You have a beautiful place that you have poured your hearts into, as an older debt free person who is an empty nester now I would advice to add onto your home to make it work. Believe it or not the children will be moving out sooner than you realize, moving is not cheap when you consider all the expenses. Just my 2 cents, good plans for 2025.
i agree :) maybe instead of moving, consider making "out buildings" like an outdoor kitchen for all the food prep, a cozy cabin for kids to sleep or guests, a mini office building... sometimes its just space that you may need... 10 or 20 feet from the big house (the main house)... just an idea... your property is so beautiful and so valuable with all the hard work invested... Blessings ~
Excited for the container garden adventure and mushroom growing! I don’t have a lot of land and am looking forward to this content. Great ideas for 2025!
We had a summer kitchen on the side off the house, where we do canning, butcher the pig,chikens,turkeys,ducks rabbits ( we raised rabbits for meat),No mess in the house, easy to clean.
I’ve had a wondermill for 15 years and it’s great! It has a fine to course setting and works great! I’ve ground around 1000 pounds of grain and it’s still going strong!
My 40 something daughter tells me that your channel is her favorite because you keep it real. I agree with her.😊 Has Ohio always been home? If you could homestead anywhere else where would it be? All the best for you and your family in 2025!
Your house looks SO cozy!! I would do a nice add on!!!🤔😊. We raised a family of 4 girls in a 1200 sq. Ft. house w/ a half basement, for 13yrs! (3BD&1& a half bath!)
Rachel and Todd at That 1870s Homestead did a video this past spring ( I think)about tapping their trees. They have a few maples but also tapped walnuts and something else. It looked reasonably easy. You guys may want to check it out. Great video , as always, today. Excited about the things you all discussed. Blessings to your family!
I'd love a tiny water source to help attract dragonflies and frogs to help combat the mosquitoes. We have two or three bats, but not much else to naturally fight the mosquitoes. I have less than 1 acre in a township so a big pond isn't feasible.
Why? They don't suffer from the "more" syndrome. Their home suits them just fine. Homesteaders don't LIVE in their homes. They sleep in them and they prepare food in them. Most of their days are outside. City folk don't understand that.
@@5GreenAcres They said their house is feeling too small for six people. In Ohio, most days are spent inside during freezing winters. The original comment was just comparing staying where they are and adding on versus buying a larger home somewhere else. If they decide to sell this property and move, all of the effort they put into this homestead will make their home sell for more money to put into their new home, if that's what they choose.
I actually was watching one of your older videos when you released this one. That's good timing! I'm learning a ton from you guys so thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge. Your videos are also very professionally made in my opinion ❤❤
Watching your vid as I knit a cotton beanie, and I agree 100% on the minimising synthetic clothing. Microplastics in our lungs and entering our blood stream are not good for us, and the clothes we wear are a major source - being right here where we're breathing as they are. We can't completely eliminate plastics from our homes. Aside from anything else, plastic is the insulation of choice for all the electrical and electronic stuff we use. But microplastics are dose-responsive, so anything that we can do to reduce our exposure is a good thing. Removing plastics from our clothes, our beds, and our kitchens, *will* make a difference. Also, extending your house is definitely the least expensive option for getting more house room, and means you don't have to deal with leaving behind your soil and garden and orchard to start from scratch somewhere new, learning the nuances of the weather in a different location, or even just packing up all your household stuff to move. 10/10 that's the way to go... or rather, that's the way to stay!
Happy New Year to all of you at the farm from a cold viking in Oslo Norway. It is always a pleasure to watch your videos. I am sorry your fruit trees did not deliver. However, you need to prune them,,,,hard. It will take 3-5 years to make the basis for a good fruit tree. Keep up the good work and God bless you.
I’m in SW Ohio. Hot peppers and potatoes do well in grow bags, and tomatoes do fairly well too (with good support). I have found that using a mower bagger is a game-changer for collecting mulch material. And you should definitely consider planting some maple trees-making your own syrup is incredibly rewarding!
Please!!! Don't EITHER of you look at anything as a "fail". You do so very much and so many things. You are busy every minute with your homestead and family. Look at yourselves in the mirror and just give yourselves a big hug. Fantastic job; AND you found time to share it with everyone else! ❤
I have been planting fruit trees for several years and I have been losing fruit trees for several year. Peaches start out good and then the wind blows and no peaches. Apple tree has small hard apples with pest problems and pear trees are newer, but no pears. Every cherry tree dies within two years. On a better side blueberry, strawberry, blackberry and elderberry are coming along fine. I agree, the homesteading lifestyle does change the way and spaces in your home. God bless y'all and keep growing!
You definitely are not alone! We have been the weirdos since the early 2000's. Our whole family loved watching you guys. I think it relaxes us and motivates us. We also don't feel as alone thanks to youtube. Keep doing what you're doing!
SO SO happy to hear about the grow bag/small space gardening you’re doing! with all your knowledge and wisdom about gardening, combined with the challenge of doing it in containers, will make your channel THAT much more relatable and inspiring for the majority of people around the world ❤️ as someone who has lived in apartments and is now lucky enough to rent a house with a small backyard, i’m so excited to follow along with this project you’ll be doing!!
I gathered a lot from this video - The #1 thing though was - your goals work well because of the respect you have for one another’s ambitions - weather they are separate goals or not the team work to make those happen is what is bringing your success’❤ Cody one thing that may help If your bees have issue this winter is - make sure your hive backs are with the prevailing winds - then put up a wind block - a natural stick fence or regular fence thick shrubs or something - bees fly to & fro at the front and cold wind is the hardest on them… it helped mine a lot👍🏼
We live on 80 acres but learn alot from the two of you. We love your future plan of showing how to garden in a small space. A wonderful idea to share for those who live urban in apartments or seniors who have now only got a small outdoor space. You are both wonderful people.🇨🇦
I broke down last year and bought a small chipper… it chips up to a 1/2 inch branches. Now I have enough mulch for a lifetime. Just from pruning shrubs and several ornamental trees… BEST PURCHASE EVER. Happy New Year guys! 🎊 🎉🥳
Oh and I forgot! I planted 6 broccoli plants in an experimental winter garden… Here in California it stayed above 100’ until halfway through November and then overnight it was 50… So I transplanted them. I went out to play with the dog and weed and check on things AND MY 6 BROCCOLI HAVE TEENY TINY BROCCOLI HEADS GROWING! Very very exciting!🎉🎉🎉
I got a leaf vacuum for Christmas. It was like $60-something and I love it. It just sucks them right up, chips them, and then the bag is so easy to empty. I don’t care about the leaves in my yard, but I have a fenced in area that accumulates them. Now I can get them out easily and also have leaf mulch to use for several things. I’m going to use it in the summer too to suck up the grass clippings because it’s so easy to suck up and empty.
