I keep adding on to my gardens because I love to grow food and flowers but I also work full time and have had back problems. I am finally working on, (it's a constant process) , giving myself permission to enjoy a day off with my husband. If the plants survive or thrive, if they get harvested or rot, if they are given away or preserved for us, the goal is to enjoy the process. I want to escape TO my garden, not feel like I need to escape FROM my garden.
Thanks for sharing. As you were talking about considering hunting as recreation, I was reminded of my own struggle for validation. Many people around me assume that I grow things for fun. I thoroughly enjoy growing things, but I'm not doing it just because it's fun. I grow things to provide quality food for my family. Some people don't understand why I don't just buy my food at the store.
No big revelations here. I sensed it for some time. It is good that you both like doing the same things and can talk things out logically. While having a couple both participate in homesteading is not unique, it is also not common. There is a reason my channel is "DIY". I do most everything on our homestead, including the processing. I admire that you two find a way to work together. With that being said, sometimes one person needs to have an income type of job while the other does the homesteading. If it works, then it is all good. Every homesteader WILL experience burnout. I haven't seen one that didn't, though some will not admit to it. I deal with it myself and still need to make some adjustments. I will lay out one simple fact... if you homestead, you better plan to have other income coming in. A homesteader cannot pay taxes, utilities, mortgage, auto expenses, insurance, and misc other bills by selling a few plants at a farmer's market. Furthermore, while you can grow enough food to feed yourself, you cannot grow everything you will need. You will still need to go to the market. Some viewers know that UA-cam is part of your income. That is really a no-brainer. That too takes an enormous amount of time that people might not understand. However, in your situation, it really is a priority because it pays a lot of the expenses. Over time, UA-camrs become dependent on that revenue and homesteading becomes secondary, or in a lot of cases, simply props for videos. I've seen it on many channels. There simply is not enough time to be able to do both completely. Don't get me wrong; I am not criticizing. Just stating observations about several channels. There is nothing wrong with UA-cam channels to help pay for other things a person wants to do. As I said; the income has to come from somewhere. It didn't take me very long to figure out that making UA-cam videos was taking too much time away from homesteading and adding stress to my life. I may still do an occasional video, but if it is a choice between getting a crop in or doing a video, it is an easy decision for me to make because I am not dependent on UA-cam revenue. Nobody makes money on UA-cam by only doing a handful of videos. Their algorithms will hide you. You must EARN the privilege to have views by cranking out regular videos. I am sure you guys figured that out early on. In one respect, not having a lot of views was a good thing for me. I would have felt obligated to crank out videos otherwise. Furthermore, I am not an entertainer; I teach things that work and get on with the work. Kinda boring to most, unless somebody really needs that information. Most do not. Many like to watch videos like reality TV. My channel will never fit into that bracket. If you can teach and be entertaining, that is a good combination. Regardless if your channel is for entertainment purposes by many viewers or if they see it as a teaching tool, just so long as you create balance in your life it will not matter. If it works for you, it is all good. All the best.
YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!! I'M 64 AND RETIRED NEVER DID ANY GARDNING BEFORE BUT LISTENING TO YOU MADE ME WANT TO START DOING AND BEEN TRYING ALL KIND OF SEEDS AND EVEN GOT BEAUTIFUL 🥔 HOPPING TO LEARN LOTS MORE.
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I've been in major burnout for the past few months. Even dreading putting in a garden. I have a very small homestead - 1/2 acre - and 5 chickens, but I've been constantly at it since April 2020 when I decided I would need to go back to doing the things we did when my parents were raising me. If that's not enough I'm almost 70 and don't have the energy I used to have so I've had to learn to pace myself. I'm going to follow your advice and identify my why, what, when, and where. I'm guessing you'll have so many comments you probably won't read this, but it has been so helpful just to do this comment. Thank you!
I get it I've been gardening/canning/preserving for 40 years. We finally got our small, rural property almost 10 years ago now. I'm slowing down much faster than I anticipated and just keeping up with it all seems burdensome most days. I joined a CSA last year which meant I was only gardening things I really wanted. The rest came from the weekly fresh produce we got in our CSA boxes. That was amazing, and I found that this years I will get half shares. Getting help means hiring someone when you are rural and that is limited by available income. We are going to let some spaces we tried to plant, go back to nature. You just have to be flexible in your planning. Not every choice made is a permanent decision on how to do something.
Hello, I just learned to can two years ago. Put in my first garden last year (20x50). Last year I planted so many different things but was unable to get enough of one kind to can. Also, a few vegetables I planted cant be canned. It was a steep learning curve. This year I will grow what I can can. Anything extra I want, I will buy at a farmers market.
I have said nothing to you two before, but I have been wondering just how long it would be before you would come out with a video like this one. It took a massive heart attack and my being life-flighted for heart surgery for me to get it through my thick skull that I needed to slow down. I was a full-time caregiver to a 86-year-old with Alzheimer's, I had a successful ranch in Colorado, over 1,000 laying hens, farmers markets every Saturday where I sold countless dozens of eggs. I also had cattle, goats, cats, pigs, and guard dogs. My husband died (US Navy), he hated hard work, my 3 grown kids wanted nothing to do w/farming ranching and they lived in CA, IL and TN. I had intense chest pains in November 2020 so I drove myself to the ER (no one around to take me), was air lifted and had heart surgery. It took over a year for me to get my strength back. God had told me many times to slow down but I told Him, "I have too much to do." What a brat! Long, short, I am 77 years young, I rent a lovely Victorian cottage in the Appalachian VA hills, I live alone, I have time for God. He loves me, I love Him, and we fellowship nonstop. DO NOT LET IT TAKE A HEART ATTACK FOR YOU 2 TO settle down. Sell it all if you have to, love God, life your life because as you can see, everything around the world is turning into horse manure. Love & Blessings. Sally Merrell, a nice Italian girl originally from New Jersey.
So glad you pulled through. I had open heart surgery 4 yrs ago at only 58 yrs young! It also took me almost 2 yrs to recover. Stay positive young lady, stay positive and close to GOD daily enjoy reading your Bible. And remember, the Scriptures fore told world events in our time at 2 Timothy 3: 1-5.
God Bless you Sister, I do to much to and my body can sure feel it and I am like you no help it do just about all if it myself too, I have slowed down some and I do have time for God that u didn't use to have this world is getting so bad so I have been trying to perpair for that. Take care and God Bless 🙌
I worked like a workaholic man for decades and broke my back but still didn’t stop until I broke my neck. Females - even really strong ones-just aren’t made for some physical work. Then I had to finally deal with my PTSD that caused my crazy worklife. Now I’m 56 and finally feel like I’m living my best life. Even though that includes pain management because of my stubbornness.
Congratulations on the daughter that got engaged. I'm companion planting this year. Hopefully things grow well. I am trying out 2 new plants I have never grown before. I am using the 12 in planter thingy you posted a few years ago that you shared with us from Amazon.
I have experienced burn out twice in my life. I recognized that you guys were in it last fall. I was afraid to say any thing as some people would get really offended. I am so happy you got through it. I think all of you "tubers" need to take at least two weeks completely off every year. Hire a farm sitter and get out of town. Winter is the time to dream the dream of the next season. Also Mexico is great in the winter Oh yes. I am really good at getting myself spread too thin. This is another brilliant video. You have given me a good reminder to review and don't get strung out too thin. Thanks and God bless.
This was so good! I’m in burnout mode as well....just too much to do and take care of. I decided to look at the homestead and home in totality and ask the question ......is this item or this chore/process serving me or am I serving it? I have let go of a lot of things by really evaluating this question. And I have added things that bring me joy and peace. This really applies to everything in life not just a homestead.
I love this video, it all makes sense, so thank you both. I’ve been watching for 3 yrs. now, but I’ve gone back and watched all your videos, I’ve learned a lot. Bless you and your family❣️
I love that you divided your work seasonally. How helpful this was for me. I'm retired, but we live on an acreage and try to grow many plants for our use. Just starting enough plants for my garden can be overwhelming because I lack so many helpful tools. You can bet that I will be sitting down with pen and paper and making a seasonal list. If you knew how I love list making, you'd know how exciting this video was for me. God bless you both and enjoy your new priorities!
Burnout is real in a lot of different scenarios. I’m a nurse and 29:26 burnout got me too. It happens when you just run out of enough you to handle everything that’s going on in your life. Thanks so much for describing your experiences with burnout and the great way that you found to work through it. My solution was pretty easy…I retired. My age was right and we could live easily on my husbands income. That left me time to take care of my daughter’s medical nightmare (at the time) and gather myself back together. Burnout can be catastrophic and in my case, it was the loss of my vocation which defined who I am. Good for you that you were able to get priorities back into focus and be satisfied with your results. Proud of you💕
I'm glad you 2 realize that burnout is real. A few years ago I quit my job of 20+ years planning to take the summer to figure out what direction I wanted to take with my life... before summer was over I wound up going to the emergency room and from there I found out I had cancer. I spent last year having surgeries and chemo. I've spent most of this year recovering from the side effects of chemo. I'm feeling better every day but I know I'll not get back to 100% again. I'd settle for 75%. Getting older doesn't help but I know many other women my age and older that get more accomplished. This is a ME year. That may sound selfish but I have to prioritize what I can and want to do. Making my bucket list a reality is hard because I truly never know what is going to happen tomorrow but I look forward to seeing it every day! I hope you two take time to sneak a vacation in every year. It's hard with animals I know but you should get a couple of weeks to see what's happening off the homestead. Even if it's one week at a time
Very cool video. It's fascinating to hear about and contemplate all of these seasonal things you do to make a successful homestead. It clearly involves a lot of planning and hard work, and it's not just some romantic "back-to-the-land" adventure a lot of channels make it out to be. Thank you both for staying positive and keeping things so very real.
Wow this was a great video. I needed this. My young sons have an egg business and now it has turned into selling chicks to friend also. I house sat for someone this past winter and they payed me in pigs. 3 females and 1 male. We are planning on butchering and feeding our family I love what you said about not getting into to much. And I think I'm on the edge. thank you for the talk down I know you guys do so much and I still don't see how you manage it all. God bless thank you for sharing and teaching us.
I learned many years ago that turning your joyful hobby into a business takes the joy out of it. I am a crafter. Wood projects and art paintings. But when I started selling these items that were popular and profitable it became work. I no longer enjoyed my creative outlet.
Thank you! I love that you shared this video and this topic. Burnout on anything is real, and people still don't recognize that it's okay to remove the "burdens" to make your life more enjoyable in what you do. I'm not really a homesteader, but I do grow a huge garden. I'm already not looking forward to all the work that needs to be done. My husband is a huge help, but for the most part it's MY thing. I've been thinking on what I want to do versus what "needs" to be done to get the garden going and have decided to go simple this year. Instead of growing all the things I'm only growing what I enjoy growing this year. This thought process alone has already boosted my enthusiasm for my garden.
Good video thank you, I know what you are saying. I am glad to have met you last week. I had come down to Missouri thinking I was going to get started on some of my plans and realized that I needed too head back north to the old drawing board and rethink some of my plans. Until next time God bless.
Thank you for this episode. Burnout happens, your response is totally sound for everyone not just homesteaders. You two look happy and for me that is everything. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. It definitely is real. What I find is that I start to shut down, nothing gets done except the essentials, and then I start beating myself up about it. Most times I do a small job that i can finish and it kick starts me, but not always. I look around and I just want to finish jobs! LOL. But I also realized that cutting myself some slack is important...the job will still be there tomorrow and I will get it done when it gets done. In the meantime, I prioritize. Thanks again.
We had 64.5 acres over a year ago now that we raised quarter horses on had cows, goats, barn cat, and chickens. We at mid-life decided it was too much with my husband being a disabled Veteran and sold it all except for my two german shepherds and went RVing for a year. Then family needs came into play so we turned around and bought 10 acres to build another homestead, then with covid and building that too was delayed so we then bought this 5 acres with home to homestead until we are ready to sell this and build on the 10 acres. We have been busy building an area for our garden also a coop and have been raising baby chickens since Feb. they are almost 3 months old now. Can't wait for fresh eggs again.
