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Melissa K. Norris

Melissa K. Norris

5th-generation homesteader. Helping modern women live from scratch.

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Raising Your Own Food

Learn how to raise your food, whether growing fruit trees, tending a vegetable garden, or raising livestock. I have articles on how to grow fruit trees at home, a series on gardening by month, and articles on raising backyard egg-laying chickens or meat chickens.

Red and yellow potatoes arranged on a burlap sack.

How to Store Potatoes in the Ground (Simple Method That Works Without a Root Cellar)

Read moreHow to Store Potatoes in the Ground (Simple Method That Works Without a Root Cellar)
A woman holding potatoes in the garden.

I Left My Potatoes in the Ground for 5 Years Without Replanting - Here's What Happened

Read moreI Left My Potatoes in the Ground for 5 Years Without Replanting - Here's What Happened
A woman crouching in a medicinal herb next to yarrow and chamomile.

How to Plan a Medicinal Herb Garden (Beginner-Friendly + What to Grow First)

Read moreHow to Plan a Medicinal Herb Garden (Beginner-Friendly + What to Grow First)
A woman cutting an elderberry cutting from an elderberry tree.

Growing Elderberry from Cuttings

Read moreGrowing Elderberry from Cuttings
A woman pruning an elderberry bush with loppers.

How to Prune Elderberry Bushes for Maximum Growth

Read moreHow to Prune Elderberry Bushes for Maximum Growth
Jars filled with DIY seasoning mixes, and labeled with a tag.

Homemade Seasoning Blends (+ Free Printable Tags)

Read moreHomemade Seasoning Blends (+ Free Printable Tags)
A woman dumping seeds from a packet into her hand.

Succession Planting & Intercropping in the Garden

Read moreSuccession Planting & Intercropping in the Garden
Three jars with basil plants growing in them on a windowsill. Text overlay says, "Grow Basil Indoors All Winter".

Grow Basil Indoors Without Dirt All Winter!

Read moreGrow Basil Indoors Without Dirt All Winter!
Brussels sprouts growing on a stalk in the garden.

How to Grow Brussel Sprouts for Maximum Harvest

Read moreHow to Grow Brussel Sprouts for Maximum Harvest
A bag of pig feed.

Stocking Up on Animal Feed (+ How Much to Feed Animals)

Read moreStocking Up on Animal Feed (+ How Much to Feed Animals)

How to Grow Elderberries & Planting Tips

Read moreHow to Grow Elderberries & Planting Tips
A woman in a bean tunnel picking beans.

Late August Garden Tour

Read moreLate August Garden Tour
Bean seeds being direct down into the soil.

Why Heirloom Seeds Are My Favorite

Read moreWhy Heirloom Seeds Are My Favorite
A woman's hand holding dry bean seeds.

Heirloom Seeds - An Introduction

Read moreHeirloom Seeds - An Introduction
Dirty freshly harvested carrots on the ground.

How to Save Carrot Seeds + Understanding Pollination

Read moreHow to Save Carrot Seeds + Understanding Pollination
Green tomatoes in a basket.

Storing Green Tomatoes for Fresh Eating

Read moreStoring Green Tomatoes for Fresh Eating
Strawberries ready to pick off the vine.

How to Plant Strawberries + Tips for Success

Read moreHow to Plant Strawberries + Tips for Success
A woman kneeling down in the garden harvesting tomatoes into a basket.

How to Prune Tomato Plants For a Better Harvest

Read moreHow to Prune Tomato Plants For a Better Harvest

Pioneering Today-How to Butcher a Whole Pig for a Roast-Part 1

Read morePioneering Today-How to Butcher a Whole Pig for a Roast-Part 1
A woman in the garden with a colander, harvesting vegetables.

End-of-Summer Garden Tips

Read moreEnd-of-Summer Garden Tips

Planting a Garden for the Soul and Body

Read morePlanting a Garden for the Soul and Body
A woman standing beside a mobile chicken tractor with chickens inside.

How to Keep Animals Cool in Hot Weather

Read moreHow to Keep Animals Cool in Hot Weather
A shot of a homestead property from a drone up high with a woman standing arms out in the center.

Gardening in March (Garden Tasks by Month)

Read moreGardening in March (Garden Tasks by Month)
A cow eating Brussel sprout stems.

Signs To Watch For With An Expecting Cow

Read moreSigns To Watch For With An Expecting Cow

Non-GMO Foods & How to Avoid GMOs

Read moreNon-GMO Foods & How to Avoid GMOs
A woman pointing to a squash growing in the garden.

Late October Garden Tour

Read moreLate October Garden Tour
A woman holding seedlings in her hands, standing outside by a potting bench.

Potting Up Seedlings & How to Separate Seedlings

Read morePotting Up Seedlings & How to Separate Seedlings
Multiple chickens by a fence.