I grew all of my sweet potatoes in (8) 30 gal. grow bags this year and set them along our residential fence. I leaned open tomato cages as a trellis between the bags and the fence. It made a beautiful wall of vines. The benefit to using the grow bags for sweet potatoes was that my husband and his brother just lifted the bags and dumped into a wheelbarrow to harvest - no digging and no searching the whole bed - no damage to the potatoes by accidentally pitchforking them. In my very first year of growing something other than cherry tomatoes, we harvested about 40 pounds of sweet potatoes, and I had no idea what we were doing and made some mistakes. We tried six varieties from different sources and then had a blind taste test. Our absolute favorites were Seon Mi, a Korean variety and Carogold - a bright orange with purple skin that were perfect lunch sized and very stringless with the best flavor. Both of those came from Rare Seeds/Bakers Creek. 15:16
I love your property it's beautiful. Is it possible to build a separate building for extra things for your homestead? Like having an outdoor kitchen for milking supplies,canning supplies and anything needed to help unburden your house for living in. Plan well for a heating and water source. This would allow you to work on this while not changing your home.And this could be done while living in your home without all the mess. Also everyone in your family could input their thoughts or suggestions. Sry I'm rambling just a thought 🤔
I am a 70 year old retired female living in the suburbs who raised 4 kids. My front yard has no grass- my bro-in -law helped with bringing in topsoil & bobcat to make berms for veggies & flowers. This area gas the best sun. In the back yard I have raised beds. Young people need to learn to cook from scratch & buy & freeze seasonally. Dehydrating herbs has been so much fun. I even dry on a folding table in my garage. Google plant nutrients. U can make all kinds of tea. We need to learn to make do with what we can afford. This summer I am sharing a goat butchering- cheaper than beef. Make challenges your fun times. I helped butcher chickens w my friend's chickens for the first time. Not hard. Just time consuming. I really ❤ your channel.
Even though I long for a homestead, I know it will never be. However, I learned many lessons from your channel, one being that everyone can live with more intention and regain some control over their lives and food sources. No matter where you live, like me in suburbia, everyone can do something. I grow most of our vegetables that we eat in the summer, from my tiny backyard. The rest comes from supporting local farmers and homesteaders. I learned to make bread, canning, gardening. and so much more. I still buy from the store for items I cannot buy elsewhere, however there are many items on my pantry shelves that I used to buy from the grocery store that I now make myself 😁🙌
Oh my goodness, y'all just keep getting better. You are my favorite homesteading family to watch. I so enjoy seeing your thought processes as you work through your plans. I am starting my first 'real' garden this spring but look forward to seeing you doing some gardening in containers, as I will be using a mixture of both pots and in ground. Sorry for running on. Good luck to you as you continue to refine your plans. Sending love and hugs to you and your family. :)
Joined Thrive Market through your link. Awesome products, reasonable prices. Many items I have not been purchasing because of the price but, through Thrive I can get them now! Thank you!
I just bought my second grain mill, it's a Nutrimill Harvest. It's a stone mill, quieter than most mills, and zero mess when milling grains into flour.
First of all, I would like to wish you a healthy and peaceful year 2025. Thank you for your time and making the interesting video. It inspires me to focus better and write down my goals. Building a self-sufficient garden alongside the work in my practice is sometimes disrupted by many unforeseeable events and then I sometimes forget to keep my focus. Thank you for your many tips, I learn a lot from you. I am so happy for you that your dreams and hopes are being fulfilled and that you have gained so many followers and sponsors. I prayed for this, I wish it to you from the bottom of my heart. For me you are the greatest channel, thank you for your empathy and support so that I can continue to grow and become self-sufficient. I send you my best wishes and wish you a good time.
I've said it before, but you two are so smart and have an abundance of common sense. You're doing so well, it's great to see it. Advice if you choose the addition option on your existing home, keep in mind if you don't do a basement under the addition, it will never be as comfortable as the rest of your house (temperature wise). We have two additions and neither are effective at maintaining heat or air con temps no matter what we do. I think an experienced hvac person could explain it better than I could. Good luck and I hope you accomplish at least half of your list - that's a huge win in my mind:-)
Last year was tough because I lost my dad to cancer. The garden got neglected so I could take care of him (it was my honor and privilege to do so). This year, God willing, I want to grow more things vertically in our raised beds, and grow more herbs so I can dry them and use some medicinally. I have a ton of ideas and wishes in my head but I think I’d better just stick to those two!
All of your content is inspiring-but your loofah trellis has become my (and, my daughter’s) #1 hope and dream for our garden next year. Thanks for the inspiration.
we have a "lawn sweeper" and it's incredibly helpful! We attach it to the back of a 4wheeler and then just rake up all the leaves and empty it near the compost / garden then rake into a pile!
I grew up with 7 of us in a 1200 sq ft home. We didn’t have the livestock but we did have a full garden with all the preserving. My dad’s house had 13 and was just as small. I guess the sanity was saved by all kids were almost always outside.
I have a Nutrimill Classic & love it! It mills nice & fine. I do everything exclusively fresh milled flour & almost everything sourdough for our personal use & to sell. I get so many compliments that they didn't know bread could taste so good! AND kids LOVE it - best compliment ever!
Maybe a stand-alone summer kitchen for cooking and/or a tiny house dedicated as a school room for the kids would help take some of the pressure off of the main house. I’m sure it’s a relief to (almost) have the office/studio finished so Cody can get out of the closet. A tiny house could easily be repurposed once the kids are grown up as well.
I love you guys. I've been really happy with our Komo classics grain mill. Happy new year and I wish you the best in 2025. Your family inspires me. Thank you!
Dexters can also be milked every once in a while too if you wanted to and don't require milking every day! A local Dexter farmer was telling me that they only give about a gallon or less a day which could work for butter/ghee! It also tastes like jersey milk. The meat is delicious as well which is what made my wife and I want to get a couple later this year.
Man I know when I finally get a homestead that having the meat cow butchered will be the hardest thing for me. I know I’ll get attached. Hero seems like such an easy going guy 😢. I know… I know, you gotta separate yourself, but dang.
I can't get pigs for that reason. I buy from a local farmer. I just can't eat a pet. I spoke to a butcher at our local meat market. He said he had to call the owners back after the pig was in the trailer. They couldn't get it to come out so they needed the owner to come and call it out!!!!! He said that was the hardest thing as a butcher for him to see and do as a butcher.
@@5GreenAcresoh my goodness that’s heartbreaking! I eat meat, and I know all the details, but I could never butcher and eat my own animals. I’ll weave the cloth and make the pottery to swap for meat with the ones who are able to butcher 🤷🏼♀️
You are not alone. Growing up on what I realize now was a mini homestead we had a cow for milk and every other year a calf. We played with it and gave it a name and always felt sad when it was butchered and taken into town for wrapping. Hogs on the other hand we were glad to see them go because they ALWAYS escaped their pens and embarrassed us in front of our friends. Sorry...
Awesome recap and look forward. I'm with you on quite a few of your goals. Best of luck from "next door" here in Indiana! Can't wait to see how you all do this year!
This past year was the 2nd year I did raised bed gardening. I learned so much from the first year that I applied to my 2024 garden. I’m excited for the upcoming planting season; I want to have more success with certain crops. I’m very limited because we have just the backyard to grow in.
We started with a turkey fryer and finished off in the house. We make about 5 gallons a year, enough for family, cooking and gifting. The turkey fryer was cheap but the propane did get expensive. We learned to use a large tank. We noticed that small batch syrup tastes better than even buying local maple syrup. Have fun exploring it, we now look forward to “mud season” as my husband calls it.