Great video ❤ Totally agree with all you shared. When things become too much and the joy is gone, that’s not good. To love what we do is a wonderful blessing. None of us are getting any younger so tweaking our lifestyle is a must. Weed out what doesn’t work and focus on what does. Blessings to you ❤
When I first started to homeschool many years ago I got burned out too. Because of health sake I had to quit homeschooling for about 6 years. When I was well enough I started to homeschool again but with lessons learned. I took a much better and easier approach to homeschooling the second time around and didn't get burned out. I think the same thing could be applied to homesteading. Once you get burned out, it is hard to recover from it. Do what you can on the homestead, it really doesn't matter how things "look" on your homestead. Just do the important things, stay on the critical path like water, food, heat, and shelter.
Kevin and Sarah, thank you for being so open and detailed, sharing burnout experiences. I easily find myself doing the same with both personal and entrepreneur endeavors. I could easily see myself making the same mistakes as yall as we dive deeper into ranch lifestyle. There's an infinite amount of aspirations, I want to try as many as possible. Realistically not likely. I have enough to fill 10 lifetimes 😅 Everything y'all talked about for income is exactly what's on my ranch list. Speaking about how much time pig farrowing alone and finding home for piglets was an eye opener for me. I will be mindful when and if I go that route. I don't want to spend all ranch time, personally and professionally on pigs 🐖 Same principal applies to many other routes and animals of course. I have most of my priorities listed out but hearing perspectives and experiences like y'all's are good refreshers, constantly re-evaluating mine. Time will tell of what future holds and to experimenting with experiences. I feel burnout now trying to transition from city to land. Easy to do so when working city job but blessed nonetheless 🙏🏻 I feel in waves as I am currently trying to establish and build passive income, not be so reliant on earned income city job 🏙️ I recently felt similar to Sarah in ways how some of personal aspirations getting lost when putting so much to professional. When I became self aware last month, I planted some sunflower seedlings in a pot on porch 🌱 🌻 hearing her speak in video is fresh reminder to plant more flowers while sunflowers grow 🪻🍀🌼 Thank you!!! Blessed be from our ranch family to thee. This is definitely a video I will rewatch and reflected from in the future ✨ Da Boholistic Ranch 🌈🍃🐾👣🌌
I love your videos. I may not need to for I have farmed and gardened my whole life. Maybe showing the other ways to keep/preserve your foods as you do. Thank you. God bless.
Thank you for sharing. You made me tired with everything you were doing. Be proud. That care of yourself first. I love your videos. Lu guys from Dartmouth Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️❤️😍😍😍
Thank you for sharing your testimony. I been farming for years and working part time. I’m also in the burn out mode. Thank you for your inspiration. May God bless you and your family. Misty Galyean
Thank you so much for sharing this! Our goal is always working towards self sufficiency & raising healthy food for our family alone. I have often felt so overwhelmed with just that goal. Adding to our garden and food preservation each year is exciting and sometimes daunting. My husband and I have enjoyed your videos for about 2 years now and I’ve often wondered what is wrong with me that I can’t do 1/2 of what “my homesteaders” online do. This video comes at a very poignant time for me. I’m really happy for you guys & as always super appreciate your teachings! God bless 💗
We as a family almost went thru burnout. But thru our weekly discussions about the past week and next week looking forward it really helped everyone that was involved be happy so to speak. Main things we focused on was to try to divide chores up to where each person was doing what they liked to do the best we could. Now after 40 years and 400 plus acres and other investments we can hand it down to our family and hopefully keep the development going. It actually never ends but you have to have down time, no excuses. Blessings to you all.
Absolutely! Like Covid, burnout also massively affects the immune system. In the past, I have gone through burnout, which also triggered shingles and mycoplasma pneumonia. Worst I have felt in my life! Could not even keep food down and hurt too much to sleep. Really difficult to recover from! You really have to learn how to take care of and prioritize yourself, in order to avoid the burnout in the first place. Love seeing Sarah and Kevin understanding and helping each other do that!
I enjoy the teaching. I quit watching 1 channel because the MAN was so superior "you better pay attention to what I'm telling you". Not look at this & see how this works, like u 2 do. U explain what u expect to happen, when it does & doesn't work & what to do to next. U admit when u take too much on, & what & where u want to cut back. U give me a lot to share with dad (he's difficult at times to talk to, he's an old farmer & modern stuff irritates him).
Funny, exactly what God was showing me in the last three years. Burnout is real so learning to put ambitious ideas on the shelf to look at later is so critical. This energizer bunny lost her charge as a result of moving long distance twice in one year, and the isolation of the last two years. I also was not eating well due to the stress and my body near died after I developed refeeding syndrome trying to gain some weight. I am crawling out of the hole with God's help, with professionals and the kindness of our neighbors. This is an important topic to bring to the homesteading community, thank you. I will recover cause I know Jesus has my back and the value of this lesson has given more than I could ever have imagined. Thanks again for sharing
I truly enjoy your channel you two are very inspiring how you work together how you adapt and adjust your plans to fit what's best for your family and for your viewers and just your overall Journey. I love that you keep it real for us because life isn't easy and sometimes you do have to take a moment and rethink things and perhaps turn a different corner to get you to where you truly want to be. thank you for all that you do. thank you for inspiring me. I'm not a homesteader but I do have a nice little garden and I learn a lot from watching what you do it helps me to be better and to plan as well and to admit sometimes this isn't working let's try something else.
At 76, our age is a limiting factor, so we concentrate on feeding our selves and a little we give to others. Edible and sustainable landscaping is our emphasis, seeking low maintenance solutions since we have arthritis and back issues. Our ignorance of the industrial agri-business that has crept into our grocery stores has done it's long term affect. Living off social security, our gardening, and some casual paying hobbies is what we do to survive. You might think of planning ahead to scale back towards semi-retirement. Life can be chaotic, one never knows what's next. If I were in your shoes, I would think about scaling back in the mid 60's. Maybe some of your kids wants to continue your life style. The legal stuff to figure out takes time. Plan now, don't make the mistakes we did.
Your previous video about this issue really made me think and no longer feel guilty about doing less - thanks! Off subject, I'm presuming, but did you build your deck on your house??
