Everyday Homesteading
Desperate to grow, cook, and preserve real food for your family in only 5-10 hours a week, but stuck as a new homesteader looking for practical, tried and true methods that work?
You wanted those pantry shelves filled yesterday, but the more you try, the more it seems a distant pipe dream. Online content is filled with impractical, untried homesteading advice, which wastes your precious time and money.
Everyday Homesteading steps in with practical, tested solutions, cutting through the chaos with clear plans tailored for busy beginners to reclaim your family’s health and independence through gardening, raising livestock, fresh seasonal cooking, herbal medicine and safe food preservation.
Hosted by veteran homesteaders, Josh and Carolyn Thomas, who grow 70% of their family’s food while running two businesses and homeschooling their large family, they have mastered practical homesteading for busy modern families. They have taught hundreds of thousands of new homesteaders to thrive with real-life homesteading through their online platforms Homesteading Family and School of Traditional Skills.
Tune in weekly to learn how to grow, cook, and preserve your family’s food, ditch health-destroying toxins, and save money monthly on groceries, all while building strong relationships and a sustainable legacy for your kids. Hit play now!
Episodes
291 episodes
8 Reasons Your Canning Jars Didn't Seal
Have you ever finished a canning session only to discover one or more jars didn't seal? It happens to every home canner at some point, and even after more than 20 years of canning and preserving food for my family, I still have an occasional se...
How I Preserve a Year's Worth of Food Without Burnout
Are you working yourself to exhaustion trying to preserve every possible food for your pantry? I used to think a successful pantry meant recreating the grocery store at home. But after more than 20 years of homesteading, I've learned that's one...
Our Daughter is Running the Garden!
What does it really look like to manage a large homestead garden? In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I'm joined by my oldest daughter, Rachel, who has taken over management of our main crop garden this year. We sit down for a candid conv...
The Truth About Soil Health (And Why It Changes Everything)
What if the secret to healthier plants, bigger harvests, fewer pests, and less work in the garden isn't another fertilizer or amendment? What if it's your soil?In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we're kicking off a brand-new Soil...
Botany in an Hour: The Secret Key to Better Gardening, Foraging & Herbalism
Have you ever tried to identify a plant, opened a field guide, and immediately felt overwhelmed? You're not alone.In this episode, I'm joined by Rachel Parks of Botany in an Hour to talk about a simple approach to botany that can comple...
Natural Pest Control That Actually Works (Without Chemicals)
If you’ve ever struggled with pests in the garden, this episode will completely change how you think about natural pest control.Instead of reaching for sprays first, we’re talking about a layered, holistic approach to growing healthier ...
3 Canning Rules That Confuse New Food Preservers
In this podcast, I’m diving into three canning concepts that confuse even experienced home canners. These are the kinds of things that can leave you second-guessing whether your jars are actually safe on the pantry shelf.In this episode...
How Often Should You Water Your Garden?
Should you water your garden every day? The short answer is probably not. In this episode, we’re breaking down one of the most common gardening questions and helping you understand how to water your garden for healthier plants, deeper roots, an...
Are You Falling for the "Great Society" Trap?
How do we preserve family, community, and truth in a culture that seems to be moving faster and faster away from them?In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I sat down with my friend Rory Groves for a thoughtful conversation about mod...
How We Are Upgrading Our Homestead this Year
After years of pushing hard on our homestead, we reached a point where we had to ask a tough question: Is everything we’re doing actually sustainable?Last year, we intentionally slowed down. Not completely, but enough to take a step back...
7 Things I WISH I Knew BEFORE Buying a Freeze Dryer
I’ll be honest… when I first heard about freeze dryers, I thought they were a gimmick.I didn’t want to spend money on an expensive appliance that would just sit there collecting dust.But after using one in my own kitchen, I can ...
How to Start a Garden (Without Overthinking It)
If you’ve ever felt like you need to learn everything before starting a garden, you’re not alone.In today’s episode, we’re simplifying the process and showing you how to start a garden without getting overwhelmed.G...
The Dangerous Egg Washing Mistake (And How to Do It Safely)
Are your chicken eggs coming into the house dirty, especially during mud season?In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, Carolyn is joined by Amy, cofounder of Good Egg, to talk about how to keep eggs clean starting in the coop—and how...
Nature Deficit Disorder (Why Your Kids Need a Garden)
How do you get your kids excited about gardening, especially if you’re still learning yourself?In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I’m joined by Luke Hammond from Dirt Academy Kids to talk about why gardening is one of the most pow...
Why Our Daughter Chose to Stay Close to Home
What happens when your child grows up… and chooses to stay?In this episode of the Everyday Homesteading podcast, I’m joined by my oldest daughter, Rachel, as we share the story behind her and her husband’s decision to stay close to home ...
3 Things You Must Get Right for Safe Canning
Canning safety can feel overwhelming, especially when you hear all the warnings and conflicting advice out there. But what if it’s actually much simpler than you think?In today’s episode, I’m breaking down the three things you ...
Do you have these Quiet Skills for TRULY Resilient Living?
We spend a lot of time learning the hands-on skills of homesteading like baking, gardening, and preserving. But what if those aren’t the skills that actually make a home run well?In this episode, we’re talking about the quiet skills that...
Cultured Dairy Is Easier Than You Think
Cultured dairy sounds intimidating, but it's actually one of the easiest traditional kitchen skills you can learn.In this video, I explain how cultured dairy works, why it’s so beneficial for digestion and gut health, and how you can st...
Stop Trying to Grow EVERYTHING!
Most people never fail at gardening. They quit before they begin.In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, Josh sits down with Luke from MIgardener to talk about why so many aspiring gardeners stay stuck in the dreaming and planning phas...
STOP trying to be Self-Sufficient (Do This Instead)
For many homesteaders, the dream is complete self-sufficiency. Producing all your own food. Depending on no one. Living independently.But is that really possible? And more importantly, is it even the right goal?In this episode of ...
What You Need to Know BEFORE Calling the Vet
Even with healthy, well-selected animals, there comes a day when you have to call the vet.And when that moment comes, most of us aren’t nearly as prepared as we could be.In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend and vete...
Why Bread Still Belongs in Your Busy Modern Kitchen
Making bread isn’t about talent, and it’s not about finding the perfect recipe either.In this episode, I’m sharing why bread is one of the most foundational skills in the homesteading kitchen and how learning to read your dough ...
Things that Surprised Us about Keeping Chickens
Thinking about keeping backyard egg-laying chickens, but not sure where to begin? In today’s episode, we walk through the essential checklist every new chicken keeper should know.We cover:• What to think about before bringing ...
From Overwhelmed to Peaceful: Minimums, Mental Load, and Command Central Part 2
Feeling overwhelmed while trying to add homesteading skills to an already full life? You’re not alone. In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I’m continuing our conversation about going from overwhelmed to peaceful and sharing what I’ve lear...
From Overwhelmed to Peaceful: Why Rhythm Changes Everything - Part 1
If you love the idea of homesteading but constantly feel behind, overwhelmed, or emotionally exhausted, I recorded this episode for you.In Part 1 of this new series, I’m sharing the household system that helped me move from constant pres...