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E13: Why Homesteading? A Candid Chat About the Homestead Tsunami | Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms

We fondly refer to Joel as the grandfather of the homesteading community.  With decades of experience in the farming and homesteading world, he brings incredible insight to this discussion of the current state of homesteading.  Joel’s upcoming book, Homestead Tsunami, serves as a source of inspiration and aspiration for those who desire to articulate a solid “why” behind their decision to live a homesteading lifestyle.  No matter where you are on the homesteading spectrum, may you find encouragement that this way of life is worth it.

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Planning Your Garden: A Year’s Worth of Food | Ann Accetta-Scott of A Farm Girl in the Making

Ann has been homesteading for nearly a decade now, and she places a particular emphasis on growing as much of her family’s food as possible.  In fact, she estimates that they produce around 80% of their own food on their Tennessee homestead.

In our conversation, we discuss what it looks like to plan and grow a year’s worth of food for your family.  We talk about adapting to your climate, evaluating your family’s unique needs, optimizing the harvest, and more.  Grab your garden planner and pen, and join us for this episode!

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10 Best Dual-Purpose Chicken Breeds

Have you decided what chicken breeds to bring onto your homestead this year? Do you want meat, eggs, or both out of your flock? Cornish Cross and Rangers are good meat options and productive breeds like Leghorns are great for eggs, but did you know that you can raise dual-purpose chicken breeds that will give […]

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How to Make Rennet for Cheesemaking

Though some folks try to search for ways around using it, rennet is a crucial ingredient for coagulating milk into curds when cheesemaking. Clean, sustainable sources of rennet can be difficult to find for the home dairy but you can learn how to make rennet on the homestead.  Anyone who has added cheesemaking to their […]

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Chick Days! | Tom Watkins of Murray McMurray Hatchery

With springtime fast approaching, homesteaders and backyard chicken keepers are planning ahead for their next round of chicks.  In this conversation with Tom of Murray McMurray Hatchery, we discuss everything a brand new chicken owner needs to know to get started.  Tom also shares about some of the rare breeds being raised at McMurray; you don’t want to miss it!

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Seed Starting & Transplanting | Paul Hutcheson of Windmill Heights Garden Center

It is the time of year when gardeners begin to get the itch to start seeds.  Depending on your zone, you may have already begun the process of sprouting seeds for your future garden.  Whether you are already watching tiny sprouts emerge or you have many weeks left to wait, you will love this conversation with Paul Hutcheson, owner of Windmill Heights Garden Center.  He breaks down how to achieve the perfect timing in starting seeds and transplanting, how to pursue ideal conditions, plus some incredible advice for new gardeners.  Join us for this rich conversation as we look forward to spring and summer gardening.

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Maintaining the Family Milk Cow Naturally | Joshua Fuhrmann

Now that we have discussed how to choose a family milk cow, we are diving into how to keep your cow healthy the natural way.  If approaching natural livestock care seems overwhelming to you, you will definitely want to join us for this episode because Joshua does an amazing job of explaining his holistic approach in simple terms.  We address the most common fears cow owners have: mastitis, parasites, antibiotics, supporting the overall immune system, and more.  As a farmer raising grass-fed A2A2 dairy cows in a holistic way, Joshua is a wealth of knowledge on raising the healthiest cows possible.

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How to Get Started with Your Family Milk Cow | Shawn & Beth Dougherty

The family milk cow is quickly becoming the new backyard flock of chickens.  More and more people are realizing the amazing benefits of adding a dairy cow to their homestead.

This month on the podcast, we are focusing on all things dairy cow.  Shawn and Beth Dougherty are the perfect couple to lend their voice to this conversation as they have over four decades of experience farming and perfecting the art of grass conversion through dairy ruminants.

If you are considering adding a family milk cow to your homestead or are new to the world of home dairy, this discussion is for you.  We dive into the most commonly asked questions when it comes to getting started with dairy cows: breed, acreage, feed, health, and more.  If a dairy cow is in your future, start here!

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