BEST and WORST food to Grow for SELF SUFFICIENCY

[@morethanfarmers]

Love it! Really solid video. Great information for people with big dreams, but don't know where to go with em 😊 I love how you brought the community together with this one too, and I was glad to be a part! Actually, filling out the survey was what inspired me to make our upcoming video.. We went 48 hours eating ONLY food that we grew. So fulfilling to eat what you grow, and I love how you're inspiring others to do it too. Keep it up! And, thanks for the shoutout 😊

[@Homesteadyshow]

GO CHECKOUT THIS CHANNEL… CODI AND HIS FAM MAKE SOME AWESOME HOMESTEADING VIDS! Thanks for being a part of this video!

[@brucehitchcock3869]

Mason bees are way better pollinaters . No stings no honey.Love you guys. Thank you!🌞🖖🙏🌎

[@saltycreole2673]

When we bought our land, there were dead fruit trees all over. In our climate, peach, apricot, oranges, limes, etc is like growing octopuses in our pond. Ain't gonna happen! Crab apples, strawberries, and garden veggies do best here. If you're lucky, there's pinion pines on your property for the nuts. My wife has to clean her engine compartment weekly of pinion nuts stashed by squirrels.

[@yamomanemjazz]

She's so cute cause she doesn't do that weird positive active listening power nod thing she just looks sorta blind and confused then says something on point and funny. Thank God for real people

[@Birchlead]

I love that real people are sorta blind and confused looking but more competent than the nodding zombies lmfao

[@jayhill8958]

Personally, I think fruit should come higher up. You plant it once and it keeps coming back. You don’t have to seed save and most are very easy to propagate if you want more. Also, fruit is more expensive at the store typically than vegetables.

[@michaelnienaber8263]

I agree

[@heathermaries7251]

Also, they're holding up a pumpkin as a star vegetable producer, but pumpkins are definitely a fruit! I get it, you're distinguishing annuals from perennials. Perennials return the best bang for the buck over the long term, hands down. I think this survey was skewed towards new homesteaders with young trees, not serious orchardists.

[@jjbowman4653]

I agree, but also fruits need a lot of water compared to veggies. I can leave my lettuce on the side of the house and the water we get from rain is enough. But if I want fruit and nut trees they require A LOT of extra watering and bushes hit the ground running, which isn’t ‘bad’ per-say. My neighbours probably wouldn’t appreciate it.

[@clydesdalehomestead3807]

Yes, some big sturdy fruit trees or berry canes can give you years of fruit with little effort.

[@monicaluketich6913]

It all depends on the soil in your area. I am stuck with white sugar sand, which has basically NO nutrients.

[@lindacgrace2973]

I have a good work-around for the bees: offer your orchard to local bee enthusiasts. There is always somebody who needs new forage space for their bees. Also, you get wax (for crafting) as well as honey. Let the hobbyists invest in smokers and frames and bee suits, etc. I "rent" my orchard to bee keepers and get a couple of frames of honey and wax in return. I get better fruit production, as well. Just a thought

[@Homesteadyshow]

WE did this last year! Was great

[@heathermaries7251]

Genius! 💡

[@mcgoombs]

Mutual aid like this is how we build stronger communities that depend on each other, not some politician, no matter the color of their tie. Everyone has something to contribute, and everyone has something they need; localized interdependence is a future we can build together!

[@lindacgrace2973]

@@mcgoombs Preaching' to the choir, over here! 😊

[@doulacoach6801]

@@mcgoombs 💯! Thank you. Well said.

[@sinine1100]

I reckon the reason why nuts are so unnoticed because it's a handful of species competing with everything from squashes to potatoes to cabbages to legumes to carrots to... you get the point. For us, hazelnut has been a very easy culture. It's plant and literally forget except for once a year when you harvest. Unlike fruit trees, that require pruning and such, we just do literally nothing with the hazelnuts. Could put it in a forest miles from home and it'd be just fine and make bucketfuls of hazelnuts, anyway.

[@texuztweety]

Wow! I had no idea! I think that makes Hazelnuts a top contender 👍👍

[@SuzanneU]

When I had my smallholding, my dairy cow was the base of my homestead's prosperity. The manure amended the poor sour soil. I grew so many tomatoes that I sold bucketsful! I sold milk and butter. The cow ate down the weeds. She ate peels, cores, and seeds. She gave us a calf every 18 months - she was a persistent lactater. Milk by-products went to the laying hens. Yes, Lissie was the foundation!

[@abay4504]

How did you get a calf without a bull?

[@geelws8880]

@@abay4504 AI, artificial insemination.

[@jeannec1308]

My Jersey milk cow was a central part of our homestead. I made soft cheeses, butter and fed turkeys and meat chickens with the excess. When the children married I couldn't do it all myself plus I came up with Fibromyalgia which was the deciding factor. After more than 40 years in this lifestyle I still raise chickens, a garden and want to once again expand into meat chickens and turkeys; all on a very small scale. (My husband hunts as well). The ambition is still there but the body can't keep up! It has been and is a great way to raise a family!

[@jjohnston73]

You guys are really cute together. 😁 I appreciate all the data and the entertaining way you provide it. My best to your family!

[@janelleroads6011]

Bees are difficult to me, but my husband loves them. I must say, since adding bees to our homestead, we've had a huge increase in our harvests of pears, Meyer lemons, blackberries, blueberries, and a multitude of vegetables. People who have only had store bought honey can hardly believe the difference in flavor of real raw honey ( not cut with corn syrup[!]). We even had a local food truck use it in 2 of their bbq sauces!

