I am a mom, wife and owner of two businesses that I run from home. I use essential oils, garden, can, dehydrate, hunt and process all our own meat. This year I will add cheese making, canning tuna, and salt curing pork to my bank of knowledge. We are nowhere near "homesteaders" but I am working constantly at learning new skills toward self sufficiency. I feel like I am just scratching the surface with my learning but each little bit ads up eventually, right? I love all your posts and hope to add foraging to my list. My only request would be to make your posts easier to print. I find myself printing so many of them to add to my sort-of encyclopedia notebook. Thank you!
While I love getting your emails full of incredible information, as a forager and grower myself I completely understand that this is your JOB! I am a soapmaker and I don't give away my products. When someone in my circle thinks my prices are too high, I generally ask them if they work for free! I will support you and wish you huge success in this next strep of growth.
Thank you for sharing this information with us. I too make soap and with the new price of shipping it's crazy. I hate to increase my prices but I will have to.
I love your website! My husband and I are aspiring homesteaders and I would love to become fully self reliant one day. We’re starting to save up and look for houses/properties that could support the way we want to live. I’d love to hear your insights on picking property for homesteading and the best way to get started. I know it will take a long time to get where we want to be (and I’m so excited for the journey!) so I want to make sure we build a solid foundation. Thanks so much for everything you do!
If I had to say one thing to someone just starting out...it'd be don't get animals right away. I know, everyone wants fluffy chicken butts and fresh eggs (or goats, or whatever), but they're an incredible time sink when you're just getting going. Get your house in order, get perennials planted and get settled for at least a year (or 3) before you have something alive that needs attention every single day.
For actually finding a homestead, I wish you the best of luck and wish I had advice there. The housing market is really tight right now, especially for rural properties...and I hope you're able to find what you're looking for.
I’m constantly learning and trying new things. I’m into almost all the things that you cover, food growing and preserving, animal husbandry and home dairy (and since I’m new to home dairying, I’d relish any aspect of that process covered here) as well as home medicine, mycology and fermentation. I have resisted joining any of the terrific homesteaders that have taught me so much because of limited time and funds but you cover so many different things that I love, I finally had to take the plunge.
So, I'll start by saying I may be a bit out there since I learn and teach primitive living skills, but some of the things I'm working on and would love if you had information to share or if you try them and share your learning experiences are edible insects, trapping, preparing and cooking small game, making clothing from plant materials like nettles and dogbane, weaving, making raingear clothing from animal gut... Also love your posts and will suck up anything you share on food preservation and storage, your different foraging ideas, especially seasonal, animal husbandry. Thanks!!
Hi Debbie, I'm a total newbie when it comes to primitive skills, but I'm so interested! I admire your skills if you're able to teach it! If you have any resources to share I'd love to read them.
So much of what you teach goes hand in hand with the primitive skills, since that's the way all our ancestors lived for most of history. I love living simply, close to the Earth and there's nothing like that feeling, as you know, that comes from truly being able to live without dependency on society. At my organization, Ways of the Earth Living Museum, we had a primitive village where we were living in shelters we built and learning and teaching wilderness living skills. That closed and we are just getting settled on new land to start again in Washington state. So not much on our website yet, www.waysoftheearth.org, but hopefully soon! I did a little writing back then, but hope to do more as we get started again. I'm involved with a group who created another site, www.centralfire.us and I've linked many good videos and articles (including some of yours!) for all kinds of skills if you want to check that out.
Nice, I checked out your site, looks like you're off to a good start with it (and great shelters there too). Keep me updated on what you're up to, and if you do start a newsletter/social media/etc I'd love to hear about it.
I am a divorced woman living in north central Texas with 2 of my grown children, 4 cats & a dog. I’m currently in the process of buying my first homestead on .41 acres in a very small rural town. I’m wanting to develop a garden that’s regenerative & I want to do raised beds. What is the most cost effective way to build the beds, as well as fill them with good quality soil? I don’t have a ton of money to spend so I need low cost options.
We cook from scratch and grow some food, but are not self reliant. We have been in health care as chiro and med doc and now retired in our late 70's. I do enjoy knowing you are out there doing it, and others are learning.
