Here's my CANNING PANTRY TOUR (400 jars in a townhouse closet): th-cam.com/video/k2XsbxgHmAI/w-d-xo.html Here's how I grow 200 crops on a deck: th-cam.com/video/E5nV_AS89P8/w-d-xo.html
Excellent video! 20 years ago, I jumped into a 10 acre spot, with lots of plans, had an ok nest egg. I was sure I was ready. I started putting up fencing, upgraded the barn, put horses in the pasture. Yup horses. Why? Because that’s the animal we wanted. They were a lot of work. I hardly had time for anything else. Wound up injuring myself. Sold the farm, got a double lot in town. Closer to medical care. Ok, now I had space I could manage. Built several raised garden beds over a three year period, as I found the time for a bigger garden, it grew. Six years later, I built a 5 hole rabbit hutch. Got 3 rabbits. One buck, two does. Next year I doubled to 10 hole by adding a second level. It sets on my patio between the house and garage. Now when year eight came, I wanted chickens. Town council said no chickens. I got quail! Been here ten years now, I’ve aged, but my small double lot, in town life gives me vegetables, fruits, herbs, eggs, and meat. I am not over worked, I’m healthy, happy, and live easy.
As my husband and myself are in our 70s. We have been trying hard to raise bees and gardening. But the biggest mistake is biting off more than you can do. Be logical. Look at your budget.
Yes, yes!! I live in the city and I want property so bad. I have done all of the mistakes. Trying to rush into doing everything at one time. I have bought almost all of the equipment and the seeds and the things!!! It is hard because I am in my 50's and just found the passion for homesteading, so I am trying to play catch up. I am trying to learn to pace myself and take a dose of Vitamin P (patience) daily! Thank you Cassandra for bringing common sense to my life! 😘
You hit the nail on the head - enjoy the harvest no matter how small, to savor the successes and learn from the mistakes. I will never have a "home stead", moving into my 70's soon, but I do grow some of our food. It feels so good to open a freezer bag of tomato sauce in January that I processed in August, or to have fresh greenbeans on the table that I know have no pesticides or chemicals , and getting that bowl or two of raspberries in July for a smoothie or to top ice cream, yes those are so worth it.
Loved that chicken coop! I'm 68 and about a year ago I became interested in gardening in my small backyard. But other than cutting back bushes and sweeping up leaves, it's been neglected for many years. After watching several homesteaders, from those who garden in pots, raised beds, stacked systems (you!) and in the ground, I began to make a plan. I thought about Jess's advice to make "your waiting room your classroom" and then she popped up on your video! Great collection of wisdom, great commentary and, did I say that I love that chicken coop?! 🤔...🤣🤣🤣
I think the quote is something like, "A wise person learns from the mistakes of others. An average person learns from his own mistakes. A fool never learns."
I owned 5 acres 35 years ago and it was a great help when we finally bought our final homestead. Even though I didn't have much money to do much of any thing on the 5 acres I still learned a lot from it like get a gate across our driveway because people will just drive up to your house if you don't have one. I really can't say that I made any mistakes so far. Some of that is just by chance, I made good decisions. I'm happy with everything.
I recently ran across a newish channel you may enjoy- a woman in Virginia doing an urban homestead in her small yard- she has lots of plants, some orchard and chickens and quails. She talked about how she tried a lot of things and just got started with what she had. I thought it was really a wonderful example of not letting the perfect get in the way of the good enough and just really enjoying blooming where you're planted! Yellow Door Urban Homestead @YellowDoorUrbanHomestead
I absolutely love this video and think it should be watched by anyone wanting to dive off into this lifestyle. Thank you for including us in your valuable content 😊
To my mind, Homesteading/Gardening, allow us to slow down a bit and think more long term than we do on a daily basis. Taking a little extra time on the front end is not only a luxury in and of itself, but it will save you so much more time and money in the long run. We have to re-learn to think "Seasonally", rather than simply day-to-day. Cheers from FL!
Thank you for this video. I plan on moving in a year to my own apartment with my son. I found myself desiring a farm because I felt it wouldn’t be big enough. This has humbled me and I look forward to learning more about how I can be successful in this area.
Great video! We’ve been homesteading for 18 years from just a few backyard chickens to now having cattle and selling pork, but we have made TONS of mistakes along the way. I applaud your wisdom in learning from others’ mistakes and developing a plan PRIOR to actually having that dream homestead. You are still going to have problems - it’s inevitable - but the wisdom you are gleaning now will help you to minimize those problems, AND you will have a playbook of ideas for how to tackle those problems when they do arise. Bravo! 👏
Hello friend! The way you’ve scaled your homestead (from a few chickens to cattle and pork) sounds awesome. And, mentioning that it’s been over the span of 18 years is a much more realistic picture than what is often portrayed. I initially felt a little silly thinking that I would start to do as much as I could while in a townhome, but with each step, it makes me realize how fortunate I am to have a safe space to practice. Homesteading is an investment of time, energy and money. Caring for livestock is serious business, it’s a lifestyle you’ve got to be devoted to day in and day out. Realizing that 3-4 acres is plenty for us since we will maintain our jobs, that I still want to support or barter with others in the community we move to, has given me a much more accurate picture of how we can pull this off. Certainly, mistakes will be made, but knowing that it’ll be fewer than what we would’ve made on our own is a comfort!! I appreciate your encouragement so much!
