A Homegrown Family
A Midwestern farm boy and his family members and friends discuss anything homegrown. From gardening, beekeeping, mushroom hunting, hard cider and maple syrup to their adventures in raising children and homeschooling all the while sharing his life story.
Episodes
This episode explores a little bit about everything when it comes to farming. My friend Vince joins in to discuss his family farm operation along with topics such as crop rotation, water management, tillage and weed control. We also dip our toes into some of the differences between organic and conventional farming and the hot topic of glyphosate.
North Dakota State 2023 Agricultural Overview
In 2023, ND was ...
The college experience can really play a large role in the type of person one becomes. It was no different for me and I’m glad to have been a NDSU Bison! Here, my friend Vince and I share more about our college experience. Classes and fun memories, including bare-handed evangelization, broomball tournaments, half marathons, dancing and of course, bed bugs!
Book recommendations:
Happy Anniversary! This podcast has been going on for about a year now, so it’s probably time to learn a little more about our host, Joe Mettler. In this episode, we learn a bit more about his high school and college years. GO BISON! “Well, that’s not very interesting” you say. Joe also shares stories of prank wars and one particular story that could have taken a turn for the worst.
Email: ahomegrownfam@gmai...
My siblings and I often get asked if any of us ended up with broken bones while playing at the farm. Simply put, the answer is “nope”. Thankfully so! In this episode, my brother David and I have a great time reminiscing about our childhood and some of the broken bones that could have been.
Images to fill in some gaps:
Email: ahomegrownfam@gmail.com
Instagram: aho...
Raising sheep across generations. Listen to my Dad and I talk about the basics, with some farm stories separating the meat and potatoes. We go through the annual cycle and what raising sheep might entail for you.
Resources:
Email: ahomegrownfam@gmail.com
Instagram: ahomegrownfam
Jacob and Michelle share their homeschooled experience, while addressing some of the common misconceptions about the homeschooling community. Should you homeschool your children? Well, based on the conversation in this episode, the decision to homeschool shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s very situational and depends a lot on the parents and each individual child.
Resources:
Email: ahomegrownfam@gma...
No, you won’t get the same apple tree to grow by planting its seeds, and yes there is such a thing as a Frankenstein tree. This episode is a continuation of Episode 27 as my brother David and I discuss winter orchard activities when it comes to apples: rootstock, scion wood and pruning.
Resources:
Maple Valley Orchards – source of rootstock and scion
How to Prune Apple Trees - YouTube Video<...
There is no lack of things to do in the winter when it comes to the orchard. My brother David joins us this episode to talk about pruning grapes, collecting cuttings, and storing and rooting cuttings to be planted the following spring. He also talks about the challenges in growing out his own grape cuttings and shares some general planting tips.
Resources:
Mosquito Bits – for control of...
Episode 26 Homeschooling with Aunt Joni: A Parents Perspective
My wife and I plan to homeschool our children, but before we jump into the unknown, we thought it best to talk with those who have done it before us. My Aunt Joni homeschooled her three children and learned many things along the way. In this episode, we discuss why she decided to homeschool her kids, what types of curriculums she decided to use, an...
This is the story of how Joe developed and refined his hobby of making wine. Since 2017 and 120+ gallons of wine later, there are some tips, tricks, and favorites to share. This episode shares the basic supplies and equipment needed to make your own wine, and also goes through a step by step process to create an enjoyable bottle. Cheers!
Episodes are now available on YouTube where it’s easier to communicate a...
If my bank account was my raised garden bed, I would be RICH! In this episode, I walk through the soil test results of my raised garden beds. The analysis contained information on N, P, K, S, pH, organic matter and soluble salts. Gather some information and tid bits that could help you make sense of your soil report. I recommend listening to the episode titled, “Soil Sampling and Nutrient Basics” prior to thi...
Welcome back as my wife and I discuss our recent adventure of travelling to Italy with our two-year-old daughter. We talk about what we did, what went well and the things we didn’t expect. We also share some general tips for when it comes to travelling with children.
Email: ahomegrownfam@gmail.com
Instagram: ahomegrownfam
Sfoglialette "lobster tail" pastry
If you haven’t heard enough deer hunting stories recently, you’ll get your fill with this episode. My Uncle Bernie and I exchange deer hunting stories and talk about what hunting means to the Mettler family.
FYI: I won’t be posting another episode until mid-December as my family and I are taking a vacation. Cheers!
Email: ahomegrownfam@gmail.com
Instagram: ahomegrownfam
Tune in as I talk about soil fertility, macro and micro nutrients (elements), mobile and immobile nutrients and some of the nutrient deficiency symptoms associated with each. What do the numbers “20-10-20” on a bag of fertilizer mean? Learn about the importance of taking a soil sample, how to take a soil sample and where to send your sample. Such an invigorating topic!
Resources:
Another family member on the podcast! Listen to my Aunt Michelle and I talk about garlic, particularly planting, but also where to get cloves, what types to grow, fun recipes and other random things. All garlic related. It might not be too late to get some garlic to plant this Fall yet! Check out the Upper Midwest Premium Garlic Directory.
Resources:
Join my brother David and I as we talk a bit about food preservation and canning, particularly juice. Not all food has to come from a store. David also discloses his “top secret” ingredient in his salsa.
Resources:
Email: ahomegrownfam@gmail.com
Instagram: ahomegrownfam
Fall is a busy time of year. Harvest is in full swing, and the brewing has just begun. This episode talks about harvesting and juicing apples and grapes, and also serves as an introduction to preserving and brewing the juice into wine and hard cider. Listen here to learn more about our methods, processes, and the equipment we use to accomplish the task.
Equipment:
How did the orchard come to be? Join my Dad, my brother David and I as we chat about how the vineyard/orchard got started. Where its been and where its going.
Email: ahomegrownfam@gmail.com
Instagram: ahomegrownfam
Resources:
MN Apple Varieties
This episode starts off with my best Steve Irwin impersonation and rolls into the pros and cons of pocket gophers. My brother David and I reminisce about how our childhood summers were spent gopher trapping. We talk about the supplies needed, the different types of gopher traps we used, and the methods to find the gopher’s hole….among other things.
Supplies:
-trap
-stake
-board/cover (old discs off of a cultivat...
Cousin Justin and I discuss his blossom end rot experiment that uses Epsom salts as a remedy. Did it work? After that, we chat about his childhood experiences visiting his uncle's farms, particularly my Dad's. Justin talks about anything from milking cows, feeding calves, driving tractors and raking hay to trapping gophers. There's just no place like the farm!
Listening to the episodes...
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