TORNADOES then FLOODS. What does this mean for our Farm?

First TORNADO warnings, then FLOOD warnings! What does this mean for us?
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We want to share our passion for efficient, sustainable homesteading that brings the family together. On our homestead we do chemical-free gardening, grass-fed milk and beef, pastured eggs and broiler chickens, and free range children :) We love to go on adventures as a family, so if we're not workin on the farm, we're probably hiking or out getting ice cream. We're all into DIY, and being inventive and creative. We believe in homesteading that's sustainable, not just sustainable homesteading. In other words, we want to show you that homesteading doesn't have to wear you out to the point that you give it up. We've seen it happen, and almost came to that point ourselves. So go ahead and take a whack at that subscribe button if you'd like to join us on this crazy ride. Get ready to learn and be inspired!

[@johnf8877]

You give me hope for future generations. My wife and I have been homesteading for 10 years but didn’t get started until later. We envy your energy. You get to have so many more years to learn.

[@morethanfarmers]

Wishing you the best with your homestead this year, John. Thanks for watching!

[@RadiaForteza-ij4he]

I have to admit that I do not have any homestead experience but I cannot explain to you how much I enjoy admiring your hard work and your ways to explain your trials are inspiring to us wherever we are coming from. Thank you so much!

[@morethanfarmers]

Wow, thank you Radia!

[@roxannecarson2814]

Save it all for double and triple use. You are not weird!! 😊😊❤

[@RemJuly]

Indeed, reusing is good for the environment as well so not weird at all, i always reuse disposable things that can still be used, we are saving money and helping the earth recover with less trash

[@trishapomeroy9251]

I'm a weird tinfoil saving lady too. :)

[@rachelgauvin9716]

I usually just cut my wrinkled potatoes, lets them soak in water in the fridge, and they crisp right up :)

[@morethanfarmers]

Good tip!

[@blackrock5749]

I also do that with my cucumbers 😊

[@cassandrastone7297]

I’m glad your place didn’t get flooded too bad. My whole bottom story got flooded just yesterday. I spent 14 hours straight draining all the water from my kids’ rooms and I’m about to start working on it again. I stopped to take a break and relax by watching one of your videos.

[@tealkerberus748]

In my next home I am going to have a dishwasher set up in a shed that can be run on a cold wash and discharges through a straight pipe so it can't get clogged with dirt, because nobody in my household has the spoons for washing potatoes. Lining them up in a dishwasher with either plain water or a bit of bicarb instead of detergent, that's a thing we can do. We like growing potatoes and we like eating potatoes, so getting the slow too-hard task out of the middle is important for us.

[@sharonritchie6365]

My mom used to wash baby carrots for canning in laundry bags in the dishwasher. Worked like a charm!

[@RimGardensHomestead]

My husband loves mashed potatoes, so I make a lot of them and then freeze them. They freeze really nice and thaw out the same way they went in the freezer!

[@EmileParouty]

That's rough but you guys keep such a positive vibe while facing adversity, that's amazing

[@Cody_Ramer]

We have had quite a bit of rain here as well,cant wait for it to get less muddy so i can finish up the garden fence.

[@mamaof8girls920]

Blanching potatoes is a must when freezing them. I will say, when your kids are just a bit older, canning potatoes is really worth it. We peel ours because I am nutty when it comes to canning safety, and peeled, cubed potatoes are so versatile. Many hands make light work. We also have really liked dehydrating our potatoes. We had a beautiful crop last year and canned 100 quarts of red skins, dried about 20 quarts and freeze dried lots of hash browns. But we would not have done that if I didn't have Willing and able workers! Our youngest is 10. That makes a huge difference.

[@TheMichelob]

More houseplant footage please!!

[@bettypearson5570]

I remember when i had a glut of potatoes and what i did was baked a ton of them until not quite done (my mom called it cooking them with bones meaning stopping before they were mashably soft.). After they cooled i would grate them up and put on parchment covered cookie sheets, press slightly and then use the back of a knife blade to create grid pattern before freezing. Once frozen you can easily snap the potatoes along the grid for individual hash brown patties without using the chemicals used in storebought patties to preserve color which can trigger rage or emotional outbursts in those sensitive to those chemicals. Much faster than it sounds. When you want a quick breakfast you can easily cook up scrambled eggs in one pan, crispy hash brown patties in a second pan while buttering toast in less than 10 minutes for a crowd.

[@morethanfarmers]

What a great idea!

[@samanthaweber875]

Have you ever considered canning them...? you would be surprised how convenient they are to have on your shelf!

[@kimberleychapman8416]

Praying for you guys as the weather is unpredictable! We’ve had so much rain and strong winds here in the U.K. ❤

[@morethanfarmers]

Appreciate it Kimberly!

