Homesteading Archives

Improve Your Health by Homesteading

10.19.2021 by hope //

When healthy living is your goal, homesteading offers some great benefits.

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We’ve all been there. That point where we decide we need to live healthier. Then when we start researching how to do that, EVERYONE has a program to sell us. Right? Well, I’m not selling anything. I’m just sharing how our move to homestead over the past year has resulted in much better health for us.

We’ve not arrived at perfection, but the journey is satisfying and interesting. Trust me when I say that I never imagined myself being a ‘country girl’ or living a farm life, but here I am…with 68 chickens and on round two of raising meat pigs. My work clothes consist of muck boots, long pants, tank tops and work gloves. I’ve come a long way and I couldn’t be happier.

Benefits of Homesteading

Outsiders may think we are crazy but there are loads of benefits from homesteading. Here I will share six that are both physical and mental. I believe that everyone can find one or two that resonate with them.

1. Growing your own food brings a sense of peace.

Making food choices today can be confusing. Labels like ‘natural’, ‘cage free’, ‘hormone free’ and ‘organic’ can be both confusing and deceptive since labeling is anything but clear and honest. One way to know exactly what is in your food is to simply grow it or raise it yourself. There is a lot of peace that comes from knowing that we are feeding our family truly free range chicken that has not been fed genetically modified feed and raised their entire live in a factory or that our vegetables are fresh and local with no pesticides.

2. Homesteading provides an abundance of exercise.

Prepping and maintaining a garden, building fences and shelters and regular feeding of animals are just a few of the activities that will keep you moving…constantly. For us, this has definitely been an increase in physical activity and as a result both my husband and I have seen increased physical strength as well as some weight loss (or at least rearrangment). We’re making additional changes, but I’ll share about that in a different post.

If you struggle making time for daily exercise because you feel like you need to be doing something ‘productive’, well, homesteading allows you to get lost of exercise while caring for animals, structures and the land which are already on the ‘to do list’. It’s still a good idea to supplement to cover weak areas not addressed, but chores go a long way in providing physical activity plus a sense of accomplishment.

3. Homesteading provides plenty of fresh air and sunshine.

Physically being outside at least twice a day (and much more if you are full time homesteading), provides lots of exposure to fresh air and sunshine. So, vitamin D is plentiful. For those of us who spend a significant amount of time behind a screen, it is reassuring that we can get that daily recommended dose of the the good stuff just by taking care of daily chores. There’s no need for a spray tan or self tanner. Homesteaders keep a healthy glow year round.

4. Mental health benefits from caring for animals are priceless.

Putting the focus on the needs of livestock each morning keeps us from being so focused on ‘me’. Providing for an animal’s needs each day and appreciating that they will also meet your needs in time serves to keep us grounded and filled with gratitude.

There is also a sweet calm that comes from holding baby chicks, petting rabbits and hosing down pigs. It’s a therapy all to itself. It also keeps us grounded in the fact that we are responsible for these creatures. That’s a unique role God gave us in the Garden of Eden. It’s no wonder it feels so natural and soothing.

5. Working outdoors keeps us in tune with the seasons.

The time we spend outdoors planting, weeding, and harvesting along with watching our animals birth more livestock keeps us connected to the uniqueness of each season.

Spring brings the excitement of new birth, new growth and new beginnings. There is a freshness that carries over into our personal lives and homes as well.

Summer brings a bit of a break and a short time of relaxation while crops grow and pigs nap. It is the perfect time to kick back for a moment and enjoy barbecues and creeks. Evenings spent chasing fire flies are memories that last.

Fall brings the harvest and the job of putting away the bounty. It’s often the time of all hands on deck and there is nothing like having the joy of sharing this knowledge with new learners, be they adults or children. Then there is also the welcome break of cooler temps and a new scent in the air. In the U.S., this all culminates in the family gathering of Thanksgiving.

Winter is the time for really slowing down, finding rest and researching to make our plans for the upcoming spring season. What will we plant? What will we raise? What new ventures will we tackle? It’s a time for recovery and preparation.

