Everyday Homesteading

Have you ever stopped to consider that caring for the land isn't just a homesteading skill, but part of our Christian calling?

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I'm joined by Brendan McClenahan from Plant With Purpose and the TEND Initiative to explore what the Bible says about stewardship, creation, and why growing food can deepen our faith.

For many Christians, conversations about caring for the earth have become complicated. But long before environmental movements existed, God gave humanity the responsibility to cultivate and care for His creation. Together, Brendan and I discuss how homesteading, gardening, and working the land aren't separate from our faith. They're one of the ways we live it out.

We also talk about why true self-sufficiency is a myth, how community has always been part of God's design, and practical ways churches and families can reconnect with creation through simple acts like gardening, composting, and supporting local farmers.

If you've ever wondered how your faith and your homestead fit together, I think this conversation will encourage you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✔ What the Bible says about stewarding God's creation
✔ Why Christians shouldn't avoid conversations about creation care
✔ How gardening and homesteading can strengthen your faith
✔ Why self-sufficiency isn't God's design for His people
✔ Practical ways to build community through caring for the land

Time Stamps:
0:00 – Introduction
2:21 – Homestead Kitchen Magazine
4:25 – Main Topic

Resources Mentioned:
📖 Read the companion blog post: https://homesteadingfamily.com/biblical-stewardship-of-the-land/
🌱 Learn more about the TEND Initiative: https://tendlife.org
📰 Subscribe to Homestead Kitchen Magazine: https://homesteadingfamily.com/in-the-homestead-kitchen-yt

If this episode encouraged you, I'd love it if you'd subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who has a heart for growing food, stewarding God's creation, and building a resilient home.
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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
Before we jump into today's episode, I want to invite you to a free live training with my doctor, Dr. Torrie Thompson, on July 23 at 1 PM PT. We'll cover hidden household toxins, how they affect your energy, hormones, and metabolism, and simple ways to reduce your exposure. It's been life-changing for Josh and me. Click here to register. Replays are available if you can't attend live!

Have you ever finished a canning session only to discover one or more jars didn't seal? It happens to every home canner at some point, and even after more than 20 years of canning and preserving food for my family, I still have an occasional seal failure.

In this video, I'm sharing the most common reasons canning jars don't seal, how to troubleshoot failed seals, and what you should do if you find an unsealed jar. We'll also cover simple habits that can help you prevent seal failures in future canning sessions so you can preserve your harvest with more confidence.

In this video you'll learn:

✔ The most common reasons canning jars don't seal
✔ How to tell if a jar has sealed properly
✔ How headspace, siphoning, and dirty rims affect your seal
✔ Why overtightening bands can cause problems
✔ What to do if a jar doesn't seal within 24 hours
✔ When it's safe to refrigerate, freeze, or reprocess your food
✔ Why I always remove screw bands before storing my jars
For even more troubleshooting tips, read the companion blog post here:
https://homesteadingfamily.com/why-didnt-my-canning-jars-seal/

Time Stamps:

0:00 – Introduction
1:22 – American Blossom Linens
3:39 – Why Canning Jars Don't Seal

This episode is sponsored by American Blossom Linens. Josh and I love investing in quality products that are made to last, and American Blossom Linens fits that philosophy perfectly. Their sheets, towels, blankets, and pillows are all made in the USA from high-quality cotton and backed by a two-year return policy. Use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY2026" to save 15% on your order 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
Before we jump into today's episode, I want to invite you to a free live training with my doctor, Dr. Torrie Thompson, on July 23 at 1 PM PT. We'll cover hidden household toxins, how they affect your energy, hormones, and metabolism, and simple ways to reduce your exposure. It's been life-changing for Josh and me. Click here to register. Replays are available if you can't attend live!

Are you working yourself to exhaustion trying to preserve every possible food for your pantry? I used to think a successful pantry meant recreating the grocery store at home. But after more than 20 years of homesteading, I've learned that's one of the fastest ways to burn out.

In this video, I'm sharing the mindset shift that completely changed the way I preserve food. Instead of asking, "What do I want to eat?" I started asking, "What preserves well?" That one simple change has saved me countless hours while helping me build a pantry that's practical, resilient, and full of nourishing food my family actually uses.

In this episode, you'll learn:
✔ Why treating your pantry like a grocery store leads to unnecessary work and burnout
✔ The foods I make a priority to preserve every year
✔ How root cellaring and fermentation can dramatically reduce your preserving workload
✔ When it's actually smarter to buy food that's already preserved
✔ How to build a seasonal pantry that saves time, money, and effort

⏰ Time Stamps
0:00 - Introduction
1:24 - Azure Standard
4:47 - Main Topic

📚 Resources Mentioned
Stop Treating Your Pantry Like a Grocery Store:
https://homesteadingfamily.com/stop-treating-your-pantry-like-a-grocery-store/

Food Preservation: A Year at a Glance:
https://homesteadingfamily.com/food-preservation-a-year-at-a-glance/

Root Cellaring for Beginners:
https://homesteadingfamily.com/preservation-101-root-cellaring/

Eating Seasonally on the Homestead:
https://homesteadingfamily.com/meal-planning-on-the-homestead/

This episode is sponsored by Azure Standard, one of Josh's and my favorite sources for bulk foods, pantry staples, organic produce, garden supplies, livestock feed, and hard-to-find homesteading essentials. We especially appreciate that they now offer home delivery in many areas, making it even easier to stock up on the quality products we rely on. If you're looking for a trusted source for homesteading supplies, be sure to check them out using the link below. And for first-time customers, you can use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY15" for 15% off your FIRST order of $100 or more, shipped to a drop location: https://homesteadingfamily.com/main-azure-standard-b

👇 I'd love to hear from you: What's one food you no longer preserve because you've realized it simply isn't worth the time? Or what's one thing you'll never stop preserving yourself? Share your answer in the comments!

