The Homestead Journey

A couple of weeks ago, I posted pictures of our poultry processing equipment and setup to our social media accounts.  And I received a lot of questions as a result.  And I realized that I didn't really talk much about poultry processing during our series on raising chickens.  So. on this episode, I rectify that oversight.  I share with you the gear we use; what I like about it and what I don&...

I don't know about you, but sometimes all I see on my homestead is work.  There is so much I'd like to accomplish.  So many projects I've started and haven't fully completed.  So many things that need to be cleaned up and put away, areas that need to be organized.  I'm driven to try to raise and grow as much food as possible.  And the recent events that we have gone throug...

This week I had a potential customer reach out to me with some great questions.  She wanted to know what I fed my animals and why my general philosophical approach was to farming.  I loved those questions.  First, I love that someone is actually thinking about and caring about where their food comes from. Second, it was an opportunity for me to again think about what we do and why.  And so, on thi...

On this episode we welcome back to the podcast, guest Cathy R. Payne.  We talk about how heritage breeds including American Blue Rabbits, Gulf Coast Sheep, and American Guinea Hogs played a significant role in her homesteading journey.  Cathy is the author of the award winning book, Saving the Guinea Hogs: The Recovery of an American Homestead Breed and we spend some time talking about the book an...

This week is #HeritageBreedsWeek sponsored by the Livestock Conservancy .  On this episode, I am joined by Cathy R. Payne, author of the award winning book, Saving the Guinea Hogs: The Recovery of an American Homestead Breed to talk about heritage breeds, why they are important and what homesteaders can do to help conserve them.  Cathy's homesteading journey has been greatly influenced by her...

On this episode, I am honored to be joined by Harold Thornbro of The Modern Homesteading Podcast and blogger at http://www.haroldthornbro.com to talk about quail.  We talk about how and why Harold raises quail, their pros and cons as well as how they stack up against rabbits and meat chickens.  I learned a lot from Harold and I think you will too.  And, I hope it will help you decide if quail migh...

As I recorded this episode, one of the biggest news stories is a potential protein shortage at the grocery store due to processing difficulties a the commercial meat plants due to COVID-19.  What can homesteaders do to ensure that they have a constant supply of protein for their families?  One answer might be meat rabbits.  On this episode we talk about their pros and cons.  I share with you our j...

Let's face it.  Homesteading is like just about everything else in that we just never seem to have enough time or money for all of the things we want to do. Unless you're independently wealthy, most of us have fewer dollars than we'd like to do the things we'd like to do.  And while right now many of us are spending more time at home than we usually would, the fact is that we a...

I will confess.  I don't like keeping records.  I've never been able to keep a diary.  Or consistently journal.  And that is a level of record keeping that is at least a little bit fun.  But, tracking finances, or animals, or garden production, or canning amounts, or pantry and freezer inventory?  That's boring stuff.  It's certainly not fun (at least to me) and it probably isn...

Right now, there are more people wanting to garden than ever.  Well, maybe that is an overstatement, but there are certainly so many people interested in planting seeds, that many seed companies are either out of seeds entirely, or have had to suspend the taking of new orders to restock or simply to catch up.   Whether you are new to gardening or you've been at it awhile, we all want to maxim...

Right now, most of us are handling adversity on our homesteads, maybe in ways that we have never faced before.  Maybe you are new to homesteading and you're facing losses that you've never faced before.  Maybe animals have died.  Or crops have failed.  If you're facing adversity (and I think we all do at one time or another), this episode is for you. I also share with you updates as...

On this episode we talk about 10 Gardening Mistakes People Make And How To Avoid Them in my attempt to help you raise and grow as much food as possible.  After all, one of the biggest ways you can become better prepared on your homestead is to raise and grown your own food. And I want to help you avoid making some of the mistakes that I have made. So, on this episode we talk about how: 1. People d...

