Speaking of changing mind sets , Sikh empire had many many kings spanning northern India Pakistan and Afghanistan. A true hardy border warrior caste. Even today they pride themselves on their resilience and warrior mentality. They control the Pakistan region until the British took it from them in the 1890’s and then gave it to the the Islamic ottoman caliphate and that is when Pakistan was created, by force. Violence against women 1941 10’s of thousands of women raped and murdered as the Islamic caliphate took control of what the British empire gave them. Side note Crimea was the second largest slave market in the Middle East also controlled by the Ottoman Empire, also a partner ally with US in ww2. Now many of the Sikh are fleeing from corruption and poverty helped created by the hands of monsanto and USaid gov. They have experienced enough atrocities that have the cultural mindset that a Sikh can come to the US with $5 in his pocket and have a million dollar business within 5 years or he just probably isn’t any good. There are no gov programs, they don’t take handouts even if there were. They save not spending a dime and eat vegetarian. That is why you see them taking over many aspects of business such as gas stations, hotels and so many more franchises that they put a different face on the business. They have lived in a 3rd world country for hundreds of years and now know what it’s going to take to get by in the future. Arevedic medicine is the food mostly vegetarian and #1 street food capital of the world. Pretty important considering USDA just classified many herbs as substances. If you go to eat Indian food at an Indian restaurant it mc Donald’s version Indian food. Healthy vegetarian food that sustains men is not the American version. Yet India is majority vegetarian and the number one populous country in the world. The vegetarian food/the medicine also keeps the men potent for much longer than the American diet.
Ok, I will disagree completely. The Sikh and people you describe from India are NOT vegetarians. They are grainetarians and by moving away from that hard work ethic they have in the east and coming west to our more lazy and sedentary lifestyle, they almost always end up overweight and in poorer health. I'll stick with my diet and work ethic I have here and blessings to everyone else. @@calisingh7978
Excellent points, Zach!! I am in agreement with you! From personal experience, my husband and I almost didn't make it in our first attempt. We went from city slickers to a town that had a population of less people than my entire high school! It was a culture shock. We failed and our marriage almost didn't make it. We moved around a bit, took small steps on this journey, we each did some major self improvement and increased our faith in God along the way. Now we have been *successfully* homesteading our 40 acres for over 11 years and I'm incredibly grateful for God's help and the lessons we have learned. I really appreciate your video here and learned from it; some of these concepts I knew and felt but hadn't been able to put into words. Anyway I appreciate you and your teachings. Thanks and keep it up! You are a blessing to many!
My experience is folks are lazy. Society has taught us that laziness is ok. Living is tough work. Living a R.E.A.L. life is even tougher. I'd rather live the way we are instructed instead of the way of evil.
😊 Your timing is perfect! We brought Mac home yesterday. I can't say we enjoyed taking Big Mac to the processor. He was a 3 year old bull we had raised like a pet. Nothing but a Baby Huey, but it was time. He was born here and always meat stored on the hoof, all 2,500# of him. My husband needed back surgery and Mac didn't need to play with him. We had Mac for dinner last night for the 1st time. It happened to be my 69th birthday. He completely filled the 8ft bed of our truck. I got quite a workout unloading almost 1000# of food security in 100 degree heat! I wasn't about to lose the meat to the heat. My husband still had staples and weight restrictions. You just suck it up and do what has to be done or move back to the city! He was delicious and worth every bit of the work! No antibiotics, no hormones, no vaccines. Just our unsprayed grass and a lot of love. One processor said they couldn't lift him. His hanging weight was almost 1,500#. Well worth it! We got back almost 1000# of lean ground beef and stew meat.
100%. Just started this journey ten months ago, blessed to have a wfh Job and spend the evening homesteading, working our garden and feeding the chickens (which is all we have right now) I love the remoteness, I love the sweat and hard work. And that's precisely what it is. It is hard work. But on the sabbath, I do not do work.
You’re correct and I needed to hear this. A year ago I started raising quail, chickens and rabbits. I have been processing the quail myself, which still isn’t easy for me and have assisted with processing the chickens. I’m having a hard time however with the rabbits and I know I need to get my head in the right place or I won’t survive. Again, thank you.
@@lorimiller5574 I can’t find where to buy one. Are they still in business? Last I looked there was no phone number - only an email address. I sent a message but never heard anything back.
A LOT of people have a hard time with rabbits. When we raised rabbits, tough hunter types told me that they couldn't kill "cute fuzzy bunnies". Cuteness factor makes it harder, but they do taste good and are fairly prolific. Have someone experienced come help you the first time. It will help you to get passed that.
Thank you, Zach. We have been gardening and raising animals for food for several years now. My grandchildren know now that the food we get from the backyard is much better than we get in the store. Praise Yah!
What I've noticed more than the aversion to butchering their own animals, it's folks overwhelm themselves. They make that drastic life change and most do it by selling everything and buying a place in the boondocks and get EVERYTHING. ✔️ Ckens, cows, pigs, turkeys etc....what starts off as a labor of love quickly turns into a chore, we wanted to avoid that and so have slowly transitioned into this lifestyle. We weren't new to country living but had no experience with any homestead skills. We began with a garden and meat rabbits and after a couple years we added chickens, then a couple years later, dairy goats, and a cuple years later we've learned that chickens are not for us and we're switching to ducks. You don't have to buy a working homestead, you can build it.
We had some city friends of ours that refused to come see our homestead cause we live on a dirt road. I was shocked when he said he would never come over. looking back on it now. I appreciate him. Hitting the “eject button” on our friendship. That dude has no clue.
Many people move to the mountains here because it’s pretty. Most don’t last more than two years 😂. They move here from the city but don’t realize we are 15-20 degrees colder and we get snow that stays around for weeks and then brings the mud that covers everything. We just past our 7th year out here. It’s not easy but so worth it. I’ve had a beautiful garden for the past 7 years but this year was almost a complete loss. It breaks my heart but I have to pick myself up, dust off, and see what I need to do to make next year a great garden. We will have successes and failures. Never lose hope and keep my forward and learn.
I can say that I started pursuing a homestead lifestyle in 2020. So I am still getting started. It's definitely been a hard challenging choice. My wife is now on board. At first maybe she didn't see the need but the way the world is going she understands this is the right thing for us. Unplugging from the livestock are pets thinking has beed hard for her and my daughter but they're coming around. I plan on continuing because the way the world is going tells me this is the best way to get through the hard times ahead.
🤣😂 My favorite Homesteader Maniac !! Great thought process. Though I'm not totally off the grid, though am single, I wouldn't dream of moving out of the country, back to the "city",...ugghh. Thanks for another great video Zach! I had a friend say that she couldn't handle it because "it was too dark!!! 😂🤣
I grew up "homesteading" but we just called it living. The city gets closer to us every year and I miss those dirt roads. I still homestead and my turkey tastes good with or without a name. Thanks for the video.
Shalom, I so appreciate your homestead wisdom. I'm in this process and to know what I'm facing helps me better prepare for it. Keep sharing because the newbies NEED IT!!
Being a veteran I'm sure you've seen parts of the world that are still in touch with reality. That has been the hardest adjustments for me , realizing just how different we are and how blind most are to the real world.
Yes, being a vet and who has lived in various places and even overseas, one thing I have learned is that people everywhere have their own problems and issues that they struggle with in life. No one place is perfect and no matter where you live or what your upbringing, life will be a challenge. Let's do the best with what we got and try to love those around us as best we can.
Totally agree 100%. We live in a very rural area as well. People that are not from around our area cry when they drive down our dirt road & say they will never drive down our road again 😂 We live about 1 1/2 hours away from the nearest grocery store & 1 hour from the nearest gas station. We are very secluded & have seen people come & go from around these parts. Praise Yahweh we are away from the city life! Rural homestead living is a blessing & such a joy to live this lifestyle. Our children only know this way of life & they absolutely hate it when we have to go to town for anything 😂 Our son is 8 & our daughter is 5. They understand why we choose this way of life & they don't want to live any other way.
We have been butchering our own meat chickens for several years now and it is such a rewarding experience to see a freezer full of meat you raised and knowing your children had a hand in it all. Lots of work and it’s exhausting but I can’t see it any other way now.
It is good for folks to hear about this part of homesteading. I doubt if most people even consider what issues they may have with animal harvesting prior to homesteading. Just knowing it is not unusual to have anxiety with it may be all they need to prepare and overcome
Zach you have one of my favorite channels. Thxs for sharing your knowledge, you say things that need to be said out loud, not just thoughts we have and then hold our tongue afraid to offend. Thxs again.
Thanks! I think you already made a video about obtaining valuable skills to be "in demand" in a homesteading community. Maybe a top 5 skills to learn before considering homesteading video? 1. Handyman/building/repair 2. Butchering 3. Gardening 4. ??? 5. ???
Such a good video, Zach! This is so true! We have in the last two years struggled to butcher our birds for other reasons. My husband works full time, and we are so short on time. I think, however, if things are set up, I could do it myself. I just need things set up. We currently don't know how to butcher our sheep, but would love to learn. We use a local butcher and support the community. So when our ram lambs are ready, we take them there. I think this next year, our goats too, will be raised for meat. We just don't have the space for raising beef. And we have certainly put down enough animals...it is hard, but necessary.
I will admit that chickens were super easy for me to do, but I am having a harder time wrapping my head around processing our whethered goats. I'll get there though!!!
We just processed our 2,500# pet bull. It was a sad day. We named him Big Mac because he was huge when he was born and to remind us his purpose. We have almost 1000# of delicious very lean ground beef. He was loved and fed lots of unsprayed grass and hay. We plant extra garden for our few cattle because they love okra, watermelon and cantaloupe. They are well loved food, stored on the hoof. Now we have the security of a very large freezer full of meat. We had been putting it off because of my husband's health. He finally HAD to go because my husband needed back surgery.
I’ve lived in the “ country” before lol but never off -grid life alone and your right you have to have a partner that you are in balance w and i have to say the first yr -2 is trial and error because it’s so much different than just living in the country and right now me doing just that is very hard on me but i wld never go back to the city
I grew up on a farm so animals as food was nothing new for me... however I will say one of my lowest moments was when I lost my heifer cow unexpectedly... I was absolutely ready to give up... I was so discouraged because not only did she die but we were unable to use ANY of the meat... I remember crying because it was so much time and money invested and she hadn't even had her first calf yet... and because she was under vet care and received antibiotics (our son is allergic to the penicillin family) we lost all the meat as well... it took me a bit to realize that despite the unfortunate event there was nothing I could of done differently and I learned ALOT! I put on my big girl panties and skinned her hide and kept her skull... the skull I have for decoration but the hide was processed and we do use it as a blanket when we need to so it wasn't a total loss... the knowledge I gained was worth more then what we lost!
