This is going to be a strange complement but I love when y’all complain about things being annoying or what bothers y’all. It’s so much more relatable and REAL. I can appreciate a channel that is transparent about the hard parts of the process. Then I don’t feel like I’m failing during my own issues in the garden. Y’all are an incredible team ❤
The kids will remember when they’re older and feel really good about the times they helped out around the home and will love that they gained the knowledge from their parents. I remember when……
I met a man who sold strawberries at the farmers market. He had built himself a special four wheeled cart that bridged the row. He would lay down on this thing (face down) and pick at a terrific pace. He had a place to put the bowls before him on this contraption. The farmers liked his approach very much as he would weed as he went and never damaged the plants.
I think the beauty of home gardening is the fact that you are free to do what you want. Spraying is a choice and if you choose to spray your plants, good for you. You are still growing food on your own and learning how to fight back against pest. If you choose not to spray, good for you. You are still growing food and trying your best to keep ahead of mother nature. If you are gardening, you are gardening. How you choose to do it is completely up to you and no one should gate keep your experience.
I live in Texas and we have a terrible time with fire ants and regular ants. I know this sounds crazy but if you will sprinkle "grits" yes, the kind you eat where ants travel and better yet if you know where the mound is, sprinkle there. It doesn't take much they will eat it or take it home and pop. Their system can't handle the increase in size, like feeding rice to birds, it will kill them. You will have to sprinkle often, especially after a rain. Silly as it sounds it really works. Thankfully it's not a pesticide or toxic, so you don't have to worry about the kids. Happy hunting to a beautiful family!
That's so good to know I swear our house is built on a massive colony I've been using DE on it but having 2 things working on the ant population would be great
@@alorastewart7091 glad to help, most people think I'm crazy, but it does work. You can also sprinkle it around in your house. You just need to remember to sprinkle again outside if it rains.
Try using compost tea and spray it directly on your plants for treatment of insects. It also helps the health of the plants. I’ve used it for 25 years and it’s so easy to make. I use black cow mix, worm castings, fish emulsion, black strap malaise to feed the compost. Use a big tub and place all the above in a sock in water, then use a aerator pump that you use in a fish tank and when you start seeing a foam forming on top it lets you know it starting to becoming alive. You mix one part tea to two parts water and spray plants directly
A couple of tips......varying the sugars for your jams are essential if wanting to provide different types of nutrition for better health. If you eat Organic bananas , dry the skins and put in a blender to produce a powder. Use that powder around all the trees that are surrounded by grass. The grass takes up all the potassium for its own growth, so this makes the trees search for potassium near the surface. This makes them weak and prone to damage or toppling during stormy weather. Taking grass up from around trees and replacing with leaf mulch would also help with this.😊
Try kale braised in a large cast iron pan in a little butter that has a clove of garlic crushed into it and sauteed. Tear the kale into pieces, removing stems. When the garlic has lightly sauteed in the butter but before it turns brown, add torn up kale and toss into butter/garlic mixture until well wilted and slightly seared. Salt and enjoy! (Hint: you will need a LOT of kale as it will wilt down into a very small amount. For a larger family you may have to do several batches.
I discovered this same method of preparing kale last spring and I couldn't get enough of it. I think I also sprinkled a little lemon juice on it. Russian kale is the best variety I've found for sauteeing.
I said the same exact thing to myself yesterday in Ohio, "I feel rich" as I went out to my garden and harvested some herbs, lettuce, kales, and cucumbers. I know exactly what you mean and it has nothing to do with money.
Love this comprehensive video! We're not growing all the same stuff, but doing all the choirs/tasks. Canning, drying, processing, and more planting and weeding. Thanks for always sharing the good, the bad and the not-so Pinterest perfect parts of homesteading.
I agree 100% with Michelle about using sprays in the garden when needed instead of buying the same veg. in the store. We have to use common sense and and weight the pro's and con's.
I love this channel! I live in CA and have a large garden but nothing compares to what I see Michelle doing with her garden. And, all of the tips regarding jam-making, lettuce, preservation, soil prep, etc. are wonderful. Both of you are natural teachers and the real deal-thank you.
If I had more energy, I would truly copy cat your recipes and garden. But I'm an old gal that had to work far beyond retirement age and my energy ran away with my time. I love jam but 1 jar from a store lasts me a long time. I love your videos and to see your children helping more and more brings tears to my eyes. I'll be watching for your next visit. Thanks from Central Oklahoma
It amazes me the amount of food you grow and process. Keeps you busy, have good quality food to eat and saves you money. Admiration for the whole family that are More Than Farmers !!!
