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It’s Not Always Pinterest-Perfect, This Homestead Life, But It’s Ours.
Discover how our family turned a terminal diagnosis into a healing homestead journey—complete with messy gardens, stubborn pigs, and love.
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Cultivating Year-Round Learning with a School Garden
This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Cultivating Year-Round Learning with a School Garden School gardens are a powerful tool for education, offering hands-on learning in science, nutrition, and environmental stewardship. But what about schools with traditional academic calendars, where the bulk of the growing season falls during summer break? Fear not! With strategic planning and the right tools, schools can cultivate vibrant gardens throughout the school year, even when the weather turns cold. Why a Year-Round Garden? Continuous Learning: A year-round garden provides consistent opportunities for students to engage with the natural world, observe plant growth, and learn about…
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Episode 136: What Happens when a Homesteader Gets Invited to DC for National Ag Day
When a homesteader gets invited to Capital Hill in DC for National Ag Day, we tend to glean some information between the lines.
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The Ultimate Parent’s Guide to Navigating the Changing Food Landscape and Making Informed Choices
This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. The Ultimate Parent’s Guide to Navigating the Changing Food Landscape and Making Informed Choices The food landscape is in constant flux. Regulations evolve, labeling practices shift, and the very definition of “healthy” seems to morph with each passing trend. As parents, we bear the responsibility of guiding our children through this complex terrain, fostering informed choices that prioritize their well-being. This requires a serious and deliberate approach, moving beyond fleeting trends and embracing a foundation of nutritional literacy. Understanding the Regulatory Shifts Food regulations are not arbitrary; they reflect our evolving understanding of…
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Why Saying “Grocery Stores Don’t Feed Us, Farmers Do” Misses the Bigger Problem
This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Why Saying “Grocery Stores Don’t Feed Us, Farmers Do” Misses the Bigger Problem Unpopular opinion: The statement that “grocery stores don’t feed us, farmers do” is just as frustrating as the statement of, “why kill your food, when you can buy it at the grocery store.” But why does it frustrate me? It is because it has become a party statement that is being ignored. Most people don’t really care where their food comes from (red flag). This is also where my frustration comes from. Until you are the person that has stayed…
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The Great Food Shuffle: Why Your Fridge Isn’t Empty, But Bellies Still Are
This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. The Great Food Shuffle: Why Your Fridge Isn’t Empty, But Bellies Still Are Let’s face it, the apocalypse isn’t knocking on our door because of a potato shortage. We’re not facing a global famine due to a lack of crops. No, friends, the real issue is that we’re playing a giant, frustrating game of food Tetris, and we’re losing. We don’t have a hunger problem; we have a colossal food distribution problem, and it’s time we talked about it. Think of it: tractors churning out abundance, fields overflowing with produce, and yet, millions…
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The Udder Truth: Raw vs. Pasteurized Milk: The Truth About Why We Choose Raw (And Why You Might, Too)
This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. The Udder Truth: Raw vs. Pasteurized Milk: The Truth About Why We Choose Raw (And Why You Might, Too) Ok, homestead and crunchy mama friends, let’s talk about something a little…controversial. Raw milk. The creamy, unpasteurized, straight-from-the-cow (or goat, or sheep) beverage that sends shivers down the spines of conventional health authorities. But here’s the thing: we’ve been drinking it for six years, and frankly, we’re thriving. So, let’s dive into the udderly amazing benefits of raw milk, shall we? Now, I’m not a doctor. (Thank goodness, because I’d probably prescribe sunshine and…
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What is the Difference Between a Homestead and a Farm?
This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. What is the Difference Between a Homestead and a Farm? The difference between a homestead and a farm is a big topic with no one clear answer as to what category you fall into or how the government views your operation. What I can clearly quantify is that the federal government states that the definition of a farm is any agricultural operation that has or plans to make $1000 in a year in agricultural products. In many cases, a small farm can make $1000 from the sale of one beef cow, a truck…
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Cheap and Easy Mason Jar Soil Composition Test
This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Cheap and Easy Mason Jar Soil Composition Test What’s the Point? The mason jar soil test will give a great snapshot of the soil texture in your gardening space. Soil texture is important for drainage, retaining of nutrients, and root health (especially root vegetable growth). Once soil texture is determined, there are a lot of simple amendments that can effectively balance the soil if needed. Simply simple This test is so simple to complete that I sent my kids out to prepare it with minimal verbal instructions. Now, if you know my kids,…
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The Devastating Consequences of Americans Neglecting Nutrient-Dense Foods
This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. The Devastating Consequences of Americans Neglecting Nutrient-Dense Foods The lack of nutrient-dense foods in American diets has shown to be detrimental to our health as a nation. This is shown through the rise in chronic illnesses, obesity, malnutrition, and nutrition-based behavioral and neurological disorders. There is much debate as to why or how we have landed here, but there is a variety of players that actively contribute to the problem. As a millennial (or possibly a late Gen X) consumer, I can wholeheartedly say that the marketing and education surrounding food is powerful…