Yay another video by my favorite homestead dreamer! I am so grateful to have found your channel. We started a homesteading community on Twitter and I recommend you all the time, especially to those like us in small spaces.
I started my home business with this philosophy- full time job but using extra money to buy equipment, materials, started expanding my client base, and after 10 years, I quit my other job without that panic of jumping in feet first. At the same time, I got interested in gardening and cooking- slowly building skills through books and videos. Now, we've moved to a 5 acre home and I started with ducks this year, will add goats next year, and then probably bees the year after. Cassandra is 100% right- doing what you can where you are and having patience is amazing and will lead to incredible outcomes!
Another thing to mention is the availability of your own homestead grown produce and protein. Like you, you can go out to your deck and pick your produce and put together a great salad. With us, we have that plus our eggs and one day our milk and milk products from our handful of goats. Foraging is another homesteaders product. Cassandra, keep up the great vlogs. You're growing everyday in your quest and you're also contributing to a dialogue with lots of information for us that maybe we didn't think of!
Omg, homestead creep! Yes. When my husband and i moved next door to my inlaws to help them, I said, "Don't ask me to get involved in gardening. I have a very crazy job!" Then what happened? I thought it would be great to add to the fruit trees. Then i started getting introduced to herbalists and homesteaders on TH-cam and started seeing what was already on our land. Then i started seeing what was going on with our food supply and how expensive things were. I thought, we could just enlarge our garden a little and help ourselves and adult children. Seven raised garden beds and 40 x 40 garden area later, i realized, one thing DOES lead to another. 😂😂😂
Great message for those embarking on this type of journey. We also need to remember that working outside of the home and home/farm steading, everything ready to harvest the same time of the year. Chickens, garden, readying for winter, canning and if there's kids, back to school. It can be a dream or a nightmare, start slow and steady. I know my first 2 years were a disaster. End of july- end of September harvesting and putting up a half an acre of garden produce, butchering chickens, hogs and goats, getting dinner on the table wasn't easy. So we scaled back considerably and will slowly add what we can handle along the way. Plus building and creating environments for critters is costly and time consuming and a joy
I totally agree with you, we should always be learning in as many areas of our life as possible. It is the wise person who realizes that they don't know everything and are willing to from others 's mistakes as well as their own. Our University has a program called the Center for Lifelong Learning. I am always wanting to learn. It brings me fulfillment and joy and a sense to accomplish learning something I didn't know before. I love your channel so much. Thank you so much for giving me that opportunity to learn and grown in an environment of kindred spirits..
I grew up on a small dairy farm and it always felt we were chasing cows. We had to bring them in from the pasture, someone left the gate down, or they get out while you are driving through the gate. Also some people don't realize have to have a reliable back up if you want to leave for a day or more. Cows can't milk them selves.
I'm still living in the city. I'm looking to buy 300+ acres next year Lord bless. I have always cooked from scratch (mom made sure that all 10 of us could cook) so cooking isn't an issue for me. I started with one dog and some plants in the house. I felt that if I could keep them alive then I could move up. Then I got 5 more dogs and more plants. After 3 years of the dogs and plants, I started my garden. It grew great (even with one of the dogs eating all of my tomatoes). Now, this year, I just got baby chicks. I'm learning to can, ferment, freeze dry, and a lot of other stuff. My mom grew up and was raised on a farm. So, growing up, she still did a lot of things that she would do on the farm growing up. I am teaching myself a lot about farm life and living like I'm on a farm so when the time comes, I will be able to slide over to my new life. Great video, thanks!!
The starting small, staying small really hit home for me. I find myself doing and getting more than needed. The excitement of the beginner farm life can be overwhelming and EXPENSIVE Lol great video👍
You have done it again! The video we didn't even think we needed. I agree I get such satisfaction from going to my small garden to get daily fresh food. We have two options we are mulling over. (1) 12 acres in USA or (2) Living in Panama, Panama. Most might think it's a no brainer. But homesteading in the US is really appealing to me. I appreciate your content. ❤
I just turned 59 this year and it was always been my life long dream to homestead. I had hoped I would have been able to do this when my 3 wonderful kids were young, but it was not meant to be. In 2020 I got some backyard chickens and it is costing me big time because feed is so expensive and out of 8 hens I may get 2 eggs a day. It is either too hot in the summer or the days are too short in the winter months for them to lay. But, I do enjoy sitting out in the evening on my patio and watching them in the backyard when I let them out to free range. That is very satisfying and relaxing to watch. SO that is me living a small fraction of my dream.
This great, we’ve been on our homestead for two years and just getting to building shops. Building great relationships with other homesteaders is helpful too. We start small and slow.
Hi folks, Cassandra, thanks for posting this! My husband and I live on a quarter section (163 acres) on the Canadian prairies and we both work full time. We came to the farm knowing how to garden and fix things, but after the first summer realized we needed to get real with ourselves about what we could pull off with the time and resources we have. We made our garden and there's a winter's worth of vegetables in the cold room and freezer, but I hired someone to clean my house. We don't raise animals, but we do hunt every fall. Each fall and spring we review our Project List and prioritize what we work on next. Yes, I'd like to get some chickens, but we need to be able to keep them warm, which means paying to run power to the barn. Also we'd need to clean up and fix up the barn. Realizing that makes store bought free range eggs seem affordable 😂 Homesteading, at whatever level of involvement, is really rewarding, but deciding how much involvement you can realistically pull off will keep it from feeling like you're being punished!