I just wanted to say how much i appreciate your honesty about spraying your garden! I hate that everyone feels so much pressure from trolls or people who think their way is the only way. I love that your teaching us YOUR way. Obviously, if people dont like your way, they have the freedom to try a different way! New subscriber.... loving your videos! 😊
I really enjoy learning something when it comes to watching youtube, and I appreciate your videos so much. You guys are a great teaching team! Thank you for this!
A great way to process herbs in oil is to use a icecream scoop with the spring clicker thing where it removes the stuff from the scooper. I use it to make pucks of herbs and my garlic and onions to put on trays and put in the freezer and then store. It is really convienent.
Even though I live in CO, a COMPLETELY different climate, you're rapidly becoming my favorite channel. Your videos are so well done (love the outtakes), and so full of good info. And you two are adorable (yes, I'm old enough to be your mother :) ). Great job, keep it up!
Wonderful Wonderful video! Love the bounty and all your gardening, herb drying and food processing tips. Born & raised in Ohio-now a 74 Grama in Southern California!🥰
Hi Michelle and Cody! I love your videos! I made blueberry jam with Pomona’s Pectin for the first time! So easy and I love it! Thank you so much for all that you guys do! Just a note from a gardener in Maine!
Your work and lives inspire me so much. I have dreams of having a small homestead someday. I'm doing what I can now in a rented townhouse - gardening in a community plot, making sourdough bread in my little kitchen, etc. - but learning from both of you has been so helpful as I think about "what's next" for our family someday!
Your videos are just perfect. The quality of the video your voice is just beautiful when you talk you are not annoying everything you say is like music to my ears. It makes it so fun to listen to you guys. You’re doing a great job you finally. Such sweet and beautiful family.
I just love you all. You're so real, and don't make it seem like it is always perfect on the homestead because we all know it's not always fun, but it is always worth it!
Nice pun! I have memories of picking strawberries with my grandmother. Shelling peas on the porch, listening to my grandparent, aunt and parent talk about the good old days. It wonderful what you are doing. Great job.
For all the people who struggle with bugs and slugs, I would really look into getting some ducks. We have 3 ducks who walk around the whole veggie garden and we barely have any slug/bug damage. We do make a fence around the veggie patches because they will eat the veggies too if they can. But I find that they clean the garden so well, even around the fences, that we don’t struggle with bugs and slugs. They also eat some weeds, lay beautiful and tasty eggs, eat decaying leaves. All in all, they really are so beneficial for a veggie garden. And also, we use their dirty bedding in the compost as well, so awesome!
It amazes me how much I learn every time I watch you guys! Your kiddos are lucky to have you as a teacher. I’m trying to be a homesteader in a zone 10 hoa (mostly with perennials) and every bit of info helps!! Thank you!
Wonderful video. Thank you for including the dimensions on your strawberry planting. I find those sort of details very helpful as I plan things around my own homestead.
I happily remember shelling peas, taking the ends off of green beans, and topping strawberries at my grandpa’s farm in Minnesota. Your kids will remember helping you out like that the rest of their life. Enjoy that jam!
You both have been a big inspiration. I added so much to my garden this year because I've been watching for the last 8 months . I did a garden tour on my channel. I have much less space than you since we live in a neighborhood but I'm so excited for this year. I love to learn new things and I've always loved playing in the dirt. 😉I'm having an awful time with ants this year. They are eating all of my cucumber seedlings and seeds. Love seeing the kids help. My 4 year old loves gardening. picking cherry tomatoes and digging potatoes is her favorite. Another wonderful video
So inspired watching you all work together in the garden. I hope to get my boys involved more this year. They are more likely to eat the food when they can take a taste while we're outside.
Vacuum sealers are over rated. You two are such a pleasure to watch. I am a 66 yr old female homesteader and I know the joy of looking at the beautiful days harvest. One thing I do wish is that some company would come out with a gigantic salad spinner!!! That would save so much time.
Vacuum sealers are quite handy in many ways, and there are cheap ones that do the job perfectly so it doesn't have to be expensive one. I myself use it for storing both long term and short term, in freezer, fridge and in cupboard/room temperature. And not only food, some materials as well, also 3d printer fillament. I also use it for cooking sous vide, brining or marinating meats in bags. Do my family actually need vacuum sealer - I think most of it can be done without it, but with more work and shorter storage. And there are times that we actually can't do a certain thing without a proper vacuum sealer.