Thank you so much for sharing all your information and advice with us the subscriber. One question you did not address that I have, I don't know if anyone else does but I was wondering if you were not doing UA-cam and making videos is there something that you would invite back into your life that would take up that time? I asked because I was wondering how much time you contribute to putting videos together to how much time you're actually working around on your farm. If there are any other UA-camrs out there that are making videos that have any ideas time frame wise I'd be interested to hear what you have to say. Thank you for all you do.
Have you considered investing more in perennial food production? For example, you replant kale, chillis and peppers every year, when it is very possible to overwinter these plants year after year and reduce the amount of planting you need to do every year. And you plant alot of salads every year, but have you considered devoting a section of your land to alternative perennial greens? Various berries, asparagus, rhubarb, garlic, radiccho, horse radish, globe artichokes, lovage and watercress are all perennial options. The more time you invest in self seedings and perennial plants, the more they produce. Whilst they might not yield a great harvest the year you first plant, after a period of time- they can produce a reliable harvest for relatively little maintenance and effort. One homesteader/farmer I know was told by his father- to devote an extra portion of space to a new fruit or vegetable every year and every year, more and more of his food will be grown with relatively little effort on his behalf. Apart from being a source of food... these could also be a supply of baby plants for you to sell.
hey, maybe you can go fishing and catch a mess or two. well, don't forget to video it, great addition to your channel. you have been a blessing to me whether wins or losses. you always say GOD bless, well we hope and pray GOD blesses you more and more. thanks.
You mention hatching eggs. I have a few questions. What breed of chickens are your hatching eggs from? How much do you sell your eggs for? Will they ship ok to Texas? What percentage of shipped eggs are likely to hatch?
Very few of the UA-camrs use their children in performing the chores on the homestead and teaching them such valuable lessons. Never understood that? No disrespect is meant, I’m a regular to your channel, keep up the transparency, it a good witness for the Lord. “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”🎉
I know it is hard for you guys but maybe find a local person to take care of your animals and take a vacation it is good for the soul and it will hopefully bring you back rested and ready for all your work.
We buy grass fed 1/2 beefs from a local farmer, perhaps you should sell your beef directly to friends and/or neighbors. They deliver the steer to the slotter house, we tell the slotter house how we want it cut up. We pay the farmer for 1/2 the steer and then we pay the slotter house for processing. The beef is by far the best we have ever had, so tender and delicious, well worth what we pay. I think we paid about $1300 for half a beef then add to that the slotter house expense, it is still cheaper than buying at a local supermarket, and it tastes so good. The farmer can't sell us beef legally so by buying 1/2 the steer we are able to get around the FDA rules.
I totally understand where you’re coming from. I want to work in my garden more this year so I decided no babies this year!! Brooding take up time I’d rather put into my garden this year. I have plenty of feathered animals for this year😂🥰
I'm pleased to hear that you will be taking time for yourselves to do the things you enjoy. Passing the reins to others to do is sometimes the hardest best thing you'll ever do. Congratulations to you 🎉
Well done! You remind me of my great aunt and uncle, who were farmers. They sold their farm, built a new home on property across the road, then did what they enjoyed...bee keeping and gardening for food, as well as raising a couple of pigs and a heifer for meat... They went from fulltime farming to homesteading in their 70's😊
OK, so this was really helpful and encouraging! Thank you! While I don't have a real "Homestead," what i do have is about 1/4 acre of fenced back yard (out of an acre yard) where I have a small "in ground" garden, 2 raised beds, and a small greenhouse. Also, 14 laying hens. My husband passed ( I say he "went Home") in 2021 and now I have family living with me, including my 92 year old mom. My days are filled with what I should do, what I must do, what I can or cannot accomplish... and even home and yard upkeep that my husband used to do for me. With property upkeep and with 1/4 acare "mini homestead,", I have been bordering on burn out. Thank you for the SAGE advice and encouragement. Today, I take my cup of morning coffee to the swing with a pen and paper and I prioritize... and that may be all I do. :) Giving myself the day off!
What do you two do for recreation - for fun and relaxation? Animals require constant care. Do you ever get “away” time? It’s really hard when all there is is work and more work.
Our Family experienced this last year, and we have really learned to prioritize and admit to ourselves it is ok to not be able to do everything; and it is ok to take a break sometimes.
I've been watching your UA-cam videos for years now and have followed you through from one property to the other and happy to see that, through it all your A-Team and you truly are inspiring to me. God bless you from Garden Grove California and may God continually watch over you and you're incredible beautiful family. Even at 59 years old, I pray my fiance and I can acquire a piece of property and a homestead of our own and start a legacy for her kids.
This video could not have come at a more perfect moment. I’ve been struggling a lot lately with burnout. Mostly due to the fact that I work as a nurse still and am trying very hard to make my homestead/farm become profitable so I can stay home. I have over extended myself in so many different directions and now realize how detrimental that is. Thank you so much for sharing this! ❤
I am in the same boat! Work full time as a nurse but would love to leave the profession and be a full time homesteader. I just need to put my plan in place and figure out what is best for me and my family and go that direction. Homesteading is my passion and I love how much better I feel feeding my family real food. Balance is hard
Same here. I work 12 hour private duty night shifts which means I have been known to garden by flashlight. We have a backyard homestead with several garden beds, chickens and rabbits. Will be building a greenhouse and new rabbit cages this weekend. It certainly doesn’t leave much time for cleaning or fun. Lol! I did cut my shifts down to only three a week though.
ROFL...we nurses are running from society - why is that? I'm retired so I'm not chasing the rainbow at the end, but for all of you taking on this endeavor while you are working - I tip my nursing hat to you!!!
You know that probably a large number of your viewers are not and will never be Homesteaders. But everything you teach can be applied to all family units. Goal planning, making lists, taking time to understand what is important to reaching the goals and knowing to identify what is not as important, these are all skills that apply to every situation. I am a single person who learns something from you all of the time. You are so good at what you do.
Thank you for this video, now I’ve got to show it to hubby. We’ve been struggling the past 6-7months as well. We love this lifestyle but we’ve had to pull back & re-evaluate as well but we’ve felt so guilty. Thanks for affirming that it’s ok to admit you can’t “do it all”.
