I’m not going to live in fear of this year. I’m going to plant sunflowers, feed the birds and keep my face to the sun and heart open. Love your videos.
My biggest goal is to reduce my reliance on big stores and focus on growing more of my own food and supporting local farmers and businesses for my needs.
@Michelle I want to tell you how lovely it is to read a comment like yours. Women giving compliments to women is heartwarming. Yes this lady is very pretty. I’m a wee bit jealous of her shiny, thick braid! (I had auburn hair although now it’s more white than auburn.) I believe there are many blessings and good qualities in you, too. A woman with a heart like yours is certain to be beautiful in many ways. 💙🙏💙
We moved to our 3 acre country home 5 years ago. I love to garden and can so a full pantry is always a goal. I also raise and butcher chickens, have chickens for eggs and raise a pig when we're out of pork. We're surrounded by cropland but I do everything as organic as possible on our property. My hubby hunts and fishes so we also feast on venison and catfish. My goals for this year include raising 2 pigs and expanding our Asparagus bed. I'll also be moving any baby trees I find on our land out into our windbreak because the existing bushes are getting thin.
Finding friends in today’s world is hard, especially as a homesteader. Most don’t seem to understand this life. (Processing my own meat/ preserving) I also had the goal to find like minded friends. I live is Washington state. My goal this year is to focus on more self sufficiency. I’m planting my orchid this year and expanding my garden to include grains this year! I love to try new things! I appreciate you talking about your TBI. As I am also recovering from my TBI from 2 yrs ago. It has been a difficult journey for me. However I am walking again! Thank you for sharing your life, I can see I’m not the only one that has a goal for a simpler life.
Thank you so much for sharing your journey. I completely understand how hard it is to find like-minded people, especially when you're living a homesteading lifestyle. It’s tough when others don’t quite get the work that goes into things like processing your own meat or preserving. I think that’s why it’s so important to seek out those connections, even if they take time. I really appreciate you mentioning your TBI. It’s been such a challenging journey for me too, but hearing that you’re walking again is such a good reminder of how far we can come. Thank you for letting me know I’m not alone in striving for a simpler, more self-reliant life. You’ve got this, and I’m wishing you the best in your journey this year!
I always enjoy trying to grow new things. Living in the midwest U.S. suburbs & trying to encourage people to cook from scratch. Our food system is so messed up. For me-- I will be sharing a butchered goat with another family. Cheaper than beef. This was my first time I ever butchered chickens by helping a friend. I would like to try having quail & their eggs. I don't have room for ducks & their messy poop. Having 1 rabbit for his manure fertilizer works for me. I bought another dehydrator to dehydrate more. I even dry herbs on a folding table & old sheets in my garage. I incorporated growing thyme between stepping stones. There is always plenty to do even when "retired."
Our goals this year Grow more storage crops Learn all about the home dairy (calves due spring) Clear more land for fire barrier Plant more perennial food.
I have been subscribed for literally years, however, I haven’t seen your videos in a while. I could not remember what your channel was called so I just typed in “hello you beautiful rebels”. I am so happy that I found you again! I hope you and the family are doing well.
I pulled 16 apple trees from my over grown orchard when I moved here. I have pruned the last 12-15 for 2 years and it makes a big difference. It takes them time to recover especially when they are older like ours. I would expect less harvest after a heavy pruning, then it will be better the next year. Good luck!
@@katiekateshomestead yes they do recover even after a boot cut,only 2 seasons later half our apple trees produced large juicy fruit! Even ones we didn't prune need a year of sabbath every 3-4 years so having a good rotation of trees including plum and apricots will give you and the critters lots to enjoy.
Thank you for a brilliant video. I’ve got so much buzzing in my head right now, new ideas, goals, what to buy and not buy, that I need to sit and just write it all on paper and take time to think it through. Your video has given me plenty to think about. Intuition is amazing, the more you listen and act on it the better it becomes.💛💛💛
Major goal of 2025: less is more. Adding Elderberry, more asparagus, adding additional dry storage preserving (squash & potatoes through the winter). Actually setting up the rain barrels I bought 2 years ago...
I am all about good vibes when dealing with people! I also love duck eggs more than chicken eggs. The higher fat content in them make them so creamy! Ive heard kune kune pigs are a good breed. Love your goals this year!
I’m just a small backyard garden. It’s all we can afford at this time/ manage with our schedule. I did an asked order and am very anxious to start growing but I live near Ottawa so have to wait and just look after my kids and house plants for now. I grew up with grandparents who grew all their own foods and my parents had a kind of large garden and I am trying my best to show my kids the clue of gardening.
