Find out where I buy heirloom seeds and why you should be using some heirloom seeds in your garden if you're not. I also break down the difference in heirloom, hybrid and what GMO means for backyard gardeners as I still see a lot of WRONG info on what GMO seeds actually are. Grab my favorite sources and get your garden planning going with me! Resources & links at https://melissaknorris.com/28 Grow your best garden ever this year with less work and higher yield with the Family Garden Plan http://familygardenplan.com

Learn how to read seed packet information to help you pick the best varieties for your garden. What you must know about days to harvest and germination, spacing, and descriptions that turn in to your secret weapon to growing more food for your family in the same amount of space! For links and resources go to https://melissaknorris.com/227 get signed up for the free worksheets and charts in the garden planning challenge https://melissaknorris.com/mybestgarden

The biggest garden planning mistakes & how to avoid them. Common advice is to start planning your garden with where you're going to put your plants but that is NOT where your gardening should start. I walk you through how to plan your garden strategically based on 20+ years of gardening and raising a year's worth of food for my family based on said garden. Get link/resources for today's episode at https://melissaknorris.com/226 Join my FREE 5 Day Best Garden Plan Challenge here https://melissaknorris.com/mybestgarden 

Get the top takeaways from this year's vegetable garden so you can make next year's garden better and increase the harvest based on this year's experience. I walk you through my biggest takeaways, what I won't be planting again, what I'll be doing more of, and my disease prevention plan. Get links and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/225 Order your copy of The Family Garden Plan and claim bonuses at http://familygardenplan.com  to help you grow more food organically.

It doesn't get much better than a from-scratch Christmas dinner menu based on what was raised in the garden. Let's be real, that's how the homesteaders and pioneers of old did it. I share what we're serving this year for Christmas dinner along with recipes. Get ideas for your meals and what crops you might want to consider putting in if you aren't already growing them! Get recipes, links, and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/224 Use The Family Garden Plan to plan out your crops so you'll be serving your holiday menus from your own garden produce http://familygardenplan.com 

Think you can't grow much on just 1/3 of an acre in the middle of the city? We talk about how Greg from Urban Farm U is growing 80 fruit trees, vegetables and herbs on 1/3 acre in the middle of Phoenix and how you can use the same 3 easy steps to become an urban farmer and growing food not only for your family but your community as well. And if you have more space or acreage, you're definitely want to listen in on some of the techniques he uses as well. Grab the links & resources at https://melissaknorirs.com/223 Grow a Year's Worth of Food with The Family Garden Plan & bonuses at http://familygardenplan.com 

Over the past 20 years of homesteading I've compiled my top favorite homestead related gifts I've received as a gift. Some of these are surprisingly small but will give you ideas for either your own gift giving, sharing with your "santa", or perhaps to save up for or be on the lookout for in the upcoming year. Plus get a behind the scenes look at my newest book and what it involved (and why I never want to be a model) For links and resources go to https://melissaknorris.com/222 

Living like it's the 1800's in a modern world, seems like a contradiction doesn't it, but even if you do have electricity and running water, there are some valuable tips to be learned that can help you save money now and if you do decide to go off-grid, help you make the transition. One of my favorite tips in this chat with Jacquie is how to bake pies and bread on top of a wood stove without any special equipment or using coals but she also shares some great ideas and inspiration for your garden. Get resources and links at https://melissaknorris.com/221 Want to raise a year's worth of food for your family without being overwhelmed? Get your copy of The Family Garden Plan and bonuses here http://familygardenplan.com 

A week in the life on the homestead, what it looks like on our homestead in a week, especially when freezing temps and storms are rolling in. How we prep the garden, livestock and house when temps are supposed to be in the low teens with high winds, and how you can use the same checklist. Get links and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/220 and grow a  year's worth of your own food with my new book & get FREE charts here http://familygardenplan.com 

Does homesteading really save money when you take into account the items you need to buy, livestock, supplies, and the time required? Today we dive into this not often talked about subject with Amy Dingham on when you may or may not actually save money homesteading, what to expect, up front costs, evaluating ways to save money (and if they do) in this honest conversation about still an often taboo subject, money. For resources and links go to https://melissaknorris.com/219

Your homesteading skills will not only save you money but they can help you MAKE money. I share how I'm using our homesteading skills during this holiday season to raise money fast for a fundraiser and how you can do the same thing, for yourself or a fundraiser. Snag my recipes in today's blog post at https://melissaknorris.com/218 get my special Holiday Family Bundle right now at 65% to learn how to bake like Ma Ingalls & make your own homemade products https://melissaknorris.com/familybundle

This is my favorite "lazy" way to compost and build up our vegetable garden soil. If you didn't get to cover crops or a traditional compost pile, you're going to love my sheet mulching method. Learn which manures are best and what materials I prefer for the top layer and why it isn't too late to do this. Get links to all the resources at https://melissaknorris.com/217 Increase your harvest and maximize the space you have using organic and natural methods to raise a year's worth of the fruits and vegetables your family enjoys & get all the pre-order bonuses with my new book The Family Garden Plan at http://familygardenplan.com