I grew up rural in the late 70s to early 90s, and our metrics for longevity regarding city folks was - if you can last the first winter, you've got what it takes.
Never thought about this, I have neighbors who call on me to put down problem animals. I was raised fixing problem animals. Just another blessing I have never realized I had.
We are 3 years in our “homesteading journey”.... I totally agree with “your spouse must be on board”. However. If they are both “IN”, but the work load is uneven, or one pulls and pushes and the other “reflects and meditates” way too often, or doesn’t want to be “directed or encouraged or God forbid, told” to do more, but instead relies on his young sons to pick up where he must be - it becomes its own hell. After 3 years, it IS tiring...it catches up with you and all of a sudden-you feel old... burned up and fed up. The blasted thing it is when the yoke is unequal and uneven. Along with disneyfied “animals are our friends, NOT food” mantra and reality, another one is to start slow. Very slow! Especially if you know too well who’s gonna pull the wagon. Another experience: carefully consider and agree with your age. With your eyes you can do many things, but if your hands shake or your back is out more times than it is IN, carefully consider that as well. Another experience: plan and set up infrastructure in a smart way! Don’t set up your chicken coop or a barn with animals, or gardens or green houses a half mile away from your home-you’ll have to walk that far -both ways-to do chores. Once winter sets in, it’s not fun. Another experience: “Dream Big” has a nice ring to it, but forget NOT how much that “dream” costs and who’s gonna pay for it. Another experience: STRUCTURE. Structure your days, your time, your way of doing things. Without structure in place, not only you yourself will wobble, but the homestead as well. So take breaks, rest often, breathe deeply(fresh air, if you can find it), leave for a bit if it becomes too much... Regeneration is EXTREMELY important! With God-all things are possible, but IN Him-is where that refreshment will be found and attained. And another very important thing: UNITY. For all involved. And in everything. Because ultimately, running the homestead and DOING the work might end up being YOUR job first and foremost. If you don’t like the sound of it, “the sound of work”- don’t do it. So-approach homesteading wisely, cautiously, soberly, considering your physical AND mental health, and have a healthy dose of reality already “installed” before proceeding... Right along with lots of prayer, patience and endurance to not only “run the race”, but actually successfully finishing it by the end of the season, at least here in MT. I wrote a book! 👍🏻 Maybe I should of considered writing instead.... hm... 🤪
Oh no! I loved the FrontierHouse series. And, I understand your point, Zach. Two divorced and one couple still married but none are living a homestead lifestyle. Six years? Sounds about right. It ain’t easy. Agree, it takes a strong marriage to make it. My husband and I worked very hard to establish our homestead in crazy Cali. Escaped that nut house three years ago and doing it all over again in another state while in our sixties. Stick with it and don’t let anyone tell you it’s not possible.
Homeschooling, homesteading mother of nine here who runs a 40-acre farm and does "everything" (bees, beef, sheep, chickens, pigs, hay, veggies, vineyard and orchards). While Zach has a GREAT point here, I, personally, don't think it's the number one reason. It may fall to a close second place. As a woman, the number one reason people give up is because it is EXTREMELY difficult to make a living on a farm (especially for those who have large families), therefore, the husband has to go off to work each day leaving the wife in charge of most of the farm plus homeschooling all the children. It's literally impossible to do both and do both WELL. I had a polite argument with Homesteading Family and Melissa K. Norris about this and they brushed me off like I was incapable or something. I'll assure you, I'm fully capable. I lost my first cow, Molly, to bloat, my husband was gone and I had to bury her on my own. I was sobbing as I drove that tractor and burried her. There is too much responsibility on the women and for a gender that is supposed to be a "keeper of the HOME" (a kitchen garden and taking care of some chickens may be possible though), we have too much weight on us. We weren't meant to handle that load. A lady from our church told me just yesterday (when I told her we weren't milking our cow right now due to adopting twins this past year) that her mother used to collapse "back in the day" and her husband had to call for the doctor because of her exhaustion levels. I am now recovering from adrenal fatigue from "doing it all" because that's what Joel Salatin and Justin Rhodes say to do, right? Well, those MEN farm for a living and Rhodes admits that he and Rebecca almost put their children into school because of the load. I'm so tired of channels lying to people saying you can do it all when it's impossible! Ruth Ann Zimmerman even puts her kids into school and then vlogs her farming day. You have to choose. One thing she did say was that she cares for the EMOTIONAL NEEDS of her family first, then farms from there. Good advice. Nothing is worth your marriage and children. Not even farming. Buy land! Steward some chickens and grow a small garden, but milking is hard and if you're a homeschooling mother, this HEAVY load should not fall on us alone. This is probably your BEST video Zach! Thank you for touching on this IMPORTANT topic! God bless!
I may make a video on your comment. Very good. I agree and I address this in my talks and videos. We just disagree on the placement of the reasons. Farmers and homesteaders have always had multiple streams of revenue based on seasons. This allowed them to stay close to home. Very good comment.
I was thinking about one more thing that may help others too. Maybe the BEST way eto go about homesteading in this modern era is to mimic the Amish in any way you can as far as community. If one family can do the dairy, another the veggies, vineyard, etc., then the load of one family is SHARED through the small community. This is why families had large amounts of children. The main reason homesteading channels "should" exist is to HELP others, right? I know you are helping others Zach, but the homesteading channels that are saying one, small family can do EVERYTHING is impossible, hence the divorce rates and people giving up. People NEED free time and time to ENJOY their farms. This year, we gave up milking and pretty much the vegetable gardens (heck! I still haven't collected my honey from my five hives). I've enjoyed the break to be honest. People should have land though. When the crap hits the fan regarding the economy (it's only a matter of time) and the inflation continues, or we just plain have food shortages, it is everything to have a farm, a home economy and space from the cities. Thanks for being HONEST. You're one of the few. And just FYI, we've been homesteading for 15 years. I'm no rookie. We "made" it and we still need a break. LOL! Vine Living Farm in Tennessee :) @@Anamericanhomestead
Damn right brother. I grew up with a special gift. My grandparents lived through the depression and they taught me so much without actually teaching me. I just did what they did And later found out what I have learned when I got older You understand if you know what bread bag shoes are. 🤔😀.
Zac, you make great points. But here's another way to approach it. I believe there are degrees of homesteading. You can move out to the country, and grow a garden, and keep chickens, and do quite well. I don't think you have to be 100% self sufficient to be happy, or better off than you were in the city. At least, that's my hope, because I'm a single, retired lady, and I'll never be able to do it all. I've followed you and other prepping channels, for the past several years. I've learned a ton, and during that time, got out of debt, stocked up on non perishables and survival tools, and moved onto 3.5 acres in the Missouri Ozarks. I've lived rural for years, and raised parrots for 20+years, so animal husbandry and a rural lifestyle aren't new to me. There's no spouse to disagree with, or kids, but also no unpaid help. Still, I believe I'll make it, as best as I'm able. I'm not a vegetarian, but meat has never been a big part of my diet. I definately have always thought of animals as pets. I would force myself to overcome that, if I thought I had to. But I've also stocked up on canned meat, enough, I believe, on par with the frequency at which I eat it. If and when that runs low, I'll figure out what to do about it. So I'll not be a hard core homesteader, but I'll be happy away from the cities and crowds.
Too funny !! Real, but funny. Thanks for sharing. So you said to leave an encouraging word for someone else I suggest naming your cattle Table, top, Hamburger, or even Brisket. We are secondhand vegetarian’s we like our steaks. We are working towards more homestead like environment, but still live in a very busy area. There’s just something very rewarding in being self-sufficient when it comes to our own food. I don’t think I wanna grow chicken in a bucket or beef in a container.
Great video! We are in our 3rd year but my husband still works off the homestead. I work from home and for me the hardest part is loneliness. I was a city girl born and raised. Always worked in a corporate office with daily interactions, going to lunch, after work meetups, etc. I think building community is essential for survival so hopefully we'll meet some like minded people in the future! Most people think were a little crazy right now 🤪
You are right, it is absolutely critical to make connections with people, not just because it helps you fight off loneliness, but because neighbors are the best insurance you can ever have. If you like to belong to a church, go find a church that you can agree with for the most part theologically. If you're not into the church thing, volunteer at local schools, pregnancy centers, old folks homes, things like that. Get involved in your community. Go to Commissioners meetings, attend area functions. You don't have to have kids in school to go to support sports teams. Build community.
I agree wholeheartedly. When i was spending a night fighting to safe a sick sheep I got praised like a messiah. A good month later, when i was gently leading this animal, to make it calm and relaxed before I knocked it out and butchered it the same people were in horror and called me a heartless monster. They didn't understand that I fought to secure my food. They felled that I was betraying the animal. My simple question was Why? Should I yell at the animal? Torture it so that it knows it gets butchered?
It's all part of the circle of life...60 + years later I still need help with the butchering part unless you want steaks that look more like a mixture of hamburger| with a steak in the middle...thank goodness I know a great Butcher! The Principal of my Elementary School also had a working Farm and twice a year (fall and spring) he took the students by class to his farm for an outing for the day..great foundation's and memories.
I’m disabled and I live on my daughter’s property…they are not on board for my garden ideas, because they consider it too much work. I have been working on it by myself, which is hard, but I keep plugging away at it, and it will all be worth it when it’s growing food and herbs…hopefully by next spring…🙏
Shalom. I think you are correct in my opinion, My extended family don’t understand the concept. My immediate family after 2 1/2 years is just starting to disconnect from city thinking to country/ homesteading thinking it is definitely a process to change. Currently my advice to everyone, i’m still new to homesteading but have a background in healthcare, Learn herbal medicine and holistic medicine cause it’s coming
I have never had a problem killing anything. I have never lost a seconds sleep over that. With that, I am much softer than my grandparents that went through the depression and ww2.
