Do This for a SUCCESSFUL HOMESTEAD in 2024

[@whitestone4401]

Congratulations for paying off your house! That’s huge. I also need the sunlight during these cold, dreary days. A dear friend gifted me a “sad” light and I am so happy with it. When I just can’t get out, the light helps.

[@virsapiensfortisest922]

So many of us dream of this lifestyle, but you guys are DOING it!!! Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉🎉 Things I appreciate about you guys: 1.) You’re real with money issues- watching people with limitless money build their homestead is discouraging. 2.) You’re optimistic with your goals, but reflect at the end of the year what you didn’t get to. 3.) You accomplish so much! Your animals look healthy and happy, your garden is lush and productive, and your kids seem happy. It gives me hope that I can do the same. Thank you!

[@morethanfarmers]

Thank you so much for the kind words 😊

[@katsura-cz3qd]

Making plans is the most important part of a homestead, and a marriage! I have been married 53 years, and we started making a 5 yr plan long ago. We decided what we wanted to do/be in 5 years. Planning has now become such an important part of communicating with each other, we do a weekly plan every Sunday, talk over goals, and also bring up any issues. You two are on the right track! Now that the house is paid off, your life will change, you will find more freedom to buy things to help the homestead, or take that much needed holiday. I love your homestead channel the best!

[@morethanfarmers]

Right on!

[@ImGlyn]

Hi there Michelle & Cody 👋. Can i make a quick suggestion now that a bit of income from the channel is more important? KZbin pays according to viewing hours: if you create some playlists, then we can play your videos continually in the background without having to click through adverts & keep re-starting. You don't have to make new videos, just upload your existing ones into playlist sections. I hope this helps & wish you every success - i love watching your videos from our townhouse in Melbourne ❤

[@morethanfarmers]

Thank you 😊 We do have a number of playlists.. I should re look at them though and update.

[@ImGlyn]

Aha! Thank you for replying! Yes, you're right - the playlists weren't showing at all for me when I commented, must have been a problem my end, but they're there now - I'm going to binge watch today 😁

[@jeffsmith6991]

Please don't let the homesteading conference corrupt you. My wife and I really like your authenticity.

[@Anita-ru1lk]

do you mean Doug and Stacy ? are you going there in the Spring conference?

[@morethanfarmers]

No worries 😊

[@Anita-ru1lk]

Which conference are you going to?​@@morethanfarmers

[@sacredmommyhood]

@@Anita-ru1lk Homesteaders of America.

[@Anita-ru1lk]

@@sacredmommyhood okay we are going to the spring conference doug and stacy in may

[@reglindiseckhardt9777]

One thing that I twigged to was : when I had to build a "fence" with trees that would prevent spray from drifting over to our yard. We were told to plant a row (OR three) of these trees ... evergreens (which grow slowly), a row of cedar parallel to them (which grow more quickly) and a row of poplar trees (which grow very quickly. The poplars would die and be used for firewood later). That would be three rows of trees to barricade the space. That was over 20 years ago. The poplars are gone, most of the cedars too, but the evergreens are full and thriving. Goats ... is there anyone in the area who has goats? If there is see if you can "borrow" theme for a while. That way you can see how they fit in and if you really want them. LOVED your planning!!!

[@morethanfarmers]

Love the tips!

[@danachoate5361]

Out of debt!!! 15 days and we will be there. That's our #1 goal. #2 goal - build a cabin on our new land and begin our debt free homestead

[@morethanfarmers]

That's awesome! Congrats!!

[@romieh1325]

A suggestion for squash bugs and other insects. Every other year i buy preying mantis eggs in spring. Put one in the orchard to eat tent worms. Other in greenhouse and last close to the garden. I let the bugs eat the bugs. It works well

[@sgrvtl7183]

by the looks of the quantity of squash bugs, those preying mantis will have a feast‼👌

[@terryaltunian1525]

I hear nematodes too

[@keving3105]

Yes, we are trying nematodes to help with squash vine borers and cucumber beetles.

[@ronwatford7331]

Where and how do you buy mantis eggs??? That sounds very useful.

[@romieh1325]

@@ronwatford7331 I bought mine off amazon and got the carolina variety. 3 pods that you hang roughly a foot above the ground

[@struykfamilyfarm9587]

If you have the room you might want to plant some new fruit trees and leave the heirloom trees as a trap plant for the bugs that would go after the fruit trees.