Five Common Poultry Diseases: Recognize and Treat

Read moreFive Common Poultry Diseases: Recognize and Treat
woman in pasture with cattle

Planning your Livestock for a Year's Worth of Meat per Person

Read morePlanning your Livestock for a Year's Worth of Meat per Person
two week old seedlings in egg cartons ready to be transplanted

Gardening in February (Garden Tasks by Month)

Read moreGardening in February (Garden Tasks by Month)
woman stacking firewood in field to dry

Essential Homestead Skills

Read moreEssential Homestead Skills
A basket of garlic next to a garden bed that has been mulched.

How to Plant Garlic (Fall Garlic Planting)

Read moreHow to Plant Garlic (Fall Garlic Planting)
Three jars of rendered lard on the counter.

How To Render Lard and Why You Should

Read moreHow To Render Lard and Why You Should
A woman pointing to a squash growing in the garden.

Gardening in October (Garden Tasks by Month)

Read moreGardening in October (Garden Tasks by Month)
A woman's hands holding a bean pod hanging on a trelis.

Gardening in September (Garden Tasks by Month)

Read moreGardening in September (Garden Tasks by Month)
Drone footage of a woman pruning apple trees in an orchard.

Gardening in August (Garden Tasks by Month)

Read moreGardening in August (Garden Tasks by Month)
Cucumber seedlings growing next to a cattle panel trellis.

Gardening in July (Garden Tasks by Month)

Read moreGardening in July (Garden Tasks by Month)

How to Grow Swiss Chard in your Fall Garden

Read moreHow to Grow Swiss Chard in your Fall Garden
Blueberries on a bush.

How to Get Rid of Mummy Berry Disease on Blueberry Bushes

Read moreHow to Get Rid of Mummy Berry Disease on Blueberry Bushes
ripe blueberries on bush in summer

Pruning Blueberry Bushes & Blueberry Bush Care

Read morePruning Blueberry Bushes & Blueberry Bush Care
A baby pig sticking its snout through a fence.

How to Raise Pigs: 12 Tips to Raising Pigs for Meat

Read moreHow to Raise Pigs: 12 Tips to Raising Pigs for Meat
Four American Guinea Hogs eating.

5 Tips to Raising Livestock for Food

Read more5 Tips to Raising Livestock for Food
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A woman in the kitchen with jars of home canned food.

Howdy, I'm Melissa!

I’m so glad you're here. This is the place for all of us who loved Little House when we were young and thought Laura was our best friend. It's where we grow dinner in the backyard and think everything looks and tastes better when it comes from a Mason jar. Here, you'll find my favorite from-scratch recipes, herbal remedies and tutorials, and all my gardening tips from my 20+ years of growing and raising our own food.

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My Most Popular Posts

Sourdough starter in a jar with a loaf of bread in the background.

How to Make a Sourdough Starter + Tips for Success

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Beginner Friendly Recipe)

Homemade Pop Tarts From Scratch (Hand Pies)

A cooked whole roast chicken in a cast iron skillet.

Easy Oven Roasted Chicken Recipe (Crispy & Juicy)

A white plate with a helping of strawberry rhubarb dump cake and a fork. Text overlay says, "Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake Real Food Style: Homemade Cake Mix & No Jello".

Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake without Jello & Homemade Cake Mix

Bacon wrapped asparagus on a white plate.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus (Easy Appetizer or Side Dish)

A stack of homemade graham crackers on a plate.

Easy Homemade Graham Crackers

Plated by Season: Home‑Cooked. Home‑Grown. On Your Table in 30 Minutes or Less.

75+ seasonal, from‑scratch recipes + a monthly harvest chart. Real meals. Minimal fuss.

Grab Your Copy ($20, Free Shipping)

Spring Preserving Recipes

A jar of pickled asparagus with spears on a plate.

Pickled Asparagus Recipe (Canned, Quick, or Refrigerator)

Three jars of strawberry jam hot out of the canner.

Strawberry Jam Without Pectin (Low Sugar Recipe)

Jar of fermented lemons on a counter with a bag of citrus and sliced lemons on a plate

How to Store Lemons (For a Year!) - Fermented Lemons

A jar of fermented pickles sitting on an outdoor table.

Fermented Pickles Recipe|Easy Old-Fashioned Salt Brine Pickles

A basket full of strawberries.

How to Preserve Strawberries: Keep Those Berries Fresh!

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Melissa K. Norris

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  • About Melissa K. Norris — Modern Homesteading ExpertStart Here
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Articles

  • Gardening
  • Homesteading
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • DIY

Podcast

Why Your Food Preservation Isn’t Working (And How to Fix It Safely)

Feeding a Family on a Budget

Spring Meal Planning (Without the Overwhelm)

Why Dieting Stops Working After 40 (The Blood Sugar Loop Explained)

Books

  • Everything Worth Preserving
  • The Family Garden Planner
  • Handmade
  • The Made from Scratch Life
  • The Family Garden Plan

Education

  • Organic Gardening Workshop
  • Home Fruit Preservative Canning e-course
  • Home Canning With Confidence
  • Homemade Bread & Baking Class
  • Natural Homemade Bath and Beauty
  • Pioneering Today Academy


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