Old Fashioned On Purpose

While my garden is in a bit of a lull at the moment, I know in the back of my mind that harvest time is just around the corner.  Perhaps this year more than ever, I’m focused on preserving everything I possibly can.  In today’s episode, I cover the four primary methods that I use to make sure our family takes full advantage of our harvest:  canning, freezing, dehydrating, and fermenting.  Discover...

While I do my best to be thorough in my podcast topics, it’s inevitable some things fall through the cracks.  Most of the time these questions get raised in my Facebook groups, on Instagram, or Youtube, and I’m simply unable to address each and every one of them.  On today’s show, I’m thrilled to be doing my first ever ‘Ask Me Anything’ episode.  I’m fielding all of your questions from my Instagra...

Garlic is by far one of my favorite crops to grow.  It's easy to plant, easy to grow, requires almost no maintenance, and adds flavor to every dish.  In today's episode, I walk you through my garlic growing process.  I explain the difference between softneck and hardneck, what to look for when buying garlic seeds, how to harvest it, and some simple uses in the kitchen.  Listen today to f...

For any new homesteader, the mountain of tasks and to-do's can seem overwhelming.  Even a more experienced homesteader such as myself tend to have several projects in motion at once and about a hundred others waiting to be started.  While it'd be great to snap our fingers and have everything done at once, that's simply not realistic.  On today's episode, I'm joined by my s...

Hail is easily one of the biggest enemies that exist on our homestead.  As some of you might know, last year a hail storm destroyed one of my gardens (and our trampoline).  While there are many different solutions to this problem, we had to be mindful of not only the hail but also the extremely high winds that occur in this part of the country.  Because of this, we knew we needed a heavy-duty, per...

For anyone that’s followed me for some time, I don’t have to explain my long-time love for canning.  It's perhaps my favorite kitchen activity on the homestead.  However, there’s a lot of potential for error in the canning process, and for some, it can be intimidating to get started.  On this special episode that was recorded live on Facebook, I answer all of your questions and concerns when...

Dreams. Everyone has them, but not everyone achieves them. Why is that true? Believe it or not, a large number of people never even voice their dreams let alone create an actual plan to accomplish them. On today's episode, I'm once again joined by my sister Jenna. As she continues on her homesteading journey, we begin discussing Jenna's big goal for what's left of 2020 and the...

While kefir might be the newest addition to the long list of things growing in my kitchen, it most definitely isn't new to my life. After taking a round of anti-biotics, I took to kefir to help repair the baceria in my gut. Upon discovering some of the incredible benefits of this tasty beverage, I started digging a little deeper. Incredibly I found out that keifer can be used to make cheese c...

Yes, you read that correctly. We bought a house. Rest assured, we haven't decided to abandon the homestead and head into the suburbs. On the contrary, we're making an investment in our future and and the future of our community. Join me today as I explain our plans to (hopefully) generate more income and jump start the growth of an old town. Follow along with our thought process of inves...

Raising beef can seem like a difficult and daunting task on the surface, but suprisingly it's one of the easiest methods of producing food on the homestead.  While we've had issues in the past with other food sources, that's never been the case with beef.  In today's episode I cover the essentials you'll need to begin growing beef of your own.  Learn about the different fe...

Starting a homestead can be a daunting task.  It can be even more overwhelming when you compare yourself to a seasoned homesteader such as myself.  While "how do I start a homestead?" is one of the most common questions I receive, after living the homestead life for almost 12 years I'm a little disconnected from the startup portion of the journey.  Today I'm happy to announce t...

No matter the time of the year, there's one topic that always remains in high demand. Whether you're on the homestead or in the city,  every single one of us has to eat.  While I'm definitely not a meal planner by any stretch of the imagination, over the years I've learned several great tricks to save countless hours in the kitchen.  In today's episode, I fill you in on wh...

If you've come to know anything about me over the years, you've likely recognized that the phrase "slow down" simply doesn't exist in my vocabulary. As summer began and nearly all of our planned events and obligations were cancelled due to Covid-19, I started to seriously investigate my life and how I'm spending my time on a regular basis. On today's episode I di...