[@struykfamilyfarm9587]

If you wait until the spring then the asperagus and raspberry plants that you remove you can sell on facebook as bare root plants. Waiting to dig them up until the person is on their way to pick them up means you can sell them as bareroot plants and then you dont need to spend money on pots and dirt. If you want to pull them out all at once you can use a stiff brush to brush off the dirt and store them in your carrot fridge to keep them dormant until you sell them. If you have cheap dirt and pots you can let your kids make a little buisness potting them up and being in charge of keeping them watered and they can choose what to do with the money from the potted up plants.

[@camicri4263]

Nubian goats, their milk is amazing! I couldn't believe was goat milk and not cow's milk. Now, I didn't ever have a cow but I had real milk not store bought! Congratulations on paying your home! Blessings!

[@morethanfarmers]

Good to know, thanks!

[@CreatingChos5]

Pigs might be an idea to explore to help clear your land

[@a.p.5429]

We were thinking the same thing. Use good strong electric fence. They'll eat and till. 😁

[@virsapiensfortisest922]

Till and fertilize at the same time win-win

[@terryaltunian1525]

And if that wet area stays wet they’ll love it! But rotations for them is best too

[@pamelachappell1089]

You guys are amazing. I love hearing how you think through your year and your goals for your farm and family. Thank you for sharing.

[@danachoate5361]

I really enjoy that too. It's good to see homesteaders share both success AND failures and what they learned from both.

[@Sunflowers7989]

Indeterminate tomatoes. My husband bought a couple of hog panels and arched them over our raised beds. He anchored them with a fence pole. I was picking tomatoes over my head. Lots better than them falling over to the ground. 😊

[@terryaltunian1525]

This is exactly what I was gunna say. Here is a picture. The panel is in the inside of the walkway arching over

[@marjorieorveau6707]

Brilliant video. Know exactly what it's like to have 'hubby' back at home "what's for lunch?" "Why don't you ...?" scenario! Just love you both learn from experience and transmit it out. Teaching your kids to cook is the best lesson you can ever teach them; we all need to eat and eating healthily is key and something they'll teach their kids too. x

[@cephalopodx7587]

Wow. Amazing about paying off your house!

[@montyshinn8704]

You are both so inspiring. I’m so glad I found you! May God bless you both as you go forward. Always put him first and you can’t fail. Congratulations on reaching so many goals this last year! ❤

[@SandraCrutcher-x9l]

Found you guys back in early November and have tried to watch every episode. Wonderful you paid off the homestead. We moved to our farm back in early September and it’s our first time at becoming homesteaders. We’ve had small gardens but I’m looking to expand and that’s what I love about your story is your journey. We have had chickens for over 20 years so I feel we got that part figured out. Our farm is 183 acres in northern Missouri and we are looking forward to this chapter of our lives. Tee hee, our golden years. We are both over 60. So wish us luck and keep sending out your awesome story. Thank you.

[@wendylawton8274]

"The best content possible." Definitely achieved. I'm impressed by the presentation skills along with the technical skills.

[@Acedog-vq2ph]

I grew up on a farm with a large garden. Love watching your day to day activities. I was wondering why you didn’t let the calf have the colostrum. Keep up the great work of growing your food and teaching your children the value of homesteading.

[@jms9220]

Love goats! When I was younger we had dairy goats and chickens on our homestead. My middle boy unknown to me had a cows milk intolerance. His health struggles completely changed with the change to goats milk. They are a very useful & fun to work with creatures. I miss not having them, but am thankful for the memories now that my children are mature men. I would like my grandchildren to have the work experience that farming or homesteading provides for them.

[@jms9220]

PS for the best tasting milk your child won't turn up his nose to, my experience was good guality feed, get the milk cold asap, and utilize quickly to avoid the goatie taste you indicated he recognized. Made lots of soft cheeses. We had 2 French Alpines and peek season I got 3 gal/day. My Casey was an old hand from a Goat Dairy in upstate NY she was my Holstein , I also had a first freshener a rear character.

[@deborahcornell5304]

Time management, that is the number one thing I need to get a lot better at. I think if I can do that, everything else will work out better.

[@loribyer3435]

I grew 200 asparagus from seed 4 years ago and it is well worth the wait, I start my onions from seed every year and they are easy, 600 seeds 2 years ago and got 600 onions, 300 last year and 300 onions..lol.

[@morethanfarmers]

That’s a lot 😂

[@lisakaye9340]

I’d like to hear more about your onion seeds I tried to start inside lady year, they got all stringy and weedy I got some grow lights this year

[@lleesti1346]

go for it!!!! soap is so easy, just be very careful handling the lye. also goat milk soap is amazing. if you do not keep a buck, the goatie smell is not an issue. it is when you have a buck and the does are in heat it becomes baaaad!!

