Homesteady - Stories of Living off the Land – Details, episodes & analysis

After traveling to a nicer, bigger off grid cabin, we still face the reality that we are not tough off gridders... Is this the right life choice for us? Find out in the latest episode of the Alaska Off Grid Challenge PIONEER'S Extended Interview with Matt CLICK HERE TO BECOME A PIONEER Grecell Power Station (we we're given our unit for free (transparency) to test out and try, and we were glad we had it! It was super useful) Checkout Matt's Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We believed something about off grid life that turned out to be a lie. What was it? And why did we leave the cabin? Find out in the latest episode of the Alaska Off Grid Challenge DISCOUNT LINK TO OUPES SOLAR CHARGER OUPES official website 5% OFF CODE: Homesteady PRACTICAL GUIDE TO LIVING OFF GRID IN ALASKA Jon Crocker's Book PIONEERS FULL LENGTH INTERVIEW with JON BECOME A PIONEER Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So… you want to stop shopping at the grocery store? You want to be more self-sufficient? 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Goats can earn you an income on your homestead! Find out how in Part 2 of our Goat episode of the Homesteady podcast, brought to you by www.thisishomesteady.com . 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this quick episode we share some announcements with you!  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!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine you are watching majestic lions hunting their prey on the edge of the Kalahari Desert in Zimbabwe. These beautiful animals roam in packs, looking for vulnerable prey. Traversing wide, open spaces, the predators and their prey keep each other in balance. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. 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Are you thinking about making the leap into backyard chickens? Or maybe adding some new breeds to your current flock?  Maybe you want to start a small farm business, selling meat, and want to know the right breeds to start with?  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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How much land do I need to homestead? 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do I start Homesteading? Ever ask yourself that?  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... Marianne 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! Cody from Wranglerstar "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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever brought a duck INSIDE your house to live? 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: Duck eggs improve your ph. They are full of Iron. 4 mL per serving! These eggs have anti-inflammatory properties, including nutrients like choline 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!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices