Welcome back to Everyday Homesteading. Today I’m sitting down with two people I deeply respect and always enjoy talking with, Shawn and Beth Dougherty. If you have ever wondered whether a family milk cow actually fits into a busy modern homestead, or if you’ve been feeling that tug toward a simpler, more land-rooted way of feeding your family, this conversation is for you.

Shawn and Beth have spent more than twenty-five years raising a large family, stewarding rough Appalachian ground, and building a thriving homestead centered around the grass-fed family cow. Their new book, One Cow Revolution, takes everything they’ve learned and puts it into a guide that feels like having a wise neighbor over the fence.

We talk about why the dairy cow is still one of the most powerful tools for food independence, how managed grazing can rebuild soil and family culture, and why the cow is far less of a burden than most people fear. Whether you already have a cow, hope to bring one home someday, or think you never will, you’ll walk away from this episode with a whole new sense of what’s possible.

Let’s dive in.

- Grab a copy of One Cow Revolution here: https://a.co/d/gAx6o34
- Check out the accompanying blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/can-anyone-keep-a-dairy-cow
- Thanks to Lehman's for sponsoring today's podcast. Be sure to check out all Lehman's has to offer at https://lehmans.com

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:42 - Lehman's
2:39 - Main Topic
42:31 - One Cow Revolution (Book)

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MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Every single month we send out a physical magazine to over 10,000 people! It's filled with seasonal recipes, fresh inspiration for your kitchen, and practical homesteading tips from seasoned homesteaders. Just like the Everyday Homesteading podcast, the magazine equips and empowers you to thrive on your homestead. Sign up now for just $9/month.

Mistakes happen on every homestead, and today we are sharing some of our biggest ones from the past year so you can learn right alongside us. Whether it is garden chaos, livestock mishaps, or ignoring that little voice of intuition, these lessons are part of growing wiser and more resilient on the homestead.

We are also chatting about winter prep, homeschool rhythms, fruit flies in the pantry, and a few behind–the–scenes stories from life here at Riverbend. Grab a warm drink and join us for some real talk about what went wrong and how we are moving forward.

Time Stamps
0:00 - Introduction
1:20 - Chit Chat
3:00 - Cabin Build (Card)
10:41 - ForJars
12:19 - Main Topic

Grab Your Spot:
Get registered for our free, live How to Homestead Anywhere crash course. This week-long training will help you build resilience and peaceful rhythms no matter where you live:

Learn Seed Saving:
Start saving your own garden seeds with this simple beginners guide:
https://homesteadingfamily.com/seed-saving-for-beginners/

Thank You to ForJars:
We appreciate ForJars for sponsoring this episode. Check out their line of durable, homestead-friendly canning and preserving tools. Use coupon code HOMESTEADINGFAMILY10 to save 10 percent on your order: https://homesteadingfamily.com/forjars

As always, we love hearing from you. Share your biggest homesteading mistakes in the comments below so we can learn from each other.

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MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are the Homesteading Family, where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4-video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4-video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

Every single month we send out a physical magazine to over 10,000 people! It's filled with seasonal recipes, fresh inspiration for your kitchen, and practical homesteading tips from seasoned homesteaders. Just like the Everyday Homesteading podcast, the magazine equips and empowers you to thrive on your homestead. Sign up now for just $9/month.

Learn how to make cheese the traditional way using natural raw milk cultures like clabber, kefir, and backsplash whey.

In this conversation with Robyn Jackson from Cheese From Scratch, we dig into how to create and maintain your own starter cultures, how to troubleshoot clabber that smells a little funky, and how to use these cultures to make everything from cream cheese to aged wheels.

This episode covers:

• What clabber is and why it was used for generations
• How to build and maintain a healthy clabber culture
• How kefir can work as a starter culture
• When backsplash whey is useful and when it is not
• How to know if your culture has gone bad
• How to make a simple clabber cream cheese at home
• Why natural cultures can make your cheeses taste better than commercial starters

✅ If you want to learn how to work with raw milk in a way that is simple, safe, and incredibly rewarding, this episode will give you the confidence to begin. Learn more here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/natural-cheesemaking/
✅ Grab a copy of Robyn's book, Cheese From Scratchhere: https://homesteadliving.com/product/cheese-from-scratch/
✅ Check out my Practical Homemade Dairy Masterclass here: https://homesteadliving.com/product/cheese-from-scratch/

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introduction
2:54 - American Blossom Linens
4:48 - Main Topic

- Thanks to American Blossom Linens for sponsoring today's podcast. Be sure to grab yourself 20% off your purchase with coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY". Check out all their amazing products here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/s-american-blossom-linens

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series:

Every single month we send out a physical magazine to over 10,000 people! It's filled with seasonal recipes, fresh inspiration for your kitchen, and practical homesteading tips from seasoned homesteaders. Just like the Everyday Homesteading podcast, the magazine equips and empowers you to thrive on your homestead. Sign up now for just $9/month.

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we open up about cultivating contentment in every season of our homestead life. It's easy to feel grateful when everything is going smoothly, but true contentment is often built in the hard moments.

Today, we talk about choosing gratitude, navigating overwhelm, balancing the desire to grow with the ability to rest, and finding joy in whatever season you are in.

✅ For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/cultivating-contentment-on-the-homestead/
✅ Get all our favorite sausage recipes here: https://classes.homesteadingfamily.com/pl/2148622418
✅ Learn how to render lard here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/rendering-lard-or-tallow/
✅ Thank you to ForJars for sponsoring today's podcast. Check out their full line of tools at their website and use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY10" for ten percent off your purchase: https://homesteadingfamily.com/forjars

TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
2:55 - Chit Chat
11:11 - ForJars
12:35 - Main Topic

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are the Homesteading Family, where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4-video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4-video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

Every single month we send out a physical magazine to over 10,000 people! It's filled with seasonal recipes, fresh inspiration for your kitchen, and practical homesteading tips from seasoned homesteaders. Just like the Everyday Homesteading podcast, the magazine equips and empowers you to thrive on your homestead. Sign up now for just $9/month.