[@EC-dz4bq]

Might just be my local... but every major chain here sells local raw honey of many dif varieties. (I prefer the raw, infused with real vanilla sticks) Also yes, these are all raw (not pasteurized or cut with anything)

[@sloppyfloppy79]

Bees pay for themselves, just like chickens.

[@melindawolfUS]

I raise bunnies in the city, in a trailer park and eat one tender young rabbit per week. I keep just one breeding pair, their babies live just 12 weeks before they are meat. If I can raise rabbits covertly here, you can do it anywhere ;)

[@scottsellers9039]

I don't consider myself a "homesteader", but do grow vegetable gardens, black berries, plums, peaches, pears, and the nut worth growing, the chestnut. We have chickens but no large animals. Tomatoes are our number one vegetable. I grew up in an extended family of farmers that grew literally tons of beef! I love the videos y'all put out!

[@Homesteadyshow]

Why not? I 100% consider you A homesteader 😁 that’s a lot of food your growing

[@HowWereLivingGardeningChannel]

@@HomesteadyshowI was also going to say this haha

[@abyssal_phoenix]

Relatable, except I don't have any animals😅 And I use only a section of my parents garden as of right now. My plans however are to buy a plot of land nearby and expand :) I even got an adress to get miniature sheep in the village

[@burnyizland]

Ewww, chestnuts are the only nuts I hate. Bitter and mealy. And I've only ever had them roasted in Quebec City, where it is their specialty, so if that's as good as they get I don't know how you eat them outside of famine times.

[@themusenextdoor]

Mushrooms aren't a good primary crop, but they're great for improving soil quality and getting an extra crop out of your vegetable beds. A tabletop mushroom kit can also function as a unique "houseplant" for a family's kitchen before being thrown into the compost bin to inoculate it.

[@dakotareid1566]

⁠@Disabled.Megatronkinda, depends on the year and what not

[@periplanetamissionary]

Point of issue with your bees, you can get several products from them. (Not just one as you stated) 1. Honey 2. Propolis (Caucasian bees make a lot of this.) 3. Queens 4. Pollen 5. Wax Incidentally increased yields, along with mead if your so inclined.

[@Homesteadyshow]

Great points, but just a side note for this series we specifically said we were only focusing on food production, but still thanks for sharing the other great stuff from bees!

[@LoveSchubert]

Honey bees are threatening wild bee populations.

[@4ppl3Tr335]

@@Homesteadyshow the queen bee `s milk is known as panacea miraculous treatment for millennia!

[@burnyizland]

There's such a thing as Caucasian bees? That's funny!

[@anthonysurrency7134]

Working on methods to incorporate growing mushrooms while increasing vegetable yields. As a mushroom farmer, I can definitely say that as a main crop, growing mushrooms is vastly different than farming just about anything else. It's highly specialized. Though using something like wine caps in companion planting in a bed to turn mulch into nutrients is something just about anyone can do

[@Homesteadyshow]

I love this insight from an experienced shroom farmer! Good to know the reasons behind the data!

[@anthonysurrency7134]

@@Homesteadyshow the biggest thing that separates mushroom farming from normal farming is the lab work. You have to work in a sterile environment for much of what goes into farming mushrooms. There's lots of expensive specialized equipment that keeps the average person from being able to grow them on a bigger scale

[@Clarinda787]

I am a single 70-year-old homesteader so I raise small animals. My favorites are quail, rabbit, and chicken. I do have muscovy but would never keep ducks. I used to have goats and might get a pair again, and I'm looking for pigs too. I want Idaho pasture pigs but they are hard to find and probably won't fit in my budget..

[@pietsnot7002]

If it’s a possibility you can raise a couple of cheap piglets, butcher and sell them to buy the more expensive pigs..?

[@wandamannsmith8469]

I’m like you. Small animals that I can manage by myself. With osteoporosis I see no need to have any animals that could push me down. Can still manage 50 pound bags of feed though! Curious why you don’t raise ducks…

[@Clarinda787]

@@wandamannsmith8469 Ducks are dirty and make huge messes everywhere they are. Muscovy is clean and tastes a lot better.

[@EC-dz4bq]

@@Clarinda787 Yes but that is perfect for my fruit tree production. They splash, water and feed all of the trees while eating and keeping all bugs away. I know they didn't like fruit tree's but for me they are passive food, each produce around 250-300 fruit per tree per year. Just can and save w/e through the winter

[@wandamannsmith8469]

@@EC-dz4bq I was just looking down at the young fruit trees thinking a kiddie pool with ducks would be fun to watch. Would it work to have a tractor for them instead of a stationery house to have to clean out? Also, is it true what I read that they help control the Japanese Beetles? Those beetles have almost killed some of my berries and apricot. (I have so many questions since I retired and am trying to be as self sufficient as possible!)

[@pamanderson1417]

Squash, potatoes, onions, carrots, and apples are our favorite non-meat storage crops which are easy to grow, produce abundantly, and store without processing.

[@faithofamustardseed8198]

Very true with the ducks. I worked at a locally owned butchery and we butchered ducks a few times. Always a massive pain. We made sure to do the entire batch in one day. Honestly, their skin is a really cool texture, and I love how soft and dense their feathers are. It is simply very difficult to get a clean pluck without damaging the skin. Ducks have a lot of uses in permaculture, but are definitely a pain to butcher.

[@faithofamustardseed8198]

As for the squash: I’m in Florida, and we get soooo many squash bugs it’s kind of a joke to try to grow squash. I’m open to any ideas on how to manage this problem. Powdery mildew is also a problem, and it is difficult to keep them well watered in our warm (hot) season (which is like ten months of the year). When we do get squash though, they definitely produce.

