Everyday Homesteading

It's important to be prepared for emergency power outages whether you're living off-grid, on a large homestead, or even within the city. There are simple steps you can take to be prepared for short-term power outages. For a full list, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-to-prepare-for-power-outage Links Mentioned: - Hybrid Light: (Use code "homesteadingfamil...

Living the homesteading lifestyle is definitely harder on clothing than suburban or urban living. So how do you source high-quality clothing that can be passed down from kid to kid, or even clothing that will last adults longer while maintaining the homesteading lifestyle?  Here are our best tips! For more info, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/affordable-clothing-for-the-h...

Learning how to organize your property layout based on permaculture zones will help make homesteading an easier task without wasted energy. Learn about the permaculture zones and how to layout your own homestead in this episode of The Pantry Chat. For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/permaculture-zones Time Stamps 00:00 - Chit chat 12:03 - Stringing Onions...

It's fall, harvest season is in full swing and the year has been long! Many of us are dreaming of a vacation. But how to you get away? Many of you have asked us about vacations and how to get time off from the farm. This week on The Pantry Chat: Food for Thought, we will be talking about vacations and how to plan them in to the homesteading life. It can be a challenge and we will share some o...

Buying a homestead, whether it is 1/4 or 40 acres, is a big investment. What's the best way to go about it? Buy with all cash if you've got it and then develop it as more resources come your way, or is getting a mortgage so you have some funds left over to build your dream a better way to go?  The answer may surprise you. Join Josh and Carolyn today on The Pantry Chat - Food for Thought...

Today we're covering one of Josh's favorite topics this week on The Pantry Chat- soil! Come join Josh and Carolyn as we discuss prepping your soil for a fall garden. See you there! And hey, don't forget to get on the waitlist for the upcoming release of Carolyn's new Master Class on easy homemade dairy- https://www.schooloftraditionalskills.com/dairy-class-waitlist-sign-up ~~~~...

If you’ve been wondering what to do with that constant overflow of kitchen and yard debris that’s left after cooking and pruning … this is the episode for you. In short, you need to compost! In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn get down and dirty with a short tutorial on the art and science of easy home composting. Grab your shovel (and a cold lemonade), and listen in! In this Episode:...

One of the most important aspects of a successful homestead is looking ahead. We’re constantly challenged by what needs to be done today, but with one eye fixed on what’s coming in the next few months as well. With a little planning, it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn get practical with an episode on preparing your pantry for the coming preserving...

Raising chickens has been a staple practice of homesteads large and small for thousands of years. Our beautiful birds give us so much, from scratching and fertilizing the ground as they move across the property, to delivering that perfect unit of food called the egg. In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn dive deep into the art and science (and love) of egg-laying chickens. This is one o...

It’s time! It may not feel like it, depending on where you are in the world, but for Josh and Carolyn, it’s time to start making preparations for their early spring gardens. And of course, they’re here to share their thoughts on that with you ...  In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn get ready to bring the homestead around to spring, focusing specifically on getting early spring garden...

Q and A sessions are always needed! Whether you’re brand new to homesteading or have been at it for years new twists and turns can pop up at any time or ALL the time.  In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn are ready for your questions! Listen in to hear the ins and outs of everything from creating a great garden to building the perfect homestead.  In this Episode: Carolyn describes her...

We’re already moving fast through 2021 and it’s time to start thinking about garden planning! How can you optimize the most amount of food possible from whatever space you have available?  In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn talk about food production right in your backyard. Whether you have a large amount of space or a small balcony the methods discussed will work great for you! In t...

This year is over and that means it’s time to reflect! 2020 has been exhausting and stressful for many and the year at Riverbend was no exception. In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn look back at their past year at Riverbend to discuss successes, failures, and accomplishments while hinting at what might be coming up in 2021. In this Episode Josh and Carolyn discuss the challenges of l...

Homesteading can be a great adventure, but it can also present its fair share of challenges and a whole lot of questions!    In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn have fun trying to answer some of your questions on everything from pressure canning beef stew to best practices for storing ancient eggnog, how to select the right wood cookstove, and so much more!  In this Episode: Josh and...

You’re going week to week buying groceries and spending way too much money… There has to be a better way, and there is! Buying in bulk and storing it!    But before you make the transition to being a bulk-buying homesteader, there are some basic rules you need to follow. Josh and Carolyn continue their series on food storage with some helpful strategies you can start putting in place now to grow y...

Winter should be a time for rest, relaxation and reflection, so the last thing you want to be doing is scrambling around trying to manage your homestead through the snow and ice and frigid temperatures.   In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh provides three core strategies to help you take stock of your winter needs, be more efficient and save money to make the overall management of your homest...

Thanksgiving is almost here and that means food and lots of it! Prepping a big Thanksgiving feast can be challenging, but having a good strategy in place can make all the difference between being thankful or being stressed in the kitchen.  In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn share their own Thanksgiving menu, plus a few of their fun annual traditions, and some tips that can help you p...

You're incredibly busy! One of the things that shouldn’t be adding more stress to your day is trying to figure out how to make sure there are meals on the table for everybody.   In this episode of Pantry Chat, Carolyn talks about the strategies she uses to plan ahead for meals and the ways you can create your own system for saving your sanity and still having healthy, delicious meals ready fo...

Supply and demand issues are impacting homesteaders everywhere, especially when it comes to finding quality canning supplies. The reality is that this problem is not going away anytime soon, so what can you do?  In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn present some creative solutions you can try as well as the practicality and safety issues you need to look out for when exploring these alt...

With supply and demand issues being so commonplace right now, it’s a smart move to have your reserves stocked up and ready to go so you feel more confident and secure as the colder weather approaches.  In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn talk through the three main areas you need to focus on, as well as how to maximize your storage space when prepping your pantry for winter.   In...

Frigid temperatures, along with ice, and snow can present a ton of challenges for homesteaders and it’s even worse when you haven’t planned ahead to be ready when mother nature strikes.   In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn talk through the 7 basic areas you need to focus on in order to get prepared for winter on the homestead.   In this Episode Carolyn has been making a lot of chedda...

Root cellaring is one of the easiest and most energy-efficient ways to store your fruits and vegetables by using the earth’s natural temperatures. But what do you do if you don’t have the infrastructure to support a traditional root cellar? You get creative!  In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn continue their series on preservation methods with an introduction to root cellaring. T...

Dehydration is another great option for getting food on your shelf, plus it’s also super convenient, lightweight, and really takes the bulk down on your food to help maximize your space.  In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn continue their series on preservation methods with an introduction to dehydration. They cover the pros and cons of dehydration, what foods it really works best...

Lacto Fermentation...It’s one of the safest and easiest preservation methods, plus it’s also a great way to boost your immune system and can take your veggies to a whole new level!  In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn continue with their series on preservation methods with an introduction to fermentation. They cover the different types of fermentation, its numerous health benefits...

You’ve grown and sourced some amazing food. Now you want to get it on your shelves and store it. One of the best ways to do that is with canning. Canning is becoming more popular than ever, thanks to its many benefits. So, how do you get started the right way?  In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn kick-off a brand-new series on preservation techniques with an introduction to canning. T...