Should YOU start a blog, podcast, youtube?

Blogging, podcasting, youtube seem to be all the rage lately, especially among the homesteading community. I follow several homestead podcasts and youtube channels. I do not follow as many blogs. It is much easier for me to turn on a video and watch it while doing something else, or turn on a podcast while driving to town. I love blogs, I love reading blogs, I wish I had the time to do both.

So should you add one or more of these to your already busy homesteading life? Do you have something to share? Of course, you do. One of the benefits of the homesteading community is that we all have our strengths and weaknesses and we can all learn from each other. Beekeeping videos posted by fellow homesteaders has become our current obsession. There is no 1 right way to live this lifestyle, everyone's voice and experience are important and beneficial.

But do you have the time? Time is money after all. Blogging can take at the minimum a few hours every week to write a single new post. The podcast I record weekly with my sister (Haunted Family Podcast) Takes at least 2 hours just to record a single hour-ish long episode, that doesn't take into account the time we spend each week researching our episode. we have now added a youtube channel. Most of our youtube videos are just auto uploads of our latest podcast episode. Finding the time for us to get together and record a video is difficult, especially since we live over an hour away from each other.

You will also need equipment for youtube or podcasting that you would not need for blogging. We record on a budget, my sister uses a Blu Snowball microphone and I use a condenser microphone with boom arm that I found on eBay. We use Skype and Audacity for recording. Currently, our Youtube videos are recorded on either a cell phone (iPhone 8) or my Canon Powershot. We need to upgrade soon and that is an added cost.

Don't let the cost or time commitment scare you away. If this is something you have been considering then make that leap. You will not regret it. Your story needs to be heard.

Whats the buzz? Adding bee's to the homestead

We were supposed to take this leap last year, but things got in the way (sewing shop and the rental house needed new roofs). This year we are finally doing it. Bee supplies have already been ordered, we are on a waiting list for bees from a local source and the ol farm truck is loaded down with lumber we will use to build our stands. Yep, we are building our own beehives. We hope to bring you along for the journey through pictures and maybe a few videos on youtube.

We are hoping the fresh, local to our farm honey will help offset some of our seasonal allergies. When the lilacs are in bloom I am miserable and nearly bedridden even when taking a Zyrtec daily.

We are also hoping to add a homemade wax based thread conditioner to our etsy shop. We love good thread conditioner, but it is getting harder to find.

As I have mentioned before I do historical reenacting, the fresh, natural wax may come into play at some events. I would love to get into candle making.

Honey is super tasty, raw local honey is even better. But it can be hard to find local honey. The few local suppliers we have tend to sell out fast. Honey shipped in from other areas lack the benefits of local honey. We use a lot of honey in recipes and baking. A neighbor was visiting the other day and the topic of us getting bees came up. She was saying how much she hates the taste of honey and won't eat anything that has honey in it. It was then I had to break the new to her that those wonderful rolls I bring her so often that she raves about have honey in them, a lot of honey.

I can't wait to bring you all along on this journey as we become beeks. My great great grandfather raised bees, one of my uncles use to raise bees, I feel as if I am carrying on a family tradition and helping save some pretty important pollinators.

Homesteading Games For Winter Evenings

Winter is winding down here, despite what the groundhog said about 6 more weeks of winter I can see the slow shift into spring starting here on the homestead. This is the perfect time to start planning for next winter. Those long chilly evenings huddled around the homestead fire, boredom sets in. Why not fill those evenings with fun, homestead educational games? I have compiled a list of some fun games to pass the time and maybe even learn something. Full disclosure, I do not have an Amazon affiliate account, I do not get any money by recommending these products on Amazon. 

Wild Cards: Edible Wild Foods standard playing card deck, each of the 52 cards features facts about a different edible plant. This deck, by Linda Runyon, has a 4.5 star rating and great reviews. Whatever your game of choice is this deck will provide fun and handy facts.

Lets Go Hiking. This board game is unique in the way that you are really not competing against each other. The game works to foster a sense of community and cooperation. You help each other complete tasks, climb mountains and explore the board. 

Hit the Habitat Trail. Work your way through all of the worlds various ecosystems, learn about their animals, habitat, and dangers. Collect cards from each habitat to win the game. This game can be played without the board, the knowledge cards can be used independently to test your knowledge of various habitats. A perfect game from long road trips. 

Into the Forest, Natures Food Chain Game, Each card in the game features a plant or animal, what it eats and what eats it. Perfect for teaching children the delicate balance that is our ecosystem and how the natural food chain works. 

