One of the most important aspects of a successful homestead is looking ahead. We’re constantly challenged by what needs to be done today, but with one eye fixed on what’s coming in the next few months as well. With a little planning, it doesn’t need to be overwhelming.

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn get practical with an episode on preparing your pantry for the coming preserving season. If you need a break from wee...

Raising chickens has been a staple practice of homesteads large and small for thousands of years. Our beautiful birds give us so much, from scratching and fertilizing the ground as they move across the property, to delivering that perfect unit of food called the egg.

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn dive deep into the art and science (and love) of egg-laying chickens. This is one of the topics they get the most quest...

It’s time! It may not feel like it, depending on where you are in the world, but for Josh and Carolyn, it’s time to start making preparations for their early spring gardens. And of course, they’re here to share their thoughts on that with you ... 

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn get ready to bring the homestead around to spring, focusing specifically on getting early spring gardens growing in the ground!

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Q and A sessions are always needed! Whether you’re brand new to homesteading or have been at it for years new twists and turns can pop up at any time or ALL the time. 

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn are ready for your questions! Listen in to hear the ins and outs of everything from creating a great garden to building the perfect homestead. 

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We’re already moving fast through 2021 and it’s time to start thinking about garden planning! How can you optimize the most amount of food possible from whatever space you have available? 

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn talk about food production right in your backyard. Whether you have a large amount of space or a small balcony the methods discussed will work great for you!

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This year is over and that means it’s time to reflect! 2020 has been exhausting and stressful for many and the year at Riverbend was no exception.

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn look back at their past year at Riverbend to discuss successes, failures, and accomplishments while hinting at what might be coming up in 2021.

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Homesteading can be a great adventure, but it can also present its fair share of challenges and a whole lot of questions!   

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn have fun trying to answer some of your questions on everything from pressure canning beef stew to best practices for storing ancient eggnog, how to select the right wood cookstove, and so much more! 

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You’re going week to week buying groceries and spending way too much money…

There has to be a better way, and there is! Buying in bulk and storing it!   

But before you make the transition to being a bulk-buying homesteader, there are some basic rules you need to follow. Josh and Carolyn continue their series on food storage with some helpful strategies you can start putting in place now to grow your long-term food storage supply. 

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Winter should be a time for rest, relaxation and reflection, so the last thing you want to be doing is scrambling around trying to manage your homestead through the snow and ice and frigid temperatures.  

In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh provides three core strategies to help you take stock of your winter needs, be more efficient and save money to make the overall management of your homestead easier and more enjoyable during...

Thanksgiving is almost here and that means food and lots of it! Prepping a big Thanksgiving feast can be challenging, but having a good strategy in place can make all the difference between being thankful or being stressed in the kitchen. 

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn share their own Thanksgiving menu, plus a few of their fun annual traditions, and some tips that can help you plan ahead to create a memorable and ...

You're incredibly busy! One of the things that shouldn’t be adding more stress to your day is trying to figure out how to make sure there are meals on the table for everybody.  

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Carolyn talks about the strategies she uses to plan ahead for meals and the ways you can create your own system for saving your sanity and still having healthy, delicious meals ready for your family.   

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Supply and demand issues are impacting homesteaders everywhere, especially when it comes to finding quality canning supplies. The reality is that this problem is not going away anytime soon, so what can you do? 

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn present some creative solutions you can try as well as the practicality and safety issues you need to look out for when exploring these alternatives.

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With supply and demand issues being so commonplace right now, it’s a smart move to have your reserves stocked up and ready to go so you feel more confident and secure as the colder weather approaches. 

In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn talk through the three main areas you need to focus on, as well as how to maximize your storage space when prepping your pantry for winter.  

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Frigid temperatures, along with ice, and snow can present a ton of challenges for homesteaders and it’s even worse when you haven’t planned ahead to be ready when mother nature strikes.  

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn talk through the 7 basic areas you need to focus on in order to get prepared for winter on the homestead.  

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Root cellaring is one of the easiest and most energy-efficient ways to store your fruits and vegetables by using the earth’s natural temperatures. But what do you do if you don’t have the infrastructure to support a traditional root cellar? You get creative! 

In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn continue their series on preservation methods with an introduction to root cellaring. They cover all the basics as well as ...

Dehydration is another great option for getting food on your shelf, plus it’s also super convenient, lightweight, and really takes the bulk down on your food to help maximize your space. 

In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn continue their series on preservation methods with an introduction to dehydration. They cover the pros and cons of dehydration, what foods it really works best on, the different types of dehydrat...

Lacto Fermentation...It’s one of the safest and easiest preservation methods, plus it’s also a great way to boost your immune system and can take your veggies to a whole new level! 

In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn continue with their series on preservation methods with an introduction to fermentation. They cover the different types of fermentation, its numerous health benefits, the six steps you need to follow t...

You’ve grown and sourced some amazing food. Now you want to get it on your shelves and store it. One of the best ways to do that is with canning. Canning is becoming more popular than ever, thanks to its many benefits. So, how do you get started the right way? 

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn kick-off a brand-new series on preservation techniques with an introduction to canning. They cover the different types of can...

Want to know what happens when you combine people, gardens, animals, and weather? A guarantee that things can and will go wrong when you least expect it!  

During this episode of Pantry Chat Josh and Carolyn talk about a recent incident on their homestead and how it helped them identify problem areas in the preparedness plan and ways you can learn how to be better equipped when those unexpected moments on the homestead throw you a c...