I kept 3 rescued battery hens. I loved them and they lived for another three years. They scratched up the garden and I had NO plants left but of course they manured the soil and ate the bugs. I realised I loved gardening more than keeping more chickens. Now I grow fruit and veg and spend my money on the best free range eggs I can find. I also buried them in the garden, so they are still here
What a great video! Your green stalk vid came across my algorithm the other day. Instantly hit Subscribe 😁I'm renting at the moment. Many channels were good, but overwhelming. But something in how you explain things makes it much easier to follow. I feel like I can actually grow my own veggies, flowers, etc. for myself & son. Plus canning doesn't seem so scary when you do it. My grandmother's pear preserves are to die for & I've been wanting to get the hang of it. Thanks so much for sharing with us. Continued blessings & success on your journey!
We never owned land but live and work on farms while growing gardens, meat (small turkey flocks, heritage breeds, chickens - both meat and eggs, pastured pigs, etc)., for our own family while there. It has worked out very well. As much as we wanted our own place, it wasn’t economically possible ( we got the experience of raising our three kids on small farms that way too!). People don’t realize that there are MANY ways to homestead. It just takes thinking outside the box sometimes. I work part time at a plant nursery ( and part time on a working beef farm) - hope to own a small property soon. But we have raised and taught our family well by doing it this way. This is a good video.
I just got my worm bin set up this week, i keep going out to check on them haha! My goal is to have some good casting and compost for increasing my balcony garden next year.
How funny, I just got my worms and was reviewing Casandra's worm bin video when I saw she had a new video. I'm excited about starting this new journey.
This is THE BEST video! We are currently in our waiting room and to have this compilation of knowledge in one video is amazing! Thank you for making this.
Watching your videos is the highlight of my week. Thank you for sharing. I keep reminding myself that this mini farm dream isn't gonna happen overnight. I need to find a few farms to volunteer on so I can get some hands on skills.
Hello friend! I’m right in there with you. And, the more I embrace working with what I’ve got, the more I appreciate having time to save money, know what to prioritize when I do start to look for land, and know that I have skills around bird keeping and (hopefully soon) livestock. A dream can quickly become a nightmare. I’ve been in my townhouse learning skills over the past 6 years, and we’ll be here another 4. It’ll be a decade in the making but the people you’ll meet, funds you’ll have, skill you’re learning and knowledge you’ll have will pay dividends. We’ve got this girl!
It’s so true friend! I love how Jess phrased the “in between” stage, and the more I realize all of the components that go into maintaining a small farm (especially if you’re working full-time off the farm) the more I appreciate the gift of being able to scale over time. You’ve got this!
@@BecomingaFarmGirl yes I’m definitely in my waiting room and using this time to learn all I can while doing container gardening,some indoor hydroponics and even got a few quail. Thanks for sharing
Yaaaassssss! Thank you for these great reminders!!!! So true! All the thingd!!! I love that you promote turning your waiting room into your classroom! It's the best advice! Ever. So real! Are you in an area with community gardens (?) I think you would really enjoy a community garden vibe along side your amazing back porch bountiful garden! You will make dirt nerd friends! Garden friends to learn from are the best! I ❤️ dirt. Your the best! Thanks for sharing your sweet self! And all the things!
Just a massive supporter here. I live on property, work and have 2 young kids. However, i saved up to get this dream for 30 years and came from a family that lived on hamburger helper and TV dinners. Wish i had done what your doing instead of tryimg to learn it all at once. But we all have our own journeys 😂
We are in our 70's now. 20 acres. We found places to get our beef, chicken & eggs now. Our nefews hunt for deer and turkey. We barter and manage about 9 raised beds. We love the peace and quiet. We rent about 17 acres to a farmer. So there are ways to manage a homestead without working yourself to death. Blessings to yall young folks, its a great life❤😊the savings comes in having great health from eating better food.
This is the second time that I watched this. I'm an empty nester. My children are so sweet, but they don't understand why I am trying to clean out my garage differently than how they wanted. I can't afford a shed. I do have a garage that if I cleared out a space. Had shelves built, then the gardening items can be out there and not in my living room. Then, I could feel more at peace in my space.
I would enjoy seeing all your kitchen appliances, their uses, and why you have them and any tips or tricks to make them multi functional. Luv your vids 😊
Thank you for this! I started watching for a year you, Becky, Red Rose, and a handful of others. I didn’t jump all in. I watched and thought about self reliance, food preservation, and emergency preparedness. I live in Houston . I survived Hurricane Harvey living right next to the reservoir. I survived the deep freeze for a couple years back. I learned a couple of things from you great ladies and my “girl scout” handiness. I can’t complete depend on others or our government. I can do some food prep and preserve, purchase some, learn more and more to have my security. a big hug and thanks to you for your energy, enthusiasm, kindness, humor and growing skills. You rock! ♥️💜🧡💚💙❤️💕💐🥰 sherry
This info is so importance. I love this. I am in this place now preparing for my homestead, thinking I want 5+ acres. But I need to think about if I don’t get. That and I only able to get 3or even 2 for my chicken and goats. Great info.
