A lot of people talk about going off-grid. But what if off-grid living isn’t just about power and water, but about freedom from systems that quietly run your life?

In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Burkinshaw from the Gridlessness YouTube channel to talk about what gridlessness really means. Jeff shares how his family moved from suburban life to a remote homestead in the Canadian wilderness, not out of fear, but out of a deep desire to live with intention.

We talk about
• redefining what it means to be “off-grid”
• breaking free from debt and financial pressure
• raising kids with responsibility, resilience, and confidence
• the real challenges of independent living
• and why freedom is worth the work it takes to build it

If you’ve ever felt the pull toward a simpler, more meaningful way of living, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.

👉 Links mentioned in this episode
• Jeff’s book: Gridlessness: Finding Freedom Off Grid: https://homesteadingfamily.com/gridlessness-book
• Gridlessness YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Gridlessness
• Everyday Homesteading podcast: https://homesteadingfamily.com/podcasts/

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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

The Rhythm Challenge is included completely free inside my Homestead Kitchen Membership. If you’ve been thinking about joining us, this is absolutely the perfect time. You’ll get the magazine, the classes, the community, all the training…and this guided reset to bring calm and confidence back into your home. To join us, CLICK HERE!

After more than 20 years of homesteading, we are looking back and sharing what we wish we had known when we first started.

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we talk honestly about the mistakes we made, the pressure to do everything at once, and the lessons that helped us find a more peaceful, sustainable rhythm. From gardening and kitchen skills to land size, infrastructure, and people-first priorities, this conversation is full of perspective for anyone feeling overwhelmed on their homesteading journey.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been at this for years, we hope this episode helps you slow down, focus on what matters most, and remember that homesteading is a lifelong journey, not a destination.

🎓 Join the How to Homestead Anywhere Crash Course - Learn how to homestead wherever you live and build rhythms that actually work for your season of life. 👉 https://classes.homesteadingfamily.com/crash-course

🍞 Grab my free bread workshop here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

🌿 Thank you to today’s sponsor, Farmhouse Teas - If you love a cozy, nourishing drink but want to skip the excess sugar, check out Farmhouse Teas’ Hushroom Cocoa Blend. It’s an adaptogenic mushroom cocoa that’s calming, customizable, and perfect for cold days. Use code "HSPODCAST" for 10% off. 👉 https://homesteadingfamily.com/hushroom-cocoa

📌 In this episode, we discuss:
• Why doing everything at once leads to burnout
• The foundational skills we wish we had focused on first
• Why bigger homesteads are not always better
• Letting go of the idea that you ever “arrive” at homesteading
• Keeping people at the center of homestead life

Thanks for spending time with us. We’re glad you’re here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

The Rhythm Challenge is included completely free inside my Homestead Kitchen Membership. If you’ve been thinking about joining us, this is absolutely the perfect time. You’ll get the magazine, the classes, the community, all the training…and this guided reset to bring calm and confidence back into your home. To join us, CLICK HERE!

What does a “Year of Rest” actually look like on a working homestead?

In this episode, we’re reflecting on our decision to slow down over the past year, what changed, what stayed the same, and what surprised us along the way. We share how cutting big projects brought more margin into our days, why rest doesn’t mean the work disappears, and how an unplanned cabin build for the next generation fit into our bigger vision.

This is an honest, end-of-year conversation about pace, sustainability, and having the courage to adjust before burnout forces it.

If you’re feeling tired, scattered, or unsure how to move into the next season, we hope this episode encourages you to slow down and have an honest conversation about what really matters.

Thanks to Azure Standard for sponsoring this week's podcast. First-time customers can get 15% off their first order of $100 or more with the coupon code “HOMESTEADINGFAMILY15” at checkout: https://homesteadingfamily.com/main-azure-standard-b

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:19 - Chit Chat
9:57 - Azure Standard
11:34 - 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

I'm so excited to invite you to Homesteading Family's second annual How to Homestead Anywhere Crash Course. This is a FREE 5-day virtual event from January 5-9, where I will take you, step-by-step, through turning your home into a homestead. Whether you're in an apartment in the city or on 40 acres, this is for you. Be sure to register HERE (there will be replays).

If you have ever found yourself saying, “This winter, we’ll finally rest,” you are not alone. Josh and I have joked about it for years, imagining a slower season that somehow never quite arrives on its own.

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I’m sharing what I’ve been learning about real rest. Not just getting more sleep, but the kind of deep, soul-level rest that brings clarity, peace, and renewed purpose. The kind of rest that helps you remember your why.

We talk about why rest never happens by accident, how much control we actually have over our overwhelm, and what intentional rest can look like in the middle of real homestead life. From simplifying digital noise to creating gentler rhythms at home, this is a conversation about choosing rest on purpose.

If you’re heading into a new season feeling tired, stretched thin, or quietly longing for slower days, this episode is an invitation to pause, breathe, and make room for rest that truly restores.

For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/finding-rest-in-the-quiet-times/

Thanks to Laurel Mountain Soaps for sponsoring this podcast episode. Grab 15% off your first order when you use the coupon code "Homesteading15" at checkout:
https://laurelmountainsoaps.com/collections/goat-milk-and-honey-soap

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

I'm so excited to invite you to Homesteading Family's second annual How to Homestead Anywhere Crash Course. This is a FREE 5-day virtual event from January 5-9, where I will take you, step-by-step, through turning your home into a homestead. Whether you're in an apartment in the city or on 40 acres, this is for you. Be sure to register HERE (there will be replays).

Welcome back to Everyday Homesteading. Today I’m sitting down with two people I deeply respect and always enjoy talking with, Shawn and Beth Dougherty. If you have ever wondered whether a family milk cow actually fits into a busy modern homestead, or if you’ve been feeling that tug toward a simpler, more land-rooted way of feeding your family, this conversation is for you.

