Homesteading 101: Back to the Basics Series

Well, hey there pioneers. Welcome to episode number 420. So, today's episode is a little bit of catch up. I've shared some things about our health journeys, and some newsletters, and some stuff on social, so kind of getting you up to date on where those things are. And then introducing a new series that we're going to be starting here on the podcast, as well as a little bit of discussion around why we are starting that new series.

So, first up, happy to say I had shared with you that my husband had AFib, so irregular heart rhythm with tachycardia. And he went in for the aversion where they shock the heart back into rhythm, and that was very successful. So he has been back in rhythm since then, has not went back out. So we are very, very hopeful that he stays in proper rhythm. So all of that went really well.

I'm all healed up from my surgery on my neck where I had the tumor removed, so that is going phenomenally well. And then I shared where my husband had stepped on a wire at work, it was this little, thin wire that was in the cement, and it went through the sole of his boot and all the way into the bone of his foot, and got infected. But thankfully, that has all been cleared up and he is back to walking normally, and all is going very well on that front.

I felt like for a while there, it was like every week I was sharing with you guys almost ... Sometimes you share things and you're like, this sounds like a made up story. In fact, I had a friend was like, "Every time I open something from you, I can't believe you guys are going through another new thing."

I'm like, I kind of feel the same way. I'm like, Lord, I'm not quite sure what you're trying to teach me here, but I really want to learn the lesson, because I'm really tired of dealing with all of this medical stuff. So it almost, sometimes it feels surreal. When you start sharing with people, you're like, I can't believe that I have this much to share, and this much is going on.

So, good news, everything is healing back where it should be, recovering from those things. I feel like I'm getting close to being back to a normal stamina. I've been seeing a natural practitioner, and doing some different therapies and that type of stuff. And until we're all the way through it, I don't really feel like it's helpful to share. Until I really know, was this helpful? Were things resolved? You have to have hindsight, I guess is where I'm going with this, on some things before you share about them publicly.

I feel like you have to have the benefit of the hindsight so that you actually can share what was helpful, what wasn't helpful. Kind of like the, man, I wish I would've known. But when you're in the middle of it, you don't have that yet.

So I will share more about that aspect once I feel like I'm kind of a little bit more on the other side, or at least I've went through it longer than where I'm at now with the new protocol and everything that I'm doing on that. But goodness sakes, I am very happy to say I've not had to take a day off where I've been in bed with a fever, and completely incapacitated. Those days, for right now, seem to be behind me. So, very grateful for that.

But now I get to share with you, one of the things that we are going to be starting is a brand new series. And that is going to be, I'm calling it right now the Homesteading 101 series about Back to Basics. And I'm going to share also the reasoning for this, because I also would like to get some of your input.

For those of you who are regular listeners, either old-fashioned way on a podcast app. Or if you're watching this on YouTube, either comment beneath this YouTube video if you're there. Or if you are listening to this, you can always go to the blog post that accompanies this episode, which is at melissaknorris.com/420. That's the number 420, because it's episode number 420.

Or if you're on a podcast app, you can leave a comment in a review, and I will see those too. So, kind of multiple ways to share, but I would love to have some of your input on some of the things that we'll be diving into that I'll share with you on some upcoming episodes in this new series that we're doing. But, speaking of back to the basics, today's podcast sponsor, very grateful for our podcast sponsors. They do help with the paying for the production.

I know podcasts are free to listen to, and I think sometimes until you do something you don't really know, as just someone who's seeing it from the other side, the amount of things that can actually go into a podcast. You actually have hosting services where you, as the person who's making the podcast, have to upload it, and there's different plans that you actually have to pay for that.

And then it goes out to all of the other, Spotify, right? All the podcast apps that you may or may not listen to podcasts on, because there's a whole bunch of them. It goes out to there, but the person who's uploading it to get it on those, even though it's free to the user, actually pay hosting costs. And then people who will help edit the podcast, and then creating the blog post that accompanies the podcast, and there's website hosting costs.

So I share that just because you may be wondering why sponsors are so important to podcasts, and that is why. Because there's an actual cost, even though it's free to you on the user-end. So, very grateful for today's podcast sponsor, which is American Blossom Linens. And they are a basic item, right? Having your linens, your bedsheets is a very basic item. But as we know, having good foundations, and high-quality basic items really do make a world of difference.

So for quality of sleep, as well as an item that is of heirloom quality. Because I have found that buying something just because it is at the lowest cost point upfront does not actually mean that it saves you the most amount of money, because you usually then have to replace that. And replacement cost is a very actual, big cost. But because it's spent at multiple different times, people don't always add that up to see that buying something that is better quality actually saves you money in a lot of cases in the long run. And that is definitely the case with today's podcast.