[@ericawhitfield9289]

We love our raised beds too. We grow almost everything we can in them. Ours are short like yours; just one board’s height tall. They were cheap, easy to build, and not too bad to fill initially.

[@morethanfarmers]

They're the best 😁

[@GoingsoloinFrance]

Sending best wishes from my little place in France :-)

[@courtneyleigh-anneunderwoo2255]

I pray the Lord blesses us both with better weather for the rest of the year. Y'all stay safe. ❤

[@Alison2436]

if u are willing to give up the red potato, i grew white Kennebec, which stores well for me. but i do live in very dry climate, usually only 15% humidity most of the year

[@tomatoespoppieseverything]

That is exactly how I prune my trees😂

[@uptosomething6044]

I love watching your videos!! Even tho we've been homesteading here in Wisconsin for a few years, I always learn something new from you guys! Love it!! I do want to share that purple dead nettle is quite useful (anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial) and edible (put in salads or steep in teas)!! I've been looking into medicinal herbs and plants this winter... So jealous of how much you have! And didn't realize that's what the purple flowers are in the fields!

[@morethanfarmers]

Heyyyy, that's good to know!

[@domading2759]

I'm just south of Holmes county.. I'm deeply imbedded with the Amish and use Berlin seeds regularly..

[@sharonp6762]

Great video! Love the creative photography/videography

[@uranusprincess6827]

Ohhh my goshhh the bite of grass was SO CUTE!!! 💚💚💚💚

[@melissagoodwin2602]

Maybe ponds with connecting swales can help to reduce water settling

[@Zizzyyzz]

Brace for more...

[@traviskellogg867]

About using leaves for mulching. Make sure there arent any acorns mixed in with them when you go to put them in the garden or you'll be growing an oak orchard! 😅

[@morethanfarmers]

😂 Good thought!

[@Daisygirlirl]

lol the super caz flip in the end top tier!!!! my son did the dang monkey bars 20 times but dont wanna water the the garden lmao!!!!!!!

[@morethanfarmers]

😂👍

[@lauragillespie9635]

Thanks for telling me about Berlin Seeds. I did not know about them until your videos! I went to the store for the first time this spring, and it was awesome! They have so much high quality gardening products. The seeds that I got there have had at least a 95% germination rate for me so far. I will definitely be shopping there for most of my gardening needs in the future.

[@morethanfarmers]

Yes!! We love them!

[@TheBackyardGardenHomestead]

I love watching your Channel. I just stumbled across your channel this morning

[@morethanfarmers]

Welcome!!

[@nanospace2994]

I hope you all be ok. I'm living in country without tornadoes, so I can only imagine how stressful tornado or even warnings are. As for potatoes, I would consider peeling potatoes before baking them. My mother is food scientist and when I was a child helping her in kitchen, she was always very strict about peeling old potatoes - especially sprouting - thick, because of high concentration of solanine under skin and in sprouts. That's also why people shouldn't eat unripened, green tomatoes.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks for the tip!

[@babsk4071]

❤👏Those fruit Trees🙄@Somepoint you ‘just haveta GO FOR -IT👍 It Always feels better once you See They Can Breathe in the Sun Better ha!😀 Oh Those fingers gonna be Sore wow

[@nancyrasmussen2016]

I just had a thought for you and that is to cover your raised garden beds in the fall, it would prevent the seeds from coming in and save you a lot of time in the spring. Living traditions did that with there vego beds. Nancy from Nebraska

[@candacebradley7335]

I also live in Ohio and just saw a news report that we’ve had 27 confirmed tornado in 2024 🤦‍♀️ what?? We still have a country bridge under water not far from our home. The last two year my tomato plants got way too big I up potted them also but man getting a hole deep enough to plant was awful 😢 this year I just started them hopefully they do well for me. Good luck & hope you have a great homesteading year ❤️

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks Candace! Good luck with your tomatoes and safety from tornadoes 😁

[@dhansonranch]

I was not aware you had such horrible and scary weather. Things are looking good though. I do can my spuds this time of year but also cut them into wedges or cubes after which I blanch for 2- 3 minutes for wedges, chill and then freeze on cookie sheets before bagging. works quite well actually. The story of the flooding to the back was like a flash back for me to about 10 years ago - glad you have the road! I tried fabric last year as well and was quite happy with it as well. Good video.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks for sharing! We're hanging in there just fine 👍

[@a.p.5429]

My husband doesn't like canned potatoes. Luckily, they keep well enough. Glad you only got some flooding and a little hail. Wonder if you cover your raised beds with leaves and cover with a water permeable weed barrier the fall, it would tame the weeds. I do that with mine but I don't deal with those weeds.

[@katariinakuusk3501]

I ❤ your videos. Thanks from Estonia ❤

[@morethanfarmers]

Glad you like them!