Hello friend. When we started looking for a property 7 years ago we discovered a common thread within 30-40 miles out from KC. The country side was littered with bankruptcies and divorce forced properties. There’s very few exceptions to what I’m about to say. Almost all of them had new fences, new corals, new horse barns and out buildings. Unless you have plenty of excessive cashflow horses are money pits. I moved much further from KC. The rental place just 3 miles from me when I rented a backhoe to dig up shrubs and trees told me that 90% of the rental of the small back hoe is to bury horses. He said people move out here from the city and buy horses and are clueless how expensive they are to maintain and keep healthy. It is really a shame. I’m sure there will be folks reading this and they’ll claim something opposite and ridiculous. Record keeping is your friend…
Good seeing you at the conference! I agree with you, I guess being Appalachian, it wasn't far fetched for us to go full homestead, working towards being off-grid too. Funny thing about six years, the seventh is shabbat year and we did that. We ran it for 6 years and the seventh was a sabbath season. Then we moved out here to Missouri. It was a no brainer, more space, more land, more folks doing what we wanted to do. After 6 years we realized we weren't out far enough and didn't have enough land for what we really wanted. Giving up restaurants and shopping is fine with us. Dreaming big for sheep, and I love them, I do, but when I see sheep, I see a place with all our friends and family gathered around a big lamb roast going back to the old ways. That's the dream. I love sheep, but I see choice meat, a product we can raise, something to be proud of and do good hard work for! I hope more people buckle down and get out of their feelings a bit and focus on what's going to work and last and keep you going!
Zach, you are so right I am ready to take the plunge, but my wife is not. I tell people she is such a city slicker. I keep praying to God that she will understand one day how much we need to get out of the city. I pray for her and I try to encourage her and I try to share with her things that are happening, but you are so right!
Not sure where my earlier comment went.... We homesteaded in 2012 as brand new city converts. It was a disaster but that experience taught us a lot of hard lessons and we still had city jobs to fall back on when we failed miserably. Here we are again, much older, somewhat wiser, and with a more mature attitude about life. The learning process is more enjoyable this time around and so much more rewarding. ❤ Now, if we could just do a better job with video production and editing. 😂
@Anamericanhomestead I know you say that a lot on your videos. It's sometimes hard not to fall into the "I said something dumb and got my comment hidden mindset."
My wife and I have been at this for over thirty years. She helps with the chickens and rabbits but disappears when it hog and goat killing time. She will help processing but not the killin. Don't know how many of the neighborhood dogs, cats and even one horse I have put down because the owners couldn't do it themselves.
Hooray Zach!!! Finally, someone said it!! I breed and grow my animals to feed my family. Others sometimes think I'm odd because I butcher my ducks, pigs, cows, rabbits, roosters, turkeys all for the benefit of my family. It's survival the way my Appalachian grandparents, parents and great grandparents did it. I applaud you for putting my thoughts into words!! Bravo!!
MR. ED!!!!!! Oh that brought back some memories. Funny, on my to do list for when I returned home from the conference was to start culling out the roo's I won't be using. So yesterday my youngest - 17 year old (she's the best at catching chickens) and went out and gathered 28.......half way there LOL, will get the rest when it cools down. I breed chickens, I love them from the day I hatch them to the day I sell them or make bone broth with them.
15 years ago we began micro-homesteading in a small town with young kids. We were so excited to learn to butcher, trap, garden, preserve. We raised rabbits, a handful of chickens, hunted and bought a couple of goats (for butcher only) and learned how to butcher and preserve those animals. Six years ago we moved to a homestead with a 12 year old and 2 younger kids. They love living as homesteaders and are excited to learn more skills. My 12 year old can butcher chickens. My 7 year hold has his own garden that he maintains. We have animals of all sorts. We connected with our local church, made friends and taught many of them our skills. We feel empowered and as a result have empowered others. Don't think we could have done it cold turkey without learning a foundation of skills before moving to a homestead. We name our animals, love them and appreciate them and how they add value to our lives and if they get hit by a car or attacked, we remember the value they added but move on.
Yes! We’re starting small and easing into it. We bought our first house on nearly half an acre in a small town. I want to get this home to off grid capable (I’m more enthused than my husband so it’s better to slowly introduce homesteading). Our first year we started a garden and have a wood burning stove and used that to offset our heating bill last year. We both love the fire better than HVAC and of course fresh produce better than store, so we’re off to a good start. Next we’re going to build a coop for chickens and I’m going to landscape our property and plant some fruit and nut trees. We already have black raspberries growing along the edge of the wooded area on our property. Water is high on my list (rain, well, purification) alongside solar which my husband is in favor of once we’ve saved enough. We can’t *legally* have goats but my neighbor and I both want them and people are pretty lax (also our house is tucked up on a hill in a wooded area) so maybe we can get away with it. But hopefully by this point my husband warms up to homesteading and self sufficiency more and more so he’d be willing to get an acreage. He’s type 1 diabetic and we have power outages on occasion - we have to keep his insulin cool. Start small and work with what you are already steward of first ♥️
We lived off grid for over 13 years, tried raising our children in that atmosphere in the late 80’s throughout the 90’s. The thing that got us was lack of proper fire insurance and the lack of internet for our children when we homeschooled them. We found it necessary to supply this technology to them and at the time generator power didn’t mesh well with computer modems as well as no internet service yet in our outskirts.
Zach, thank you from the bottom of my heart! you just helped me to make up my mine about taking a 3 day class on Trapping. I am a woman and was not sure I would be able to handle seeing a trapped animal shot. thanks to you I am going to take the class.
I'm AARP aged. Lived in the capital city almost all my life. I finally managed to move to a small rural town. Yes if I have to I can raise chickens-no roosters here, quail or rabbits. Have had a super tiny garden the last 2 years. Butchering a chicken probably wouldn't bother me too much, nor quail. I do think it would take a bit to be able to butcher a bunny tho. Luckily for me I have a Red Neck daughter in-law who would gladly do it, so I guess she would have to desensitize me. But I do believe your right about placing human characteristics on animals. Its so hard with see-ing all the U Tube videos-Tik Tok, Fb, etc. videos.
Enjoyed hearing you at the last homesteading conference with Doug and Stacey. You're straight on here, I think people should take things in stages and not bite off too much too quick. Sometimes people just need time to adapt to all the physical and emotional changes that homesteading brings to them. They're going through a world of changes and often with little friends or family around them. They feel isolated and alone and often ill equipped with resources and funds to make it. The call of a life of luxury and ease of city life is still haunting them and of course we'll meaning family that's telling them that they should come back to their senses and embrace city culture. You're right, it's all about how badly you want it, how much value you place on independence from the matrix. Keep up the great work.
Your so right about that both you and the wife have to be on the same page . With all thats going on today we need to be out of the city and perparing for the change that is coming . because of differences in thinking it wont happen for alot of people so sad ..
Thanks so much for this “assessment”, Zach. I’m not completely there, in a homestead yet. But, have made “mid-way” most recently. Moving to the country gradually (and, on my own, with only Yah leading the way) has been very positive thus far. Specially, given how long I’ve lived in NYC. Anyhow, I understand and am in agreement about what a person needs to learn and be able to do to live in the country, or a far remote lifestyle, and ultimately be prepared for what’s ahead. My biggest concern is to learn how to and be able to protect myself and others from the biggest “animal” of all- man. Being that you were in the military, maybe you can shed some light about self-protection (if not here, at Patreon)? Thanks again and Shabbat Shalom! 🙏🏻💕
Great video Zach. We’ve been homesteading for over a decade… and your insight about the animals is spot on. A respiratory illness in our chickens many years back, was the catalyst that toughened my heart. During that time of losing birds (in spite of trying to nurse them) birds that we hatched and raised, I crossed over to a true understanding about livestock. I’m thankful that hubby butchers our roosters, but I help and do understand the process and the purpose. Homesteading will break you or make you… and it definitely weeds out those that lack the fight to stay. It’s so worth it… living in a city would be absolute torture. It’s so rewarding to raise your own food and live away from the chaos of the lunacy in the world.
I bought my 40 acres partially because it IS on a dirt road. While I'm just starting my homestead, I've been planning on it for over a decade. I have generators, a solar power system(minus the batteries), lots of tools and books. I've been gardening for over 40 years and have raised chickens for eggs and meat. I've never had livestock so that will be a big step for me. Since my land is raw, I've got to get more land cleared and lots of fencing. But I'm not giving up until the buzzards start circling. lol
I have been homesteading for the last eight years. Some things have gone smoothly and others....well...not so much. We are leaving Scotland for free-er lands. We are moving to Arkansas. We attempted this two years ago, however it has only been within the last three months that my husband could enter the USA due to vaccination status. Hmmm, what was I saying about free? Anyway, as you have said many times Zach, that the natural progression of a prepper is off-grid. Not easy, but worth it! Any Scotland prepares want some man-years of food, hit me up.
We pushed through, 47 years ago in our very early 20s we moved to our homestead. The first 3 winters were the late 70s, mini-ice age. Only had wood stove heat - thankful that we were so young then and had the stamina to stick it out.
My experience is that a lot of people talk about how important it is to grow your own food and how crucial it is to become independent financially etc., but very few of them actually walk the talk. . I believe those of us that go though with this are a very small group of determined, stubborn and hard working people. This is our first year and I have been frustrated soooo many times already, but I refuse to give up!
Totally agree with you, this is a commitment that is serious. Have milked a goat for 16 years and she got old and passed. Yes, we were sad but so thankful to God that she blessed us with fresh milk and babies to sell and butcher... there will never be one to take her place but now trying to find another to milk also...Raised our own beef and butchered it this spring and yes it was hard work, but it was worth it knowing where it came from and what it was fed...Yes, its hard work but it has great rewards... Thank you for pointing out all the challenges that someone who had never done this can face...Blessings to you and your family...Stay the course>>>>
A big homesteading fail I see is getting animals when there’s no pasture or structures to house the animals. Hay is expensive and most is loaded with chemicals. Tip: Take your time building your homestead, and start small. Build one skill at a time. 🙂
I get where you're coming from. But if a person can't butcher, that doesn't mean they'll quit. Sometimes, people figure out what they're good at and barter or trade for things they're not so good at. Trade and barter can work well. As it turns out, we have a neighbor who runs a butcher shop and is very good at it. As it turns out we are able to grow some produce that others in the area haven't had as much success with. Community is a thing. Not every person is good at every thing. I don't feel like there is any shame in a community of neighbors working together to make all of our lives better. Things do need to get done, though, you're right. I just think there is a little more gray area that's doable for those who don't quit. Just an opinion.
