What interests you most about homestead living? Also, as we plan for our first Q&A for paid-subscribers, what questions do you have for Stu and I that we can answer in greater length?
I'm not sure this is the spot to send this, I'm not great with Tech, but my husband said I should write to you- not a question- but encouragement after your last FB post about not taking stuff so seriously. Frankly I'm overjoyed that you're going to be sharing more of your personal thoughts with us. I'm super excited for unfiltered Shaye, because I've often thought, "If we lived closer, we'd be best friends!". I'm just on the other side of the mountains from you, in Sultan. I know you've passed through out little town, I've seen our highway in some of your videos.
I joined your homesteading adventure back when you were in Alabama and it was largely your posts that convinced me I COULD live out my Laura Ingalls dreams, even in the 21st century! I'm so eternally grateful to you for that. It's changed everything about our family life.
Now we sit here on our 10 acre homestead, homeschooling 5 children with a classical Christian curriculum, and I know there is so much more I could learn from you! I've so often wanted to hear more about those "triggering" topics- more about homeschooling, more about Stuart's opinions on classical education, more about how you seek to raise your children in the care and admonition of the Lord, how does that play out in your church life- what are your views on children in worship and what methods do you find helpful for disciplining and molding a young child's heart? The dreaded topic of "vaccination"? And of course, any info on butchering is appreciated- we've only done small animals, ducks, rabbits and turkeys thus far. But next year we are starting on pigs.
Mostly I want to know more of your personal opinions, even if we do disagree over things. Because that's how it is with friends- you don't always agree, but your love for them, makes you interested in knowing them intimately. Your philosophy of life, your utter joy in seeking out and creating beauty, is infectious and it has completely changed the atmosphere of our household.
So that's my word of encouragement to you, and my request- that you stop censoring yourself, that you let us see those posts you held back for fear of the rage of pathetically-small-minded trolls, that you continue to share your personal thoughts on life and family and Christ. You are impacting people's lives for good, in ways you may not ever know this side of glory.
I would actually love to hear your advice for homesteading families wanting to start entrepreneurial endeavors to make a living from the homestead. I am a stay-at-home homeschooling mom and my husband currently works in the medical field, but things are getting really rough out there and we are working on a plan to eventually be able to support ourselves from our homestead or some other entrepreneurship. I don't even know what specifically to ask... How do we find the venture that is right for us? Are there some avenues that are better than others? How do we start? We would greatly appreciate any wisdom you can share.
And I am so excited about this new platform! The farther away from mainstream, the better! 👏👏
Yes! Same here. Actually, it’s exactly the same except my husband is the chief of police in our town. Would love to hear her wisdom on transitioning him home!
I would say God first drew me to it, spoke clearly to my heart that it was time to unplug more from main stream, begin to slow down and actually live how He created us to live. I believe the more we progress in technology and fast paced living, the further we get from being true to our purpose on the earth. You and Justin Rhodes were one of the first homesteading accounts I started following 2019/2020... you spoke to my heart about the simplicity of serving Christ through the everyday tasks, that is what I was searching and hungry for. Then God led my family to more and more healthy eating, thus healing my gut which then led to raising/slaughtering our own meat chickens last year, and buying baby goats for our own milk in 2023!! Can’t wait to join your cooking community ❤️
Hello! I am still looking for good info on knife sharpening! I got 4 of the Kamikoto knives for Christmas and I’ve never owned such a glorious cutting instrument! I want to keep them SHARP!
I am curious how you learned about butchering the animals that you raise for meat? My husband and I would love to raise meat chickens but I don't know what sources are reputable for learning how to butcher properly. Thank you!
I'd love to know about your ducks too! No one around us butchers ducks so we have to do it ourselves if we want them. You once shared on Insta stories the process and it was so helpful but I didn't think to take notes.
Shaye, I would some more in-depth info on your walk in fridge/cold storage. Pictures and how Stew constructed it. I apologize if this info is already somewhere, if it is I would love to be directed to it!