Real Life Ways to Make Money on Your Homestead

The first step to finding ways to make your homestead profitable is of course research, that is, after all, what landed you on my little corner of the web. It won't be easy, I cannot give you a cut and dry blueprint. Everyones has different goals, skills, strengths, and weaknesses. Your ability to monetize will also depend on the area in which you live. There has to be a market for what you do, you have to find a void and fill it. Some of these suggestions may not work for you, your region, or your homestead.

Make your farm a You-Pick destination. A pumpkin patch can be a huge draw in the fall. Pack your patch with fun activities like a corn maze, mini petting zoo, and pony rides. Use this as an opportunity to sell your farm made products, jams, honey, bread, etc.





Have a roadside or farm side stand. Utilize social media to drum up business for your farm grown eggs, meat and produce. Contact local brick and mortar businesses about setting up in their parking lot one or two days a week if your area doesn't have a designated farmers market.

Meat animals can bring your homestead a decent income. Preselling half's or whole animals means that you know exactly how many animals you need to raise to slaughter weight, without getting stuck with unsold extras. Cows, rabbits, pigs, sheep, goat, and chickens are all viable options.

Start an heirloom greenhouse. Build a few hoop houses and plant heirloom seeds. Save the seeds from your own garden to create a self-sustaining business. People will pay extra for quality, heirloom plants.  You can even make a sell customized herb boxes, planter boxes, and container gardens for your customers.

Fiber animals are something the Wanderer and I have wanted to get into, we currently have 1 single French Angora buck that produces the softest wool fiber. Sheep, goats, alpacas, angora rabbits all produce amazing fiber that can either be sold raw and unprocessed or cleaned and spun on your farm for income. If you choose to process the fiber on site you can host classes where you teach others how to dye and spin wool.

AirBnB should be considered a viable option if you have space. Create nooks on your farm featuring a firepit, outdoor furniture, and a tiny house. Rent these spaces on the rental site Airbnb.

Build a pay lake. If you have a pond on your property, or you have the space to install a pond, you can stock them and then charge people to come and fish your pond. There are several pay lakes in our area. If you go this route you can also breed and sell your own fish bait.

Farm weddings arre the rage right now and can bring the farm owner several thousand dollars a day. Make your farm a wedding destination.

Sell items you create on your farm online using sites like Ebay and Etsy. Or purge your old wardrobe on selling sites like Poshmark.

State a herd share program. In a lot of states raw milk is still illegal, but sharing a cow and the milk from the cow is legal. Invest in a managable herd of cows or goats and sell shares. For the cost of the share your herd share partners recieve raw milk, cheese, butter.

Determine what your strenghts and weaknesses are, and form a homesteading plan of action that works for you.

Switching Focus

I always caution other homesteaders against biting off more than you can chew. Sometimes that is unavoidable, sometimes the bite is forced down your throat. Toward the beginning of last year, our neighbor up the road fell and shattered her ankle. Her stepdaughter who lives with her is sick, on dialysis and is generally not in any condition to be taking care of farm animals. Twice a day for months we would drive up the road and tend to her animals. Her farm was not well planned and everything was cobbled together. The rabbits were constantly escaping from their hutches. Chickens and ducks were constantly being killed by minks. It was a disaster.

One morning we received a phone call saying the rabbits were loose and one had hitched a ride 20 minutes away to dialysis. We found the bun, running around the parking lot, somehow managing to catch it and haul it back to the house. 

Eventually, she did heal and went back to taking care of her own animals. This lasted mere weeks. Just before winter set in she decided she wanted to gift us all her animals. We went from having a manageable flock and 12 ducks to having 50+ ducks and no clue how many chickens, and 3 additional rabbits. The Wanderer had just finished cleaning out one of our small buildings to be his "man shed" and promptly had to move hutches in for winter. We definitely have too many animals and most of them are animals not of our choosing. We feel like we have lost control. 

Ultimately we don't regret it, taking all those animals on would never be our first choice, especially because of what it has done to our feed bill but we helped someone in need, we helped make a difference. The lady comes down as often as she is able, pockets filled with treats for "her babies" and we get the joy of knowing we are making things just a bit easier for her. 

But boy does it get overwhelming sometimes. We do not have all our ducks in a row.

Best Youtube Channels for Homesteaders?

I love youtube when my sister and I started Haunted Family Podcast I really wanted it to be Haunted Family Youtube. I turn to youtube a lot when trying to figure out the best ways to do certain things, for honest reviews on products, etc. Youtube can be a valuable asset to any homestead. Here are a few of my favorite channels.