We do love playing in the earth though.., and find we end up feeding critters more than ourselves too often. I always say, if we had been pioneers, we would not have made it! Our good crops seem to rotate. My kitchen garden with herbs is the most dependable. Otherwise, we get a butternut squash year, a peach year etc. We keep planting trees and veggies, and digging up poison ivy and parsnip varieties. Never ending! But I do feel I am engaged, getting dirty and enjoying it. If you ever have any great ideas of how to keep chipmunks, squirrels, birds, voles and moles [and groundhogs of course!] from dessimating crops, please share that information! We've tried electric fencing, covers, 5 sided cages [ a drag, though successful for for kale.., but then the cabbage moths took over] etc etc. We don't mind sharing, but they are all very greedy! We're in south central VT, outside of WRJ, and only 3 of 6 lavenders wintered over this past year. Planted in mix of really good soil and sand, and I covered them in straw and wrapped them in burlap.., and they had wind breaker timbers along side that part of the garden. It was a first try, and I was disappointed. The three that made seem to be doing well. Hoping to learn how to 'do it' for next winter so they survive again. I put newspaper flat around them as well, and half thinking that may have stopped best drainage for the the 3 now gone. I look forward to your postings, Ashley!
Oh, and i think about growing a small plot of flax and/or hemp. Any info on that from your experience I'd love to hear.
Hi Susan, We used to live in Thetford, so I know that area well. Our lavender didn't make it either. I'm no help on the small critters getting in the garden, they greedily eat mine too!
Flax and hemp sound like a fun adventure, I have no experience with either, but hope they go well for you!
Thank you so much for all of your wonderful information! I have learned so much and have upped my pressure canning thanks to you. Just purchased a HarvestRight freeze dryer and really need help with how to use this wonderful machine. It seems intimidating right now. Thank you so much.
Hey Leize, we just purchased ours too, and yes, it does seem intimidating. I'm hoping to learn quick so I can put up some tutorials. I hope yours works well for you!
I’m a newbie to them too but I’m definitely in love with it! Having jars of freeze dried eggs, mushrooms, meats, fruits and vegetables feels exactly the same as a well rounded bank account.
I think there will be more food shortages and if people don't start saying NO you will have to show vaccine cards in order to buy food. I am not that mobile so foraging for me is not doable so I would like to learn what seeds to buy that will do will here in the NORTH so I can grow food that can be canned or stored for the long winters here. How to grow this food the easiest way. We have a well but using softened water for the appliances and I don't know how to not water the garden with it. I am sure it's not that good. We do have lots of rain here thank goodness!
Softened water is fine for the garden (though it's taxing on the softener if you're putting a lot through it). Hopefully I can help you with storage crops up here in the north, obviously potatoes are some of the best (and our favorites) for easily growing a lot of calories and nutrition.
I am a mom, wife and owner of two businesses that I run from home. I use essential oils, garden, can, dehydrate, hunt and process all our own meat. This year I will add cheese making, canning tuna, and salt curing pork to my bank of knowledge. We are nowhere near "homesteaders" but I am working constantly at learning new skills toward self sufficiency. I feel like I am just scratching the surface with my learning but each little bit ads up eventually, right? I love all your posts and hope to add foraging to my list. My only request would be to make your posts easier to print. I find myself printing so many of them to add to my sort-of encyclopedia notebook. Thank you!
Re: Printing, I have something for you coming soon! That's a popular request =)
While I love getting your emails full of incredible information, as a forager and grower myself I completely understand that this is your JOB! I am a soapmaker and I don't give away my products. When someone in my circle thinks my prices are too high, I generally ask them if they work for free! I will support you and wish you huge success in this next strep of growth.
Thank you Dawn!
Thank you for sharing this information with us. I too make soap and with the new price of shipping it's crazy. I hate to increase my prices but I will have to.
I love your website! My husband and I are aspiring homesteaders and I would love to become fully self reliant one day. We’re starting to save up and look for houses/properties that could support the way we want to live. I’d love to hear your insights on picking property for homesteading and the best way to get started. I know it will take a long time to get where we want to be (and I’m so excited for the journey!) so I want to make sure we build a solid foundation. Thanks so much for everything you do!
If I had to say one thing to someone just starting out...it'd be don't get animals right away. I know, everyone wants fluffy chicken butts and fresh eggs (or goats, or whatever), but they're an incredible time sink when you're just getting going. Get your house in order, get perennials planted and get settled for at least a year (or 3) before you have something alive that needs attention every single day.
For actually finding a homestead, I wish you the best of luck and wish I had advice there. The housing market is really tight right now, especially for rural properties...and I hope you're able to find what you're looking for.
I’m constantly learning and trying new things. I’m into almost all the things that you cover, food growing and preserving, animal husbandry and home dairy (and since I’m new to home dairying, I’d relish any aspect of that process covered here) as well as home medicine, mycology and fermentation. I have resisted joining any of the terrific homesteaders that have taught me so much because of limited time and funds but you cover so many different things that I love, I finally had to take the plunge.