What you need to know to get the best cuts of meat on your cut and wrap order, what to tell the butcher, and the cuts you MUST ask for that the butcher won't offer unless you do. Learn how to make sure you get the most out of your beef and choose the best cuts for you and your family in Part 2 of our Grass Feed Beef Series! For resources, recipes, and links go to https://melissaknorris.com/216

These baking hacks and tips show you how to freeze dough for delicious and easy homemade baked goods during busy nights and times without sacrificing any time or flavor! It can be a struggle to always get homemade food served, but these tips come in handy year round but especially during the holidays. I share how I prep pie crust, cookies, bread, rolls and cinnamon rolls ahead of time and what you need to know make it easier and successful. Get my recipes in today's blog post https://melissaknorris.com/215 For over 100+ from scratch recipes get my book Hand Made: the Modern Guide to Made-from-Scratch Living  Need simplified steps and you're a visual learner, then check out the Homemade Bread & Baking System here

When raising grass fed beef there are key things you need to know on butcher day to get the most out of your cow. What to do before the butcher arrives and what cuts to ask for, and some are going to surprise you. How to get the best flavor on your meat and our favorite ways to prepare these lesser heard of cuts. Get the show notes and resources at https://melissaknoris.com/214 including our Freezer Space for Meat Guide, so you know exactly how many feet of freezer space you need per animal. Get Melissa's newest book with bonuses at http://Familygardenplan.com

How to have vegetables growing all year long (or as close as possible), including which plants will still grow during frosts and hard freezes, which ones can be left in the ground, and for those more tender veggies, how to use plant covers to extend the growing season. For links to resources and the plant covers Melissa uses go to https://melissaknorris.com/213 and for the guide to raising your own fruits and vegetables pre-order and get over $96 in bonuses the Family Garden Plan at http://familygardenplan.com

Learn what hygge means and 6 tips for implementing it on the homestead (and why you should!). Melissa talks with Kathie from seasonal homespun living on why embracing hygge during the winter months is good for both the body and soul and practical tips for this Danish tradition. Get all the resources, including recipes and links, at https://melissaknorris.com/212 and take Melissa's free sourdough training series here https://melissaknorris.com/ 

Snag these tips for bread baking to help you get the perfect homemade loaf. If you've ever had bread turn out too dense and heavy or your sandwich loaves are crumbly or too dry, these tips will help you turn them into delicious perfectly textured loaves, especially if you're using sourdough and are having trouble getting your bread recipes to rise correctly. Sign up for the FREE sourdough starter training series here https://melissaknorris.com/sourdough and get more bread resources for this episode at https://melissaknorris.com/211

These cheap (or free) garden ideas will save you money and have a big impact on your garden and homestead success. Melissa dives in with Amy from the Sow Edible Podcast on how to improve red clay soil, an easy cheap (and all natural) way to fertilize and feed your plants, along with a few small but very important things to track that will help your garden and food production in a big way. Grab resources and show notes at https://melissaknorris.com/210 and snag your pre-order bonuses for The Family Garden Plan: Grow a Year's Worth of Healthy and Sustainable Food at http://familygardenplan.com

Almost all of your garden success comes back to the health of your soil and learning how to improve soil health is the answer to virtually every gardening issue you have. Plants not actually producing food, stunted growth, lots of green growth but your carrot or beet is super tiny, blossom end rot, yellowing leaves, all signs of poor or imbalanced soil health. Get blog post/resources at https://melissaknorris.com/209 and access our full detailed soil amendment guide as a pre-order bonus for the Family Garden Plan, get all the details here https://familygardenplan.com 

Learn the surprising health benefits of maple syrup, an old-fashioned sweetener with wonderful properties beyond the flavor, that no other sweetener has, from antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals, immune boosting, prebiotic and more. Plus using this old time sweetener at home in your kitchen, as well as tips for making this delight yourself from your own trees, or how to make sure you're getting pure maple syrup if purchasing yourself. Join Melissa and backyard sugar maker Michelle to find out how to harness the power of maple syrup in your kitchen, get links and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/208

6 tips on how to treat fruit trees organically and when to spray for disease and pests. Learn what steps to take now in the fall for your fruit trees to decrease pest and disease load, what times of year to spray your fruit trees organically, and options for naturally keeping bugs off your fruit trees that damage the tree or fruit. All the resource links found at https://melissaknorris.com/207 and pre-order bonuses for the Family Garden Plan http://familygardenplan.com

Self sufficient homesteading tips for the long haul from beginning your homestead journey to more experienced. Melissa talks with Anna who started her homesteading journey in a city apartment and in just four years has moved out of the city to their homestead. She shares tips on homesteading while renting, what to look for when purchasing a homestead property and how they're earning an income from their homestead and implementing that. Get the show notes and Anna's free monthly homestead magazine at https://melissaknorris.com/206 