You guys have some great goals, very thought out and intentional. If you haven't heard of this you tuber, Felicia from Grains and grits channel. She would be an excellent resource. Also, Rain country on you tube makes all different kinds of meads, she would be an excellent resource for that. Can't wait to see what happenstance next year on your channel!
I will have a very minimal space to grow and it has been years since ive done much gardening and would love educational vidoes from you all. It will be awesome! Thank you for sharing with us!
We've had Dexters and mini Hereford. Mini Hereford are better cows as far as attitude and more meat offered. Our family is so excited to see your goals come to be this year! Blessings to y'all.
Our having to move 4 times and starting over each time was extremely stressful, not to mention having to leave fantastic gardens each time. 🙄 We built two of those places ourselves and would suggest adding onto your place, especially with the gifted men in your families. 😊 The kids grow up very quickly and leave home. Taxes on a large place will strap your retirement years. 😉
You guys are so great and so real. I love watching warts and all videos. I spent 3 years in a 4 bed house with 7 people. It sucked, but we had an end date. You guys don’t really have an end date any time soon! Go bigger xxx I’m so glad about the mental health stuff you guys mention. Like Michelle, I have SAD badly, and I hate change. I developed chronic pain this year (despite my mostly clean diet… sometimes it just happens, right?) and ugh. Things suck. Happy New Year to you and the kids. Hoping for a few holidays for you guys in 2025.
If I were you, I would just build onto your existing home. Eventually your kids will get older and I imagine be going to college. Then it would be just the two of you. Being stuck with an even larger home, if you were to buy another property and build, it would feel so empty when your kids are gone, just something to keep in mind. I dislike change as well, but just adding on would be a slight change and it would still be an adventure, because you get to design it yourself. Sounds like a win, win. Anyway, I love your content and can't wait to see your garden this year! Happy new year!
I totally feel your pain on not having enough room for homesteading items! Every time we finally buy something that I feel is essential but takes up more room, I find myself getting rid of more and more things that aren't totally essential. Wondering how much of my craft room I'll need to convert to storage haha!
Looking forward to seeing how your goals are reached this year. Best of luck!! Congrats on the office and chicken coop almost being finished. I know you've have your Chevy a few months. Hope you are enjoying it. I have a 17 Silverado and love it. We needed it to do hay delivery all summer and fall this year and it was a rock star. I added container gardening last year. I learned allot. The biggest being when it's really hot they need LOTS of watering. They dry out pretty fast. We are currently on a small property and having containers along our driveway was huge. It nearly doubled my gardening space from my in ground garden. I went very cheap because it was a test last year by using plastic totes that I drilled holes in (huge success) big round containers from trees and grow bags. I'm definitely doing it again this year to add more to dehydrate like herbs. My carrots did well in them too. I also suffer from SAD and have since my teenage years because I love the sun and being outside. Led bulbs, a light therapy lamp and a huge help has been staying busy. I'm so busy decluttering, doing freezer and pantry inventory, cooking, baking, crafting etc that I forget it's dark outside. Another big help is listening to instrumental music. Keeps my daughter and I calm all day. Definitely consider doing an addition to your house. My parents did that to both ends of theirs and doubled their small home space while s still being able to keep their land. You both have worked so hard on improving your land. My 5 year old got out a kick out of the cow puppet in the root cellar. Every single time I bring up a new video she gets so excited and says "it's Codi and Michelle who gave us our mushroom kit and book!" She's become a fan too.
I read some of Joyce meyers books and they help so much. One was thankful, joyful, dealing with anxiety. For instance she says one bad thing happens, you then think of two good things out of the bad. It works! Like my toilet broke but I can call a plumber or my husband can repair it or at least I have a warm bathroom to go in.
My husband and I are so inspired by you guys. We are moving to 48 acres soon and look forward to growing our own vegetables. We stopped eating meat and dairy a few years ago due to health issues and we eat Whole Food Plant Based. Growing our own fruits and vegetables is so exciting but also intimidating. So thank you for sharing your experience and tips. After seeing your raspberries we definitely want to add that to our garden. ❤
Hello Michelle and Cody. Enjoyed your video and love the way you make up your goal board. I really need to incorporate that in our lives. Have a great day and stay warm, it’s cold here in Kentucky as well. Lisa
Hello! All of my gardening is in containers. Try bush zucchini and cucumbers. I have wonderful results in 16" pots. Tomatoes are easy, too. The biggest thing is watering a couple of times per day in 90f weather. You have to really watch. My pots are right near my water source. Good luck! From Ohio zone 6b😊
I tried the grow bag route last year in addition to our gardens. I didn't have good success here in Central Kentucky. Herbs did great, shallots okay. Everything else did not thrive at ALL. It was a fun experiment! I'm looking forward to see how yours grow 😊
One way that my husband and I kept making maple syrup on a budget was to go to our local grocery stores that have a bakery and ask for empty frosting buckets. Employees were happy to pass them along! Got some blue tubing from with tap from Amazon and drilled the trees, inserted tubing to tree and bucket, and we were able to get a ton of sap. I still need to work on honing in on the boiling skill because that's the part I struggled with. Had 2 instant pots running for hours and then over boil the sap in like 5 minutes...😪 Thanks for the video! I hope you are able to accomplish all of your goals this year!
I'd go with addition - 2 o3 bedrooms w bathroom. Also it would really help you to have larger sunroom/summer kitchen, where you don't have to clean after every canning etc. Good luck from Toronto!!!
Happy New Year! Great chat... I 💗you guys & the (realistic) goals you've set. I'm so here for the ride & excited to see you all stretch yourselves & accomplish things.
What a great recap and goal setting. You guys are so much fun to watch. I love the laughs and reality you bring. I would recommend looking into red light therapy machines for SAD!
1870s Homestead I think has a video on taping their maples. I've noticed everyone is doing the gourd lufa sponge. Yes me included just got my seeds. I saw it first on your channel. 😊. I have 3 arch trellis. Absolutely love them. Last season I grew cherry tomatoes on 2 they did great. Normally I do cucumbers and small melons. Love seeing your channel grow.
Love your ideas for this year😊. Regarding the part in which you talk about how small your house is, why not seek help with that in your community? Someone who knows about developping property and additional living space. It might suprise you how simple ideas go a long way.