Absolutely! But I so love your bees... and Miss Daisy! And the pups... and the new chicken tractor... sigh!💕 Oh! And I really liked the way you figured out how to break up that block of wax!!! Thank you for sharing your story with all of us! Blessings on your day Kiddo!🥰🌻🐛🙏💕
The one thing that helped me with burnout was finding a hobby I enjoyed on the farm. I now collect wildflowers and press them into books ❤ I also collect sticks and other wild wonders as a side hobby besides farming 😊 blessings
I clearly understand burnout what I have found does help it's just a manage your time a little better in the things that you do I live in Australia and I am raising cows pigs sheep and meat chickens I believe securing your own food sources very important also any access livestock that I get through breeding which does help financially because animals do eat a lot of food I don't think a lot of people understand that animals do take up a lot of time and they are very hard work looking after recently I took on the task of breeding my meat chickens and incubating their eggs it might take a little bit more time to what I was doing throughout the day but I love it even though it's a bit of hard work just seeing little baby chickens hatch makes my day or seeing a cow being born or a sheep being born I don't mind little piglets but they take a lot of work and wear me out very fast but as I said I think it's about time management and always making sure that you leave time for yourself just to do something different
Never feel guilty about planting flowers along with your veg. They feed the soul. So nice that the two of you can adjust your goals and workload as a team.
This was a really good video. I've often wondered how you do it all. I do understand that it can be difficult to ask for help and it's good to hear that you are now getting help that will free you up to live a fully rounded life. Kevin and Sarah you remain my favorite homesteaders and t's been a joy to see you grow through this whole process. God's blessings! btw...I do like your new website. 🙂
Good for you! As much as we'd like to, we can't do everything. I'm getting into my later sixties, and I just can't do what I used to. I think it's wise to know your limits and preserve your mind body and soul for the future. God has certainly blessed you in your endeavors! 💜 And through you, me as well.
My hubby (on a much smaller scale) is “driven” for a lack of a better term. He can’t “sit still”, and sometimes I’m afraid I’ll find him dead somewhere in the yard. 😞 He works at least 60 hours a week at his job, and then the weekends are consumed with “projects” that at least in his mind need to be done. He’s turned our yard into a Better Homes and Gardens show place; but the personal cost has been high. He REALLY wants to buy some property; but I hesitate, because it’s “something bigger” to attend to. I often have just said to him “it’s time to stop for today, honey, you’ve done enough”. To his credit, he seems to be relieved, because to be honest, I don’t know if he has his own “brakes”. In the spring/summer, he is outside on nice days, or driving himself inside the house, on rainy ones. I’m retired (older than him by 8 years), and home all the time; but if I clean the house (for example) on Friday, he’ll go along behind me of a rainy Sunday AND RE CLEAN, which drives me insane! Did I say he has OCD, in spades? Smiling, sadly. We were at Lowe’s last Sunday and a couple walked by, saw our cart, and he said, “guess you’ve got him busy for awhile”. I said “not me, he drives himself”. It’s not enough he’ll get a project done, but then he’ll think “it would be better” doing this or that, and before I know it, he’s pulling it apart!! We do talk a lot about ways for me to save him from himself, and he’s always open to my interventions, but honestly it’s exhausting! I could clean the house every week, and do do my share; but IF I didn’t he’d just do “it all”, which isn’t going to happen as long as I live. I always tell him “you know there’ll be plenty of time for you to clean after I’m dead”, but that doesn’t seem to register. 😢 So, women who think I have it “made” with my hubby, don’t really know the cost of living with a man who’s driven to work, work, work! And I worry about what he’ll be like in retirement! Suggestions anyone???
Music. He needs an guitar and lessons to get started. My son at 13, now 36, has the similar need to be busy at all times. Learning and playing guitar has been a life saver for him. Can’t hurt to try!
@Dori Fraser Dori, thanks for the response! I don’t want to change him at all, would just like him to slow down a wee bit, before doing it all to “perfection” kills him. Yes, it stems from his childhood, but it goes back further … lol it’s in his genes. His mum, and several uncles are all the same way! So, I just let him go, sit with him, whilst he goes around the yard, and on occasion bring his focus back to us. Of late, I’m thinking of saying I’d like Sunday afternoons to go to the Pedlars Mall, or just for a long drive, just to get him away from it all. He’s inspired me to have a huge garden, preserve, can, and freeze way more than I ever have, which given the way the world is, turns out to be a very good thing. Lol Have a blessed day!!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can say the burnout will come again as you allow different things back into your schedule. 33 years on our little farm has taught me to keep it as simple as possible allowing time for other fun things in your life. May God continue to Bless Your Family.
This video came at an opportune time. We’ve been thinking hard about getting a few pigs, but hadn’t made the jump yet.. we were thinking Guinea hogs or something smaller and more manageable. Our idea for pigs came up because My cow drowns us in milk when she is lactating. I’ve been selling a little locally, making all of the butter I could, but end up letting the excess clabber and feed it to my chickens. I have a large garden, and have toyed with the idea of selling at the farmer’s market, but then I’d need a tent, and tables, and have my garden inspected by the Farmer’s Market coordinators. We have a small herd of registered cattle, sold a few calves and a few cows that didn’t fit what we are striving for, I have chickens and sell eggs, but the market has slowed down because everyone (I presume) has bought their own chickens due to the recent crazy egg prices, so I’m swimming in eggs also. I have incubated and sold some chicks this year, last year I bought and hatched turkey eggs and sold all but one that we ate for Christmas. I bought a freeze dryer, but am not one of the lucky ones to have it work right out of the box, so am working with the company and working on it, when I can spare the time.. I am definitely going into a bit of burnout. My days start before the sun is up, and it seems that I blink and it is already afternoon…. Day after day after day. I am living my dream, but it is at times like being on a hamster wheel..
So glad you are taking time to get back to your main priorities. Before we moved back to a small town, we were involved in volunteering for everything and anything in the 55+ community we lived in. It got to be too overwhelming and we are so much happier living where we can just live our retirement years enjoying what we really like to do and not what everyone expects of us. It’s so easy to get caught up in things and before you know it you have no “me” time. God bless you both.
Not to mention all the rules in a 55 plus community. I want out from the HOA. they're bringing in tons of surveillance along with 5G fiberoptics. Not good. Seems like they're moving us into a smart city.
