Healthy soil doesn't happen by accident. It starts with protecting the living ecosystem beneath your feet. In this first teaching episode of my Soil Health series, I'm sharing why keeping your soil chemical-free is the foundation for everything else we'll cover. Whether you're growing vegetables, fruit trees, flowers, or pasture, the health of your soil determines the health of your plants. We'll look at how herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and synthetic fertilizers affect the beneficial...
Jul 25
27 min
Have you ever stopped to consider that caring for the land isn't just a homesteading skill, but part of our Christian calling? In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I'm joined by Brendan McClenahan from Plant With Purpose and the TEND Initiative to explore what the Bible says about stewardship, creation, and why growing food can deepen our faith. For many Christians, conversations about caring for the earth have become complicated. But long before environmental movements existed, God ga...
Jul 18
53 min
Have you ever finished a canning session only to discover one or more jars didn't seal? It happens to every home canner at some point, and even after more than 20 years of canning and preserving food for my family, I still have an occasional seal failure. In this video, I'm sharing the most common reasons canning jars don't seal, how to troubleshoot failed seals, and what you should do if you find an unsealed jar. We'll also cover simple habits that can help you prevent seal failures in futu...
Jul 11
32 min
Are you working yourself to exhaustion trying to preserve every possible food for your pantry? I used to think a successful pantry meant recreating the grocery store at home. But after more than 20 years of homesteading, I've learned that's one of the fastest ways to burn out. In this video, I'm sharing the mindset shift that completely changed the way I preserve food. Instead of asking, "What do I want to eat?" I started asking, "What preserves well?" That one simple change has saved me cou...
Jul 4
24 min
What does it really look like to manage a large homestead garden? In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I'm joined by my oldest daughter, Rachel, who has taken over management of our main crop garden this year. We sit down for a candid conversation about what's working, what we're learning, and a few garden bloopers that prove even experienced gardeners don't always get it right! Rachel shares what it means to be responsible for a garden without having to do all the labor herself, how we...
Jun 27
35 min
What if the secret to healthier plants, bigger harvests, fewer pests, and less work in the garden isn't another fertilizer or amendment? What if it's your soil? In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we're kicking off a brand-new Soil School series by exploring the foundation of every productive garden: healthy soil. You'll learn why soil is much more than dirt, how a thriving soil ecosystem works, and the six key elements that create resilient, nutrient-dense gardens. Over the next seve...
Jun 20
29 min
Have you ever tried to identify a plant, opened a field guide, and immediately felt overwhelmed? You're not alone. In this episode, I'm joined by Rachel Parks of Botany in an Hour to talk about a simple approach to botany that can completely change the way you look at plants. Instead of trying to memorize thousands of individual species, Rachel explains how learning a handful of plant families can help you become a better gardener, herbalist, forager, and homesteader. We discuss why underst...
Jun 13
44 min
If you’ve ever struggled with pests in the garden, this episode will completely change how you think about natural pest control. Instead of reaching for sprays first, we’re talking about a layered, holistic approach to growing healthier plants that naturally resist pests better. From building living soil to attracting beneficial insects and knowing when organic interventions are actually appropriate, this conversation is all about working with nature instead of fighting against it. In this ...
Jun 6
48 min
In this podcast, I’m diving into three canning concepts that confuse even experienced home canners. These are the kinds of things that can leave you second-guessing whether your jars are actually safe on the pantry shelf. In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I’m breaking down: - Why I never store jars with the rings tightened on - What changing liquid levels in your jars actually mean - Why proper headspace matters so much - What causes siphoning and how to prevent it - How false seals...
May 30
28 min
Should you water your garden every day? The short answer is probably not. In this episode, we’re breaking down one of the most common gardening questions and helping you understand how to water your garden for healthier plants, deeper roots, and better harvests. You’ll learn: • How often most gardens actually need water • Why daily watering can weaken plants • The difference between deep watering and shallow watering • The best time of day to water • How soil type changes your watering sched...
May 23
32 min
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