Old Fashioned On Purpose

Change is funny.  Sometimes it pushes you to grow, while other times it can set you back.  When I made the move to college after being homeschooled my entire life, many people questioned if I was going to be able to deal with the changes that came with transitioning into college life.  When you face a difficult situation, it's easy to believe that you aren't able to accomplish something...

At the age of 14, I got my first horse. For a shy little homeschool girl, this wound up being a huge boost to my confidence and completely shifted my identity. In the years that followed, I joined 4-H, worked in the stalls, and eventually went to college to ride horses. What did I learn through all of this? Even if you're unable to live your dream right now, there are always ways to get close...

After a short break to regroup, I’m thrilled to be back recording podcasts.  While I loved recording the individual episodes, it’s time to make a change.  Instead of recording single episodes on a topic, I’m going to be dedicating an entire season to a specific theme.  Together we’ll take deep dives that build a broader depth of knowledge and allow you to take action on the things that matter.  In...

While I’m the first person to trumpet consistency, sometimes a change is needed.  Lately, I’ve recognized I’ve been lacking a bit of inspiration.  While under normal circumstances I’d attempt to push through, I’ve realized that creativity and inspiration is actually a seasonal thing.  Because of this, I need a break.  Fear not my friends!  This isn’t the end of the podcast.  On the contrary, this...

For quite some time, I felt with the physical work I did on the homestead, I didn’t need to set aside extra time to workout.  I thought the shoveling, the pitchforking, and the day-to-day activity was enough.  However, as I’ve got older and my metabolism has shifted my attitude has changed.  While I’ll never be one of the workout warriors you see on Instagram, I’ve realized that making the extra t...

Recently I’ve noticed that something has been taking up more-and-more of my time, seemingly with each passing day.  Any guesses on what that might be?  (Hint:  it has nothing to do with homesteading).  Yes, that’s right my friends, I’m talking about social media.  Whether it’s been filling time while waiting for food to cook or mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, I realized that I’ve literally...

If you take a look around the internet, you will see that the homestead life is exploding at the moment.  All over social media, there’s growing evidence of people beginning a homesteading journey of their own.  However, as with anything new and popular on the internet, it can be difficult to tell the imposter “ influencers” from the true homesteaders.  So how do you know who to listen to?  In tod...

Unless you’re one of the lucky few, odds are most of you don’t have the luxury of a root cellar to store your harvest.  Fear not my friends, today I’m here to offer up some great alternatives to a root cellar that will help you preserve your vegetables through the winter.  Listen to find out why that drafty room in your house could be your best friend, when to turn to your fridge, and how long you...

To say the least, our recent snowstorm was completely unexpected.  Unfortunately, the snow and the cold completely destroyed my garden.  Unlike years past, this time I decided to plant a fall garden.  In today’s episode, I discuss how I cleaned up my garden, what I planted for the fall, why I’m planting cover crops now, and what I’m doing with our brand new greenhouse.  Overall, this is an entirel...

No, my friends, the title of this episode is not a mistake.  Recently we experienced a weather swing so severe most people would think that I completely made it up.  What we went through was a 65-degree drop in just 24 hours!  Trust me, that is not a typo.  In today’s episode, I detail how we prepped for the oncoming snowstorm.  This includes pulling crops, covering plants, taking down some struct...

While it seemed like this day would never happen, we finally have a greenhouse on the homestead.  Why did it take so long?  Truthfully, we didn’t make it a priority and we somewhat suffered from “paralysis by analysis.”  In today’s episode I explain how to determine which greenhouse is right for your climate, why there’s no one size fits all solution, and my long-term plans for making the most of...

For those of you in harvest right now, hopefully, you’ve already done your homework.  If you haven’t, today I’m going to provide a crash course in tomato preservation.  I talk about dehydration, food mills, sauce, what makes paste tomatoes different, and so much more.  I even cover a few tips and tricks to help get tomatoes to ripen.  This episode is a true tomato 101 and will have you getting the...

