I have been doing this for 5 or so years and mostly by myself because no, unfortunately my husband is not on the same page with me for most of this. He will maybe help build something and stack/bring in wood but other than that I do all the cooking, cleaning, butchering, gardening, homeschooling, and so on. I just pray one day he will wake up, but in the meantime I am a VERY STUBBORN and determined women and I will do it with or without help. It is so much nicer when there is help and you have a support team but when you are passionate, have values, and want the very best for your children, you will move Heaven and Earth to make that happen! We will survive! Thanks, looking forward to more in this series.
Me too. I joke to my husband that I'm his least favorite neighbor, because I have all the noisy farm animals that ruin his wilderness property. Thankfully my children and I enjoy this season of life together, and hubby tollerates it since it puts yummy affordable foods on the table.
Mine is not much support and often works against me. He doesn't see things the same way. Recovering from major illness is slow given the workload. I refuse to give up and be a vicitm.
Great video Zack!! Our situation is a little different than most homesteaders. We bought 20 acres and built a home 12 years ago. Our goal was to be debt free, and enjoy serenity and wildlife. In 2021, when the wheels came off our nation, we quickly decided to transform into a homestead. Over the past 4 years we are nearing maintenance mode. Here’s what we did. In 2021 we built 17 raised beds, added a flock of RHode Island Reds, installed a Simple pump to our well (so we would have water if the grid went down). We focused heavily on skills and learning. We cooked 100% of our meals from RAW ingredients. Learned to can, learned to garden, built chicken coops/runs, and fencing. In 2022, we added 4 more flocks of chickens, added solar panels and installed the system ourselves. We added another 20 raised beds, planted fruit trees, and began the journey of medicinal gardening. In 2023 we added a greenhouse, began making tinctures and salves from our own plants, we added several more flocks, purchased a cabinet incubator and began hatching and selling chicks from the 11 different breeds we raise. (Our chick sales pay for 100% of our chickens costs) This year 2024 we added beehives, more fruit trees, and are clearing a couple more acres to plant next year. The above is a timeline of the infrastructure accomplishments, but none of those would have been possible without first reading and researching. DEVOUR information about the livestock you plan to raise, about gardening, food preservation, and medical training. If you find yourself in a holding pattern for money, spend it LEARNING. It’s free and the payoff is immeasurable. Example: There’s rarely a thing that happens with our chickens that we can’t diagnose and treat because we invested so much time learning everything about chickens including potential medical issues before we added them. Homesteading is a way of life, you will never work harder, and from my personal perspective you will never be happier because you are FREE. Thanks for all you do Zack!
You are living my dream. Doing a lot of the things that you are, studied a lot prior to moving here last year. Have lots of notebooks. Watched tons of TH-camrs. Bought many, many books, downloaded plenty, too (like the two Zack made available to us). Got chickens (hatched from some eggs my son gave us and said to me "a few 'might' be fertilized by our rooster"!!!). Discovering at this later stage in life that no matter what, theory is good, book learning is too. BUT there's no education better than hands-on, trial and error. I wish I had all of your experience, but, I do what I can, as much as I can. I envy you all of your hard work that got you to where you are now. God sure loves you.
@@maureenschulte4778 Bless you-keep doing what you’re doing! Yes, the books from Zack are two of my prized reference books. Of all the things we’ve learned, medicinal gardening is my favorite- its miraculous! Keep pushing forward and continue to learn. I think the day will come when we can’t access online info, your time spent learning will be invaluable. God bless you! Stay safe!
How wonderfully presented. You mentioned adding a Simple pump to your well. Is yours a deep well or crock. We have 2 deep wells on our property that were abandoned and a crock well that gave us the best water. City water came through our area and we hooked up to that. Thinking in terms of survival we want to bring the crock well on line with a Simple pump hand pump and electric. If the grid goes down we will still have good water. If you or anyone out there has thoughts about the Simple pump for a crock please send us a message. Thank you in advance. Terry
My husband and I started everything together, but unfortunately he passed last Dec. So I'm on my own. That's the way it goes sometime. I'm still trying to figure out the stuff he handled but I'm getting there slowly but surely.
You are correct about the water. We have a cistern plumbed into the house. Unfortunately we haven’t gotten our rain catchment done yet so I spent about two days a month hauling water. We’re pretty much on the same page though. Last week my wife was vacuum sealed rice in jars. She has more to go and also a large supply of beans to do the same with. It’s time for me to hit the mountain collecting blackberries and huckleberries for canning and of course our chickens work for us tirelessly for only chicken feed. We do need to work on our organizational skills for sure.
Hi Zac, I started with the homestead idea about 5 yrs ago mostly in my head, but to my surprise my wife jumped on board and now fast forward she is as deep into it as I am. We just passed our 1yr. Anniversary of being off grid. We are now eating vegetables from our garden that I give my wife a 100% credit. We buy all our meat from the local farmers and drink water from our well and harness the sun for all our power. We are already getting 10 -12 eggs a day and will be eating our chickens for meat soon.our Guinea will be providing us with a tick free environment In a few weeks. I can see a self sustained existence very soon...
I would like to add that Zac and his great work both with videos and coming out here for a consultation has put this homestead years ahead.... thank Zac..
This is excellent! We are in year 2 of homesteading! Since getting a milk cow I’ve learned how to make several things including the hard cheeses that need to age! We’ve got egg layers, chickens for meat, milk cows, and a beef herd! Praise YAHUAH! My husband does the heavy lifting and building things or fashioning things and he tends to the herds and I do all the preservation and processing inside! We butcher the chickens together!
Hi Zach, I have been trying to get my husband on board with moving out of this D State. We sold our house but soon after his Mother acquired dementia, so now were stuck. That's going on three years now. We purchased a travel trailer, which is parked at my Mother's property on MO but my husband seems to be consciously or subconsciously Sabotaging my plans. I took him out to the Homesteading Life event with Doug&Stacy to get him on board. It did make an impact but there is a lot of pressure for him to stay because of his Mom. I am contemplating leaving without him and he can catch up when he is able to. Anyways, thank you for doing this video. I look forward to more of the same.
I just started the 5th year (by myself). I have 1200 gal rain water catchment (600 gal year 1 // 600 gal year 3), 1 mini-orchard (9 trees) still to young to produce fruit, 2 gardens/working on a 3rd and some chickens (1 roo/5 hens). This years projects: finish garden 3 so it can be used as a fall garden and build a wood shed to double what I can store/use. Some days it is tough, by myself... Daily: do I work the inside chores or outside projects or maintain what I have already started? Lol, the weather helps me decide which part of this balancing act is today's priority. However, I find it necessary to take "breaks" whether it is the church fish-fry or dear friends, hanging out with like-minded people is important to decompress
We are approaching our 3rd year and life is getting easier, but running hot water is going to be a day we have a big party. I will say you can get used to a different way of life if you just go with it. In 10 minutes in our kitchen I can have water heating, eggs cooking and be feeding our dogs. When the eggs are done we eat and hot water is ready to clean up either yourself or the kitchen. It's all perspective
Foundation - I appreciate you bringing this up first. It is biblically wrong for the woman to attempt to drag her husband along in a way he's not ready to go; and try as he might, he can't force her to go along the way he wants. Ideally the house would be in order in a biblical sense. Easy for me to say since I've been single for a few decades (when I was still atheist). My children and I did our best, and now they are all married and we're still working towards total self-sufficiency. #goals Great series. Shalom. j
My wife and I just bought 1/4 Acre and are beginning to build our homestead! We’re extremely blessed to be on the same page, understanding the times we’re in and doing our best to create a healthy, productive and safe environment for our family to grow! We’re first generation homesteaders but ready to get dirty 💪🏽
Yes, I walk my goats lol but since I’m in a hollar it’s not too bad. My sheep follow where ever I go they are so much easier 😂. Fencing is my priority this summer. Save on feed that way.
