Everyday Homesteading

If you have ever found yourself saying, “This winter, we’ll finally rest,” you are not alone. Josh and I have joked about it for years, imagining a slower season that somehow never quite arrives on its own. In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I’m sharing what I’ve been learning about real rest. Not just getting more sleep, but the kind of deep, soul-level rest that brings clarity, peace, and renewed purpose. The kind of rest that helps you remember your why. We talk about why rest never...

Welcome back to Everyday Homesteading. Today I’m sitting down with two people I deeply respect and always enjoy talking with, Shawn and Beth Dougherty. If you have ever wondered whether a family milk cow actually fits into a busy modern homestead, or if you’ve been feeling that tug toward a simpler, more land-rooted way of feeding your family, this conversation is for you. Shawn and Beth have spent more than twenty-five years raising a large family, stewarding rough Appalachian ground, and bu...

Mistakes happen on every homestead, and today we are sharing some of our biggest ones from the past year so you can learn right alongside us. Whether it is garden chaos, livestock mishaps, or ignoring that little voice of intuition, these lessons are part of growing wiser and more resilient on the homestead. We are also chatting about winter prep, homeschool rhythms, fruit flies in the pantry, and a few behind–the–scenes stories from life here at Riverbend. Grab a warm drink and join us for ...

Learn how to make cheese the traditional way using natural raw milk cultures like clabber, kefir, and backsplash whey. In this conversation with Robyn Jackson from Cheese From Scratch, we dig into how to create and maintain your own starter cultures, how to troubleshoot clabber that smells a little funky, and how to use these cultures to make everything from cream cheese to aged wheels. This episode covers: • What clabber is and why it was used for generations • How to build and maintain ...

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we open up about cultivating contentment in every season of our homestead life. It's easy to feel grateful when everything is going smoothly, but true contentment is often built in the hard moments. Today, we talk about choosing gratitude, navigating overwhelm, balancing the desire to grow with the ability to rest, and finding joy in whatever season you are in. ✅ For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/cultiva...

If you’ve ever wondered how to rehydrate dehydrated food so it actually tastes good, this episode is for you! Join me with guest Darcy Baldwin from The Purposeful Pantry as we share our best tips for dehydrating and rehydrating food for everyday use, not just for emergencies. You’ll learn: ✅ How to rehydrate vegetables, fruits, and meats for soups, casseroles, and skillet meals ✅ Why dehydrating is one of the easiest, most affordable long-term food storage methods ✅ When to blanch vegetables...

We’re in that cozy shoulder season where the garden is winding down, the last jars are cooling on the counter, and the big question creeps in, did we do enough? In this episode, we're talking about how our family prioritizes filling the pantry without burning out. We cover the calm power of buying staples in bulk, simple preservation that fits your real life, and the secret weapon that gets us through winter even without a root cellar, think potatoes, squash, onions, apples, all stored smart....

What would it really take to feed your family if the grocery stores closed tomorrow? In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, Josh talks with survival expert and herbalist Sam Coffman, author of Survival Gardening: Grow Your Own Emergency Food Supply, about how to build a garden that truly sustains life. Learn how to choose calorie-dense crops, build living soil, and use every layer of your garden for maximum yield. Sam shares practical steps to start small (whether you’re growing in a backy...

As the seasons change, our bodies need a little extra care to stay balanced and healthy. In this episode, I’m sharing how our family supports our immune systems with simple, time-tested rhythms instead of quick fixes. From bone broth and fermented foods to elderberry syrup and herbal teas, these are the habits that keep us thriving through fall and winter. You’ll learn how to build a natural wellness routine that fits into your daily life, not one that adds more overwhelm. I’ll also sha...

Five “weeds,” tons of medicine. In today’s Everyday Homesteading episode, Carolyn sits down with herbalist Dr. Patrick Jones to unpack practical, safe uses for five common wild herbs: mallow/marshmallow/hollyhock (roots), plantain (leaf), burdock (root), stinging nettle (leaf/seed/root), and mullein (leaf/flower/root). What you’ll learn: Mallow family roots for soothing mucous membranes and calming “die lines” in stubborn woundsPlantain for punctures, drawing out toxins, and gentle gut suppor...

Let’s talk about starting homesteading when money is tight and time is even tighter. In this Everyday Homesteading episode, we show you how to begin right where you are, in the kitchen, and build skills that naturally grow into gardens, livestock, and a well-stocked pantry. No acreage required, no 40 extra hours a week, no influencer-level gear. In this episode: • Why every homestead should start in the kitchen • Budget homesteading 101, price-per-unit, and ingredient-based shoppi...

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we're taking the fear out of canning and putting confidence back in your kitchen. If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve tried so many tutorials and still don’t feel like I actually know what I’m doing,” or “I’m terrified I’ll waste good food or make my family sick,” this one is for you. I'm breaking canning safety down into simple, step-by-step principles so you can stock your shelves with jars you trust. What we cover Why a sealed lid alone does not equal sa...

Why do so many homesteaders quit before they ever see their gardens thrive or their shelves fill with home-canned food? In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I sit down with my friend Melissa K. Norris to talk honestly about burnout, expectations that don’t match real life, and the simple habits that make homesteading sustainable. We share personal stories, the mistakes we made, and the practical rhythms that helped us keep going. If you’ve felt overwhelmed, I want this conver...

If your garden struggled this year — plants wilting, pests taking over, and harvests falling short — don’t lose heart. The problem isn’t your green thumb… it’s your soil. 🌱 In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we are going back to the basics and talking about the foundation of every healthy, productive garden: living soil. We’ll walk you through the six essential elements your soil needs to thrive, from minerals and organic matter to moisture, oxygen, and microbial life, and share practi...

We’ve got some BIG news to share with you! 🎉 After nearly seven years and more than 250 episodes, we’re wrapping up The Pantry Chat Podcast… but don’t worry, this isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of something new! 👉 Welcome to the Everyday Homesteading Podcast. In this episode, we reflect on the heart behind the Pantry Chat, share what’s happening on the homestead right now, and reveal why we’re relaunching under a new name. The mission hasn’t changed; we’re still here to encourage you, ...