[@shaneswing2016]

P.S. on squash bugs. Try starting squash and zucs indoors early and only plant them when they get too big for your grow light setup. Then plant them outside under row covers. Flip covers up and hand pollinate. Then this is key, dig the plants up before they are completely done flowering and throw them in the trash. Sure you could get more squash and zucs, but just replace them with other plants you grew under grow lights later. This is the only thing that has worked for me.

[@mickichikwinya5519]

American Elderberries are a nitrogen fixing bush. You might want to consider putting in between the fruit trees. I’ve seen 2 tress, 1 fixer, 2 trees, 1 fixer. Meaning it doesn’t have to be in between every tree. Unless you want it that way.

[@raymondshaw1078]

Y'all should look at companion planting. Marigolds and nasturtiums seem like gardeners gold. It'd be interesting to see how it impacts your gardens, if it does at all.

[@cathybrown6221]

Congratulations on paying off your house! When we paid off ours, it was such a great feeling & since then we have always saved for everything we buy. I am a little behind, but you've encouraged me to write down my goals for 2024.

[@lori9655]

Nigerian dwarf goats. I can't stand goats milk either but tried some from a nigerian d warf goat and even after it was in the fridge for 4 days it had no goaty taste or smell!

[@karend8575]

Wow you guys have accomplished a lot this past year! Great job! 🎉 Looking forward to 2024 accomplishments, and you both inspired me to get outside more! Yay!

[@bowtielife]

Great review and goal setting session. Great job on the races this past year! Any chances of putting in an honor-system garden stand out on the road! With Codi's hero skills in building you could do a small covered spot with a chalk board on "what's available today" sort of thing. That would eliminate the driving problem. It takes a while to build the clientele but it can be totally self functioning. EDIT: If you have a board saying what will be "coming soon" for a week or two ahead by passers can better prepare for what's coming to the stand.

[@morethanfarmers]

Our road isn't busy enough.. We had an "eggs for sale" sign out for 3 years and only one person stopped 😂

[@bowtielife]

@@morethanfarmers understood. As many friends and family around you could probably get enough clients from Facebook posts for free. Just a brainstorm. Y’all keep up the great work!

[@janfranceschi8458]

My wife and I just came across your channel as we were watching another homesteader’s channel, and oh boy… we watched 6 of your videos!😂😂😂 Great job guys, and especially congrats on paying off your house. Great achievement!

[@morethanfarmers]

That’s awesome 😊 Thanks and welcome here!

[@TheWritingNomad]

Congratulations on everything you achieved in 2023. We had a similar problem with squash bugs until I dug a pond near the vegetables patch and introduced frogs. They ate them all! I also introduced some mosquito fish to prevent mosquitoes from growing. The pond doesn't have to be big, it could even be a raised pond in a plastic lined raised bed so you could grow water cress. Just a suggestion that worked on our homestead in Bulgaria.

[@morethanfarmers]

That's super interesting!

[@decisiveliberty]

You also passed 100,000 subscribers! Harvesting from your efforts for quality videos is paying off in many ways, hopefully it will help you guys financially in ways you didn't expect. A big THANK YOU for sharing your homesteading on YT, and prayers for a bigger bounty and more blessings this year!!!

[@morethanfarmers]

Our pleasure, thank you so much for being a part of it!

[@Mindy56743]

Instead of the pavers check out the stamped concrete. It is more of a diy and has a more natural look. Just an idea that might save some money.

[@vanessachapman4868]

Another tip for eating beef liver: I can't stand the taste of liver, but was determined to eat it during one of my pregnancies for the health benefits. I cut the raw liver into small chunks (think cashew-sized) and froze them on cookie sheets. Then I kept the chunks in a container in the freezer. I swallowed a piece a few times a day with my vitamins just by washing it down with water like any large vitamin capsule. It was so easy!

[@morethanfarmers]

That's what Michelle does. I actually like it fried 😊

[@brittanyshaffer135]

We use mulch between beds. We contacted local tree services and they deliver loads for free-especially in the winter. Just throwing it out there. I just always love a free fix. LOVE your videos! You guys are so relatable and inspiring!