Maybe a Plus for me... The First is the Financial Manager, She's tight on the money... I got Lucky but after 38 years of marriage, it's worked very well :) We Save Before spending! Second, the Wife was a 'City Girl', I was raised a Country Boy. Over the last 20 years living in the country she really enjoys the chickens and the peace and quite our rural life style gives us! So, you can bring the Wife on the journey to a new life style, but take small steps as you go and natural insticts will take over... Especially as you come more Debt Free, we have no Credit cards, car payments and only owe on the Mortgage which I'm Happy to say will be paid off in 2029!
"Organized" ... i would add to the organizing to BUY the supplies for your plans AS SOON as you can. Just was organizing my supplies. I have pre-bought A LOT of plumbing for farm hydrants, etc....brass/stainless fittings, plastic pipe. When i bought it was 40% of what currently costs now. .it's just like money in the bank.
I view the homestead in a military view. The front line can't fight the battles without support from behind the lines. I view the married couple on the homestead like this. Front and rear operations fail if one collapses.
Omgoah YES! Zach, you Nailed it on the first two things. DO you BOTH want this? And yes, the ' different life curve' slaps the wife/mom Hardest FIRST. ...you would NOT believe how much ' running water' HELPS... yes, even if you have yo pump it. Hauling water can really, really suck *sometimes (always but you kind of get used to it.- sorta. Lol) Tip: Avoid Burnout!- DON'T try and get everything Zach, or Doug and Stacy or the Amish or etc. ALL AT ONCE. Make a.plan, follow the plan in STEPS. Do what you can, with what you've got, where.youre at, and make tweaks and adjustments ,and THEN add more stuff- one step at a time. This really is so much like eating an elephant.
So, in essence, what you are saying is be patient, look towards your goal, work as much as possible towards that goal, praise God for accomplishments, do the right things, no matter how long and hard it is, but be thankful for every single thing that you get done. Ok. Good advice.👏☺️
You nailed it! Water has been a HUGE source of anxiety for me. This week we’re having a deep well hand pump (Simple Pump) installed and the relief of knowing it’s coming is tremendous.
be careful with the simple pump. I bought and installed one years ago. it says you can unscrew the top, so it doesn't stick up when not needed. So we did. it dropped down about 12 inches. Oops. So I called the company. They sent a 15" length of pipe. Oops again. My son screwed it on the pipe down the well, And UNSCREWED the 20' length below it!!!! So far, no one has been able to retrieve my simple pump operation! Just one more thing that does NOT work on my widow-run homestread.
Beans and rice... That's still worked in around here. Spices are key so I suggest stock up on spices to add variety cheaply..... I became very skilled at water math... How many gallons for each chore for my time without water... Great for an arm workout lol but becomes exhausting and then finish the evening lugging the water for your shower. You think you can handle things but the only way to know is application... Camping is a great training opportunity to know how hard it can be... Just my thoughts...
I woke up in 2009 when head of DHS labeled troops “The biggest domestic terrorist threat to the homeland” my CSM told me that Obama fears veterans because we are very efficient at removing tyrants. I treat every day as being my own police officer, firefighter, maintenance man and father.
I agree, I built my homestead by my self so I could follow my own plan of implementation. (This was Nov.) #1 roof over my head, #2 insulation, #3 heat, at the same time developing a rain catchment system. #4 getting the water in the house. #5 make things more functional and comfortable .
@@breezybre2670 I buried the 350 gal in ground cistern tank and set two 275 IBC's on top next to the cabin. I wrapped the IBC's with reflextic wrap and covered with a tarp.
I am not going to be off grid but we are building a homestead. We started with a driveway, power and water. I had frost free hydrants installed. Several along the driveway even though at this point it’s just a field. In my plan these will feed my berries, grapes, multiple gardens and greenhouse. I’ve had 3 neighbors stop and ask if I’m building a mobile home park. 🙄 😂. I look forward to when they can see the outcome. It will take years.
Hey all. I'm on grid for power only... but set up to lose it without much of a hiccup. I manage using a lot of "zoning" to develope my systems. As an example: coffee in the morning.. it's going to happen in the same place every day at the same time every day. So I set up other "every day" quick chores and stage them near my coffee maker (stir vinegar, shake tinctures, dehydrate the herbs, mix the oils, write the menu, make the plans for the week). The laundry and the canning are done in the same area at the same time. If I had children at home... schooling would happen inside during the hot part of the day. I'm not set up for processing meat at this time.. we can do it but it's more bushcraft style. Hubs is working on that after his trip. I zone clean.. (Monday's kitchen, Tuesday's Community areas, Wednesday's Bathrooms, Thursdays Bedrooms, Friday's Entries, Sundays Laundry) Week 1 is a "Box" Focus (ceilings, walls, floors), Week 2 is a glassware focus (windows, mirrors, vases, etc.) Week 3 is furniture and appliances. Week 4 is for catching up, and seasonal stuff. I think the thing I most struggle with is balancing the time for a clean home with the demands of planting season. But we are improving infrastructure as we go and always expanding. My husband still works full-time but from home... we need the insurance. But he still manages to build me all kinds of things. Next up is finishing my outdoor kitchen and then turning my garden shed into an apothecary! The medicinal garden is by the apothecary. The new greenhouse house is in the garden. The culinary herbs are on the porch outside the kitchen door.... on the way to the garden. The garden sink is by the stairs to the porch to the kitchen door. I put things I will need in my way. I love to hear about how other people organize and rotate thru their daily activities and seasonal chores. I'm always telling myself that "this will get easier when we're done with ....." but then we start on the next thing and reformat our plans. It's a never-ending shift. I tell you one thing... I am buying bread for as long as I can! 😂
@@dan.1235 Thank you. I hope it helps. Examples would be Harvest baskets at the back door, a plastic rake in the chicken coop, a bucket of oiled sand inside the shed door for keeping tools rust free, I keep a folding knife in every apron, I can't come inside my house with a harvest without passing by the sink and hose where the veggies get washed. Inside is a work in progress... the kitchen is galley style with a large island where the two 30" stoves are located. I have a work side and a prep/project side of the kitchen. I keep the kitchen organized by task: canning, baking, ferments, freezing, medicinals (tinctures, salves, teas, etc.). All the standard items to complete a given task are kept in the same location. So the rolling pins are with the cookie cutters near the kitchen aid, the canning salt is with the pectin next to the pressure canner, the vodka is with the cosmetic beeswax next to the carrier oils where the tinctures are brewing. It's laid out for function of workflow, not like a typical kitchen. There's also plenty of redundancy to save time... measuring cups, for instance, are in multiple work areas. They're inexpensive and if every lb of ground beef is going to get a 1/4 cup of homemade taco spice... then the taco spice jar gets a 1/4 cup scoop. My sweet tea is brewed in half gallon mason jars and each gets a 1/4 cup sugar.. so I keep a container of sugar in a section of cabinets that has my teas, jars, lids, rings, and a scoop right next to the tea kettle. Everything I need, right there, to complete the task. I don't have to search for anything. And the task.side of the kitchen is separated by the island from the cooking side... so that way a person doing a task isn't in the way of someone cooking or cleaning up a meal in fridge/stove/sink work triangle.