I absolutely loved your video on curing bacon. Anything with that theme would be wonderful. Also, how to start having a less toxic diet, house, etc. I have been trying to learn but theres so much information I got overwhelmed and don't know where to start without spending hundreds of extra dollars and tossing half my house. How to talk to a butcher is another one. I have a high reactivity to yeast so i cant do fermented or sourdough so more healthy things that dont inclide that. My husband said bees keeping and making money.
How do you navigate bumper crops vs. epic garden fails? Do you always have that bit of extra put back and preserved to account for crummy years? We are thinking about getting a freeze dryer to avoid the gaps. Is that a viable option?
Firstly I want to say how much I love how bold you are in your faith and how you pursue God in every aspect of your life! I'd love to know what your advice would be to a young couple who is just starting on the journey of wanting to homestead. What's the best way to manage debt, and what is your advice for how much land you might need for a small farm such as yours? What verses do you lean on when you feel like throwing in the towel? We live in town now, I garden in our backyard and at my parents and we are getting chickens this year for the first time! Just 8 laying hens.
Thanks so much for doing this, you guys! You're amazing and I appreciate the time and effort you've put into The Elliott Homestead.
I am late to this...had to think on it a bit. I'd love to see what you do (and how) with spent hens (just stocks/soups/chicken & dumplings? Or sausage? I'd also love to learn how to grow cilantro in big magical bunches like you see at the grocery store - mine always look promising and then they bolt! And finally, while I nearly always used only butter/olive oil as fats, I'd love some suggestions on what to pop popcorn kernels in!
How to honor then get past the depressing “what’s the point of this struggle” feelings of homesteading, especially when no one else around you or in your family homesteads
Raising and butchering lambs! How you got started, what is needed to raise them on pasture, basic care needs, and the nitty gritty how-to on butchering. Please!
I may need to turn this into an entire post for you all. There's so much information about this it'll be tricky to do it in this format. Stay tuned for more!
All of your videos are so inspiring to me. I work full time in an office, my husband is a full time landscaper, however my dream is to one day buy a house on some land. I want to grow and raise our own food (as much as we can), raise our kids, and work from home. This dream seems so far away. My main question is how do you quit your job and make an income working at home? What are different ways you can bring in some cash for the family? I'd like to hear your story on how you decided to live the life you do now and how I can get there?
This is late to the game, but maybe for the next Q&A? I'm wondering about essential oils, and do you still use them? You used to mention them and do videos about them but I haven't seen/heard anything in quite some time so was just wondering if you still do much with them or have turned to other things for health!
I would love to hear how you created the mindset of supporting local farmers and artisans. I feel so inspired and ready to pay until a certain dollar amount and then shy away once things get “pricey”, which fluctuates. Deep down I want to put my money into the pockets of those who are (simply) not large corporations but the (less) dollars sometimes speak louder than my intentions. I have two broiler chickens from a farm literally 7 miles from my house in an online cart, yet I am having a tough time “justifying” spending $30 on a bird.
Also, how do you make tongue taste good. Not just tongue, I used that for alliteration - but any unconventional meat . I am interested in starting raising rabbit, duck, and chicken this year on our newly purchased “farm”, but want to make use of every cut of meat. And, frankly, I’ve never eaten rabbit before! Eventually the goal is larger animal, but I need to amp up my home cook skills if I am going to raise meat on our 2 acre plot of land!
How the heck do I get my kids to eat a variety of vegetables, if I'm going to homeschool them what should I be teaching at this age if anything. What do I do with them when I'm doing farm chores (1 & 3yr old, husband drives a tractor 12 hours a day)... sigh
How did you plan out the best use of your property to fit your needs? We have 6 acres split by a busy road. The very large barn, pastures, hay field, shop and grain bins are on one side and the house and gardens are on the other. We have extra barn space, an almost empty loft, and two empty working grain bins. I'd like to better use what our farm has to offer but I'm not sure how. Could any of these things work well for a fridge/cool room? Our biggest problem is not having storage for what our garden produces.
I am a new blogger just getting started, any insights, things to avoid or things that you wished you had known just starting out would be great. Blessings to you and your family!