[@fionaworrell4535]

I'd agree,hard landscaping is just plain uncomfortable underfoot if you are working outside a lot standing on it,may as well be walking in a city..mulch with weed barrier beneath works here,just keep layering more mulch if weeds appear

[@bluelilly22222]

Congratulations for 2023...all the best for 2024....you guys are doing awesome 👌👍❤

[@buckeyedav1]

I am sure you probably know this already but just in case... my friend who at the time had a small homestead in Caledonia, Ohio had Nigerian goats they are smaller, eat less food but produce the same amount of milk as the larger more common goats. Not only can you drink milk but you can also make wonderful soap from them. I use to buy my goat milk from her to make and sell homemade soap, it's wonderful. She had children who were lactose intolerant which is why they started raising goats they are also so stinking cute. She taught me how to milk them when I visited for a city girl it was quite a unique experience. Anna In Ohio

[@itztoravisu]

You guys are doing wonderfully ^.^ Keep up the good work

[@kimberlyschiele1117]

Codi... I have noticed you have lost a good chunk of weight. I was going to comment about it but im one of your viewers who normally just watch in silence. I live the apartment life and i have 3 garden wagons that i grow in and wheel them to the sun every morning. You look fantastic! Michelle... I would love love to watch soap making video's. Thats another one of my interests. Please film your learning proces. Even though im an old lady now i still learn so much from you two. Your videos absolutely inspire me to get up and get the dog-gone thing done! Iin a normal day i will watch your newest video i get inspired and get some work around here. Before i know it you tube has been playing all day long on your channel! And around 4 pm i sit down and rewatch a bunch of your videos. Congratulations 🎉 on paying off your house🎉🎉❤🎉🎉❤ This is why i dot comment much..because its a book when i do... Bless you and your sweet little family❤❤❤

[@morethanfarmers]

Love it 😊 Thanks for sharing!

[@firstlast-js5yw]

Congratulations paying off your house🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@davidmitchell1304]

From the research I've done. You can't feed goats scrub bushes and expect to have good tasting milk. In fact, there is cow hay and goat hay and they aren't interchangeable. Goats are much more picky and need more expensive hay.

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

Tips for heirloom trees. Graft a lot of cuttings to healthy root stock. Produce early instead of starting over. Also: Raised bed paths: deep wood chips in autumn.

[@olafentamaraj.1811]

Instead of taking the old trees out, try over grafting them. Saves you the work of taking them out, and you don't waste a good tree. In addition, plant the other ones 😊 I don't know if this is the correct English name, but try some Japanese wine berries. I like the goal idea, we have a huge list of projects and work to be done, and some sort of plan, would be nice to make that more realistic. Thanks 🙏

[@teresabailey9222]

Praying the Lord continues to bless you and your precious family!

[@lauraellington2011]

what might help with squash bugs are 2 things, 1) take a 5 gallon bucket of water and mix in one large bottle cheap hot sauce and a good quick squeeze of organic dish liquid , mix well and spray on top and bottom of plants, and ground. (bugs hate the hot sauce), and 2) put in squash seedlings in raised bed with 1inch pvc pipe bent into arches and put on some fine netting and clip netting on with large paper squeeze clips or take the next size up pvc pipe and cut into 2''- 3'' sections with 1/3 cut off lemgth ways and then push that piece on netting and pvc arch to keep netting in place. though if you do this you will have to paint brush pollinate your plants for them to fruit, or leave open for an hour or so a day while working out side and close again to let bees in to pollinate but keep the bugs out. hope this helps you.

[@brendaferrier8132]

I made soap from tallow for years, due to health issues I am no longer able to do it but my daughter in law now does it aso I have a constant supply. We have not bought soap since 2015. We also make our own face cream, foam soap, lip balm, lotion

[@Lincoln-plays]

So happy to see you guys hit 100k and get those sponsorships rolling in. Financial freedom is a familys best friend!

[@morethanfarmers]

Yes! Thank you for being supportive. Some people complain about it like we should be working our butts off for free 😏

[@Lincoln-plays]

@@morethanfarmers if you're good at something, never do it for free!

[@diyfferent]

@@morethanfarmers You don't collect any ad revenue? That's what we solely do. We've never done any sponsorships.

[@ItsOhJoe]

Hey! Recently found your channel and have watched several of your videos since. Love your energy. Feeling very inspired ❤️

[@morethanfarmers]

That's great! Your channel looks fun! Will be checkin it out. Cheers!

[@kimberlyschiele1117]

Hello you two... Garden wagon Gardner here.. Michelle i wanted to let you know that i grate up beef livers and i mix a cup of beef liver in with my hamburger meat all of the time! I freeze my livers not completely but enough to be stiff so i can grate it. Then i portion it into 1 C portions when burger comes out so does a pkg of grated liver. It stretches your 1 lb of burger a bit too. I make my burger patties with onion and a few read crumbs an egg and seasonings i mix it all up and form some pretty tasty burger patties.