@@5GreenAcres Where I live there are quite pricey rolls or premade bags for vacuum sealer, but there are also some far cheaper, which are sometimes even with higher quality. (Of course there's also the Chinese junk, that is good only for short term dry goods, room temperature storage, but that's not the point here). I have used the vacuum sealer, without actually using the vacuum pump on other things like plastic straws to make a sealed single doses of spices for my backpacking trips or DIY MREs, and also for making cotton and vaseline filled fire straws.
They make manual laundry spinners that are like big salad spinners! I have one for my wet clothes-I bet one could spin 20+ heads of lettuce! 😃( bought online).
Thankyou so much Michelle, loved your info on the strawberries, your herb garden and we believe, do what your gut tells you about a certain things. Injoy your wonderful hard work. Thankyou.
I have learned so much from you guys! Especially gardening from Michelle. I even dug a hole and put a pot of mint down in the ground.. now just waiting on it to grow 💚💚
For the Cilantro cubes, you could probably use one of the metal cookie scoop/Ice cream scoops. That way you wouldn't just use it for the one purpose. Love your videos!
Y'all are the best. Thanks so much for sharing your greens cleaning. I don't know if you did that at my behest, but it means so much to me. It might be such a small thing for you guys, but it's nice to have solidarity in trying to figure out how to responsibly feed our family. Also, you've inspired me. I think my son and I are gonna start a strawberry patch next year!
My grandmother used to put wax on the top of her jam. You can freeze it, and if it expands, it just pushes the wax up. Just have to use wide mouth jars.
Growing up we always put paraffin wax on the top of the jam/jelly to seal it. It almost never spoiled unless you didn't clean the top inside of the jar or put too little wax in. I know that's also controversial but many places still do this. Love your content.
Thanks for sharing, I have learned that Raspberry leaves can be turned into tea. In April I uprooted and discarded so many tender seedlings that had sprouted where I do need them as they're taking over my backyard. Now I know how to use their leaves.
I too have been taught that plantain is an antidote for nettle stings. It is said that an antidote is always found close by to the poison so look around where the nettle grows to find the plantain or another antidote.
I set out 100 plants this year. I can't wait until they start producing good. If you put a clean towel or paper towel on each side of the bag your lettuce is in it will last a little longer. I don't wash all my herbs either. I have to can my jam, I don't have freezer space for it.
A natural way i learned to keep slugs away is sprinkle crushed egg shells around the garden bed. Tried it for the first time this year because it's the first year I've ever had slugs, and it seemed to work!
Hi....you'll are really doing good. Hardworking. We are old now and sickly so can't do much anymore. We also had 4 children. Started out with twins.....we were living in Winslow, AZ. We were very poor too. Bought an old trailer for $4500 and outgrew the trailer pretty fast and built on to it and worked hard building on and fixing up our little patch. It will get better eventually so hang in there. May God bless you as you walk with Him❤
I've been seeing more ants this year, inside and out. Must mean something! Fantastic information on drying mints for tea! Your garden looks great! I love, love fresh, leafy dill! I have a Mennonite dill pickle recipe that uses mostly dill leaves and is so delicious. My Mennonite friend taught me to make them after I raved about her baby dill pickles. Last time I made them, I used apple cider vinegar with the mother and they came out too strong tasting. Virginia Kaufman's Dill Pickles Brine: 1 T. Sugar, 2 T. Pickling salt, 3/4 c. Apple cider vinegar, 3 c. Water. Use Fresh leafy Dill, seeds, stems, lot of leaves. Use small, freshly picked, washed cucumbers and 3 to 4 whole cloves of garlic. Put 1 grape leaf in each jar for crispness. Mulberry or horseradish leaves can also work. Heat up brine, pack clean jars with washed grape leaf, dill, garlic, small cucumbers (large cucumbers, peppers, green beans, even green small tomatoes with hot peppers work well with this recipe). Pour hot brine into jars of cucumbers, run a butter knife around inside of jar to remove air bubbles. Fill to 1/2 to 3/4 inch from top of jar. Wipe off tops of jars, put clean lids on, hand tighten rings. Process In boiling water bath canner until turn pickle color. About 10-15 minutes. Hot Dilled Baby Green tomatoes with few hot peppers are very popular. Firm green tomatoes pickle best. These Dill pickles are mild, dilly and crispy. So delicious with burgers, which is how Virginia served them to me!