Homesteading in SC
Rush Lane Farms hasn't posted a video to this channel in 2 years, but they have so many useful videos. In one video he walks you through building an incubator out of a cooler and a lightbulb. We followed this tutorial step by step to build 2 cooler-bators. We used a hard-sided plastic cooler instead of the styrofoam cooler. We get a nearly 100% hatch rate out of these cooler incubators. We have since upgraded to a cabinet incubator, but still, use these cooler incubators as our hatchers and sometimes as first step brooder for more sensitive birds.

Big Family Homestead
Okay, I seriously think that Brad from BFH my be a long lost brother to my niece's Dad. They look and act so much a like. My niece's dad was adopted so I guess anything is possible. I just seriously love this family and how real they are.  I love their meal plan videos, recipe videos, and look forward to seeing what the move has in store for them.

Woodbrew
I am a new follower to Woodbrew, which follows an adorable young couple as they make cool, diy woodworking projects. Who couldn't use a few more woodworking skills on their homestead? Their hammock stand looks cool, maybe a little too small for our huge Mayan hammock, but we may see about expanding their hammock stand plans into something that will work for us.

Wranglerstar
You either love him, or you hate him, I personally love him. I also subscribe to his sister's channel The Fresh Princess. He often does side by side, real world test comparisons of products such as axes. His most recent series of videos is testing out the cheapest products you can find on Amazon, such as axes, knives, multi-tools, fishing poles, etc. If the need arises on a homestead, he probably has a video that deals with it.

MADE Everyday
Simply put everyone should know how to sew, in the long run being able to at least mend your clothing will save you money. MADE Everyday has some wonderful sewing projects for people of all skill levels.

Quilt Love

The Wanderer and I have a new hobby/income stream. Last year along with his mom we stripped an old building we had on the farm down to the studs and did a complete rebuild. Our local K-Mart was going out of business, which was lucky for us. We picked up pegboards, shelves, a clothing rack and a large table top for next to nothing. In the end, we created a crafters dream. the showpiece of this room is a new to us longarm quilter. A handi quilter Avanti 18.

Sewing machines use to intimidate me so much, but I am working my way through that fear. The quilter and the embroidery machines are less like sewing machines and more like computers. I can handle that. We have several projects going right now. We are about to list our first 2 quilts for sale, pieced by the Wanderers aunt, quilted by us. It is a family endeavor. We just finished a super secret project. A man commissioned us to make a labyrinth quilt as a present for his wife. He presented it to her on their 1st wedding anniversary. How unbelievably sweet. It took the Wanderer and me about 4 hours at the quilter to get this quilted. His mom did all the cutting and piecing on this while I was with my sister on our East Coast Tour of Pilot Truck Stops.

For over a year we worked on collecting T-Shirts from the high school we both graduated from. We turned them into an epic T-Shirt quilt which we donated to the band to use as a fundraiser. We were both band kids, so we know first hand the struggle that bands go through to get adequate funding.

We really enjoy working together on these projects. Homesteading as brought us closer together as a couple. Quilting has brought us closer.

The Best Homesteading Books You've Never Read

28% of the population of the US hasn't read a book in the past year. 25% have read 1-5 books in the last year. The fact is that most of us, post high school or college cease to read books. If we are not being forced to read then we don't carve out the time to settling in with a book.

I struggled to learn how to read. I have dyslexia. In 3rd grade, I found the perfect combination of a passionate Learning Disability teacher and a wonderful Literature teacher. Between the two of them, I finally learned to read, and caught a passion that continues to this day. I am rarely without a book. Currently, my interests are in books that further the podcast, and our homesteading journey. On my nightstand, you will find Social Media Marketing, Podcasting Bible, The Anatomy of Motive, right next to copies of the Foxfire books.

Full disclosure, I don't have an Amazon Affiliate account, and none of these links are Affiliate links.

We should all carve out a few minutes each day to read. Read while in the waiting room of the doctor's office, while waiting to get your oil changed, turn off your phone and read for 10-20 minutes before you fall asleep.

Living in the Appalachian Forest by Chris Bolgiano

Appalachian is one of the most diverse temperate forests in the world and it is also my home. I was born and raised in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky. In this book, the author explores sustainability in the use of our natural resources by interviewing those in the logging and mining industry. 

Appalachian Farming Life by Mary B. LaLone

 This is a delightful student lead research project that captured stories and oral traditions of farming communities in the New River Valley area of Virginia. 

Learning Native Wisdom by Gary Holthaus

Let's face is, sustainability, permaculture, self-sufficiency are buzz words to describe what indigenous cultures have been doing for eternity. Holthaus spend 25 years living in an indigenous community in Alaska. His book is well rounded drawing for multiple sources to provide a thought provoking reading on what it means to be sustainable in the modern world and why the modern mindset doesn't work long term. 