@@jeas4980 Thank you for replying so quickly. I think you're brilliant. I love the taco scoop idea and the task side and cooking side of the kitchen. I'm not naturally organized so your tips are a big help in reorienting my way of thinking. My big accomplishment was organizing my drink area to the right of the fridge. Everything for tea/coffee/blended drinks (glasses, mugs, blender, coffee maker, supplements, sweeteners) right there with measuring spoons on a hook on that wall. But sadly, I fail to organize everything in like manner.
@@dan.1235 oh no... I can't credit for these ideas. This is all learned from my family. I'm still looking for storage options for unused grow bags, all these teas and tinctures that I'm creating. I thank you for the compliment but really Zach has blessed us so much with this place of sharing. I learn a lot from the comments section. Have a blessed evening!
Absolutely right about both partners wanting the homestead life. I grew up with it and wanted it, my wife thought she wanted it until she found out how hard it was. She grew up having food delivered. Needless to say our marriage didn’t last and all was lost.
Water is key but for us, solid shelter is too. Year 3 living in a camper while getting established. It gets kinda old worrying if you need to get a hotel in town or if you're camper will survive the straight -line winds.
Thank you my husband and I are in our first year building up our land in Arizona and man are you correct about how much we need to improve our water supply.
I remember the video when Jamie got water in the kitchen. She was a pretty amazing lady. I started watching your channel before I ever had TH-cam when I watched you on Roku. Your channel had a different name or you had 2 channels it’s been a while. I think it was called “Torah 4 U “or something like that. Thanks Zach.
Huh, I didn't know we had a plan, but apparently we're following it, accidently. Almost done with the greenhouse missed out on getting the coop made so it'll have to be a get chickens next year thing, but we've got water!
Zack, I don't have a spouse. I need organizing for a single, older female. So I need to have an order that takes into account gradually reducing physical abilities.
Zach when I went through everything I was surprised at what I didn't have and what I did have my husband and I have been totally turning everything upside down and organizing everything so everything is in order that is certainly a priority and now I actually know what we need...
Honestly, if you can afford it, get a tractor, even if it’s an older model, it definitely helps get you passed that survival mode. We started with a 96’ ford 1620, really helped get us started.
Yes, being on the same page is very important! Even if both of you cannot be on the Homestead to work full time, you will be more likely to be successful if you are both on the same page.
Modified my farm girl dreams when I fell for a city boy… It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a little compromise, a lot of hard work, and a solid plan.
Wife didn't think about prepping till the Great toilet paper shortage" of 2019. We don't live on a homestead. We live in a small rural town if 350 to 400 folks. We are still stocking up. My problem is just having space for preps. Thankfully, she is on board now but I still have to nudge her every now and then....
I am interested in efficiency which revolves around functions. I work most on efficiencies of frequent functions, and less on potential functions. General preparedness for undefined threats are potential functions and thats easier to put off another day
I started watching You and Jamie on Roku around 2012. I think...... I remember the pump in the kitchen and yes she was very happy. I also remember the outside laundry room/shed you built for her to do the families laundry. .... LOL the fix to the shower head to improve water flow by drilling out the plastic ball in the center of the shower head. When you started catching water from the the roofs so she didn't have to deal with the hard water from the well. Yes make her happy and get her some good water....... Peace be with you Sir and Semper Fi. God bless
Thanks for this and your testimony that women may or will have the most challenge. It’s been difficult to get started as I have no husband. But, listening to you and reading some of the comments here I can see that unless two people are on the same page, seeing eye-to-eye, the road can be even more difficult!. Well, I have made some strides on my own, but had to go back to get more “support” before I can continue forward on the path to be out of the city and building a functional homestead. The transition has been a slow process for me, but Yah willing I will be able to continue to do this. Thanks for all your guidance.
I know the slow go at it by yourself. I started over a few years ago after a breakup. I'm a local truck driver, so looong hours doesn't leave much time to get everything done, even more so by yourself. I'm looking for a good woman who honestly wants to homestead. I have a decent cabin & small acreage , slowly working toward making into homestead. Hang in there. May the Father bless all of us with the ones we need in our lives to work together & for his good. May we always be thankful for them through the good & bad or tough times.
Every word - Spot on. I guess im one of the lucky ones with the spouse that is on board. But, that can spiral crazy out of control too as well as back the other up when they fall. I don't know what the vid for men will bring, I assume, some type of income. defense and defense planning, butchery, bulk dry good storage, 1/2 the gardening and canning, Home schooling (1/2 or more). and all projects to make the Wife's tasks easier. Then the longer term preps/entertainment. At least that's how we do it in our home. As a friend says, "Your mileage may vary" Interested to see where we screwed up on site logistics
I'm deep into maintenance mode.. Have been doing this a long time.. I am in the midst of introducing a wife in the near future and her 2 late teen daughters.. She understands why I'm/we're doing what we do but at the same time I've spent the last year and a half slow rolling them into it before we are married and they are moved onto the homestead.. This has so many challenges its almost stupid to try to introduce them to this.. They just don't have the grit yet.. It is holding me back
Nailed it! We are just coming up on two years here at our homestead, and we are still in survival mode but it has definitely improved greatly compared to when we first got here. And I agree wholeheartedly that both the husband and wife need to be on board with this endeavor, or else it won't work long-term. It'll be nothing but a battle and heartache if you're not both on the same page. But you absolutely can do it!
Been doing all this for 35 years. It has become so normal to me i have to actually think about how i do things to tell others how. My children as they get into their 30s want to start being more self efficient. I'm always open to ideas. Thank you
Listening to the background noise in this video, I find myself wondering how much danger you think there might be that your guineas don't do as well getting rid of ticks this year because they're getting fat on cicadas.
I'm certainly looking forward to this series. Finishing up our first year. And, there's no maybes about it. My adult daughter and I do EVERYTHING EXCEPT washing his clothes. Garden, animals, cleaning, food, and she and I both hold full time jobs. I'm 70 y.o., but ya gotta have $$$, too. Social security doesn't do it. Oh, to be completely honest, he does cut our 3 acres on his riding mower. PLEASE, PLEASE GET THIS SERIES UP AND RUNNING. We are waiting for the joy. 🤔👍🙏
I'm so glad you're doing this series. I need some encouragement and fresh ideas. I've somewhat plateaued in my prepping and my tiny homestead areas. Thanks, Zack!
Thank you Zach for beginning this organizational series. Getting a plan seems to be the hardest for me. Already in the prepping mindset, doing many of the things but in a place I don’t intend to stay. Land is my first priority. Looking for land with water source available-off grid as possible. Water catchment is a must but need to learn how to access throughout the infrastructure. I’d appreciate any resources?
Guttering and water tanks is how most people do it. Unless you have a well or a creek that is your best bet. The rainwater will be much much softer than a well as well. But it might be good to have a well for a backup if you can afford drilling one.
🙏🏼 Thank You so very much… not only became a member but took your advice and getting both books printed by the lady you told us about. I was looking into printing at 3 different places and that company is about 1/3 the cost. Love your videos ♥️ It was hard pulling my husband along for the 1st year… but he woke up and is now completely on board, as far as gardening, and stocking… animals are another thing… maybe 5 year plan.
Although it's a lot of work and can be expensive, fencing or secure pens is so important. Without it, lots and lots of hard work can be lost in one night of hungry pests or predators, or bad neighbors. The right tools. It took me years to spend the money on a flame weeder and other critical tools. I got so used to doing things the hard way (by hand on foot etc) that I still usually default to that. Good skills but there are basic tools that make some jobs faster and easier. Like hoes, hoes are good tools. I should learn to use one. Following good advice. For instance, thinking you can get away with 1 layer of cardboard under mulch to stop weeds when 2 was recommended, then ending up having to re-cardboard and mulch a year or so later only after you weed the enormously happy invasion of unwanted flora in the beds. Most critically, have your land boundaries very well understood and marked. You never know when a neighbor will decide they think your land is their land. Survey any property you purchase right away and stake it out, fence it if possible. Plant trees first. They take awhile to grow. You can let them mature as you work on other projects.