I believe fully in taking time to learn and prepare ahead. I want a Homestead but can't yet. I take the time to learn...what do I need to look for? What are expenses? What do I want to grow? With a smaller space, I'll try a peanut plant. How does it work? What did I do wrong? Can I or do I want to grow a large crop? Same with Sourgum. Can I learn to make syrup and grain? Sure, it might be 4 oz of syrup due to limited grow area. But, I'm learning and practicing, etc. Every step of research, experiment, skill practice, etc, IS a step toward the goal. ❤
No truer words my friend! And, while it’s popular to see folks moving quickly onto a homestead; I don’t find it to be accurate for most. I think your timeline (and mine- it’ll be nearly 10 years we’ve lived in our townhome by the time we can remotely think about moving) is more accurate. PLUS, once you realize (as the work you are doing with what you have shows) that things can quickly add up, go wrong, and that it’s easy to get in over you head, the “dream” can turn into a nightmare. Like you, I want to find a community of folks to barter and trade with, enjoy the quality of life that even just having a few aspects of farm life brings, and realize that it’s not a race! We can do this!
I can't believe how many we made...I try to show my screw-ups so others will learn...had to sell the farm last year due to health...mortgage is a mistake sometimes.
Yes Indeed. I truly appreciate the sheer fact that all of your ideas are a shared event with different ideas and different views. All of which lend to a Community. Thank you.
Your cultivating knowledge along the way. I think your doing just fine Cassandra. Just so you know your parents are in my prayers. They were on my heart.
I am hoping to “farm” like you do. Your production is my goal. I love where I live in Houston on a tiny lot. I am going to try your deck farming❤. You inspire me!
I love the design of her chicken coop and the idea of using a trailer. So my goal will be to get a trailer. Use it to move to my property. Then build my chicken coop around it.
Love the format of this video, and the tips here. I found myself wondering if you have a timeframe goal for moving to a property with acreage? Thanks for all sharing all of your efforts and knowledge with us on your channel!
Wow "culinary legacy" got me tearing up. It really is a huge part of my "why". A big mistake I made is not having a contingency plan for life's emergencies like long term illness or having to be away from home for extended periods.. With that not also building in redundancy to systems. 2 is 1 and 2 is none! Another is not counting time as an expense when planning a project. My rule is triple cost and time. I STILL have a half finished chicken plucker from last year. The last is striving for the myth of complete self sufficiency. IT BURNED ME OUT!!!
It is really hard to prevent yourself from going bigger and then it getting quickly out of your control, or at least past your amount of energy and time.
It's true. I have all kinds of pictures of the canned and dehydrated foods, but not one picture of chipped jars, popped off lids, or burned foods. LOL. I will have to do some epic fail photos as well from now on.
Got the silicone big muffin pans from Walmart and made the Sausage eggs cheese. and corn bread muffins thanks so much Going to make all your meals you cooked in muffins pans ❤😊
Awesome video,. I can see already that homesteading is not easy or cheap, my quail are about to eat me out a house and a home. Lol! When I get some land, I'm definitely going to need some restraint.
Had a question. Have you and hubby thought about prebuying property in PA to lock in price? You can always sell it for a profit later and buy something else if your needs change later
thank you for this chat ❤ i think it definitely made me realize that i can start now and experiment instead of waiting for the perfect moment where i have xyz. these experiences will be valuable for myself and my fam but also just allow me to build skills i've been intrigued by. i don't know if i want to really homestead on a farm but doing it where i am in this suburban area is enough for me hehe i was thinking maybe i could find a place to volunteer here in ontario 🥺 perhaps a farm or any local organization? thank you for serving as a big inspiration, cassandra! you make things feel less daunting esp at a time where things have been constantly going downhill for me ❤❤❤
“Homestead creep is real too” Me: oh, F*CK 😅 I already struggle so much with being overstimulated and overwhelmed with all my clutter that keeps finding it’s way into my home.
Here's my CANNING PANTRY TOUR (400 jars in a townhouse closet): th-cam.com/video/k2XsbxgHmAI/w-d-xo.html
Here's how I grow 200 crops on a deck: th-cam.com/video/E5nV_AS89P8/w-d-xo.html
Excellent video! 20 years ago, I jumped into a 10 acre spot, with lots of plans, had an ok nest egg. I was sure I was ready. I started putting up fencing, upgraded the barn, put horses in the pasture. Yup horses. Why? Because that’s the animal we wanted. They were a lot of work. I hardly had time for anything else. Wound up injuring myself.
Sold the farm, got a double lot in town. Closer to medical care. Ok, now I had space I could manage. Built several raised garden beds over a three year period, as I found the time for a bigger garden, it grew. Six years later, I built a 5 hole rabbit hutch. Got 3 rabbits. One buck, two does. Next year I doubled to 10 hole by adding a second level. It sets on my patio between the house and garage. Now when year eight came, I wanted chickens. Town council said no chickens. I got quail! Been here ten years now, I’ve aged, but my small double lot, in town life gives me vegetables, fruits, herbs, eggs, and meat. I am not over worked, I’m healthy, happy, and live easy.
As my husband and myself are in our 70s. We have been trying hard to raise bees and gardening. But the biggest mistake is biting off more than you can do. Be logical. Look at your budget.
We're not far behind you. We have to look at budget and what can we reasonably do and continue to do.