Learn what to do with your berry plants in the fall to increase your harvest next year. How to evaluate overall health and location of the plants, when to move the plants if need be, fertilize and mulching, and more so you have the best berry production next year. For the blog post go to https://melissaknorris.com/205 and to check out the pre-order bonuses on Melissa's newest book The Family Garden Plan: Raise a Year's Worth of Healthy and Sustainably Food go to http://familygardenplan.com/

Raised bed gardening tips, we'll discuss the pros and cons of raised beds, which type of soil and crops are best for raised beds, what you need to consider before constructing, weed management and pest/animal solutions with raised beds with Melissa and Jill from the Beginner Gardeners Podcast. Catch Jill's presentation on Raised Bed Gardening inside the free online Organic Gardening Workshop here https://melissaknorris.com/gardenworkshop Full blog post and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/204

Learn organic pest control for vegetable gardens. Melissa shares how to identify which organic options is the right one, preventative vs infestation use, plus her two favorite options, one is a powder and one is a spray that are like a swiss army knife (they work for almost every pest) and what you need to look out for when purchasing these to ensure it truly is all natural. Get links and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/203 and snag your seat today for the Organic Gardening Workshop https://melissaknorris.com/gardenworkshop

Learn how to choose the best herbal home remedies during the cold and flu season for your body. Melissa interviews clinical herbalist Rosalee De La Foret on how to use the 4 components of energetics when you're not feeling well to determine which herb will serve you best. Rosalee shares her best home remedy for a hot fever and one for a fever where you have the chills. She also walks through best herbs for cold and flu use as well as her top 5 herbs to grow in the home garden to stock your medicine cabinet. Get Rosalee's free chart with Melissa's affiliate link to discover a proven way to learn about herbs… that requires NO memorization or book study. It’s the lost herbal skill that all of our ancestors once knew https://melissaknorris.com/herbwheel for the tea recipes and show notes go to https://melissaknorris.com/202

What is organic gardening and how to incorporate these practices into a home garden. Learn what organic gardening actually means, tips on how identify if your soil is organic and steps to take if it's not to get it there. Do you need organic seed and starts? What organic certification requires and why it's not important for home or backyard gardeners but how we can adapt it for our use. Sign up for the free Organic Gardening Workshop here https://melissaknorris.com/gardenworkshop and snag all the links and show notes at https://melissaknorris.com/201

Healthy garden soil is the foundation of your entire garden. If you get this right, you'll drastically improve your harvest and health of your plants. These tips break down what you need to look at in your soil, where to improve it, and how to improve sandy and clay soil (and how to make it better). PLUS, Melissa is offering a giveaway on seed packets of her family's 100-year-old strain of heirloom Tarheel green pole bean and October bean seed + other goodies in celebration of 200 episodes. You can enter the contest at https://melissaknorris.com/contest and get the written notes and links to resources for this episode at https://melissaknorris.com/200 

A few quick time saving tips on getting your medicinal herbal flowers ready now for next spring. What to do with the flowers you have in the garden this year and how to get a jump start on next spring's herbal flowers, especially those that require seed stratification. Melissa walks you through which plants require seed stratification, her favorite medicinal herbal flowers, and which ones she's adding to the homestead herbal garden and you should consider too! Get today's resources at https://melissaknorris.com/199 and make sure you have your seat saved (especially if you want to learn about companion planting with herbal flowers in the vegetable garden) for the Organic Gardening Workshop here https://melissaknorris.com/gardenworkshop

These 9 garden hacks will help you assess this year's garden to increase next year's harvest and give you a clear plan of action to improve your garden to fit you and your families needs. Melissa walks you through how to look at this year's harvest yield, disease, pests, how much time you spent, and more from your garden to decide what to do differently next year. Grab the full post and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/198  Make sure you sign up for the FREE online Organic Gardening Workshop coming up in just a few weeks here https://melissaknorris.com/gardenworkshop

Learn the best time to harvest your herbal flowers for medicinal purposes. Melissa walks you through her favorite top pics for medicinal herbal flowers, how to use all 3 parts of the echinacea, as well as lavender, chamomile, and calendula. You'll get a detailed explanation of what signs to avoid on the blossoms you want to use medicinally and best time of day to harvest. For resources on this episode, including a video, go to https://melissaknorris.com/197 Make sure you get your free seat for the Organic Gardening Workshop, where you'll learn how to use flowers as a companion plant, and a whole lot more here https://melissaknorris.com/gardenworkshop 

Learn these 9 tips on how to prepare for winter and emergencies on the homestead now. Melissa walks you through where to start if you're beginning, how to do so without being overwhelmed, and where to build once you have your foundation so you're prepared no matter what winter or other emergencies come your way. For links to the resources and supplies Melissa uses on her homestead go here https://melissaknorris.com/196

Siphoning, or liquid loss after canning, is common among canning problems. Learn these 5 easy steps to help prevent it and the guidelines for safety (when is too much liquid loss unsafe). What you need to know about headspace, temps, and more in this canning Q&A episode. Snag resources and full blog post at https://melissaknorris.com/195 and sign up for Melissa's free online canning video series with pressure canning at https://melissaknorris.com/pressurecanning 