I feel you on finding new friends and creating a community! We moved here 3 years ago andvery slowly finding people who we feel connected to. It takes so much time and effort! ❤
dang, I wish I lived in Canada...for many reasons but especially to be friends with you guys! I have been where you are now about 20 years ago. We bought this ramshackled old place, poured our hearts and souls into it and every dime we had and even a few coins we did not have lol. We have had abundant gardens, packed away tons of preserves, built those shelves for more jars, then let the garden go wild while we spent time effort and money on animal husbandry, raising every kind of meat animal possible. We had our successes and failures, we too love to figure things out and try new things. It is such an enjoyable ride through life. AS I get grayer and slower, my heart aches for those days gone by in the knowledge that my body can no longer keep that pace up. But I will say that we are able to enjoy what we built. Trees and bushes are full of fruit from sticks we planted 20 years ago when we were poor. The garden soil is still fertile from all the composted manure we have been hoarding, but my knees no longer allow me to get down in the dirt like I once did. But we ain't dead yet, so the new project of the year is a high tunnel where the garden bed used to be! We can control the environment with all the weed barriers, planter boxes and shade cloths that we never believed in before. The beautiful thing about getting old, is that you do eventually become wiser, lol. Work smarter, not harder. You and Joseph are bright young people with huge hearts and fantastic ideals...enjoy the ride. Love your channel, thank you for sharing your lives with us. Happy New Year.
Thank you so much for your beautiful message-it really touched my heart. It sounds like you’ve lived such a rich and fulfilling life, pouring your love into the land and all the projects that came with it. I can only imagine the satisfaction of looking around at fruit trees you planted decades ago and a garden that still thrives because of the care you gave it. What a gift to see your efforts continue to pay off, even as life slows down. Your high tunnel project sounds amazing! I love that you’re still innovating and adapting, finding ways to work with the seasons of life. You’re so right-this journey is such an enjoyable ride, full of lessons, joys, and challenges. Your words are a reminder to savor every stage, and I’m grateful for the wisdom you’ve shared. Joseph and I are humbled to know our little corner of life has resonated with you. Wishing you and your family a wonderful New Year, full of inspiration and joy in every project ahead. Thank you for being part of this community and for sharing your story. ❤️
Love the chicken math. "We have enough poultry" two minutes later "I will be hatching out chickens and keets and ducks" 😂 Goats are fun, I miss our goats. I'm looking forward to seeing your plans this year ❤
I love hearing all your dreams and goals for your homestead. I have watched you for long enough to know how hard you two worked for what you have. I have some big dreams and goals for my cut flower field that I am heading into my 4th year of working on. On the radar for this season is to get one of two wells that have been out of service for many years up and running and hopefully get some irrigation. Peace and love from Kingsville :)
Happy new year to you and your family!🎉 I live in an apartment in the suburbs of Montreal, Quebec. I am fortunate to have a plot in a community garden. This year, less slicing tomatoes and grow more paste tomatoes. And I want to try different kind of peppers 🫑 🌶️. Thank you for sharing! Always inspiring to watch your videos!😊❤
We moved 1.5 years ago. My husband is my best friend. But, I would also love to find some friends too. For my children as well. I want community that’s real.
Happy to be a part of this online community 😊 This year I want to learn brewing my own kombucha and growing mushrooms indoors. I also look forward to join the community garden group of the apartment block that I'll be moving to. I also want to consume less things and media, and instead spend more time being present in nature 🌿 Hope you all have a beautiful year and get the chance to do what you wish for!
Wonderful goals for the New Year!!! Sending luv and many blessing to you guys!!! I been on a healing journey for a few years … I feel this year it’s time todo more living :) I’ve been deep in sourdough and looking forward to the spring garden 🫶🏼🌱 😊
I would love to be able to cook with fresh produce again. At the moment, because of me being ill and having lost lots of strenght and being in pain, I can only cook with pre-cut veggies or frozen veggies and fruit. But fresh produce tastes so much better. I was able to make an apple crumble this week and I love it.
New to channel, I can't wait until your winter is over to follow you in your daily life. Have you thought about local Facebook groups to find friends with common interests? Also I'd pay to be taught how to forage my land to make teas, and what things to grow to make teas, might be a course you could offer? Best of luck finding a local bestie!
Oh that’s so exciting!!! I grew as much vertically as possible when we lived in a town, it just made sense to maximize the space as best as we could! You’ll love it!!
Amber, please hear me out! I’ve been raising dairy goats for a long time. If you can get crosses of large dairy breeds (nubianxlamancha as an ex) are waaaaaaay stronger and have less health issues. And please please please, after struggling for years as far as disease free…. You can have a goat have CAE, but it’s inactive and will test negative. The way to keep it inactive is to keep the immune system up. The very best way to keep a goats immune system up? Deworm them. I fought this for years because “they” say to just cull the ones who can’t take a worm load. I can’t be that cruel to my goats. I just deworm them before breeding and after kidding and I’m done. My goats live and I do t have to stress. Prohibit in the spring when it’s wet. I also give ivermectin and fenbendazol horse paste at the same time. Repeat in 2 weeks. In the fall I just do ivermectin and fenbendazol. Again 2 weeks later. Tapeworms need praziquantel if you have a goat get to thin.