[@cccspwn]

I guess raising ducks is not all it's quacked up to be :(

[@tiffles699]

For the normal person, if you're having issues plucking ducks, go skinless. We raise our own quail and my husband will take an hour to pluck a quail. I think I need to get a plucker, and just deal with damaged skin.

[@faithofamustardseed8198]

@@tiffles699 Yeah I also raised quail and after plucking our first two, I just skinned the rest. Definitely much easier. It’s a shame to lose all the fat from the duck skin though. If I were doing it for personal use, I’d use a plucker and deal with the damaged skin. My boss was doing it for profit of course, and needed pretty presentation for better sales.

[@Snappypantsdance]

@@cccspwn 😫😄

[@neilfelsbourg170]

Aquaponics was a huge deal for me in the city. I had a 30' sun room in my house that was like a jungle with tomato plants climbing the walls. When I move to the farm I brought the tanks and things with me but the fish were gone in the first year. I still use the tanks for water and keep the pumps running to cycle and filter the water but the water now gets used for rabbits or chickens or pigs.

[@graysutherlin7568]

Glad you mentioned this! I was really curious about aquaponics after what they said in the video

[@stoyantodorov2133]

As someone who doesn't put much time in their garden I have taken a "plant lots of different stuff and see what sticks approach". This way I can see what I should focus on next year. So far I have grown figs, yams, eggplants and broad beans with almost zero input from me. The broad beans and figs especially practically started overruning my garden so I had to trim then down a bit to give other stuff some breathing room ( I got only 500m^2 to work with). I know full time gardeners are probably cringing right now but it has worked for me so far. Also I want to touch upon beef as a great source of meat. It is undoubtedly good bang for the buck but you also have to factor in butchering the animal and storing the meat. Both can be a problem for someone doing all this stuff on the side instead of a full time commitment. Smaller meat animals like rabbits and fowl might be less efficient but much more manageable for someone like me and probably many others.

[@aliahwelch4064]

I would definitely do both bees and mushrooms- but that’s only because those are two of the things I use most of. I add mushrooms to *everything* and to me, they dont take too much space. For honey- that’s how I sweeten my baking, and i bake a LOT! Also i drink tons of tea with honey! But im just a single person, so im not feeding a family

[@Homesteadyshow]

Yeah, if your a big mushroom user, they are not hard to grow (at least some are not hard…)

[@AngelaH2222]

Spot on "Grow what you eat and eat what you grow"

[@r.b.l.5841]

Great stuff guys We did egg-layers then poultry (broilers and turkeys) then hogs and dairy-goats my spouse is super alergic to bee stings so no bees on our homestead. The main thing I would recommend - share your experiences and work together with other local homesteaders - we get our piglets from another local homesteader - we always take two every single year, and they count on us and afew others so they can support the breeding sows, which are alot of work for sure. working together we all do better.

[@r.b.l.5841]

For the garden potatoes and tomatoes are good place to start, a few rows of sweet corn mostly because it is fun for the kids/grandkids oinions, beans tall bush peas are all super easy for starting out. When you get confidence, do berries like raspberries.

[@annburge291]

Squash...eat the leaves (hairs disappear when cooked), eat the tips and stems (peel them like celery), eat the flowers (remove the stamen) eat the tender small squash, let the squash ripen so you can store them for months and use for chicken feed

[@littleflower9425]

Thank you for this info.

[@morethanfarmers]

Oh and I do have to say something about BEES! 😂 I am super excited to be a beekeeper as of last Spring. We don't have Maple trees and we wanted to produce at least some of our own sweetener. We also wanted the pollinating benefits. BUT, I do agree that it's something that should wait til you've got other necessities nailed down. There's a reason we're 8 years in and just getting started with em 😏 We had to learn the hard way not to take on too much at the beginning!

[@chrissymorgan1457]

100%! Bees are on my list, but last for the same reasons. I’ve got to get the meat, dairy and eggs down in addition to the fruits and veg first

[@leadfunnelscale]

We are starting bees this spring, I however have a friend who is a beekeeper with 40,000 hives who is getting us started. I don't know if I would be jumping in if I didn't have someone to show me what to do. We feel like we have the breathing room right now to try some new things but it's the support that made the final decision.

[@sandrahouse4820]

Nut trees are a good addition to a homestead. It takes a long time to get a significant harvest, but if you have existing trees or can forage in a nearby forest, nuts are a valuable and tasty protein source. If you have a pond, definitely stock it with fish. Some areas have great programs through Game and Fish to get fish for your pond. It's a great way to have low input protein and some productive relaxation! Teach your children to fish. As for ducks, the eggs are great, and they help keep pesky insects, including scorpions under control. They are valuable beyond being a hard to pluck meat source. Also, you can just skin them instead of plucking. BTW since duck feathers are essentially waterproof, you are better off plucking them by hand without scalding. You can also use the down for pillows and such. Same with geese.

[@smea87]

Fruit and nuts are sooo easy, I have a strawberry patch and blackberry patch that comes back every year almost no work other than picking fruit. Trees both stone fruit and nuts like hazelnut are great and attract wildlife and the excess great for the pigs

[@texuztweety]

Good info! I 💯

[@FatalRanger-fo1gx]

As far as bees, I just invited a beekeeper to set up a few hives on my land and I get 2 gallons of honey every year in exchange. Helping bees, making mead, and getting guaranteed pollination.

[@salemthorup9536]

"Meat tastes better"..... yes, Kay, it does. You're not wrong. Lettuce agrees with you, which is why it literally lays it's own life down to help with the cause.