Did you know that you could switch over to freezer jam? I mean you like chunks, you like less sugar and you freeze your jam anyway?! Then you'd not have to cook it at all! To dissolve the sugar (or sweetener of any kind really) you could just use the microwave and stir reaally well and a bit longer :)
I've got to build a herb rack. I dehydrate broccoli and kale leaves and crumble them into small flakes. I then hide them in soup for us and hide them in the chicken feed because my kids and my chickens dont like either. David The Good makes liquid fertilizer out of stinging nettle he puts in a barrel and let's sit for a few weeks. I'll try this out this season since some nettle decided to grow in my garden this season. Grow on!
i live at the moment in England so i have few pots with strawberries and those are still green 😑 ... british weather for you , but in Poland where i am from people hiring for strawberry picking ( we are going back to Poland in march next year for good and i can't wait , we have some small house to renovate and a bit of land to grow our food and keep animals , woods behind our garden and 20 neighbours ...bliss 😊, there is a hard work ahead of us but watching you gives me the motivation for all what's coming and that this the best thing we can do for our family ❤
It's so nice and entertaining to watch your video. Harvesting now is a great joy, for us it will still take a while. Only strawberries and lettuce are plentiful. Thank you for all your good tips and tricks, dear Michelle. I hope when I retire next year that I can finally implement everything I've learned from you. Thank you very much for that.
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This is going to be a strange complement but I love when y’all complain about things being annoying or what bothers y’all. It’s so much more relatable and REAL. I can appreciate a channel that is transparent about the hard parts of the process. Then I don’t feel like I’m failing during my own issues in the garden.
Y’all are an incredible team ❤
I love that the kids help out in the garden sometimes, those are memories they will probably cherish for life❤
And as long as you sterilise the ars before you fill them I honestly cannot see any reason why you should need to
And how else will they take to the next generations. So much has been lost. People don’t tap into their grandparents knowledge.
The kids will remember when they’re older and feel really good about the times they helped out around the home and will love that they gained the knowledge from their parents. I remember when……
I met a man who sold strawberries at the farmers market. He had built himself a special four wheeled cart that bridged the row. He would lay down on this thing (face down) and pick at a terrific pace. He had a place to put the bowls before him on this contraption. The farmers liked his approach very much as he would weed as he went and never damaged the plants.
What a great idea. Thanks for sharing.
I think the beauty of home gardening is the fact that you are free to do what you want. Spraying is a choice and if you choose to spray your plants, good for you. You are still growing food on your own and learning how to fight back against pest. If you choose not to spray, good for you. You are still growing food and trying your best to keep ahead of mother nature.
If you are gardening, you are gardening. How you choose to do it is completely up to you and no one should gate keep your experience.
I had a bad day, but watching this channel, and hearing this phrase, "CANNING IS NOT MY JAM, really made me so happy 💓
I live in Texas and we have a terrible time with fire ants and regular ants. I know this sounds crazy but if you will sprinkle "grits" yes, the kind you eat where ants travel and better yet if you know where the mound is, sprinkle there. It doesn't take much they will eat it or take it home and pop. Their system can't handle the increase in size, like feeding rice to birds, it will kill them. You will have to sprinkle often, especially after a rain. Silly as it sounds it really works. Thankfully it's not a pesticide or toxic, so you don't have to worry about the kids. Happy hunting to a beautiful family!
That's so good to know I swear our house is built on a massive colony I've been using DE on it but having 2 things working on the ant population would be great
@@alorastewart7091 glad to help, most people think I'm crazy, but it does work. You can also sprinkle it around in your house. You just need to remember to sprinkle again outside if it rains.
I thought I was the only 1 who did that 😂 my grandma taught me that trick.
@@julieagain good for her!
I will try that! The common one that comes for pasta making?
I'm exhausted watching you work! Nettle tea is delicious!
Try using compost tea and spray it directly on your plants for treatment of insects. It also helps the health of the plants. I’ve used it for 25 years and it’s so easy to make. I use black cow mix, worm castings, fish emulsion, black strap malaise to feed the compost. Use a big tub and place all the above in a sock in water, then use a aerator pump that you use in a fish tank and when you start seeing a foam forming on top it lets you know it starting to becoming alive. You mix one part tea to two parts water and spray plants directly
Wow, the way you explain this at [3:45] is so clear and easy to follow. Great job!
A couple of tips......varying the sugars for your jams are essential if wanting to provide different types of nutrition for better health.