[@nicholecoleman6924]

For your squash bugs, plant flowers like alyssum that flower continually bloom to attract parasitic wasps to your garden. This helps with tomato hornworms too

[@aliciaz4682]

Paid off house and saving cash for a truck. You both are fantastic!!! I already liked you, now I really really like you guys. Bravo being such good stewards

[@jenniferhopper1294]

So I am NOT a homesteader and I live in the suburbs of Sacramento in California. I downsized due to becoming an empty nester. After a few years in a townhouse without a yard I realized how much I missed gardening. SO… I bought a house with a pretty big yard and have begun a food forest! So my fall seedlings are about to be planted (still 104 here) and my bare root fruit trees are coming and I have started a single 20ft row each of raspberry, strawberries and asparagus all from watching you guys! I’m literally using every possible spot for food and flowers. I’m super excited! In Cali we don’t have basements because of earthquakes so I am going to try covering my greenhouse when it’s cold out (35ish) and see if I can store root vegetables for the winter. So you guys are such an inspiration! Keep up the good work! ❤ Jennifer

[@morethanfarmers]

Wow that’s awesome! Way to go!😊

[@ahealthyhomestead]

Idk how many or what type of goats your looking for, but I have 2 Nigerian dwarfs I'm getting rid of, you can have. We're in Xenia! I have papers for them if you're wanting that. We also raise quail too if you ever have questions about breeds

[@morethanfarmers]

That's awesome! I'll email you about it 😊

[@annamiller3479]

Making soap is so easy and enjoyable! The main thing is to mix the lye properly into the water in a well ventilated area, making sure that there isn’t any chance of animals and small children bumping into the container. Having your own tallow to use will be wonderful. 🙂 A consideration with elderberries is that they spread in all directions. 😅 And I hope you get to go on a true vacation! We live in Indiana and always wish we could go somewhere in February 🌊🌴

[@tedpepper6419]

Yall's channel has become a huge inspiration for my family and I. We're selling now and moving to build a homestead. I want to do the same and stop working once my home is paid off to be able to do more at home. We garden now and have had chickens but we want to grow more and do more to be self sufficient.

[@jessicalynam7356]

Good for you!

[@morethanfarmers]

That's awesome, good luck!

[@tedpepper6419]

@morethanfarmers thank you. We appreciate your content!

[@trishwalton6628]

Hello MTF! ❤ love your channel! May I tell you about my apple trees? I do not spray. Not even dormant oil. I tore out all the lawn around my trees. They were planted as whips. Took 3 years of pruning. I planted a guild around the trees. No spray. This is year 5 and we finally had a harvest! We planted Williams Red, Hudson gold, and Enterprise. While some had worms (apple sauce!) Most were fine! The guild was the difference. It promoted the good bugs to battle the bad bugs. It really worked! Hope this helps ❤

[@cynthiacook7768]

Yeah, 100k!

[@hanliecoetser2545]

What about companion planting? I actually planted French marigolds between my veggies & it worked like a bomb! They repel squash bugs, soil nematodes, potato bugs & more & they look good in the garden. Give them a try!!😊

[@heathernotzdaniels6350]

Not sure how big your area for the elderberries is, but I will tell you, our elderberry bushes were easily 10-12' tall last season, we have two rows, that are 45' long, and about 20' wide. We have 12 elderberries planted there. It's massive when they are full grown, and if my yard was bigger, I would have initially spread them out even further. Definitely consider your spacing, as they will definitely take up as much space as an apple tree, just in bush form.❤❤😊❤😊❤. An absolute must though, in my garden. I love them. This year I was even able to dehydrate blossoms, and we let the birds have the berries after our huge harvest of berries last year. They are super low maintenance, we cut them down every few years just to clean them out. They are aggressive with their roots, so keep an eye on that too, they like to travel underground to other areas.

[@morethanfarmers]

Good to know! Thank you!

[@ka6148]

I have not had success with starting onions in my home.. I sprinkled seed outside once things froze up in 2022 in the spring of 2023 we had plants 😍 so excited, home started and finished on the home turf(learn more self sufficiency)

[@rebeccafreeman7801]

Love hearing of your goals and absolutely love your channel. If you’d like a trip down south, we are in Central Florida……83 degrees today. Look up the Howey Homestead, that’s us. We’d love to introduce you to our small goat herd and let you make a batch of goat milk soap with us to knock off a couple of your goals while on vacation:)) Oh and we have a couple of really awesome local skate parks also! Praying for your family as you endeavor to improve and live life with intention. May God continue to bless you both and your beautiful homestead.