So true... When I first got married I had a home in the city . We started having children and both of us wanted to move to the woods to start a homestead farm and get our family out and away of the city. Sadly, even though we were on the same page at first, it took less than two years before our divorce. 10 years married and 4 children. Now me and my children love the farm, but their mother went back to the world and even deeper into it than before. I and my children love the homestead. We have around 60 katahdin sheep, nubian goats, and chickens. Currently Im building a green house and fencing around our fruit orcherd. My children dont like that we do not have internet, but it also gives us other things to do. Board games, cards etc. Family time. Sadly the homestead has been extremely hard, esecally doing it alone now, 4 years divorced. I personally was raised as a boy in the woods on a dairy farm. So just because a city woman says she wants to live in the woods, lol the dream is real until the rubber meets the road. I love our homestead, and so do my children. Its totally worth it, even if you have to do it alone. Hard times are coming, and homesteading will place your family in a better future. Shalom
To be fair, My exwife is a good person. Between the hardship of homesteading and just being in a loveless marriage... divorce was unavoidable. Sadly we live in a woke world where 90% of women leave their husbands and files for divorce. No fear of Yah and no more honor in words or covenants anymore. Please keep me and my children in your prayers Bro Zack, the loss of your beloved... well you know... I spend many night with tear filled eyes pouring water from the depths of my soul to the Master... shalom
Before we moved onto our homestead we got very familiar with dealing with dead and sick animals. We had chickens for many years. We are also DIY people who don't like to be plugged into systems. We homeschool, can, garden, use and make natural remedies and my husband has delivered 4 of our 7 children without the help of a midwife. I just don't see us moving back to a place of less self-sufficiency. It bothered me to be plugged into the matrix all my life.Thankfully my husband got fully on board after the last couple of years and we made our exit. Trying to do this without being on the same page would have ended badly.
This actually makes me consider the book series I read to my son. They are old books by Thornton Burgess. The characters are animals and they have personalities and act like people.
Animals make good storytellers - that’s why they’re used in books and movies. And animals have been in human stories for a long time. There’s even a moment in the Bible where a donkey saves his master from being struck down by an Angel and he goes to strike her. The donkey is allowed to speak by God and says that she saved his life. On the other end there’s the serpent. The animals help us tell important stories. We can learn from the spider to be industrious, from the dog to be loyal. This being said it’s important that kids know that real animals don’t work like stories. My dad was raised on a farm and was an avid hunter and he knew animals from storybooks aren’t the same as animals on the farm. I think kids in cities don’t make that connection as they’re not AROUND real animals and that’s the problem. We can respect animals when they’re respectful of us. City people just don’t have the same experience protecting their home and livestock from wild animals and they believe a farm looks like the package on food.
@@schuylergeery-zink1923 Yes. Despite the books my kids read, they still know where food comes from. We process our animals for food or send them out to be processed, but we know where our meat is from and are glad to know they only had one bad day in the life.
So very true..every word. I consider myself very fortunate that I grew up with an outhouse and pumping water from a well. We raised chicken, rabbits, pigs and other farm animals for food. (I don't eat the piggy or Bugs Bunny now), but I do have chicken, ducks and quail. As a young boy, I had to put down my dog. It wasn't easy, but it was necessary and I understood that fact. On extremely hot days we went to the fruit cellar and just enjoyed sandwiches, home canned goods and conversation. Here are some tips I can offer, especially for new homesteaders with kids: Allow each child to have 1 animal as a pet, and help them realize all the others are food. Give them the chore of feeding, watering and cleaning up after the animals. Make them understand that even the pet will eventually die. Let them take part in the butchering process. My 13 yr. old granddaughter can't wait to help butcher quail, because one pooped on her and she wants revenge... LOL And Finally, when things look bad and too difficult, just Stop. Go fishing, take a hike, get away for the day. But while you're away think on all the advantages (blessings) you have on your homestead. Little or no utility Bills. Homegrown produce. Being able to Work at your own pace. Knowing your food animals were properly cared for and given a good life. Building strong relationships with your neighbors who are doing the same thing. And the peace of mind knowing that you can rely on yourself.
Thank you for the REAL info and not the rose colored glasses info. People watch homesteading channels created by people who have been at it for many years and still have struggles and think it's a dream.
We got here in 2019 ,before c19 .It is now 4yrs later and we just got our land, things don't actually work the way we want all the time. It looks like it's going to take us at least 2yrs or more to get ready to move onto the land. It's very expensive in Oregon to build legally. But because we are going slow it gives us time to learn. GOD BLESS from Christmas Valley Oregon
This is discouraging because I'm right there with you. I do all the butchering myself because my husband "can't" do it. He is not on the same page with me but I do everything anyways. However, my words of encouragement are that I find my peace and motivation within my community. It's still building up but at least we are all like-minded people.
You are so right. Husband and wife have to be on the same page and talk ng teenagers from the instant gratification society will be difficult. I never thought of Disney making people not want to kill their food source (chickens), because their pets.
So true and don’t forget all those spiders,weeds And dead chickens.sometimes l think that condo on the beach looks good some days ,but then l think of my sons and continue working on my property because I know what’s coming.
I have been on my acreage for four years now but I am autistic (Aspergers) and, growing up in the city there were no shortage of family with full time working farms. My transition is easy. I grew up slaughtering animals and preserving. I am 61 now and just learned to pressure can in fall of 2021. This year adding a spider hole cellar to get me through until I can build a permanent one. Timber frame barn going up for the truck and my ‘51 Allis-Chalmers WD tractor. This is a must….learn another skill for the rest of your life! Add to your abilities cannot be understated.
Used to live on 20 acres out in the woods. Then circumstances meant we had to move in town. That lasted 7 yrs and I was suicidal. Drs told hubby to get me back out to the country. Now we’re on a little 5 acre homestead with chickens and I jus eviscerated 2 turkeys for the Holidays. Health just keeps getting better.
Zack, we live on a dead-end dirt road with 12, 5 acre lots. In the last 2 years we have seen many people coming and going. First thing we noticed is they are running to town for gas for the generator, water and ice. It costs a fortune to live like that. We live solely on rain water collection and tried to help them with it, but they were not interested. Then, setting up batteries to run electric even if they are generator charged, but no they plug direct into the generator and waste gas. It's a hard life but we see it as a way to toughen ourselves up. Americans especially are extremely soft, me included. We are teaching rabbit processing and meat chicken processing to so many newbies. I'm glad we found a way to help more people find success. God bless our country
Love you're channel and all that you do.been a fan for many years now .most peole are not willing to do the nessary things to make life on the homestead.and i believe that soon they'll have to make a decision soon because man the world is in a mess t his younger generation has to really step it up or it just dose not look good. But to those that willing to put the father first and keep him forever in their sight and endure to the end it is possible to have a rewarding life experience on a homestead.
Exactly I work 2 jobs just so I can keep preparing I have learned to put things on your radar to be completed but if one gets done consider that huge thing I butchered 8 chickens usually we give a few away for good karma one to a friend s who are sick or having a rough time we have the luxury to do that but 4 are in freezer prepped for canning I use my vacation time to can meat or butcher or what ever else is on the radar when it comes time to close the gate and lock I have done what I could to prepare you don't have to force yourself intoxicated exhaustion be proactive and set goals the ant and the grasshopper should be another shirt!!
My then husband and I raised our children in the remote high desert of Arizona. We lived without running water ( had 16 gallon drums with a hand pump) and electricity ( had a gas powered generator and solar lights). Our initial homestead was a hogan - an octagon shaped log cabin with one room and 2 windows. We were a family of 7. It was an experience. We garden and had neighbors with animals. Our homestead was 100 miles away from box stores.
Totally makes sense. People are going vegan and they are not healthy. My son's girlfriend is vegan looks anorexic. Hopefully she will see the light. I worry about her health.
It's funny how many people come out here to homestead off grid and fail. They see some reality show that inspires them, think they can be a mountain man, then they get here and feel how demoralizing the wind and the cold really is in the winter. They realize how hard they have to work spring through fall to make sure they can store up a surplus of food and miss the comfort of the city. It's really not something everyone is capable of.
I have a love/hate relationship with our dirt roads…I hate the dirt, of course, but mostly, it’s the damage to my vehicle. But I love that it’s more difficult for people to get out here. My daughter just got pigs this past winter, but, to her, they are pets. Now I would not eat them, personally, but this is a demonstration of what you were talking about.
I have lived in the outback of Australia, as a child we grew up fast. Now that I am here we live in the mountains of Idaho. We would save people who would go out in the wood and then need 1st aid. My husband was raised on a farm. So we build our house from the trees on our land. We raised 5 kids a blended family. We have and still do in our log house. But hard time struck us and we had to go to work in ND. Now our place is ours again and we will be going back home and start again as we miss the peace and what God gave us.
Biggest problem we have run into out here in the Boondocks is people who show up thinking they're going to live like Little House on the Prairie, with absolutely no skills and no clue. They expect all the people who have been successful to carry them. We have no problem helping people, but far too many come out expecting the locals to do everything for them. The sense of entitlement is astounding, and the lack of preparation is appalling.
I think this is so accurate, I have a small homestead but we do not raise our own meat. Just living sort of in the country, people cannot stop running into town everyday. I go to town usually once per week and it is 3 miles away but I love staying at home, you can get so much done if you stay at home and not running the roads....
Cows are personalized and beloved as a cultural tradition as a mother of the family because they provide life sustenance. If they kill the cow no more milk cheese yogurt ghee cooking gas or electricity.
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Speaking of changing mind sets , Sikh empire had many many kings spanning northern India Pakistan and Afghanistan. A true hardy border warrior caste. Even today they pride themselves on their resilience and warrior mentality. They control the Pakistan region until the British took it from them in the 1890’s and then gave it to the the Islamic ottoman caliphate and that is when Pakistan was created, by force. Violence against women 1941 10’s of thousands of women raped and murdered as the Islamic caliphate took control of what the British empire gave them. Side note Crimea was the second largest slave market in the Middle East also controlled by the Ottoman Empire, also a partner ally with US in ww2. Now many of the Sikh are fleeing from corruption and poverty helped created by the hands of monsanto and USaid gov. They have experienced enough atrocities that have the cultural mindset that a Sikh can come to the US with $5 in his pocket and have a million dollar business within 5 years or he just probably isn’t any good. There are no gov programs, they don’t take handouts even if there were. They save not spending a dime and eat vegetarian. That is why you see them taking over many aspects of business such as gas stations, hotels and so many more franchises that they put a different face on the business. They have lived in a 3rd world country for hundreds of years and now know what it’s going to take to get by in the future. Arevedic medicine is the food mostly vegetarian and #1 street food capital of the world. Pretty important considering USDA just classified many herbs as substances. If you go to eat Indian food at an Indian restaurant it mc Donald’s version Indian food. Healthy vegetarian food that sustains men is not the American version. Yet India is majority vegetarian and the number one populous country in the world. The vegetarian food/the medicine also keeps the men potent for much longer than the American diet.