[@geronimoflyingfree]

🤣🤣🤣 I just can't.. That Wilson pumpkin part... 🤣🤣🤣

[@HowWereLivingGardeningChannel]

21:57 funny you say that they’re hard to butcher, I’m actually taking a one day course soon on cleaning and cooking wild duck 🦆 super excited!

[@deserttrailshomestead]

We’re the crazy bee people 🤣 We absolutely love our bees haha but we also took our my husband’s uncle’s bee business when he moved north and couldn’t take all 29 hives with him. It’s our biggest profit maker too for our area. Desert honey is probably the most sought after which is nuts!! So if you want honey I got you guys 😉😂

[@Homesteadyshow]

I WANT HONEY. 😁 (just not bees -aust)

[@deserttrailshomestead]

@@Homesteadyshow Haha I can ship y’all honey! Can’t promise a bee won’t tag along (just kidding, I wouldn’t do that to you guys haha). If you seriously want some honey shoot me a message on IG (same username here as there) with your address and I’ll send some desert honey!

[@dudeeverything4218]

Pumpkins are a fruit 😂 I googled it! You guys are awesome I appreciate all the help and knowledge you share.

[@HickorycroftFarm]

This was a fantastic summary of the questionnaire and it was very interesting to see the breakdown of the data. The one thing we noticed with the items that were not to grow, was they either required specialized skills or equipment that wasn't transferable to other aspects of the homestead, which makes them less accessible to some people and situations. The meat as number one makes total sense as it is the often the most expensive item to buy and also something that many people are concerned about when it comes to what is in their food. Thank you so much for the mention in this video. We were so happy to participate and look forward to future similar content!

[@Homesteadyshow]

GO CHECKOUT THIS AWESOME CHANNEL 👆 great points Hickorycroft, that’s spot on. If you can raise a sheep you can raise a goat almost the same way, but not a fish or bees... etc. such a good takeaway. and thanks for the life changing advice on Squash! We’re gonna do more this year!

[@ThorHavenFarm]

@@Homesteadyshow Hickorycroft is a wealth of knowledge!!

[@melindawolfUS]

If you don't have a lot of room or time: I make hundreds each month just selling herbs and salad greens to a restaurant. I have a garden the size of 3 normal parking spaces. I'm also raising asparagus roots from seed which will be worth $10 each after year 2

[@erikabailey7397]

For me, I am in a 1/4 acre plot in town--so meat critters are out. I have found that fruit trees are pretty awesome though. I have apple, pear and pie cherry. I also have raspberry canes and alpine strawberry. All of these being established means I might prune once or twice a year--and then I harvest food. I give away a lot of fruit, and still have enough to keep myself in fruit most of the winter. My spouse also makes mead that utilizes fruit (melomel and cyzer). I grow annual vegetables too, but they are a lot more work.

[@erikabailey7397]

@@mamabush2160 Well, the laws of my town are pretty specifically against it, but the more practical matter of proper space for critters is more the issue.

[@erikabailey7397]

@@mamabush2160 I have house rabbits for pets, so I think it would be more like betrayal!🙂

[@sloppyfloppy79]

I have a suburban 1/4 acre homestead. I have 9 chickens and a 500 sq ft. garden with 5 fruit trees. I can't get rid of the lawn without the city losing their minds, but I'm at the limits of what I can do. Time to upgrade to a real parcel somewhere

[@erikabailey7397]

@@sloppyfloppy79 So jealous of the flock! My city does not allow any livestock within city limits. I work at an organic farm twice a week during the season and get to play with their chickens though!

[@sloppyfloppy79]

@@erikabailey7397 that's awesome! I love my birds. Raised each one by hand. I have 3 bantams that lived in my room for 4 months. Had a little coop and everything. Every morning they would follow me, single file, out to the back yard, then in the late afternoon, would come running inside when I opened the door and head straight to my room. They got out once through the space between the gate and fence and were touring the neighborhood when a neighbor happened by and rang my doorbell. He thought I needed help getting them back in and I just shook my head and said "watch this". I called them and they practically flew right up to the door and came inside, once again, single file. He laughed and said I had well trained pets.

[@joelrobertson71]

I think quail is a better option for some. I live in a city and I've been raising quail for over a year now. They lay eggs and are ready to butcher at 8 weeks. They can be raised in a small amount of space. Chickens take 6 months to start laying eggs and 12 weeks for butcher. Also with any farm animal, the benefit from manure is a great asset to the vegetable garden. My raised beds that got amended with quail manure are doing so much Better than the ones amended with store bought organic fertilizers. The raised beds with the quail manure got a one month rest before planting after they were amended. Great video.

[@michelleobrien6996]

I have friends who say they would willingly butcher, prepare and cook rooster, chicken, duck... but when I volunteer my quail the response is "they are too small to bother, not enough meat"

[@leeannosaurus]

#BeePeople - Bees are amazing, especially for our garden! They are fairly expensive to get started, but even with only 2 hives, our garden produced so much more this year with bees than they did the year before. Plus harvesting your own honey, we use it to replace store bought sugar in most of our recipes.

[@FastEddy396]

Our model is: protein, nutrient density, filling. Protein from eggs, pork, and chickens. Nutrient density from pole beans and bell peppers. Bell peppers have super high vitamin C, 6x of tomatoes! Filling from squash and potatoes. Herbs round us out.

[@smallcatbigworld]

I've been watching your videos for years, but as a new homesteader with a new property, I'm taking a lot of them a little bit more to heart. Thank you!

[@Homesteadyshow]

YAY! You got a homestead! Congrats :)

[@mnotlyon]

I just bought 190 acres in Missouri. I've started with sheep. I may add some cows this fall, but I'll definitely add chickens in the spring.

