Homesteading Made Simple I Joyfully Prepared

Feeling Behind? You're Measuring Progress All Wrong Ever look around your homestead and see nothing but unfinished projects? The garden needs weeding. The bread hasn't been baked. The chickens have their own ideas about productivity. And somehow, another day has gone by without finishing everything on your list. Sound familiar? In this Transformation Journal episode of Homesteading Made Simple , W...

00:00 — Why fire cider is easy, cheap, and very hard to mess up 00:55 — What fire cider actually is (and why it feels like cheating) 01:30 — Cheap, customizable, practically indestructible 02:20 — The foundational ingredients, and why it isn’t just chaos in a jar 02:55 — Onion, garlic, and hot pepper: what each one does in the jar 03:30 — Ginger, turmeric, and horseradish, the drama queen 04:15 —...

Have you ever wanted to learn something new but talked yourself out of it because you were afraid you wouldn't be good at it? You're not alone! This week, I'm joined by the absolutely delightful Alice O'Connell of Learn to Knit Online. Alice spent years working as a British television and theater actress before discovering knitting as a way to stay calm, grounded, and awake during long days on set...

Have you ever thought you were prepared for an emergency, only to discover that something you were counting on didn't work? That's exactly what happened to Greg Peterson during Hurricane Helene. His generator failed. His backup battery failed. And suddenly, the old preparedness saying "Two is one, one is none" became very real. But preparedness doesn't have to be complicated, expensive, or frighte...

Why does everything seem to fall apart the minute we stop working on it? It started for me with a red towel. That towel reminded me of a brilliant organization system I created years ago for my seven kids. Everyone got their own color. No more missing towels. No more confusion. Except, of course, it didn't quite work that way. And that's what got me thinking about entropy. Things naturally move to...

Can someone really look into your eyes and learn something about what’s happening inside your body? I’ve been fascinated by iridology for years, so I invited naturopath and iridologist Dr. Angel Hill to finally help me understand it. Angel is a second-generation naturopath who has studied thousands of eyes during her career. She explains how iridology works, what she looks for in the iris, and why...

42% of American homesteaders came from zero farming background. No grandparent with a garden, no summer on somebody's farm. Nothing. And 28% of them are doing this on less than one acre. Homesteaders of America just released their 2026 survey — over 4,000 homesteaders, compared against the survey they ran in 2022. So for the first time, we can see what actually changed in four years. Retirement ne...

When do you actually get to call yourself a homesteader? Is there some committee that sends you a certificate? 😂 I've realized that I have a funny habit of doing the thing and then still telling myself I'm not quite the real deal. So in this episode, I'm opening up my Transformation Journal and looking back over the last eight weeks of life. We're talking about: Harvesting and preserving elderber...

Nobody puts a picture of the barn in the listing and says, "We're not completely sure what's holding this thing up." Buying a homestead is a lot like dating — and today we're playing Would you date this homestead? We're past the basics. You know your price, your location, your acreage. This is what happens after the property catches your eye: what the listing photos aren't showing you, what to loo...

Greg Peterson says the only place that lack lives is between our ears — and if you've ever stood in your kitchen staring at 50 pounds of tomatoes, you know he's right. We talk about what to do with all of it. Greg hosts The Urban Farm Podcast (he just passed episode 1,000), and this one runs on both our feeds. We get into the harvest mindset, the one mistake that turns abundance into panic, and a...

Some days the news is too much. The food industry is working against us, the wars won't stop, the education system is a mess, and there's a phone in your pocket demanding you pay attention to all of it. You can't fix any of that today. But you can create peace, calm, and rest inside your own home — and that starts with you. Wendi's friend Carol was her cheerleader through years of raising seven ki...

Welcome to BeanTok! Apparently, the internet has finally discovered what homesteaders and prepared families have known for years—beans are pretty amazing. In this episode, we're separating the hype from the helpful, exploring why beans are suddenly trending on TikTok, and talking about how one inexpensive pantry staple can improve your health, simplify meal planning, and save money on groceries. T...