I sure wish you guys were my neighbors. I can help you out with the orchard vineyard side of things and you guys could teach me the livestock side of things. If you end up moving, it's hard to leave the gardens in all behind but don't forget you get to bring all the knowledge you've gained in the process with you😊
Sounds like a good plan, best of luck. Wow cold there, big snow storm just south of u, but Michelle, a winter toque in the house, come on Codi throw some more pellets in the stove lol. Cold here too, lake effect snow off Lake Huron here, -15C and 12” snow, that would be about 5 Fahrenheit for you guys. Love the show keep it going. 😊
Looove your Chanel and attitudes. Here in Alaska, about April, we tap the birch trees. BUT it’s about simmering down 25 - 30 gallon sap to get 1 gal of great syrup. Keep up the great work ,…
I didn't accomplish my goal last year of getting my driveway done so I can actually live on my own property instead of with friends, but I did hire someone to help me get it started and scheduled time with my mom and uncle to get it finished ❤ It finally feels doable and hopefully by July this year I'll reach that goal 😊 The other important thing for me was my garden, thankfully my friends were happy to let me play around with some small inground beds so I'm getting a little experience 😁
Hi guys happy new year , im hoping for a good 2025 , im in England , i love watching you , wow the maple syrup sounds yummy a sticky toffee pudding with some in it sound yummy make one PLEASE, 👍 our village was given lottery money so we put it towards a community garden , some of us have raised flower beds , and some shared ones , we only got it ready in August last year so it all been a experiment like you , i grew heart cabbage, green cabbage , raddish , sprouts, beetroot , pok choy , carrots , i did ok , so cant wait to fellow you guys , youve just mentioned about patio planting so maybe helpful to watch , weve just had a big polytunnel , put up , so we haven't got anything going in there yet , someone is putting there bee haves on the land , we are looking into fruit trees , plus all this will bring the village together, im not a good mixer , but i am when outside , stress anxiety, panic attacks , so im really going to push myself and i think the garden will help me , anyway you can count on me following you live to you all , oh when i was small my mum use to buy raspberry vinegar oil , for coughs sore throat , it worked , use to separate just shake bottle , you dont see it now in modern chemist pharmacy, keep busy, keep well , lots of luck and happy memories, 👍🌈🫶🍀 weve just had 8 inch of snow now its icy 🥶 , 👍❄️ roll on warm sunshine , can you tell me more about the lights you put above your sink to help with SAD x bye for now , cant wait to follow you guys x 😘
I hope you add on to your house and make life easier for your self. It’s a necessary must. I like the ideal of having a sitting place in my kitchen. I lace a large dinning room and a small dinning area in my kitchen. A lot of my family have borrowed my 4 piece dinning set over the years so that I just mad a sitting place in my small eating area. I can look out the dbl window and watch cars coming and going down the road. I can read or even nap in there
I don't know what your beliefs are, but we are spirit beings that possess souls (our minds, free wills & emotions) and we live in a body. It's a shell we live in. The bible says, we are to renew our minds w/the word of God (Rom 12). I can sit here & quote bible verses nonstop... but, I jus wanted to share... I have been in a season that has totally transformed my life w/peace, joy & so many positive things... it came from focusing on feeding my spirit, returning my focus to my faith in God & my relationship with Jesus. It has changed everything (reading the word, meditating on scripture, prayer, worship music, etc). I know we all have different beliefs, but there is only 1 truth. I just felt led to share cause it totally eliminated my life of anxiety, depression, how I handle stress etc.... I love your videos... we live 2 totally different lifestyles... I am a 51 yr old single mother (1 daughter 25), live in a small suburb in Oklahoma & in a completely different season of life. But, I believe the Lord brought me to your channel & it is such a blessing in my life. I believe ya'll have found your calling & it is a joy we get to be a part of it. I know you are helping SO MANY OTHERS with the same desires to live more how we were created to. God bless! Looking forward to 2025, you will THRIVE. I have no doubt. ❤
Michelle, I have been doing sourdough for about a year and a half. I have made cookies, bread, soft sandwich bread, biscuits, crackers, English muffins, pancakes, waffles and bagels. It’s so versatile. I look forward to seeing what recipes you discover. Let me know if you’re interested in any recipes.
Try browning real butter in a saucepan, but don't burn it and pour it on anything. You're eating vegetables potatoes , to me, it's the most amazing flavor and grow lots of herbs in your garden, dehydrate them. Sprinkle them on your food, cook with them.
Hi Cody and Michelle, one thing to check out is whether your plum tree needs another plum tree to actually produce plums. I found that out, so got a Toku plum, which is a good pollinator plum tree. You probably have it covered already, but just in case...thank you for this video! Believe me, I never get everything on the list done!🌻 Michelle, I so encourage you to teach your children to cook, and your boys especially, truthfully. In my generation, a million or so years ago, men could MAYBE cook eggs or a hot dog. Sadly, my Mom died when I and my brothers were still home, and my dad had to be both Mom and Dad to us, including cooking. It was a rough 4 years, until my wonderful step-mom came and saved us! The good thing is that my brothers and myself really began loving working with food, and it gave my dad a break. Not that anything like that will ever happen, but it's a win-win for your lads to show off their cooking skills to future girlfriends, ha ha! 💖
Hi Michelle I have a recommendation in forward to fabric, i know u said u want to get some more natural fabric and stuff but what I do is I crochet or sew my clothes,😅it will take some learning to do but it’s fun I know u don’t like change Wich I get, but it’s so fun to learn and u can even do it with ur children,I’ve been watching you guys for a little more than 7 months and I have learned SO MUCH from you guys I watch you guys 24/7 and every Monday when I wake up I rush to your TH-cam channel to see if you guys have posted yet lol,you guys are so incredibly talented and inspiring to me, as for myself I do some gardening and we’re thinking about getting some chickens as well this year I know this is kinda long but YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST,it’s also been snowing here as well lol and I love all the things u guys accomplished this year and I’m excited for next year for you guys.❤❤❤
I'm starting an entire area of grow bag growing this year. Living in California, I'm getting ready to start planting in a few weeks. I've prepared my soil so I'm ready to go.
You have a beautiful place that you have poured your hearts into, as an older debt free person who is an empty nester now I would advice to add onto your home to make it work. Believe it or not the children will be moving out sooner than you realize, moving is not cheap when you consider all the expenses. Just my 2 cents, good plans for 2025.
i agree :)
maybe instead of moving, consider making "out buildings" like an outdoor kitchen for all the food prep, a cozy cabin for kids to sleep or guests, a mini office building... sometimes its just space that you may need... 10 or 20 feet from the big house (the main house)...
just an idea...
your property is so beautiful and so valuable with all the hard work invested...
Blessings ~
Excited for the container garden adventure and mushroom growing! I don’t have a lot of land and am looking forward to this content. Great ideas for 2025!
There is NO greater gift to future daughter-in-laws than to teach your boys to cook.
Yes! I’m making him a cookbook so he can know all of the recipes he learns for his wife❤️
We had a summer kitchen on the side off the house, where we do canning, butcher the pig,chikens,turkeys,ducks rabbits ( we raised rabbits for meat),No mess in the house, easy to clean.
I’ve had a wondermill for 15 years and it’s great! It has a fine to course setting and works great! I’ve ground around 1000 pounds of grain and it’s still going strong!
My 40 something daughter tells me that your channel is her favorite because you keep it real. I agree with her.😊
Has Ohio always been home?
If you could homestead anywhere else where would it be?
All the best for you and your family in 2025!
Your house looks SO cozy!! I would do a nice add on!!!🤔😊. We raised a family of 4 girls in a 1200 sq. Ft. house w/ a half basement, for 13yrs! (3BD&1& a half bath!)
Rachel and Todd at That 1870s Homestead did a video this past spring ( I think)about tapping their trees. They have a few maples but also tapped walnuts and something else. It looked reasonably easy. You guys may want to check it out. Great video , as always, today. Excited about the things you all discussed. Blessings to your family!
