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🎉 Episode 10! 🎉
Join Kristin and Devon for our tenth episode of Homestead-ish as we share life updates, garden stories, and a candid look at the ups and downs of homestead-ish living.

This week, we dive into:

• Buying land and building a homestead responsibly as a steward of the land
• Back-to-school germs and go-to herbal remedies
• Facing homesteader burnout (and what keeps us going)
• Living seasonally—finding contentment in each season and why it matters for the planet

Tune in, laugh along our “bunny trails,” and celebrate the beauty (and honesty) of messy, seasonal rhythms on the homestead.

Let’s Connect!

• Check out homesteadish_pod on IG, and as always you can find Kristin at growingpaines_ and Devon at devonballardhudson on IG
• Drop us a text at the link at the top of the show notes!

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In this episode, we sit down with the brilliant and inspiring duo behind Bundle Sticks Farm, a small but mighty craft farm and education center in Southern Indiana. Elizabeth Tobey and Brian Geier bring a wealth of knowledge, intention, and soul to everything they do—from growing craft materials and raising sheep to hosting crafting/educational gatherings that reconnect people to the land.

Together, we explore:

• The origin story of Bundle Sticks Farm
• What regenerative agriculture means to them, how they practice it on their farm, and simple ways you can integrate regenerative principles at home
• The lost art of broom making, basket weaving, dried floral wreaths and more
• Why education and community engagement are essential pillars of their work—and how they’re teaching reciprocity and reconnection with the land

About Our Guests:
Elizabeth Tobey (she/her) is a crafter-of-many-trades, a skilled facilitator and communicator, and an unwavering social justice advocate. She grew up unschooled on a small family farm in Oregon and her family's history includes California cattle ranching and Bay-area artists and craftspeople, both legacies that live on in her today.

Brian Geier (he/him) is a history nerd, former professional sauerkraut maker, and passionate farmer who will always say yes to getting in water. He grew up in the woods of Wayne County, Indiana, and is largely of German descent with a family tree that traces back to New Albany & Lanesville in the late 1800's and to the Rhine River area in what is now Germany before that. His last name, Geier, means vulture in an old Germanic language, a fact that he is most proud of.

Let’s Connect!

• You can connect with Bundle Sticks on their website, IG, or join their newsletter!
• Check out homesteadish_pod on IG, and as always you can find Kristin at growingpaines_ and Devon at devonballardhudson on IG
• Drop us a text at the link at the top of the show notes!

If you loved this episode, share it with your friends and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Tag us @homesteadish_pod on Instagram—we love seeing your homestead-ish adventure!

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In this flavor-packed episode of Homestead-ish, Kristin turns the mic around and interviews our very own fermented foodie and co-host of this podcast, Devon!

Devon shares how she first fell down the rabbit hole of fermentation, what fermentation actually is, and why it’s about so much more than tangy veggies and fizzy drinks. In advance we ask that you please pardon our pickle innuendos!

We talk:

• Beginner-friendly ferments you can try at home today
• How the benefits of fermentation extend far beyond gut health
• The deeper connection between preserving food and preserving the planet
• Devon’s upcoming virtual workshop: Kombucha, Kefir, and Kraut, Oh My! An Intro to the Art of Fermentation

Whether you’re new to homesteading or already have a countertop full of bubbling jars, this conversation will leave you inspired, empowered, and maybe just a little hungry.

Let’s Connect!

• Sign-up for Devon’s fermentation workshop: Kombucha, Kefir, and Kraut, Oh My!
• Check out homesteadish_pod on IG, and as always you can find Kristin at growingpaines_ and Devon at devonballardhudson on IG
• Drop us a text at the link at the top of the show notes!

If you loved this episode, share it with your ferment-curious friends and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Tag us @homesteadish_pod on Instagram—we love seeing your bubbling jars and backyard adventures!

Send us a text

In this fun and heartfelt episode of Homestead-ish, Devon and Kristin sit down to chat about what’s happening on their homesteads this summer—from garden wins, to a new livestock guardian puppy, to pest problems (including a simple, game-changing squash bug egg hack you’ll want to try!).

But the real stars of this episode? Our kids! With five boys between us, ages 2 to 10, we hand over the mic to hear what life on a homestead is really like—from the good, the gross, to the adorable.