I going through one too! My husband is now a ex husband. Didn't wanna talk to me without being mad at me. You two are happy with what you do, that's how it's going to work better. Air change from city to country. You are two teachers that made your own world 🎉 even more cooking shows! God bless you too!❤
I can totally relate to your situation. I hope that you get on track. I always wanted to be a Farmer's wife. THAT never worked out for me. Now I have a mini Homestead. Just a little under 5 acres. More than enough for my purposes. I've got a partner/boyfriend. We've been together for 37 years. It's like a mismatched team of horses. One pulling one way, one pulling the other way. So I can relate to you. Just do what you have to do. We don't talk much. I hate wasting 37 years. I don't want to waste 37 years. So I focus on my land and house. I own it, and I try to include him in everything. Sometimes it's like walking on eggshells. I wish you well. GOD bless
@@ritamccartt-kordon283 the saddest thing about possibly wasting 37 years, is that next year it will be 38 years. Sometimes goodbye is a second chance. The ABSOLUTELY BEST TIME to plant a tree, was 10 years ago... the SECOND BEST time to plant a tree, is TODAY. There is nothing worse than compounding an error just because we have so much time invested. Wish you well.
@@ritamccartt-kordon283 Rita, it’s never wasted time. You’ve learned more about what you’d like vs what you don’t like, in a mate. I spent 26 years with my first husband, and when I finally decided “we were done”, was the most freeing thing I’ve ever felt. Like you, we were playing at being married/parenting; but it was like I was playing hockey in Canada, and he was playing football in the US. We weren’t even in the same game, or in the same inning. Then my dad got sick. I was in my early 40’s he was in his early 80’s. I remember thinking, you’re half done life Bella, if you get to live as long as your dad, and you’ve been unhappily married to entirely the wrong man. To not change that would be so sad. It was in that moment, that he had to go, quietly into that dark night, but go just the same. My happiness wasn’t contingent on anyone but me, and once you get there, the world opens up to a million possibilities. My life only went up from there, and I’m so happy I didn’t give him one more second of ME. I hope I’ve helped. Is it scary going it alone? To be sure; BUT give it over to God, and when the time is right he will send whom you’re meant to be with … just be ready, and accept your life may change. Hugs and Good Luck.
@@miguelfilo962 some women see love in a man, with a hug or even looking at her like no another person did. Love isn't always for the person and red flags are not seen tell out of the Relationship. Heart ♥ goes out to you! It all gets better with time.
I went throught this two years ago and made some really similar changes. I dropped a breeding program, and also let go of some of my plans for sharing food in the community too. And as a treat, hiring a gardener to come in once a week to maintain the non production parts of the property. Just to stick to what is manageable.
We too have a landscaper take care of the front of the property. Without that, we'd probably have a modest herb garden and a few things in containers. That is, we would not have the time or energy to do it all. It has been a great decision.
Folks don't realize how much work "homesteading" is. Even if you just do a couple extra things as a hobby of sorts stuff like a large garden and firewood become all consuming.
I keep adding on to my gardens because I love to grow food and flowers but I also work full time and have had back problems. I am finally working on, (it's a constant process) , giving myself permission to enjoy a day off with my husband. If the plants survive or thrive, if they get harvested or rot, if they are given away or preserved for us, the goal is to enjoy the process. I want to escape TO my garden, not feel like I need to escape FROM my garden.
Thanks for sharing. As you were talking about considering hunting as recreation, I was reminded of my own struggle for validation. Many people around me assume that I grow things for fun. I thoroughly enjoy growing things, but I'm not doing it just because it's fun. I grow things to provide quality food for my family. Some people don't understand why I don't just buy my food at the store.
No big revelations here. I sensed it for some time. It is good that you both like doing the same things and can talk things out logically. While having a couple both participate in homesteading is not unique, it is also not common. There is a reason my channel is "DIY". I do most everything on our homestead, including the processing. I admire that you two find a way to work together. With that being said, sometimes one person needs to have an income type of job while the other does the homesteading. If it works, then it is all good.
Every homesteader WILL experience burnout. I haven't seen one that didn't, though some will not admit to it. I deal with it myself and still need to make some adjustments.
I will lay out one simple fact... if you homestead, you better plan to have other income coming in. A homesteader cannot pay taxes, utilities, mortgage, auto expenses, insurance, and misc other bills by selling a few plants at a farmer's market. Furthermore, while you can grow enough food to feed yourself, you cannot grow everything you will need. You will still need to go to the market.
Some viewers know that UA-cam is part of your income. That is really a no-brainer. That too takes an enormous amount of time that people might not understand. However, in your situation, it really is a priority because it pays a lot of the expenses. Over time, UA-camrs become dependent on that revenue and homesteading becomes secondary, or in a lot of cases, simply props for videos. I've seen it on many channels. There simply is not enough time to be able to do both completely. Don't get me wrong; I am not criticizing. Just stating observations about several channels. There is nothing wrong with UA-cam channels to help pay for other things a person wants to do. As I said; the income has to come from somewhere. It didn't take me very long to figure out that making UA-cam videos was taking too much time away from homesteading and adding stress to my life. I may still do an occasional video, but if it is a choice between getting a crop in or doing a video, it is an easy decision for me to make because I am not dependent on UA-cam revenue. Nobody makes money on UA-cam by only doing a handful of videos. Their algorithms will hide you. You must EARN the privilege to have views by cranking out regular videos. I am sure you guys figured that out early on. In one respect, not having a lot of views was a good thing for me. I would have felt obligated to crank out videos otherwise. Furthermore, I am not an entertainer; I teach things that work and get on with the work. Kinda boring to most, unless somebody really needs that information. Most do not. Many like to watch videos like reality TV. My channel will never fit into that bracket. If you can teach and be entertaining, that is a good combination.
Regardless if your channel is for entertainment purposes by many viewers or if they see it as a teaching tool, just so long as you create balance in your life it will not matter. If it works for you, it is all good.
All the best.
Very good advice and observations.
YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!! I'M 64 AND RETIRED NEVER DID ANY GARDNING BEFORE BUT LISTENING TO YOU MADE ME WANT TO START DOING AND BEEN TRYING ALL KIND OF SEEDS AND EVEN GOT BEAUTIFUL 🥔 HOPPING TO LEARN LOTS MORE.