If you eat Organic bananas , dry the skins and put in a blender to produce a powder. Use that powder around all the trees that are surrounded by grass. The grass takes up all the potassium for its own growth, so this makes the trees search for potassium near the surface. This makes them weak and prone to damage or toppling during stormy weather. Taking grass up from around trees and replacing with leaf mulch would also help with this.😊
Try kale braised in a large cast iron pan in a little butter that has a clove of garlic crushed into it and sauteed. Tear the kale into pieces, removing stems. When the garlic has lightly sauteed in the butter but before it turns brown, add torn up kale and toss into butter/garlic mixture until well wilted and slightly seared. Salt and enjoy! (Hint: you will need a LOT of kale as it will wilt down into a very small amount. For a larger family you may have to do several batches.
I discovered this same method of preparing kale last spring and I couldn't get enough of it. I think I also sprinkled a little lemon juice on it. Russian kale is the best variety I've found for sauteeing.
I agree with you 100% my grandmother used to give us a jam two kinds canned and from the freezer and the freezer was hundred times better
I said the same exact thing to myself yesterday in Ohio, "I feel rich" as I went out to my garden and harvested some herbs, lettuce, kales, and cucumbers. I know exactly what you mean and it has nothing to do with money.
Drying herbs on a window screen! Brilliant, I would never have thought of it. That is a life changer, thank you for the inspiration.
Glad it was helpful!😊
I totally agree that freezer jam tastes more fresh than canned jam. Watching you harvest rhubarb makes me crave the rhubarb crisp from my childhood.
You have a beautiful garden and farm. I love seeing your family all working together.
Thank you!
I love sitting on the porch during high winds 🥰
Herb cubes : you’re doing great by hand. I saw someone, ( can’t remember) using an ice cream scoop to portion them out to freeze on a baking sheet.
I don't know if anyone else mentioned it, but if you add a little bit of butter, it gets rid of the foam in your jam.
Love this comprehensive video! We're not growing all the same stuff, but doing all the choirs/tasks. Canning, drying, processing, and more planting and weeding. Thanks for always sharing the good, the bad and the not-so Pinterest perfect parts of homesteading.
I agree 100% with Michelle about using sprays in the garden when needed instead of buying the same veg. in the store. We have to use common sense and and weight the pro's and con's.
Wow! Outstanding garden! I love seeing the family working together as a team.
You can use a small cookie scoop to portion the cilantro and oil. It works for garlic and ginger root.
Thank you for showing the processing of your herbs. This is my first year gardening and I don’t want to waste a thing!
Would love if you did a whole video on planting strawberries and growing start to finish!
Yes please!!! I am so curious about replacing them every few years!? How does this work and is it cost effective?
Your channel just keeps getting better
What an incredible harvest! Wishing everyone joy and inspiration in preserving nature’s bounty - so much goodness packed into every jar! 🍓🌿✨
I am so happy that I found you. I am from Ohio! Now, I know exactly what to grow. Thank you, I will keep watching! I am very envious.
I love this channel! I live in CA and have a large garden but nothing compares to what I see Michelle doing with her garden. And, all of the tips regarding jam-making, lettuce,
preservation, soil prep, etc. are wonderful. Both of you are natural teachers and the real deal-thank you.
Agree!💜🦋
If I had more energy, I would truly copy cat your recipes and garden. But I'm an old gal that had to work far beyond retirement age and my energy ran away with my time. I love jam but 1 jar from a store lasts me a long time.
I love your videos and to see your children helping more and more brings tears to my eyes. I'll be watching for your next visit. Thanks from Central Oklahoma
It amazes me the amount of food you grow and process. Keeps you busy, have good quality food to eat and saves you money. Admiration for the whole family that are More Than Farmers !!!
Your gardens and techniques on homesteading is inspiring. 😂😂😂the wind😂😂😂 have a super day, lisa
I used to sit out with my mom and shell peas that we picked. The feel and smell of the cool peas is such a good memory.
I just wanted to say how much i appreciate your honesty about spraying your garden! I hate that everyone feels so much pressure from trolls or people who think their way is the only way. I love that your teaching us YOUR way. Obviously, if people dont like your way, they have the freedom to try a different way! New subscriber.... loving your videos! 😊
Thank you!
I really enjoy learning something when it comes to watching youtube, and I appreciate your videos so much. You guys are a great teaching team! Thank you for this!
A great way to process herbs in oil is to use a icecream scoop with the spring clicker thing where it removes the stuff from the scooper. I use it to make pucks of herbs and my garlic and onions to put on trays and put in the freezer and then store. It is really convienent.