[@-beee-]

I love the perspective from other people's homesteads for context.

[@danyaivory304]

I love these entertaining AND educational videos! We grow 70% of our food, but only 70% because we don’t have a dairy cow but 70% because we have been watching your videos and joined the pioneers!! Thank you!

[@Homesteadyshow]

So glad to have you as a Pioneer Danya!

[@emilyarter2773]

First video I've watched of ya'll and it is a great introduction to your homestead.

[@sharabrooks8371]

I love your KZbin content as well as your podcast station. I can’t watch KZbin during the day at work but I can listen to your podcast so that is helpful. Thank you so much for all your work and helpful tips.

[@648546lllooolll]

My dad would get calls from Walmart durring spring to come and get swarms that would show up. Loved growing bees.

[@SoloAdvocate]

I love these videos you have been doing, its like open source homesteading via community outreach. It is not an exact science but these videos are a really valuable source of information! So thanks a ton!

[@youdodat2]

I appreciate you folks greatly. It’s good see your happiness.

[@matthewsmith4660]

You guys have to do a farm Super Mario Bros. parody! You would be the perfect Princess and Mario!!! Love the channel! Keep up the good work!

[@Homesteadyshow]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKKQeIuDnZ6Mr80

[@DeborahElliott-mh5ru]

I do grow fruit, mostly just strawberries, but my neighbor keeps chopping down my raspberries. I have always wanted to have a bee hive, as they are doing more than just producing honey, they are actually quite profitable pollinating the gardens you have. If the end results are only honey, then you forget that they are not the only product. The products from bees are the vegetables you get from the pollinating part that bees do. So in other words, they produce EVERY vegetable you grow, not just honey. But its not just vegetables, its the seeds also. So to recap, they produce honey, vegetables, fruits, seeds. No I am not a bee keeper, we have one living down the road from us, but I do learn a LOT when getting honey. I raise chickens, I grow vegetables, fodder, fruits, and herbs. I don't have enough space for dexter cows or they would be here.

[@melindaedgington9925]

I plant flowers in all my veg gardens and my fruit trees to attract the bees.

[@tiffles699]

(European and African) Honeybees are mediocre pollinators as compared to the ones we have in the US. They also spread their disease to NATIVE pollinators, who are doing most of the work. Australian honeybees exist, but they create a grape cluster like honey pockets but they don't make much... But the US doesn't have native honeybees and they are mediocre here.

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

Sounds like you need some metal pipe anchored in a concrete foundation nestled in with your raspberries. For luck.

[@joannc147]

Ok…THE BEST THUMBNAIL IVE SEEN…..ever? At least in several years. ❤ Your guidelines hold true, even for those of us on a teeny tiny scale!. Much to learn - keep teaching’!

[@GrowingWardFamily]

I love the podcaast. Very easy to follow and you keep it interesting.

[@homesteadwithhannah]

I'm in a novice beekeeper course. So excited - agreed there is a large upfront investment of learning and materials!

[@philippopov3496]

Me and my wife have a goal of raising or hunting 2/3 of our food this year the curve ball is we live in a very northern climate so short growing season and we are on a 1/10 acre lot, we do 24 meat chickens a year and are adding a batch of 30 quail this year also

[@gabrielharter1658]

Wondering approximately where you are at/what hardiness zone?

[@sometimessnarky1642]

You're gonna want a greenhouse.

[@pariahthistledowne3934]

Hmmm... endearing Hipster Couple....probably an important addition to the mix!

[@saltlifegull4091]

I'm hooked on their videos - what a cute, helpful couple. New subscriber.

[@scalethewallnow]

Yes, loved the survey and data aspect of this aspect guys! And an ode to Wilson didn't hurt either :)

[@thejerrysjourney7763]

I'm so glad we've found your page!! Tons of help for my wife and I getting started ! 👍🏿subscribed

[@clydesdalehomestead3807]

Haha, we raise bees, I have hazelnut trees coming this spring, and am also planning some small grain crops mostly for supplemental chicken feed (amaranth, buckwheat, sunflower, corn) Doing it the hard way I guess. Oh, and I’d love to get some mushroom logs going. But I do love growing winter squash! It’s food for us and for the animals.

[@ceyantzi1502]

We actually do TONS of Ducks. But we do have access to a processor who does a great Job. Great video! I love seeing what other homesteads are doing/find most valuable. On our way to produce the majority of our food. We currently produce 90% of our meats, and plan on Building up our gardens and orchards in 2023!!

[@krislynnpaisley2903]

We do tons of ducks for eggs 😆

[@daisylogan3955]

I’m lucky in that we have a lady local to us who will butcher ducks for $8 a bird. You bring her the live bird and you pick it up in a freezer shrink wrapped bag. I hatch my own ducks and take all my extra drakes to her because I don’t have the mental capacity to butcher my duckies on my own, but I love duck meat.

[@Nautilus1972]

Couldn’t you buy a duck for $8 and save yourself the money?

[@daisylogan3955]

@@Nautilus1972 the cheapest I can get a whole duck for around me is $25

[@barendse1]

Again, tons of helpful information! thanks for the entertainment and sharing of knowledge!

[@billythekid3300]

Like you're content stumble across this channel earlier today and I like what you guys have. I've got to say,I mean zero insult by this, I feel like I'm watching homesteading tips from what I imagined a live-action Bob Belcher to look like.

[@rosiebrusselmans6257]

I just bumped into your channel for the first time and felt immediately in 💖 with your personality's. You guys are so funny and the love for eachother is all-over your faces, amazing! I have a lot to read (automatic translation, English is not my first language) and to watch from now on. You two are not only bringing the knowledge of homesteading to people but also putting a smile on their faces. Thank you.

