Modern Homesteading Resources, Recipes & More
Simple modern homesteading for a happy, healthy, and self-sufficient life.
Fresh From Scratch Recipes
Howdy, I’m Melissa.
Welcome to My Homestead
I’m a 5th-generation homesteader, and my husband and I have been homesteading for 25+ years. I love getting my hands dirty in the garden, stuffing food into Mason jars (after I wash my hands, of course), and hunting down as many traditional old-fashioned skills as possible to put into use on our homestead.
We live on 14.96 acres in the foothills of the North Cascade mountain range of Washington state and operate Norris Farmstead, a 40-acre regenerative farm with a Farmstay ( a short-term vacation rental) where you can stay on the farm. We raise 100% of our meat from our organic grass-fed beef (holler to the Black Angus and majestic Scottish Highland breeds), a flock of hens and ducks for fresh eggs, meat chickens we butcher ourselves, and organic pork (cuz you haven’t eaten bacon until you’ve had home grown).
AS SEEN IN
Hey, Friend…
Get the best homesteading resources & tips
Canning & Food Preservation Recipes for Long-Term Storage
Listen to the Top-Ranked Modern Homesteading Podcast-Pioneering Today
Learn the best tips and tricks from growing a homestead garden, preserving the harvest, raising your own livestock, creating a homestead kitchen, and building a natural medicine cabinet from Melissa, a 5th generation homesteader, and other homesteading experts living this lifestyle.
Join us FREE for the conversation each week.
The Latest Podcast Episodes
Gardening Tips & Tutorials
Bring Back Real Cookies—and the Traditions That Matter.
Forget store-bought and fussy Pinterest fails. With Baked By Hand, you’ll rediscover the simple joy of homemade cookies—tested in real kitchens, loved by real families, and rooted in old-fashioned goodness.
Order today and get instant digital access to all 133 recipes—so you can start baking tonight—PLUS your full-color print copy ships FREE!
You don’t need fancy skills or hours of free time—just a few pantry staples, step-by-step instructions, and a whole lot of heart.
YouTube Videos
We covered 1/2 the garden in wood chips | One Year Later | Did it IMPROVE the Soil?
Self-Sufficiency Tips from the Great Depression | What My Grandparents Raised
She DOUBLED the Vegetable Harvest by doing this ONE Thing | Summer Garden Tour
How Much to Plant Per Person for a Year's Worth of Food
Garden Tour (This FEEDS a Family of 4 for a Year)
14 Vegetables to Plant NOW for Fall Harvest [Fall Gardening]