[@morethanfarmers]

That's so cool, and it would be great. I'd be a little torn with what to do, but I think if we go on a vacation we'll need to VACATION. Just get YT and homesteading out of our heads for a little bit 😊 Thanks though!

[@This_Holy_Chaos]

Totally inspired me to get together with my hubby and write down goals for this year. We haven’t had the focus to really plan, dream, and envision things for a few years now and I know I feel the loss of that motivation. Thanks for sharing! Some of my goals for this year are to resume daily Bible study and prayer time, read 20+ minutes each day, practice my saxophone 15+ mins 3-4x/wk, invite a friend/family over for dinner once a month, build new garden beds in our overgrown garden space, and install a new strawberry bed area. I’m excited about just having focus on things to do!

[@morethanfarmers]

Love the goals! Good luck!

[@myurbangarden7695]

Thank you for the helpful and hopeful advice. Planning for a WHOLE YEAR can be stressful, but these tips seem practical and attainable.

[@cliffbyington9728]

We're from Michigan and have found that some of the best homestead conferences are right in your backyard. Family farm field days is held on a rotating basis somewhere in Holmes county. Food indepedance summit is held in Berlin. By far the best conferences we have been to . Love to see you there

[@morethanfarmers]

We've been to Family Farm Field Days, and that's a good one! Almost went to the Food Independence Summit last year.. maybe sometime. We've also been to the Acres conference and the OEFFA conference.. Those are decent, but geared a little more to big organic farming.

[@Emma-mm3mc]

I love the way you incorporated the sponsored part in this video, it wasn’t annoying like sponsorships in youtube videos sometimes are. I love your channel!

[@morethanfarmers]

Thank you 😊

[@pilgrimlearning9530]

Some of my goals this year are to do carnivore diet with lots of fat and broth. I've already experienced so much healing from the week I've already been eating just animal products! I also want to learn to make tallow soap, and cheese! And I need to declutter in a big way to get rid of some of the overwhelm in my life. We live in a thatched rental and I have to dust amd sweep the whole house daily 😢 I have an almost 9yo and a 4yo that I homeschool and a 7mo baby in cloth diapers 😅 We have about 30 bantums too and a dog that makes it her full time job to break down our fences and steal eggs. It feels like too much for me right now, especially with my husband worling 5 days a week and not being interested in homestead stuff when he is home. You guys are so inspiring, real and motivational. Thank you!

[@morethanfarmers]

Great goals! It is really hard sometimes.. We just try to get a little better every year, and start with the biggest points of stress. Good luck 😊

[@heavenly-dreamsdairygoats]

Amazing 2023 year for the two of you. A great outlook on 2024 too. I make goat milk soaps, lotion, shampoo, body wash bath salts and bath bombs all from our goats milk. I raise meat rabbits for our meat and dog and cat food too. Laying hen's for our needs of eggs . Thank you for sharing. Till next time God Bless.

[@debbiee7850]

Wishing you the BEST 2024!

[@VortexWind83]

Nubians! The yummiest goat milk in my opinion, and easier to milk than the tiny dwarves. Congrats on paying off your property! Thank you for helping me prioritize a bit better, it is so easy to get overwhelmed by all the things you didn’t get done and forget about all the things that were accomplished. Best wishes for 2024!

[@sozod2000]

🐐 Goats. We had Nubians, and really enjoyed them! I would suggest to make sure your fencing is higher than they can jump. Several times they would jump the fence and quite a few times their hooves would get tangled in the wire. We had to go and cut the fence off of them to rescue them out of their trap. We actually had one die because of it because we weren’t home most that day 😢 to rescue it sooner. Elderberries are great! You can harvest some of their flowers and leave the rest to turn into berries. You may not get birds the first or second year but once they know they are there, they will strip your elderberry trees! So I would go out there with tulle material and wrap the elderberry heads.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks for the tips!

[@catharinabra]

Congratulations on hitting 100k subscribers 🎉 it’s always interesting hearing about your goals! Thanks for sharing! I’m also trying out onions seedlings for the first time 😊

[@kimberleychapman8416]

I’m so blessed you guys paid off your house - Congratulations 👏🏻 As always, thank you for your videos ❤

[@wendygonzalez2532]

Wow what an accomplishment! Congrates! Did you like your birthday gift? I thought it would be fun for you guys and kiddos to do when you go camping or in your property. I would do things like that with my sons and now they are doing with their little ones. 😁

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks! I’m gonna assume you’re talking about the mushroom book.. yes! Looking forward to learning that with the kids 😊 Something we’ve always wanted to do. Thank you so much!