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I've been in major burnout for the past few months. Even dreading putting in a garden. I have a very small homestead - 1/2 acre - and 5 chickens, but I've been constantly at it since April 2020 when I decided I would need to go back to doing the things we did when my parents were raising me. If that's not enough I'm almost 70 and don't have the energy I used to have so I've had to learn to pace myself. I'm going to follow your advice and identify my why, what, when, and where. I'm guessing you'll have so many comments you probably won't read this, but it has been so helpful just to do this comment. Thank you!
I’m so burned out right now. I needed to hear this
I get it I've been gardening/canning/preserving for 40 years. We finally got our small, rural property almost 10 years ago now. I'm slowing down much faster than I anticipated and just keeping up with it all seems burdensome most days. I joined a CSA last year which meant I was only gardening things I really wanted. The rest came from the weekly fresh produce we got in our CSA boxes. That was amazing, and I found that this years I will get half shares. Getting help means hiring someone when you are rural and that is limited by available income. We are going to let some spaces we tried to plant, go back to nature. You just have to be flexible in your planning. Not every choice made is a permanent decision on how to do something.
What is CSA?? Sounds like a cooperative?? Very interested in developing these within localities.
Hello, I just learned to can two years ago. Put in my first garden last year (20x50). Last year I planted so many different things but was unable to get enough of one kind to can. Also, a few vegetables I planted cant be canned. It was a steep learning curve. This year I will grow what I can can. Anything extra I want, I will buy at a farmers market.
When you have a loving partner to walk in this life together with, when you have the same goals, with the same game plan, life is so much better
I love your homestead/business/it's ok mindset. Keep teaching, I love learning.🥰
Family first. Celebrate the gifts given to you that you share and celebrate the decisions to stay balanced..
Your continued vulnerability and humility are inspiring to me and my family. Thank you so much for sharing.
Im almost in tears just listening to this. Thank you guys. This video came out at the right time for me. Spot on guys
I have said nothing to you two before, but I have been wondering just how long it would be before you would come out with a video like this one. It took a massive heart attack and my being life-flighted for heart surgery for me to get it through my thick skull that I needed to slow down. I was a full-time caregiver to a 86-year-old with Alzheimer's, I had a successful ranch in Colorado, over 1,000 laying hens, farmers markets every Saturday where I sold countless dozens of eggs. I also had cattle, goats, cats, pigs, and guard dogs. My husband died (US Navy), he hated hard work, my 3 grown kids wanted nothing to do w/farming ranching and they lived in CA, IL and TN. I had intense chest pains in November 2020 so I drove myself to the ER (no one around to take me), was air lifted and had heart surgery. It took over a year for me to get my strength back. God had told me many times to slow down but I told Him, "I have too much to do." What a brat! Long, short, I am 77 years young, I rent a lovely Victorian cottage in the Appalachian VA hills, I live alone, I have time for God. He loves me, I love Him, and we fellowship nonstop. DO NOT LET IT TAKE A HEART ATTACK FOR YOU 2 TO settle down. Sell it all if you have to, love God, life your life because as you can see, everything around the world is turning into horse manure. Love & Blessings. Sally Merrell, a nice Italian girl originally from New Jersey.
So glad you pulled through. I had open heart surgery 4 yrs ago at only 58 yrs young! It also took me almost 2 yrs to recover. Stay positive young lady, stay positive and close to GOD daily enjoy reading your Bible. And remember, the Scriptures fore told world events in our time at 2 Timothy 3: 1-5.
You are amazing! Thank you for sharing your inspirational story.
God Bless you Sister,
I do to much to and my body can sure feel it and I am like you no help it do just about all if it myself too, I have slowed down some and I do have time for God that u didn't use to have this world is getting so bad so I have been trying to perpair for that. Take care and God Bless 🙌
@@RIODJENIRO1 yes 2 Tim 3:1-5 ❤
I worked like a workaholic man for decades and broke my back but still didn’t stop until I broke my neck. Females - even really strong ones-just aren’t made for some physical work. Then I had to finally deal with my PTSD that caused my crazy worklife. Now I’m 56 and finally feel like I’m living my best life. Even though that includes pain management because of my stubbornness.
You all had the house business which didn't help. We did the same thing with 2 houses. It does work out. Lv and Prayers to all!
Congratulations on the daughter that got engaged.
I'm companion planting this year. Hopefully things grow well. I am trying out 2 new plants I have never grown before. I am using the 12 in planter thingy you posted a few years ago that you shared with us from Amazon.
This is a wonderful video. It is useful not only for Homestead Burnout, but for prioritizing life in general. Thank you.
I have experienced burn out twice in my life. I recognized that you guys were in it last fall. I was afraid to say any thing as some people would get really offended. I am so happy you got through it. I think all of you "tubers" need to take at least two weeks completely off every year. Hire a farm sitter and get out of town. Winter is the time to dream the dream of the next season. Also Mexico is great in the winter Oh yes. I am really good at getting myself spread too thin. This is another brilliant video. You have given me a good reminder to review and don't get strung out too thin. Thanks and God bless.
This was so good! I’m in burnout mode as well....just too much to do and take care of. I decided to look at the homestead and home in totality and ask the question ......is this item or this chore/process serving me or am I serving it? I have let go of a lot of things by really evaluating this question. And I have added things that bring me joy and peace. This really applies to everything in life not just a homestead.
Wisdom comes with time and experience. Well done 👍
I love this video, it all makes sense, so thank you both. I’ve been watching for 3 yrs. now, but I’ve gone back and watched all your videos, I’ve learned a lot. Bless you and your family❣️
So happy 😁 you all put this awesome plan together!! We must enjoy life! We just downsized also! Oh what a feeling! 🥰🥰🙏🏿✝️
I love that you divided your work seasonally. How helpful this was for me. I'm retired, but we live on an acreage and try to grow many plants for our use. Just starting enough plants for my garden can be overwhelming because I lack so many helpful tools. You can bet that I will be sitting down with pen and paper and making a seasonal list. If you knew how I love list making, you'd know how exciting this video was for me. God bless you both and enjoy your new priorities!
