can and should we do? http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E74 Should Your Homestead Make Money? | 15 Mar 2021 | 00:22:48 | |
For some reason, it seems that many people in the homesteading world think that in order to be a "real" homesteader, you shouldn't work an off homestead/farm job. Is it possible to be a full-time homesteader? I don't think so. And on this episode, I explain why. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E73 How To Properly Harden Off Seedlings | 08 Mar 2021 | 00:29:01 | |
This is the fourth and final episode in our three part series on starting seeds. When I started this series, my plan was to only do three episodes: one on What to start, when to start, how much to start. The second would cover 6 basic things needed for seed starting. And finally I planned to wrap up the series by talking about how we start seeds on 3B Farm and Homestead. But, this week as I was scrolling through some of the Homesteading and Gardening groups on Facebook, I saw many people asking what "hardening off" seedlings meant and how to do it. And I got to thinking. No series on seed starting is complete without a discussion of this process. Because you can have all of the right gear; you can do everything right; you can have beautiful seedlings but if you don't harden them off properly, 9.9 times out of 10, they will die and you will have wasted all of that time, effort and energy. In fact, the 2 most common mistakes I see people who are new to seed starting make is they don't have the lights close enough to their plants and end up with leggy seedlings. And they don't harden the seedlings off properly and end up with dead plants. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E72 How We Start Seeds On 3B Farm and Homestead | 01 Mar 2021 | 00:39:30 | |
On this episode, we talk about the seed starting system we use here on 3B Farm and Homestead. I share with you the things we have tried that didn’t work so well as well as the things that have worked very well for us. Keep in mind that this is a work in process and what I do next year may differ from what I do this year. I certainly don’t claim this to be the world’s BEST seed starting system. But, it has worked well for us and I think that it will work very well for most home gardeners. Below are links to all of the gear I discuss. Some things are affiliate links. Some are not. I wish you all the success in the world in starting seeds this year. Enjoy!!
Gear Mentioned In This Episode: Wire Shelving Unit http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E71 The 6 Basic Things You Need To Successfully Start Seeds Indoors | 22 Feb 2021 | 00:42:05 | |
Last week we talked about what to start indoors, when to start it and how much to start. This week we are moving on to the nuts and bolts of starting seeds; the basics that you need to be successful in starting seeds. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E70 Seed Starting 101: What, When, and How Much You Should Start | 15 Feb 2021 | 00:37:46 | |
It's that time of the year; the time when we turn our attention to the spring and we think about getting our gardens started. For some of us, that means starting some seeds indoors. Maybe you are new to gardening and you're confused as to what should be started indoors, what should be direct sown, and what can go either way. Maybe you're unsure of what varieties you should grow (after all, if you've been buying your transplants, there are usually only a handful of varieties to choose from. When you start from seeds, it seems like there are 100s!!) Maybe you're not sure of when you should start your seeds or how many you should start. This show and this series is for you!! http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E69 Don't Forget The Perennials!!! | 08 Feb 2021 | 00:31:35 | |
I am calling this episode "don't forget the perennials" Now, the idea for this episode came from a conversation I had last Sunday evening with the father, his name is James, of one of the scouts in my son's troop. You may recall that I recorded last week's episode on Saturday because we were planning on going tubing with the scouts at the mountain where my son and I work. While the scouts continued to tube, I went into the lodge to have a cup of hot chocolate to warm up and Jim and I got to talking. Jim is an avid gardener and food preserver. I'm not sure if he'd consider himself a homesteader. I've never asked him. But, as we started talking one thing led to another and we got onto the topic of perennials and I thought, "I've got to talk about this on the podcast!" http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E68 How To Become More Sustainable This Year | 01 Feb 2021 | 00:42:25 | |
Sustainability is a word that can mean many things. But, many times when people use the term, they use it as a synonym for environmentally friendly. In my opinion, that's a very narrow view of the word. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E67 How To Become More Self-Reliant This Year | 25 Jan 2021 | 00:37:04 | |
Today's episode is the second in a 3 part series as we talk about becoming more self-sufficient, self-reliant and sustainable this year. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E66 How To Become More Self-Sufficient This Year | 18 Jan 2021 | 00:26:26 | |
Today's episode is the first in a 3 part series as we talk about becoming more self-sufficient, self-reliant and sustainable this year. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S4E159 Empty Nest Homesteading - 5 Steps To Rediscovering Purpose | 19 Jun 2023 | 00:27:32 | |