[@LiveFreeRV]

Aust and K are my favorite! I agree, I just love their chemistry. I always find myself smiling while watching.

[@scrappyquilter102]

Strawberries. All time biggest best crop and easy. Every year - WAY more than we can eat or use. The neighbours love us.

[@lynettestauffer]

I planted sunflowers one year... they ended up over 12 feet tall and shaded most of my paste tomatoes. I had a small harvest that year and now plant 2 foot tall sunflowers.

[@shannonlawsonnashville]

I grew up in an agricultural community and I don’t know how you guys got so flush and those immaculate barns and all the accoutrements… you guys got that thing up and running in a very successful way very early in life. How did you pull that off?

[@JO-zu3mz]

I'm so glad I found your channel! Homesteading seems far less daunting with your content, and now I've got even more channels to check out. Many thanks! Edit: the Wilson edits are the cherry on top 🤣

[@robd5257]

Nice direction with the Channel... nice!

[@christinepemberton5077]

I've seen where tea tree oil is used to wipe off both ends of the squash to prevent mold

[@mumstheword8895]

Great video. Goats are amazing meat sources nutritionally. I'm new to utilizing their meat and really delighted you brought their source into focus- they are quick to provide while you wait for the beef! My daughter has a small herd and they ARE a challenge to contain, but once you understand their mission is to get out (they test every fence, every fallen tree and live to use you for their purposes) you can be one step ahead. If they know you and the sound of the feed bucket, theyll come right back even if they escape to the greener pasture. DELICIOUS milk as well.

[@DomsBackYard]

I am shocked I have not heard of yall until today with yt recommending it on my homepage. Yall are informative and entertaining!

[@Homesteadyshow]

I’m not surprised Dom, we’ve eternally been homesteadings biggest little channel 😂 (or littlest big channel?)

[@DomsBackYard]

@@Homesteadyshow well I'm stuck with yall now or is it yall stuck with me lol. Amazing content !

[@Chaoticgarden]

This is fun watching while enockulating a log with mushrooms, i love growing it, because i like eating it, and i can plant it where nothing else grows like in pretty much total shade, and i can grow it in straw, that i use as mulch, so its like a food i can grow without using extra space, but it take some prep to make ready

[@hammerheadranch5747]

Nicely done! Compiling data from others was a wonderful idea. Love the format here!

[@thealrightygina5725]

I'm not a homesteader but I'm in process of making a suburban permaculture garden. Mushrooms have been one of the *best* things I've invested in. If you've got trash soil, they're great for improving it quick, fast, and in a hurry. Basically, I mulched the hell out of my nutrient poor lawn to kill the grass, then tried to start a garden. It didn't work, even with compost and fertilizer...I did grow some stuff but it was mostly quite sad and barely enough to supplement my family's diet. After a year, I added another layer of mulch and inoculated it all with wine cap mushrooms in the fall. Vast improvement, plus they started fruiting after only two months. Ridiculously huge flushes. They dry well and are excellent for soups, stews, casseroles...mushroom ketchup/seasoning and my new personal favorite, mushroom jerky (not a substitute for the real thing but it's tasty). Plus, they consume nematodes in the soil! The blue oysters I put out haven't done as well yet, but they've still given me a few delicious flushes and I'm sure they'll get there. And it's really easy. Get yourself a block of inoculated sawdust, break it up, and layer it in some mulch or straw like lasagna (sawdust/mulch/sawdust/mulch, etc) depending on how deep your mulch is. It seems most like at least 6 inches. The only maintenance really is to keep the beds moist (not hard if they're your veg beds too) and to add more mulch as it breaks down, since the mulch is what they eat and they break it down into wonderful soil for next year's plants. Supplement with a little compost when you'd fertilize and you really can't go wrong. Even more awesome? Once you inoculate one bed, there's no need to get more sawdust! Just dig up a chunk of your colonized mulch and lasagna it in a new bed. It's extremely cost effective. Want to grow them inside in the winter? Put some in an icecream pail and mist it or put it in a grow tent with a humidifier. Just give it a good dusting of diatomaceous earth in case fungus gnats get any ideas.

[@michelleobrien6996]

Wow! I'm in Australia and only know of mushroom growing kits which are expensive. I've looked at how to DIY on KZbin and have only seemed what looks like a difficult to get right science experiment.

[@thealrightygina5725]

@@michelleobrien6996 Look into the wine caps aka King Stropharia/Stropharia rugosoannulata. They are *insanely* easy and productive. I'm honestly drowning in mushrooms right now...because of the rain and temperature fluctuations (perfect for mushroom fruiting), I've harvested probably 30 lbs this week from three 4'x4' beds. I'm running out of things to do with them! If you were closer I'd happily send you some inoculated mulch, but since you're in Australia I don't know if it'd make it that far (or get through customs...) I even put them in soft wood mulch, which is generally considered a no-no (hard wood or straw is best) but they didn't give a hoot, they're wild! The main drawback is that they don't saute/fry all that well cause they release too much liquid, but they're amazing for soups, roasting, and pickling!

[@urbanhomesteadingchannel1813]

Hickory Croft Farm is one of my favorite channels. Thank you for this great collaboration 💚

[@christinecaney8469]

Pumpkins are great for your animals, they are great natural dewormers.

[@livelyblueyes]

Would love a breakdown within the vegetable category of what was primarily grown.