Five Acres and Independence by Maurice Grenville Kains

At least once a day on the numerous homesteading pages I belong to someone asked the question "How many acres do I need to homestead. How many acres do I need to live self sufficiently?" This book helps answer that question and provides the reader with tips, techniques, and advice on assessing your land, making improvements and making strides toward independence. This book is old, originally written in the 30's and 40's, much of the book advice was real life tested on Mr. Kains' farm. This is a gem. 

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms

This is really a must read for anyone who wants to forage, or enjoys hunting, hiking, and being in nature. Over 700 mushrooms are cataloged, with full-color photos and detailed descriptions. The book is well organized making it quick and easy to look up mushrooms. The book even touches on various bits of folklore surrounding mushrooms. Don't eat a wild mushroom without referencing it here first. 

We Dove into Youtube

Initially, my sister and I debated whether we wanted to do a youtube channel or a podcast. Being the older sister she won out and we started a podcast. After the east coast tour of Pilot truck stops, we decided that it was time to dive into Youtube. We knew that Youtube was in the cards for us, eventually, and now is the time. 

Our first video is simple, with clips from our trip. We have so much more in store for the channel and plan to include some of our more popular podcast episodes on the channel. We have several film locations and stories lined up for the near future. 

I almost feel like we have bitten off more than we can chew, editing the podcast was a learning curve. Youtube was there to help us with that, and now we are using Youtube to learn how to edit and grow our very own Youtube channel. The channel will be my baby, the production will be left solely up to me. The Wanderer and I have kicked around the idea of doing a Youtube channel all of our own, although we can't decide if it should be homesteading related or sewing related. The sewing building really would make for a great studio to record in, as long as the race car neighbors are not 'tuning up' their cars. 

Road Trip, New England Edition

Friday, June 30th the Wanderer dropped me off at my sister's house and just after midnight we loaded her car down with coolers, clothes and her 2 girls and off we went. We had big plans, an east coast tour to research for our podcast, Haunted Family Podcast and to have some fun. My oldest niece joked that every 2 years her and I somehow end up on a road trip together. It is always fun, and always exhausting.

For the most part, we just breezed through Maryland, with a brief stop in Hagerstown where I picked up a quilt from the 1800's as a present for the Wanderers mom. We also stopped off in Baltimore to wander around the Westminster burial ground, where Edgar Allan Poe is buried. I love Poe, and I have passed that love on to both of my nieces. I also just really love wandering around old cemeteries. I am a long time contributor to the website Find A Grave.

Our next stop was New Haven Connecticut and Yale University. Yale is one of the oldest colleges in the United States, having been founded in 1701. The campus is beautiful and picturesque.  I can totally see why F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote it into The Great Gatsby and why Rory Gilmore decided to attend Yale. Leaving New Haven I saw a sign for Mystic. I have never watched the movie Mystic Pizza. Mystic may be one of the most charming towns I have ever set foot in. I conquered a fear of mine and drove across a drawbridge. We wandered through shops and ate ice cream while looking out over a cove. Mystic is on the list of places I will go back to someday and spend more time exploring.

Bright and early the next day we were on the road toward Boston. I heard horror stories about driving in Boston. I found those horror stories to be completely unfounded. Driving through New York was much worse and so much more nerve racking. We parked in a parking garage on Beacon Street and spent the day wandering the city. Oh, how I love Boston. I don't think my sister or my nieces were as impressed with the city. This is very much a pedestrian-friendly city, and I found the people pleasant. Boston is a mix of old and new. Buildings and cemeteries from the 1600's nestled in between very modern buildings. It's an eclectic mix and is so works for this city. We stumbled across the site of the Boston Massacre which is marked by a large circle on a sidewalk on King Street. Boston Common was packed, as I imagine it always is with people enjoying the sunshine and street musicians. Boston smells like legal weed, patchouli oil, and freedom.

The next morning we woke up late, I hate waking up late on vacation but we were all exhausted and apparently slept through the alarms. We were excited for the day, today we were hitting Salem. The site of the witch trials. In towns like this, we try to avoid spending money on any of the touristy things because basically, they are making their money off the pain and suffering of someone else, even if that person did die over 300 years ago. We visited the old customs house, listened to the Park Ranger talk about what the job of a customs agent would have been like at the bustling seaport. Salem is also the birthplace of the US Coast Guard.