I would love to bee keeping video! Is it hard to get started?? I’ve been following you for years and it’s so beautiful to see you living the dream! ❤️❤️❤️
I feel you on finding good friends/your village. It is hard, especially since the pandemic. If you are close to Ottawa, maybe one day we will cross paths and spark a good friendship. :) Your goals sound wonderful. You guys work hard and I know you will achieve them! I wish you all the best for 2025.
Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊 We’re actually not near Ottawa, but who knows-maybe our paths will cross one day anyway! Building a village is tough, especially post-pandemic, but I’m holding onto hope that it will happen when the time is right. Wishing you all the best for 2025 as well-let’s keep working toward those goals together!
I have some apple trees that need pruning so I would love to watch some tips, because all the books and articles I have read and I still don't have it down.
I'm curious how does schooling look like in rural Canada 🤔 Thank you for this video you have amazing goals! I would want to plant at least my window tomatoes this year😅
Your desire for wanting a village is possibly going to be the hardest and longer challenge you'll have to face. Since the pandemic, people have changed. It's a complex thing. Especially if people in the area aren't just guarded but also not very like minded. It'll be worth it in the end though. My best friend is a newfie (Canadian) and I live in New Jersey. 2 separate countries. But my connection to her has kept me going. I'm still struggling to make friends in my area because of the aggression in this area towards those who are different. Not giving up yet. Also, you're desire to connect to everything is 100% Everything has it's own energy and life to it. Natures resting now as we speak. But comes back full force once spring approaches giving new life. It's beautiful.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this. I completely agree-people have really changed since the pandemic, and building that ‘village’ does feel like one of the hardest challenges right now. It’s amazing that your connection with your best friend, even across borders, has kept you going. That kind of bond is so rare and special. And yes, everything truly does have its own energy and life. Nature resting through the winter and then bursting back to life in spring is one of the most beautiful reminders of resilience and connection. Wishing you luck as you keep working toward finding your people-you’ve got the right mindset, and it will be worth it.
I love all of your goals for 2025, Amber!! How I wish we were closer neighbours, so I could share in your amazing bounty! Rainbow eggs sound like a delight, and I would pay $7 for them, since that is less than what I pay at the big chain grocery stores for "free run eggs" currently :( In terms of community and finding your tribe, I share in your sentiment. It is so hard to build close friendships, especially as adults. Obviously, it is hard/scary bridging the gap between anonymous internet strangers and real life friends, but I am pretty sure my husband and I live in approximately the same geographical area of Ontario as you, if you ever wanted to connect! Can't wait to see your adventures unfold. Happy 2025 to you and your beautiful family! 🎉🎇
Thank you so much for your kind words and support! It would be amazing to be closer neighbors-I’d happily share rainbow eggs and with you! I completely agree about the challenge of building real friendships as adults. It means a lot to hear that you and your husband might be nearby-knowing there’s such a thoughtful community out there gives me hope. Wishing you and your family a joyful and fulfilling 2025 as well! 🌟🎆
Hello from Austria! I just wanted to share (maybe you already know) that it`s possible and safe to watherbath can your tomato's. I know that's not USDA (?) approved but here in Europe we don't have such guidelines. Therefore we do it as our grandparents did it. I watherbath all my tomato products and it works just fine. My family and I are eating Tomatosauce from 2022 and it tastes fine and didn't go bad. I just wanted to share this because it seems like less work than pressure canning. I love your channel and wish you a great new Year!
Hello from Canada! Thank you so much for sharing-it's always fascinating to learn about the different methods and traditions people use around the world. I know water bath canning tomatoes is a common and trusted practice in many places, I even know plenty of people who do it around me! You’re absolutely right that water bath canning is less work than pressure canning-it’s definitely tempting for those busy preserving days! Thank you for the kind words about my channel! Wishing you and your family a happy and abundant New Year! 🌟
I feel your pain with making friends. I’ve been in my current city for almost 20 years and haven’t made friends. Moving somewhere new where everyone already has their “people” is hard. I wish you luck with this. I think the only way to make true friends is just to remain open but don’t try to force it. At least that’s what I’m trying to do while raising 4 small children❤
Thank you for sharing that-it really is hard, isn’t it? Moving somewhere new where everyone already has their circle can feel so daunting. Staying open but not forcing it sounds like the perfect approach, especially while raising 4 little ones! ❤ Wishing you all the best-you’ve got this!