I'm in a place right now where I'm overworked and overwhelmed. My time in the kitchen is pretty much nothing and we're not eating as well as we should. I need nourishing, almost no effort ideas for meals.
What if we can't have a farm or homestead right now, but we really long for that farm life....what are some ways that we can still incorporate that style of living right where we are today?
I would love to know how you balance all the work and the kids. I only have two boys (4 and 1) and they are so full on. Even just the allotment can feel like an uphill struggle. How did you cope in the early days when they were little? Would love any advice 🥰
I agree! Sheep info is really hard to find. We have 11 and will be going into our third lambing season soon and I still feel very new to it. We even have The Ohio State Vet school close and they are still not as familiar with sheep as I'd like. I feel like we're flying blind half the time. Do you guys use barn cameras for lambing, if not how often are you checking your ewes? Have you ever tried lambing in later spring for better weather? (Greg Judy's timline?)
I get a lot of motivation from watching any of your videos as they all relate to home & family. Your cooking is so inspirational as it seems to be mostly locally sourced, from scratch and very wholesome. I would love to learn more on how to utilize bulk, homegrown and locally sourced ingredients💓 you always seem to add adequate fat and protein and it’s so encouraging in a world of “low fat”!
By the way, your honey marshmallows were such a hit in my home! I’m shocked to say that NONE of them went to waste! Thank you Elliot family for sharing all you do!
What’s the best method to preserve herbs and vegetables. After losing all my tomato plants to blight last year I want to have a bigger stock ready. We currently have a dehydrator and two large freezers but we are considering getting a freeze dryer.
I'm not sure this is the spot to send this, I'm not great with Tech, but my husband said I should write to you- not a question- but encouragement after your last FB post about not taking stuff so seriously. Frankly I'm overjoyed that you're going to be sharing more of your personal thoughts with us. I'm super excited for unfiltered Shaye, because I've often thought, "If we lived closer, we'd be best friends!". I'm just on the other side of the mountains from you, in Sultan. I know you've passed through out little town, I've seen our highway in some of your videos.
I joined your homesteading adventure back when you were in Alabama and it was largely your posts that convinced me I COULD live out my Laura Ingalls dreams, even in the 21st century! I'm so eternally grateful to you for that. It's changed everything about our family life.
Now we sit here on our 10 acre homestead, homeschooling 5 children with a classical Christian curriculum, and I know there is so much more I could learn from you! I've so often wanted to hear more about those "triggering" topics- more about homeschooling, more about Stuart's opinions on classical education, more about how you seek to raise your children in the care and admonition of the Lord, how does that play out in your church life- what are your views on children in worship and what methods do you find helpful for disciplining and molding a young child's heart? The dreaded topic of "vaccination"? And of course, any info on butchering is appreciated- we've only done small animals, ducks, rabbits and turkeys thus far. But next year we are starting on pigs.
Mostly I want to know more of your personal opinions, even if we do disagree over things. Because that's how it is with friends- you don't always agree, but your love for them, makes you interested in knowing them intimately. Your philosophy of life, your utter joy in seeking out and creating beauty, is infectious and it has completely changed the atmosphere of our household.
So that's my word of encouragement to you, and my request- that you stop censoring yourself, that you let us see those posts you held back for fear of the rage of pathetically-small-minded trolls, that you continue to share your personal thoughts on life and family and Christ. You are impacting people's lives for good, in ways you may not ever know this side of glory.
I would actually love to hear your advice for homesteading families wanting to start entrepreneurial endeavors to make a living from the homestead. I am a stay-at-home homeschooling mom and my husband currently works in the medical field, but things are getting really rough out there and we are working on a plan to eventually be able to support ourselves from our homestead or some other entrepreneurship. I don't even know what specifically to ask... How do we find the venture that is right for us? Are there some avenues that are better than others? How do we start? We would greatly appreciate any wisdom you can share.
And I am so excited about this new platform! The farther away from mainstream, the better! 👏👏
Yes! Same here. Actually, it’s exactly the same except my husband is the chief of police in our town. Would love to hear her wisdom on transitioning him home!