One thing you are missing....a pond. If you have waterfowl it is important to have a pond. Love your channel. Love your family!
I'd love a tiny water source to help attract dragonflies and frogs to help combat the mosquitoes. We have two or three bats, but not much else to naturally fight the mosquitoes. I have less than 1 acre in a township so a big pond isn't feasible.
Please extend your house, don't leave behind all the extraordinary work you have put in that property
Why? They don't suffer from the "more" syndrome. Their home suits them just fine. Homesteaders don't LIVE in their homes. They sleep in them and they prepare food in them. Most of their days are outside. City folk don't understand that.
@@5GreenAcres They said their house is feeling too small for six people. In Ohio, most days are spent inside during freezing winters. The original comment was just comparing staying where they are and adding on versus buying a larger home somewhere else. If they decide to sell this property and move, all of the effort they put into this homestead will make their home sell for more money to put into their new home, if that's what they choose.
@@jenniferl6553 Agree and I understand.
I agree completely! With the high cost of home insurance, property taxes and utilities...I would add on to your beautiful home.
@@jenniferl6553unfortunately most homesteading improvements do not provide a financial return upon selling.
Don't feel bad. Fruit trees are a learning curve.
I actually was watching one of your older videos when you released this one. That's good timing! I'm learning a ton from you guys so thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge. Your videos are also very professionally made in my opinion ❤❤
Glad to hear it! Thank you so much!😊
Watching your vid as I knit a cotton beanie, and I agree 100% on the minimising synthetic clothing. Microplastics in our lungs and entering our blood stream are not good for us, and the clothes we wear are a major source - being right here where we're breathing as they are.
We can't completely eliminate plastics from our homes. Aside from anything else, plastic is the insulation of choice for all the electrical and electronic stuff we use. But microplastics are dose-responsive, so anything that we can do to reduce our exposure is a good thing. Removing plastics from our clothes, our beds, and our kitchens, *will* make a difference.
Also, extending your house is definitely the least expensive option for getting more house room, and means you don't have to deal with leaving behind your soil and garden and orchard to start from scratch somewhere new, learning the nuances of the weather in a different location, or even just packing up all your household stuff to move. 10/10 that's the way to go... or rather, that's the way to stay!
Happy New Year to all of you at the farm from a cold viking in Oslo Norway. It is always a pleasure to watch your videos. I am sorry your fruit trees did not deliver. However, you need to prune them,,,,hard. It will take 3-5 years to make the basis for a good fruit tree. Keep up the good work and God bless you.
I’m in SW Ohio. Hot peppers and potatoes do well in grow bags, and tomatoes do fairly well too (with good support). I have found that using a mower bagger is a game-changer for collecting mulch material. And you should definitely consider planting some maple trees-making your own syrup is incredibly rewarding!
Please!!! Don't EITHER of you look at anything as a "fail". You do so very much and so many things. You are busy every minute with your homestead and family. Look at yourselves in the mirror and just give yourselves a big hug. Fantastic job; AND you found time to share it with everyone else! ❤
So kind of you to say that, thank you.😊
@@morethanfarmersI love your TH-cam channel soooo much I rush every Monday to see if you guys post yet lol
I have been planting fruit trees for several years and I have been losing fruit trees for several year. Peaches start out good and then the wind blows and no peaches. Apple tree has small hard apples with pest problems and pear trees are newer, but no pears. Every cherry tree dies within two years. On a better side blueberry, strawberry, blackberry and elderberry are coming along fine. I agree, the homesteading lifestyle does change the way and spaces in your home. God bless y'all and keep growing!
You definitely are not alone! We have been the weirdos since the early 2000's. Our whole family loved watching you guys. I think it relaxes us and motivates us. We also don't feel as alone thanks to youtube. Keep doing what you're doing!
SO SO happy to hear about the grow bag/small space gardening you’re doing! with all your knowledge and wisdom about gardening, combined with the challenge of doing it in containers, will make your channel THAT much more relatable and inspiring for the majority of people around the world ❤️
as someone who has lived in apartments and is now lucky enough to rent a house with a small backyard, i’m so excited to follow along with this project you’ll be doing!!
Glad ya'll are back. Hope you had a good rest. And catch up on family time.
I gathered a lot from this video - The #1 thing though was - your goals work well because of the respect you have for one another’s ambitions - weather they are separate goals or not the team work to make those happen is what is bringing your success’❤
Cody one thing that may help If your bees have issue this winter is - make sure your hive backs are with the prevailing winds - then put up a wind block - a natural stick fence or regular fence thick shrubs or something - bees fly to & fro at the front and cold wind is the hardest on them… it helped mine a lot👍🏼
We live on 80 acres but learn alot from the two of you. We love your future plan of showing how to garden in a small space. A wonderful idea to share for those who live urban in apartments or seniors who have now only got a small outdoor space. You are both wonderful people.🇨🇦
Watch Bri Ellis on how she does her backyard gardening. She uses trellis in so many places. Just maybe some ideas. Happy New Year.
I broke down last year and bought a small chipper… it chips up to a 1/2 inch branches. Now I have enough mulch for a lifetime. Just from pruning shrubs and several ornamental trees… BEST PURCHASE EVER. Happy New Year guys! 🎊 🎉🥳
Oh and I forgot! I planted 6 broccoli plants in an experimental winter garden… Here in California it stayed above 100’ until halfway through November and then overnight it was 50… So I transplanted them. I went out to play with the dog and weed and check on things AND MY 6 BROCCOLI HAVE TEENY TINY BROCCOLI HEADS GROWING! Very very exciting!🎉🎉🎉
That’s awesome!😄 Good for you!
I got a leaf vacuum for Christmas. It was like $60-something and I love it. It just sucks them right up, chips them, and then the bag is so easy to empty. I don’t care about the leaves in my yard, but I have a fenced in area that accumulates them. Now I can get them out easily and also have leaf mulch to use for several things. I’m going to use it in the summer too to suck up the grass clippings because it’s so easy to suck up and empty.
I grew all of my sweet potatoes in (8) 30 gal. grow bags this year and set them along our residential fence. I leaned open tomato cages as a trellis between the bags and the fence. It made a beautiful wall of vines. The benefit to using the grow bags for sweet potatoes was that my husband and his brother just lifted the bags and dumped into a wheelbarrow to harvest - no digging and no searching the whole bed - no damage to the potatoes by accidentally pitchforking them. In my very first year of growing something other than cherry tomatoes, we harvested about 40 pounds of sweet potatoes, and I had no idea what we were doing and made some mistakes. We tried six varieties from different sources and then had a blind taste test. Our absolute favorites were Seon Mi, a Korean variety and Carogold - a bright orange with purple skin that were perfect lunch sized and very stringless with the best flavor. Both of those came from Rare Seeds/Bakers Creek. 15:16
I love your property it's beautiful. Is it possible to build a separate building for extra things for your homestead? Like having an outdoor kitchen for milking supplies,canning supplies and anything needed to help unburden your house for living in. Plan well for a heating and water source. This would allow you to work on this while not changing your home.And this could be done while living in your home without all the mess. Also everyone in your family could input their thoughts or suggestions. Sry I'm rambling just a thought 🤔
I am a 70 year old retired female living in the suburbs who raised 4 kids. My front yard has no grass- my bro-in -law helped with bringing in topsoil & bobcat to make berms for veggies & flowers. This area gas the best sun. In the back yard I have raised beds. Young people need to learn to cook from scratch & buy & freeze seasonally. Dehydrating herbs has been so much fun. I even dry on a folding table in my garage. Google plant nutrients. U can make all kinds of tea. We need to learn to make do with what we can afford. This summer I am sharing a goat butchering- cheaper than beef. Make challenges your fun times. I helped butcher chickens w my friend's chickens for the first time. Not hard. Just time consuming.