We also open the floor to YOU—our amazing listeners! We’re gearing up for a special episode with Kristin’s Uncle Denny, a lifelong farmer and homesteader, and we want your questions. What do you want to ask someone who’s been growing food and raising animals for decades?

Tune in for summer updates, sweet (and chaotic) kid moments, and the perfect mix of homestead-ish honesty and humor.

Check out homesteadish_pod on IG, and as always you can find Kristin at growingpaines_ and Devon at devonballardhudson on IG!

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In this episode of Homestead-ish, we’re joined by our second guest and kindred spirit, the fantastic Jess Robison of Acton Food Forest, whose homesteading journey was sparked by a single, sun-ripened tomato. We explore how that one small gift turned into a multi-passionate lifestyle.

In our lively conversation we discuss everything from ADHD as a superpower, to what a food forest actually is, our "why" as politically progressive homesteaders, how to successfully navigate the infamous Goodwill bins, and more!

Follow Jess on Instagram: @actonfoodforest

Check out homesteadish_pod on IG, and as always you can find Kristin at growingpaines_ and Devon at devonballardhudson on IG!

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Homestead-ish hits the road and attends the Homestead Festival in Columbia, TN. An annual two-day event, the Homestead Festival combines music with meaningful homesteading-related experiences. It features speakers, demonstrations, and vendors focused on sustainable living, including homesteading, farming, and related skills like herbal remedies and animal husbandry.

In this episode, recorded on the way home with our hearts full and our brains buzzing, we share a candid recap of the weekend: a play-by-play of our experience, standout speakers, surprising takeaways, hilarious mishaps, lessons learned, and more.

Listen and find out where Homestead-ish aligns (and doesn't align) with the mainstream Homestead movement! Thinking of going next year? We've got you covered with tips on how to prepare and get the most out of the experience.

Links:

• thehomesteadfestival.com
• Get the Official (and also extremely comfy) Homestead-ish Tee on Etsy!
• Food Inc Documentary
• RuthAnn Zimmerman on IG
• Mandi Pickering of Wilk Oak Farms on IG
• Kaylee Richardson of the Honeystead on IG
• Natural beekeeping with Suburban Sodbusters on IG
• High Tunnels with mindfulfarmerarkansas.com
• Darryl Patton, the Southern Herbalist

Check out homesteadish_pod on IG, and as always you can find Kristin at growingpaines_ and Devon at devonballardhudson on IG!

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Sometimes the best way to learn a new skill is from someone who has recently taught themselves! In this episode Devon interviews Kristin on her first year as a "beek" (that's beekeeper slang for new beekeeper, lol).

Kristin shares her lessons learned and things to consider when considering keeping bees including equipment must haves vs "nice to haves", what she wishes she would have known getting started, and more!

Resources:

Complete Beekeeping Short Course

As always you can connect with Kristin on IG @growingpaines_ and Devon @devonballardhudson

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Kristin and Devon chat with their very first pod guest, wild edible mushroom identification expert, Tim of Hoosier Forager! Tim is a wealth of knowledge, and no subject is off limits. Tune in to learn how to get started foraging, how to forage safely and responsibly, Tim's favorite foraging finds, how foraging might help us heal our planet, and more!

Connect with Tim on IG @hoosierforager

Shop Tim's foraged goods at Hoosier Forager Outpost

Love Tim's content? Buy him coffee!

A Few of Tim's Super Helpful Instagram Posts (which we reference in the pod):
Shagbark - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA67KtAOJQc/?igsh=MXV3YzZlb3c1YTZ0Ng==
Enoki vs Galerina - https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzCkXOCrGrL/?igsh=ODViYndrNHA0b2V2
Freezing Chicken of the Woods- https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxX1YxdukWg/?igsh=MWUyZm0xZjRvcW85YQ==
Buffalo Chicken of the Woods - https://www.instagram.com/reel/CujkOn_vLh4/?igsh=MXFtcjJ5NGRmcGFkbw==
Winter Oyster ID - https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1e7RVjLLRK/?igsh=aXgyc2M1dmZqajF4
Morel ID - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI4sjARuTN0/?igsh=ZGszY3BzMjc5dWNw
Reciprocity Example - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC9lCIeOl-2/?igsh=MTRzM2pwcWE0eDgzMw==
Spore Print - https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1CkhmAL97z/?igsh=MW5kcDIwOTZqNGd6cw==

As always you can connect with Kristin on IG @growingpaines_ and Devon @devonballardhudson