I would say God first drew me to it, spoke clearly to my heart that it was time to unplug more from main stream, begin to slow down and actually live how He created us to live. I believe the more we progress in technology and fast paced living, the further we get from being true to our purpose on the earth. You and Justin Rhodes were one of the first homesteading accounts I started following 2019/2020... you spoke to my heart about the simplicity of serving Christ through the everyday tasks, that is what I was searching and hungry for. Then God led my family to more and more healthy eating, thus healing my gut which then led to raising/slaughtering our own meat chickens last year, and buying baby goats for our own milk in 2023!! Can’t wait to join your cooking community ❤️
Cooking with less popular cuts of meat and dealing with large quantities of veggies
Hello! I am still looking for good info on knife sharpening! I got 4 of the Kamikoto knives for Christmas and I’ve never owned such a glorious cutting instrument! I want to keep them SHARP!
Yes, I'd love know proper sharpening methods foe knifes, including serrated ones like a bread knife and a pruning saw
Great questions, all. Thank you! I will have Stuart address these in his coming email.
I am curious how you learned about butchering the animals that you raise for meat? My husband and I would love to raise meat chickens but I don't know what sources are reputable for learning how to butcher properly. Thank you!
I echo Claye!
I believe she said they took a workshop with @farmsteadmeatsmith in a video or on the podcast. But I would love to also learn more about it too!
I'd love to know about your ducks too! No one around us butchers ducks so we have to do it ourselves if we want them. You once shared on Insta stories the process and it was so helpful but I didn't think to take notes.
Yes, please.
Shaye, I would some more in-depth info on your walk in fridge/cold storage. Pictures and how Stew constructed it. I apologize if this info is already somewhere, if it is I would love to be directed to it!
I absolutely loved your video on curing bacon. Anything with that theme would be wonderful. Also, how to start having a less toxic diet, house, etc. I have been trying to learn but theres so much information I got overwhelmed and don't know where to start without spending hundreds of extra dollars and tossing half my house. How to talk to a butcher is another one. I have a high reactivity to yeast so i cant do fermented or sourdough so more healthy things that dont inclide that. My husband said bees keeping and making money.
How do you navigate bumper crops vs. epic garden fails? Do you always have that bit of extra put back and preserved to account for crummy years? We are thinking about getting a freeze dryer to avoid the gaps. Is that a viable option?
It's a simple one, but I would love to learn how to roast my own coffee. I know you guys do that so I'm sure you have great advice for a newbie.
Yes! I would love to learn this too!
Firstly I want to say how much I love how bold you are in your faith and how you pursue God in every aspect of your life! I'd love to know what your advice would be to a young couple who is just starting on the journey of wanting to homestead. What's the best way to manage debt, and what is your advice for how much land you might need for a small farm such as yours? What verses do you lean on when you feel like throwing in the towel? We live in town now, I garden in our backyard and at my parents and we are getting chickens this year for the first time! Just 8 laying hens.
Thanks so much for doing this, you guys! You're amazing and I appreciate the time and effort you've put into The Elliott Homestead.
I am late to this...had to think on it a bit. I'd love to see what you do (and how) with spent hens (just stocks/soups/chicken & dumplings? Or sausage? I'd also love to learn how to grow cilantro in big magical bunches like you see at the grocery store - mine always look promising and then they bolt! And finally, while I nearly always used only butter/olive oil as fats, I'd love some suggestions on what to pop popcorn kernels in!
How to honor then get past the depressing “what’s the point of this struggle” feelings of homesteading, especially when no one else around you or in your family homesteads
Raising and butchering lambs! How you got started, what is needed to raise them on pasture, basic care needs, and the nitty gritty how-to on butchering. Please!
I may need to turn this into an entire post for you all. There's so much information about this it'll be tricky to do it in this format. Stay tuned for more!
I echo this, except that we don’t have enough pasture to sustain lambs fully.