I really ❤ your channel.
There is a great leaf vacuum you can get! Instead of a leaf blower, it sucks up the leaves into a bag! Look those up!
Enjoyed watching your video while it’s snowing in southwest Ohio,12+ inches, and still snowing. I am so ready for the gardening season!
Even though I long for a homestead, I know it will never be. However, I learned many lessons from your channel, one being that everyone can live with more intention and regain some control over their lives and food sources. No matter where you live, like me in suburbia, everyone can do something. I grow most of our vegetables that we eat in the summer, from my tiny backyard. The rest comes from supporting local farmers and homesteaders. I learned to make bread, canning, gardening. and so much more. I still buy from the store for items I cannot buy elsewhere, however there are many items on my pantry shelves that I used to buy from the grocery store that I now make myself 😁🙌
Oh my goodness, y'all just keep getting better. You are my favorite homesteading family to watch. I so enjoy seeing your thought processes as you work through your plans. I am starting my first 'real' garden this spring but look forward to seeing you doing some gardening in containers, as I will be using a mixture of both pots and in ground. Sorry for running on. Good luck to you as you continue to refine your plans. Sending love and hugs to you and your family. :)
Joined Thrive Market through your link. Awesome products, reasonable prices. Many items I have not been purchasing because of the price but, through Thrive I can get them now! Thank you!
That’s great! Glad you’re liking it!😊
Please update on grapes. I've been gardening for years & I've had trouble figuring grapes out.
I just bought my second grain mill, it's a Nutrimill Harvest. It's a stone mill, quieter than most mills, and zero mess when milling grains into flour.
First of all, I would like to wish you a healthy and peaceful year 2025. Thank you for your time and making the interesting video. It inspires me to focus better and write down my goals. Building a self-sufficient garden alongside the work in my practice is sometimes disrupted by many unforeseeable events and then I sometimes forget to keep my focus. Thank you for your many tips, I learn a lot from you. I am so happy for you that your dreams and hopes are being fulfilled and that you have gained so many followers and sponsors. I prayed for this, I wish it to you from the bottom of my heart. For me you are the greatest channel, thank you for your empathy and support so that I can continue to grow and become self-sufficient. I send you my best wishes and wish you a good time.
I've said it before, but you two are so smart and have an abundance of common sense. You're doing so well, it's great to see it. Advice if you choose the addition option on your existing home, keep in mind if you don't do a basement under the addition, it will never be as comfortable as the rest of your house (temperature wise). We have two additions and neither are effective at maintaining heat or air con temps no matter what we do. I think an experienced hvac person could explain it better than I could. Good luck and I hope you accomplish at least half of your list - that's a huge win in my mind:-)
Last year was tough because I lost my dad to cancer. The garden got neglected so I could take care of him (it was my honor and privilege to do so). This year, God willing, I want to grow more things vertically in our raised beds, and grow more herbs so I can dry them and use some medicinally. I have a ton of ideas and wishes in my head but I think I’d better just stick to those two!
So sorry for your loss! Hope you have great success with your garden this year!😊
Also I appreciate your walk… changing wardrobe materials takes time. With you!
All of your content is inspiring-but your loofah trellis has become my (and, my daughter’s) #1 hope and dream for our garden next year. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hope it works out well for you!😊
we have a "lawn sweeper" and it's incredibly helpful! We attach it to the back of a 4wheeler and then just rake up all the leaves and empty it near the compost / garden then rake into a pile!
Rabbits can be self-sustaining. You can get them to the point where you forage and grow everything they eat. So literally it's free meat.
Thanks!
I grew up with 7 of us in a 1200 sq ft home. We didn’t have the livestock but we did have a full garden with all the preserving. My dad’s house had 13 and was just as small. I guess the sanity was saved by all kids were almost always outside.
I have a Nutrimill Classic & love it! It mills nice & fine. I do everything exclusively fresh milled flour & almost everything sourdough for our personal use & to sell. I get so many compliments that they didn't know bread could taste so good! AND kids LOVE it - best compliment ever!
Maybe a stand-alone summer kitchen for cooking and/or a tiny house dedicated as a school room for the kids would help take some of the pressure off of the main house.
I’m sure it’s a relief to (almost) have the office/studio finished so Cody can get out of the closet.
A tiny house could easily be repurposed once the kids are grown up as well.
I love you guys. I've been really happy with our Komo classics grain mill. Happy new year and I wish you the best in 2025. Your family inspires me. Thank you!
So nice to see the young families going in this direction.❤
Dexters can also be milked every once in a while too if you wanted to and don't require milking every day! A local Dexter farmer was telling me that they only give about a gallon or less a day which could work for butter/ghee! It also tastes like jersey milk.
The meat is delicious as well which is what made my wife and I want to get a couple later this year.
Enjoyed your videos in 2024! Looking forward to your 2025 content!😊
Thanks for following along with us!😊
Man I know when I finally get a homestead that having the meat cow butchered will be the hardest thing for me. I know I’ll get attached. Hero seems like such an easy going guy 😢. I know… I know, you gotta separate yourself, but dang.
There are other ways to get protein. No need to kill the cow if you don’t want to
I can't get pigs for that reason. I buy from a local farmer. I just can't eat a pet. I spoke to a butcher at our local meat market. He said he had to call the owners back after the pig was in the trailer. They couldn't get it to come out so they needed the owner to come and call it out!!!!! He said that was the hardest thing as a butcher for him to see and do as a butcher.
@@5GreenAcresoh my goodness that’s heartbreaking! I eat meat, and I know all the details, but I could never butcher and eat my own animals. I’ll weave the cloth and make the pottery to swap for meat with the ones who are able to butcher 🤷🏼♀️
I know I was thinking the same:( I would love a friendly cow like Hero!😢
You are not alone. Growing up on what I realize now was a mini homestead we had a cow for milk and every other year a calf. We played with it and gave it a name and always felt sad when it was butchered and taken into town for wrapping. Hogs on the other hand we were glad to see them go because they ALWAYS escaped their pens and embarrassed us in front of our friends. Sorry...
Awesome recap and look forward. I'm with you on quite a few of your goals. Best of luck from "next door" here in Indiana! Can't wait to see how you all do this year!
The container growing is a great idea! So helpful for your audience with smaller gardens (me) xx
This past year was the 2nd year I did raised bed gardening. I learned so much from the first year that I applied to my 2024 garden. I’m excited for the upcoming planting season; I want to have more success with certain crops. I’m very limited because we have just the backyard to grow in.