As soon as I can get some property i will be doing most of the work because I have to build ramps for my woman cause she's in a wheelchair and I still love her and we're going to get married some Day but i will be working part time and working on small engines for the extra income and try to do my best and be supportive to my future wife and help her and me with the chores and taking care of the garden so I do have a lot on my plate.
Amen! This is what I'm talking about! Organization & efficiency! Moving smoothly & productively. & when a bump in the road hits, you are better suited & ready to deal with a problem or hardship. Yr the man Zach!
Get a shed and a good bed. Everything else is better after that. Then a picnic table and compost toilet. Catchment tank. A shower system, food cooling system . Can set up a good outdoor kitchen. Then build your house. A very long wide tall tent ..10x 20 x10 feet high for temporary living space And just get up and start and walk with faith in Yahuah. It is how to step out in faith. 😊
That sounds like a good schedule of priorities for starting from nothing. Got the dome sleeping tent with roomy gazebo already. During 2020/1 I gorged on information on starting alone with just the bug out goodies we have in the available safe places we have in our country. It is not going to be easy, but it can be done when your head is in a space where you can be happy with a very simple life.
You're absolutely right about most of the burden of living off grid falling on the woman. An unwise husband disregards his wife's need for his support while she pours into the children and the homestead. Don't kneecap your woman! 😅
I just started watching you. Thank you for doing this series. I really want to learn more about Homesteading organizations as I am hoping to start one in about 6 months. I am doing my planning and organizing now.
Ironically I think the woman having the most struggle early on is pretty common across the board; marriage, pregnancy and birth, and the first several years of a baby’s life are a ton more work for the woman. Her life gets turned upside down. Men have a lot more work for the long haul, women have a lot more intense work in establishing things. Funny how God made us so that we need each other for both short and long term goals, almost like it was part of a plan or something 😉
I am a caretaker for my parents. We are in the subbarbs near Jefferson county. I would love to get out of this area but parents in their condition is hard. In one video you had mentioned groups of people buying meat. I am assuming Washington MO. If you could please let me know where you got the meat there are several neighbors interested in that concept and we can do the same thing. I watch you Patera Pinball Doug and Stacy and so many more. I have learned a lot. That book you mentioned on herbal remedies what’s the easiest way to buy the PDF on that. Ty so much in advance
i was a caretaker for my parents for 6 years. It was pretty hard times. Someone told me that I would never regret doing it once they were gone and that was true.
This is an awesome video with great advice! I’m a Patreon member and I definitely want the schematic of the chicken coop! BTW Everyone should become a Patreon member…. best money I’ve ever spent.
My husband still works full-time and not a minute over. He's not volunteering for more responsibility at the job. We need it for insurance purposes. He's up and doing chores at 4am... we spend our weekends at home. The hardest thing is getting him to hire help... which is necessary sometimes.
@@lybfv63 I work 70 hrs a week from home as a caregiver to disabled adults. But there's a wide range of "homesteads". I don't grow out 4 legged livestock. I have chickens for eggs and meat and we hunt/barter. Rabbits are next but I have no intention of milking anything... ever. We have power... we are not off grid. But I have backups for a grid down scenario. And we have been actively pursuing self-sufficiency for a decade... and we're still not where we would like to be. My focus shifted to medicine and the medicinal garden is a work in progress... now we're talking about schooling for certification this fall... maybe. 10 years ago I was content with my healthcare system and a lot has changed. The goal post is inevitably going to move... the trick is just to start.
@@jeas4980 Wow, you work a lot longer and harder than I do! We're not off grid either but that's the goal. We started this late, in our mid 50's, 6 years in now and still so much to learn.
You are 100% correct, but my way to get off grid water pumping is easier than your system, Im a nobody channel, but my super pump video has about 12k views and my mega pump video is closing on 2k, both videos have clear instructions on how to build, my chicken coop has a super efficient watering system that uses the mega pump, i don't water my chickens ever 😂.
Great start to your Organized Homestead series!! Keep up the good work Zach, you are an absolute blessing!! I'm preparing my field per Proverbs 24:27 then hopefully will build a modest house in the near future. My desire is to provide a home for myself and aging MIL, YAH willing. I have planted several berry plants and fruit trees applying the Leviticus 19:23-25 principal; trusting YAH to teach me more about his ways along the way. Next is a flock of quail and seasonal crops such as asparagus, strawberries amd garlic to help pay the taxes. It's tough as a widow to do a lot of the work and maintain a job but I keep pressing on. I'm very thankful my family helps with the big projects and I don't have to hire someone. A lot has been accomplished thus far and I'm looking forward to the next 25+ yrs on my little homestead. HalleluYAH!!
@maureenschulte4778 I got several emails this morning about this. One email from CNBC that said it was a technical issue. Trading was stopped on some stocks don't know how many
Without a God-ordained, biblical perspective and belief in the purpose for life, the nuclear family and children, there will not be a perception of the propriety of life style that is farming and homesteading. That simple. Those of us who lived the lifestyle, walked the walk and talked the talk, know that this is truth.
Probably would want to find out what’s the average depth of the wells in your area. I’m assuming you have TH-camd how to hand drive a well. There’s a product called a simple pump. That would be a good thing to get, they’re a little pricey, but probably worth the investment. Good luck, my friend!
I have been doing this for 5 or so years and mostly by myself because no, unfortunately my husband is not on the same page with me for most of this. He will maybe help build something and stack/bring in wood but other than that I do all the cooking, cleaning, butchering, gardening, homeschooling, and so on. I just pray one day he will wake up, but in the meantime I am a VERY STUBBORN and determined women and I will do it with or without help. It is so much nicer when there is help and you have a support team but when you are passionate, have values, and want the very best for your children, you will move Heaven and Earth to make that happen! We will survive! Thanks, looking forward to more in this series.
Put me up in a shed on the edge of your property, and I will help you. Your partner is lucky to have you but will not likely come around.
Me too. I joke to my husband that I'm his least favorite neighbor, because I have all the noisy farm animals that ruin his wilderness property. Thankfully my children and I enjoy this season of life together, and hubby tollerates it since it puts yummy affordable foods on the table.
I hear ya, Sister.
Mine is not much support and often works against me. He doesn't see things the same way. Recovering from major illness is slow given the workload. I refuse to give up and be a vicitm.
My husband is like this, but slowly coming around.
Great video Zack!! Our situation is a little different than most homesteaders. We bought 20 acres and built a home 12 years ago. Our goal was to be debt free, and enjoy serenity and wildlife.
In 2021, when the wheels came off our nation, we quickly decided to transform into a homestead.
Over the past 4 years we are nearing maintenance mode. Here’s what we did.
In 2021 we built 17 raised beds, added a flock of RHode Island Reds, installed a Simple pump to our well (so we would have water if the grid went down). We focused heavily on skills and learning. We cooked 100% of our meals from RAW ingredients. Learned to can, learned to garden, built chicken coops/runs, and fencing.
In 2022, we added 4 more flocks of chickens, added solar panels and installed the system ourselves. We added another 20 raised beds, planted fruit trees, and began the journey of medicinal gardening.