Potatoes are by far my favorite food and it’s not even close.  This easy to grow vegetable is not only versatile in the kitchen, but they last long in storage and are fun and easy to harvest from the ground.  In today’s episode, I’m going to discuss how my potato growth has evolved over the years and provide my top tips for increasing your potato yield. If you’re looking to take your potato game t...

Have you ever had garden amnesia?  It’s that time of year you get so excited about beginning your garden that you completely forget about all the time and hard work needed to make it happen?  That’s where I’m currently at right now.  Even with the well-documented struggles I’ve had, I’m ready and raring to go for this gardening season.  Why you might ask?  This year I’m armed with three secret wea...

A BIG thank you to Remond’s Real Salt for being our podcast sponsor for the month of June! http://theprairiehomestead.com/salt Redmonds is my #1 go-to salt for cooking and food preservation. I love that it’s mined in the USA and contains 60+ trace minerals which makes it an easy choice for stocking your homestead pantry. During the month of June, use code HOMESTEAD to save 15% on your order. >&...

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Darryl Bosshardt of Redmond’s Real Salt.  Darryl is a true salt expert.  His grandparents founded Redmond's 60 years ago and they have been my salt of choice for as long as I can remember.  As we discuss today, salt is an essential mineral for our daily lives, but it’s often misunderstood and sometimes carries a negative connotation.  Darryl provides an adva...

After being hardcore proponents of hand milking for a decade, we finally made the decision to cave in and buy a milk machine.  So why is now the time to make a change?  As I’ve mentioned in recent episodes, we’ve committed to becoming producers for our community.  Simply put, in order to be able to produce milk in large quantities, it was no longer viable to milk by hand.  While I did have some re...

If you’re hoping to grow high quality plants, you must first dig deep (no pun intended) into your soil.  Much like the foundation of a house, your soil sets the tone for everything that follows.  In today’s episode, I’m going to cover a variety of tips and tricks to help you strike the perfect balance in your soil that will allow your crops to flourish.  Learn about the three primary components of...

To put it lightly, this year has been one of revelations on our homestead.  As I’ve discussed in previous episodes, our goal to become producers for our community has necessitated some changes.  We’ve raised meat birds for almost five years now, but as you’ll find out today virtually nothing is the same from when we first started.  Listen to find out why we ditched the chicken coups,  how we sped...

If you’ve watched any of my videos or have seen any pictures on my social media, it’s pretty easy to tell that I’m not a gadget girl when it comes to the kitchen.  I must say that this does come with one key exception; the instant pot.  Being the control freak that I am, I understand there is a bit of irony in me using an appliance I’m not supposed to touch.  On today’s episode, find out why the i...

I don’t believe it’s any secret by now; we like to raise our own meat.  More than any part of the process, people question how we handle the butchering of animals.  While it isn’t always easy, I’ve come to recognize that butchering animals ourselves has only helped us to gain an even greater appreciation for the meat the we raise for ourselves and our community.  While some might find it inhumane...

Homesteading with kids isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you’re up for the challenge it will certainly make an incredible impact on their lives.  I know with our kids, life on the homestead has taught them the value of hard work, how to establish boundaries, and how to be creative.  More than anything, perhaps the most valuable lessons kids can learn is learning how to fail.  If you’v ever doub...

Now more than ever, interest in locally grown food is booming.  Not only are people looking to support small and local businesses during this chaotic time, but they’re also coming to realize the high quality food that exists outside of their normal grocery store.  On today’s episode I’m here to help guide you on your journey of tracking down some incredible locally sourced food.  Believe it or not...

For many different reasons, grassfed meats are all the rage at the moment.  While the incredible benefits are obvious, there seems to be one issue most people run into when preparing grassfed meats; if you’re not careful it can become extremely tough.  Don’t fret my friends, this simply means that grassfed meats tend to be much leaner due to more time in the pasture.  Listen today to learn best pr...