Learn how to cure onions for long term winter storage, how to pick the best spot for drying, two methods to use for drying your onions (pro's and con's of each) and how long to cure onions before bringing them inside to store for winter. For video and full blog post show notes go to https://melissaknorris.com/194 Make sure you get registered for the FREE upcoming Organic Gardening Workshop now for extra special early bird perks, click here to get on the list

Learn how to harvest onions at the right time for best long term storage, what to do if onions have bolted (flowered), and best type of onions for winter storage on the pantry shelf. For video and full blog post show notes go to https://melissaknorris.com/193 Make sure you get registered for the FREE upcoming Organic Gardening Workshop now for extra special early bird perks, click here to get on the list

Your pole bean growing guide, we'll go over when to pick pole beans based on the different stages for eating, shelling and seed saving. Troubleshoot common pole bean problems, like blossoms but no beans, hot weather and frosts, and benefits of pole beans vs. bush beans. For pics and full blog post show notes go to https://melissaknorris.com/192 Make sure you get registered for the FREE upcoming Organic Gardening Workshop now for extra special early bird perks, click here to get on the list

Learn what to plant in August for fall and winter garden crops. Melissa breaks how to tailor planting time for your gardening zone and climate, what should be done from seed, and what plants can be put in as seedlings. This is a great way to get as close to year round gardening as possible and have fresh food in the garden even after the frosts settle in. Grab the full list and video at https://melissaknorris.com/191 and make sure you get registered for the FREE upcoming Organic Gardening Workshop now for extra special early bird perks, click here to get on the list

Canning in electric pressure cookers and other pressure canning questions. What you NEED to know about using electric pressure cookers as a pressure canner (despite what the manual may say), what to do if the pressure falls, using well water in canners, double stacking jars inside a pressure canner, which pressure canner is best for your stove type, is it safe to use an older pressure canner (how old is too old), and how long do you have to wait between runs (multiple batches) when pressure canning? Get Melissa's free pressure canning video series here https://melissaknorris.com/pressurecanning and visit the show notes for more links and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/190 Today's show it sponsored by the Home Canning with Confidence e-Course, everything you need to know to safely can a  year's worth of food for your family, from jam, pie filling, pickles, tomatoes, salsa, vegetables, broth, meat, soups and more!

5 tips on how to avoid overwhelm on the homestead, because let's face it, this old-fashioned way of life, it adds another layer of work and tasks. It's worth it, oh is it worth it, but it's important to make sure we're enjoying the process and not allowing ourselves to get too close to burnout. Melissa and Stacy Lynn Harris share their strategies and tips to avoid being overwhelmed or worse, getting closer to homestead burnout. This episode is brought to you by Melissa's free 4 part pressure canning video training series, designed to take away your fear of pressure canning and to take away the overwhelm of wondering if what you're canning is safe. Go here to learn how to pressure can safely! For resources and links go to https://melissaknorris.com/189 

The best ways to water your vegetable garden to help organically increase your harvest yield and eliminate disease, all in the way you water your vegetables! Melissa shares how often to water your vegetables in summer and best techniques for both the plants, ease of implementing, and cost based on what they do on their homestead garden and have found to work the best.

Get links to resources and the full written blog post at https://melissaknorris.com/188 also save the date October 2nd, 2019 for the upcoming FREE Organic Gardening Workshop!

How one makes money homesteading, they went from the suburbs to their homestead and earning their living on their homestead in three years time. Melissa talks to Todd from Sustainable Simple Living Family about their main forms of income from their homestead, mistakes they made, how they made the transition, and what to expect when focusing on earning a living solely from your homestead or small farm. Even if you're not planning on earning a full living from your homestead, you'll get valuable tips on earning some type of money from your homestead skills. Grab all the resources here https:melissaknorris.com/187

Learn how to design a cottage garden or pull elements of one into your own yard. Melissa interviews Carolyn Thomas of Homesteading Family for a close up look of creating a cottage garden with plants that have forgotten medicinal and edible properties. Learn how hollyhock can be used medicinally and some older plants that have wonderful properties to them. List of favorite plants, how to use them, as well as elements you should consider. Grab the lists and full blog post at https://melissaknorris.com/186

Learn how to store you home canned foods safely, what the official sources actually say about storing jars with the canning rings (bands) on or off and what you need to know about jar stacking. Which practices Melissa uses on her canning of 600+ jars a year. What it means if you remove the bands and your lose your seal and more. Get resources and links at https://melissaknorris.com/185 Make sure you're signed up for Melissa's free Home Food Preservation Video series at https://melissaknorris.com/food-preservation-video-series/ The Pioneering Today Academy is your one stop place for step-by-step videos and download guides on how to preserve your food and build up a real food pantry filled with fermented, dehydrated and home canned food https://melissaknorris.com/pioneeringtodayacademy/

Use these pro tips for home food preservation so you know which foods are ready seasonally by the month and the best ways to handle and preserve them so you aren't overwhelmed with all the summer produce coming on, either from your garden or purchased from u-picks or farmer's markets. Armed with this info you won't miss a crop either. Melissa shares her summer preserving plan and how to use the same steps to customize YOUR home food preservation. Sign up for her FREE Home Food Preservation Workshop with step-by-step tutorials on dehydrating, canning and fermenting here https://melissaknorris.com/food-preservation-video-series/ get all the resources and show notes for this episode at https://melissaknorris.com/184