A living in the city , I got to see across the alley a chicken with head cut off and run around when I was little! that was very good education.
Ok, I will disagree completely. The Sikh and people you describe from India are NOT vegetarians. They are grainetarians and by moving away from that hard work ethic they have in the east and coming west to our more lazy and sedentary lifestyle, they almost always end up overweight and in poorer health. I'll stick with my diet and work ethic I have here and blessings to everyone else. @@calisingh7978
Excellent points, Zach!! I am in agreement with you! From personal experience, my husband and I almost didn't make it in our first attempt. We went from city slickers to a town that had a population of less people than my entire high school! It was a culture shock. We failed and our marriage almost didn't make it. We moved around a bit, took small steps on this journey, we each did some major self improvement and increased our faith in God along the way. Now we have been *successfully* homesteading our 40 acres for over 11 years and I'm incredibly grateful for God's help and the lessons we have learned. I really appreciate your video here and learned from it; some of these concepts I knew and felt but hadn't been able to put into words. Anyway I appreciate you and your teachings. Thanks and keep it up! You are a blessing to many!
Inspirational on so many levels, no doubt.
My experience is folks are lazy. Society has taught us that laziness is ok. Living is tough work. Living a R.E.A.L. life is even tougher. I'd rather live the way we are instructed instead of the way of evil.
😊 Your timing is perfect! We brought Mac home yesterday.
I can't say we enjoyed taking Big Mac to the processor. He was a 3 year old bull we had raised like a pet. Nothing but a Baby Huey, but it was time. He was born here and always meat stored on the hoof, all 2,500# of him. My husband needed back surgery and Mac didn't need to play with him.
We had Mac for dinner last night for the 1st time. It happened to be my 69th birthday.
He completely filled the 8ft bed of our truck. I got quite a workout unloading almost 1000# of food security in 100 degree heat! I wasn't about to lose the meat to the heat. My husband still had staples and weight restrictions. You just suck it up and do what has to be done or move back to the city!
He was delicious and worth every bit of the work! No antibiotics, no hormones, no vaccines. Just our unsprayed grass and a lot of love.
One processor said they couldn't lift him. His hanging weight was almost 1,500#.
Well worth it! We got back almost 1000# of lean ground beef and stew meat.
100%.
Just started this journey ten months ago, blessed to have a wfh Job and spend the evening homesteading, working our garden and feeding the chickens (which is all we have right now)
I love the remoteness, I love the sweat and hard work. And that's precisely what it is. It is hard work.
But on the sabbath, I do not do work.
You are wrong and making a broad stroke false assumption about many people who aren’t lazy. Do your research thoroughly.
What gets me is when you get done working in the city an hour from home, you see a sign that says if you lived here you’d be home right now’
❤❤ Love my dirt road! We even have to drive through a creek...THAT freaks people out!
Butchering was hard for me at first, but like everything else it becomes mind over matter and you just gotta get it done.
You’re correct and I needed to hear this.
A year ago I started raising quail, chickens and rabbits.
I have been processing the quail myself, which still isn’t easy for me and have assisted with processing the chickens. I’m having a hard time however with the rabbits and I know I need to get my head in the right place or I won’t survive. Again, thank you.
When killing a rabbit, just remember what a A-hole bug's bunny was lol
Look into a Hopper Popper. It is super fast and effective.
@@lorimiller5574 just found out how to make one, thanks
@@lorimiller5574 I can’t find where to buy one. Are they still in business? Last I looked there was no phone number - only an email address. I sent a message but never heard anything back.
A LOT of people have a hard time with rabbits. When we raised rabbits, tough hunter types told me that they couldn't kill "cute fuzzy bunnies". Cuteness factor makes it harder, but they do taste good and are fairly prolific. Have someone experienced come help you the first time. It will help you to get passed that.
Thank you, Zach. We have been gardening and raising animals for food for several years now. My grandchildren know now that the food we get from the backyard is much better than we get in the store. Praise Yah!
What I've noticed more than the aversion to butchering their own animals, it's folks overwhelm themselves. They make that drastic life change and most do it by selling everything and buying a place in the boondocks and get EVERYTHING. ✔️ Ckens, cows, pigs, turkeys etc....what starts off as a labor of love quickly turns into a chore, we wanted to avoid that and so have slowly transitioned into this lifestyle. We weren't new to country living but had no experience with any homestead skills. We began with a garden and meat rabbits and after a couple years we added chickens, then a couple years later, dairy goats, and a cuple years later we've learned that chickens are not for us and we're switching to ducks. You don't have to buy a working homestead, you can build it.
Makes total sense. Keep it real brother.
We had some city friends of ours that refused to come see our homestead cause we live on a dirt road. I was shocked when he said he would never come over. looking back on it now. I appreciate him. Hitting the “eject button” on our friendship. That dude has no clue.
Many people move to the mountains here because it’s pretty. Most don’t last more than two years 😂. They move here from the city but don’t realize we are 15-20 degrees colder and we get snow that stays around for weeks and then brings the mud that covers everything. We just past our 7th year out here. It’s not easy but so worth it. I’ve had a beautiful garden for the past 7 years but this year was almost a complete loss. It breaks my heart but I have to pick myself up, dust off, and see what I need to do to make next year a great garden. We will have successes and failures. Never lose hope and keep my forward and learn.
I can say that I started pursuing a homestead lifestyle in 2020. So I am still getting started. It's definitely been a hard challenging choice. My wife is now on board. At first maybe she didn't see the need but the way the world is going she understands this is the right thing for us. Unplugging from the livestock are pets thinking has beed hard for her and my daughter but they're coming around. I plan on continuing because the way the world is going tells me this is the best way to get through the hard times ahead.
🤣😂 My favorite Homesteader Maniac !! Great thought process. Though I'm not totally off the grid, though am single, I wouldn't dream of moving out of the country, back to the "city",...ugghh. Thanks for another great video Zach! I had a friend say that she couldn't handle it because "it was too dark!!! 😂🤣
I grew up "homesteading" but we just called it living. The city gets closer to us every year and I miss those dirt roads. I still homestead and my turkey tastes good with or without a name. Thanks for the video.
Its an old saying: it takes 6 years to determine whether you can do it, and 10 years to determine if you want to continue doing it.
Shalom, I so appreciate your homestead wisdom.
I'm in this process and to know what I'm facing helps me better prepare for it.
Keep sharing because the newbies NEED IT!!
Being a veteran I'm sure you've seen parts of the world that are still in touch with reality. That has been the hardest adjustments for me , realizing just how different we are and how blind most are to the real world.
Yes, being a vet and who has lived in various places and even overseas, one thing I have learned is that people everywhere have their own problems and issues that they struggle with in life. No one place is perfect and no matter where you live or what your upbringing, life will be a challenge. Let's do the best with what we got and try to love those around us as best we can.
Great video! Thanks brother. 🙏🏻
Totally agree 100%. We live in a very rural area as well. People that are not from around our area cry when they drive down our dirt road & say they will never drive down our road again 😂
We live about 1 1/2 hours away from the nearest grocery store & 1 hour from the nearest gas station. We are very secluded & have seen people come & go from around these parts. Praise Yahweh we are away from the city life! Rural homestead living is a blessing & such a joy to live this lifestyle. Our children only know this way of life & they absolutely hate it when we have to go to town for anything 😂 Our son is 8 & our daughter is 5. They understand why we choose this way of life & they don't want to live any other way.
We have been butchering our own meat chickens for several years now and it is such a rewarding experience to see a freezer full of meat you raised and knowing your children had a hand in it all. Lots of work and it’s exhausting but I can’t see it any other way now.
It is good for folks to hear about this part of homesteading. I doubt if most people even consider what issues they may have with animal harvesting prior to homesteading. Just knowing it is not unusual to have anxiety with it may be all they need to prepare and overcome
Zach you have one of my favorite channels. Thxs for sharing your knowledge, you say things that need to be said out loud, not just thoughts we have and then hold our tongue afraid to offend. Thxs again.
Thanks! I think you already made a video about obtaining valuable skills to be "in demand" in a homesteading community.
Maybe a top 5 skills to learn before considering homesteading video?
1. Handyman/building/repair
2. Butchering
3. Gardening
4. ???
5. ???
I pretty new this myself. Thanks for bringing this issue to light. I take it as a challenge on my journey to self-sustainability
Such a good video, Zach! This is so true! We have in the last two years struggled to butcher our birds for other reasons. My husband works full time, and we are so short on time. I think, however, if things are set up, I could do it myself. I just need things set up. We currently don't know how to butcher our sheep, but would love to learn. We use a local butcher and support the community. So when our ram lambs are ready, we take them there. I think this next year, our goats too, will be raised for meat. We just don't have the space for raising beef.
And we have certainly put down enough animals...it is hard, but necessary.
I will admit that chickens were super easy for me to do, but I am having a harder time wrapping my head around processing our whethered goats. I'll get there though!!!
We just processed our 2,500# pet bull. It was a sad day. We named him Big Mac because he was huge when he was born and to remind us his purpose. We have almost 1000# of delicious very lean ground beef. He was loved and fed lots of unsprayed grass and hay. We plant extra garden for our few cattle because they love okra, watermelon and cantaloupe. They are well loved food, stored on the hoof. Now we have the security of a very large freezer full of meat.
We had been putting it off because of my husband's health. He finally HAD to go because my husband needed back surgery.
Thank you and God bless!
I'm 59, and I'm not sure if I will make it alone, but I'm not unfamiliar with most things in life.
I’ve lived in the “ country” before lol but never off -grid life alone and your right you have to have a partner that you are in balance w and i have to say the first yr -2 is trial and error because it’s so much different than just living in the country and right now me doing just that is very hard on me but i wld never go back to the city
I grew up on a farm so animals as food was nothing new for me... however I will say one of my lowest moments was when I lost my heifer cow unexpectedly... I was absolutely ready to give up... I was so discouraged because not only did she die but we were unable to use ANY of the meat... I remember crying because it was so much time and money invested and she hadn't even had her first calf yet... and because she was under vet care and received antibiotics (our son is allergic to the penicillin family) we lost all the meat as well... it took me a bit to realize that despite the unfortunate event there was nothing I could of done differently and I learned ALOT! I put on my big girl panties and skinned her hide and kept her skull... the skull I have for decoration but the hide was processed and we do use it as a blanket when we need to so it wasn't a total loss... the knowledge I gained was worth more then what we lost!
