Homesteading Made Simple I Joyfully Prepared

Wendi Bergin

Homesteading Made Simple is a podcast about practical homesteading skills for real life. Homesteading looks a lot different in real life than it does on the internet, and this podcast is about making it feel doable. I’m Wendi, and each episode focuses on homesteading skills that actually fit into everyday life. We talk about gardening, food storage, food preservation, kitchen skills, preparedness, and self-reliance. The calm, common-sense kind. Not extreme. Not fear-based. You’ll also hear about real estate, land, and choosing homes that support homesteading and self-reliant living. Whether you’re dreaming of land, managing a backyard homestead, or simply making better decisions where you live, real estate plays a big role in the life you’re building. This podcast is practical, honest, and rooted in real experience. Some lessons go smoothly. Others are learned the hard way. Either way, the goal is the same. Build skills. Build confidence. Keep it simple. New episodes release regularly. Subscribe and start building homesteading skills that support a more prepared, capable life. On Homesteading Made Simple, you’ll hear conversations around questions like: How do I start homesteading when I don’t have land or a perfect setup? What homesteading skills actually matter most for everyday life? How do I build real homesteading skills without getting overwhelmed? What does modern homesteading look like for families today? How do gardening, food storage, and kitchen skills work together on a homestead? How can homesteading make life feel calmer, not harder? What does preparedness look like for homesteaders who don’t want to live in fear? How do I become more self-reliant through simple homesteading skills? How does real estate and land choice affect homesteading success? How do I build confidence and capability at home, one skill at a time?

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Why Chickens Are Easier Than You Think

Spring has a way of pulling people into the idea of backyard chickens…those fluffy little chicks are hard to resist. In this episode, Wendi shares what she wishes she knew before getting laying hens, from the excitement of that very first egg to the realities no one really talks about. She walks through the differences between meat chickens and laying hens, what it actually takes to raise them, and why chickens are one of the easiest (and most addictive) ways to start a more self-reliant lifestyle. You’ll hear honest stories, practical tips, and a few “nobody told me this” moments…like how long it really takes to get eggs, what happens when things go wrong, and why chickens are equal parts simple and surprising. If you’ve ever thought about getting chickens, or you’re already in it and learning as you go, this episode will leave you feeling more confident, a little more prepared, and probably smiling.

Mar 31

32 min

Surviving Survivor w/ Liz Wilcox

Wendi Bergin sits down with her friend and business mentor, Liz Wilcox, who was a cast member on Survivor Season 46, to talk about the part of the show that fascinates Wendi most: the actual surviving. Liz shares what “Coconut Grove” really means, what Survivor’s quick survival training is like, and why making fire in Fiji is way harder than it looks. They talk real food, too, from crabs and tiny fish to the infamous stingray story that turned into “stingray jerky” after a very wrong cooking decision. The big takeaway is simple and very Joyfully Prepared: skills bring freedom. You can’t spend them down. You can only build them.

Feb 24

49 min

Gardening Feels Hard Until You Do This

This episode is a gentle pep talk for anyone who thinks gardening requires land, money, or perfection. It does not. I walk through container gardening from the ground up. Literally. One pot. One seed. One window is enough. Container gardening is about skills, not space. You can grow food in buckets, bags, bowls, takeout containers, and things you already own. It can be cheap. It can be scrappy. It can be joyful. We talk containers, soil, plants, mulch, and mindset. And I remind you that learning to grow food is one of the simplest steps toward self-reliance. No pressure. Just start.

Jan 27

21 min