Everyday Homesteading

Healthy soil requires more than nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In Part 2 of our soil health series, we're taking a deeper look at the essential minerals plants need to grow strong, resist stress and produce truly nutrient-dense food.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🪨 The difference between macronutrients and micronutrients
🌱 How nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur support plant growth
🔍 Common signs of mineral deficiencies
🧪 Why soil pH and biology affect nutrient availability
♻️ Natural ways to restore minerals using compost, cover crops and targeted amendments
⚠️ Why you should test your soil before adding lime, gypsum, wood ash or other minerals

Healthy soil does much of the heavy lifting for you. When minerals, organic matter, oxygen, water and soil biology work together, you can grow healthier plants and more nourishing food.

Read the full blog post: 👉 https://homesteadingfamily.com/soil-minerals/

Catch up on Part 1 of the soil series: 👉 https://homesteadingfamily.com/healthy-soil-starts-here/

A special thanks to Grand Teton Ancient Grains for sponsoring this episode! Grand Teton Ancient Grains grows pure, unhybridized grains on a regenerative farm where soil health is a priority. Choose from spelt, khorasan, emmer and rye, all grown, tested and carefully protected from contamination from the field to the mill.

Shop Grand Teton Ancient Grains and use coupon code HOMESTEADINGFAMILY for 10% off your order: 👉 https://homesteadingfamily.com/ancientgrains
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MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop
Become a master canner in just a few days with my FREE video series where together we are going to stock your shelves with amazing food the whole family will love.

Some of the best homemaking advice isn't new at all. Over the years, I've learned a lot from old household manuals, historical books and the way generations before us managed their homes. While I certainly love my modern conveniences, there are some old-fashioned practices that still make our household and homestead run so much more smoothly.

In this episode, I'm sharing six that I still use today, including:

🏡 Giving each day of the week a purpose
🥕 Shopping the garden and pantry before the grocery store
🍽️ Why we serve meals family style
📅 Preparing tomorrow's needs today
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Teaching children to share in the work
✨ Ending the day with a simple house reset

These aren't about creating a rigid schedule or keeping a perfectly clean home. They're simple rhythms that reduce decision fatigue, help everyone contribute and actually give our family more freedom.

Read the full blog post here:
https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-i-manage-our-home-household-management-series/

What old-fashioned homemaking practice do you still use in your home?

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:54 - American Blossom Linens
5:25 - Main Topic

Thanks to American Blossom Linens for sponsoring this podcast episode! Be sure to check out all their offerings, and use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY2026" for 15% off your purchase: https://homesteadingfamily.com/s-american-blossom-linens
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MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop
Become a master canner in just a few days with my FREE video series where together we are going to stock your shelves with amazing food the whole family will love.

Preserving season can be incredibly rewarding, but when the garden is producing faster than you can keep up, it can also become overwhelming fast!

Over the years, we've learned plenty of lessons the hard way about what makes harvest and food preservation season easier... and what makes it much harder than it needs to be.

In this episode, we're sharing some of the biggest food preservation mistakes we've made and the practical habits that now help us manage the abundance without burning ourselves out.

We'll talk about why you shouldn't wait until the produce piles up, how to choose the best preservation method for each food, preparing ahead for a preserving day, and why we always think about dinner before we start!

We also discuss something that's easy to overlook: whether you're preserving food your family will actually eat and whether doing it yourself is truly saving you money.

Whether you're putting up a few jars from the garden or preserving a year's worth of food, we hope these lessons make your harvest season a little easier.
Check out the blog post for more information and any details mentioned: https://homesteadingfamily.com/tips-for-a-busy-preservation-day/

Links Mentioned:
- School of Traditional Skills Annual FREE Summit: Keep an eye out in future podcast episodes for a link to sign up for the free summit! We'll share it as soon as sign-ups are open!
- Homestead Kitchen Magazine: https://homesteadingfamily.com/magazine
- Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living: https://amzn.to/4fXywal

Time Stamps:

0:00 - Introduction
1:30 - Chit Chat
8:42 - Homestead Kitchen Magazine
10:21 - Main Topic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop
Become a master canner in just a few days with my FREE video series where together we are going to stock your shelves with amazing food the whole family will love.

Homesteading and homemaking are often treated as two separate pursuits, but what if they were never meant to be?

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I'm sharing why I believe homemaking is the true foundation of homesteading. From growing food and preserving the harvest to preparing meals and caring for my family, it's all part of the same purpose: creating a home that reflects our values and nurtures the people we love.

If you've ever felt like you're trying to "balance" homemaking and homesteading, I hope this conversation encourages you to see them in a whole new light.

📖 Read the companion blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/why-homemaking-is-the-foundation-of-homesteading/

I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below and tell me: What has homemaking or homesteading been teaching you in this season?

🌿 Thanks to American Blossom Linens for sponsoring this episode! I love American Blossom Linens because their sheets are made from 100% USA-grown cotton, crafted entirely in the USA, and built to last for years to come. Visit American Blossom Linens  and use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY2026" to save 15% on your order: https://homesteadingfamily.com/s-american-blossom-linens

I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below and tell me: What has homemaking or homesteading been teaching you in this season?
Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:49 - American Blossom Linens
4:51 - Main Topic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop
Become a master canner in just a few days with my FREE video series where together we are going to stock your shelves with amazing food the whole family will love.

Have you ever walked into your garden and felt completely overwhelmed? You're not alone! Every gardener reaches a point where the weeds seem to multiply overnight, the harvest starts piling up, and it feels like there's never enough time to keep up.

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we're sharing the practical routines, mindset shifts, and garden systems that have helped our family grow and preserve most of our food without burning out. From daily garden walks and harvesting routines to choosing your battles and letting go of perfection, these simple habits can help you enjoy your garden again.

In this episode, we discuss:
🌱 Why every garden has a "messy middle"
🌱 How 20–30 minutes a day can transform your garden
🌱 The difference between daily tasks and weekly project days
🌱 Harvesting strategies that prevent overwhelm
🌱 When it's time to let a struggling crop go
🌱 Why observation is one of the most valuable gardening skills
🌱 Creating systems that make gardening easier every year

Helpful Resources:
🌿 Avoid Garden Overwhelm: https://homesteadingfamily.com/avoiding-garden-overwhelm/
🌿 How to Keep Weeds Out of the Garden: https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-to-keep-weeds-out-of-garden/
💧 Best Time to Water Your Garden: https://homesteadingfamily.com/best-time-to-water-garden/
🌱 No-Till Gardening: https://homesteadingfamily.com/is-no-till-gardening-right-for-you/
🌱 Lasagna Gardening: https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-to-use-the-lasagna-gardening-method-or-layering-method/

🛒 Thanks to Azure Standard for sponsoring this video. Save 15% on your first Azure Standard order of $100+ with coupon code HOMESTEADINGFAMILY15 (orders sent to a drop location only): https://homesteadingfamily.com/azure-standard-yt

Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – Chit Chat
10:14 – Azure Products We Buy
13:40 – Main Topic

If this episode encouraged you, we'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who's feeling overwhelmed by their garden this season. Growing food doesn't require perfection—just simple systems and steady progress.

#gardening #vegetablegarden #gardentips #homesteading #gardenmaintenance #growyourownfood 
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MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop
Become a master canner in just a few days with my FREE video series where together we are going to stock your shelves with amazing food the whole family will love.