What it's really like to live off grid, tips you can take and use now, even if you're not off grid, and if you're planning to go that way, what you need to know before starting. Melissa interviews Doug & Stacy, a couple of self-proclaimed city slickers, who moved completely off-grid eight years ago. What the transition has been like, what they've learned (and wouldn't do again) and more! Check out the resources for fermenting tutorials/recipe, pressure canning, monthly seasonal garden planting guide and more in the full blog post here https://melissaknorris.com/183 

Learn how to use and grow these 8 medicinal herbs and their uses for an easy herbal tea garden. Harvesting tips, medicinal uses and preparations, cautions to be aware of and best growing tips. Know which do best in containers, location, and growing habits. Melissa shares her favorite herbs for hormonal balance, cooking, anxiety and calming help, digestion, and of course, immune boosting power. Hear part of the herb charts and info from Melissa's book Hand Made . See pictures, video tour of Melissa's herb garden and more at https://melissaknorris.com/182 

Use these 5 tips to maximize your garden yield (aka more vegetables) & beat overwhelm. How to ensure you have a continual harvest of fresh vegetables rather than a huge glut all at once for your non-preserving crops, how to make sure you don't miss crucial planting times, and how to increase the harvest of your existing plants so you don't have to plant as many. Plus, use my garden weeding tip to help you stay on top of it without wanting to pull your hair out. Grab all the links & resources, including my FREE monthly seasonal planting guide at https://melissaknorris.com/181

In this podcast, Melissa shares 10 tomato growing tips from planting, what your leaves are telling you your tomato plants are low on, how to avoid blight and blossom end rot, crop rotation, if indeterminate or determinate tomato varieties are best for you, trellising, and more. Learn these secrets to disease free tomatoes and a large harvest! Grab the FREE Tomato Growing Guide bonus and other resources at https://melissaknorris.com/180

Learn how to start beekeeping with in depth guide on choosing the right place for your hives, types of hives, where to buy bees, how to choose the best bees based on your climate, what supplies you must have to get started (and some frugal options), what to look for when performing hive checks, how much  honey to expect, and how much setting up a backyard hive costs. Get the full blog post and resources for this episode at https://melissaknorris.com/179

In this episode Melissa and guest Shaye Elliot from the Elliot Homestead share their tips for natural weed control at planting time so you can spend less time weeding and more time enjoying your garden, especially with the addition of heirloom flowers. You'll learn how to create a cottage style heirloom garden that provides you with beauty through every season with less work, best flowers, how to plan it, resources and more! This special episode will have you weeding less (and with a weeding plan to take away overwhelm) and putting in heirloom flowers to life long enjoyment. Go to the blog post here for resources and Melissa's Instagram to win a copy of both her book and Shaye's!

In this episode Melissa shares about traditional fire cider™ including it's medicinal benefits, recipe, and the controversy involving trademarks of old time herbal remedies and recipes. Melissa brings on Rosemary Gladstar, one of the founders of the fire cider recipe made popular with home herbalists to share its rich history, how to know if it's right for you, uses, keeping herbal medicine open to everyone, and getting started with growing and making natural medicine in your kitchen. For the recipe, resources, and more go to https://melissaknorris.com/177

Learn how to homestead in small spaces for self-sustainability with both a garden and your own meat practicing urban homesteading. How to evaluate your space for maximum crops, what to raise instead of chickens if they're against the law where you live, how you can homestead and produce a good portion of your own food on less than 1/10th of an acre. Harold shares how he recovered from cancer, started urban homesteading, and does all of this on 1/10th of an acre while still working a full time day job. Read the full post here https://melissaknorris.com/176

Learn some easy tips to germinate your seeds, aka, get the seeds to sprout and grow faster. Because the faster your seeds sprout the sooner you get to harvest. Plus, how to gauge the weather for the fastest growth of your seeds. For all the links and resources Melissa shares in this episode go to https://melissaknorris.com/175 Plus, for this week only the Pioneering Today Academy doors are open!

Learn how much time it really takes to raise a year's worth of food, can you really raise a large vegetable garden and fruit with just 2 hours of work per week? Melissa breaks down the amount of hands on time they spend on their fruit plants and vegetable garden for a family of four that provides them with over 50% of their produce for a year. Grab the resources and links (cuz there's some good ones) here at the blog post https://melissaknorris.com/174

Get real life tips on how to get homemade traditional foods on the table every day when you're busy, plus, some confessions on what it really looks like in a homesteader's kitchen and how cooking like Ma Ingalls meets real life. Join Melissa and Jill from the Prairie Homestead as they share their best tips for traditional cooking while being busy as well as the importance of mindset. Tips for grass fed roast turning out melt-in-your mouth tender, easy planning, and more! Grab the full blog post and resources links here https://melissaknorris.com/173

These easy spring gardening tips with help increase your harvest yield and the amount of fruit and vegetables you bring in this summer. Do these now during early spring to set yourself up for an exceptional growing season. Learn how to apply these tips to your property and garden. Get show notes and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/172 
Melissa shares what's worked in their homestead and how to avoid some of the common mistakes they made early on. 