I love this video! So well put together and offers hope. I'm a current townhouse homesteader lol
61 and still kicking. Thank you ❤
Cassandra, this is the first time I've seen you without makeup. Girrrrrrrl! why are you covering all that natural beauty, your skin is flawless.🥰
Haha! You are too kind :)
Yes, yes!! I live in the city and I want property so bad. I have done all of the mistakes. Trying to rush into doing everything at one time. I have bought almost all of the equipment and the seeds and the things!!! It is hard because I am in my 50's and just found the passion for homesteading, so I am trying to play catch up. I am trying to learn to pace myself and take a dose of Vitamin P (patience) daily! Thank you Cassandra for bringing common sense to my life! 😘
You hit the nail on the head - enjoy the harvest no matter how small, to savor the successes and learn from the mistakes. I will never have a "home stead", moving into my 70's soon, but I do grow some of our food. It feels so good to open a freezer bag of tomato sauce in January that I processed in August, or to have fresh greenbeans on the table that I know have no pesticides or chemicals , and getting that bowl or two of raspberries in July for a smoothie or to top ice cream, yes those are so worth it.
This was so helpful. Thanks for all the great tib bits. Keep doing gods work 🤗
Loved that chicken coop! I'm 68 and about a year ago I became interested in gardening in my small backyard. But other than cutting back bushes and sweeping up leaves, it's been neglected for many years. After watching several homesteaders, from those who garden in pots, raised beds, stacked systems (you!) and in the ground, I began to make a plan. I thought about Jess's advice to make "your waiting room your classroom" and then she popped up on your video! Great collection of wisdom, great commentary and, did I say that I love that chicken coop?! 🤔...🤣🤣🤣
I think the quote is something like, "A wise person learns from the mistakes of others. An average person learns from his own mistakes. A fool never learns."
I owned 5 acres 35 years ago and it was a great help when we finally bought our final homestead. Even though I didn't have much money to do much of any thing on the 5 acres I still learned a lot from it like get a gate across our driveway because people will just drive up to your house if you don't have one. I really can't say that I made any mistakes so far. Some of that is just by chance, I made good decisions. I'm happy with everything.
I recently ran across a newish channel you may enjoy- a woman in Virginia doing an urban homestead in her small yard- she has lots of plants, some orchard and chickens and quails. She talked about how she tried a lot of things and just got started with what she had. I thought it was really a wonderful example of not letting the perfect get in the way of the good enough and just really enjoying blooming where you're planted!
Yellow Door Urban Homestead
@YellowDoorUrbanHomestead
Wait, what? Thank you for sharing! I think I’m really going to enjoy her channel! Thank you, Christine!!
I love that lady’s channel! She’s realistic!
I absolutely love this video and think it should be watched by anyone wanting to dive off into this lifestyle. Thank you for including us in your valuable content 😊
To my mind, Homesteading/Gardening, allow us to slow down a bit and think more long term than we do on a daily basis. Taking a little extra time on the front end is not only a luxury in and of itself, but it will save you so much more time and money in the long run. We have to re-learn to think "Seasonally", rather than simply day-to-day. Cheers from FL!
Great video Cassandra. You are so smart to start learning homesteading skills before you make your big move onto one. Love your channel!
Thank you for this video. I plan on moving in a year to my own apartment with my son. I found myself desiring a farm because I felt it wouldn’t be big enough. This has humbled me and I look forward to learning more about how I can be successful in this area.
Great video! We’ve been homesteading for 18 years from just a few backyard chickens to now having cattle and selling pork, but we have made TONS of mistakes along the way. I applaud your wisdom in learning from others’ mistakes and developing a plan PRIOR to actually having that dream homestead. You are still going to have problems - it’s inevitable - but the wisdom you are gleaning now will help you to minimize those problems, AND you will have a playbook of ideas for how to tackle those problems when they do arise. Bravo! 👏
Hello friend! The way you’ve scaled your homestead (from a few chickens to cattle and pork) sounds awesome. And, mentioning that it’s been over the span of 18 years is a much more realistic picture than what is often portrayed. I initially felt a little silly thinking that I would start to do as much as I could while in a townhome, but with each step, it makes me realize how fortunate I am to have a safe space to practice. Homesteading is an investment of time, energy and money. Caring for livestock is serious business, it’s a lifestyle you’ve got to be devoted to day in and day out. Realizing that 3-4 acres is plenty for us since we will maintain our jobs, that I still want to support or barter with others in the community we move to, has given me a much more accurate picture of how we can pull this off. Certainly, mistakes will be made, but knowing that it’ll be fewer than what we would’ve made on our own is a comfort!! I appreciate your encouragement so much!
Yay another video by my favorite homestead dreamer! I am so grateful to have found your channel. We started a homesteading community on Twitter and I recommend you all the time, especially to those like us in small spaces.
The land needs a Sabath rest as well, very important to remember, for sure.
I started my home business with this philosophy- full time job but using extra money to buy equipment, materials, started expanding my client base, and after 10 years, I quit my other job without that panic of jumping in feet first.
At the same time, I got interested in gardening and cooking- slowly building skills through books and videos. Now, we've moved to a 5 acre home and I started with ducks this year, will add goats next year, and then probably bees the year after.
Cassandra is 100% right- doing what you can where you are and having patience is amazing and will lead to incredible outcomes!
Another thing to mention is the availability of your own homestead grown produce and protein. Like you, you can go out to your deck and pick your produce and put together a great salad. With us, we have that plus our eggs and one day our milk and milk products from our handful of goats. Foraging is another homesteaders product. Cassandra, keep up the great vlogs. You're growing everyday in your quest and you're also contributing to a dialogue with lots of information for us that maybe we didn't think of!