And so American Blossom Linens is a company where their cotton to make their hundred-percent cotton sheets is grown in the US, and the sheets themselves are also made in the US. Old, and they're only getting softer and more comfortable. And they were already soft and comfortable from the get go, I want to put that out there. Doesn't take two years for them to become soft and comfortable, but they get more soft and comfortable.

And so yes, they are more expensive. But don't worry, I have got you with a coupon code, so you can use coupon code PioneeringToday, spell that out, all one word, and then number 20, so PioneeringToday20, coupon code to get 20% off your first set of sheets.

But I say that because, before, I would buy sheets almost every year. And that was with having different sets of sheet on the bed. You'd have this set you were taking off and you were washing, and then you'd put another set on. And then it would have a winter pair of sheets that were thicker, and then a thinner pair that would be for summer.

So I'd have between, well, usually about four. Because I'd have two winter sets of sheets, and then two summer sets of sheets. And I was replacing those at least once a year, one of the sets of sheets. So I was buying them all the time, and having to store all of these different multiple ones. But these ones, because they're the hundred-percent cotton, they are warm in winter, I know that sounds weird, but then they also feel cool in summer.

So I don't have different sets like flannel sheets versus different things like that. It's one set of sheets. And because they're so comfortable, I take them off, and I wash them and dry them, and then they go right back on the bed. And it's like the one time the bed stays completely unmade, it's bare mattress while the sheets are getting washed and then put back on.

Because I literally would rather wait for them to get washed and dried and put them back on, than put on a different seat set while those ones are being washed. So if that tells you anything about how much I like the sheets, there you go. So American Blossom Linens, coupon code PioneeringToday20, 20% off.

So the series that not only do I want to, but we are going to be starting is a, I say back-to-basics but it's also a foundation.

So what's very interesting is with having the Pioneering Today Academy, which is my homestead membership, and we've got over 2000 members that are in there, and that has been in existence since 2016. So I have had the honor and the pleasure of being able to teach people in a more enclosed setting where we have our community forum, we have our courses, we have our live Q&As. So I really get to hear a lot of different people's stories, and I'm therefore able to help them as well, which is great.

And then even online, having Instagram and some of the different social media things, I have a lot of people that will ask me for advice or share different stories. And so I get to see a lot of what's happening with new and first-time homesteaders. Because of course, when you're brand new and you're starting out with something, you are going to ask for help.

But what's interesting with, especially social media now, is I also see a lot of people share just their day-to-day, and what they're doing. Which I think is great. I think I follow people who are just getting into homesteading, and you get to see their excitement. And they're sharing what they're doing because they are excited about it, and I love that. We need that invigoration of passion, and of seeing people at all different places of their journey within homesteading.

And I'm prefacing with that because I don't want this to be taken the wrong way, or out of context. But on the other side of that, I also see a lot of things that people who are newer to homesteading, and this is all different facets of homesteading, right? And that's something we're going to talk about as we get back into the basics.

There's a lot of different things in homesteading that you can be doing, from gardening to livestock to cooking, et cetera. And so I see things that sometimes people are sharing, that they are doing as a new person ... Or, not a new person, they're not a brand new person. But they're doing a new thing that they don't have experience in yet, but they're just sharing it.

However, then you see people are following them and watching them, and they may not actually know what that person's level of experience is. And so they see them doing something, and then it gets repeated. I don't think because anybody's trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes, it's just you don't know what you don't know. But the reason that I say that is because, there's often been some times where I see that many of these issues that people are coming with, and experiencing, could have been completely avoided.

And so that is my goal with doing this series, which is going to be our Homesteading 101 series, back to basics. We're going to focus on some different topics and pillars to try to help set up a foundation on these topics. So that, one, if you're just getting into them, then you will be set so that you don't make a lot of these common mistakes that I've been seeing lately pop up a lot.

Or secondly, maybe you've been at it for a little bit. You're like, okay, well maybe I do have some chickens, but you still would get value from listening to this because there may be some things that you didn't even realize in the setup. Like, ooh, if I switch and do this instead, this is going to be the better outcome. And those are some things that you only will discover if you have years of experience in an area yourself.

Because there's some things that I look back that we did. Which is why there's that benefit of, like I said earlier in this episode, that hindsight part. So there's that benefit of not sharing some things until you have that hindsight, and then learning from someone who has those years of experience so that you can avoid their mistakes.