After Salem, we ended up having a blowout. We found it nearly impossible to find a place willing to squeeze us in and change the tire. We didn't have a full-size spare in the car, just one of those donut tires. Finally, the place directly across from where we had the blowout agreed to fit us in. To me, I really don't understand why it was such a big deal fitting us in. Here in my corner of Kentucky, someone would have rolled a jack out to the parking lot, jacked up the car and put a new tire on, it would have taken maybe 10 minutes max to change the tire and get us back on the road. After our last stop of the day, a visit with a dear old friend of mine we got back on the road and pushed toward home. We came back home through Pennsylvania because that route allowed us to avoid the state of New Jersey. New Jersey cost us nearly $50 in tolls, I may never step foot back in New Jersey again. Not a fan at all, New Jersey took a toll on me.

Podcasting.

For the past couple years the desire to share my personal experiences with the paranormal has been growing. Little did I know my sister had also been experiencing the same feelings. When we finally sat down to talk to each other about this we discussed several options, a book, a podcast, maybe a youtube channel. I thought youtube would be the easiest way to get our stories to the masses, my sister was intent on having a podcast. She spends hours in her car driving for work each day and podcasts had become her obsession. She is the older sister so she won, Haunted Family Podcast was born.

We don't just share our personal stories, we talk about famous, and not so famous crimes, topics of paranormal interest, unexplained mysteries. It is a very cool podcast if I do say so myself. 

Over the past year, building this podcast with my sister has been so much fun and so much work. We have had to teach ourselves how to edit, how to publish podcasts, how to build a listening audience. We really struggled for several months with technical issues. 

We are about to go on our first podcasting research trip. Visiting Massachusetts, hitting several places of interest for upcoming episodes. Having a sit down with a world renown paranormal investigator/author. Be sure to check out our trip on Instagram. 

Quack Quack Quack

Last spring our incubator died midway through incubation. It was a small, foam, tabletop incubator from Little Giant. We lost all of the eggs in that batch. Shortly thereafter we decided to build our own incubator. We picked up a couple coolers at thrift stores, searched through junk drawers to find a couple thermostats from hot water heaters. We pulled together 2 awesome homemade incubators that have close to 100% hatch rates. Late summer/early fall I found an ad on our local buy/sale/trade page for a cabinet style incubator. This Dickey's incubator was a steal at a couple hundred dollars. This allows us to do staggered hatches, using our homemade coolerbaters as hatchers.

Early this spring a neighbor asked us to hatch some eggs for her, duck and chicken. Over the course of a few months, we hatched out over a hundred eggs for her. As payment, she surprised us with baby ducks. We had talked about adding ducks to our little homestead but was uncertain. From everything we had been told ducks were super messy. Now here we are the proud owners of 12 ducks. We normally brood chicks in the house, after this spring I can honestly say I will never brood ducks in the house again. Oh, they are messy and smelly, it is nearly impossible to keep a brooder clean.

When we put the ducks outside I finally fell in love with them. Currently, they are in a dog run, with a large dog house as shelter, but they spend most of their time roaming the garden area, eating bucks and weeds.



Ducks have really grown on me. But we are at our limit, no more new ducks for quite a while. We need to work on proper shelter for winter. We are building a new quail shelter also, and working on expanding the fenced area for our goats. We experienced our first goat births this spring, most of the babies have already been sold, two little ones will be weaned and sold soon. I am a softy and get a little misty eyed letting my babies go. 

Spring is in the air!

Spring is right around the corner here on the Wandering Wonderful homestead. We are debating what the next move in our journey should be. Do we want to invest in some unusual chicken breeds? Is this the year we finally get sheep and fiber rabbits? Or do we maintain status quo for the year? Big decissions.

We have had a lot of luck selling our hatching eggs on Ebay. I have also decided to list complete sets of Civil War hair accouterments on my Etsy page.

We plan on growing miniature Indian pop corn this year, mainly because the parrots are in love with it and think it is the greatest treat ever.

But probably the biggest news is this, my sister and I have decided to launch a podcast. April 4th the Haunted Family Podcast will have its debut episode. We are super excited and super busy hammering out the fine details of this podcast. More details and our web address will be posted soon! But for now join us on our Facebook page!

Winter Storm Jonas

Much of the eastern portion of the US was hit by  winter storm Jonas Friday and Saturday. The Wandering Wonderful homestead was buried under 16.5 inches of snow. I am thankful to report that all of our critters
 weathered the storm and are eagerly anticipating spring thaw. Snow was knee deep on my trek out to the coops Saturday morning. Our chickens are refusing to go out in the snow. But they continue to lay over a dozen eggs a day for us. We have a good flock of girls.