So, I'll start by saying I may be a bit out there since I learn and teach primitive living skills, but some of the things I'm working on and would love if you had information to share or if you try them and share your learning experiences are edible insects, trapping, preparing and cooking small game, making clothing from plant materials like nettles and dogbane, weaving, making raingear clothing from animal gut... Also love your posts and will suck up anything you share on food preservation and storage, your different foraging ideas, especially seasonal, animal husbandry. Thanks!!
Hi Debbie, I'm a total newbie when it comes to primitive skills, but I'm so interested! I admire your skills if you're able to teach it! If you have any resources to share I'd love to read them.
(I think I just wrote back to you via email too)
So much of what you teach goes hand in hand with the primitive skills, since that's the way all our ancestors lived for most of history. I love living simply, close to the Earth and there's nothing like that feeling, as you know, that comes from truly being able to live without dependency on society. At my organization, Ways of the Earth Living Museum, we had a primitive village where we were living in shelters we built and learning and teaching wilderness living skills. That closed and we are just getting settled on new land to start again in Washington state. So not much on our website yet, www.waysoftheearth.org, but hopefully soon! I did a little writing back then, but hope to do more as we get started again. I'm involved with a group who created another site, www.centralfire.us and I've linked many good videos and articles (including some of yours!) for all kinds of skills if you want to check that out.
Nice, I checked out your site, looks like you're off to a good start with it (and great shelters there too). Keep me updated on what you're up to, and if you do start a newsletter/social media/etc I'd love to hear about it.
I am a divorced woman living in north central Texas with 2 of my grown children, 4 cats & a dog. I’m currently in the process of buying my first homestead on .41 acres in a very small rural town. I’m wanting to develop a garden that’s regenerative & I want to do raised beds. What is the most cost effective way to build the beds, as well as fill them with good quality soil? I don’t have a ton of money to spend so I need low cost options.
We cook from scratch and grow some food, but are not self reliant. We have been in health care as chiro and med doc and now retired in our late 70's. I do enjoy knowing you are out there doing it, and others are learning.
We do love playing in the earth though.., and find we end up feeding critters more than ourselves too often. I always say, if we had been pioneers, we would not have made it! Our good crops seem to rotate. My kitchen garden with herbs is the most dependable. Otherwise, we get a butternut squash year, a peach year etc. We keep planting trees and veggies, and digging up poison ivy and parsnip varieties. Never ending! But I do feel I am engaged, getting dirty and enjoying it. If you ever have any great ideas of how to keep chipmunks, squirrels, birds, voles and moles [and groundhogs of course!] from dessimating crops, please share that information! We've tried electric fencing, covers, 5 sided cages [ a drag, though successful for for kale.., but then the cabbage moths took over] etc etc. We don't mind sharing, but they are all very greedy! We're in south central VT, outside of WRJ, and only 3 of 6 lavenders wintered over this past year. Planted in mix of really good soil and sand, and I covered them in straw and wrapped them in burlap.., and they had wind breaker timbers along side that part of the garden. It was a first try, and I was disappointed. The three that made seem to be doing well. Hoping to learn how to 'do it' for next winter so they survive again. I put newspaper flat around them as well, and half thinking that may have stopped best drainage for the the 3 now gone. I look forward to your postings, Ashley!
Oh, and i think about growing a small plot of flax and/or hemp. Any info on that from your experience I'd love to hear.
Hi Susan, We used to live in Thetford, so I know that area well. Our lavender didn't make it either. I'm no help on the small critters getting in the garden, they greedily eat mine too!
Flax and hemp sound like a fun adventure, I have no experience with either, but hope they go well for you!
Thank you so much for all of your wonderful information! I have learned so much and have upped my pressure canning thanks to you. Just purchased a HarvestRight freeze dryer and really need help with how to use this wonderful machine. It seems intimidating right now. Thank you so much.
Hey Leize, we just purchased ours too, and yes, it does seem intimidating. I'm hoping to learn quick so I can put up some tutorials. I hope yours works well for you!
I’m a newbie to them too but I’m definitely in love with it! Having jars of freeze dried eggs, mushrooms, meats, fruits and vegetables feels exactly the same as a well rounded bank account.
I think there will be more food shortages and if people don't start saying NO you will have to show vaccine cards in order to buy food. I am not that mobile so foraging for me is not doable so I would like to learn what seeds to buy that will do will here in the NORTH so I can grow food that can be canned or stored for the long winters here. How to grow this food the easiest way. We have a well but using softened water for the appliances and I don't know how to not water the garden with it. I am sure it's not that good. We do have lots of rain here thank goodness!
Softened water is fine for the garden (though it's taxing on the softener if you're putting a lot through it). Hopefully I can help you with storage crops up here in the north, obviously potatoes are some of the best (and our favorites) for easily growing a lot of calories and nutrition.
I'm glad you're here Kay!