A homesteader in Georgia, shares her inspiring 13-year journey from a 50-square-foot backyard garden in New Orleans to a thriving five-acre permaculture homestead in the mountains, Erika Nolan.

Erika Nolan is a Georgia-based homesteader whose journey began 13 years ago on a modest 50-square-foot backyard in New Orleans. Inspired by her mother’s illness and the lack of nutritious hospital food, Erika pursued horticulture and launched one of the first organic landscaping businesses in her region. What started as a city lot filled with veggie beds, chickens, and composting systems grew into a thriving business that caught local attention and set her on a path toward full-scale homesteading.
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Prior to the pandemic, Erika built her income around eco-friendly landscaping—offering rooftop gardens, compost solutions, and organic lawn care. In 2020, as interest in self-sufficiency skyrocketed, she pivoted to online consulting, helping people around the world create their own resilient spaces. Now living on five acres in the mountains, Erika and her family practice permaculture, raise dairy goats and meat rabbits, and embrace a regenerative approach to farming that values soil health, animal welfare, and seasonal adaptation.
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Erika is passionate about demystifying homesteading and sharing its realities—including the costs, labor, and emotional rewards. Through her YouTube channel and social media, she educates others on food preservation, sustainable living, and building community. While she's not off-grid, Erika emphasizes adaptability, intentional parenting, and the power of doing fulfilling work on your own terms. Her long-term goal? Keep growing, keep teaching, and inspire others to live more simply, sustainably, and purposefully.