Many have asked me how we prepare for winter storms. In all honestly we do nothing, nothing special that is. We try to always have a stock pile of extra feed for humans and critters on hand. We always have extra drinking water on hand. We keep propane on hand for emergency heat and cooking, and oil for our oil lamps. We stay prepared, year round. Its the smart and beneficial thing to do. This wasn't technically a blizzard, we didn't get the winds necessary for it to be considered a blizzard, but we did have white out conditions for most of Friday and Saturday with snow falling close to 2 inches an hour. Snows like this are uncommon for this area, we get snow, but we rarely get so much snow at once. I have comprised a list of things you should consider doing to prepare for your next winter storm. 

~Make sure your feed rooms are fully stocked with feed and extra bedding before the storm hits

~Make sure you have ready access to water for your animals

~Avoid using heat lamps, they are a safety hazard and unnecessary if your building is dry and draft free

~Move all animals to secure, dry, draft free building before the storm hits. 

~Change flashlight batteries and charge your electronics

~Make sure your emergency kit is read, yes you need an emergency kit

~If you need to be out on the road make sure you have an emergency kit in your car. 

~Make sure you have alternative ways to heat your home, and cook.

~Invest in good winter gear, keep your feet dry and warm while out tending your critters. 

Winter Car Kits

My Mamaw didn't drive. In her 66 years on earth she had never so much as sat in the driver seat of a car. But Mamaw did take roadtrips, Mamaw knew how to travel. I know that many of my idea's and hacks for roadtripping came from her. Her idea's and hacks for roadtrips came from necessity. My grandparents had 9 children and family scattered across the country.

Mamaw as very cautious about her families safety, she insisted that we keep an emergency kit in our cars, changing out some items to fit the season.

*a shovel

windshield scraper/broom

*flashlight with extra batteries

*water

*Reading materal

*snack food (nuts, powerbars, jerky, etc)

*matches, cigerette lighter

Knit hat and winter gloves

*First aid kit

Wool blanket

tow chain or rope

cat litter or sand for traction

*Jumper Cables

*emergency flares/reflectors

Large trash bag

*Small Shovel

*Change of clothes

*Change of shoes

*Basic tool kit

*Small gas can

*denotes things I keep in the car year round.

101 Skills for the Modern Homesteader

This list has been making the rounds on various homesteading/off-grid Facebook pages. I don't know the origin or author. Somethings we grew up knowing, part of our rich Appalachian heritage like reading the weather and growing vegetables. Other things we have learned through the course of our homesteading adventure, like giving an animal an injection, and how to cut down a tree. Between the Wanderer and I we have tackled probably 3/4th of the list, learning to keep bees and process honey and make hard and soft cheeses are high on the list of things to learn next. How many skills do you possess and what is next on your "to be learned" list?