Omg, homestead creep! Yes. When my husband and i moved next door to my inlaws to help them, I said, "Don't ask me to get involved in gardening. I have a very crazy job!" Then what happened? I thought it would be great to add to the fruit trees. Then i started getting introduced to herbalists and homesteaders on TH-cam and started seeing what was already on our land. Then i started seeing what was going on with our food supply and how expensive things were. I thought, we could just enlarge our garden a little and help ourselves and adult children. Seven raised garden beds and 40 x 40 garden area later, i realized, one thing DOES lead to another. 😂😂😂
It’s important to know what to expect when homesteading! This applies to a lot of other things in life and about life as well.
Great message for those embarking on this type of journey. We also need to remember that working outside of the home and home/farm steading, everything ready to harvest the same time of the year.
Chickens, garden, readying for winter, canning and if there's kids, back to school. It can be a dream or a nightmare, start slow and steady. I know my first 2 years were a disaster. End of july- end of September harvesting and putting up a half an acre of garden produce, butchering chickens, hogs and goats, getting dinner on the table wasn't easy. So we scaled back considerably and will slowly add what we can handle along the way. Plus building and creating environments for critters is costly and time consuming and a joy
I totally agree with you, we should always be learning in as many areas of our life as possible. It is the wise person who realizes that they don't know everything and are willing to from others 's mistakes as well as their own. Our University has a program called the Center for Lifelong Learning. I am always wanting to learn. It brings me fulfillment and joy and a sense to accomplish learning something I didn't know before. I love your channel so much. Thank you so much for giving me that opportunity to learn and grown in an environment of kindred spirits..
*"If the juice isn't worth the squeeze."* L💜VE this and amen! 😂
I grew up on a small dairy farm and it always felt we were chasing cows. We had to bring them in from the pasture, someone left the gate down, or they get out while you are driving through the gate. Also some people don't realize have to have a reliable back up if you want to leave for a day or more. Cows can't milk them selves.
I'm still living in the city. I'm looking to buy 300+ acres next year Lord bless. I have always cooked from scratch (mom made sure that all 10 of us could cook) so cooking isn't an issue for me. I started with one dog and some plants in the house. I felt that if I could keep them alive then I could move up. Then I got 5 more dogs and more plants. After 3 years of the dogs and plants, I started my garden. It grew great (even with one of the dogs eating all of my tomatoes). Now, this year, I just got baby chicks. I'm learning to can, ferment, freeze dry, and a lot of other stuff. My mom grew up and was raised on a farm. So, growing up, she still did a lot of things that she would do on the farm growing up. I am teaching myself a lot about farm life and living like I'm on a farm so when the time comes, I will be able to slide over to my new life. Great video, thanks!!
The starting small, staying small really hit home for me. I find myself doing and getting more than needed. The excitement of the beginner farm life can be overwhelming and EXPENSIVE Lol great video👍
You have done it again! The video we didn't even think we needed.
I agree I get such satisfaction from going to my small garden to get daily fresh food. We have two options we are mulling over. (1) 12 acres in USA or (2) Living in Panama, Panama. Most might think it's a no brainer. But homesteading in the US is really appealing to me. I appreciate your content. ❤
I just turned 59 this year and it was always been my life long dream to homestead. I had hoped I would have been able to do this when my 3 wonderful kids were young, but it was not meant to be. In 2020 I got some backyard chickens and it is costing me big time because feed is so expensive and out of 8 hens I may get 2 eggs a day. It is either too hot in the summer or the days are too short in the winter months for them to lay. But, I do enjoy sitting out in the evening on my patio and watching them in the backyard when I let them out to free range. That is very satisfying and relaxing to watch. SO that is me living a small fraction of my dream.
This great, we’ve been on our homestead for two years and just getting to building shops. Building great relationships with other homesteaders is helpful too. We start small and slow.
Hi folks,
Cassandra, thanks for posting this! My husband and I live on a quarter section (163 acres) on the Canadian prairies and we both work full time. We came to the farm knowing how to garden and fix things, but after the first summer realized we needed to get real with ourselves about what we could pull off with the time and resources we have. We made our garden and there's a winter's worth of vegetables in the cold room and freezer, but I hired someone to clean my house. We don't raise animals, but we do hunt every fall. Each fall and spring we review our Project List and prioritize what we work on next. Yes, I'd like to get some chickens, but we need to be able to keep them warm, which means paying to run power to the barn. Also we'd need to clean up and fix up the barn. Realizing that makes store bought free range eggs seem affordable 😂 Homesteading, at whatever level of involvement, is really rewarding, but deciding how much involvement you can realistically pull off will keep it from feeling like you're being punished!
I kept 3 rescued battery hens. I loved them and they lived for another three years. They scratched up the garden and I had NO plants left but of course they manured the soil and ate the bugs. I realised I loved gardening more than keeping more chickens. Now I grow fruit and veg and spend my money on the best free range eggs I can find. I also buried them in the garden, so they are still here
What a great video! Your green stalk vid came across my algorithm the other day. Instantly hit Subscribe 😁I'm renting at the moment. Many channels were good, but overwhelming. But something in how you explain things makes it much easier to follow. I feel like I can actually grow my own veggies, flowers, etc. for myself & son. Plus canning doesn't seem so scary when you do it. My grandmother's pear preserves are to die for & I've been wanting to get the hang of it. Thanks so much for sharing with us. Continued blessings & success on your journey!
We never owned land but live and work on farms while growing gardens, meat (small turkey flocks, heritage breeds, chickens - both meat and eggs, pastured pigs, etc)., for our own family while there. It has worked out very well. As much as we wanted our own place, it wasn’t economically possible ( we got the experience of raising our three kids on small farms that way too!). People don’t realize that there are MANY ways to homestead. It just takes thinking outside the box sometimes. I work part time at a plant nursery ( and part time on a working beef farm) - hope to own a small property soon. But we have raised and taught our family well by doing it this way. This is a good video.