Love your little homestead... you have accomplished so much since moving there. I bought a bag of lemons yesterday, sliced them thin, and am them drying in my dehydrator. We enjoy lemon in our green tea. Thanks for sharing your wonderful video's with us. 💗
Thank you so much for the kind words! 💗 It means a lot to hear that you enjoy the homestead and the videos. Drying lemons is such a great idea! Lemon in green tea sounds so refreshing. I love that you’re finding ways to preserve things like that-it’s all about those little steps! Thanks again for watching and sharing your ideas!
Do you homeschool? If so, I’d love to hear about that. We moved to a town that has amazing alternative schools so this year we’re considering school. We also feel the need for community and friends, especially in a new town away from family. Also looking forward to learning foraging and mushroom inoculation!
Also I love your videos and love that you and Joseph have been able to grow together. You started in such a different place and yet here you both are working a new or new version of your dream 😊
Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊 We started out with a ton of debt and not much of anything, but we’ve been working toward this dream since 2013. It’s been a long road, but here we are now! Your support truly means the world to us!
We do rabbits since our property is small. They're great! Just finding a good breeding pair may be a challenge. Otherwise I have no complaints. I still like chicken more but rabbit noodle soup is way better than chicken imo. We also like BBQ rabbit. Otherwise I haven't tried to many other ways to cook it. I'd like to try rabbit pot pie this year. They basically tastes like chicken thighs.
Freerange eggs are so plentiful where I am that people only charge about $4/dozen here. How long did it take you to process 100 chickens?! It took us an entire day to do 30 and we have teens to help! We don't know if we will be moving so my main goal this year is learning how to use wheat berries and grind them myself. If we stay and can afford it we will start to also set up our orchard and berry patch.
It took us three days with our kids helping to do 120 chickens, but we did it in blocks of time so we wouldn't burn out. I've heard such goof things about grinding your own wheat berries, please let me know how it goes!
I wish that you achieve all your goals and more. We are pretty similar in our values but at least 10h apart, so that would be a very wide community friends! haha! If you go into rabbits one day, I have almost 10 years of experience now, so don't be shy to ask!
You already do such a great job just don't beat yourself up for thrifting or driving sometimes you just need to get out and that's ok. My husband and I wanted to eat more at home then eating out. We were eating out almost every day maybe every second day. Our goal was twice a week then once a week and we just had our very first full week without buying fast food. We have eaten out 3 times in a row lately (1 was paid by gift card) and bam right back to cooking at home. its ebbs and flows and we just need to get back on the train. I totally get the goals, and I am rooting for you I just don't want you to be upset with yourselves.
Thank you so much for your understanding and support! 😊 We’re actually avoiding thrift stores altogether right now to keep from buying anything we don’t need. After last year’s challenges, we’re focusing on very intentional with our money and keeping our spending in check. I really admire how you and your husband are working toward cooking more at home. It’s great to hear that you’ve made such progress, even with the occasional slip-up-it’s all part of the process! Thanks for rooting for us, and we’re all just trying to stay on track together!
Have you read Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard or Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake? The last part of the video about reconnecting with nature made me think of those books, which I LOVE.
Have you decided on a goat breed? Ive got some experience with goats, just say the word and ill be happy to give you a few pointers. Same goes for the pigs.
I'll post on here/my Facebook and Instagram about how much garlic I've harvested, and then go from there! I'm a don't count your chickens before their hatched sort of person, though I am very optimistic about a good garlic haul this year!
I’m not going to live in fear of this year. I’m going to plant sunflowers, feed the birds and keep my face to the sun and heart open. Love your videos.
My biggest goal is to reduce my reliance on big stores and focus on growing more of my own food and supporting local farmers and businesses for my needs.
I have to say that I think you are so pretty. I wish I looked like you. I love your style and way if thinking
Gosh, thank you! You are too kind. 💕 Honestly, the world needs your unique style and way of thinking too-you’re already amazing!
@Michelle
I want to tell you how lovely it is to read a comment like yours. Women giving compliments to women is heartwarming. Yes this lady is very pretty. I’m a wee bit jealous of her shiny, thick braid! (I had auburn hair although now it’s more white than auburn.) I believe there are many blessings and good qualities in you, too. A woman with a heart like yours is certain to be beautiful in many ways. 💙🙏💙
We moved to our 3 acre country home 5 years ago. I love to garden and can so a full pantry is always a goal. I also raise and butcher chickens, have chickens for eggs and raise a pig when we're out of pork. We're surrounded by cropland but I do everything as organic as possible on our property. My hubby hunts and fishes so we also feast on venison and catfish. My goals for this year include raising 2 pigs and expanding our Asparagus bed. I'll also be moving any baby trees I find on our land out into our windbreak because the existing bushes are getting thin.
