The Homestead Journey

S4E171 Season Finale: 2023:A Season of Change

2023 has been a season of change on our homestead.  Some of that has been planned.  So of it, not so much.  On this final episode of season 4, I share with you some of th

S4E170 11 Reasons Why Empty Nesting Hasn't Been As Traumatic As We Thought It Would Be

In this final episode Bonnie joins me on one last episode in our series on Empty Nest Homesteading .  We expected this transition to be far more traumatic than it has bee

S4E169 How Is Homesteading Different From Farming?

This week I spent a lot of time reading the policy manuals of the Farm Bureau and the NY Farm Bureau.  As I did, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about how homesteadi

S4E168 Why I Joined The Farm Bureau

Back in May at the Southern Adirondack Homesteading Festival, I was introduced to Natalie, the manager of our local region for the NY Farm Bureau.  We became friends.  Sh

S4E167 Six Lessons I (re)Learned at the Fall Gathering of the Homesteaders of New England 2023

This past weekend, I had the privilege of helping Jack Pollner put on the Fall Gathering of the Homesteaders of New England.  What a great time!!! On this episode I share

S4E166 Lessons I've Learned From My WORST Garden EVER!!

This year my garden has sucked.  Worst. Garden. Ever.  It's been one of those gardening seasons that could make you want to quit gardening.  Forever. But, instead,

S4E165 Southern Adirondack Homesteading Festival: What Is Homesteading?

On today's episode we jump back to May's Southern Adirondack Homesteading Festival and the talk I gave called "What Is Homesteading". Enjoy!! Brian Support th

S4E164 Steam Canning With A VKP (Harvest) Multi-Use Steam Canner

On this episode, we take a deep dive into steam canning.  I talk about it's history, the journey to "approval" and when it should be used. I also talk about the VKP

S4E163 Five Reasons You Should Quit Doing Some Things

This week, we sent our last remaining American Guinea Hogs off to their new home in Michigan .  It is a bittersweet day for us.  And while a lot of thought went into maki

S4E162 Lifesteading With Amy Dingmann - Empty Nest Homesteading

On this episode, I am joined once again by Amy Dingmann from A Farmish Kind of Life as we talk about "lifesteading" and her journey so far into being an empty nester. En

S4E161 Empty Nest Homesteading: 3 Questions To Ask To Right-Size Your Homestead

On this episode we look at 3 questions we are asking ourselves to try to help right-size our homestead as we head in the direction of being empty nest homesteaders. 1. 

S4E160 Surving The Emotional Roller Coaster of Empty Nest Homesteading

This year has been an emotional rollercoaster for all of us.  At times we have felt excitement, pride, sadness, anticipation, nostalgia, happiness and relief.  And someti

S4E159 Empty Nest Homesteading - 5 Steps To Rediscovering Purpose

As I have been anticipating 3B Farm becoming 2B Farm as Brian Jr. heads off to college, it's left me with a bit of an identity crisis.  For the last 18+ years of my

S4E158 Empty Nest Homesteading: Letting Go

On this episode, we begin our series on homesteading as empty nesters.  Bonnie and I are in the midst of that transition right now.  This past week was Brian J's las

S4E157 Be A Teachable Homesteader

The day after I released Episode 156, (Be A Helpful Homesteader), I ran across a Facebook post that got me to thinking about the topic in a slightly different manner.  Ye

S4E156 Be A Helpful Homesteader

While scrolling through some of the Facebook homesteading groups, I saw over and over again people starting their post by saying, "Please be kind" or "Please don't j

S4E155 Don't Let Them Take Your Animals

This week, I ran across the story of Paul Strobel, a farmer in Western NY who had a run-in with some animal rights activists that left him shaken and worried that they mi

S4E154 Does Your USDA Hardiness Zone Matter When Planting A Garden?

This time of the year, I see many people asking questions similar to this:  I'm in zone xyz, is it too soon to plant beans outside?  On this episode we talk about wh

S4E153 The Pros and Cons of The Mediterranean Diet

On this final episode in our series on the Mediterranean Diet, I am once again joined by Bonnie as we talk about the pros/cons of the Mediterranean WOE.   Enjoy!! Brian

S4E152 We Visited A Real Alaskan Homestead

Last week, we visited my brother Eric in Alaska.  He made arrangements for us to visit the homestead of some friends of his from church.  On this episode I talk about tha