

Everyday Homesteading
Homesteading Family
Desperate to grow, cook, and preserve real food for your family in only 5-10 hours a week, but stuck as a new homesteader looking for practical, tried and true methods that work? You wanted those pantry shelves filled yesterday, but the more you try, the more it seems a distant pipe dream. Online content is filled with impractical, untried homesteading advice, which wastes your precious time and money.Everyday Homesteading steps in with practical, tested solutions, cutting through the chaos with clear plans tailored for busy beginners to reclaim your family’s health and independence through gardening, raising livestock, fresh seasonal cooking, herbal medicine and safe food preservation.Hosted by veteran homesteaders, Josh and Carolyn Thomas, who grow 70% of their family’s food while running two businesses and homeschooling their large family, they have mastered practical homesteading for busy modern families. They have taught hundreds of thousands of new homesteaders to thrive with real-life homesteading through their online platforms Homesteading Family and School of Traditional Skills.Tune in weekly to learn how to grow, cook, and preserve your family’s food, ditch health-destroying toxins, and save money monthly on groceries, all while building strong relationships and a sustainable legacy for your kids. Hit play now!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 28, 2024 • 32min
How Seasonal Eating Saves Us TIME & MONEY In the Kitchen | Pantry Chat
What does it mean to you to eat seasonally? For us, that's eating as much fresh produce as possible during the growing season. But it looks different once the garden stops producing! Today's Pantry Chat is all about how our family eats seasonally to save time, energy AND money in the kitchen.For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/meal-planning-on-the-homestead/ Sign up for the mushroom growing webinar on October 10, 2024 here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/mushroom-training This podcast is sponsored by Lehmans. If you don't have a Lehman's catalog on your coffee table yet, be sure to go get one now! https://homesteadingfamily.com/shop-lehmansTime Stamps0:00 - Chit Chat7:33 - Question of the Day9:11 - Lehmans11:50 - Main Topic~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MORE ABOUT US!WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our nine children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideoGrow, Preserve & Thrive with us!Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.comFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamilyInstagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamilyRumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamilyA few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHytYour Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshopMeals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshopFREE PDF DOWNLOADS:- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YTEvery month, I host a free live training on a new homesteading skill. This January, we’re focusing on herbal medicine and how to create an effective family herbal protocol to help stop the cycle of winter sickness. Join the free live training on January 22 and start becoming a confident family herbalist. Register HERE!

Sep 21, 2024 • 45min
Grow MORE Food in LESS Space with a Food Forest | Pantry Chat
Designing a food forest can be overwhelming. Today's podcast guest, Matthew Britt from @FoodForestAbundanceOfficial is sharing some tips to help remove the guesswork and make growing an edible landscape something that's enjoyable and productive. Once your food forest is established, it should provide food for years to come with very little maintenance.For links and additional info, check out the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/designing-a-food-forest/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MORE ABOUT US!WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our nine children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideoGrow, Preserve & Thrive with us!Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.comFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamilyInstagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamilyRumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamilyA few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHytYour Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshopMeals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshopFREE PDF DOWNLOADS:- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YTEvery month, I host a free live training on a new homesteading skill. This January, we’re focusing on herbal medicine and how to create an effective family herbal protocol to help stop the cycle of winter sickness. Join the free live training on January 22 and start becoming a confident family herbalist. Register HERE!

Sep 14, 2024 • 30min
Are We Giving Up On Our Garden? Not Quite, BUT, We've Made Some Changes | Pantry Chat
Have you ever considered what you're growing in the garden to know if it's actually working for you or against you? This week on the Pantry Chat we're diving deeper into this topic and sharing some of the changes in our mindset (and gardening strategies) that we've made.Get more details here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/making-your-garden-work-for-you/Sign up for the third annual School of Traditional Skills Summit here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/STS_HFWe don't yet have Grandma Jeannie's spiced pear recipe, but we'll try to get that soon!Time Stamps:0:00 - Intro1:15 - Question of the Day4:14 - Azure Standard7:50 - Chit Chat~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MORE ABOUT US!WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our nine children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideoGrow, Preserve & Thrive with us!Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.comFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamilyInstagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamilyRumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamilyA few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHytYour Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshopMeals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshopFREE PDF DOWNLOADS:- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YTEvery month, I host a free live training on a new homesteading skill. This January, we’re focusing on herbal medicine and how to create an effective family herbal protocol to help stop the cycle of winter sickness. Join the free live training on January 22 and start becoming a confident family herbalist. Register HERE!