Finding friends in today’s world is hard, especially as a homesteader. Most don’t seem to understand this life. (Processing my own meat/ preserving)
I also had the goal to find like minded friends. I live is Washington state. My goal this year is to focus on more self sufficiency. I’m planting my orchid this year and expanding my garden to include grains this year! I love to try new things! I appreciate you talking about your TBI. As I am also recovering from my TBI from 2 yrs ago. It has been a difficult journey for me. However I am walking again!
Thank you for sharing your life, I can see I’m not the only one that has a goal for a simpler life.
Thank you so much for sharing your journey. I completely understand how hard it is to find like-minded people, especially when you're living a homesteading lifestyle. It’s tough when others don’t quite get the work that goes into things like processing your own meat or preserving. I think that’s why it’s so important to seek out those connections, even if they take time.
I really appreciate you mentioning your TBI. It’s been such a challenging journey for me too, but hearing that you’re walking again is such a good reminder of how far we can come. Thank you for letting me know I’m not alone in striving for a simpler, more self-reliant life. You’ve got this, and I’m wishing you the best in your journey this year!
I always enjoy trying to grow new things. Living in the midwest U.S. suburbs & trying to encourage people to cook from scratch. Our food system is so messed up. For me-- I will be sharing a butchered goat with another family. Cheaper than beef. This was my first time I ever butchered chickens by helping a friend. I would like to try having quail & their eggs. I don't have room for ducks & their messy poop. Having 1 rabbit for his manure fertilizer works for me. I bought another dehydrator to dehydrate more. I even dry herbs on a folding table & old sheets in my garage. I incorporated growing thyme between stepping stones. There is always plenty to do even when "retired."
Our goals this year
Grow more storage crops
Learn all about the home dairy (calves due spring)
Clear more land for fire barrier
Plant more perennial food.
I have been subscribed for literally years, however, I haven’t seen your videos in a while. I could not remember what your channel was called so I just typed in “hello you beautiful rebels”. I am so happy that I found you again! I hope you and the family are doing well.
I pulled 16 apple trees from my over grown orchard when I moved here. I have pruned the last 12-15 for 2 years and it makes a big difference. It takes them time to recover especially when they are older like ours. I would expect less harvest after a heavy pruning, then it will be better the next year. Good luck!
@@katiekateshomestead yes they do recover even after a boot cut,only 2 seasons later half our apple trees produced large juicy fruit! Even ones we didn't prune need a year of sabbath every 3-4 years so having a good rotation of trees including plum and apricots will give you and the critters lots to enjoy.
Thank you for a brilliant video. I’ve got so much buzzing in my head right now, new ideas, goals, what to buy and not buy, that I need to sit and just write it all on paper and take time to think it through. Your video has given me plenty to think about. Intuition is amazing, the more you listen and act on it the better it becomes.💛💛💛
Thank you so much for watching!! :D
Major goal of 2025: less is more. Adding Elderberry, more asparagus, adding additional dry storage preserving (squash & potatoes through the winter). Actually setting up the rain barrels I bought 2 years ago...
I am all about good vibes when dealing with people! I also love duck eggs more than chicken eggs. The higher fat content in them make them so creamy! Ive heard kune kune pigs are a good breed. Love your goals this year!
I’m just a small backyard garden. It’s all we can afford at this time/ manage with our schedule. I did an asked order and am very anxious to start growing but I live near Ottawa so have to wait and just look after my kids and house plants for now. I grew up with grandparents who grew all their own foods and my parents had a kind of large garden and I am trying my best to show my kids the clue of gardening.
I feel you on finding new friends and creating a community! We moved here 3 years ago andvery slowly finding people who we feel connected to. It takes so much time and effort! ❤
Well worth it!!!
Beautiful plans! I’m dreaming of summer as well. If you want to run a homestead adult summer camp sign me up 😂
Would love to see a tea video. What you drink, why and how you consume and grow it.
dang, I wish I lived in Canada...for many reasons but especially to be friends with you guys! I have been where you are now about 20 years ago. We bought this ramshackled old place, poured our hearts and souls into it and every dime we had and even a few coins we did not have lol. We have had abundant gardens, packed away tons of preserves, built those shelves for more jars, then let the garden go wild while we spent time effort and money on animal husbandry, raising every kind of meat animal possible. We had our successes and failures, we too love to figure things out and try new things. It is such an enjoyable ride through life. AS I get grayer and slower, my heart aches for those days gone by in the knowledge that my body can no longer keep that pace up. But I will say that we are able to enjoy what we built. Trees and bushes are full of fruit from sticks we planted 20 years ago when we were poor. The garden soil is still fertile from all the composted manure we have been hoarding, but my knees no longer allow me to get down in the dirt like I once did. But we ain't dead yet, so the new project of the year is a high tunnel where the garden bed used to be! We can control the environment with all the weed barriers, planter boxes and shade cloths that we never believed in before. The beautiful thing about getting old, is that you do eventually become wiser, lol. Work smarter, not harder. You and Joseph are bright young people with huge hearts and fantastic ideals...enjoy the ride. Love your channel, thank you for sharing your lives with us. Happy New Year.