[@wendygonzalez2532]

@@morethanfarmers Yes ma'am that is the one. Well I hope you have a blast using it! BTW, I like that dream board idea. I think I will be using the concept for my own home. Also if you do pull out some of those raspberry bushes, can I take two or three off your hands? I can send you funds for shipping :) I am currently adding to my garden berries and grapes. I think that would be a wonderful addition.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thank you so much! We'll have to see when the time comes.. We've got some friends and family here that want some 😊

[@wendygonzalez2532]

@@morethanfarmers Totally understand, no worries. Thank you. Take care and God bless. 😁

[@Garret-nd6px]

Try on your evergreens What line they come in sacks? Put around your tree like a circle around it. What are the branches start to come out? What the ring around it and then let it rain and everything. Soaked into the ground what it will do. The roots will grow out to it and make your tree. Grow faster once you get it going.Do not do it anymore because you could split the top.I've done that several times to my dreams.And they grow fast.And I have a role that's like a wall

[@LoisMGrace88]

Congratulations on paying off your house!! So many great ideas. Your humility and honesty with your viewers. I moved to a place that had fruit trees that were not producing well. Someone told me to put ash from the wood boiler-I did and this year was the third year and the best fruit so far.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks for the tip!

[@SylviaZarilla-nj9sh]

1:17 PMT - mountains of California Cody and Michelle, I rarely send comments to channels, but I really want to tell you that I absolutely love your channel. I stumbled upon it yesterday, when researching milk cows, and now am enjoying everything you offer. I especially love that you both are so detailed in your comments … something not everyone is doing. I have been gardening for over 40 years but am learning and validating what I do through your sharing. So thank you ! Sylvia Zarilla

[@morethanfarmers]

Wow, thanks so much Sylvia! Welcome to the channel, and good luck with your cow!

[@workinonit9562]

I am from Ohio and so glad I found your channel, I love it! You guys look great and you have so much common sense and you encourage people, it all doesn't have to be perfect, sometimes good enough is good enough. I am taking a break from chickens and will cut back on my garden (maybe) to concentrate on moving blackberries to another part of our 5 acres, extending our raspberries, adding more elderberries, protecting them and replacing the blueberry bushes that the deer killed off this fall. I also get out everyday for the same reasons you state and I drag my hubby, we have coffee outside, in the sun when it is out otherwise we still get fresh air if only for 30 minutes around lunchtime, I also walk the dog a couple times a day to get some exercise, we just have to get thru this month because February seems to be more sunny IMO. Congrats with paying off the house, big accomplishment for such young people. Love the videos, keep them coming, thank you for all your efforts.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thank you 😊 Love it that you're being intentional!

[@victorialopez6446]

You are both a blessing and encouraging God bless you both and your family 🙏🏼

[@sarahchamp1]

You guys are truly an inspiration! Congratulations on all you have accomplished in God’s grace. I’m excited to keep following your journey in 2014! (I had a friend who was intolerant to cow’s milk but could have goat. I made her a lemon raspberry goat cheese cheesecake for her birthday one year and it was delicious!)

[@twoteenine]

My wife and I watch all your videos. We live our homesteading dream vicariously through you for now while we’re still in an apartment haha.

[@morethanfarmers]

Love it! Don't cut yourself too short.. Start learning some of the skills now 😊

[@NanaTrece9444]

We raise quail in a subdivision. My grandchildren (9 & 10) help take care of them. Quail are definitely a good fit for young children.

[@teresabailey9222]

Florida has lots of sunshine and pretty blue water. Florida clear springs, many of them. ❤

[@thesquad2]

One thing that helped me with squash bugs was keeping the squash plants pruned up good which also made them produce more

[@a.p.5429]

I'm new to the channel. I really like the way you do things and how you think. Rabbits have been easy for our grandkids. You have probably thought of this but watch other people's videos and how they trellis. It really helps to see something in use for me. Good wishes for the new season. 👍🙏😊

[@blanchemoore5489]

A good topping for liver is “Maggi Seasoning”!! Makes it SO good & lots of fried onions!!👏👏

[@АннаАйдарова-н1щ]

You are so positive! Thank you for that. Though, frankly, I garden in a different climate zone and other conditions differ a lot. So I can't use your advice on gardening. But you energy in general is great!

[@tc1539]

If y'all are going to get goats, get Lamanchas!! We had one milk, now dried up, and her milk was soo good!!! We also made goat soap which feels great!! Lamanchas also have high fat in their milk.