As I have been anticipating 3B Farm becoming 2B Farm as Brian Jr. heads off to college, it's left me with a bit of an identity crisis. For the last 18+ years of my life, my primary focus has been on trying to be a present dad. Now, my role as dad is about to change. And, while I'm excited about that, it also leaves me contemplating my purpose. And so, on this episode, I share with you 5 ways that I am trying to rediscover purpose in my life. Hopefully, this will be helpful for other who are also going through this transition. Enjoy!!! http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E65 Should I Quit...... Social Media?? | 11 Jan 2021 | 00:23:29 | |
What a crazy week this has been. We are a little over a week into 2021 and I think some of us are already starting the countdown to 2022. For those of you listening to this podcast in the future, I am recording this the Sunday after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in DC. This week also had some Senate runoffs in Georgia to determine control of the next congress. We are still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and it seems that the vaccine roll-outs are not going as smoothly as people had hoped. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E64 How to set SMART goals for your homestead | 04 Jan 2021 | 00:33:40 | |
This is the time of the year when people are setting goals. Personal, professional and if you're into homesteading, setting goals for your homestead. All of that is great. As I reflect back on my goals for 2020, I will tell you that some of the things I had planned didn't get done. Life had other plans. Now, I certainly think that goals are great. But, flexibility is also key. Sometimes life happens. Sometimes we need to pivot. And that is ok. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E63 The Best Present I've Ever Received | 28 Dec 2020 | 00:09:46 | |
In my 43 years of living on God's green earth, I am sure I have received thousands of gifts. Some have been large and some have been small. Some have been expensive and some have not cost a lot of money. But, there is one gift in particular that has meant more than any gift I have ever received. It wasn't large. It wasn't expensive. But, I cherish like I no other. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E62 Don't Put Off 'Til Tomorrow....... | 21 Dec 2020 | 00:26:34 | |
I am a procrastinator. I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes have a really bad habit of avoiding chores that I don't enjoy doing. This week, I had that come back to bite me in the butt, BIG time. Actually, in three different ways. And so, this week, I was all prepared to talk about procrastination in light of the old adage, "Never put off until tomorrow, that which you can do today." http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E61 The Homestead Journey of Red ToolHouse With Troy McClung | 14 Dec 2020 | 01:07:37 | |
On this episode I am privileged to be joined by Troy McClung from the Pastured Pig Podcast (You may remember that I was honored to be a guest on that show a couple of weeks ago) and from The Red Toolhouse Youtube channel. Troy is a wealth of homesteading knowledge. In particular, he focuses on pastured pigs and timber management (something I don't think any other homesteading YouTube channel does at all let alone as well as Troy does it.) Along with his wife Kelly (who should be nominated for sainthood) and their two sons, they have been building a homestead on the hills and hollers of West Virginia (NOT to be confused with Western Virginia). It was a joy and a privilege to talk to Troy about how they got started homesteading, the joys and successes, the sorrows and failures, and really everything else in between. We also talked some about their vision for the future which I think is pretty remarkable. You can find out more about Troy and his family at https://redtoolhouse.com/ where you will also find links to all of their social media accounts. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E60 When Animals Die.... How To Handle Death On The Homestead | 07 Dec 2020 | 00:27:53 | |
http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/shop http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E59 Embrace The Suck...... How To Deal With The Winter Blues | 30 Nov 2020 | 00:29:07 | |
We are heading into that time of the year when the days are short and the nights are long. It can be cold and snowy and dreary. My guess is that if I were to do a poll of homesteaders, for many, their least favorite season would be winter. On this episode, we talk about embracing the suck; how maybe a difference in perspective can help with the winter blues on the homestead.
http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E58 Counting My Blessings | 23 Nov 2020 | 00:32:03 | |
I am sure that none of us thought 2020 would turn out to to be like this. Quite frankly, it has sucked. But, on this episode, we talk about the things that I am thankful for, even in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic. I count my blessings. What blessing do you have?
http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E57 The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of Our First Year Using The Ruth Stout Method | 16 Nov 2020 | 00:29:05 | |
On this week's episode I give you an update on this year's experiment with the Ruth Stout gardening method; what went well, what didn't go so well and what we plan on doing different next year.
http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E56 A Conversation With Rod and Cora Wells (My Mom and Dad) From The HummingBee Homestead | 09 Nov 2020 | 00:54:20 | |
On this week's episode I am joined by my two favorite homesteaders in the entire world, my mom and dad, Rod and Cora Wells. We talk about our family history, what they are doing on their 1 acre homestead as well as what homesteading means to them.