Learn why every garden should have heirloom vegetables growing in it and some of our favorite 10 unique heirloom vegetables to grow in your garden and homestead this year. Why heirloom seeds are the true homesteading garden seed and what makes them so special in every garden and table, hint: it has to do with flavor! Grab each variety in the blog post w/ photos here https://melissaknorris.com/171 and find out how to get some of Melissa's family strain of heirloom Tarheel green bean seed as a FREE bonus coming up very soon!

How to prepare for a snow storm or any extreme weather emergency on your homestead without running to the stores or heading out into the weather. Melissa shares the exact steps she goes through when a storm is on the way, including livestock prep. Get the blog post and full show notes for this episode at https://melissaknorris.com/170

Starting an orchard with the correct fruit trees and berry plants for your climate is crucial to getting a harvest. Choose the correct variety and pollination type for your area with these tips. Melissa walks you through the best fruit types for small areas, larger areas, pollination (cross pollination vs. self-pollination), growing berries, chill hours, adding in new varieties, increasing your harvest. Snag the full written show notes at https://melissaknorris.com/169

Learn how to use herbs and natural remedies, how to build your own natural medicine cabinet using plants that you can either grow at home or get fairly easily, and when to use home remedies and when to turn to modern medicine. All this and more as Melissa chats with Marjory Wildcraft on learning the traditional and age old use of herbs in your natural medicine cabinet. Get the full blog post at https://melissaknorris.com/168 as well as the link to the FREE 4 part herbal video series to take you even deeper.

8 medicinal plants you need to add to your garden this year, not only are these some of my favorite power house medicines on the homestead, but they're beautiful to grow just for appearances. Learn their medicinal properties, best growing practices, and how we use them in our natural medicine cabinet. Grab resources, links, and full blog post at https://melissaknorris.com/167

Learn why sourdough is so amazing for your health and how to get started with making your own sourdough starter. Grab my FREE 4 part sourdough video series walking you through each step, start to finish, of making a sourdough starter, including using gluten-free grains, fresh ground wheat, ancient grains, and regular flour from the store. Hurry, it's only up for a short time, grab the link here https://melissaknorris.com/sourdough/

Use these 8 easy tips on how to meal plan from scratch healthy whole food meals for your family with less stress and time. Tips for putting your pantry staples to use for you. Sample meal plan and items from our homestead kitchen and my favorite time saving tips when it comes to getting food on the table. Visit the show notes here for the meal planning bundle and my upcoming free sourdough series https://melissaknorris.com/165

Learn how to use these 14 tips to plan out your homestead for your most productive and STRESS FREE homestead year. When it comes to gardening, livestock, fruit trees, preserving, cooking from scratch, and being able to afford our homestead, planning now will help things run smoothly and ensure you don't miss an important step. Plus, planning really does help you save money and time. Snag the free download planning chart, links and resources here https://melissaknorris.com/164

Learn my 3 tips for decluttering during the holidays done up homestead style so your house is organized and simplified before the busyness of growing and gardening season. The guidelines and tips I use so you don't have bags of things piling up for a some day use while still being frugal and reusing things when decluttering your home and closet. Use these tips now to help you plan out your holiday shopping, decorating, and clean up time come the first of the year. Get my exact plan and tips for a simplified and clutter free homestead and grab the full blog post and links at https://melissaknorris.com/163

These 12 baking substitutions will save you time and money and are something every homestead kitchen needs to know. Learn how to easily swap out common baking and cooking ingredients with other items in your pantry without sacrificing results. Never forsake a recipe or run to the store because you're out of an ingredient with these easy baking hacks. Grab the full article at https://melissaknorris.com/162

Learn how to choose the best flour for baking in this home baker's flour guide, the properties in regards to baking with all-purpose flour, bread and cake flour. Plus how to choose the best wheat berries and grains when making fresh ground flour at home. The difference between hard and soft wheat, red and white wheat, ancient grains Spelt and Einkorn and how each performs, so you can chose the right flour every time in your kitchen and homestead. For resources and full blog post go to https://melissaknorris.com/161

Learn these 5 secrets to creating a stress free handmade Christmas, including my free templates and downloads to help you customize your strategy and handmade gifts, including eliminating two of the biggest stress components, time and money. Grab the templates, downloads, and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/160 so you have the best handmade and homestead Christmas season yet.