#FoodPreservation #Homesteading #PantryStorage #FoodStorage #Canning #SelfSufficiency

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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
Before we jump into today's episode, I want to invite you to a free live training with my doctor, Dr. Torrie Thompson, on July 23 at 1 PM PT. We'll cover hidden household toxins, how they affect your energy, hormones, and metabolism, and simple ways to reduce your exposure. It's been life-changing for Josh and me. Click here to register. Replays are available if you can't attend live!

What does it really look like to manage a large homestead garden? In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, I'm joined by my oldest daughter, Rachel, who has taken over management of our main crop garden this year. We sit down for a candid conversation about what's working, what we're learning, and a few garden bloopers that prove even experienced gardeners don't always get it right!

Rachel shares what it means to be responsible for a garden without having to do all the labor herself, how we're involving younger children in the garden, and some of the systems we're putting in place to make gardening easier and more sustainable year after year.

We also talk about sprinkler timers, compost surprises, cats in freshly planted beds, and Rachel's best advice for both new and experienced gardeners.

In this episode, we cover:

🌱 How our family manages the main crop garden together
🌱 The difference between responsibility and doing all the work yourself
🌱 Practical ways to involve children of all ages in the garden
🌱 New watering systems we're testing this season
🌱 Garden mistakes, lessons learned, and funny stories from this year
🌱 Rachel's top tips for staying on top of your garden without feeling overwhelmed

One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation is Rachel's reminder that daily observation is one of the most valuable gardening habits you can develop. A few minutes walking through the garden each day can help you catch problems early, harvest crops at the right time, and enjoy the process a whole lot more.

🛏️ American Blossom Linens - Thanks to American Blossom Linens for sponsoring this podcast. We love their products because they're designed to last for years and are backed by an impressive 2-year money-back guarantee. They're also made with a focus on reducing unnecessary chemicals and toxins in the products you use every day. Use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY2026" for 15% off your order: https://homesteadingfamily.com/s-american-blossom-linens

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:13 - Chit Chat
5:26 - Homestead Kitchen Magazine
8:23 - Soil Health
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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
Before we jump into today's episode, I want to invite you to a free live training with my doctor, Dr. Torrie Thompson, on July 23 at 1 PM PT. We'll cover hidden household toxins, how they affect your energy, hormones, and metabolism, and simple ways to reduce your exposure. It's been life-changing for Josh and me. Click here to register. Replays are available if you can't attend live!

What if the secret to healthier plants, bigger harvests, fewer pests, and less work in the garden isn't another fertilizer or amendment? What if it's your soil?

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we're kicking off a brand-new Soil School series by exploring the foundation of every productive garden: healthy soil. You'll learn why soil is much more than dirt, how a thriving soil ecosystem works, and the six key elements that create resilient, nutrient-dense gardens.

Over the next several months, Josh will be diving deeper into each of these topics in a special Soil School series designed to help you build healthier soil and work smarter, not harder, in the garden.

In this episode:
🌱 Why healthy soil is the key to healthier plants
🪱 The surprising amount of life living beneath your feet
💧 How healthy soil improves water retention
🐛 Why soil health can reduce pest and disease pressure
🌿 The four levels of soil health
🧑‍🌾 The six foundations of healthy soil

Whether you're a beginner gardener or have been growing food for years, this series will help you understand how to build living soil that works for you.

Check out the accompanying blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-to-improve-soil-quality/

This episode is sponsored by Homestead Kitchen Magazine. If you're passionate about from-scratch cooking, preserving the harvest, and building a thriving homestead centered around the kitchen, you'll love Homestead Kitchen Magazine. Filled with practical recipes, traditional skills, seasonal inspiration, and beautiful ad-free content, it's designed to help you build confidence in the kitchen and strengthen the connection between your garden, pantry, and table. https://homesteadingfamily.com/in-the-homestead-kitchen-yt

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:13 - Chit Chat
5:26 - Homestead Kitchen Magazine
8:23 - Soil Health

#Gardening #SoilHealth #OrganicGardening
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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
Before we jump into today's episode, I want to invite you to a free live training with my doctor, Dr. Torrie Thompson, on July 23 at 1 PM PT. We'll cover hidden household toxins, how they affect your energy, hormones, and metabolism, and simple ways to reduce your exposure. It's been life-changing for Josh and me. Click here to register. Replays are available if you can't attend live!