Starting a homestead has proven to be a whirlwind of activity! We’ve had some ups and some downs, a few things that didn’t go quite right, and a lot that did. For a year plagued with unusual difficulties and challenges, I’m pretty happy with the state of the farm and can only hope that 2021 will bring about a lot more positives for all of us. Homesteading has been both the culmination of a long journey and the start of everything. Several years ago we found ourselves unhappy with our current lifestyle, we spent most of our time watching T.V or playing video games, weRead More →

Jerky is one of those snacks that everyone in the family loves. It also happens to be pretty expensive and a lot of people feel that it is either too complicated or too time-consuming to make on their own. While it can be time-consuming I’m happy to say that it is far from complicated! The jerky that we have been making lately is venison jerky but if you don’t have access to deer meat you can substitute beef with similar results. Homemade venison jerky is delicious however and if you can get your hands on some deer I highly suggest giving it a try! ThisRead More →

October was a busy month here on the homestead although not all of it was due to the farm! I expect that November and December will be much the same but that’s the holiday season for you. I have to say that moving a bit farther north has made these fall months feel a lot more seasonal. Some of our leaves are actually changing colors! We never got that at the old house – mostly because we were surrounded by nothing but pine trees. Homesteading in October has been a mix of adjusting to the cooler temperatures and lack of daylight hours and enjoying itRead More →

As predicted this has been a slower month here on the homestead. Some months are just destined to be busier then others it seems like! That’s just the nature of homesteading today. With fall in the picture and the weather quickly turning cooler some activities are on the back burner. It’s unlikely that we will be adding any more livestock to the farm until spring, with the exception of raising some more quail and perhaps bringing a nice buck into our rabbit program. This is probably a good thing since the fall season also bring with it a lot of holiday fun. I love theRead More →

Things seem to be expanding quickly on the homestead! I expected this to be the case while getting our homesteading family set up but it will probably slow down as fall arrives and we settle down to wait. Waiting for plants to grow and animals to mature! While there are some projects that we can rush, mother nature isn’t one of them! This is probably a good thing since the kids have recently started virtual school and that takes up a good bit of time. Homesteading Family – What We’ve Done This Month This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase afterRead More →

As part of our homesteading journey, we want to explore a lot of different DIY self-sufficient projects! In fact, part of the reason I got the two goats was with the intention of milking them when they came of age! With homegrown milk comes the option to make homemade cheese! Of course, we won’t be able to make cheese from our goat’s milk for a while longer, perhaps next fall. But that wasn’t going to stop me from trying things out a bit early and it turns out that making your own homemade cheese – while a bit time consuming, isn’t very hard at all!Read More →

Settling into the homesteading life has been both challenging and rewarding! I’m happy to say that the kids love it so far and I’m a pretty big fan myself! I’m pretty sure even my husband has enjoyed expanding his woodworking skills when I badger him about building yet one more thing. It’s become pretty apparent that there will always be something to build, fix, or improve upon while we set up and learn! But that’s half the fun of it all! The kids have jumped in full force and participate in the morning and afternoon chores which I am grateful for as there are aRead More →

A selection of keto friendly vegetable's

It has been a few years since I attempted a vegetable garden! While we were pretty successful and enjoyed the process other factors in our life kept us from trying again. This spring it was the knowledge that we would likely be moving – which we did! We have loved starting our own homestead so far and a garden has to be a part of that plan! Unfortunately, we moved well past the spring planting dates for our zone. I have never tried planning a fall garden before but this seems like a pretty great time to start! Planning A Fall Garden This post mayRead More →

Several years ago I started raising backyard chickens so that my family could enjoy fresh eggs. The benefits of having a readily available source of good nutritious food has certainly proved itself worthwhile! No matter what happens at the grocery store I know I can count on the ladies and their eggs to feed us! In the past while raising baby chicks we were only able to raise four at a time due to space restrictions. Now that we have moved to a larger property it’s time to expand the flock! Homesteading with chickens is a great way to get our feet wet with thisRead More →