101 Skills for the Modern Homesteader

1. Learn how to milk a goat, cow, or sheep.
2. Learn how to successfully compost kitchen scraps and manure.
3. Learn how to make the perfect pie crust.
4. Learn how to cook a whole chicken.
5. Learn how to grow a vegetable garden in your climate.
6. Learn how to prune a tree.
7. Learn how to read the weather.
8. Learn how to tell time without a clock by using the sun.
9. Learn how to give an animal an injection
10. Learn how to foal, kid, lamb, and/or calve.
11. Learn how to pull a calf or baby goat during a difficult birth.
12. Learn how to grow a windowsill herb garden.
13. Learn how to properly cut down a tree.
14. Learn how to make perfect sausage gravy from scratch.
15. Learn how to drive a manual transmission.
16. Learn how to drive a tractor.
17. Learn basic mechanic skills so you can fix your tractors and vehicles.
18. Learn how to change a tire.
19. Learn how to change oil.
20. Learn how to properly handle, shoot, and clean a gun.
21. Learn the laws and regulations regarding hunting wild game in your area through a Hunter’s Safety course.
21. Learn how to hunt wild game–both large and small.
22. Learn how to humanely kill, gut, and clean an animal.
23. Learn how to butcher an animal and the proper cuts of meat.
24. Learn how to pluck a chicken.
25. Learn how to use a smoker
26. Learn how to fish.
27. Learn how to clean and fillet a fish.
28. Learn how to tell if your chickens are molting.
29. Learn how to tell if you can doctor an animal at home, or if it needs to be taken to the vet.
30. Learn how to dry laundry using a drying rack or clothesline.
31. Learn how to make your own laundry detergent.
32. Learn how to build a fire–both inside and outside.
33. Learn how to cook over an open fire.
34. Learn how to make hard and soft cheeses.
35. Learn how to make yogurt.
36. Learn how to make sourdough bread.
37. Learn how to keep bees and harvest honey.
38. Learn how to make basic yeast dough which can be turned into loaves, rolls, buns, pretzels, etc.
39. Learn how to incubate fertilized eggs and hatch your own chicks.
40. Learn how to identify and manage a broody hen.
41. Learn how to cut and bale hay.
42. Learn how to stack hay.
43. Learn the art of intensive grazing so you can better manage your pastures.
44. Learn how to make your own soap.
45. Learn how to make your own candles.
46. Learn how to darn a sock.
47. Learn how to mend damaged clothes so they don’t have to be thrown away.
48. Learn how to sew clothing from scratch.
49. Learn how to knit, quilt, or crochet
50. Learn the art of no-till gardening.
51. Learn how to candle eggs so you can tell if they are fertilized.
52. Learn how to cook outside with a dutch oven.
53. Learn how to heat your home with wood or other sustainable sources.
54. Learn how to trim the feet of your goats and sheep.
55. Learn how to build and fix fence.
56. Learn carpentry skills so you can repair outbuildings or even build basic furniture pieces.
57. Learn how to tan a hide.
58. Learn how to save seeds.
59. Learn how to use a water bath canner.
60. Learn how to lacto-ferment foods to preserve them.
61. Learn how to use a pressure canner and/or cooker.
62. Learn how to make saukerkraut.
63. Learn how to forage for wild edibles in your area.
64. Learn how to identify the difference between edible and poisonous mushrooms.
65. Learn how to identify the difference between harmless and venomous snakes in your area.
66. Learn how to grind your own wheat.
67. Learn how to repurpose everyday items to save them from the landfill.
68. Learn how to sharpen a knife or ax.
69. Learn how to prepare for a blizzard.
70. Learn how to prepare for a wildfire.
71. Learn the basics of animal breeding.
72. Learn how to work together with your neighbors to accomplish more and foster a sense of community.
73. Learn how to halter-break an animal.
74. Learn how to split and stack firewood.
75. Learn how to make butter.
76. Learn how to use essential oils properly and safely.
77. Learn how to build/use a greenhouse or cold frame to extend your growing season.
78. Learn how to start seeds indoors.
79. Learn how to store food in a root cellar or in a cool basement.
80. Learn how to make vinegar.
81. Learn how to make your own skincare items.
82. Learn how to make your own cleaning supplies.
83. Learn how to make herbal extracts, infusions, poultices, and tinctures.
84. Learn how to render lard or tallow.
85. Learn how to chop ice.
86. Learn how to make and apply whitewash.
87. Learn how to tap trees for maple syrup.
88. Learn how to repair a roof.
89. Learn how to humanely euthanize an animal.
90. Learn to identify the weeds in your yard/pastures and figure out which ones are edible.
91. Learn how to back up a trailer.
92. Learn how to purify water.
93. Learn how to make bone broth.
94. Learn how to use non-electric lighting.
95. Learn how to put together a 72-hour kit for emergencies.
96. Learn how to cook eggs in a cast iron skillet without a sticky mess.
97. Learn how to put food scraps like eggshells, coffee grounds, apple peels, and whey to good use.
98. Learn how to make bacon and cure hams.
99. Learn how to protect your livestock from predators.
100. Learn how to make your own chicken feed.
101. Learn how to live within your means and get out of debt.

Traveling with your Feathered Friends.

Over the last few months we have added not 1, but 5 new birds to our homestead. Actually, 6, but one little parakeet was too sick and sadly didn't make it despite our best efforts. I know in time we will load up the birds, along with the dogs for a vacation or road trip. It will happen, we love travel. While we could leave them at home entrusted to the wonderful people who tend our homestead while we are away, we know will will take at least one trip with them. A little back story on the birds? Callie was previously called Polly, she is a parrot of unknown type. She spent most of the summer living in a small cage on someones porch until she was gifted to us. Tweedle (the parakeet) and her partner are who didn't make it joined the family the next week when I saw them being offered on a buy/sale/trade page. I knew some of the people making offers on the birds, and I knew they wouldn't end up in good homes. So I took them. Then the Wanderer's mother and I found Harrison a Green Cheek Conure on hoobly.com. It was love at first sight. I ended up driving 3 hours the next day to bring him home. He meows, gives kisses, and fake snores. He is quite the comical bird. A week before Christmas we traveled to a near by city to finish Christmas shopping. While at a pet store we saw 2 beautiful blue parakeets. The new parakeets have yet to be named, I am currently leaning toward March and Alice.

So how do you travel with a bird?
First you need the right carrier.
Harrison, the sweet little Green Cheek I drove to Cincinnati for came with two cages, one was a large cage for use in the home and the other was a small, no frills wire travel cage. Its functional, but not pretty, and I have doubts about it holding up to much travel.