In 2023 we added a greenhouse, began making tinctures and salves from our own plants, we added several more flocks, purchased a cabinet incubator and began hatching and selling chicks from the 11 different breeds we raise. (Our chick sales pay for 100% of our chickens costs)
This year 2024 we added beehives, more fruit trees, and are clearing a couple more acres to plant next year.
The above is a timeline of the infrastructure accomplishments, but none of those would have been possible without first reading and researching. DEVOUR information about the livestock you plan to raise, about gardening, food preservation, and medical training. If you find yourself in a holding pattern for money, spend it LEARNING. It’s free and the payoff is immeasurable. Example: There’s rarely a thing that happens with our chickens that we can’t diagnose and treat because we invested so much time learning everything about chickens including potential medical issues before we added them.
Homesteading is a way of life, you will never work harder, and from my personal perspective you will never be happier because you are FREE.
Thanks for all you do Zack!
You are living my dream. Doing a lot of the things that you are, studied a lot prior to moving here last year. Have lots of notebooks. Watched tons of TH-camrs. Bought many, many books, downloaded plenty, too (like the two Zack made available to us). Got chickens (hatched from some eggs my son gave us and said to me "a few 'might' be fertilized by our rooster"!!!). Discovering at this later stage in life that no matter what, theory is good, book learning is too. BUT there's no education better than hands-on, trial and error.
I wish I had all of your experience, but, I do what I can, as much as I can. I envy you all of your hard work that got you to where you are now. God sure loves you.
@@maureenschulte4778 Bless you-keep doing what you’re doing! Yes, the books from Zack are two of my prized reference books. Of all the things we’ve learned, medicinal gardening is my favorite- its miraculous!
Keep pushing forward and continue to learn. I think the day will come when we can’t access online info, your time spent learning will be invaluable. God bless you! Stay safe!
We did the same, but 200 acres. I started in 1994. Cattle. Sheep. Horses. Chickens. It won't happen overnight but yes you can do it.
@@kimmyseegmiller985 you’re doing it BIG!!
How wonderfully presented. You mentioned adding a Simple pump to your well. Is yours a deep well or crock. We have 2 deep wells on our property that were abandoned and a crock well that gave us the best water. City water came through our area and we hooked up to that. Thinking in terms of survival we want to bring the crock well on line with a Simple pump hand pump and electric. If the grid goes down we will still have good water. If you or anyone out there has thoughts about the Simple pump for a crock please send us a message. Thank you in advance. Terry
My husband and I started everything together, but unfortunately he passed last Dec. So I'm on my own. That's the way it goes sometime. I'm still trying to figure out the stuff he handled but I'm getting there slowly but surely.
So sorry for your loss, Shalom.
You are correct about the water. We have a cistern plumbed into the house. Unfortunately we haven’t gotten our rain catchment done yet so I spent about two days a month hauling water. We’re pretty much on the same page though. Last week my wife was vacuum sealed rice in jars. She has more to go and also a large supply of beans to do the same with. It’s time for me to hit the mountain collecting blackberries and huckleberries for canning and of course our chickens work for us tirelessly for only chicken feed. We do need to work on our organizational skills for sure.
Hi Zac, I started with the homestead idea about 5 yrs ago mostly in my head, but to my surprise my wife jumped on board and now fast forward she is as deep into it as I am. We just passed our 1yr. Anniversary of being off grid. We are now eating vegetables from our garden that I give my wife a 100% credit. We buy all our meat from the local farmers and drink water from our well and harness the sun for all our power. We are already getting 10 -12 eggs a day and will be eating our chickens for meat soon.our Guinea will be providing us with a tick free environment In a few weeks. I can see a self sustained existence very soon...
I would like to add that Zac and his great work both with videos and coming out here for a consultation has put this homestead years ahead.... thank Zac..
This is excellent! We are in year 2 of homesteading! Since getting a milk cow I’ve learned how to make several things including the hard cheeses that need to age! We’ve got egg layers, chickens for meat, milk cows, and a beef herd! Praise YAHUAH! My husband does the heavy lifting and building things or fashioning things and he tends to the herds and I do all the preservation and processing inside! We butcher the chickens together!
Thank you for getting back to me.
Hi Zach, I have been trying to get my husband on board with moving out of this D State. We sold our house but soon after his Mother acquired dementia, so now were stuck. That's going on three years now. We purchased a travel trailer, which is parked at my Mother's property on MO but my husband seems to be consciously or subconsciously Sabotaging my plans. I took him out to the Homesteading Life event with Doug&Stacy to get him on board. It did make an impact but there is a lot of pressure for him to stay because of his Mom. I am contemplating leaving without him and he can catch up when he is able to. Anyways, thank you for doing this video. I look forward to more of the same.
I just started the 5th year (by myself). I have 1200 gal rain water catchment (600 gal year 1 // 600 gal year 3), 1 mini-orchard (9 trees) still to young to produce fruit, 2 gardens/working on a 3rd and some chickens (1 roo/5 hens). This years projects: finish garden 3 so it can be used as a fall garden and build a wood shed to double what I can store/use. Some days it is tough, by myself... Daily: do I work the inside chores or outside projects or maintain what I have already started? Lol, the weather helps me decide which part of this balancing act is today's priority. However, I find it necessary to take "breaks" whether it is the church fish-fry or dear friends, hanging out with like-minded people is important to decompress
We are approaching our 3rd year and life is getting easier, but running hot water is going to be a day we have a big party. I will say you can get used to a different way of life if you just go with it. In 10 minutes in our kitchen I can have water heating, eggs cooking and be feeding our dogs. When the eggs are done we eat and hot water is ready to clean up either yourself or the kitchen. It's all perspective
Foundation - I appreciate you bringing this up first. It is biblically wrong for the woman to attempt to drag her husband along in a way he's not ready to go; and try as he might, he can't force her to go along the way he wants. Ideally the house would be in order in a biblical sense.
Easy for me to say since I've been single for a few decades (when I was still atheist). My children and I did our best, and now they are all married and we're still working towards total self-sufficiency. #goals
Great series.
Shalom. j
My wife and I just bought 1/4 Acre and are beginning to build our homestead! We’re extremely blessed to be on the same page, understanding the times we’re in and doing our best to create a healthy, productive and safe environment for our family to grow! We’re first generation homesteaders but ready to get dirty 💪🏽
I agree - it’s been a very difficult time for me- my husband is always criticizing my efforts and complaining It’s very discouraging.
We made the mistake of not prioritizing fencing. Everything takes longer if you have to watch animals etc
Yes, I walk my goats lol but since I’m in a hollar it’s not too bad. My sheep follow where ever I go they are so much easier 😂. Fencing is my priority this summer. Save on feed that way.
Thank you! I am single woman. What I can't do I have to hire. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have other like minded people to co-habitate with.
Maybe a Plus for me... The First is the Financial Manager, She's tight on the money... I got Lucky but after 38 years of marriage, it's worked very well :) We Save Before spending!
Second, the Wife was a 'City Girl', I was raised a Country Boy. Over the last 20 years living in the country she really enjoys the chickens and the peace and quite our rural life style gives us! So, you can bring the Wife on the journey to a new life style, but take small steps as you go and natural insticts will take over... Especially as you come more Debt Free, we have no Credit cards, car payments and only owe on the Mortgage which I'm Happy to say will be paid off in 2029!
"Organized" ... i would add to the organizing to BUY the supplies for your plans AS SOON as you can. Just was organizing my supplies. I have pre-bought A LOT of plumbing for farm hydrants, etc....brass/stainless fittings, plastic pipe. When i bought it was 40% of what currently costs now. .it's just like money in the bank.
We do the same.. we buy extra parts before we need them.