So, I don't want to say not to follow people who are brand new in their journey, because that's not true either. Just make sure that you are, one, not ever taking information on how to do something. Check sources and multiple things. And also doing your own due diligence and research, which is what this form of the podcast will be as we dive into these. So just for some examples, for example, is with chicken keeping specifically, and let's talk about egg layers. Because I think more people start getting chickens for eggs than they do with meat birds.

And oftentimes I'll see people super excited that they are getting their chicks and their laying hens, which is very exciting. I mean, honestly, if you have never had chickens before, and you get your chickens, you're very excited about them. And when your very first egg, when those chickens finally lay, if you get them from chicks instead of pullets, and you go out and you get a harvest, your first eggs? That is a day of rejoicing. And it is absolutely something that should be shared. Because it is joyful, and I love seeing that.

However, I've also seen where, a lot of times, people will build coops and their chicken area for their hens, and then a couple of years down the road, they completely end up scrapping them for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's the style of coop, sometimes it's not the style of the coop, but it's a permanent coop that has been built in an area that actually was not well-suited for the property, and-or for the health of the chickens and the coop.

For example, not understanding shade areas for wintertime that would keep them in a cold frost, or understanding draft areas, or the way that the sun ... So, kind of some basic permaculture when you're putting in, or near water sources and you carrying water sources. There's a lot of different things that could be involved there.

But I see a lot of times where people will build beautiful coops, but not necessarily the best functioning coops. Or even knowing that you don't have to have a stationary coop for chickens. And honestly, your chickens will be healthier not having a static coop, in most instances, and using a chicken tractor or portable runs, different things like that.

And so unfortunately, I've seen a lot of times where people will build, like I said, these very nice coops that are fairly expensive, especially when you look at lumber prices, et cetera, only to either abandon them, or have to dismantle them and then put them somewhere else, et cetera.

And then even within gardening, where you'll see a lot of people with raised bed gardens, and there's nothing wrong with raised beds. In fact, in some instances they are definitely what is needed.

But I've also seen where people have been like, "I just put in this raised bed garden. I haven't even gotten to put any plants in yet, and I'm already," this was a couple years ago, somebody shared. And they're like, "I'm already $800 in debt from these raised beds and I haven't even put my dirt in yet, or planted anything."

And I was like, oh my goodness. And so I actually messaged them and I said, "Well, why did you put in the raised beds instead of..." Because when I looked at their space from what they were sharing, and what their ground and stuff looked like, that would've been a place where I would've done in-ground beds. I wouldn't have done the really tall raised beds, and it wasn't a mobility issue. Like I said, there can be reasons for things. And they had simply put in raised beds because that is what they had saw everybody doing online, and thought that was the way that you did a garden.

And so, I know sometimes it's easy to hear these stories, and it's very easy to be judgmental is what I'm saying. But however, well, one, that's not helpful, is to think that way. But also I was like, oh my goodness, they put in a lot of money. And yes, if they do grow vegetables and they keep using these raised beds, they will pay for themselves over the long haul. So it isn't a wasted investment. And as I said, there are some instances where raised beds are the way that somebody should go.

But I see a lot of people just doing raised beds because that's what they see, or they like the aesthetic, when it's actually not the most beneficial way for them to get started gardening, and getting their garden established. They could actually do it for a lot less money, and have just as good if not better results without that money going out. So, just to give you some different examples.

And then another one that I see often, and I think this is where ... With the gardening, I don't want to see anybody, I hate to use the word even waste money, but I hate to see people spend more money than they need to in order to get started. That's probably a better way to state that.

But really, when I see some mistakes being made, and this is when it comes to livestock. Because it's one thing if you plant a tomato plant and it dies, I mean, nobody's happy when their tomato plant dies if they didn't get any tomatoes off of it. But it is very much another, when we're talking about an actual living being. And I consider cattle, livestock, chickens, et cetera, different than plants. Yes, I know they're both still alive, but I do consider animals to be different than just plants.

And so when I see people raising livestock and making some of these mistakes that actually very much impact the livestock in a negative way, it's one of those things where I think it's a conversation that needs to be had. And sometimes it's a hard conversation, because nobody intentionally makes mistakes. If they did, it wasn't really a mistake if you do it on purpose.

But I also think that you need to have those conversations as well, because it's kind of that fine balance. There's no point in just negativity, you know what I mean? However, when you see things that are happening on a larger scale, or I see them in multiple places or multiple instances, I think you kind of have a duty at some point then, to speak out in a helpful manner just to help ensure that it doesn't happen for more animals and-or for more people, and that sort of thing.