[@Parakeetfriend4215]

I have a family member that developed anacphalic? reactions to bee stings. She swells up and has to carry an epipin. Her husband used to be a bee keeper and wasn't a nice person, so probably aggitated his bees. They aren't for everyone and certainly aren't beginner friendly. Having hives are aa luxury I think unless it's your business. The wax can be used to make candles and for other uses.

[@lynnbetts4332]

For homesteaders with small acreage that may not otherwise qualify for ag exemption on property taxes, bees require less acreage to qualify (in our area 5 acres vs 10 acres normally). Generally, the ag exemption does not include the 1acre homestead. But with bees, it IS included. You have to have a certain number of working hives to qualify. For me, I decided to 'lease' space on my farm to some beekeepers. They maintain the hives and I get 1/4 of the honey. Win-win.

[@Homesteadyshow]

Woah hot top alert !!! Soo cool thanks for sharing. I’ve NEVER heard this and considered myself well versed in the art of farm tax exemptions 😂 what state?

[@lynnbetts4332]

@@Homesteadyshow Texas But each county sets their acreage regulations for ag exemption. Most require 10 acres of applicable land plus the 1 acre homestead. Our county just requires 5 acres for bees, and it includes the 1 acre homestead. Must have 6 working hives.

[@oliversky8767]

love the data based videos!

[@choirmom78]

Truly, your channel is in the top 3 of my favorite channdels on KZbin. Love love love y'all!

[@Homesteadyshow]

Thanks Georgia! Who else do you like watching? Please share! 😁

[@amywert8088]

What a fun video! Thanks! I am recently divorced, live with my handicapped sister, not thinking meat chickens would be as fun... I haven't taken the step into egg layers but if I were to go with chickens it would 100% be the hens because of the Fun Factor! I do have a half an acre, maybe? Fenced, I could probably put a something in... how much land does a cow need? What would my neighbors say? Uhhh... Let's talk veggies! I did potatoes for the FIRST time last year and that was SO FUN! There are too many ground hogs here now for much luck with squash, they ate most of it before it ripened enough for me. They don't like acorns though? I got about a dozen of those. The usual peas, beans, tomatoes, and Oh! I harvested all of the random garlic my mother had growing everywhere (if there is a messy gardner competition my mother already won it)! I kept about 100 of the smaller bulbs (I know but I wanted to EAT the larger ones) and they are coming up! SO FUN!

[@amywert8088]

@Disabled.Megatron I'd have to do a lot to the fencing for goats. It's old horse fence.

[@rosag6028-d7y]

Thank you so much for the list! Really going to get into gardening this year. This gets me thinking about what I want to do.

[@abigailj5689]

Bees are great for a variety of products. True honey is the only food product but there is a lot of things that can be made with the wax, candles lotions, balms, leather protector, etc. Propolis tincture is also a great addition to the medicine cabinet. Great video be the way. Very informative and funny.

[@kalirussell5982]

Well, I'm doing just about the opposite, lol. But I'm not yet at the 75% level, either. I have half an acre with 4 apple trees, 2 plum trees, and I just got cherries, raspberries, hazelnuts, grapes, blueberries, and strawberries. What i love about those is that they are much less effort to maintain than my veggie garden, and they will produce for years and years (you know, once they start). My favorite veggie, and the one I started with, is squash, for all the reasons in the video. And I'll be attempting potatoes this year. I have a small flock of laying hens, which besides eggs, give me plenty of fertilizer, and they till my garden over the winter and provide pest control in the growing season. They're the best! We don't eat much meat in our household, so our priorities are different. Also, I've only been learning about/practicing this lifestyle for a few years. Most of what I do I have learned from channels like this one. May goals really are to organically produce what will save me the most $ while requiring the least effort.

[@littleflower9425]

Same here: no big meat eater.

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

Fruit is a really smart place to start if your goal is to save money. I've been experimenting with growing mushrooms for much the same reason -- my goal is to be able to save/make money more than to just be self-sufficient. Spending my time growing potatoes just doesn't make sense when I can grab some at the store for pennies per pound, but could use that same time cultivating high-dollar gourmet mushrooms that I can sell for serious money if I need to, or just eat much fancier than I would ever be able to afford otherwise.

[@dirtroadsanddiamonds607]

Y’all have such great personalities. I love watching your channel. On top of learning you both make me smile. Thanks!

[@Homesteadyshow]

Thanks Dirt roads 😁

[@trueblue2892]

You’re such an adorable family 😩😊 awesome tips! I want to start homesteading next year!

[@julayalo9860]

Super helpful video, helps to see general best practice on a bigger scale

[@mnotlyon]

Sorry this comment is a year old, but I wanted to say great job on this video. It's informative, to the point, and well edited.

[@PloughmansBackyard]

LOVED this video. Thanks for sharing and the info. Very well put together.

[@thissuitsus4856]

Great video. Growing herbs can also be used for their medicinal use!

[@kking7290]

Great video with so much info! Thanks! First video we've seen from you! Just subscribed!

[@taunyaw2181]

Great talk and video! :) TY

[@budspencer2658]

I totally agree with not beekeeping. There are hundreds of different native pollinators. If you're already raising cattle, pigs, sheep and a garden. why the added effort of beekeeping to save like 80$ worth of honey a year.

[@sharonswisher7274]

I agree. If you have trees, tap them and boil down to make syrup. That syrup can still be used as a sweetener. We have a lot of Goldenrod in our yard and there were was a least 100 honey bees plus other types of bees pollinating them. I have no idea where those honey bees home at. Growing meat (including our egg laying chickens with 1 rooster) (dairy goats) (ducks) is #1. What you grow in your garden is #2. You can forage for so many wild edibles is #3. That's what we're focusing on. Oh, yes, a good homestead book on the animals you're raising and crops you're growing.