If you’ve ever wondered how to rehydrate dehydrated food so it actually tastes good, this episode is for you! Join me with guest Darcy Baldwin from The Purposeful Pantry as we share our best tips for dehydrating and rehydrating food for everyday use, not just for emergencies.

You’ll learn:
✅ How to rehydrate vegetables, fruits, and meats for soups, casseroles, and skillet meals
✅ Why dehydrating is one of the easiest, most affordable long-term food storage methods
✅ When to blanch vegetables before dehydrating
✅ How to use green powders and veggie powders to boost everyday nutrition
✅ Pantry organization systems that save you time and money

Whether you’re building a working pantry, stocking up for winter, or learning how to use dehydrated food in real meals, this episode will show you how to make every jar on your shelf a tool for convenience and nourishment.

✨ Learn more in the accompanying blog post: https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-to-rehydrate-dehydrated-food/
✨ Take Darcy’s full class inside the School of Traditional Skills: https://homesteadingfamily.com/STS_Member_n
✨ Learn more from Darcy at The Purposeful Pantry: https://www.thepurposefulpantry.com/
✨ Thanks to American Blossom Linens for sponsoring this podcast. Be sure to use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY" for 20% off your purchase here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/s-american-blossom-linens

Time Stamps:

0:00 - Introduction
1:36 - American Blossom Linens
3:32 - Main Topic

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

Every single month we send out a physical magazine to over 10,000 people! It's filled with seasonal recipes, fresh inspiration for your kitchen, and practical homesteading tips from seasoned homesteaders. Just like the Everyday Homesteading podcast, the magazine equips and empowers you to thrive on your homestead. Sign up now for just $9/month.

We’re in that cozy shoulder season where the garden is winding down, the last jars are cooling on the counter, and the big question creeps in, did we do enough?

In this episode, we're talking about how our family prioritizes filling the pantry without burning out. We cover the calm power of buying staples in bulk, simple preservation that fits your real life, and the secret weapon that gets us through winter even without a root cellar, think potatoes, squash, onions, apples, all stored smart. We also share the weekly rhythms that keep the pantry peaceful, like shopping your shelves first and tracking what your family actually eats.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to “do it all,” this one will help you breathe, simplify, and still feel prepared.

Read the full companion post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/building-up-your-long-term-food-storage-supply/

And learn more about our Homestead Kitchen Membership here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/podcast-MEMBERSHIP

Thanks to Azure Standard for sponsoring this podcast. If you're a first-time Azure customer, be sure to use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY15" at checkout to receive 15% off your first order of $100 or more: https://homesteadingfamily.com/main-azure-standard-b

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

Every single month we send out a physical magazine to over 10,000 people! It's filled with seasonal recipes, fresh inspiration for your kitchen, and practical homesteading tips from seasoned homesteaders. Just like the Everyday Homesteading podcast, the magazine equips and empowers you to thrive on your homestead. Sign up now for just $9/month.

What would it really take to feed your family if the grocery stores closed tomorrow? In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, Josh talks with survival expert and herbalist Sam Coffman, author of Survival Gardening: Grow Your Own Emergency Food Supply, about how to build a garden that truly sustains life.

Learn how to choose calorie-dense crops, build living soil, and use every layer of your garden for maximum yield. Sam shares practical steps to start small (whether you’re growing in a backyard, raised bed, or apartment balcony) and explains why community resilience is just as important as self-sufficiency.

This conversation is a call to preparedness, not panic. You’ll come away ready to grow smarter, store longer, and feed your family well in any season.

Listen now and discover how to grow a survival garden that thrives when it matters most, or visit the blog post to watch this interview: https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-to-grow-a-survival-garden/

Thanks to Lehman's for sponsoring this podcast. Visit their store to check out all their great offerings at Lehmans.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

Every single month we send out a physical magazine to over 10,000 people! It's filled with seasonal recipes, fresh inspiration for your kitchen, and practical homesteading tips from seasoned homesteaders. Just like the Everyday Homesteading podcast, the magazine equips and empowers you to thrive on your homestead. Sign up now for just $9/month.

As the seasons change, our bodies need a little extra care to stay balanced and healthy. In this episode, I’m sharing how our family supports our immune systems with simple, time-tested rhythms instead of quick fixes.

From bone broth and fermented foods to elderberry syrup and herbal teas, these are the habits that keep us thriving through fall and winter.

You’ll learn how to build a natural wellness routine that fits into your daily life, not one that adds more overwhelm. I’ll also share my favorite seasonal herbs, tips for clean indoor air, and how emotional rest ties directly into physical health.

For more information (and links), visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-to-boost-your-immune-system-naturally/

👉 Download your Free Fall & Winter Wellness Checklist at https://homesteadingfamily.com/podcast-wellnesschecklist

Thanks to American Blossom Linens for sponsoring this podcast. Be sure to check them out and use code "homesteadingfamily". 🎧 Offer: 20% off your order for Homesteading Family listeners here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/s-american-blossom-linens

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

Every single month we send out a physical magazine to over 10,000 people! It's filled with seasonal recipes, fresh inspiration for your kitchen, and practical homesteading tips from seasoned homesteaders. Just like the Everyday Homesteading podcast, the magazine equips and empowers you to thrive on your homestead. Sign up now for just $9/month.