I view the homestead in a military view. The front line can't fight the battles without support from behind the lines. I view the married couple on the homestead like this. Front and rear operations fail if one collapses.
I view it as one picking up the other and carrying them as far as God makes it possible
You can't take on the world while fending off attacks from your six. 👍👍 Trust me, I get it.
Omgoah YES! Zach, you Nailed it on the first two things. DO you BOTH want this? And yes, the ' different life curve' slaps the wife/mom Hardest FIRST. ...you would NOT believe how much ' running water' HELPS... yes, even if you have yo pump it. Hauling water can really, really suck *sometimes (always but you kind of get used to it.- sorta. Lol)
Tip: Avoid Burnout!- DON'T try and get everything Zach, or Doug and Stacy or the Amish or etc. ALL AT ONCE. Make a.plan, follow the plan in STEPS. Do what you can, with what you've got, where.youre at, and make tweaks and adjustments ,and THEN add more stuff- one step at a time.
This really is so much like eating an elephant.
So, in essence, what you are saying is be patient, look towards your goal, work as much as possible towards that goal, praise God for accomplishments, do the right things, no matter how long and hard it is, but be thankful for every single thing that you get done. Ok. Good advice.👏☺️
@@maureenschulte4778 🙌👍
You nailed it! Water has been a HUGE source of anxiety for me. This week we’re having a deep well hand pump (Simple Pump) installed and the relief of knowing it’s coming is tremendous.
be careful with the simple pump. I bought and installed one years ago. it says you can unscrew the top, so it doesn't stick up when not needed. So we did. it dropped down about 12 inches. Oops. So I called the company. They sent a 15" length of pipe. Oops again. My son screwed it on the pipe down the well, And UNSCREWED the 20' length below it!!!! So far, no one has been able to retrieve my simple pump operation! Just one more thing that does NOT work on my widow-run homestread.
@@nanceshaw7629 I hadn’t planned on taking the top off but thanks for the warning! That sounds awful.
Lived on rain water and a pitcher pump for 3 years before getting a good well. Water is a must!
Beans and rice... That's still worked in around here. Spices are key so I suggest stock up on spices to add variety cheaply..... I became very skilled at water math... How many gallons for each chore for my time without water... Great for an arm workout lol but becomes exhausting and then finish the evening lugging the water for your shower. You think you can handle things but the only way to know is application... Camping is a great training opportunity to know how hard it can be... Just my thoughts...
I woke up in 2009 when head of DHS labeled troops “The biggest domestic terrorist threat to the homeland” my CSM told me that Obama fears veterans because we are very efficient at removing tyrants. I treat every day as being my own police officer, firefighter, maintenance man and father.
I agree, I built my homestead by my self so I could follow my own plan of implementation. (This was Nov.) #1 roof over my head, #2 insulation, #3 heat, at the same time developing a rain catchment system. #4 getting the water in the house. #5 make things more functional and comfortable .
Did you bury the catchment tanks?
@@breezybre2670 I buried the 350 gal in ground cistern tank and set two 275 IBC's on top next to the cabin. I wrapped the IBC's with reflextic wrap and covered with a tarp.
I am not going to be off grid but we are building a homestead. We started with a driveway, power and water. I had frost free hydrants installed. Several along the driveway even though at this point it’s just a field. In my plan these will feed my berries, grapes, multiple gardens and greenhouse. I’ve had 3 neighbors stop and ask if I’m building a mobile home park. 🙄 😂. I look forward to when they can see the outcome. It will take years.
Hey all. I'm on grid for power only... but set up to lose it without much of a hiccup. I manage using a lot of "zoning" to develope my systems. As an example: coffee in the morning.. it's going to happen in the same place every day at the same time every day. So I set up other "every day" quick chores and stage them near my coffee maker (stir vinegar, shake tinctures, dehydrate the herbs, mix the oils, write the menu, make the plans for the week). The laundry and the canning are done in the same area at the same time. If I had children at home... schooling would happen inside during the hot part of the day. I'm not set up for processing meat at this time.. we can do it but it's more bushcraft style. Hubs is working on that after his trip.
I zone clean.. (Monday's kitchen, Tuesday's Community areas, Wednesday's Bathrooms, Thursdays Bedrooms, Friday's Entries, Sundays Laundry) Week 1 is a "Box" Focus (ceilings, walls, floors), Week 2 is a glassware focus (windows, mirrors, vases, etc.) Week 3 is furniture and appliances. Week 4 is for catching up, and seasonal stuff. I think the thing I most struggle with is balancing the time for a clean home with the demands of planting season. But we are improving infrastructure as we go and always expanding. My husband still works full-time but from home... we need the insurance. But he still manages to build me all kinds of things. Next up is finishing my outdoor kitchen and then turning my garden shed into an apothecary! The medicinal garden is by the apothecary. The new greenhouse house is in the garden. The culinary herbs are on the porch outside the kitchen door.... on the way to the garden. The garden sink is by the stairs to the porch to the kitchen door. I put things I will need in my way.
I love to hear about how other people organize and rotate thru their daily activities and seasonal chores.
I'm always telling myself that "this will get easier when we're done with ....." but then we start on the next thing and reformat our plans. It's a never-ending shift.
I tell you one thing... I am buying bread for as long as I can! 😂
I loved reading your comment! Curious, what are examples of things you need that you put in your way?
@@dan.1235 Thank you. I hope it helps. Examples would be Harvest baskets at the back door, a plastic rake in the chicken coop, a bucket of oiled sand inside the shed door for keeping tools rust free, I keep a folding knife in every apron, I can't come inside my house with a harvest without passing by the sink and hose where the veggies get washed. Inside is a work in progress... the kitchen is galley style with a large island where the two 30" stoves are located. I have a work side and a prep/project side of the kitchen. I keep the kitchen organized by task: canning, baking, ferments, freezing, medicinals (tinctures, salves, teas, etc.). All the standard items to complete a given task are kept in the same location. So the rolling pins are with the cookie cutters near the kitchen aid, the canning salt is with the pectin next to the pressure canner, the vodka is with the cosmetic beeswax next to the carrier oils where the tinctures are brewing. It's laid out for function of workflow, not like a typical kitchen. There's also plenty of redundancy to save time... measuring cups, for instance, are in multiple work areas. They're inexpensive and if every lb of ground beef is going to get a 1/4 cup of homemade taco spice... then the taco spice jar gets a 1/4 cup scoop. My sweet tea is brewed in half gallon mason jars and each gets a 1/4 cup sugar.. so I keep a container of sugar in a section of cabinets that has my teas, jars, lids, rings, and a scoop right next to the tea kettle. Everything I need, right there, to complete the task. I don't have to search for anything. And the task.side of the kitchen is separated by the island from the cooking side... so that way a person doing a task isn't in the way of someone cooking or cleaning up a meal in fridge/stove/sink work triangle.
@@jeas4980 Thank you for replying so quickly. I think you're brilliant. I love the taco scoop idea and the task side and cooking side of the kitchen. I'm not naturally organized so your tips are a big help in reorienting my way of thinking. My big accomplishment was organizing my drink area to the right of the fridge. Everything for tea/coffee/blended drinks (glasses, mugs, blender, coffee maker, supplements, sweeteners) right there with measuring spoons on a hook on that wall. But sadly, I fail to organize everything in like manner.
@@dan.1235 oh no... I can't credit for these ideas. This is all learned from my family. I'm still looking for storage options for unused grow bags, all these teas and tinctures that I'm creating. I thank you for the compliment but really Zach has blessed us so much with this place of sharing. I learn a lot from the comments section. Have a blessed evening!