I am more the wiser now when it comes to intervening with medications or just dispatching and using the meat when able!
Spot on! Been guilty of the same. Pushed through it and on the other side thanks to my husband.
I grew up rural in the late 70s to early 90s, and our metrics for longevity regarding city folks was - if you can last the first winter, you've got what it takes.
Never thought about this, I have neighbors who call on me to put down problem animals. I was raised fixing problem animals. Just another blessing I have never realized I had.
We are 3 years in our “homesteading journey”.... I totally agree with “your spouse must be on board”. However.
If they are both “IN”, but the work load is uneven, or one pulls and pushes and the other “reflects and meditates” way too often, or doesn’t want to be “directed or encouraged or God forbid, told” to do more, but instead relies on his young sons to pick up where he must be - it becomes its own hell. After 3 years, it IS tiring...it catches up with you and all of a sudden-you feel old... burned up and fed up.
The blasted thing it is when the yoke is unequal and uneven.
Along with disneyfied “animals are our friends, NOT food” mantra and reality, another one is to start slow. Very slow! Especially if you know too well who’s gonna pull the wagon.
Another experience: carefully consider and agree with your age. With your eyes you can do many things, but if your hands shake or your back is out more times than it is IN, carefully consider that as well.
Another experience: plan and set up infrastructure in a smart way! Don’t set up your chicken coop or a barn with animals, or gardens or green houses a half mile away from your home-you’ll have to walk that far -both ways-to do chores. Once winter sets in, it’s not fun.
Another experience: “Dream Big” has a nice ring to it, but forget NOT how much that “dream” costs and who’s gonna pay for it.
Another experience: STRUCTURE. Structure your days, your time, your way of doing things. Without structure in place, not only you yourself will wobble, but the homestead as well. So take breaks, rest often, breathe deeply(fresh air, if you can find it), leave for a bit if it becomes too much...
Regeneration is EXTREMELY important! With God-all things are possible, but IN Him-is where that refreshment will be found and attained.
And another very important thing: UNITY. For all involved. And in everything. Because ultimately, running the homestead and DOING the work might end up being YOUR job first and foremost. If you don’t like the sound of it, “the sound of work”- don’t do it.
So-approach homesteading wisely, cautiously, soberly, considering your physical AND mental health, and have a healthy dose of reality already “installed” before proceeding... Right along with lots of prayer, patience and endurance to not only “run the race”, but actually successfully finishing it by the end of the season, at least here in MT.
I wrote a book! 👍🏻 Maybe I should of considered writing instead.... hm... 🤪
Oh no! I loved the FrontierHouse series. And, I understand your point, Zach. Two divorced and one couple still married but none are living a homestead lifestyle.
Six years? Sounds about right. It ain’t easy. Agree, it takes a strong marriage to make it. My husband and I worked very hard to establish our homestead in crazy Cali. Escaped that nut house three years ago and doing it all over again in another state while in our sixties.
Stick with it and don’t let anyone tell you it’s not possible.
Homeschooling, homesteading mother of nine here who runs a 40-acre farm and does "everything" (bees, beef, sheep, chickens, pigs, hay, veggies, vineyard and orchards). While Zach has a GREAT point here, I, personally, don't think it's the number one reason. It may fall to a close second place. As a woman, the number one reason people give up is because it is EXTREMELY difficult to make a living on a farm (especially for those who have large families), therefore, the husband has to go off to work each day leaving the wife in charge of most of the farm plus homeschooling all the children. It's literally impossible to do both and do both WELL. I had a polite argument with Homesteading Family and Melissa K. Norris about this and they brushed me off like I was incapable or something. I'll assure you, I'm fully capable. I lost my first cow, Molly, to bloat, my husband was gone and I had to bury her on my own. I was sobbing as I drove that tractor and burried her. There is too much responsibility on the women and for a gender that is supposed to be a "keeper of the HOME" (a kitchen garden and taking care of some chickens may be possible though), we have too much weight on us. We weren't meant to handle that load. A lady from our church told me just yesterday (when I told her we weren't milking our cow right now due to adopting twins this past year) that her mother used to collapse "back in the day" and her husband had to call for the doctor because of her exhaustion levels. I am now recovering from adrenal fatigue from "doing it all" because that's what Joel Salatin and Justin Rhodes say to do, right? Well, those MEN farm for a living and Rhodes admits that he and Rebecca almost put their children into school because of the load. I'm so tired of channels lying to people saying you can do it all when it's impossible! Ruth Ann Zimmerman even puts her kids into school and then vlogs her farming day. You have to choose. One thing she did say was that she cares for the EMOTIONAL NEEDS of her family first, then farms from there. Good advice. Nothing is worth your marriage and children. Not even farming. Buy land! Steward some chickens and grow a small garden, but milking is hard and if you're a homeschooling mother, this HEAVY load should not fall on us alone. This is probably your BEST video Zach! Thank you for touching on this IMPORTANT topic! God bless!
I may make a video on your comment. Very good. I agree and I address this in my talks and videos. We just disagree on the placement of the reasons. Farmers and homesteaders have always had multiple streams of revenue based on seasons. This allowed them to stay close to home. Very good comment.
I was thinking about one more thing that may help others too. Maybe the BEST way eto go about homesteading in this modern era is to mimic the Amish in any way you can as far as community. If one family can do the dairy, another the veggies, vineyard, etc., then the load of one family is SHARED through the small community. This is why families had large amounts of children. The main reason homesteading channels "should" exist is to HELP others, right? I know you are helping others Zach, but the homesteading channels that are saying one, small family can do EVERYTHING is impossible, hence the divorce rates and people giving up. People NEED free time and time to ENJOY their farms. This year, we gave up milking and pretty much the vegetable gardens (heck! I still haven't collected my honey from my five hives). I've enjoyed the break to be honest. People should have land though. When the crap hits the fan regarding the economy (it's only a matter of time) and the inflation continues, or we just plain have food shortages, it is everything to have a farm, a home economy and space from the cities. Thanks for being HONEST. You're one of the few. And just FYI, we've been homesteading for 15 years. I'm no rookie. We "made" it and we still need a break. LOL! Vine Living Farm in Tennessee :) @@Anamericanhomestead
Damn right brother. I grew up with a special gift. My grandparents lived through the depression and they taught me so much without actually teaching me. I just did what they did And later found out what I have learned when I got older You understand if you know what bread bag shoes are. 🤔😀.
Zac, you make great points. But here's another way to approach it. I believe there are degrees of homesteading. You can move out to the country, and grow a garden, and keep chickens, and do quite well. I don't think you have to be 100% self sufficient to be happy, or better off than you were in the city. At least, that's my hope, because I'm a single, retired lady, and I'll never be able to do it all. I've followed you and other prepping channels, for the past several years. I've learned a ton, and during that time, got out of debt, stocked up on non perishables and survival tools, and moved onto 3.5 acres in the Missouri Ozarks. I've lived rural for years, and raised parrots for 20+years, so animal husbandry and a rural lifestyle aren't new to me. There's no spouse to disagree with, or kids, but also no unpaid help. Still, I believe I'll make it, as best as I'm able. I'm not a vegetarian, but meat has never been a big part of my diet. I definately have always thought of animals as pets. I would force myself to overcome that, if I thought I had to. But I've also stocked up on canned meat, enough, I believe, on par with the frequency at which I eat it. If and when that runs low, I'll figure out what to do about it. So I'll not be a hard core homesteader, but I'll be happy away from the cities and crowds.
Too funny !! Real, but funny. Thanks for sharing. So you said to leave an encouraging word for someone else I suggest naming your cattle Table, top, Hamburger, or even Brisket. We are secondhand vegetarian’s we like our steaks. We are working towards more homestead like environment, but still live in a very busy area. There’s just something very rewarding in being self-sufficient when it comes to our own food. I don’t think I wanna grow chicken in a bucket or beef in a container.
Great video! We are in our 3rd year but my husband still works off the homestead. I work from home and for me the hardest part is loneliness. I was a city girl born and raised. Always worked in a corporate office with daily interactions, going to lunch, after work meetups, etc. I think building community is essential for survival so hopefully we'll meet some like minded people in the future! Most people think were a little crazy right now 🤪
You are right, it is absolutely critical to make connections with people, not just because it helps you fight off loneliness, but because neighbors are the best insurance you can ever have.
If you like to belong to a church, go find a church that you can agree with for the most part theologically. If you're not into the church thing, volunteer at local schools, pregnancy centers, old folks homes, things like that.
Get involved in your community. Go to Commissioners meetings, attend area functions. You don't have to have kids in school to go to support sports teams.
Build community.
@jeepstergal4043 great advice! Thanks so much!!
I agree wholeheartedly. When i was spending a night fighting to safe a sick sheep I got praised like a messiah. A good month later, when i was gently leading this animal, to make it calm and relaxed before I knocked it out and butchered it the same people were in horror and called me a heartless monster. They didn't understand that I fought to secure my food. They felled that I was betraying the animal. My simple question was Why? Should I yell at the animal? Torture it so that it knows it gets butchered?
It's all part of the circle of life...60 + years later I still need help with the butchering part unless you want steaks that look more like a mixture of hamburger| with a steak in the middle...thank goodness I know a great Butcher! The Principal of my Elementary School also had a working Farm and twice a year (fall and spring) he took the students by class to his farm for an outing for the day..great foundation's and memories.
You nailed it and spoke the truth, another key factor to people is cost.
Hit the nail on the head
I’m disabled and I live on my daughter’s property…they are not on board for my garden ideas, because they consider it too much work. I have been working on it by myself, which is hard, but I keep plugging away at it, and it will all be worth it when it’s growing food and herbs…hopefully by next spring…🙏
Shalom. I think you are correct in my opinion, My extended family don’t understand the concept. My immediate family after 2 1/2 years is just starting to disconnect from city thinking to country/ homesteading thinking it is definitely a process to change. Currently my advice to everyone, i’m still new to homesteading but have a background in healthcare, Learn herbal medicine and holistic medicine cause it’s coming
I so admire those that can pull this off. Zach is truly an inspiration.
I have never had a problem killing anything. I have never lost a seconds sleep over that. With that, I am much softer than my grandparents that went through the depression and ww2.