One of the most common questions I receive on a weekly basis is “how do you get it all done?”  First off, let me reiterate that no matter what social media might have you believe, I don’t have it all figured out.  What I have figured out is that writing things down greatly helps me with recalling information.  For this reason, I lean heavily on paper planners to keep me on track with goals and pro...

Look, I get it.  Sauerkraut isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when dreaming of your ideal homestead kitchen.  In fact, I went years swearing off sauerkraut.  It wasn’t until I made it myself that I actually enjoyed eating it.  In today’s episode, I explain why the change happened, how to make your own sauerkraut, and dive into the incredible benefits of kraut and other fermented foo...

No matter what I was told, I wanted to grow fruit on the homestead.  Over-and-over again my attempts at growing fruit fell flat.  I soon realized I wasn’t a failure at growing fruit.  I was failing to embrace my surroundings.  On today’s episode, I go over what I’m growing in my garden, how to determine what will thrive in yours, and why you might need to change your expectations when it comes to...

Outside of pressure canning, fermentation might be the most intimidating process to tackle in the kitchen.  For most of you it’s probably difficult to even name any fermented foods you enjoy eating.  Believe it or not, fermenting foods is much easier than you might expect, and this process creates some amazing foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and yogurt.  On today’s episode, I cover everything you...

While gardening season is coming to a close for most of us, there are a few important things to do as we head into cooler weather.  First of all, congratulate yourself!  Whether you’re a first-time gardener or a seasoned professional, it’s great to take time and look back at the things that went well.  Reflecting on your wins will only serve as greater motivation moving forward.  However, as much...

While bringing in a giant basket of your favorite vegetable might be every homesteaders dream, for most of us it’s never the reality.  Instead, our harvests tend to look more like a smorgasbord of a small number of various vegetables.  Rather than let them go bad waiting for the rest of the harvest, today I’m going to explain several methods of utilizing and preserving your micro-harvests.  From p...

What can I say?  It’s no secret that my favorite thing about the homestead is without question the animals.  Whether you already have animals on your homestead or not, introducing something new can sometimes be intimidating.  Today we’re once again joined by my sister Jenna as she embarks on a chicken journey of her own.  We cover all of the basics including how many chickens you should buy, what...

While I’d like to tell you that I have a special schedule I follow every day, it’s simply not the case.  In what might come as a surprise to some of you, there are even some days when I’m not doing anything that most would constitute traditional homestead activities.  In today’s episode, I’m going to explain how I go through planning on a weekly and daily basis to ensure everything gets done.  I d...

No matter what type of shape your garden is in or what type of soil you have, there is one thing that is guaranteed to help:  compost.  Sometimes referred to as black gold, compost can remedy nearly any issue in your garden.  In today’s episode, I detail some of the best options for creating your own compost.  This includes the four elements needed for compost, hot and cold composting, and what co...

With the uncertainty that currently exists in school systems across the country, more-and-more people are looking at the possibility of homeschooling for the first time.  Though it can be quite confusing at first, I’m here to help make the transition as easy as possible.   Today I’ll explain how our curriculum has evolved from years past.  I’ll also go over all the books and tools we’re using for...

County fairs across the country have been canceled.  Thankfully here in Wyoming, we were still able to participate in this great tradition.  If you’ve never been to a county fair, it’s effectively a lot of sitting around mixed with moments of controlled chaos.  Why do we do it?  That’s the question we get asked most frequently by friends and neighbors.  With the significant amount of time and effo...

A fall garden can be an incredible way to extend your growing season and add extra food reserves for the long winter.  However, for quite some time I held the belief that a fall garden was something you started in the fall.  While I’d like to say I learned my lesson after missing it the first time, this definitely wasn’t the case.  In today’s episode I explain how to determine when you start plant...

With the unprecedented nature of pretty much everything in the world right now, homeschooling is the one topic that has been coming up more frequently than anything else.  With the uncertainty of what’s going to happen in public schools, more-and-more parents are looking into the possibility of taking their children’s education into their own hands.  While I will be the first to admit that it’s no...