Thanks for this series. We're fairly new to homesteading. All good advice is welcome 😊
Absolutely right about both partners wanting the homestead life. I grew up with it and wanted it, my wife thought she wanted it until she found out how hard it was. She grew up having food delivered. Needless to say our marriage didn’t last and all was lost.
Sorry for your loss
According to torah no woman is allowed to divorce
Yeah, hubby is a city boy and doesn't want to work. All we do so far is stock food when we find it cheap.
Water is key but for us, solid shelter is too. Year 3 living in a camper while getting established. It gets kinda old worrying if you need to get a hotel in town or if you're camper will survive the straight -line winds.
Thank you my husband and I are in our first year building up our land in Arizona and man are you correct about how much we need to improve our water supply.
I remember the video when Jamie got water in the kitchen. She was a pretty amazing lady. I started watching your channel before I ever had TH-cam when I watched you on Roku.
Your channel had a different name or you had 2 channels it’s been a while. I think it was called “Torah 4 U “or something like that. Thanks Zach.
New2Torah (:
Huh, I didn't know we had a plan, but apparently we're following it, accidently. Almost done with the greenhouse missed out on getting the coop made so it'll have to be a get chickens next year thing, but we've got water!
Zack, I don't have a spouse. I need organizing for a single, older female. So I need to have an order that takes into account gradually reducing physical abilities.
Zach when I went through everything I was surprised at what I didn't have and what I did have my husband and I have been totally turning everything upside down and organizing everything so everything is in order that is certainly a priority and now I actually know what we need...
Honestly, if you can afford it, get a tractor, even if it’s an older model, it definitely helps get you passed that survival mode. We started with a 96’ ford 1620, really helped get us started.
Thanks Zach 🙏🙏🙏
Right on the mark, Zack!! Love your input!! ❤❤❤
Yes, being on the same page is very important! Even if both of you cannot be on the Homestead to work full time, you will be more likely to be successful if you are both on the same page.
A house divided against itself cannot stand. It's like a tail wagging the dog.
Modified my farm girl dreams when I fell for a city boy…
It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a little compromise, a lot of hard work, and a solid plan.
Great advice Zack! I would say to make sure you have your infrastructure set up before getting animals., ie housing, fencing, watering and feed.
Wife didn't think about prepping till the Great toilet paper shortage" of 2019.
We don't live on a homestead. We live in a small rural town if 350 to 400 folks. We are still stocking up. My problem is just having space for preps.
Thankfully, she is on board now but I still have to nudge her every now and then....
I am interested in efficiency which revolves around functions. I work most on efficiencies of frequent functions, and less on potential functions. General preparedness for undefined threats are potential functions and thats easier to put off another day
We'll get to some of that as we go in this series but it will be impossible to get to everything for every scenario.
I started watching You and Jamie on Roku around 2012. I think...... I remember the pump in the kitchen and yes she was very happy. I also remember the outside laundry room/shed you built for her to do the families laundry. .... LOL the fix to the shower head to improve water flow by drilling out the plastic ball in the center of the shower head. When you started catching water from the the roofs so she didn't have to deal with the hard water from the well. Yes make her happy and get her some good water....... Peace be with you Sir and Semper Fi. God bless
Thanks for this and your testimony that women may or will have the most challenge. It’s been difficult to get started as I have no husband. But, listening to you and reading some of the comments here I can see that unless two people are on the same page, seeing eye-to-eye, the road can be even more difficult!. Well, I have made some strides on my own, but had to go back to get more “support” before I can continue forward on the path to be out of the city and building a functional homestead. The transition has been a slow process for me, but Yah willing I will be able to continue to do this. Thanks for all your guidance.
I know the slow go at it by yourself. I started over a few years ago after a breakup. I'm a local truck driver, so looong hours doesn't leave much time to get everything done, even more so by yourself. I'm looking for a good woman who honestly wants to homestead. I have a decent cabin & small acreage , slowly working toward making into homestead. Hang in there. May the Father bless all of us with the ones we need in our lives to work together & for his good. May we always be thankful for them through the good & bad or tough times.
Every word - Spot on. I guess im one of the lucky ones with the spouse that is on board. But, that can spiral crazy out of control too as well as back the other up when they fall.
I don't know what the vid for men will bring, I assume, some type of income. defense and defense planning, butchery, bulk dry good storage, 1/2 the gardening and canning, Home schooling (1/2 or more). and all projects to make the Wife's tasks easier. Then the longer term preps/entertainment. At least that's how we do it in our home. As a friend says, "Your mileage may vary"
Interested to see where we screwed up on site logistics
Mr. Bauer, Great video Brother! :)! As always, thank you for sharing. :)!
Zack, thank you for this fantastic information.
Love this Zach! Great info and very helpful
I'm deep into maintenance mode.. Have been doing this a long time.. I am in the midst of introducing a wife in the near future and her 2 late teen daughters.. She understands why I'm/we're doing what we do but at the same time I've spent the last year and a half slow rolling them into it before we are married and they are moved onto the homestead.. This has so many challenges its almost stupid to try to introduce them to this.. They just don't have the grit yet.. It is holding me back
Yeah, unplugging people from the matrix who are not ready to be unplugged can be a disaster. I have that t-shirt hanging in my closet. Caution, buddy.
Nailed it! We are just coming up on two years here at our homestead, and we are still in survival mode but it has definitely improved greatly compared to when we first got here. And I agree wholeheartedly that both the husband and wife need to be on board with this endeavor, or else it won't work long-term. It'll be nothing but a battle and heartache if you're not both on the same page. But you absolutely can do it!
Just found you! This is great!!
An American Homestead, Your videos always make me happy, so I subscribed!
Thank you!❤
Love this. Really helps. Can not wait for next video.
Been doing all this for 35 years. It has become so normal to me i have to actually think about how i do things to tell others how. My children as they get into their 30s want to start being more self efficient. I'm always open to ideas. Thank you
We have been trained into a worldwide instant culture. Most people don't have patience anymore for the good stuff.
My husband does not, but he does help when I ask, he is 17 years older than I am, and I’m old, so there is that.
Listening to the background noise in this video, I find myself wondering how much danger you think there might be that your guineas don't do as well getting rid of ticks this year because they're getting fat on cicadas.
I'm certainly looking forward to this series. Finishing up our first year.
And, there's no maybes about it. My adult daughter and I do EVERYTHING EXCEPT washing his clothes.
Garden, animals, cleaning, food, and she and I both hold full time jobs. I'm 70 y.o., but ya gotta have $$$, too. Social security doesn't do it. Oh, to be completely honest, he does cut our 3 acres on his riding mower.
PLEASE, PLEASE GET THIS SERIES UP AND RUNNING. We are waiting for the joy. 🤔👍🙏
Thank you, yes water😊 iv been telling hubby that for a while now
❤ Great info. Zach Shalom!😊
spot on!
I'm so glad you're doing this series. I need some encouragement and fresh ideas. I've somewhat plateaued in my prepping and my tiny homestead areas. Thanks, Zack!
Thank you Zach for beginning this organizational series. Getting a plan seems to be the hardest for me. Already in the prepping mindset, doing many of the things but in a place I don’t intend to stay. Land is my first priority. Looking for land with water source available-off grid as possible. Water catchment is a must but need to learn how to access throughout the infrastructure. I’d appreciate any resources?
Guttering and water tanks is how most people do it. Unless you have a well or a creek that is your best bet. The rainwater will be much much softer than a well as well. But it might be good to have a well for a backup if you can afford drilling one.