Thank you so much for your beautiful message-it really touched my heart. It sounds like you’ve lived such a rich and fulfilling life, pouring your love into the land and all the projects that came with it. I can only imagine the satisfaction of looking around at fruit trees you planted decades ago and a garden that still thrives because of the care you gave it. What a gift to see your efforts continue to pay off, even as life slows down.
Your high tunnel project sounds amazing! I love that you’re still innovating and adapting, finding ways to work with the seasons of life. You’re so right-this journey is such an enjoyable ride, full of lessons, joys, and challenges. Your words are a reminder to savor every stage, and I’m grateful for the wisdom you’ve shared.
Joseph and I are humbled to know our little corner of life has resonated with you. Wishing you and your family a wonderful New Year, full of inspiration and joy in every project ahead. Thank you for being part of this community and for sharing your story. ❤️
Love the chicken math. "We have enough poultry" two minutes later "I will be hatching out chickens and keets and ducks" 😂 Goats are fun, I miss our goats. I'm looking forward to seeing your plans this year ❤
I love hearing all your dreams and goals for your homestead. I have watched you for long enough to know how hard you two worked for what you have.
I have some big dreams and goals for my cut flower field that I am heading into my 4th year of working on. On the radar for this season is to get one of two wells that have been out of service for many years up and running and hopefully get some irrigation.
Peace and love from Kingsville :)
Happy new year to you and your family!🎉
I live in an apartment in the suburbs of Montreal, Quebec. I am fortunate to have a plot in a community garden. This year, less slicing tomatoes and grow more paste tomatoes. And I want to try different kind of peppers 🫑 🌶️.
Thank you for sharing! Always inspiring to watch your videos!😊❤
We moved 1.5 years ago. My husband is my best friend. But, I would also love to find some friends too. For my children as well. I want community that’s real.
Happy to be a part of this online community 😊 This year I want to learn brewing my own kombucha and growing mushrooms indoors. I also look forward to join the community garden group of the apartment block that I'll be moving to. I also want to consume less things and media, and instead spend more time being present in nature 🌿 Hope you all have a beautiful year and get the chance to do what you wish for!
Wonderful goals for the New Year!!! Sending luv and many blessing to you guys!!! I been on a healing journey for a few years … I feel this year it’s time todo more living :) I’ve been deep in sourdough and looking forward to the spring garden 🫶🏼🌱 😊
I would love to be able to cook with fresh produce again. At the moment, because of me being ill and having lost lots of strenght and being in pain, I can only cook with pre-cut veggies or frozen veggies and fruit. But fresh produce tastes so much better. I was able to make an apple crumble this week and I love it.
New to channel, I can't wait until your winter is over to follow you in your daily life. Have you thought about local Facebook groups to find friends with common interests? Also I'd pay to be taught how to forage my land to make teas, and what things to grow to make teas, might be a course you could offer? Best of luck finding a local bestie!
So happy to see you back, looking fantastic , happy new year from ireland 🎉
We are vertical gardening this year bc we now only have a small patio. It will be an adventure!
Oh that’s so exciting!!! I grew as much vertically as possible when we lived in a town, it just made sense to maximize the space as best as we could! You’ll love it!!
@FairlyRooted Thank you for your encouragement! Happy New Year and good luck with your goals!!
Happy new year! I hope you and your family have a great year, can complete some of the goals and have and have lots of animals 💕
Happy new year! And thank you so much!
Amber, please hear me out! I’ve been raising dairy goats for a long time. If you can get crosses of large dairy breeds (nubianxlamancha as an ex) are waaaaaaay stronger and have less health issues. And please please please, after struggling for years as far as disease free…. You can have a goat have CAE, but it’s inactive and will test negative. The way to keep it inactive is to keep the immune system up. The very best way to keep a goats immune system up? Deworm them. I fought this for years because “they” say to just cull the ones who can’t take a worm load. I can’t be that cruel to my goats. I just deworm them before breeding and after kidding and I’m done. My goats live and I do t have to stress. Prohibit in the spring when it’s wet. I also give ivermectin and fenbendazol horse paste at the same time. Repeat in 2 weeks. In the fall I just do ivermectin and fenbendazol. Again 2 weeks later. Tapeworms need praziquantel if you have a goat get to thin.
I would love to bee keeping video! Is it hard to get started??
I’ve been following you for years and it’s so beautiful to see you living the dream! ❤️❤️❤️
I'm in MN. We planted a Harelred 10 years ago. SO TASTY! It is a Harelson relative. So would do fine in your zone.