We started with a turkey fryer and finished off in the house. We make about 5 gallons a year, enough for family, cooking and gifting. The turkey fryer was cheap but the propane did get expensive. We learned to use a large tank. We noticed that small batch syrup tastes better than even buying local maple syrup. Have fun exploring it, we now look forward to “mud season” as my husband calls it.
You guys have some great goals, very thought out and intentional. If you haven't heard of this you tuber, Felicia from Grains and grits channel. She
would be an excellent resource. Also, Rain country on you tube makes all different kinds of meads, she would be an excellent resource for that. Can't wait to see what happenstance next year on your channel!
Thanks for the recommendations!
I will have a very minimal space to grow and it has been years since ive done much gardening and would love educational vidoes from you all. It will be awesome! Thank you for sharing with us!
We've had Dexters and mini Hereford. Mini Hereford are better cows as far as attitude and more meat offered. Our family is so excited to see your goals come to be this year! Blessings to y'all.
thank y'all so much been vegan for over 20years you are so right about healthy food
Our having to move 4 times and starting over each time was extremely stressful, not to mention having to leave fantastic gardens each time. 🙄 We built two of those places ourselves and would suggest adding onto your place, especially with the gifted men in your families. 😊 The kids grow up very quickly and leave home. Taxes on a large place will strap your retirement years. 😉
Michelle, I know that you grow sprouts on your windowsill, but you should look into microgreens, much more nutritious than sprouts
You guys are so great and so real. I love watching warts and all videos.
I spent 3 years in a 4 bed house with 7 people. It sucked, but we had an end date. You guys don’t really have an end date any time soon! Go bigger xxx
I’m so glad about the mental health stuff you guys mention. Like Michelle, I have SAD badly, and I hate change. I developed chronic pain this year (despite my mostly clean diet… sometimes it just happens, right?) and ugh. Things suck.
Happy New Year to you and the kids. Hoping for a few holidays for you guys in 2025.
If I were you, I would just build onto your existing home. Eventually your kids will get older and I imagine be going to college. Then it would be just the two of you. Being stuck with an even larger home, if you were to buy another property and build, it would feel so empty when your kids are gone, just something to keep in mind. I dislike change as well, but just adding on would be a slight change and it would still be an adventure, because you get to design it yourself. Sounds like a win, win. Anyway, I love your content and can't wait to see your garden this year! Happy new year!
I totally feel your pain on not having enough room for homesteading items! Every time we finally buy something that I feel is essential but takes up more room, I find myself getting rid of more and more things that aren't totally essential. Wondering how much of my craft room I'll need to convert to storage haha!
Looking forward to seeing how your goals are reached this year. Best of luck!!
Congrats on the office and chicken coop almost being finished. I know you've have your Chevy a few months. Hope you are enjoying it. I have a 17 Silverado and love it. We needed it to do hay delivery all summer and fall this year and it was a rock star.
I added container gardening last year. I learned allot. The biggest being when it's really hot they need LOTS of watering. They dry out pretty fast. We are currently on a small property and having containers along our driveway was huge. It nearly doubled my gardening space from my in ground garden. I went very cheap because it was a test last year by using plastic totes that I drilled holes in (huge success) big round containers from trees and grow bags. I'm definitely doing it again this year to add more to dehydrate like herbs. My carrots did well in them too.
I also suffer from SAD and have since my teenage years because I love the sun and being outside. Led bulbs, a light therapy lamp and a huge help has been staying busy. I'm so busy decluttering, doing freezer and pantry inventory, cooking, baking, crafting etc that I forget it's dark outside. Another big help is listening to instrumental music. Keeps my daughter and I calm all day.
Definitely consider doing an addition to your house. My parents did that to both ends of theirs and doubled their small home space while s still being able to keep their land. You both have worked so hard on improving your land.
My 5 year old got out a kick out of the cow puppet in the root cellar. Every single time I bring up a new video she gets so excited and says "it's Codi and Michelle who gave us our mushroom kit and book!" She's become a fan too.
Yes!Yes! I have always wanted to do this!!! I can't wait to take the journey with you!!Ready set go!!🎉🎉
I read some of Joyce meyers books and they help so much. One was thankful, joyful, dealing with anxiety. For instance she says one bad thing happens, you then think of two good things out of the bad. It works! Like my toilet broke but I can call a plumber or my husband can repair it or at least I have a warm bathroom to go in.
My husband and I are so inspired by you guys. We are moving to 48 acres soon and look forward to growing our own vegetables. We stopped eating meat and dairy a few years ago due to health issues and we eat Whole Food Plant Based. Growing our own fruits and vegetables is so exciting but also intimidating. So thank you for sharing your experience and tips. After seeing your raspberries we definitely want to add that to our garden. ❤
Yall ever thought about chickens?
Hello Michelle and Cody. Enjoyed your video and love the way you make up your goal board. I really need to incorporate that in our lives. Have a great day and stay warm, it’s cold here in Kentucky as well. Lisa
With 2 bee colonies you may try a split if they build up. Take a couple frames from each. A 4th hive would be great. Good luck.
Hello! All of my gardening is in containers. Try bush zucchini and cucumbers. I have wonderful results in 16" pots. Tomatoes are easy, too. The biggest thing is watering a couple of times per day in 90f weather. You have to really watch. My pots are right near my water source. Good luck! From Ohio zone 6b😊
I tried the grow bag route last year in addition to our gardens. I didn't have good success here in Central Kentucky. Herbs did great, shallots okay. Everything else did not thrive at ALL. It was a fun experiment! I'm looking forward to see how yours grow 😊
I planted them late, but was successful in growing potatoes in a grow bag. They were small, but enough for potatoes and onions.
One way that my husband and I kept making maple syrup on a budget was to go to our local grocery stores that have a bakery and ask for empty frosting buckets. Employees were happy to pass them along! Got some blue tubing from with tap from Amazon and drilled the trees, inserted tubing to tree and bucket, and we were able to get a ton of sap. I still need to work on honing in on the boiling skill because that's the part I struggled with. Had 2 instant pots running for hours and then over boil the sap in like 5 minutes...😪
Thanks for the video! I hope you are able to accomplish all of your goals this year!
Happy New Year from Ireland 🎉
I'd go with addition - 2 o3 bedrooms w bathroom. Also it would really help you to have larger sunroom/summer kitchen, where you don't have to clean after every canning etc.
Good luck from Toronto!!!
I love your videos guys!! Michelle just make some of videos about the soap making and health please
Happy New Year! Great chat... I 💗you guys & the (realistic) goals you've set. I'm so here for the ride & excited to see you all stretch yourselves & accomplish things.
Michelle, Try Green Stalks! I have 3 on my small RV lot, and it is amazing how much you can grow in them on such a small footprint!
What a great recap and goal setting. You guys are so much fun to watch. I love the laughs and reality you bring. I would recommend looking into red light therapy machines for SAD!
Glad you enjoyed the video! And thank you for the suggestion.😊
1870s Homestead I think has a video on taping their maples. I've noticed everyone is doing the gourd lufa sponge. Yes me included just got my seeds. I saw it first on your channel. 😊. I have 3 arch trellis. Absolutely love them. Last season I grew cherry tomatoes on 2 they did great. Normally I do cucumbers and small melons. Love seeing your channel grow.