Hello friend. When we started looking for a property 7 years ago we discovered a common thread within 30-40 miles out from KC. The country side was littered with bankruptcies and divorce forced properties. There’s very few exceptions to what I’m about to say. Almost all of them had new fences, new corals, new horse barns and out buildings. Unless you have plenty of excessive cashflow horses are money pits. I moved much further from KC.
The rental place just 3 miles from me when I rented a backhoe to dig up shrubs and trees told me that 90% of the rental of the small back hoe is to bury horses. He said people move out here from the city and buy horses and are clueless how expensive they are to maintain and keep healthy. It is really a shame. I’m sure there will be folks reading this and they’ll claim something opposite and ridiculous. Record keeping is your friend…
Good seeing you at the conference! I agree with you, I guess being Appalachian, it wasn't far fetched for us to go full homestead, working towards being off-grid too. Funny thing about six years, the seventh is shabbat year and we did that. We ran it for 6 years and the seventh was a sabbath season. Then we moved out here to Missouri. It was a no brainer, more space, more land, more folks doing what we wanted to do. After 6 years we realized we weren't out far enough and didn't have enough land for what we really wanted. Giving up restaurants and shopping is fine with us. Dreaming big for sheep, and I love them, I do, but when I see sheep, I see a place with all our friends and family gathered around a big lamb roast going back to the old ways. That's the dream. I love sheep, but I see choice meat, a product we can raise, something to be proud of and do good hard work for! I hope more people buckle down and get out of their feelings a bit and focus on what's going to work and last and keep you going!
Zach, you are so right I am ready to take the plunge, but my wife is not. I tell people she is such a city slicker. I keep praying to God that she will understand one day how much we need to get out of the city. I pray for her and I try to encourage her and I try to share with her things that are happening, but you are so right!
Not sure where my earlier comment went....
We homesteaded in 2012 as brand new city converts. It was a disaster but that experience taught us a lot of hard lessons and we still had city jobs to fall back on when we failed miserably.
Here we are again, much older, somewhat wiser, and with a more mature attitude about life. The learning process is more enjoyable this time around and so much more rewarding. ❤
Now, if we could just do a better job with video production and editing. 😂
YT sometimes deletes comments or hides them.
@Anamericanhomestead I know you say that a lot on your videos. It's sometimes hard not to fall into the "I said something dumb and got my comment hidden mindset."
My wife and I have been at this for over thirty years. She helps with the chickens and rabbits but disappears when it hog and goat killing time. She will help processing but not the killin. Don't know how many of the neighborhood dogs, cats and even one horse I have put down because the owners couldn't do it themselves.
Hooray Zach!!! Finally, someone said it!! I breed and grow my animals to feed my family. Others sometimes think I'm odd because I butcher my ducks, pigs, cows, rabbits, roosters, turkeys all for the benefit of my family. It's survival the way my Appalachian grandparents, parents and great grandparents did it. I applaud you for putting my thoughts into words!! Bravo!!
MR. ED!!!!!! Oh that brought back some memories. Funny, on my to do list for when I returned home from the conference was to start culling out the roo's I won't be using. So yesterday my youngest - 17 year old (she's the best at catching chickens) and went out and gathered 28.......half way there LOL, will get the rest when it cools down. I breed chickens, I love them from the day I hatch them to the day I sell them or make bone broth with them.
15 years ago we began micro-homesteading in a small town with young kids. We were so excited to learn to butcher, trap, garden, preserve. We raised rabbits, a handful of chickens, hunted and bought a couple of goats (for butcher only) and learned how to butcher and preserve those animals. Six years ago we moved to a homestead with a 12 year old and 2 younger kids. They love living as homesteaders and are excited to learn more skills. My 12 year old can butcher chickens. My 7 year hold has his own garden that he maintains. We have animals of all sorts. We connected with our local church, made friends and taught many of them our skills. We feel empowered and as a result have empowered others. Don't think we could have done it cold turkey without learning a foundation of skills before moving to a homestead. We name our animals, love them and appreciate them and how they add value to our lives and if they get hit by a car or attacked, we remember the value they added but move on.
Yes! We’re starting small and easing into it. We bought our first house on nearly half an acre in a small town. I want to get this home to off grid capable (I’m more enthused than my husband so it’s better to slowly introduce homesteading). Our first year we started a garden and have a wood burning stove and used that to offset our heating bill last year. We both love the fire better than HVAC and of course fresh produce better than store, so we’re off to a good start.
Next we’re going to build a coop for chickens and I’m going to landscape our property and plant some fruit and nut trees. We already have black raspberries growing along the edge of the wooded area on our property. Water is high on my list (rain, well, purification) alongside solar which my husband is in favor of once we’ve saved enough.
We can’t *legally* have goats but my neighbor and I both want them and people are pretty lax (also our house is tucked up on a hill in a wooded area) so maybe we can get away with it. But hopefully by this point my husband warms up to homesteading and self sufficiency more and more so he’d be willing to get an acreage. He’s type 1 diabetic and we have power outages on occasion - we have to keep his insulin cool.
Start small and work with what you are already steward of first ♥️
We lived off grid for over 13 years, tried raising our children in that atmosphere in the late 80’s throughout the 90’s. The thing that got us was lack of proper fire insurance and the lack of internet for our children when we homeschooled them. We found it necessary to supply this technology to them and at the time generator power didn’t mesh well with computer modems as well as no internet service yet in our outskirts.
Zach, thank you from the bottom of my heart! you just helped me to make up my mine about taking a 3 day class on Trapping. I am a woman and was not sure I would be able to handle seeing a trapped animal shot. thanks to you I am going to take the class.
I'm AARP aged. Lived in the capital city almost all my life. I finally managed to move to a small rural town. Yes if I have to I can raise chickens-no roosters here, quail or rabbits. Have had a super tiny garden the last 2 years. Butchering a chicken probably wouldn't bother me too much, nor quail. I do think it would take a bit to be able to butcher a bunny tho. Luckily for me I have a Red Neck daughter in-law who would gladly do it, so I guess she would have to desensitize me. But I do believe your right about placing human characteristics on animals. Its so hard with see-ing all the U Tube videos-Tik Tok, Fb, etc. videos.
Enjoyed hearing you at the last homesteading conference with Doug and Stacey. You're straight on here, I think people should take things in stages and not bite off too much too quick. Sometimes people just need time to adapt to all the physical and emotional changes that homesteading brings to them. They're going through a world of changes and often with little friends or family around them. They feel isolated and alone and often ill equipped with resources and funds to make it. The call of a life of luxury and ease of city life is still haunting them and of course we'll meaning family that's telling them that they should come back to their senses and embrace city culture.
You're right, it's all about how badly you want it, how much value you place on independence from the matrix. Keep up the great work.
You are absolutely right on all points! Most people these days don't know where milk comes from.
Your so right about that both you and the wife have to be on the same page . With all thats going on today we need to be out of the city and perparing for the change that is coming . because of differences in thinking it wont happen for alot of people so sad ..
Thanks so much for this “assessment”, Zach. I’m not completely there, in a homestead yet. But, have made “mid-way” most recently. Moving to the country gradually (and, on my own, with only Yah leading the way) has been very positive thus far. Specially, given how long I’ve lived in NYC. Anyhow, I understand and am in agreement about what a person needs to learn and be able to do to live in the country, or a far remote lifestyle, and ultimately be prepared for what’s ahead. My biggest concern is to learn how to and be able to protect myself and others from the biggest “animal” of all- man. Being that you were in the military, maybe you can shed some light about self-protection (if not here, at Patreon)? Thanks again and Shabbat Shalom! 🙏🏻💕
Great video Zach. We’ve been homesteading for over a decade… and your insight about the animals is spot on. A respiratory illness in our chickens many years back, was the catalyst that toughened my heart. During that time of losing birds (in spite of trying to nurse them) birds that we hatched and raised, I crossed over to a true understanding about livestock. I’m thankful that hubby butchers our roosters, but I help and do understand the process and the purpose. Homesteading will break you or make you… and it definitely weeds out those that lack the fight to stay. It’s so worth it… living in a city would be absolute torture. It’s so rewarding to raise your own food and live away from the chaos of the lunacy in the world.
I bought my 40 acres partially because it IS on a dirt road. While I'm just starting my homestead, I've been planning on it for over a decade. I have generators, a solar power system(minus the batteries), lots of tools and books. I've been gardening for over 40 years and have raised chickens for eggs and meat. I've never had livestock so that will be a big step for me. Since my land is raw, I've got to get more land cleared and lots of fencing. But I'm not giving up until the buzzards start circling. lol
Awesome attitude 👍🏻
I have been homesteading for the last eight years. Some things have gone smoothly and others....well...not so much. We are leaving Scotland for free-er lands. We are moving to Arkansas. We attempted this two years ago, however it has only been within the last three months that my husband could enter the USA due to vaccination status. Hmmm, what was I saying about free?
Anyway, as you have said many times Zach, that the natural progression of a prepper is off-grid. Not easy, but worth it!
Any Scotland prepares want some man-years of food, hit me up.
We pushed through, 47 years ago in our very early 20s we moved to our homestead. The first 3 winters were the late 70s, mini-ice age. Only had wood stove heat - thankful that we were so young then and had the stamina to stick it out.
My experience is that a lot of people talk about how important it is to grow your own food and how crucial it is to become independent financially etc., but very few of them actually walk the talk. . I believe those of us that go though with this are a very small group of determined, stubborn and hard working people. This is our first year and I have been frustrated soooo many times already, but I refuse to give up!
Totally agree with you, this is a commitment that is serious. Have milked a goat for 16 years and she got old and passed. Yes, we were sad but so thankful to God that she blessed us with fresh milk and babies to sell and butcher... there will never be one to take her place but now trying to find another to milk also...Raised our own beef and butchered it this spring and yes it was hard work, but it was worth it knowing where it came from and what it was fed...Yes, its hard work but it has great rewards... Thank you for pointing out all the challenges that someone who had never done this can face...Blessings to you and your family...Stay the course>>>>
A big homesteading fail I see is getting animals when there’s no pasture or structures to house the animals. Hay is expensive and most is loaded with chemicals.