6. There is never a moment without learning.

There is never a shortage of tasks to complete, plan or adjust on the homestead. Everyday is a learning experience. We make lots of mistakes, have plenty of regrets and sweat a lot but the joy that comes from all of the challenges and the successes keep us going and smiling.

We might smell, but we are definitely happier and healthier!

Five Reasons to Raise your Own Meat

04.15.2021 by hope //

The idea of raising your own meat may sound crazy to some. “How can you eat an animal that you raised?” It’s a question I get often. I definitely don’t take offense to it. It’s completely appropriate and understandable. So, I would love to share just five reasons we have made the decision over the past year to begin raising a good portion of our own meat.

1. Raising your own meat is provides a good quality of life for the animals.

Have you ever heard the term CAFO? Probably not. In fact, I had already begun raising our first pigs when I heard it for the first time. CAFO stands for ‘concentrated animal feeding operation’. It is the industry’s method of growing out pigs (or other animals) in an enclosed area with concrete floors where the maximum number of animals spend their days. I won’t even show an image of it because it just feels wrong to see animals raised in confinement where they never see daylight or enjoy fresh air. Factory farmers choose this method of raising animals because it is efficient and yields a nice profit for the investor.

Three little pigs eating grass. Raising your own meat.

Our animals, however, live in very different conditions. Living in small groups, they are free to enjoy the sun, the wind, the ground.With the option to go into a shelter or remain completely outside, they have fresh water at all times and are feed by humans who talk to them, pet them and scratch them. Animals make messes and we clean them up, but that is a small price to pay for what they bring us.

2. Raising your own meat provides dense nutritional value.

It’s difficult to know how nutritionally dense your meat is when you have no idea what the animals have been feed. Most all of the meat found in supermarkets in the U.S. is from animals raised on corn, soy and other grains along with being mixed with parts of other animals. You can do the research, so I won’t share any more here.

four small pigs eating grain. Raising your own meat.

Here on our homestead, we feed our animals non-GMO, no soy and no corn feed, milled in a nearby town. We want to support local as much as possible and believe this is a win-win. Our animals are not only provided this nutritious feed, they are also able to access grass and insects that would be part of their normal diet long ago. They are healthier and rarely have health issues related to the overcrowding of CAFO’s. For this reason, it is not common to need antibiotics. We do not use hormones to speed up their growth or maximize their size. Instead, we allow our animals to grow out at the rate God intended.

3. Raising your own meat is better environmentally.

Many people are surprised to learn about the benefits to the land from raising animals. Not only do animals till the land and eat pests, they also deposit natural fertilizer in the form of manure. This improves land for crops. Additionally, many animals can provide weed control.

Animals are incredible recycling machines for food scraps. We rarely have any food going into our kitchen trash can because there is always an animal that will eat those leftover food pieces Everything from salad bits to egg shells to chicken bones; it is all consumed and turned into more chicken or bacon. Not bad for reduce, reuse and recycle. Eh?

small pig eating food scraps. Raising your own meat.

4. Raising your own meat helps to keep things local.

It just doesn’t get any more local than walking out the front door to gather your groceries. Those eggs at the super market have traveled much further and for far longer. Our eggs are sometimes still warm when we crack them for an omelette.

eggs in a wooden bowl. Raising your own meat.

We also either process our animals on our property or at a local processor just 30 minutes away. We know our processor by his first name. He calls when the meat is ready to be picked up. He cuts the pork chops to suit our taste and makes recommendations for how to prepare certain cuts of meat. Do you know your butcher?

5. Raising your own meat provides a boost for our mental and physical health.

Studies show that having a cat or a dog can reduce stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness. Raising livestock can have those same effects. the interaction between caregiver and animals is mutually beneficial. Not only are animals entertaining and enjoyable, they also require physical activity on our part. We haul food and water, mend fences and build shelters. Because they live outdoors, we are also soaking up additional vitamin D that is lacking from the average office job environment.

piglet peering through a fence. Raising your own meat.