All of your videos are so inspiring to me. I work full time in an office, my husband is a full time landscaper, however my dream is to one day buy a house on some land. I want to grow and raise our own food (as much as we can), raise our kids, and work from home. This dream seems so far away. My main question is how do you quit your job and make an income working at home? What are different ways you can bring in some cash for the family? I'd like to hear your story on how you decided to live the life you do now and how I can get there?
Also, who feeds your animals when you travel?
This is late to the game, but maybe for the next Q&A? I'm wondering about essential oils, and do you still use them? You used to mention them and do videos about them but I haven't seen/heard anything in quite some time so was just wondering if you still do much with them or have turned to other things for health!
I would love to hear how you created the mindset of supporting local farmers and artisans. I feel so inspired and ready to pay until a certain dollar amount and then shy away once things get “pricey”, which fluctuates. Deep down I want to put my money into the pockets of those who are (simply) not large corporations but the (less) dollars sometimes speak louder than my intentions. I have two broiler chickens from a farm literally 7 miles from my house in an online cart, yet I am having a tough time “justifying” spending $30 on a bird.
Also, how do you make tongue taste good. Not just tongue, I used that for alliteration - but any unconventional meat . I am interested in starting raising rabbit, duck, and chicken this year on our newly purchased “farm”, but want to make use of every cut of meat. And, frankly, I’ve never eaten rabbit before! Eventually the goal is larger animal, but I need to amp up my home cook skills if I am going to raise meat on our 2 acre plot of land!
Thanks!
How the heck do I get my kids to eat a variety of vegetables, if I'm going to homeschool them what should I be teaching at this age if anything. What do I do with them when I'm doing farm chores (1 & 3yr old, husband drives a tractor 12 hours a day)... sigh
Your Appreciated
How did you plan out the best use of your property to fit your needs? We have 6 acres split by a busy road. The very large barn, pastures, hay field, shop and grain bins are on one side and the house and gardens are on the other. We have extra barn space, an almost empty loft, and two empty working grain bins. I'd like to better use what our farm has to offer but I'm not sure how. Could any of these things work well for a fridge/cool room? Our biggest problem is not having storage for what our garden produces.
GREAT question, we just moved onto 22 acres and honestly I'm feeling paralyzed by all the OPTIONS! :-D
I am a new blogger just getting started, any insights, things to avoid or things that you wished you had known just starting out would be great. Blessings to you and your family!
I'm in a place right now where I'm overworked and overwhelmed. My time in the kitchen is pretty much nothing and we're not eating as well as we should. I need nourishing, almost no effort ideas for meals.
What if we can't have a farm or homestead right now, but we really long for that farm life....what are some ways that we can still incorporate that style of living right where we are today?
I would love to know how you balance all the work and the kids. I only have two boys (4 and 1) and they are so full on. Even just the allotment can feel like an uphill struggle. How did you cope in the early days when they were little? Would love any advice 🥰
Sheep! We’d love to get a couple of lambs in the spring to raise to butcher and know absolutely nothing about sheep except they’re delicious.
I agree! Sheep info is really hard to find. We have 11 and will be going into our third lambing season soon and I still feel very new to it. We even have The Ohio State Vet school close and they are still not as familiar with sheep as I'd like. I feel like we're flying blind half the time. Do you guys use barn cameras for lambing, if not how often are you checking your ewes? Have you ever tried lambing in later spring for better weather? (Greg Judy's timline?)
And is there any chance you ever do farm tours for locals?
I get a lot of motivation from watching any of your videos as they all relate to home & family. Your cooking is so inspirational as it seems to be mostly locally sourced, from scratch and very wholesome. I would love to learn more on how to utilize bulk, homegrown and locally sourced ingredients💓 you always seem to add adequate fat and protein and it’s so encouraging in a world of “low fat”!
By the way, your honey marshmallows were such a hit in my home! I’m shocked to say that NONE of them went to waste! Thank you Elliot family for sharing all you do!
Also, I guess I created a “newsletter” lol. Didn’t mean to, just followed the prompts😆
What’s the best method to preserve herbs and vegetables. After losing all my tomato plants to blight last year I want to have a bigger stock ready. We currently have a dehydrator and two large freezers but we are considering getting a freeze dryer.