Old Fashioned On Purpose

The seasons are changing.  Depending on the part of the country you’re in, winter can mean vastly different things.  While it’s great to enjoy the current harvest, a homesteader always has to plan ahead with the upcoming season in mind.  On today’s episode I dig deep into my favorite tactics on preparing for winter, including amending your soil, cleaning up your plants, adding compost, and so much...

Potatoes are by far my favorite vegetable.  I’d imagine it’s pretty safe to say I’m not alone in my affinity for spuds.  No, it’s not even due the fact I was born in Idaho, better known as the home of the potato.  My favorite part of harvesting potatoes is the act of digging them up.  It’s like treasure hunt every time.  Today’s episode is dedicated to everything potatoes.  From harvesting to stor...

Herbs have always seemed to be hit or miss for me.  While I love the flavor fresh herbs bring to my cooking, I tend to either have more than I know what to do with or none at all.  If you’v ever experienced this problem, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.  I detail my four favorite methods of preserving herbs for the long haul.  Many of you are likely aware of dried herbs.  While I do co...

If you’re anything like me, you’re always searching for different ways to maximize the yield from you harvest.  While I love canning, sometimes the volume of your harvest simply doesn’t warrant going through the process.  On today’s episode I’m detailing my favorite way of quickly preserving even the smallest amount of vegetables.  Listen to find out the entire process of quick-pickling, the tools...

On today’s episode, you’re going to learn how Christian and I are managing to raise old-fashioned kids in the modern technological world.  How our we accomplishing this?  Mostly by providing our kids with unstructured time.  It turns out that allowing time for your children to be bored will actually increase their creativity.  Who knew?  Listen to find out why letting go of your kids is actually t...

When is the “simple life” not always simple?  For those of you transitioning into the homestead lifestyle, it’s pretty much all the time.  From barn construction to dairy goats to him baked bread and so much more, it’s a never ending cycle of building and improving.  How do I know?  I’ve been there.  Even with all the homesteading experience Christian and I now have, we still find ourselves overwh...

Whether or not you are currently a homesteader, I’m willing to bet that we both share this common problem.  Time is our most valuable commodity, and usually the first and easiest thing to sacrifice is a good home cooked meal.  Today I’m here to not only explain why you don’t have to sacrifice cooking from scratch but also provide the tools you need to make your home cooked meals a reality. Some hi...

When Christian and I first started out, we were relying on his single income as an electrician.  By staying out of debt and focusing on doing anything we could do to earn extra money, it allowed us to build our homestead piece-by-piece.  Regardless of where you’re at financially, it’s possible to get into the homestead game.  Before you begin on your journey there’s some key things you should know...

Today I’m going to be taking a deep dive into one of the more controversial topics on the homesteading front.  Although both dairy goats and milk cows are viable options, find out why Christian and I eventually moved to milk cows and sold our goats.  Learn the main differences when it comes to cost, pasture space, transportation, and overall taste of milk.  If you are considering entering the worl...

Greetings friends and family!  Back in episode 3 I explained the benefits of raised garden beds and why we chose to use them on our homestead.  Today I’m going to talk about several different options on how you can create raised beds on your own.  You’ll also get a detailed explanation on how we built own very own, incredibly unique raised beds made out of steel.  I’m hoping this episode will make...

Eating fruits and vegetables fresh off the vine is always the preferred method for optimum nutritional value.  Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to consume our fresh foods before they go bad.  So what’s the best way to preserve the harvest?  Research shows that proper canning is the best way to ensure nutrients remain locked in your foods as long as possible.  Listen today to discover everyt...

We all make mistakes.  Let me tell you, Christian and I have made quite a few on our homesteading journey.  In today’s episode, I’m going to dive into the top 5 mistakes we’ve made over the last few years.  These learning experiences are sure to save you time, money, and headaches in the process.  No matter if you own a homestead, are interested in becoming a homesteader, or simply enjoy learning...