Learn the biggest mistakes we've made over our decades of homesteading and how you can avoid them on your own journey. Learn not only the tactical and practical steps to avoid these costly mistakes in raising your own food and in your garden, but also the critical mindset mistakes so you can do this homesteading and self-sufficiency. For full show notes and resources go to https://melissaknorris.com/159

Learn how to grow more food by using these easy 5 fall gardening tips now to improve soil, put the garden to rest, and create a custom plan for you and your family by evaluating this year's crop and garden for next year's. Know what to look for, what to take notes on, and what to do now. Grab the links and blog post at https://melissaknorris.com/158

Use these 8 tips for seasonal living as we move into fall to help you save time and efficiently preserve the harvest customized to you and your family's needs. Learn how to put the harvest to use in your natural medicine cabinet so you have remedies on hand as we move into cold and flu season. Today's episode is brought to you by the Pioneering Today Academy.
For links & resources go to https://melissaknorris.com/157

Learn the best care and cleaning tips of your cast iron to keep that seasoning non-stick. Our favorite and must have tools for cooking with cast iron over an open fire, what you need and what's just nice to have. Plus, how to use a tripod for cooking over a wood fire with your cast iron Dutch oven and safety tips. Learn why baking with your cast iron Dutch oven outdoors is a skill everyone should learn and how to get started. For resources, links and tons of photos go to melissaknorris.com/156 Plus, check out our new e-course inside the Pioneering Today Academy Cast Iron & Dutch Oven Outdoor Cooking! 

Struggle to find the time to get homemade and wholesome meals on the table? Use these 12 time saving tips for homemade meals with real food using the best of batch and freeze cooking to make the most of your time. Plus, get our freezer & batch cooking recipe sampler for FREE with step by step instructions on how to prepare them on your batch cooking day and the cooking instructions from frozen as well as fresh (because sometimes it's so good one simply cannot wait). Use these tips with your home canned food and as you continue to preserve up the harvest for your winter meals. Grab all the resources mentioned at https://melissaknorris.com/155 

Learn the 3 main things to consider when purchasing a homestead property. Even if you're already on  your forever homestead, there's some important clues to look for that may be signaling you it's time for a change or you need to do things differently. Plus, learn some major things to consider if you're planning on purchasing a homestead or looking to move to a new piece of land. Get the resources and full blog post for this episode at https://melissaknorris.com/154

How do you now if a canning recipe is safe and what do you do when someone isn't following canning safety? How can you make sure your canning recipe is up to date? Learn what you need to know about canning safety and recipes and how to handle those who aren't practicing up to date safe practices. Get the full blog post and resource links at https://melissaknorris.com/153

In this episode learn the 6 tips to help you create a successful homestead business so you set yourself up for growth and with a strong foundation. This is Part 2 of the Making Money Homesteading Series and goes into practical but important steps to take to get your homestead business going without getting into debt and for long term growth and sustainability, including the things you should do, but also, mistakes to avoid. Grab the show notes and links at the website at https://melissaknorris.com/152

Learn how to make money homesteading with 12 ways to earn a homestead income and real cash from your farm, even if you only own a small amount of land. Melissa share's real ways they've used to earn income from their homestead as well as how family and friends take their skills and land to earn them money and how you can too. For resources and links go to https://melissaknorris.com/151

When summer heat blasts and you still need to get the harvest in without air conditioning or a pool, how do you keep a body cool? Here's how to stay cool in summer naturally without electricity using old-fashioned methods and tricks. Grab the resources and the full written post here https://melissaknorris.com/150

Learn how to decide which method of home food preservation is best for your crops based on the time and storage you have, pro's and con's of each, and two homesteaders favorite recipes and methods, plus safety tips to make sure the method you're using is the best and safest for your family. For the free recipe and full blog post go to https://melissaknorris.com/149

How to keep your house cool in summer without electricity, especially during the hot months when you need to have your canner and stove going. I share 8 old-fashioned pioneer tips that still work and don't require electricity as well as a few modern ways that are worth it to help keep the homestead cool. Explore outdoor cooking & canning options, get links, resources and full articles at https://melissaknorris.com/148

Feel pressed for time but you don't want any food to go to waste? Then put these 8 tips to come up with your customized preserving plan for a year's worth of food, including our FREE preserving plan charts you can use year after year to put your plan into place to make sure you have the items most important to your family preserved for the year. Learn which foods can be saved to preserve until later (and why I actually prefer this route) and how to determine which ones you need to get on pronto, and my work around for day jobs and not being able to do everything all in one stretch. Grab the show notes, links and resources at https://melissaknorris.com/147

Get these tips to help you save time, increase the health of your plants- healthier plants equal larger harvests, and cut back on disease. Learn my best tips for your tomatoes and my 4 tips to save time and how to deal with the plague of almost every gardener, weeds. For the resources, links and full blog post go to https://melissaknorris.com/146

Fermentation for health benefits and food preservation. Learn how the process of fermentation changes food for increased health benefits. What you need to know about storing your fermented foods, when fermented foods have gone bad, the best recipes and foods to start with and tips for getting your family and kids to enjoy and eat fermented foods. Get the resources, links and full blog post at https://melissaknorris.com/145

Everything you need to know about keeping a family milk cow, how to avoid milking twice a day, how much milk you'll get, how to use up all the milk and more. Join myself and Jill, one of the presenters in this year's 2018  Modern Homesteading Summit, make sure you go to the blog post here to snag the link to sign up for the Summit and get all the links at https://melissaknorris.com/144