[@rexracer7192]

Beekeeping is more for the honey in my opinion. Honey is a very important addition to any healthy diet, local honey, as it helps you with allergies!!!

[@gracerlthomas]

As a family of 6 using honey as our only sweetener, we go through hundreds of dollars in honey a year. Definitely going to start beekeeping soon!

[@budspencer2658]

@gracerlthomas it may cost hundreds to buy, but it will cost thousands to make. About 700$ to get started with 1 hive. Then you have to worry about pests, disease, and predators. If you live where there are bears forget it unless you put up an electric fence. And 1 hive is going to only produce the equivalent of 40$ of honey a year. Then you will have to buy more hives and colonies, costing thousands to make the hundreds that you would just go to the store and buy. Not sustainable unless you find joy in the hobby.

[@gracerlthomas]

@@budspencer2658 How are there so many successful honey businesses around me then?

[@alvarosandin9784]

this is like the most didactic shit ever. And its so entertaining. This kind of style in a video is not usually my thing, but they have a ton of personality,so cool

[@divergence_tiffanyramos4337]

Excellent video. Love the sense of humor which is a must these day's. I think growing anything depends on your region. I'm located in the Sequoia National Forest, CA. During the spring, summer and part of fall I have to be on alert at all time's. We literally contend with rattlesnakes, mountain lion and bears. Oh my! Lol. Before I even let the dog's and cat's out and work in the garden I have to get strapped and walk the perimeter of my property with a gun full of snake shot. Any rattlesnakes we get are given to the neighbor so it's never wasted. It gets really hot here so gardening can be a challenge not to mention contending with rust ( drives me bananas) Tomatoes, spinach, potatoes, green onions do great. Herbs do great. Cucumbers and zucchini dear lord the poor thing's are just not happy. We have to have raised garden beds because we have gophers, ground squirrels and other critters whom love our root systems. We're high desert/ forested area so we can take advantage of certain cactus. I grow prickly pear, but I've had to bring it into the yard. The first year the woodpeckers got to my fruit. The second year I went outside to harvest and the bears had a party the night before and ate it all. Humph! I was bummed. What could I do. I'll be working on cold crops this next year and we're putting in a big green house this next month so I can grow year round. We have chickens, but anything else wouldn't have to space they need. We have a creek that runs through our backyard and the forest beyond that, but it's uneven terrain. Any animals could sustain injury plus the wild animals might see them as a hearty dinner. We do the best we can to be self-sufficient. We just need to keep experimenting to see what work's. It's definitely worth it especially the way things are going right now. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experiences with us. We appreciate you. Take care. Stay safe and God bless.

[@crankybanshee3809]

Hello from Oz. I'm curious as to what your neighbour does with the rattlesnakes?

[@divergence_tiffanyramos4337]

@@crankybanshee3809 : He utilizes the skin, bbq's or smokes the meat. What's left is turned into the garden. No waste in these part's. If someone has a run in with a bear or deer while driving and the car wins that animal is collected immediately and taken to a reservation close to us and the animal is utilized to feed the reservation community. Depending on what the animal is very rarely is the animal just left for dead.

[@RoseNZieg]

we plant a few rows of pumpkin and winter melon. the harvest lasts the whole winter plus spring.

[@matthewmaclellan]

i feel so mad at the algorithm for hiding you all from me for so long! a homesteading channel with 250k subs i haven't heard of? will keep binging tomorrow, content was A+!

[@mrsike6275]

Yeah, as an occasional beekeeper, I totally agree about bees. They are harder than you'd think. They're very fragile and there is a lot of HEAVY work involved. But, I absolutely LOVE raw honey and bees wax candles smell heavenly. There's nothing like it! We're in the process of downsizing and getting ready for a smaller patch of land to retire on. Once we're there, I'll be adding a couple of colonies because I find bees fascinating and I love the honey and wax for my own use. I wouldn't recommend that they be raised for profit. The big honey producers here in Wisconsin ship their bees by semi truckloads to various groves around the country. They've told me they don't make money on their honey (tons and tons each year). They make money by hiring their bees out to pollinate big groves. And, it only works if you can do it on a semi-full of bee boxes level of production.

[@melindawolfUS]

Growing veggies and greens can also make meat more affordable! priorities ;) Pigs LOVE pumpkins and the seeds are full of magnesium and are a natural de-wormer, chickens and ducks eat almost everything you don't, Rabbits will eat greens that humans can't digest including a lot of weeds and the meat is delicious. I've cut my meat rabbit costs in half by feeding greens from a small garden and one mulberry tree. Bonus: my rabbits are so happy to have fresh, variety in their food

[@abbycole7485]

In a group I’m in on Facebook, there was a woman that bred, from a French bresse and something else, their very own perfect meat chicken. And it wasn’t like a Cornish cross where they would just lay down all the time, they weren’t “double breasted” but the carcass of her chickens were just as handsome! I think they dressed at 4#. It was really impressive.

[@NorthlandSLC]

We have red broilers that we have hatched eggs from. The red ranger type are much hardier than Cornish and lay surprising well for not being a dual purpose bird. We had a hen that laid for 4 years before a predator attack last summer.. They are double breasted and some finished 8# at 11 weeks. We have friends that keep a flock of brese and we plan to swap roosters and try a cross.

[@Pursuit.of.Simplicity]

We breed Bresse chickens as well. Our breeding flock is just starting to lay and our plan is to hatch and raise enough to do meat birds once a quarter. We also have a dairy cow, which is important because Bresse chickens finish best with corn and milk.