Sep 7, 2024 • 45min
What You Need to Know About Setting Up an Herbal Apothecary | Pantry Chat
Join me and guest Mary Colvin as we discuss building and maintaining a home apothecary. We'll discuss what it is, the tools necessary to build a well-stocked apothecary, some common terms, and recommended herbs to start with. For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/building-a-home-apothecary/Find Mary Colvin's book, The Herbalist's Guide: How to Build and Use Your Own Apothecary here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/herbalists-guide-book~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MORE ABOUT US!WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our nine children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideoGrow, Preserve & Thrive with us!Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.comFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamilyInstagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamilyRumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamilyA few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHytYour Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshopMeals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshopFREE PDF DOWNLOADS:- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at homHave you added a freeze dryer to your homestead? Then sign up for my new freeze-drying masterclass waitlist. I can tell you freeze-drying is worth the hype and I will show you what's possible with a freeze dryer - including how fast it will pay for itself. Sign up today - the free bonus content you get for joining is well worth it.Every month, I host a free live training on a new homesteading skill. This January, we’re focusing on herbal medicine and how to create an effective family herbal protocol to help stop the cycle of winter sickness. Join the free live training on January 22 and start becoming a confident family herbalist. Register HERE!

Aug 31, 2024 • 53min
I Ruined $100's in Freeze-Dried Food (Don't Make the Same Mistakes I Made) | Pantry Chat
Discover the essentials of freeze drying and avoid common pitfalls that could waste your food and money. Learn about innovative techniques for preserving living foods like sourdough and yogurt. Gain insights into the functionalities and advantages of freeze dryers, including how they help retain beneficial bacteria. Master the seven crucial steps for successful freeze drying, from preparation to flavor enhancement. Dive into personal experiences that highlight the rewards of a well-stocked pantry for winter!

Aug 24, 2024 • 43min
Freeze Drying Has Changed Our Lives! (Here's How) | Pantry Chat
Though you'll still find us canning, fermenting, dehydrating and preserving our foods in other ways, freeze-drying has quickly moved to the top of the list for my favorite preservation method. And for good reason! Here are the ten reasons why we love freeze-drying.For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/10-reasons-we-love-freeze-drying/To get on the waitlist for my Freeze Drying Masterclass and a chance to win a FREE Harvest Right freeze dryer, go here: https://classes.homesteadingfamily.com/freeze-drying-waitlistTo preorder my book, Freeze Drying the Harvest go here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/hl-freeze-drying-the-harvest0:00 - Introduction1:43 - Chit Chat12:28 - Mold-Free Coffee15:47 - Main Topic~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MORE ABOUT US!WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our nine children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideoGrow, Preserve & Thrive with us!Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.comFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamilyInstagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamilyRumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamilyA few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHytYour Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshopMeals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshopFREE PDF DOWNLOADS:- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.https://homesteadingfamily.com/CGHL_YT- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs - Grab your guide to preserving eggs with multiple methods. https://homesteadingfamily.com/Eggs_YTEvery month, I host a free live training on a new homesteading skill. This January, we’re focusing on herbal medicine and how to create an effective family herbal protocol to help stop the cycle of winter sickness. Join the free live training on January 22 and start becoming a confident family herbalist. Register HERE!