Even though I live in CO, a COMPLETELY different climate, you're rapidly becoming my favorite channel. Your videos are so well done (love the outtakes), and so full of good info. And you two are adorable (yes, I'm old enough to be your mother :) ). Great job, keep it up!
Wonderful Wonderful video! Love the bounty and all your gardening, herb drying and food processing tips. Born & raised in Ohio-now a 74 Grama in Southern California!🥰
Hi Michelle and Cody! I love your videos! I made blueberry jam with Pomona’s Pectin for the first time! So easy and I love it! Thank you so much for all that you guys do! Just a note from a gardener in Maine!
That's so cool! Keep it up 😊
Loved the longer video! I didn't realize it was longer at first and it was a special treat the longer I kept watching ❤ Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much. I always love your videos. Your no-nonsense practical preserving is always encouraging.
I am feeling happy when I am seeing you are picking fruits from field or your garden.❤❤❤❤
Your work and lives inspire me so much. I have dreams of having a small homestead someday. I'm doing what I can now in a rented townhouse - gardening in a community plot, making sourdough bread in my little kitchen, etc. - but learning from both of you has been so helpful as I think about "what's next" for our family someday!
Keep your used coffee grounds. And put whatever you want. The ants will disappear. It works great
I'm going to try this❤
Thanks I will do that
they work as a fertilizer too, and bonus-- they hold water so your plants won't dry out so fast!
Your videos are just perfect. The quality of the video your voice is just beautiful when you talk you are not annoying everything you say is like music to my ears. It makes it so fun to listen to you guys. You’re doing a great job you finally. Such sweet and beautiful family.
Well, thank you so much! 😊
I just love you all. You're so real, and don't make it seem like it is always perfect on the homestead because we all know it's not always fun, but it is always worth it!
Nice pun! I have memories of picking strawberries with my grandmother. Shelling peas on the porch, listening to my grandparent, aunt and parent talk about the good old days. It wonderful what you are doing. Great job.
Super inspiring. I pray my family and I will do this some day
For all the people who struggle with bugs and slugs, I would really look into getting some ducks. We have 3 ducks who walk around the whole veggie garden and we barely have any slug/bug damage. We do make a fence around the veggie patches because they will eat the veggies too if they can. But I find that they clean the garden so well, even around the fences, that we don’t struggle with bugs and slugs. They also eat some weeds, lay beautiful and tasty eggs, eat decaying leaves. All in all, they really are so beneficial for a veggie garden. And also, we use their dirty bedding in the compost as well, so awesome!
The only thing about ducks is that they require a water feature, and not everyone can supply that.
@@mehtarelingolien a little water bath will do, just refresh the water :)
@@mehtarelingolien alot of people just use a plastic kiddie pool which anyone can get
@@mehtarelingolienChickens work well too.
@@Seraphina-r1v Not all chickens like slugs.
It amazes me how much I learn every time I watch you guys! Your kiddos are lucky to have you as a teacher. I’m trying to be a homesteader in a zone 10 hoa (mostly with perennials) and every bit of info helps!! Thank you!
Wonderful video. Thank you for including the dimensions on your strawberry planting. I find those sort of details very helpful as I plan things around my own homestead.
I happily remember shelling peas, taking the ends off of green beans, and topping strawberries at my grandpa’s farm in Minnesota. Your kids will remember helping you out like that the rest of their life. Enjoy that jam!
Just found your channel. Very impressed. You can tell a lot of hard work goes into it. Thank you.❤
You both have been a big inspiration. I added so much to my garden this year because I've been watching for the last 8 months . I did a garden tour on my channel. I have much less space than you since we live in a neighborhood but I'm so excited for this year. I love to learn new things and I've always loved playing in the dirt. 😉I'm having an awful time with ants this year. They are eating all of my cucumber seedlings and seeds.
Love seeing the kids help. My 4 year old loves gardening. picking cherry tomatoes and digging potatoes is her favorite.
Another wonderful video
I want to like your videos like 20 times! Really enjoy watching and I get so much out of them. Thank you for sharing.😊
So inspired watching you all work together in the garden. I hope to get my boys involved more this year. They are more likely to eat the food when they can take a taste while we're outside.
Vacuum sealers are over rated. You two are such a pleasure to watch. I am a 66 yr old female homesteader and I know the joy of looking at the beautiful days harvest. One thing I do wish is that some company would come out with a gigantic salad spinner!!! That would save so much time.