Learn how one family is using solar power to live off grid in a one room cabin without running water or a refrigerator, just like the pioneer families of old, and what tips you can glean from them when it comes to food preservation and creating your dream homestead.
Full blog post at https://melissaknorris.com/143

Learn how to use these edible & medicinal weeds growing in your backyard. How to harvest, prepare and use them in multiple dishes to lower your food bill (+ recipes) plus how to use these common weeds for natural medicine treatments. You'll never look at these "weeds" again, instead turn them into delicious meals and treats. For recipe links, resources and show notes go to https://melissaknorris.com/142

Learn how use these 14 tips homestead kitchen tips to get your kid's helping in the kitchen for stress free meal times, or as close to stress free as you can get. No matter if your kids are toddlers or teenagers, these basic kitchen skills and meal prep tips will help them (or any adult) make the most of their time in the kitchen providing healthy and whole food recipes for themselves and their family. We even break down age appropriate skills for kids. For links and resources go to https://melissaknorris.com/141

Learn how to overcome challenges in the land and weather you have to grow your own food. Melissa and Laurie Neverman from Common Sense Home share 13 tips for combating extremely cold springs, high winds, excessive rain, and drought conditions so nothing stops you from growing a productive vegetable garden on your homestead, with these easy and very actionable tips you'll be growing your own food no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. 
Grab links and resources at the full blog post here https://melissaknorris.com/140

Using chickens in your garden is the perfect way to get the most use out of your livestock and your crops, but there's 13 things you need to know for the safety of your chickens and to ensure you get the fruits and vegetables, and not the chickens, or worse yet, they destroy the plants. For the all the resources and show notes go to https://melissaknorris.com/139

Learn these 12 tips that help you declutter and organize your homestead kitchen. How I've went from getting things in order and then finding it a total mess again within just a few days (or hours) to keeping it tidy. Learn how I took the wisdom from 100 years ago to make it work for the modern homestead kitchen, laundry, and cleaning so we can spend less time cleaning and doing more of those homestead projects we love with our family. Get all the tips and resources for this episode at https://melissaknorris.com/138

Grab my spring cleaning tips & hacks on how to spring clean your homestead (aka house) pioneer style. My favorite homemade cleaning recipes, room guide, and when I do purchase cleaning things from the store, my favorites. Tips and inspiration for having a sparkling house done homestead style. For show notes, recipes, and links go here melissaknorris.com/137

Learn the 5 most common myths in regards to growing a vegetable garden, but especially in regards to raising a years worth of food. I share the exact size of our vegetable garden, how much hands on time we spend in the garden, and how we manage everything in the business of harvest and growing time in the  middle of summer. 
Get the resources and links at https://melissaknorris.com/136

Learn how and why it's important to test your soil ph when looking to grow healthy plants that give you the biggest harvest (because that's what healthy plant do). Methods for soil testing, what the tests mean, which plants grow best in acidic and alkaline soil, and how to amend your soil, when you should and what you need to know to keep your soil in tip top shape (aka what mistakes to avoid) when creating the best soil you can for your pasture, garden, fruit trees and bushes. 

For full blog post and notes go to MelissaKNorris.com/135

6 natural ways to test and fertilize your garden soil now, so it's in the best shape it can be for healthier plants and larger harvests. What you need to know about soil amendments and which is best for your soil.

My favorite sources for the best deals on real food and food storage when you're not able to grow it yourself. How I shop without coupons to build our food storage up with real food items we use on a daily basis, when I can't get it from farmers market or local source. Includes full lists of each item and how you can steal my strategies to save you time and money!

Grab the lists and links at Episode #133 Best Real Food & Food Storage Deals from Unlikely Sources

Learn how to incorporate perennial plants for less hands on time food production on your homestead. What you need to know about planting perennials, their yearly care, using them for permaculture, pruning, fertilization, and how to grow them even if you don't have any acreage or yard space of your own. Plus, how to get a jump start on your home orchard and berries even if you're renting or not in your permanent home yet. Also, what you need to know about the first years of your perennial plant's life to set up for a healthy plant and bigger harvests for decades. All in today's episode, for show notes, links and resource visit 

Why you shouldn't wait for the perfect time to start your homesteading dreams and goals. How to work with what you have right now. Even if you're in the city, how to begin homesteading now and how to transition from the city to your homestead. Learn why having a community is so important and how to move past discouragement. 

Everything you need to know about starting seeds at home, when to start them for your area, which seeds to start indoors and which ones you shouldn't. Plus get our FREE seed starting blueprint and chart.

Includes 5 mistakes homesteaders and gardeners make when seed starting and how to avoid them, plus my favorite resources to use with seed starting.

Find out how to get a free packet of my families heirloom Tarheel green pole beans. All of the show notes, resources, and freebies are at Episode #130 on the website here 

Learn how to organize your kitchen once and how that will help you build up your food storage and maximize your time and money. Why an organized kitchen is vital to a well run homestead and the exact steps and criteria to make sure it's working for you and your family, because it's all about customizing things to work for us.