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Farm Fresh Homestead | Homesteading, Organic Gardening & Living Off the Land

Farm Fresh Homestead | Homesteading, Organic Gardening & Living Off the Land

By: Mary Boyd
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About this listen

Mary Boyd welcomes you to Farm Fresh Homestead — the ultimate podcast for anyone passionate about homesteading, sustainable living, organic gardening, and small-scale farming. Whether you live in the suburbs, countryside, or a city apartment with a small backyard, this how-to podcast offers practical advice to help you grow your own food, raise animals ethically, and live a more self-sufficient life. Each episode dives into step-by-step guidance on urban homesteading, backyard farming, and building your own thriving mini-farm using eco-friendly, 100% organic methods. From composting and soil preparation to natural pest control and year-round harvesting strategies, you'll gain the skills to make your land — no matter how small — truly productive. We’ll also explore the ethical, nutritional, and environmental benefits of backyard chickens, permaculture design, and farm-to-table cooking. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned homesteader, Mary brings you expert interviews, success...

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Episodes
  • Homesteading: Why Rabbits Are Better Than Chickens
    Oct 15 2025

    Quiet, efficient, and surprisingly powerful—rabbits are changing how small farmers think about backyard livestock. In this three-chapter field guide, you’ll learn why these gentle animals often outperform chickens in feed efficiency, space use, cleanliness, and sustainability. From simple hutches that fit any yard to year-round meat production and ready-to-use fertilizer, rabbits deliver high returns with low effort.

    The story moves from setup and comparison, through care and yield, to the balanced truth of how both species can work together for a self-reliant homestead. You’ll see the numbers, the routines, and the mindset that turns quiet hutches into food security and fertile gardens.

    Whether you’re starting from a city backyard or expanding a rural plot, this guide gives you a clear, practical path to raising smarter, cleaner, and calmer livestock.

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    21 mins
  • Canning Your Fruit and Vegetables After Harvest
    Sep 26 2025

    This hands-on canning guide walks you from first rinse to stocked shelves. Chapter One sets up a safe station, explains pH and botulism in plain language, and shows when to use a water bath or a pressure canner. You’ll learn headspace rules, tomato acidification, and clean rim habits that set seals on the first try. Chapter Two delivers two complete playbooks. You’ll process a high-acid product in a water bath and a low-acid vegetable under pressure, with venting, steady-heat control, altitude changes, and siphoning prevention. Packed examples make timing and pack styles simple. Chapter Three handles the finish. Confirm seals, label and log, store in cool darkness, and know when to reprocess or discard. You’ll set a pantry rotation plan, care for gaskets and gauges, and map a harvest calendar so peak weeks feel calm. Built for audio and print, the prose is plain, the steps are clean, and the safety notes are clear. Use it as your bench-side manual all season.

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    45 mins
  • How To Build Your Own Hydroponics System To Grow Vegetables
    Sep 26 2025

    Fresh greens, simple parts, and calm routines—this field guide shows you how to grow crisp lettuce and fragrant herbs in a small hydroponic system that fits a closet, a kitchen corner, or a shaded porch. Chapter 1 walks you through a safe, low-cost Deep Water Culture build using a sturdy tote, six net pots, and an air pump. You’ll mark and drill a clean lid, route airlines with drip-safe loops, mix a gentle starter solution, set pH between five point eight and six point two, and seat seedlings so roots just kiss the water. A fifteen-minute shakedown catches leaks and hums before you walk away.

    Chapter 2 gives you the operating rhythm: a five-minute daily glance, top-ups every two days, and a weekly reservoir change. You’ll learn how pH drifts, how E C tracks nutrient strength, and how to adjust in small steps. You’ll read leaves before bottles, keep oxygen high with steady bubbles, and handle algae, slime, or tip burn without panic. Harvest starts in week three with cut-and-come-again lettuce and clean basil pinches, washed cold and stored dry for better shelf life.

    Chapter 3 scales the habit, not the chaos. Add a top-off reservoir and float valve for hands-off water level. Explore Ebb & Flow or Drip when you want more sites or mixed crops. Lock in a food-safe sanitation loop with measured dilutions and clean tools. Use sticky cards and airflow for gentle pest control. Close each cycle with a thorough scrub and rinse, then map your costs against yield so the setup pays for itself. A seasonal plan keeps greens coming year-round, indoors or on a porch, with staggered starts and simple logs.

    The tone is calm and practical. Specs are read for the ear. Safety comes first: G F C I outlets, drip loops, food-safe plastics, and clean chemistry. If you’ve never grown a plant, you’ll finish this guide with a running system and a steady harvest rhythm. If you’ve grown before, you’ll find a tighter routine, clearer thresholds, and easy upgrade paths. Build it today, learn the feel this week, and eat what you grew by the end of the month.

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    53 mins
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