Vacuum sealers are quite handy in many ways, and there are cheap ones that do the job perfectly so it doesn't have to be expensive one. I myself use it for storing both long term and short term, in freezer, fridge and in cupboard/room temperature. And not only food, some materials as well, also 3d printer fillament. I also use it for cooking sous vide, brining or marinating meats in bags. Do my family actually need vacuum sealer - I think most of it can be done without it, but with more work and shorter storage. And there are times that we actually can't do a certain thing without a proper vacuum sealer.
@@Aragornski It isn't the sealer that is pricey it is the rolls of plastic. Ziploc has worked just fine for me for all of my 66 yrs.
@@5GreenAcres Where I live there are quite pricey rolls or premade bags for vacuum sealer, but there are also some far cheaper, which are sometimes even with higher quality. (Of course there's also the Chinese junk, that is good only for short term dry goods, room temperature storage, but that's not the point here).
I have used the vacuum sealer, without actually using the vacuum pump on other things like plastic straws to make a sealed single doses of spices for my backpacking trips or DIY MREs, and also for making cotton and vaseline filled fire straws.
They make manual laundry spinners that are like big salad spinners!
I have one for my wet clothes-I bet one could spin 20+ heads of lettuce! 😃( bought online).
Thankyou so much Michelle, loved your info on the strawberries, your herb garden and we believe, do what your gut tells you about a certain things. Injoy your wonderful hard work. Thankyou.
I totally agree about the Ants, there everywhere this year. More than any other year I remember.
I have learned so much from you guys! Especially gardening from Michelle. I even dug a hole and put a pot of mint down in the ground.. now just waiting on it to grow 💚💚
2 Tbs cookie scoop would work wonderfully for your cilantro balls
Super Awesome Video!!! Says it ALL to why do you (we) do this!!! 💚🤗 Love the Strawberry growing lesson - THANKS!!! 🍓💚
For the Cilantro cubes, you could probably use one of the metal cookie scoop/Ice cream scoops. That way you wouldn't just use it for the one purpose. Love your videos!
Y'all are the best. Thanks so much for sharing your greens cleaning. I don't know if you did that at my behest, but it means so much to me. It might be such a small thing for you guys, but it's nice to have solidarity in trying to figure out how to responsibly feed our family. Also, you've inspired me. I think my son and I are gonna start a strawberry patch next year!
The quality of these videos have improved so much over the years. Big fan keep up the good work
“I just don’t feel like it!” Love it. Good for you.
My grandmother used to put wax on the top of her jam. You can freeze it, and if it expands, it just pushes the wax up. Just have to use wide mouth jars.
Beautiful homestead,super inspiring
You two are living my dream life. Congrats to you for making it happen! I love to watch your content.
What an amazing blessed life you all are living. Looks like heaven to me!
Growing up we always put paraffin wax on the top of the jam/jelly to seal it. It almost never spoiled unless you didn't clean the top inside of the jar or put too little wax in. I know that's also controversial but many places still do this. Love your content.
Watching this channel is my new hobby. Love you guys!
I love that the kids still get involved even If they are "over it"
Keep up the mighty hard work y'all!
I'm so excited to see more about your herbs and how you use them for tea, cooking, and health (salves, beauty, etc).
I so appreciate the realness. "I just don't feel like it". Hell yeah
Wow what a productive day!!!! I'd be soooo happy and fulfilled ❤❤❤
I love Mondays because of your channel!
I am so thankful that no one is farming with chemicals around me. Plus, reduced risk of gmo. Thanks for the tips.
Great job family!!!
I love watching your channel! I love the honesty and simplicity of how you do things. Not a lot of hype. LOL ❤
Thanks for sharing, I have learned that Raspberry leaves can be turned into tea. In April I uprooted and discarded so many tender seedlings that had sprouted where I do need them as they're taking over my backyard. Now I know how to use their leaves.
I'm older. Gave my pressure canner to my daughter in law. I'm enjoying dehydrating. Less storage space.
The quality of your videos is top-notch, and the information is always accurate!
Thank you so much!
Great video, this is where I am now preserving. Thanks for showing me that I'm doing it right, this is new to me in my gardening journey.
A simple poultice made with ribwort plantain will take care of your nettle stings. It helps with other things too, like insect bites and stings.
I've used it for mosquito bites.
I too have been taught that plantain is an antidote for nettle stings. It is said that an antidote is always found close by to the poison so look around where the nettle grows to find the plantain or another antidote.