I just got my worm bin set up this week, i keep going out to check on them haha! My goal is to have some good casting and compost for increasing my balcony garden next year.
How funny, I just got my worms and was reviewing Casandra's worm bin video when I saw she had a new video. I'm excited about starting this new journey.
I would love to see ONE video from the homesteading channels that I watch showing the work and mess tearing out the annual garden!!!
Exactly! It’s a reality that happens more often than you think.😉
This is THE BEST video! We are currently in our waiting room and to have this compilation of knowledge in one video is amazing! Thank you for making this.
Watching your videos is the highlight of my week. Thank you for sharing. I keep reminding myself that this mini farm dream isn't gonna happen overnight. I need to find a few farms to volunteer on so I can get some hands on skills.
Hello friend! I’m right in there with you. And, the more I embrace working with what I’ve got, the more I appreciate having time to save money, know what to prioritize when I do start to look for land, and know that I have skills around bird keeping and (hopefully soon) livestock. A dream can quickly become a nightmare. I’ve been in my townhouse learning skills over the past 6 years, and we’ll be here another 4. It’ll be a decade in the making but the people you’ll meet, funds you’ll have, skill you’re learning and knowledge you’ll have will pay dividends. We’ve got this girl!
“In our waiting room “ I love that.
It’s so true friend! I love how Jess phrased the “in between” stage, and the more I realize all of the components that go into maintaining a small farm (especially if you’re working full-time off the farm) the more I appreciate the gift of being able to scale over time. You’ve got this!
@@BecomingaFarmGirl yes I’m definitely in my waiting room and using this time to learn all I can while doing container gardening,some indoor hydroponics and even got a few quail. Thanks for sharing
The mobile Chicken Coup owner should register her innovation under her name. Brilliant ❤
I love how you are giving real credit to these people. That's exemplary 💕👍🏼🌻
Yaaaassssss! Thank you for these great reminders!!!! So true! All the thingd!!! I love that you promote turning your waiting room into your classroom! It's the best advice! Ever. So real! Are you in an area with community gardens (?) I think you would really enjoy a community garden vibe along side your amazing back porch bountiful garden! You will make dirt nerd friends! Garden friends to learn from are the best! I ❤️ dirt. Your the best! Thanks for sharing your sweet self! And all the things!
Just a massive supporter here. I live on property, work and have 2 young kids. However, i saved up to get this dream for 30 years and came from a family that lived on hamburger helper and TV dinners. Wish i had done what your doing instead of tryimg to learn it all at once. But we all have our own journeys 😂
Wonderful information. Love the format and how you included clips of others who have a wealth of experience.
We are in our 70's now. 20 acres. We found places to get our beef, chicken & eggs now. Our nefews hunt for deer and turkey. We barter and manage about 9 raised beds. We love the peace and quiet. We rent about 17 acres to a farmer. So there are ways to manage a homestead without working yourself to death. Blessings to yall young folks, its a great life❤😊the savings comes in having great health from eating better food.
Lots to consider. Thanks for sharing this useful information. Im on a 1/3 acre and that's what I can manage. Happy homesteading. 😊
This is the second time that I watched this. I'm an empty nester. My children are so sweet, but they don't understand why I am trying to clean out my garage differently than how they wanted. I can't afford a shed. I do have a garage that if I cleared out a space. Had shelves built, then the gardening items can be out there and not in my living room. Then, I could feel more at peace in my space.
Superb video sharing! The innovation and the honesty is refreshing and doable!
I would enjoy seeing all your kitchen appliances, their uses, and why you have them and any tips or tricks to make them multi functional. Luv your vids 😊
Thank you for this! I started watching for a year you, Becky, Red Rose, and a handful of others. I didn’t jump all in. I watched and thought about self reliance, food preservation, and emergency preparedness. I live in Houston . I survived Hurricane Harvey living right next to the reservoir. I survived the deep freeze for a couple years back. I learned a couple of things from you great ladies and my “girl scout” handiness. I can’t complete depend on others or our government. I can do some food prep and preserve, purchase some, learn more and more to have my security. a big hug and thanks to you for your energy, enthusiasm, kindness, humor and growing skills. You rock! ♥️💜🧡💚💙❤️💕💐🥰 sherry
Ah oh by the way 65, still working full time and single 😊
Love this video thank you so much so all the time you spent putting this together for us! Love your energy and videos!❤
Cassandra I alway enjoy your videos! Thank you. I’m starting to learn while I wait for my homestead
This info is so importance. I love this. I am in this place now preparing for my homestead, thinking I want 5+ acres. But I need to think about if I don’t get. That and I only able to get 3or even 2 for my chicken and goats. Great info.
AMEN!!! A wise man seeketh council!!!!
I believe fully in taking time to learn and prepare ahead. I want a Homestead but can't yet. I take the time to learn...what do I need to look for? What are expenses? What do I want to grow? With a smaller space, I'll try a peanut plant. How does it work? What did I do wrong? Can I or do I want to grow a large crop? Same with Sourgum. Can I learn to make syrup and grain? Sure, it might be 4 oz of syrup due to limited grow area. But, I'm learning and practicing, etc.