Shawn and Beth have spent more than twenty-five years raising a large family, stewarding rough Appalachian ground, and building a thriving homestead centered around the grass-fed family cow. Their new book, One Cow Revolution, takes everything they’ve learned and puts it into a guide that feels like having a wise neighbor over the fence.

We talk about why the dairy cow is still one of the most powerful tools for food independence, how managed grazing can rebuild soil and family culture, and why the cow is far less of a burden than most people fear. Whether you already have a cow, hope to bring one home someday, or think you never will, you’ll walk away from this episode with a whole new sense of what’s possible.

Let’s dive in.

- Grab a copy of One Cow Revolution here: https://a.co/d/gAx6o34
- Check out the accompanying blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/can-anyone-keep-a-dairy-cow
- Thanks to Lehman's for sponsoring today's podcast. Be sure to check out all Lehman's has to offer at https://lehmans.com

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:42 - Lehman's
2:39 - Main Topic
42:31 - One Cow Revolution (Book)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

I'm so excited to invite you to Homesteading Family's second annual How to Homestead Anywhere Crash Course. This is a FREE 5-day virtual event from January 5-9, where I will take you, step-by-step, through turning your home into a homestead. Whether you're in an apartment in the city or on 40 acres, this is for you. Be sure to register HERE (there will be replays).

Mistakes happen on every homestead, and today we are sharing some of our biggest ones from the past year so you can learn right alongside us. Whether it is garden chaos, livestock mishaps, or ignoring that little voice of intuition, these lessons are part of growing wiser and more resilient on the homestead.

We are also chatting about winter prep, homeschool rhythms, fruit flies in the pantry, and a few behind–the–scenes stories from life here at Riverbend. Grab a warm drink and join us for some real talk about what went wrong and how we are moving forward.

Time Stamps
0:00 - Introduction
1:20 - Chit Chat
3:00 - Cabin Build (Card)
10:41 - ForJars
12:19 - Main Topic

Grab Your Spot:
Get registered for our free, live How to Homestead Anywhere crash course. This week-long training will help you build resilience and peaceful rhythms no matter where you live:

Learn Seed Saving:
Start saving your own garden seeds with this simple beginners guide:
https://homesteadingfamily.com/seed-saving-for-beginners/

Thank You to ForJars:
We appreciate ForJars for sponsoring this episode. Check out their line of durable, homestead-friendly canning and preserving tools. Use coupon code HOMESTEADINGFAMILY10 to save 10 percent on your order: https://homesteadingfamily.com/forjars

As always, we love hearing from you. Share your biggest homesteading mistakes in the comments below so we can learn from each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

I'm so excited to invite you to Homesteading Family's second annual How to Homestead Anywhere Crash Course. This is a FREE 5-day virtual event from January 5-9, where I will take you, step-by-step, through turning your home into a homestead. Whether you're in an apartment in the city or on 40 acres, this is for you. Be sure to register HERE (there will be replays).

Learn how to make cheese the traditional way using natural raw milk cultures like clabber, kefir, and backsplash whey.

In this conversation with Robyn Jackson from Cheese From Scratch, we dig into how to create and maintain your own starter cultures, how to troubleshoot clabber that smells a little funky, and how to use these cultures to make everything from cream cheese to aged wheels.

This episode covers:

• What clabber is and why it was used for generations
• How to build and maintain a healthy clabber culture
• How kefir can work as a starter culture
• When backsplash whey is useful and when it is not
• How to know if your culture has gone bad
• How to make a simple clabber cream cheese at home
• Why natural cultures can make your cheeses taste better than commercial starters

✅ If you want to learn how to work with raw milk in a way that is simple, safe, and incredibly rewarding, this episode will give you the confidence to begin. Learn more here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/natural-cheesemaking/
✅ Grab a copy of Robyn's book, Cheese From Scratchhere: https://homesteadliving.com/product/cheese-from-scratch/
✅ Check out my Practical Homemade Dairy Masterclass here: https://homesteadliving.com/product/cheese-from-scratch/

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introduction
2:54 - American Blossom Linens
4:48 - Main Topic

- Thanks to American Blossom Linens for sponsoring today's podcast. Be sure to grab yourself 20% off your purchase with coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY". Check out all their amazing products here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/s-american-blossom-linens

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series:

I'm so excited to invite you to Homesteading Family's second annual How to Homestead Anywhere Crash Course. This is a FREE 5-day virtual event from January 5-9, where I will take you, step-by-step, through turning your home into a homestead. Whether you're in an apartment in the city or on 40 acres, this is for you. Be sure to register HERE (there will be replays).

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we open up about cultivating contentment in every season of our homestead life. It's easy to feel grateful when everything is going smoothly, but true contentment is often built in the hard moments.

Today, we talk about choosing gratitude, navigating overwhelm, balancing the desire to grow with the ability to rest, and finding joy in whatever season you are in.

✅ For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/cultivating-contentment-on-the-homestead/
✅ Get all our favorite sausage recipes here: https://classes.homesteadingfamily.com/pl/2148622418
✅ Learn how to render lard here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/rendering-lard-or-tallow/
✅ Thank you to ForJars for sponsoring today's podcast. Check out their full line of tools at their website and use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY10" for ten percent off your purchase: https://homesteadingfamily.com/forjars

TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
2:55 - Chit Chat
11:11 - ForJars
12:35 - 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

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

I'm so excited to invite you to Homesteading Family's second annual How to Homestead Anywhere Crash Course. This is a FREE 5-day virtual event from January 5-9, where I will take you, step-by-step, through turning your home into a homestead. Whether you're in an apartment in the city or on 40 acres, this is for you. Be sure to register HERE (there will be replays).