And finally…I’m not even counting it as one of the five reasons, but there is one more psychological reason for raising our own meat. When we sit down to nourish my body with chicken or pork, we are always aware of the life that has been taken. Realizing that an animal gave its life for my nutritional gain, keeps me from over indulging and from taking for granted that sacrifice. Yes, there is an emotional connection that can be hard sometimes. It needs to be. If I am going to eat a pork chop, I need to be connected to it.

If you are considering raising your own meat, go for it. It is good that we meet our meat.

Healthy bone broth: Why you should make some now

03.27.2021 by hope //

Healthy homemade bone broth is super simple to make and can be so useful and beneficial. You’ll wonder why you never knew about this old homesteading staple.

If you are like me not so long ago, you may have never made your own bone broth or even be sure you know what it is. That’s okay and all the more reason to continue being a lifelong learner. It was just a few years ago that I started to read and begin to understand the just how powerful good food can be for us and the healing power it holds. At the time of my dad’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis, I was on the search for ways to help with his nutritional needs. I discovered an excellent cookbook for cancer patients and those caring for them.

The biggest takeaway from that book, though, was healthy bone broth. Over the years, it has gradually become a staple in my kitchen and now that we are raising our own chickens, I have established an easy routine of preparing a whole chicken each week and using the bones from that chicken to make a batch of delicious and nutritionally dense bone broth.

Benefits of bone broth

1- Helps with digestion issues. Many people suffer from leaky gut and other digestive issues which can be helped by the gelatinous elements of bone broth. This element of bone broth helps to ease the discomfort of damaged lining of the digestive tract.

2. Boosts your immune system. Bone broth is almost like a superfood for a weakened immune system. Because the main ingredient in this liquid gold is bones and the marrow that is steeped from them is a great source of nutrients and vitamins.

3. Great source of amino acids. Bone broth contains several different amino acids including proline which is great for helping to reduce wrinkles. Hey! That should motivate many of us women to plop a chicken in a pot for a day or so. These amino acids are also great for heart health.

4. Promotes joint health. Bone broth contains glucosamine which can be a big help keeping your joints pain free. This is probably my husband’s favorite reason to sip on bone broth.

white mug of broth next to notebook, pen and tray — **Hot bone broth soothes achy joints**

Additional uses for bone broth

While one of the most popular ways to consume bone broth is simply by the cup, there are also many great uses in the kitchen. Here are just a few:

Use as a base for soups and stews. Many recipes will call for water or stock, but bone broth is a sure way to beef up the nutritional score of any recipe.
Use as the liquid for gravy and sauces. Many recipes will work to substitute bone broth for other liquids.
Use in the place of water for cooking rice. You’ll get instant flavor, not to mention better nutrition.
Add to leftover dishes as you reheat them either in the oven or on the stovetop to keep them from drying out. Sometimes rice or pasta dishes need a little extra liquid and this is a great way to boost the flavor and the minerals.

Making bone broth is simple and a great way to save you time while building a healthy body

It’s as simple as this

Making healthy bone broth is very simple using an instant pot or slow cooker, but you can also use a regular stock pot on the stovetop. All you need to do is toss a few ingredients into a pot, top with water and your favorite leftover raw veggies like carrots, celery, onion and garlic. I recommend simmering the broth for at least 12 hours, but the longer it simmers, the more nutritionally dense your broth will be. I aim to keep the pot simmering for 24-48 hours.

adding water to instant pot of bones and veggies — Ingredients are few but they pack a punch.

Once you have reached your desired time, allow the pot to cool a bit and prepare several jars to store your bone broth. I usually end up with one half gallon jar plus an additional quart size jar of broth. Place a strainer inside a funnel over the top of the first jar and ladle the liquid into the strainer. You can speed the process along by scooping out the larger bones and vegetables in advance. This process takes about five minutes and the reward is great!

Sip from a cup (add salt to taste) or add to your favorite recipes. You’ll love knowing you have done something great for your family!

Looking for ways to use that chicken meat? Check out these ideas here.

Enjoy!