Ever feel like everyone else has a beautiful planner and a color-coded freezer inventory while you're just... remembering things? A Facebook question about staying organized turned into something better: proof that there are four completely different ways to run a homestead, and all of them work. Find out which kind of homestead manager you are — and why your natural wiring is the strength you sho...

In this episode you'll learn: Why there isn't one "perfect" emergency food The three layers of a practical food storage system When no-cook meals make the most sense The pros and cons of freeze-dried emergency meals How everyday pantry foods fit into emergency preparedness Why food fatigue is a real concern during emergencies How comfort foods can reduce stress during difficult situations Why chil...

Have you ever bought something because everyone else said you needed it? This week, Wendi shares the surprising lessons from a heated Facebook discussion asking, "What's the biggest waste of money on a homestead?" While the original answer was raised garden beds, the comments revealed something much deeper: every homestead is different, and wise decisions depend on your unique circumstances. In th...

🌟 Highlights & takeaways Celebrate the first one. My first commission check mattered far more than its size — proof I'm doing the thing God called me to do, even when it means leaving my "comfort hole." A goal without a plan stalls. I could sew the jelly roll strips, but with no quilt pattern I had nowhere to go. Failure isn't the end — it shows you what you didn't know. Find a mentor and a "hype...

Hurricane season is underway, and this replay is your permission slip to prep without the panic. Wendi breaks hurricane readiness into a 12-week countdown to calm — a little at a time, on a real-life budget, tailored to your actual family. Whether you're prepping for a hurricane, a winter ice storm, or just the power going out, these baby steps train your brain to be ready before you need to be. W...

In today’s episode, we’re talking about peaceful, practical homestead income ideas for real life. Not giant farm empires. Not hustle culture. Not trying to monetize every inch of your property. Just simple, thoughtful ideas that may help support your family while building skills, capability, and confidence along the way. We discuss: why small beginnings still matter realistic beginner-friendly hom...

Wendi shares why she believes old-fashioned kitchen skills are becoming important again as families navigate rising grocery prices, busy schedules, and financial stress. From whole chickens and dry beans to whole grains and food storage, this episode explores practical ways to stretch food, reduce overwhelm, and create more peace at home. Why simple foods fed large families for generations The emo...

What if real change doesn’t happen through giant bursts of motivation… but through tiny repeated stitches over time? In this heartfelt and humorous episode, Wendi Bergin shares her idea for a “15-Minute Summer” after realizing that spending just 15 minutes a day learning to quilt would give her nearly 18 hours of practice before her daughter returns to school. That simple realization opened the do...

Do you ever feel like you’re not accomplishing enough? Like everyone else is moving forward while you’re just trying to survive the laundry, the dishes, the caregiving, the stress, and everyday life? In this episode, I want to encourage you that you are probably doing much better than you think you are. Today I’m sharing stories and reflections from the past several weeks around the Bergin homeste...

This week’s episode is a little different. Wendi shares a more serious and realistic conversation about preparedness, rising prices, and the importance of paying attention to what’s happening around us without falling into fear or panic. From increasing oil prices to hurricane season in Florida, this episode explores why preparedness is becoming more important for everyday families and why “sticki...

Today we’re keeping herbalism simple. Not “buy 47 jars and memorize Latin names” simple. 😄 Actually simple. In this episode of the Joyfully Prepared Podcast, Wendi shares three gentle, beginner-friendly herbs every woman should know and why these simple plants can become part of a calmer, more grounded life. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by herbalism, natural remedies, or all the information on...

A Story That Changes Everything Wendi shares a personal experience from Hurricane Isabel in 2003 that reshaped how she views preparedness and self-reliance. The Power of Taking Action A family friend drives five hours after a hurricane to get what his family needs instead of waiting for help. No electricity No access to gas No expectation of rescue Just action Preparedness Isn’t Panic You don’t ha...

Preparedness has a reputation problem. For many people, it feels intense, overwhelming, or even fear-based. But what if preparedness was never meant to feel that way? In this episode of the Joyfully Prepared Podcast, Wendi Bergin shares a personal story that reshaped her entire approach to preparedness. After being called out for sounding “doomsday” during a simple playdate conversation, she reali...