http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S4E158 Empty Nest Homesteading: Letting Go | 12 Jun 2023 | 00:46:23 | |
On this episode, we begin our series on homesteading as empty nesters. Bonnie and I are in the midst of that transition right now. This past week was Brian J's last week of school. And in a few months, he'll be headed off to college. And our lives will change drastically. Our homestead will change dramatically. And so as we work through all of that, we want to share with you some of the lessons we have learned and are learning to help those who will be making similar transitions in the future. We are starting this series off with some thoughts on "Letting Go". On this episode, Bonnie and I share 6 tips that we've found helpful as we've been learning to let Brian J go. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E55 Avoid The Auto-Suggested Homestead | 02 Nov 2020 | 00:39:28 | |
A couple of months ago, I ran across this post on the artofmanliness.com website. I immediately thought about how what they were saying could apply to homesteading. If we are not careful, we can homestead not based on our plans or our desires, but based on what everyone else is doing or what everyone else thinks we should be doing.
http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E54 Help!!! I Just Bought A Homestead, What Do I Do First? | 26 Oct 2020 | 00:41:18 | |
One of the most common questions I am seeing in the Facebook groups and, homesteading forums goes like this. "Help. I just closed on my new homestead. Where do I start?" Now. Let me first start by saying this. It is natural and normal to feel a bit overwhelmed at this point. You've had these dreams of having a homestead and these dreams are starting to become realized, and reality sets in. And quite frankly, I don't think it matters whether or not you're brand new to homesteading or you're an experienced homesteader, relocating to another piece of property, starting a homestead from scratch can be overwhelming. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E53 Dealing With The WWW..... Winter Watering Woes | 19 Oct 2020 | 00:32:28 | |
A couple of weeks ago, I had a listener reach out to me and ask what we did for watering during the winter. Watering animals during the winter when you live in an area where it gets cold and stays cold for a long period of time is a challenge. How do we deal with the winter watering woes here on the homestead? http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E52 What's Really Important? Reflections After Witnessing A Motorcycle Accident | 12 Oct 2020 | 00:30:32 | |
There is no question that we currently live in a very polarized society. We are polarized politically and culturally. Throw in the COVID-19 pandemic and a contentious presidential election and it feels like things are almost at a boiling point. Relationships with both friends and family are being fractured as a result. On Friday afternoon, I witnessed a motorcycle accident as I was getting ready to pull out of my driveway, returning to work after my lunch break. What I witnessed in the aftermath is that none of that stuff mattered. People didn't care whether or not the rider was Democrat or Republican or Libertarian or Independent. People didn't care whether he was pro-Trump or pro-Biden. No one cared about his positions on hot button topics such as abortion, guns, drugs, or war. None of that mattered. People saw a human being in need and rallied to fight for his life. These are my reflections as I have been processing this over the weekend. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E51 Good Fences Make Good Neighbors - Thoughts On Pig Fencing | 05 Oct 2020 | 00:33:43 | |
The old adage is that good fences make good neighbors. There perhaps isn't an animal with the exception of goats where that rings truer than with pigs. On today's episode we talk about some of the things you should take into consideration with regards to fencing as well as different fencing strategies. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E50 What Kind of Pig Shelter Should You Build? | 28 Sep 2020 | 00:23:07 | |
This week I had a listener contact me on our Facebook page and ask me about the types of shelters we use for our pigs here on 3B Farm and Homestead. So, I decided to shoot some video with this week's episode and not only tell you about the types of shelters we use, but also show you the shelters we use.
Enjoy!! http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E49 I’m Not A 4 Season Gardener And That’s Ok | 21 Sep 2020 | 00:21:12 | |
There’s part of me that feels guilty that I’m not a four season gardener. Honestly, I’m not sure that I’m anything more than a summer gardener. But, I’m starting to be ok with that. This year I started feeling the pressure to be a multi season gardener. In part, I think it was the pandemic. I had this incredible urge to grow as much food as possible. To grow as if our lives depended on it. Because, well, maybe they did. I also felt pressure to be a multi-season gardener because I saw a lot of other people doing it. People planting spring gardens and then summer gardens and then fall gardens. But, as the frost hit this weekend, instead of feeling sadness, I honestly felt a sense of relief. I realized something; I’m ready for gardening to be over. I’m done with shutting off canners at 2 AM. I’m sick of having a table of semi-ripe tomatoes in the back window. I’m done with tripping over canners and rings and such. I’m done. Until the spring. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E48 The System Is Broken And What YOU Can Do To Help Fix It | 14 Sep 2020 | 00:37:39 | |