Aug 17, 2024 • 58min
The Terrible Toxins in Your Household Products (And How to Clean Them Up! ) | Pantry Chat
Join me with CEO and Truly Free founder Stephen Ezell as we discuss the importance of cleaning up the toxins in our home!For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/toxins-in-common-household-cleaners/Check out Truly Free (and get 50 FREE loads of laundry detergent) here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/My-Green-Fills~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MORE ABOUT US!WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our nine children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideoGrow, Preserve & Thrive with us!Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.comFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamilyInstagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamilyRumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamilyA few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHytYour Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshopMeals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshopFREE PDF DOWNLOADS:- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.https://homesteadingfamily.com/CGHL_YT- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs - Grab your guide to preserving eggs with multiple methods. https://homesteadingfamily.com/Eggs_YTEvery month, I host a free live training on a new homesteading skill. This January, we’re focusing on herbal medicine and how to create an effective family herbal protocol to help stop the cycle of winter sickness. Join the free live training on January 22 and start becoming a confident family herbalist. Register HERE!

Aug 10, 2024 • 38min
Battle to the Death: Grass vs Garden! (How we are winning the war) | Pantry Chat
We've been battling grass in our terrace garden, our cottage garden, and the perennial beds in our main crop garden.I think we're finally winning the war! Watch this video to see what we're doing and what's worked (and what hasn't)!For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-to-get-rid-of-grass-in-the-garden/This podcast is sponsored by one of our favorite suppliers for all things homesteading. Thank you to Lehman's for sponsoring this podcast. Check out all their offerings and use coupon code "1FH5CT" to get 15% off your order at: https://homesteadingfamily.com/shop-lehmansJoin the waitlist for our Freeze Drying Masterclass here: https://classes.homesteadingfamily.com/freeze-drying-waitlistTime Stamps:0:00 - Introduction1:22 - Chit Chat8:40 - Freeze Drying Masterclass12:12 - Lehmans13:55 - Water Filter Brands15:18 - Grass vs Garden~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MORE ABOUT US!WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our nine children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideoGrow, Preserve & Thrive with us!Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.comFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamilyInstagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamilyRumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamilyA few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHytYour Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshopMeals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshopFREE PDF DOWNLOADS:- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.https://homesteadingfamily.com/CGHL_YT- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs - Grab your guide to preserving eggs with multiple methods. https://homesteadingfamily.com/Eggs_YTEvery month, I host a free live training on a new homesteading skill. This January, we’re focusing on herbal medicine and how to create an effective family herbal protocol to help stop the cycle of winter sickness. Join the free live training on January 22 and start becoming a confident family herbalist. Register HERE!

Aug 3, 2024 • 57min
How to Make the Switch to Bulk Buying! | Pantry Chat
Join David Stelzer from Azure Standard, a bulk food purchasing expert, as he shares essential strategies for transitioning to bulk buying. He discusses the personal health benefits of clean eating and the importance of tailoring nutrition to your unique microbiome. Discover practical tips for starting your bulk buying journey, including budgeting and selecting staples. David also highlights smart storage techniques for preserving food freshness and ways to stock a pantry effectively for better, healthier meals.

Jul 27, 2024 • 30min
Upgrading our Home Dairy! (Changes for Efficiency) | Pantry Chat
Over the past couple of years we've known there needed to be some changes in our dairy system. As Tilly, our milk cow, continued to get older, we decided it was time to layer in a new dairy cow. But we never guessed we'd be getting ten gallons of milk each day!Find out how we've changed our routines, the investments we've made that have cut our processing time in half, and what we plan to do in the future. For more information, check out the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/adding-dairy-cow-to-the-homestead/This podcast is sponsored by Lehmans. We've been purchasing our preserving supplies from them for over 20 years now. My favorite are their sleeves of canning lids. Check out all their offerings here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/shop-lehmansTime Stamps0:00 - Chit Chat8:05 - Lehmans9:50 - Pressure Canner as Water Bath Canner11:27 - Changes on the HomesteadEvery month, I host a free live training on a new homesteading skill. This January, we’re focusing on herbal medicine and how to create an effective family herbal protocol to help stop the cycle of winter sickness. Join the free live training on January 22 and start becoming a confident family herbalist. Register HERE!