Will check it out, thank you!
I feel you on finding good friends/your village. It is hard, especially since the pandemic. If you are close to Ottawa, maybe one day we will cross paths and spark a good friendship. :) Your goals sound wonderful. You guys work hard and I know you will achieve them! I wish you all the best for 2025.
Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊 We’re actually not near Ottawa, but who knows-maybe our paths will cross one day anyway! Building a village is tough, especially post-pandemic, but I’m holding onto hope that it will happen when the time is right. Wishing you all the best for 2025 as well-let’s keep working toward those goals together!
You are such an inspiration ❤
Ducks eggs are amazing and so good for you!
They are good, I love them!
I have some apple trees that need pruning so I would love to watch some tips, because all the books and articles I have read and I still don't have it down.
I'm curious how does schooling look like in rural Canada 🤔
Thank you for this video you have amazing goals!
I would want to plant at least my window tomatoes this year😅
Your desire for wanting a village is possibly going to be the hardest and longer challenge you'll have to face. Since the pandemic, people have changed. It's a complex thing. Especially if people in the area aren't just guarded but also not very like minded. It'll be worth it in the end though. My best friend is a newfie (Canadian) and I live in New Jersey. 2 separate countries. But my connection to her has kept me going. I'm still struggling to make friends in my area because of the aggression in this area towards those who are different. Not giving up yet.
Also, you're desire to connect to everything is 100% Everything has it's own energy and life to it. Natures resting now as we speak. But comes back full force once spring approaches giving new life. It's beautiful.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this. I completely agree-people have really changed since the pandemic, and building that ‘village’ does feel like one of the hardest challenges right now. It’s amazing that your connection with your best friend, even across borders, has kept you going. That kind of bond is so rare and special.
And yes, everything truly does have its own energy and life. Nature resting through the winter and then bursting back to life in spring is one of the most beautiful reminders of resilience and connection. Wishing you luck as you keep working toward finding your people-you’ve got the right mindset, and it will be worth it.
Loving life in 2025. Hope you and your family have a terrific year ❤❤❤❤
Terrific ?😢
I love all of your goals for 2025, Amber!! How I wish we were closer neighbours, so I could share in your amazing bounty! Rainbow eggs sound like a delight, and I would pay $7 for them, since that is less than what I pay at the big chain grocery stores for "free run eggs" currently :( In terms of community and finding your tribe, I share in your sentiment. It is so hard to build close friendships, especially as adults. Obviously, it is hard/scary bridging the gap between anonymous internet strangers and real life friends, but I am pretty sure my husband and I live in approximately the same geographical area of Ontario as you, if you ever wanted to connect! Can't wait to see your adventures unfold. Happy 2025 to you and your beautiful family! 🎉🎇
Thank you so much for your kind words and support! It would be amazing to be closer neighbors-I’d happily share rainbow eggs and with you! I completely agree about the challenge of building real friendships as adults. It means a lot to hear that you and your husband might be nearby-knowing there’s such a thoughtful community out there gives me hope. Wishing you and your family a joyful and fulfilling 2025 as well! 🌟🎆
Hello from Austria! I just wanted to share (maybe you already know) that it`s possible and safe to watherbath can your tomato's. I know that's not USDA (?) approved but here in Europe we don't have such guidelines. Therefore we do it as our grandparents did it. I watherbath all my tomato products and it works just fine. My family and I are eating Tomatosauce from 2022 and it tastes fine and didn't go bad. I just wanted to share this because it seems like less work than pressure canning. I love your channel and wish you a great new Year!
Hello from Canada! Thank you so much for sharing-it's always fascinating to learn about the different methods and traditions people use around the world. I know water bath canning tomatoes is a common and trusted practice in many places, I even know plenty of people who do it around me! You’re absolutely right that water bath canning is less work than pressure canning-it’s definitely tempting for those busy preserving days! Thank you for the kind words about my channel! Wishing you and your family a happy and abundant New Year! 🌟
I also way prefer duck eggs! Our runner ducks are so amazing. I also understand how you feel about finding a village.
I've been wanting to maintain a sourdough starter and bake bread. Got some starter from a family member, 2025 is the year!
That’s awesome! 2025 sounds like the perfect year to start baking your own bread. I’m sure you’ll do great with it!
I've got a lot of good recipes. Denser loaf, boules, croutons, pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, etc. There is soooo much you can do with sourdough!
I feel your pain with making friends. I’ve been in my current city for almost 20 years and haven’t made friends. Moving somewhere new where everyone already has their “people” is hard. I wish you luck with this. I think the only way to make true friends is just to remain open but don’t try to force it. At least that’s what I’m trying to do while raising 4 small children❤
Thank you for sharing that-it really is hard, isn’t it? Moving somewhere new where everyone already has their circle can feel so daunting. Staying open but not forcing it sounds like the perfect approach, especially while raising 4 little ones! ❤ Wishing you all the best-you’ve got this!