[@kittyrichards9915]

I diced potatoes, blanched, drained and frozebthem. Did the same process with French fries. Even my picky husband likes them. Branching is the key. I save foil too. Just makes sense.

[@augustasimone9323]

Sump Pump ! We used to get 8 inches of water in our very large basement and cellar every 10 years until we got a Sump Pump and so far so good ! If you now have experieneced water due to flooding in your basement Never leave anything on the floor and look into somehow safely elevating electrical appliances like deep freezer or bring that up stairs ! I was praying you all would be safe ! maybe add comfort to your Basement / Tornado shelter ! folding lounge chairs (?) pillows , throws and reading material / battery operated lanterns for playing games or puttung a puzzel together to pass the time. Dehumidifiers are great after the storm passes and you need to dry out basement asap. then store it on the top floor as it keeps the top floors cooler in the summer when hot and humid. If you all have Duct A/C I parked my near the air intake on the top floor of our town house and that improved the whol A/C system when it had only dry air to deal with on the top floor. The USA has Biblical weather. So glad you all are safe.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks for sharing, Augusta!

[@martinlundberg7070]

Aw that sucks (before watching the video). Sounds bad, but it will get better.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks Martin 😌

[@sharlenec7289]

Glad your family is safe. Your plants are beautiful

[@nancyseery2213]

Stay safe and always have a back up plan. God bless y'all and keep growing.

[@crystalmorrell9536]

You could add white clover under the grapes as they support growth and also snuff out weeds. That’s what I read and I’m trying that this year 😊

[@blanchemoore5489]

I’ve been watching the weather & praying you all have been OK!! 🙏 I have a granddaughter in Anderson, IND so watching there too!!🥰🙏. Is sunshiny here today in CA !! (Sunday)

[@The_Empty_Nesteaders]

I work in Anderson IN! It was scary here during all those storms but thankfully they all missed us.

[@morethanfarmers]

Enjoy the sunshine for us! We're doing okay 👌❤️

[@barbaramccune9383]

Praying the weather gets its self together so who’s we had a store like that

[@nicholasnarcowich9163]

What is straw v.s. Hay? Seems like the same thing, & wood chips are interchangeable, why not get a grinder & process all your pruning? Would that work? BTW, love your videos :-) I really love farm & family videos. I feel, those are two things God loves. Thank you both.

[@JustBreCreates]

Everything ive found on hashbrowns or freezing raw potatoes u need to let them dehydrate first or they get super soggy

[@melissagoodwin2602]

I save my foil too😂.

[@dianecrossman3676]

Me too! I wash and reuse ziploc bags also unless the bag has been used for meat.

[@camicri4263]

So glad that you guys are ok! Blessings!

[@mamaof8girls920]

I am getting such a kick out of watching your videos with my girls. Everything is soo familiar. From curriculum to schedules to Berlin seed. Unfortunately, we are atleast six hours from Berlin, so we we can't drive there. But we do buy the bulk of our supplies from them. I would also recommend Migardener, here in michigan. They have a great selection, great customer service and all seed packs are always $2.00 with free shipping after $20.00.

[@morethanfarmers]

Glad to hear you're enjoying together 😊

[@jessicapower8585]

We got all that rain in Pittsburgh probably right after you guys!! I'm really wanting to check out Berlin Seeds - just a 2.5 hr drive from me!!

[@morethanfarmers]

Do it! It's totally worth it ❤️🌱

[@1186Dean]

I had been wondering how yall were doing with all the storms. Cool to see Berlin Seeds store on here!

[@sarahjones4754]

My grandpa only uses straw or hay for chicks. They pack it down just fine.

[@louisamcfarland1434]

We have found that the best time to prune fruit trees is just after harvest, or harvest the fruit by pruning. The trees don't put all their effort in growing long tall limbs the next summer like they do when pruned over winter

[@lorrainelake2771]

I love going to Holmes county! Heine's is always a favorite!!

[@kathylane5934]

Love Berlin went there 2 times last year. Bought plants. Missed seed store. If I go back I will check out or google

[@LoriSkees]

One of my favorite trips is to Holmes County. I am in Northern Ohio.

[@lucymoosewanderings5089]

Glad you are safe from the tornados. We are just across the line into Indiana. A town south of us about 20 miles got hit pretty hard. The ground here is saturated yet, but no real serious flooding. Thanks for the tip on Berlin Seed, we already have our seed for this year, but will order from them next year. Looking at the website we can save.

[@morethanfarmers]

😵‍💫 glad you guys are doing okay!

[@shaneswing2016]

If you haven't already read it, the book Grow a Little Fruit Tree is a great book about pruning and keeping small fruit trees. Lots of rain here in Maryland too. No flooding, but so many weekend gardening plans were postponed due to rain the last month.

[@ericawhitfield9289]

Yes, good book!

[@morethanfarmers]

Hope you can catch up after the rain 🌱 Thanks for sharing!