Love your ideas for this year😊. Regarding the part in which you talk about how small your house is, why not seek help with that in your community? Someone who knows about developping property and additional living space. It might suprise you how simple ideas go a long way.
I sure wish you guys were my neighbors. I can help you out with the orchard vineyard side of things and you guys could teach me the livestock side of things. If you end up moving, it's hard to leave the gardens in all behind but don't forget you get to bring all the knowledge you've gained in the process with you😊
Thanks for sharing. Moving from the nice property you have would be a big adventure for sure.
Sounds like a good plan, best of luck. Wow cold there, big snow storm just south of u, but Michelle, a winter toque in the house, come on Codi throw some more pellets in the stove lol. Cold here too, lake effect snow off Lake Huron here, -15C and 12” snow, that would be about 5 Fahrenheit for you guys. Love the show keep it going. 😊
Looove your Chanel and attitudes. Here in Alaska, about April, we tap the birch trees. BUT it’s about simmering down 25 - 30 gallon sap to get 1 gal of great syrup. Keep up the great work ,…
I didn't accomplish my goal last year of getting my driveway done so I can actually live on my own property instead of with friends, but I did hire someone to help me get it started and scheduled time with my mom and uncle to get it finished ❤ It finally feels doable and hopefully by July this year I'll reach that goal 😊 The other important thing for me was my garden, thankfully my friends were happy to let me play around with some small inground beds so I'm getting a little experience 😁
You guys have come so far! It’s awesome to watch. Thank you for sharing your journey with us! Truly an inspiration 👏 wishing you a blessed 2025!
Thank you so much! We wish you the same!😊
Hi guys happy new year , im hoping for a good 2025 , im in England , i love watching you , wow the maple syrup sounds yummy a sticky toffee pudding with some in it sound yummy make one PLEASE, 👍 our village was given lottery money so we put it towards a community garden , some of us have raised flower beds , and some shared ones , we only got it ready in August last year so it all been a experiment like you , i grew heart cabbage, green cabbage , raddish , sprouts, beetroot , pok choy , carrots , i did ok , so cant wait to fellow you guys , youve just mentioned about patio planting so maybe helpful to watch , weve just had a big polytunnel , put up , so we haven't got anything going in there yet , someone is putting there bee haves on the land , we are looking into fruit trees , plus all this will bring the village together, im not a good mixer , but i am when outside , stress anxiety, panic attacks , so im really going to push myself and i think the garden will help me , anyway you can count on me following you live to you all , oh when i was small my mum use to buy raspberry vinegar oil , for coughs sore throat , it worked , use to separate just shake bottle , you dont see it now in modern chemist pharmacy, keep busy, keep well , lots of luck and happy memories, 👍🌈🫶🍀 weve just had 8 inch of snow now its icy 🥶 , 👍❄️ roll on warm sunshine , can you tell me more about the lights you put above your sink to help with SAD x bye for now , cant wait to follow you guys x 😘
You both are very inspiring - I love your new goals!
I’ve been struggling with grow bags! Can’t wait to see your experiment on it.
I hope you add on to your house and make life easier for your self. It’s a necessary must. I like the ideal of having a sitting place in my kitchen. I lace a large dinning room and a small dinning area in my kitchen. A lot of my family have borrowed my 4 piece dinning set over the years so that I just mad a sitting place in my small eating area. I can look out the dbl window and watch cars coming and going down the road. I can read or even nap in there
I don't know what your beliefs are, but we are spirit beings that possess souls (our minds, free wills & emotions) and we live in a body. It's a shell we live in. The bible says, we are to renew our minds w/the word of God (Rom 12). I can sit here & quote bible verses nonstop... but, I jus wanted to share... I have been in a season that has totally transformed my life w/peace, joy & so many positive things... it came from focusing on feeding my spirit, returning my focus to my faith in God & my relationship with Jesus. It has changed everything (reading the word, meditating on scripture, prayer, worship music, etc). I know we all have different beliefs, but there is only 1 truth. I just felt led to share cause it totally eliminated my life of anxiety, depression, how I handle stress etc.... I love your videos... we live 2 totally different lifestyles... I am a 51 yr old single mother (1 daughter 25), live in a small suburb in Oklahoma & in a completely different season of life. But, I believe the Lord brought me to your channel & it is such a blessing in my life. I believe ya'll have found your calling & it is a joy we get to be a part of it. I know you are helping SO MANY OTHERS with the same desires to live more how we were created to. God bless! Looking forward to 2025, you will THRIVE. I have no doubt. ❤
Michelle, I have been doing sourdough for about a year and a half. I have made cookies, bread, soft sandwich bread, biscuits, crackers, English muffins, pancakes, waffles and bagels. It’s so versatile. I look forward to seeing what recipes you discover. Let me know if you’re interested in any recipes.
Try browning real butter in a saucepan, but don't burn it and pour it on anything. You're eating vegetables potatoes , to me, it's the most amazing flavor and grow lots of herbs in your garden, dehydrate them. Sprinkle them on your food, cook with them.
Hi Cody and Michelle, one thing to check out is whether your plum tree needs another plum tree to actually produce plums. I found that out, so got a Toku plum, which is a good pollinator plum tree. You probably have it covered already, but just in case...thank you for this video! Believe me, I never get everything on the list done!🌻
Michelle, I so encourage you to teach your children to cook, and your boys especially, truthfully. In my generation, a million or so years ago, men could MAYBE cook eggs or a hot dog. Sadly, my Mom died when I and my brothers were still home, and my dad had to be both Mom and Dad to us, including cooking. It was a rough 4 years, until my wonderful step-mom came and saved us! The good thing is that my brothers and myself really began loving working with food, and it gave my dad a break.
Not that anything like that will ever happen, but it's a win-win for your lads to show off their cooking skills to future girlfriends, ha ha!
💖
TOTALLY attainable goals!
I'm looking forward to several of your items on the lists.
Would love to learn container gardening. Excited !! Thanks for all your hard work, God bless you and yours. Kathy
Get ahold of Jess on roots and refuge for your cows and sheep....great resource for them both!!!
Very good video. I love how you guys always put things onto perspective. You are both perfectly matched ❤
Thank you!😊
Hi Michelle I have a recommendation in forward to fabric, i know u said u want to get some more natural fabric and stuff but what I do is I crochet or sew my clothes,😅it will take some learning to do but it’s fun I know u don’t like change Wich I get, but it’s so fun to learn and u can even do it with ur children,I’ve been watching you guys for a little more than 7 months and I have learned SO MUCH from you guys I watch you guys 24/7 and every Monday when I wake up I rush to your TH-cam channel to see if you guys have posted yet lol,you guys are so incredibly talented and inspiring to me, as for myself I do some gardening and we’re thinking about getting some chickens as well this year I know this is kinda long but YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST,it’s also been snowing here as well lol and I love all the things u guys accomplished this year and I’m excited for next year for you guys.❤❤❤
I'm starting an entire area of grow bag growing this year. Living in California, I'm getting ready to start planting in a few weeks. I've prepared my soil so I'm ready to go.
That’s great! Hope it goes well for you!