The Parrot Travel Carrier is in the running to be our pick, its lightweight, cute, has a perch, but most importantly the floor is Velcro'd on making it easy to remove and clean. Birds poop, a lot, and its very important to keep a clean cage. The shoulder strap has good padding which should make it easy to carry.



We wont be able to travel with all of our birds in the same travel carrier, we know this. The Parakeets can travel together, but will need to be
separated from Callie and Harrison who will need cages of their own. In comes collapsible cages. The fold flat for easy storage and transport. Could you use a collapsible dog kennel? Maybe, but the bars on dog kennels tend to be wider than those one bird cages. A bird could easily attempt to wiggle out of the cage and get hurt in the process.


Flight time is important to birds, they need to be able to exercise and stretch their wings. This can be difficult if not impossible in smaller travel cages. Leashes and harnesses, even flight suits can be bought for your feathered friends to make flight safe. We have not began the process of teaching our birds to fly on leashes. It is something we plan on doing at some point in the future. Most leash systems come with a small band that you wrap around the birds leg then clip the leash too, or you can clip the leash directly to your birds ID band if he is already banded. Harness systems go on much like dog harnesses. There is of course some debate about which is the safest method.

In parting I will leave you with a picture of Miss Callie perched on my nail polish rack watching me get ready to go out.

Books to Improve your Homestead

The Wanderer and I get asked often for book recommendations. What would we recommend for those just starting their journey in homesteading and self sufficiency. We are voracious readers. Our free moments are spent with books, or the tablet in our hands. We love relaxing in our hammock and reading. At the end of the day when we are curled up in bed we read to each other before falling asleep. Books are an important part of our lives. We have taken the time to make a list comprised of our favorite books that will aid others in the homesteading lifestyle. 

Foxfire
The first book on list is actually a series of books. You can buy the complete 14 volume set with special anniversary editions for the low price of $234.50 on Amazon. With some hunting you can piece together the

set for about $13-14 dollars a book. I first stumbled across the Foxfire books while in college. Many of the topics in the books wouldn't become important to me until many years later when the Wanderer and I settled down and began collecting animals. The books started out as a simple English class project. Now in addition to the magazine, and books The Firefox Fund also operates a museum dedicated to Southern Appalachian history and heritage. Topics covered in the Foxfire books include: Spring Wild Plant Foods, Spinning and Weaving, Midwifing, Burial Customs, Corn Shuckin's, Wagon Making,  Hide Tanning, Summer and Fall Wild Plant Foods, Butter Churns, Ironmaking, Blacksmithing, Quilting, etc.

The Quest of the Simple Life

This is not a how-to book, this is a insightful look into one man's (William James Dawson) quest to find

himself and simplicity in early 1900's England. I think this book is the perfect read for cold winter nights. We as modern homesteaders tend to look at the past as the "good ol' days" our quest to go back and live as simply as our ancestors. This is a look at how that same quest for simplicity looks to our ancestors. 

The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It

John Seymour is often called Father of Self-Sufficiency, and in this book he gives practical tips and advice on how nearly anyone can follow in his footsteps and live a simpler, more self sufficient lifestyle. He covers a wide variety of topics in this book, from harvesting and preserving food, animal husbandry, basket weaving and beer making. 

Nature's Garden

Wildcrafting may not be on your horizon yet, it wasn't on ours either when we first started this journey. Our

grandparents and great grandparents knew the natural bounty that lay in the woods and fields all around us. Grandma could go outside and make a feast from things that grew wild. Samuel Thayer's book covers every aspect of edible wild plants, he will teach you how to safely identify plants, harvest and prepare them. This is the book you need to live more comfortably and fully enjoy natures bountiful harvest. 

Quail, our new additions

About a month ago one of our neighbors, and elder man in his 80's announced he is moving further south, he can't handle another Kentucky winter. He didn't want to take his birds with him, Peach doves and quail, so we took them and added them to the growing collection that is the Wandering Wonderful Homestead. Several emails back and forth with the state, and reading up on Kentucky's laws proved that in order to raise and sell quail we would need a commercial license. We don't think we are ready for that yet. So for now we are keeping them for ourselves. Getting our feet wet in the world of raising quail. I have never ate quail meat or quail eggs but I have heard both are delicious. We bought a few more quail to add to the few that we were gifted, going through a licensed seller to obtain these. Here are a few pictures of our very cute quail.

Fresh from the quail farm

Hiding in the slanted corner

Moe, checking on things in the quail coop

Attempting to get their bearings