[@lenafreeze7131]

Wow I can’t believe how similar I am to you! I love watching you guys! I can relate to so much you are talking about! I grew up Mennonite too! We Dream of expanding our little “homestead” too so that’s just not quite a reality yet ( and being debt free) Totally get the seasonal depression thing! (But I’m in Canada so even more depressing in this cold ugh) Trip is on my goals this year too!! We’ve also been married 12 years and never been on a trip! And your little tips from past videos on adrenal fatigue have been so helpful! So definitely going to look into this mineral too!

[@morethanfarmers]

Sounds great 😊 Welcome to your tribe!

[@ymwyoyo-p6w]

Hi U2. I'm from Downunder and luv watching your videos which inspire me to keep going, even at my age in the late 70's. My son and I have put in 14 raised beds but have to make an effort to grow more. Keep up the good work.

[@christinad132]

Congratulations on 100,000🎉🎉🎉

[@christinewyzer3121]

Michelle you need to get Cody to put up cattle panels on everyone of them garden boxes and start growing anything that will vine including your beans for storage or small squash is winter squashes and cucumbers two

[@ericarigler8892]

I always leave Pennsylvania for an island every February just for a few days to combat sad!!!

[@susanwellin]

Do a soil test especially in my raised beds, rebuild raised beds, create new garden to attract native bees and beneficial bugs

[@morethanfarmers]

Love it! Good luck!

[@kylechamblin9896]

Out of all the content you all have made this one is by far the best. Don't take that wrong I enjoy everything you all post your my favorite channel to watch but this one will help me set my goals for the next year. You guys are awesome and a true inspiration to alot of us just starting to homestead on a small scale.

[@morethanfarmers]

Well thank you so much 😊

[@tamiraymond7032]

I've been listening to your discussions about dealing with weeds. They used to be a huge problem for me too, but I started employing more permaculture type gardening methods and now I have virtually no weeds at all! Between the sections of my garden and between the raised beds that I do have I have put down heavy cardboard and covered it with generous amounts of mulch. I actually like gardening in my bare feet and this is giving me a soft place to walk. Also by using the permaculture methods for improving my soil, I was able to completely get rid of our tiller! The soil is so much easier to work with and so much healthier it is absolutely amazing. I live in indiana, and I am also plagued by squash bugs! This year I'm going to try putting row covers over my plants from the time I put them in the ground. Hopefully that will keep the squash bug population in check. Fingers crossed

[@JanineMJoi]

This was GREAT! Last yr was first yr for us. We too worked ourselves ragged. But there was nothing here. No sheds, no garden, zero. Oh it's been hard. But this year ... We're going to make a list of what we want to get done. Goals. The way you said it, means he is WILLING bc it's not a LIST! PTL! How long have you lived there? How old are your kids?

[@morethanfarmers]

Oh yeah, we can totally relate with the "first years"! It can be rough. Just really make an effort to not let yourselves get burned out. It's not worth it. We've been here almost 10 years, and our kids are ages 3-10.

[@Bigdeezly911]

Great video. I would go with rabbits for your 8 year old. You can start producing lean meat for your freezer, the manure can go straight into the garden and will not burn your plants, and they are not strenuous to raise. Good luck this year!

[@simplebee2366]

I love that you are not neglecting you personal health with walks and runs. I tend to leave that go while doing all the homestead work.

[@chantelle7275]

You paid your house off?! Amazing! Congrats!! Sooo excited for goats. We want goats too when we get a homestead. They're great for milk and cheese. Meat is delicious. Hope to see that happen for you guys. I'd love to see your kids in your videos more this year. Maybe I've just missed those episodes but it would be awesome to know how they contribute and chip in on the homestead. ❤ Totally not being judgy! Hope it doesn't come off as that.

[@morethanfarmers]

We used to have our kids in our videos, but earlier this year we decided to stop for privacy reasons. It's a crazy world out there, and the more reach our videos get, the more we realize that 😬 They are a HUGE part of our homestead, and I wish we could include them regularly, we just don't feel comfortable with it. Once they're older we'll give them the choice whether to join us or not 😊 We will also keep trying to get them in here and there without making them the focus or showing their faces.

[@chantelle7275]

@@morethanfarmers oooh I totally understand that. Good on you guys for being cautious. You're right to be careful. Blessings guys.

[@kathyeichholz1516]

I love your channel I am so excited my 16 year old started watching your channel makes me happy

[@morethanfarmers]

That's awesome!