Tip: Take your time building your homestead, and start small. Build one skill at a time. 🙂
I get where you're coming from. But if a person can't butcher, that doesn't mean they'll quit. Sometimes, people figure out what they're good at and barter or trade for things they're not so good at. Trade and barter can work well. As it turns out, we have a neighbor who runs a butcher shop and is very good at it. As it turns out we are able to grow some produce that others in the area haven't had as much success with. Community is a thing. Not every person is good at every thing. I don't feel like there is any shame in a community of neighbors working together to make all of our lives better. Things do need to get done, though, you're right. I just think there is a little more gray area that's doable for those who don't quit. Just an opinion.
So true...
When I first got married I had a home in the city . We started having children and both of us wanted to move to the woods to start a homestead farm and get our family out and away of the city.
Sadly, even though we were on the same page at first, it took less than two years before our divorce. 10 years married and 4 children.
Now me and my children love the farm, but their mother went back to the world and even deeper into it than before.
I and my children love the homestead. We have around 60 katahdin sheep, nubian goats, and chickens. Currently Im building a green house and fencing around our fruit orcherd.
My children dont like that we do not have internet, but it also gives us other things to do. Board games, cards etc. Family time.
Sadly the homestead has been extremely hard, esecally doing it alone now, 4 years divorced. I personally was raised as a boy in the woods on a dairy farm.
So just because a city woman says she wants to live in the woods, lol the dream is real until the rubber meets the road.
I love our homestead, and so do my children. Its totally worth it, even if you have to do it alone. Hard times are coming, and homesteading will place your family in a better future.
Shalom
Yep, the struggle is real.
To be fair, My exwife is a good person. Between the hardship of homesteading and just being in a loveless marriage... divorce was unavoidable.
Sadly we live in a woke world where 90% of women leave their husbands and files for divorce. No fear of Yah and no more honor in words or covenants anymore.
Please keep me and my children in your prayers Bro Zack, the loss of your beloved... well you know...
I spend many night with tear filled eyes pouring water from the depths of my soul to the Master...
shalom
I agree with you but only desperation will cause some people to see it that way.
Before we moved onto our homestead we got very familiar with dealing with dead and sick animals. We had chickens for many years. We are also DIY people who don't like to be plugged into systems. We homeschool, can, garden, use and make natural remedies and my husband has delivered 4 of our 7 children without the help of a midwife. I just don't see us moving back to a place of less self-sufficiency. It bothered me to be plugged into the matrix all my life.Thankfully my husband got fully on board after the last couple of years and we made our exit. Trying to do this without being on the same page would have ended badly.
This actually makes me consider the book series I read to my son. They are old books by Thornton Burgess. The characters are animals and they have personalities and act like people.
Animals make good storytellers - that’s why they’re used in books and movies. And animals have been in human stories for a long time. There’s even a moment in the Bible where a donkey saves his master from being struck down by an Angel and he goes to strike her. The donkey is allowed to speak by God and says that she saved his life. On the other end there’s the serpent. The animals help us tell important stories. We can learn from the spider to be industrious, from the dog to be loyal. This being said it’s important that kids know that real animals don’t work like stories. My dad was raised on a farm and was an avid hunter and he knew animals from storybooks aren’t the same as animals on the farm. I think kids in cities don’t make that connection as they’re not AROUND real animals and that’s the problem. We can respect animals when they’re respectful of us. City people just don’t have the same experience protecting their home and livestock from wild animals and they believe a farm looks like the package on food.
@@schuylergeery-zink1923 Yes. Despite the books my kids read, they still know where food comes from. We process our animals for food or send them out to be processed, but we know where our meat is from and are glad to know they only had one bad day in the life.
Just read him animal farm. He'll love bacon after that!
So very true..every word. I consider myself very fortunate that I grew up with an outhouse and pumping water from a well. We raised chicken, rabbits, pigs and other farm animals for food. (I don't eat the piggy or Bugs Bunny now), but I do have chicken, ducks and quail. As a young boy, I had to put down my dog. It wasn't easy, but it was necessary and I understood that fact.
On extremely hot days we went to the fruit cellar and just enjoyed sandwiches, home canned goods and conversation.
Here are some tips I can offer, especially for new homesteaders with kids:
Allow each child to have 1 animal as a pet, and help them realize all the others are food.
Give them the chore of feeding, watering and cleaning up after the animals.
Make them understand that even the pet will eventually die.
Let them take part in the butchering process.
My 13 yr. old granddaughter can't wait to help butcher quail, because one pooped on her and she wants revenge... LOL
And Finally, when things look bad and too difficult, just Stop. Go fishing, take a hike, get away for the day.
But while you're away think on all the advantages (blessings) you have on your homestead.
Little or no utility Bills.
Homegrown produce.
Being able to Work at your own pace.
Knowing your food animals were properly cared for and given a good life.
Building strong relationships with your neighbors who are doing the same thing.
And the peace of mind knowing that you can rely on yourself.
My words of encouragement...If you're lazy forget about homesteading lol
Thank you for the REAL info and not the rose colored glasses info. People watch homesteading channels created by people who have been at it for many years and still have struggles and think it's a dream.
We got here in 2019 ,before c19 .It is now 4yrs later and we just got our land, things don't actually work the way we want all the time. It looks like it's going to take us at least 2yrs or more to get ready to move onto the land.
It's very expensive in Oregon to build legally. But because we are going slow it gives us time to learn.
GOD BLESS from Christmas Valley Oregon
This is discouraging because I'm right there with you. I do all the butchering myself because my husband "can't" do it. He is not on the same page with me but I do everything anyways. However, my words of encouragement are that I find my peace and motivation within my community. It's still building up but at least we are all like-minded people.
You are so right. Husband and wife have to be on the same page and talk ng teenagers from the instant gratification society will be difficult. I never thought of Disney making people not want to kill their food source (chickens), because their pets.
So true and don’t forget all those spiders,weeds And dead chickens.sometimes l think that condo on the beach looks good some days ,but then l think of my sons and continue working on my property because I know what’s coming.
I have been on my acreage for four years now but I am autistic (Aspergers) and, growing up in the city there were no shortage of family with full time working farms. My transition is easy. I grew up slaughtering animals and preserving. I am 61 now and just learned to pressure can in fall of 2021. This year adding a spider hole cellar to get me through until I can build a permanent one. Timber frame barn going up for the truck and my ‘51 Allis-Chalmers WD tractor. This is a must….learn another skill for the rest of your life! Add to your abilities cannot be understated.
Used to live on 20 acres out in the woods. Then circumstances meant we had to move in town. That lasted 7 yrs and I was suicidal. Drs told hubby to get me back out to the country. Now we’re on a little 5 acre homestead with chickens and I jus eviscerated 2 turkeys for the Holidays. Health just keeps getting better.
Zack, we live on a dead-end dirt road with 12, 5 acre lots. In the last 2 years we have seen many people coming and going. First thing we noticed is they are running to town for gas for the generator, water and ice. It costs a fortune to live like that. We live solely on rain water collection and tried to help them with it, but they were not interested. Then, setting up batteries to run electric even if they are generator charged, but no they plug direct into the generator and waste gas. It's a hard life but we see it as a way to toughen ourselves up. Americans especially are extremely soft, me included. We are teaching rabbit processing and meat chicken processing to so many newbies. I'm glad we found a way to help more people find success. God bless our country
Great Video, and Information, with People ( Couples) Tuning in to, Understanding, if They are With a Partner, they Are with Completely! 👍
Love you're channel and all that you do.been a fan for many years now .most peole are not willing to do the nessary things to make life on the homestead.and i believe that soon they'll have to make a decision soon because man the world is in a mess t his younger generation has to really step it up or it just dose not look good. But to those that willing to put the father first and keep him forever in their sight and endure to the end it is possible to have a rewarding life experience on a homestead.
Thank you Zach for sharing this awesome content
What will happen when people have no choice!!!
Exactly I work 2 jobs just so I can keep preparing I have learned to put things on your radar to be completed but if one gets done consider that huge thing I butchered 8 chickens usually we give a few away for good karma one to a friend s who are sick or having a rough time we have the luxury to do that but 4 are in freezer prepped for canning I use my vacation time to can meat or butcher or what ever else is on the radar when it comes time to close the gate and lock I have done what I could to prepare you don't have to force yourself intoxicated exhaustion be proactive and set goals the ant and the grasshopper should be another shirt!!
My then husband and I raised our children in the remote high desert of Arizona. We lived without running water ( had 16 gallon drums with a hand pump) and electricity ( had a gas powered generator and solar lights). Our initial homestead was a hogan - an octagon shaped log cabin with one room and 2 windows. We were a family of 7. It was an experience. We garden and had neighbors with animals. Our homestead was 100 miles away from box stores.
Totally makes sense. People are going vegan and they are not healthy. My son's girlfriend is vegan looks anorexic. Hopefully she will see the light. I worry about her health.
It's funny how many people come out here to homestead off grid and fail. They see some reality show that inspires them, think they can be a mountain man, then they get here and feel how demoralizing the wind and the cold really is in the winter. They realize how hard they have to work spring through fall to make sure they can store up a surplus of food and miss the comfort of the city. It's really not something everyone is capable of.
Much the same here in South Africa !!
I am lucky to have been on farms most of my life
This is now own farm and there are no monthly pay days
I have a love/hate relationship with our dirt roads…I hate the dirt, of course, but mostly, it’s the damage to my vehicle. But I love that it’s more difficult for people to get out here. My daughter just got pigs this past winter, but, to her, they are pets. Now I would not eat them, personally, but this is a demonstration of what you were talking about.
I have lived in the outback of Australia, as a child we grew up fast. Now that I am here we live in the mountains of Idaho. We would save people who would go out in the wood and then need 1st aid. My husband was raised on a farm. So we build our house from the trees on our land. We raised 5 kids a blended family. We have and still do in our log house. But hard time struck us and we had to go to work in ND. Now our place is ours again and we will be going back home and start again as we miss the peace and what God gave us.
Biggest problem we have run into out here in the Boondocks is people who show up thinking they're going to live like Little House on the Prairie, with absolutely no skills and no clue.
They expect all the people who have been successful to carry them. We have no problem helping people, but far too many come out expecting the locals to do everything for them.
The sense of entitlement is astounding, and the lack of preparation is appalling.
I think this is so accurate, I have a small homestead but we do not raise our own meat. Just living sort of in the country, people cannot stop running into town everyday. I go to town usually once per week and it is 3 miles away but I love staying at home, you can get so much done if you stay at home and not running the roads....
It is hard.
Cows are personalized and beloved as a cultural tradition as a mother of the family because they provide life sustenance. If they kill the cow no more milk cheese yogurt ghee cooking gas or electricity.