This episode is a little different: instead of a sit-down podcast, I join Justin Rhodes for a live tour around his North Carolina farm.

When you think of homesteaders, Justin Rhodes is the first person you think of. With over a million followers on YouTube and multiple successful books, Justin and his family have paved the way for new homesteaders through documenting their journey. A fourth-generation steward of his family’s land in North Carolina, Justin and his wife Rebecca raise their five children on it.

What we cover:

• How rotational grazing restores pastures without seed or fertilizer
• The challenges and realities of homesteading versus farming for profit
• Balancing family life, children, and farm responsibilities
• Why many new homesteaders burn out and how to avoid it
• The generational legacy of farming the same land and what it means for the future

Timestamps:

00:01:30 — The breeds of cows on the farm and how milk is shared

00:03:00 — Family land history and what the farm cost in the 1930s

00:05:00 — Rotational grazing explained and why clover survives

00:09:00 — Homesteading vs farming: growing food for yourself or for sale

00:13:00 — Why most new homesteaders burn out and how to prepare

00:17:30 — Finding a deeper reason beyond money to keep farming

00:19:00 — Involving children in farm life and family teamwork

00:21:00 — The multi-generational connection to land and legacy

00:23:00 — Raw milk, safety, and family traditions

00:25:00 — Industrial milk history, swill dairies, and why pasteurization began

Justin's YouTube channel
Instagram
Farm Website