Everyday Homesteading

Making bread isn’t about talent, and it’s not about finding the perfect recipe either.

In this episode, I’m sharing why bread is one of the most foundational skills in the homesteading kitchen and how learning to read your dough instead of following formulas changes everything. From flour amounts to kneading to rise times, we’re breaking down the simple techniques that lead to consistent, reliable bread no matter where you live or w...

Thinking about keeping backyard egg-laying chickens, but not sure where to begin? In today’s episode, we walk through the essential checklist every new chicken keeper should know.

We cover:
• What to think about before bringing chickens home
• Coop setup and space requirements
• Feeding, water, and daily care routines
• How to successfully raise chicks in their first few weeks
• Biosecurity basics and avoiding co...

Feeling overwhelmed while trying to add homesteading skills to an already full life? You’re not alone. In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I’m continuing our conversation about going from overwhelmed to peaceful and sharing what I’ve learned about building a homestead life that’s sustainable for the long haul.

This is Part 2 of our series on creating peaceful household rhythms instead of rigid schedules. If you haven’t listene...

If you love the idea of homesteading but constantly feel behind, overwhelmed, or emotionally exhausted, I recorded this episode for you.

In Part 1 of this new series, I’m sharing the household system that helped me move from constant pressure and burnout to a calmer, more sustainable rhythm of life. I talk about why overwhelm usually isn’t a discipline problem and why trying to “work harder” often makes things worse, especially for ...

Homesteading is about so much more than chores, food, and checklists. In this episode, I’m joined by RuthAnn Zimmerman from Homesteading With the Zimmermans for a conversation that goes straight to the heart of what this lifestyle is really about: people.

We talk about balancing hospitality with busy homestead life, raising children with a strong work ethic and character, and learning to trust God’s economy when it comes t...

A lot of people talk about going off-grid. But what if off-grid living isn’t just about power and water, but about freedom from systems that quietly run your life?

In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Burkinshaw from the Gridlessness YouTube channel to talk about what gridlessness really means. Jeff shares how his family moved from suburban life to a remote homestead in the Canadian wilderness, not out of fear, but out of...

After more than 20 years of homesteading, we are looking back and sharing what we wish we had known when we first started.

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we talk honestly about the mistakes we made, the pressure to do everything at once, and the lessons that helped us find a more peaceful, sustainable rhythm. From gardening and kitchen skills to land size, infrastructure, and people-first priorities, this conver...

What does a “Year of Rest” actually look like on a working homestead?

In this episode, we’re reflecting on our decision to slow down over the past year, what changed, what stayed the same, and what surprised us along the way. We share how cutting big projects brought more margin into our days, why rest doesn’t mean the work disappears, and how an unplanned cabin build for the next generation fit into our bigger vision.

This is an hon...

If you have ever found yourself saying, “This winter, we’ll finally rest,” you are not alone. Josh and I have joked about it for years, imagining a slower season that somehow never quite arrives on its own.

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I’m sharing what I’ve been learning about real rest. Not just getting more sleep, but the kind of deep, soul-level rest that brings clarity, peace, and renewed purpose. The kind of rest t...

Welcome back to Everyday Homesteading. Today I’m sitting down with two people I deeply respect and always enjoy talking with, Shawn and Beth Dougherty. If you have ever wondered whether a family milk cow actually fits into a busy modern homestead, or if you’ve been feeling that tug toward a simpler, more land-rooted way of feeding your family, this conversation is for you.

Shawn and Beth have spent more than twenty-five years raisin...

Mistakes happen on every homestead, and today we are sharing some of our biggest ones from the past year so you can learn right alongside us. Whether it is garden chaos, livestock mishaps, or ignoring that little voice of intuition, these lessons are part of growing wiser and more resilient on the homestead.

We are also chatting about winter prep, homeschool rhythms, fruit flies in the pantry, and a few behind–the–scenes s...

Learn how to make cheese the traditional way using natural raw milk cultures like clabber, kefir, and backsplash whey.

In this conversation with Robyn Jackson from Cheese From Scratch, we dig into how to create and maintain your own starter cultures, how to troubleshoot clabber that smells a little funky, and how to use these cultures to make everything from cream cheese to aged wheels.

This episode covers:
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In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we open up about cultivating contentment in every season of our homestead life. It's easy to feel grateful when everything is going smoothly, but true contentment is often built in the hard moments.

Today, we talk about choosing gratitude, navigating overwhelm, balancing the desire to grow with the ability to rest, and finding joy in whatever season you are in.

✅ For...

If you’ve ever wondered how to rehydrate dehydrated food so it actually tastes good, this episode is for you! Join me with guest Darcy Baldwin from The Purposeful Pantry as we share our best tips for dehydrating and rehydrating food for everyday use, not just for emergencies.

You’ll learn:
✅ How to rehydrate vegetables, fruits, and meats for soups, casseroles, and skillet meals
✅ Why dehydrating is one of the easie...

We’re in that cozy shoulder season where the garden is winding down, the last jars are cooling on the counter, and the big question creeps in, did we do enough?

In this episode, we're talking about how our family prioritizes filling the pantry without burning out. We cover the calm power of buying staples in bulk, simple preservation that fits your real life, and the secret weapon that gets us through winter even without a root...

What would it really take to feed your family if the grocery stores closed tomorrow? In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, Josh talks with survival expert and herbalist Sam Coffman, author of Survival Gardening: Grow Your Own Emergency Food Supply, about how to build a garden that truly sustains life.

Learn how to choose calorie-dense crops, build living soil, and use every layer of your garden for maximum yield. Sam shares prac...

As the seasons change, our bodies need a little extra care to stay balanced and healthy. In this episode, I’m sharing how our family supports our immune systems with simple, time-tested rhythms instead of quick fixes. 

From bone broth and fermented foods to elderberry syrup and herbal teas, these are the habits that keep us thriving through fall and winter.

You’ll learn how to build a natural wellness routine that fits into your dail...

If your garden struggled this year — plants wilting, pests taking over, and harvests falling short — don’t lose heart. The problem isn’t your green thumb… it’s your soil. 🌱

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we are going back to the basics and talking about the foundation of every healthy, productive garden: living soil.

We’ll walk you through the six essential elements your soil needs to thrive, from minerals and organic mat...

Why do so many homesteaders quit before they ever see their gardens thrive or their shelves fill with home-canned food? 

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I sit down with my friend Melissa K. Norris to talk honestly about burnout, expectations that don’t match real life, and the simple habits that make homesteading sustainable. 

We share personal stories, the mistakes we made, and the practical rhythms that helped us keep goi...