One of the positive things from COVID is that people are waking up to the fact that the system is broken. Now, some of us have been waking up to that fact for awhile. That certainly doesn’t make us smarter/wiser/etc. All of us come from different backgrounds with different life experiences and perspectives. The fact is, sometimes you cannot see a problem until you are directly impacted. And this year, for the first time ever, many people were confronted by the brokenness of the system. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E47 A Conversation With Jack and Jackie of The Mindful Homestead | 07 Sep 2020 | 01:35:33 | |
On this episode I chat with Jack and Jackie from The Mindful Homestead Youtube channel about their journey into homesteading. They recently made a HUGE step in the journey as Jack changed careers as a result of having a better quality of life that is more conducive to homesteading. They raise meat birds, layers, and forest raised pigs as well as have a garden. Along with their two year old Emma, they live on 10 acres in southern New Hampshire. I hope you enjoy listening to their story as much as I did talking to them. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E46 Ten Things You Can Do NOW To Set Yourself Up For Success With Next Year’s Garden | 31 Aug 2020 | 00:38:06 | |
Sometimes we get so focused on the tasks at hand; weeding, harvesting, preserving or we are so focused on planning for the next season, that we neglect to note the things that have gone well or haven’t gone well, the lessons that we have learned so that we can set ourselves up for success the following year’s season. And, if we aren’t careful, we will find ourselves repeating the same mistakes over and over again. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S4E157 Be A Teachable Homesteader | 05 Jun 2023 | 00:32:18 | |
The day after I released Episode 156, (Be A Helpful Homesteader), I ran across a Facebook post that got me to thinking about the topic in a slightly different manner. Yes, sometimes people are harsh when replying to people's questions or problems. We've all seen that. But, I think we've also seen people get upset and offended because someone dared tell them the truth. And sometimes, well, the truth hurts. And so on this episode I talk about the importance of being teachable. Even when it hurts. Even when people are jerks. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E45 The Homestead and the County Fair | 24 Aug 2020 | 00:39:27 | |
This coming week would have been our county fair. Like so many county fairs across the country, it has been cancelled due to COVID-19. You have no idea how bummed that makes me feel. I absolutely LOVE our fair. I love the sights, the sounds, the smells, the exhibits, the shows, the demolition derby, and of course, the food!!! Alas, this year, it's not to be.
Enjoy! http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E44 The Tools I Have Found Most Useful On The Homestead | 17 Aug 2020 | 00:36:21 | |
As I was thinking about this episode, I took a step back and started asking myself; what constitutes a tool? Is my tractor a tool? Are 5 gallon buckets tools? Are my All American Canners Tools? What about shovels, rakes and pitchforks? How about wheelbarrows and wagons? What is a tool? What I decided to do was focus on hand and power tools that I have found to be the most helpful here on our homestead. These are tools I find myself reaching for over and over and over again. And, in many cases I have found uses for them way beyond what I first bought them for. In some cases, I resisted buying them for awhile simply because I am a cheapskate. Finally, I tried to focus on tools that I think almost every homestead will find useful. Now, I skipped over kind of obvious things like screwdrivers, hammers, shovels, rakes, etc. I actually did consider putting a snow shovel on this list because we actually have found that to be the most effective tool for cleaning out our chicken coop. But, I resisted the temptation. Now, I am sure that after I put this episode out, I am going to think about tools that I should have put on this list. And so maybe in the not too distant future, there will be a part two to this. And I would LOVE to hear from you as to the tools you have found invaluable on your homestead. Below are affiliate links to some of the tools I mention on the podcast. DEWALT 20V MAX Combo Kit, Compact 4-Tool (DCK420D2) http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||
| S1E43 If I Could Do It Over Again.... 6 Regrets I Have From Our Homestead Journey | 10 Aug 2020 | 00:33:17 | |
When it comes to our homestead journey, I don’t have a lot of regrets. That’s not to say that things have always been easy or have gone according to plan. That’s certainly not the case. There have been a lot of failures along the way. Or, actually, I like to look at them as Thomas Edison did when he was accused of failing 10,000 times before inventing the light bulb. He said, “No, I didn’t fail. I just learned 10,000 ways it doesn’t work.” If you haven’t gathered this by now, that is really how I approach homesteading in general. It is all a big experiment. What works for others may not work for me. And what works for me may not work for others. Generally speaking, whether in homesteading or life in general, I look at failures as learning opportunities. What can I take away from this so I don’t make the same mistake in the future? For me, generally it’s not a matter of, “I wish I could go back and do things differently….” Those flaws, those mistakes, those things that haven’t gone according to plan are what have made me who I am today and are building blocks for the future. But, there are a handful of things that come to my mind that I really do wish I could go back and do over. They are lessons I’ve learned, but there’s really not much I can do with those lessons other than share them with other people in the hopes that they won’t make the same mistakes that I have. And so I share with you 6 of my biggest regrets so far in our homesteading journey. http://www.thehomesteadjourney.net/blog | |||