Love your little homestead... you have accomplished so much since moving there. I bought a bag of lemons yesterday, sliced them thin, and am them drying in my dehydrator. We enjoy lemon in our green tea. Thanks for sharing your wonderful video's with us. 💗
Thank you so much for the kind words! 💗 It means a lot to hear that you enjoy the homestead and the videos. Drying lemons is such a great idea! Lemon in green tea sounds so refreshing. I love that you’re finding ways to preserve things like that-it’s all about those little steps! Thanks again for watching and sharing your ideas!
I would be honoured to be a friend of yours, I really appreciate your thoughts. Still looking for my village too, here. Best wishes from Italy
We are nearly neighbours! Greetings from Croatia 😊
you are too kind. Thank you for being a friend online, that counts too!! Hugs from Canada!
@@BacktothelandCroatiaedition 🤗hugs!
Do you homeschool? If so, I’d love to hear about that. We moved to a town that has amazing alternative schools so this year we’re considering school. We also feel the need for community and friends, especially in a new town away from family. Also looking forward to learning foraging and mushroom inoculation!
Also I love your videos and love that you and Joseph have been able to grow together. You started in such a different place and yet here you both are working a new or new version of your dream 😊
Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊 We started out with a ton of debt and not much of anything, but we’ve been working toward this dream since 2013. It’s been a long road, but here we are now! Your support truly means the world to us!
I wonder about grafting young apple branches onto old trees for science?
We do rabbits since our property is small. They're great! Just finding a good breeding pair may be a challenge. Otherwise I have no complaints. I still like chicken more but rabbit noodle soup is way better than chicken imo. We also like BBQ rabbit. Otherwise I haven't tried to many other ways to cook it. I'd like to try rabbit pot pie this year. They basically tastes like chicken thighs.
Freerange eggs are so plentiful where I am that people only charge about $4/dozen here. How long did it take you to process 100 chickens?! It took us an entire day to do 30 and we have teens to help! We don't know if we will be moving so my main goal this year is learning how to use wheat berries and grind them myself. If we stay and can afford it we will start to also set up our orchard and berry patch.
It took us three days with our kids helping to do 120 chickens, but we did it in blocks of time so we wouldn't burn out. I've heard such goof things about grinding your own wheat berries, please let me know how it goes!
Apricots in your orchard--skip the bananas! Apricots are the best thing to can and put up for winter treats. That's what we do here in the 406.
I can't wait to have ours to produce!!
I wish that you achieve all your goals and more. We are pretty similar in our values but at least 10h apart, so that would be a very wide community friends! haha! If you go into rabbits one day, I have almost 10 years of experience now, so don't be shy to ask!
We are too! And from you not terribly far I don't think but at least 5 lol....Northern ontario here right at the Quebec border.
You already do such a great job just don't beat yourself up for thrifting or driving sometimes you just need to get out and that's ok. My husband and I wanted to eat more at home then eating out. We were eating out almost every day maybe every second day. Our goal was twice a week then once a week and we just had our very first full week without buying fast food. We have eaten out 3 times in a row lately (1 was paid by gift card) and bam right back to cooking at home. its ebbs and flows and we just need to get back on the train. I totally get the goals, and I am rooting for you I just don't want you to be upset with yourselves.
Thank you so much for your understanding and support! 😊 We’re actually avoiding thrift stores altogether right now to keep from buying anything we don’t need. After last year’s challenges, we’re focusing on very intentional with our money and keeping our spending in check. I really admire how you and your husband are working toward cooking more at home. It’s great to hear that you’ve made such progress, even with the occasional slip-up-it’s all part of the process! Thanks for rooting for us, and we’re all just trying to stay on track together!
Have you read Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard or Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake? The last part of the video about reconnecting with nature made me think of those books, which I LOVE.
I will check them out, thank you!!
This coming year I would like to experiment with fermented hot sauces.
We did that this year, they turned out awesome!!
❤🎉😊
Expand our herbal garden, maybe get a greenhouse and definitely put in grapes
Gosh, is it weird to say that I would totally be your friend if I lived near you?!
Not weird at all! Thank you! :D
Have you decided on a goat breed? Ive got some experience with goats, just say the word and ill be happy to give you a few pointers. Same goes for the pigs.
I'd love to purchase from you, how can I contact you for the summer? Thanks!
I'll post on here/my Facebook and Instagram about how much garlic I've harvested, and then go from there! I'm a don't count your chickens before their hatched sort of person, though I am very optimistic about a good garlic haul this year!
@FairlyRooted looking forward to it!
What are the benefits of keeping goats?
Pasture management, milk and meat.
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