@@Anamericanhomestead Thank you
🙏🏼 Thank You so very much… not only became a member but took your advice and getting both books printed by the lady you told us about. I was looking into printing at 3 different places and that company is about 1/3 the cost. Love your videos ♥️ It was hard pulling my husband along for the 1st year… but he woke up and is now completely on board, as far as gardening, and stocking… animals are another thing… maybe 5 year plan.
Facts
Although it's a lot of work and can be expensive, fencing or secure pens is so important. Without it, lots and lots of hard work can be lost in one night of hungry pests or predators, or bad neighbors.
The right tools. It took me years to spend the money on a flame weeder and other critical tools. I got so used to doing things the hard way (by hand on foot etc) that I still usually default to that. Good skills but there are basic tools that make some jobs faster and easier. Like hoes, hoes are good tools. I should learn to use one.
Following good advice. For instance, thinking you can get away with 1 layer of cardboard under mulch to stop weeds when 2 was recommended, then ending up having to re-cardboard and mulch a year or so later only after you weed the enormously happy invasion of unwanted flora in the beds.
Most critically, have your land boundaries very well understood and marked. You never know when a neighbor will decide they think your land is their land. Survey any property you purchase right away and stake it out, fence it if possible.
Plant trees first. They take awhile to grow. You can let them mature as you work on other projects.
As soon as I can get some property i will be doing most of the work because I have to build ramps for my woman cause she's in a wheelchair and I still love her and we're going to get married some Day but i will be working part time and working on small engines for the extra income and try to do my best and be supportive to my future wife and help her and me with the chores and taking care of the garden so I do have a lot on my plate.
I am working towards homesteading. Yes prayer is the main motivation.
Amen! This is what I'm talking about! Organization & efficiency! Moving smoothly & productively. & when a bump in the road hits, you are better suited & ready to deal with a problem or hardship. Yr the man Zach!
Get a shed and a good bed. Everything else is better after that. Then a picnic table and compost toilet. Catchment tank. A shower system, food cooling system . Can set up a good outdoor kitchen. Then build your house. A very long wide tall tent ..10x 20 x10 feet high for temporary living space And just get up and start and walk with faith in Yahuah. It is how to step out in faith. 😊
YOU GO, GIRL. YAHOO!!
That sounds like a good schedule of priorities for starting from nothing. Got the dome sleeping tent with roomy gazebo already. During 2020/1 I gorged on information on starting alone with just the bug out goodies we have in the available safe places we have in our country. It is not going to be easy, but it can be done when your head is in a space where you can be happy with a very simple life.
❤
You're absolutely right about most of the burden of living off grid falling on the woman. An unwise husband disregards his wife's need for his support while she pours into the children and the homestead. Don't kneecap your woman! 😅
well done..
I appreciate you
I want to homestead so badly. Hubby..... really not at all. 😓😭
First things first!❤ Water, shelter food.
Shalom
your exactly right . Good stuff
Home schoolorganized, yes , rest of homestead organization is debateable.,
I just started watching you. Thank you for doing this series. I really want to learn more about Homesteading organizations as I am hoping to start one in about 6 months. I am doing my planning and organizing now.
Ironically I think the woman having the most struggle early on is pretty common across the board; marriage, pregnancy and birth, and the first several years of a baby’s life are a ton more work for the woman. Her life gets turned upside down. Men have a lot more work for the long haul, women have a lot more intense work in establishing things. Funny how God made us so that we need each other for both short and long term goals, almost like it was part of a plan or something 😉
I am a caretaker for my parents. We are in the subbarbs near Jefferson county. I would love to get out of this area but parents in their condition is hard. In one video you had mentioned groups of people buying meat. I am assuming Washington MO. If you could please let me know where you got the meat there are several neighbors interested in that concept and we can do the same thing. I watch you Patera Pinball Doug and Stacy and so many more. I have learned a lot. That book you mentioned on herbal remedies what’s the easiest way to buy the PDF on that. Ty so much in advance
i was a caretaker for my parents for 6 years. It was pretty hard times. Someone told me that I would never regret doing it once they were gone and that was true.
This is an awesome video with great advice! I’m a Patreon member and I definitely want the schematic of the chicken coop!
BTW Everyone should become a Patreon member…. best money I’ve ever spent.
Can I do this on $700 a month?
How do people do this working outside the home full time?
My husband still works full-time and not a minute over. He's not volunteering for more responsibility at the job. We need it for insurance purposes. He's up and doing chores at 4am... we spend our weekends at home. The hardest thing is getting him to hire help... which is necessary sometimes.
@@jeas4980 Do you both work full time? I could handle most of this myself if I didn't. Sometimes it's like we have 2 full time jobs.
@@lybfv63 I work 70 hrs a week from home as a caregiver to disabled adults. But there's a wide range of "homesteads". I don't grow out 4 legged livestock. I have chickens for eggs and meat and we hunt/barter. Rabbits are next but I have no intention of milking anything... ever. We have power... we are not off grid. But I have backups for a grid down scenario. And we have been actively pursuing self-sufficiency for a decade... and we're still not where we would like to be. My focus shifted to medicine and the medicinal garden is a work in progress... now we're talking about schooling for certification this fall... maybe. 10 years ago I was content with my healthcare system and a lot has changed. The goal post is inevitably going to move... the trick is just to start.
@@jeas4980 Wow, you work a lot longer and harder than I do! We're not off grid either but that's the goal. We started this late, in our mid 50's, 6 years in now and still so much to learn.
Marriage is a covenant, share in each other's strengths and weaknesses
Great video looking forward to more.
What about a "Some What" answer?
You are 100% correct, but my way to get off grid water pumping is easier than your system, Im a nobody channel, but my super pump video has about 12k views and my mega pump video is closing on 2k, both videos have clear instructions on how to build, my chicken coop has a super efficient watering system that uses the mega pump, i don't water my chickens ever 😂.
Great start to your Organized Homestead series!! Keep up the good work Zach, you are an absolute blessing!!
I'm preparing my field per Proverbs 24:27 then hopefully will build a modest house in the near future. My desire is to provide a home for myself and aging MIL, YAH willing.
I have planted several berry plants and fruit trees applying the Leviticus 19:23-25 principal; trusting YAH to teach me more about his ways along the way.
Next is a flock of quail and seasonal crops such as asparagus, strawberries amd garlic to help pay the taxes.
It's tough as a widow to do a lot of the work and maintain a job but I keep pressing on.
I'm very thankful my family helps with the big projects and I don't have to hire someone.
A lot has been accomplished thus far and I'm looking forward to the next 25+ yrs on my little homestead. HalleluYAH!!
Nothing in life can be done well if husband and wife arent united.
It didn’t make it , show us the bear rug
I believe there was a cyber attack on the stock market this morning
Please, God. Not more civil derangement 🙏
@maureenschulte4778 I got several emails this morning about this. One email from CNBC that said it was a technical issue. Trading was stopped on some stocks don't know how many
👍
Louder...for those in the back lol
Without a God-ordained, biblical perspective and belief in the purpose for life, the nuclear family and children, there will not be a perception of the propriety of life style that is farming and homesteading. That simple. Those of us who lived the lifestyle, walked the walk and talked the talk, know that this is truth.
How feasable would it be to hand drive a well through the ground that's full of chert?
Probably would want to find out what’s the average depth of the wells in your area. I’m assuming you have TH-camd how to hand drive a well. There’s a product called a simple pump. That would be a good thing to get, they’re a little pricey, but probably worth the investment. Good luck, my friend!
I can't take this religious talk. Not my scene. ✌️
Cuba is always looking for a few good atheists.
Spoken like a true commie.
You don't have to agree with religion to listen and gain some understanding.