So that might sound a little bit broad and vague, but I promise when we get to the livestock episodes, as we dive into this series, that will make a lot more sense. And we'll dive into it much further.

So here's what I'm planning over the next few weeks, where we're going to be diving into the deeper pillars of homesteading. And where I would love your input, where you're like, oh my gosh, when you talk about gardening, which is one of our first pillars, this is what I really would love to know, or have you cover on gardening. Where I'm having trouble, or really need some information on.

So, number one is going to be gardening, and then number two is going to be raising livestock. And we're going to cover meat chickens. So we'll cover chickens, both egg laying and meat birds. Dual purpose, which is obviously, they can be a meat bird or an egg layer. And then cattle, and then possibly dairy cows as well.

And the reason that I say possibly on that is because I only can share with you from what I have years of experience in. And though I have raised beef cattle for over 20 years, my husband and I together, and then as a child I was raised on a beef cattle farm, I have only personally had a dairy cow for a year. Now, I did share how we lost Clover and kind of our story there. So I will share some bits from that.

But this is to my point is, unless I have years of experience, then it's not a topic that I'm going to talk on. Now, I will interview people that do have years of experience. But for me to teach you from something that I don't have years of experience to draw on, I feel is a little bit of a disservice. So we'll definitely talk about cattle, but it will be more beef cattle. Though I will touch on the dairy part, and mainly the differences in that.

So for the raising livestock, however, I would again really like to know, on the raising livestock, do you want individual episodes where we dive really deep into each one of those? A more overall, what are the things on livestock? Because there's a lot we could talk about within livestock, right? There's just general care feed requirements. There's the eating, there's breeding, there's so many things. So I would love your input on that.

Then number three is homestead cooking. So cooking in general, but especially as a homestead kitchen, where we are cooking from scratch predominantly and making things. Number four is preserving. And then number five, medicinal herbs. So with under those five things, there may be some multiple episodes there, but I would really love to have your feedback so that I can make sure that I am covering the things that will be the most helpful to you inside these main topics within the Back to Basics series.

So that is kind of our introduction, what's going to be coming up. And I look forward to hearing from you, and I think it's going to be a very fun series. I'm actually really excited to dive into this one with you.

So in light of that, we have our verse of the week, and that is from Second Timothy chapter four. And it is verse, sorry, trying to read here. Verse two through verse four. And this is the NIV translation.

"Preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season. Correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth, and turn aside to miss."

And I felt that this was a good set of verses as we start to dive into the series and talk about that, because it has correct, rebuke, and encourage altogether.

Now, I realize in context that this verse is talking about the actual spread of Christianity and Christianity doctrine, et cetera. But I think that we also take those principles, or at least I do, is take those principles to other areas of our life. And so that's where I want the correct, rebuke. That sounds so harsh, but it is tied directly with encouragement.

Because correction is needed in all areas of life. I mean, none of us get anything perfect, and I don't think anybody truly wants to stay in a spot that is going to lead to undesirable results. I don't. So correction is necessary. But when you correct or rebuke without the encouragement aspect, that's where a lot of people get hurt, that's where a lot of people obviously get discouraged. It's the opposite of encouragement.

And so I think it's always important for us to remember, and no matter what context, I mean, I am kind of talking about in context of the podcast episodes that's going to be coming up. But even as we think about myself with parenting, with coworkers, any people that you are in close relationship with, or in contact with, or in interacting with, is to make sure that any type of correction is also done with encouragement.

Because it can be easy for us to get irritated, or exasperated, or whatever adjective you want to throw in there about a situation. And be like, I am going in and I'm getting this fixed.

However, when you go in with that almost bulldoze attitude, you may get things fixed in the short time, or that situation. But if you don't do so with encouragement, that can be very damaging. And that can have those long-term consequences even if you didn't intend them to.

And so making sure that anytime we are in a position of trying to correct course on something is making sure that we're doing it with the encouragement. Also with great patience and careful instruction. And so these are just parameters that are helpful in all contexts of life, as well as, of course, the church as they were intended.

So I leave you with that verse in case you have an area where you may be receiving correction, giving correction, et cetera. And also on the flip side of that, when I'm being corrected, hopefully with encouragement from the person that's doing it, but if not that, I also respond with patience back to that person, and be able to communicate with them so that we have some instructions, careful instruction, on how to move forward.

So hopefully you found that helpful, and I look forward to being back here with you next week where we will be diving into our first back-to-basic on one of those pillars. So, thank you so much for your comments on helping me decide exactly how far to dive into each one of these, and where you need help. Until then, blessings and mason jars for now, my friends.