The Homestead Challenge Podcast | Suburban Homesteading, Gardening, Food From Scratch, Sustainable Living

One-Day Pre-Winter Homestead Reset Feeling behind on fall homestead chores? This realistic pre-winter homestead reset focuses on the garden, pantry, freezer, easy meals, and home so you can prepare for winter without an overwhelming checklist. See what you can realistically accomplish in just one productive day before the busy holiday season begins.   https://thehomesteadchallenge.com 

Do you love the idea of Christmas but find yourself completely overwhelmed once the holiday season actually arrives? That has been me for the past few years, and this year I’m trying something different. Instead of waiting until December to deal with the clutter, shopping, meals, unfinished projects, and endless mental load, I’m starting now. I’m decluttering one manageable space at a time, getting Christmas shopping out of the way, leaning heavily into freezer and crockpot meals, gathering the last herbs, and giving myself permission to close down the garden instead of squeezing out one more round of productivity. This isn't about creating another list of things you should be doing before Christmas. It's about serving your home and family in a way that creates more margin later. In this episode, I’m sharing what that looks like in my own home and asking one simple question: What can you do now that your future self will be really grateful you already handled? Because I’m not spending October preparing so I can do more in December. I’m preparing now so I can have less to do—and more room to actually enjoy the season.   https://thehomesteadchallenge.com 

Preservation season isn't over just because the tomatoes and cucumbers are finally slowing down! Honestly, I’m a little burnt out on preserving at this point in the year, too. But there are still plenty of things growing in the garden and available locally that are worth putting up for winter—and some of them can double as inexpensive homemade gifts for the holidays. In this episode, I’m sharing five things I’m still preserving in October: Apples: I’m using local seconds to make applesauce and apple butter, then turning many of the leftover scraps into apple scrap vinegar. Herbs: Before frost takes them, I’m drying more rosemary and other herbs to use in winter simmer pots and homemade gifts. Winter squash: Some will be cured and stored whole, while the rest will be cubed and frozen so it’s ready to toss into soups and other winter meals. Cabbage: Homemade sauerkraut is a fall and winter staple in our house, and it’s one of my favorite beginner-friendly fermentation projects. Herb salts: My chives are still going strong, so I’m making more chive salt along with other herb salts to use at home and give as gifts. If you’re completely over preservation season, you do not have to fill another pantry shelf. Instead, take a quick look around your garden, visit one of the last farmers markets of the season, or see what your local orchard has available. Choose one thing you can preserve now that will make winter a little easier—or give you one less gift to worry about when the holidays arrive. And speaking of the holidays... are we ready to talk about Christmas yet? Because I’m already trying to get ahead so I can actually enjoy the magic of the season instead of spending December stressed out! https://thehomesteadchallenge.com/chive-salt/ https://thehomesteadchallenge.com/fall-simmer-pot-recipe/ https://thehomesteadchallenge.com/homemade-sauerkraut-learn-to-ferment-from-a-total-newbie-i-promise-its-not-that-scary/

This episode started with something I've been noticing through the farmstand: people aren't necessarily looking to completely change their lives—they're looking for simple ways to make the lives they already have a little better. And honestly? That's what I want from homesteading too. Pasted text Homesteading can quickly become an endless list of things we're supposed to learn, grow, preserve, bake, make and buy. But instead of constantly asking, “What should I learn next?” I want us to start asking, “What do I actually want homesteading to give me?” In this episode, we chat about: Why convenience doesn't have to be the enemy of homesteading Creating convenience for your future self through preserving, freezer meals and pantry staples Why I recommend replacing something instead of adding something Figuring out what you actually want a homesteading skill to give you Four questions to ask before taking on another skill or project Getting rid of the things sitting on your “guilt shelf” Why you don't have to be completely self-sufficient Using local farms, bakeries, makers and other community resources as part of your homesteading lifestyle Why there really isn't a line you have to cross before you're allowed to call yourself a homesteader Choosing skills that align with your actual goals instead of someone else's version of homesteading You don't need acreage, livestock or a pantry filled with everything you've ever canned to live a homesteading lifestyle. You can slowly build skills, make better swaps for your household and create a life that feels healthier, more capable and more connected—without doing everything yourself.   https://thehomesteadchallenge.com/ 

Do you actually need more food, supplies, and preparedness gear—or could you become more prepared simply by making better use of what you already have? In this final episode of my pantry preparedness series, I’m challenging you to imagine what would happen if you couldn’t go to the grocery store for two weeks. Could you make breakfasts, lunches, and dinners from what’s already in your pantry and freezer? Do you know how to turn basic ingredients into meals? And if the power went out, do you know what’s in your freezer, where your flashlights are, or how you’d handle the food you already have? We’re also talking about something I think is just as valuable as the food on your shelves: skills. Knowing how to cook from scratch, bake bread, preserve food, can, freeze, ferment, grow food, make broth, or simply get creative with ingredients can make your household more resilient without building a giant stockpile. I’m also touching on financial preparedness, finding the weak spots in your household, and the constant temptation to believe that one more gadget, freezer, generator, or dream freeze dryer will finally make us “prepared enough.” The goal isn’t to prepare for every possible scenario or create another massive to-do list. Take inventory, learn how to use what you already have, identify one weak spot, and choose one small thing you can do this week to make your household a little more resilient.   https://thehomesteadchallenge.com