[@Simplyfarmhouse7]

LEAF mulch your raised beds in the winter , it will keep weeds out of your beds and the leaves will decay into your soil...no more pulling weeds!

[@nancyrasmussen2016]

Susan's in the garden on you tube has an excellent video recently regarding this subject. She's an excellent resource. Nancy from Nebraska

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks Nancy!

[@Shanngella]

if frozen raw, you have to cook them from frozen! I've been doing it for years and they are just like fresh! (I cut them in cubes our wedges, and I put them in a ziplock back with a spoon of oil and spices.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks for sharing!

[@misuzukurauchi7068]

I cover my raised vegetable beds with plastic soil/fertilizer bags before the winter. This way prevents weeds from growing in there.

[@morethanfarmers]

Great tip!

[@johnzink3309]

Thx

[@nancysmith-baker1813]

Morgan of gold shaw farm told me about you do to yhe eclipse. Lovly farm , didnt know you ehere getting so much rain . Seems late to prune the fruit trees , i thought they got pruned in yhe fall ?? Take care .

[@morethanfarmers]

So glad you came! I believe the pruning can be done either way. Spring is common, but we mighta been a little late 😏

[@nancysmith-baker1813]

@@morethanfarmers your welcome , and it's what ever works . A comentor recommended a book that sounded good . It's in your comments take care .

[@AZJH8374]

BrandyDa, 425° for the potatoes 🥔 time tbd

[@The_Empty_Nesteaders]

You guys do such a fantastic job putting your videos together. Great substance and awesome editing!

[@morethanfarmers]

Thank you!

[@susanb5873]

The only thing I do differently is pull up the weed fabric mulch underneath and then put it back on again. That way the weeds can’t grow on top of the weed fabric in the mulch. It will be interesting to see how it holds up this season. Maybe your way is better and I’ll want to do that too next season. Love your channel with all the inspiration ❤

[@morethanfarmers]

Sounds like a plan, Susan!

[@nadinestutterheim7950]

Berlin seeds always sounds a little funny to me, because i live in the capital of germany, berlin 😅. I'm thinking of you and hope the best with all the weather issues 🙏. Greetings from Berlin Germany from Nadine

[@morethanfarmers]

Lol! Greetings, Berlin 😁🌱

[@lindameredith1941]

Bless your hearts! You're tough and will overcome this hurdle.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks Linda 😁

[@AlexMese]

you are amazing, keep going

[@morethanfarmers]

Thank you, I will!

[@suzeeironwoods5954]

Love saving tin foil! Waste not want not!

[@brucehill4651]

hey i reuse my foil too

[@courtneycullen6289]

It's not quite as dead here, but I'm also pulling purple dead nettle. Or at least some of it!

[@josephklarber]

What’s a better long term plan for weeds?

[@AlexisManning]

Im curious, do your kids ever gripe about farm chores or do they like them?

[@alorastewart7091]

Lol I had 2 questions during this video and as soon as I thought of the questions you answered them. 1st was how do you guys get enough leaves to use as mulch and the 2nd was what is the pretty purple flowering plant I was seeing in the beds. 😂 I never would have thought of reaching out to lawn care places. I have a couple neighbors with big trees that drop a ton of leaves this next fall I might see if they will let me haul them over to my house cause our trees don't put off as much leaves as I'll use

[@morethanfarmers]

We love our leaf mulch 😁❤️

[@BrandyDavis-mh2tg]

How long and at what temp do you bake the taters?

[@KatieLeann]

Whys he going on vacation without you? Iol

[@Shamika-jv1tp]

U can peel them n make potato chips

[@jerex112]

chapin sent me this.... what do you call it. i do that all the time

[@deborahcornell5304]

Chickens love chick weed and it's good for them, provided it has not been sprayed. Also properly identified.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thanks for the tip, Deborah!

[@sandywetzel3383]

Don't you use any of your potatoes for seed potatoes?

[@morethanfarmers]

Haven't quite managed it yet.

[@carolynmoody9460]

😢❤❤🕊️

[@terryhelms9066]

I want some pears

[@terryhelms9066]

My mama had some friends that had pear trees and would send mom some every yr mom would pear preserves everytime she got some hmmmmmmgood to the last drop

[@tealkerberus748]

While you've got the carpet out anyway, I suggest you do some reading into the insecticides, fungicides, and other biocides that carpets are soaked in by the manufacturers to prevent them rotting or growing moths, and then the filth that can get into a carpet in use that even professional cleaning can't get back out. When you know what's in that stuff you won't want to bring it back into your living space. The amount of new carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere each year is still accelerating, so the climate chaos is only going to continue getting worse, and get worse faster. Things like a sump pump and protecting your electricals are a good idea because flooding and other extreme events are going to keep happening.

[@stephanie60174]

Thank the government for all this crappy weather