As we’re approaching harvesting season on the homestead, it’s crucial to be prepared for the bounty of food that’s about to roll in.  Whether it’s coming from your own garden, a farmers market, or other local producers, understanding how to properly preserve the harvest will provide wonderful meals for months to come.  Today we’re going to focus on my favorite method of food preparation:  canning....

Have you ever struggled to keep your weeds at bay?  It’s one of the most common problems for any homesteader.  I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t want to be spending three hours a day in my garden just to keep my weeds under control.  Over the years I’ve tried dealing with this issue in many different ways.  Today I’m here to share my most effective tips in weed control.  These will not only...

Are you tired of dealing with soft, squishy pickles?   I’m sure I’m not the only one who has dealt with this problem.  After years of experimentation and fighting with different recipes, I’ve collected these 5 simple tips to take your pickles to the next level.  We’ll learn why small cucumbers are the best, why immediate canning leads to crunchy pickles, and why the blossom end might be our bigges...

Yes, it’s that special time of year that we all love: Fly Season! For all of my fellow homesteaders currently in the throes of fly season and the ones about to experience it, I’m here to deliver my top four strategies on how to mitigate our pesky little friends. I provide in depth details on each strategy and all of the necessary links to access the tools mentioned in the episode. My Top Four Stra...

Who knew canning tomatoes was such a controversial subject? When you stumble across canning discussions on Facebook or in other homestead groups, this seems to be one of the most hotly contested topics. Why you might ask? Primarily because many canning organizations challenge certain traditions in terms of how foods should be canned. Fear not my friends. In today’s episode, I share a simple soluti...

Hail is one of the most destructive forces when it comes to the health and well-being of your garden.  If you’re anything like myself, you can relate to the devastation of walking outside and seeing your garden in tatters following a hail storm.   Unfortunately, a recent storm crushed months of hard work, time, and money.  Even though I was bummed and initially wanted to quit gardening, it ultimat...

First and foremost, let me ease your concerns.  I’m not here to give you a recipe a special morning beverage made from compost.  Today you’re going to learn about a special fertilizer that is sure to produce miracles in your garden.  You’ll learn the difference between aerated and non-aerated tea, why non-aerated tea is my weapon of choice, and how you can make it for free.  Listen to find out why...

By far the number one fear I hear the most in regards to canning concerns food poisoning.  Better known as botulism, this phenomenon has the potential to cause some very serious health problems.  While botulism has the can be extremely dangerous, I’m here to provide some guidance to help you mitigate any possible risk.  From acidity to temperature to different types of canning, listen to find a co...

One of the most common concerns I hear from people looking to get into homesteading is what happens when you need to leave or take a vacation?  While we want all of the joys that a homestead provides, certainly there can be issues when needing to be away for a prolonged period of time.  Fear not my friends, I'm here to explain how you can leave your homestead without a great deal of worry.  L...

It’s summertime, and beyond the beautiful weather, it means that all of the amazing fruits are in season.  What does in-season fruit mean?  Jam of course!  While I love to make jam, I’ve always found that most jam and jelly recipes are loaded with added sugar.  If you’re anything like me, you want to use as little added sugar as you can.  Today I’m going to teach you how to easily create incredibl...

Have you ever wondered if raised beds were the answer to your garden issues?  When Christian and I started our first garden on our homestead, we began with a traditional in-ground garden.  After a somewhat comical mistake involving manure, we quickly had a yard growing in our garden.  Certainly not an ideal situation.  Though a temporary solution worked for a while, we discovered a deeper issue as...

Welcome to the very first episode of Old Fashioned On Purpose!  My name is Jill Winger, and on today's episode I'm thrilled to share with you my very unlikely foray into homesteading.  You'll hear why growing up as city kids didn't prevent my husband and I from achieving our goal of owning milk cows, cultivating our own gardens, building our own farm, and so much more.  If you&...