Every step of research, experiment, skill practice, etc, IS a step toward the goal. ❤
No truer words my friend! And, while it’s popular to see folks moving quickly onto a homestead; I don’t find it to be accurate for most. I think your timeline (and mine- it’ll be nearly 10 years we’ve lived in our townhome by the time we can remotely think about moving) is more accurate. PLUS, once you realize (as the work you are doing with what you have shows) that things can quickly add up, go wrong, and that it’s easy to get in over you head, the “dream” can turn into a nightmare. Like you, I want to find a community of folks to barter and trade with, enjoy the quality of life that even just having a few aspects of farm life brings, and realize that it’s not a race! We can do this!
I can't believe how many we made...I try to show my screw-ups so others will learn...had to sell the farm last year due to health...mortgage is a mistake sometimes.
Yes Indeed. I truly appreciate the sheer fact that all of your ideas are a shared event with different ideas and different views. All of which lend to a Community. Thank you.
Your cultivating knowledge along the way. I think your doing just fine Cassandra. Just so you know your parents are in my prayers. They were on my heart.
I am hoping to “farm” like you do. Your production is my goal. I love where I live in Houston on a tiny lot. I am going to try your deck farming❤. You inspire me!
You can do it!
Brava Cas, great teaching, thanks.
pest control i can’t say enough about that it becomes such a major concern and need in a homestead
As usual great information. Some homesteaders I recognize and some were new to me. All had good advice pro and con. Thanks Cassandra.
I love the design of her chicken coop and the idea of using a trailer. So my goal will be to get a trailer. Use it to move to my property. Then build my chicken coop around it.
Love the format of this video, and the tips here. I found myself wondering if you have a timeframe goal for moving to a property with acreage? Thanks for all sharing all of your efforts and knowledge with us on your channel!
👍👍🥰👍👍
I'm absolutely IN LOVE with the tractor/chicken coop!! 🎉💃🎉
What channel is that please? 🙏
This is exactly where I am! Learning and waiting! Thanks for sharing!
Wow "culinary legacy" got me tearing up. It really is a huge part of my "why". A big mistake I made is not having a contingency plan for life's emergencies like long term illness or having to be away from home for extended periods.. With that not also building in redundancy to systems. 2 is 1 and 2 is none!
Another is not counting time as an expense when planning a project. My rule is triple cost and time. I STILL have a half finished chicken plucker from last year. The last is striving for the myth of complete self sufficiency. IT BURNED ME OUT!!!
It is really hard to prevent yourself from going bigger and then it getting quickly out of your control, or at least past your amount of energy and time.
Perfect advice of course as always and great collab with everyone! Familiar faces most certainly :)
Thanks for sharing! Learning from each other is the best way to make progress in reaching your homestead goals!
I am so glad to see your video upload today. I love to hear what you are up to.
The first week of school started this week and I have been swamped! I’ll be back in the swing of things!
Thanks for sharing this! My niece and I are learning SO MUCH from you! Farm Girl Dreams ❤️
Awesome video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us newbies.
It's true. I have all kinds of pictures of the canned and dehydrated foods, but not one picture of chipped jars, popped off lids, or burned foods. LOL. I will have to do some epic fail photos as well from now on.
Wow this is just an awesome and informative video. Thank you!!!
Oh wow I literally have the same lamp as you! That is mad I don't even live in the USA!! 🤩👌
HI Friend , so much info in this video, this has given me a lot to think about ..lol.but im still moving forward but, I'M praying for more help..😇
Great topic Cass!! Thanks so much for this video. Much needed for the homesteaders in the making!
Genious!! I get the feeling you are thinking about a bigger move??
Got the silicone big muffin pans from Walmart and made the Sausage eggs cheese. and corn bread muffins thanks so much Going to make all your meals you cooked in muffins pans ❤😊
Awesome video,. I can see already that homesteading is not easy or cheap, my quail are about to eat me out a house and a home. Lol! When I get some land, I'm definitely going to need some restraint.
Great video Cassandra! Everyone hit the nail on the head! ❤
I love this video. Thank you.
Had a question. Have you and hubby thought about prebuying property in PA to lock in price? You can always sell it for a profit later and buy something else if your needs change later
Great info! I loved the chicken coup❤
Fabulous video! Thank you🙂
Well done friend 👏
Excellent topic Cassandra!
So good to see you Clory! 🥰
Excellent video! I appreciate this so much!
Glad you enjoyed it!
thank you for this chat ❤ i think it definitely made me realize that i can start now and experiment instead of waiting for the perfect moment where i have xyz. these experiences will be valuable for myself and my fam but also just allow me to build skills i've been intrigued by.
i don't know if i want to really homestead on a farm but doing it where i am in this suburban area is enough for me hehe
i was thinking maybe i could find a place to volunteer here in ontario 🥺 perhaps a farm or any local organization? thank you for serving as a big inspiration, cassandra! you make things feel less daunting esp at a time where things have been constantly going downhill for me ❤❤❤
I spend a lot more f money in chicken feed and their supplies, waterers, nesting supplies, brooder etc.
Thank you
This is my question I’m in my 70s what acres should I get to start homesteading it’s just me.
This topic right here 🎯.
Love your videos ❤ was already missing you haha ❤
Awesome video
I’m trying to find the corn canning recipe I believe it was a soup. Anyone know?
“Homestead creep is real too”
Me: oh, F*CK 😅 I already struggle so much with being overstimulated and overwhelmed with all my clutter that keeps finding it’s way into my home.