This is a BONUS episode of the Homestead Journey Podcast as we celebrate 5000 downloads!!!!  We continue our series on Homestead Preparedness as we talk about how and where to start raising and growing your own food.  On this episode I mention: Our Grow Light System Our Pallet Herb Garden Cog Hill Farm's Start From Seed Video https://www.facebook.com/TheHomesteadJourneyPodcast http://www.yout...

Yes, the best time to prepare is during the good times.  But, if you haven't made preparations and you find yourself faced with a crisis (as many of us do right now), what can you do?  Is it too late to prepare?  How do you know what to do?  Those are all great questions and things that we discuss on this episode of the podcast. Enjoy!! https://afarmishkindoflife.com/ https://www.facebook.com...

On this episode, we are beginning a multi part series on homestead preparedness.  Current events combined with a recent episode of Jack Spirko's The Survival Podcast have caused me to think about homesteading and prepping.  Are they the same thing?  Many times the terms are used interchangeably.  We talk about all of that and more on this podcast. I also bring you up to date on what's be...

On this episode we talk about the American Guinea Hog.  Is it the perfect homestead hog?  No.  But, could it be the perfect pig for your homestead?  Maybe.  On this episode I share some of the pluses and minuses of this pig and why we LOVE them as our homestead pig.  Check out http://guineahogs.org for more information. https://www.facebook.com/TheHomesteadJourneyPodcast http://www.youtube.com/c/3...

On this episode we talk about 7 common mistakes people make or misconceptions people have about raising chickens.  Hopefully, you can learn from these mistakes and misconceptions and be successful in raising your own chickens on your homestead!! As usual, I share with you a bit about what has been happening on 3B Farm and Homestead including my initial impressions of some seed starting kits I orde...

In their quest for better food for their families, many homesteaders will eventually raise chickens for meat.  On this episode we discuss the types of chickens you can raise for meat and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option.  We also talk about some of the ways that raising broiler breeds is different from raising standard breed chickens.  We wrap up the charting the course segm...

What should you look for in a breed? What do we look for in a breed?  On this episode, I am joined by my son to talk about these topics and we reveal the 7 breeds of chickens that we will be getting on 3B Farm and Homestead this year. https://www.facebook.com/TheHomesteadJourneyPodcast http://www.youtube.com/c/3BFarmandHomestead https://www.facebook.com/3BFarmNY/ https://www.instagram.com/thehomes...

For many people, chickens are the quintessential homesteading animal.  It is the animal most associated with homesteading and is the first livestock that many people get on their homestead. For some, it is even the gateway animal that leads them to a homesteading lifestyle.    Whether you are new to chickens or you've been raising them for awhile, this episode will help you understand the bas...

The journey of almost every homesteader will eventually involve animals.  Whether you are brand new to raising livestock or you're adding something new to the homestead, there are things that you should take into consideration before making that leap.  On this episode, we discuss 5 things that I think should be considered when adding animals to your homestead operations. I also share with you...

Finding balance in life in general can be hard.  Trying to homestead while working a fulltime job adds a level of complication that many people don't face.  If you're just new to the homestead journey, there's a good chance that you're working a full-time off farm job.  And let's face it, many of us will always work a full time off farm/homestead job.  But, whether you are...

Unfortunately, I think too many people who are interested in homesteading have a romantic, idealistic view of homesteading that isn't realistic.  On this episode we talk about 7 Myths and Misconceptions people have about homesteading.  Everything from "free land" to "full time homesteading" and everything in between. The episode of SSL Family Dad that I reference:  https:/...

On this episode we talk about how Dreaming, Deciding, and Doing can help you set goals that could help you have your best homestead ever.  We apply the SMART goal setting methodology to homesteading and talk about some other things we should think about when setting our goals for 2020.   I also review Gardening Without Work by Ruth Stout and give my initial thoughts on Up Tunket Road by Philiop Ac...

On this episode of the Homestead Journey Podcast, we talk about 10 common mistakes people make when setting goals for their homestead. Not setting goals Too many goals Not putting enough thought into them Putting too much thought into them Adopting someone else's goals Keeping up with the Jones Setting unrealistic goals Setting goals that aren't challenging Failing to adjust goals Allowi...