Old Fashioned On Purpose

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&...