Cilantro 🌟 i just learned to make a pesto out of my cilantro. Add fresh olive oil and pumpkin seeds. I add it to quesedias, salsas and tacos.
I set out 100 plants this year. I can't wait until they start producing good. If you put a clean towel or paper towel on each side of the bag your lettuce is in it will last a little longer. I don't wash all my herbs either. I have to can my jam, I don't have freezer space for it.
Great harvest, we are getting lots of vegetables and strawberries. Thank you for sharing. Till next time God Bless.
Its so refreshing to see your content
A natural way i learned to keep slugs away is sprinkle crushed egg shells around the garden bed. Tried it for the first time this year because it's the first year I've ever had slugs, and it seemed to work!
Hi....you'll are really doing good. Hardworking. We are old now and sickly so can't do much anymore.
We also had 4 children. Started out with twins.....we were living in Winslow, AZ. We were very poor too. Bought an old trailer for $4500 and outgrew the trailer pretty fast and built on to it and worked hard building on and fixing up our little patch. It will get better eventually so hang in there. May God bless you as you walk with Him❤
Ice cream or cookie dough scoop for your cilantro pucks,basil or garlic or whatever.
Could we ever have a video on all the herbs and tips Michelle has from her pregnancies? Thanks so much for the nettle tip!!
I've been seeing more ants this year, inside and out. Must mean something! Fantastic information on drying mints for tea! Your garden looks great! I love, love fresh, leafy dill! I have a Mennonite dill pickle recipe that uses mostly dill leaves and is so delicious. My Mennonite friend taught me to make them after I raved about her baby dill pickles. Last time I made them, I used apple cider vinegar with the mother and they came out too strong tasting.
Virginia Kaufman's Dill Pickles
Brine: 1 T. Sugar, 2 T. Pickling salt, 3/4 c. Apple cider vinegar, 3 c. Water.
Use Fresh leafy Dill, seeds, stems, lot of leaves. Use small, freshly picked, washed cucumbers and 3 to 4 whole cloves of garlic. Put 1 grape leaf in each jar for crispness. Mulberry or horseradish leaves can also work. Heat up brine, pack clean jars with washed grape leaf, dill, garlic, small cucumbers (large cucumbers, peppers, green beans, even green small tomatoes with hot peppers work well with this recipe). Pour hot brine into jars of cucumbers, run a butter knife around inside of jar to remove air bubbles. Fill to 1/2 to 3/4 inch from top of jar. Wipe off tops of jars, put clean lids on, hand tighten rings. Process In boiling water bath canner until turn pickle color. About 10-15 minutes. Hot Dilled Baby Green tomatoes with few hot peppers are very popular. Firm green tomatoes pickle best. These Dill pickles are mild, dilly and crispy. So delicious with burgers, which is how Virginia served them to me!
I wonder if it's a newly arrived invasive ant species.
Did you know that you could switch over to freezer jam? I mean you like chunks, you like less sugar and you freeze your jam anyway?! Then you'd not have to cook it at all! To dissolve the sugar (or sweetener of any kind really) you could just use the microwave and stir reaally well and a bit longer :)
Thank you so much ❤❤❤❤😊
Jewelweed and dock weed are both helpful with stinging nettles. The juice helps with the irritation.
Also poison ivy! Jewelweed is also gorgeous 😍
I've got to build a herb rack. I dehydrate broccoli and kale leaves and crumble them into small flakes. I then hide them in soup for us and hide them in the chicken feed because my kids and my chickens dont like either.
David The Good makes liquid fertilizer out of stinging nettle he puts in a barrel and let's sit for a few weeks. I'll try this out this season since some nettle decided to grow in my garden this season.
Grow on!
i live at the moment in England so i have few pots with strawberries and those are still green 😑 ... british weather for you , but in Poland where i am from people hiring for strawberry picking ( we are going back to Poland in march next year for good and i can't wait , we have some small house to renovate and a bit of land to grow our food and keep animals , woods behind our garden and 20 neighbours ...bliss 😊, there is a hard work ahead of us but watching you gives me the motivation for all what's coming and that this the best thing we can do for our family ❤
It's so nice and entertaining to watch your video. Harvesting now is a great joy, for us it will still take a while. Only strawberries and lettuce are plentiful. Thank you for all your good tips and tricks, dear Michelle. I hope when I retire next year that I can finally implement everything I've learned from you. Thank you very much for that.
Glad you enjoy! And I'm glad we can be a part of your journey 😊
@@morethanfarmers 😍