Burnout is real in a lot of different scenarios. I’m a nurse and 29:26 burnout got me too. It happens when you just run out of enough you to handle everything that’s going on in your life. Thanks so much for describing your experiences with burnout and the great way that you found to work through it. My solution was pretty easy…I retired. My age was right and we could live easily on my husbands income. That left me time to take care of my daughter’s medical nightmare (at the time) and gather myself back together. Burnout can be catastrophic and in my case, it was the loss of my vocation which defined who I am. Good for you that you were able to get priorities back into focus and be satisfied with your results. Proud of you💕
I'm glad you 2 realize that burnout is real. A few years ago I quit my job of 20+ years planning to take the summer to figure out what direction I wanted to take with my life... before summer was over I wound up going to the emergency room and from there I found out I had cancer. I spent last year having surgeries and chemo. I've spent most of this year recovering from the side effects of chemo. I'm feeling better every day but I know I'll not get back to 100% again. I'd settle for 75%. Getting older doesn't help but I know many other women my age and older that get more accomplished. This is a ME year. That may sound selfish but I have to prioritize what I can and want to do. Making my bucket list a reality is hard because I truly never know what is going to happen tomorrow but I look forward to seeing it every day!
I hope you two take time to sneak a vacation in every year. It's hard with animals I know but you should get a couple of weeks to see what's happening off the homestead. Even if it's one week at a time
Very cool video. It's fascinating to hear about and contemplate all of these seasonal things you do to make a successful homestead. It clearly involves a lot of planning and hard work, and it's not just some romantic "back-to-the-land" adventure a lot of channels make it out to be. Thank you both for staying positive and keeping things so very real.
Wow this was a great video. I needed this. My young sons have an egg business and now it has turned into selling chicks to friend also. I house sat for someone this past winter and they payed me in pigs. 3 females and 1 male. We are planning on butchering and feeding our family I love what you said about not getting into to much. And I think I'm on the edge. thank you for the talk down I know you guys do so much and I still don't see how you manage it all. God bless thank you for sharing and teaching us.
I learned many years ago that turning your joyful hobby into a business takes the joy out of it. I am a crafter. Wood projects and art paintings. But when I started selling these items that were popular and profitable it became work. I no longer enjoyed my creative outlet.
always glad to view you when I open my computer.....good job....thanks
Thank you! I love that you shared this video and this topic. Burnout on anything is real, and people still don't recognize that it's okay to remove the "burdens" to make your life more enjoyable in what you do. I'm not really a homesteader, but I do grow a huge garden. I'm already not looking forward to all the work that needs to be done. My husband is a huge help, but for the most part it's MY thing. I've been thinking on what I want to do versus what "needs" to be done to get the garden going and have decided to go simple this year. Instead of growing all the things I'm only growing what I enjoy growing this year. This thought process alone has already boosted my enthusiasm for my garden.
Good video thank you, I know what you are saying. I am glad to have met you last week. I had come down to Missouri thinking I was going to get started on some of my plans and realized that I needed too head back north to the old drawing board and rethink some of my plans. Until next time God bless.
I love your focus on balance and sharing the thoughtful planning of your goals. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for this episode. Burnout happens, your response is totally sound for everyone not just homesteaders. You two look happy and for me that is everything. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. It definitely is real. What I find is that I start to shut down, nothing gets done except the essentials, and then I start beating myself up about it. Most times I do a small job that i can finish and it kick starts me, but not always. I look around and I just want to finish jobs! LOL. But I also realized that cutting myself some slack is important...the job will still be there tomorrow and I will get it done when it gets done. In the meantime, I prioritize. Thanks again.
there are many reasons why society has moved away from "homesteading". hope yours much success.
We had 64.5 acres over a year ago now that we raised quarter horses on had cows, goats, barn cat, and chickens. We at mid-life decided it was too much with my husband being a disabled Veteran and sold it all except for my two german shepherds and went RVing for a year. Then family needs came into play so we turned around and bought 10 acres to build another homestead, then with covid and building that too was delayed so we then bought this 5 acres with home to homestead until we are ready to sell this and build on the 10 acres. We have been busy building an area for our garden also a coop and have been raising baby chickens since Feb. they are almost 3 months old now. Can't wait for fresh eggs again.
Great video ❤ Totally agree with all you shared. When things become too much and the joy is gone, that’s not good. To love what we do is a wonderful blessing. None of us are getting any younger so tweaking our lifestyle is a must. Weed out what doesn’t work and focus on what does.
Blessings to you ❤
This is an extremely important video for so many people. Thank you both so much and God-bless you!!!! ❤
When I first started to homeschool many years ago I got burned out too. Because of health sake I had to quit homeschooling for about 6 years. When I was well enough I started to homeschool again but with lessons learned. I took a much better and easier approach to homeschooling the second time around and didn't get burned out. I think the same thing could be applied to homesteading. Once you get burned out, it is hard to recover from it. Do what you can on the homestead, it really doesn't matter how things "look" on your homestead. Just do the important things, stay on the critical path like water, food, heat, and shelter.
Kevin and Sarah, thank you for being so open and detailed, sharing burnout experiences.
I easily find myself doing the same with both personal and entrepreneur endeavors. I could easily see myself making the same mistakes as yall as we dive deeper into ranch lifestyle. There's an infinite amount of aspirations, I want to try as many as possible. Realistically not likely. I have enough to fill 10 lifetimes 😅
Everything y'all talked about for income is exactly what's on my ranch list. Speaking about how much time pig farrowing alone and finding home for piglets was an eye opener for me. I will be mindful when and if I go that route. I don't want to spend all ranch time, personally and professionally on pigs 🐖 Same principal applies to many other routes and animals of course.
I have most of my priorities listed out but hearing perspectives and experiences like y'all's are good refreshers, constantly re-evaluating mine. Time will tell of what future holds and to experimenting with experiences.
I feel burnout now trying to transition from city to land. Easy to do so when working city job but blessed nonetheless 🙏🏻 I feel in waves as I am currently trying to establish and build passive income, not be so reliant on earned income city job 🏙️
I recently felt similar to Sarah in ways how some of personal aspirations getting lost when putting so much to professional. When I became self aware last month, I planted some sunflower seedlings in a pot on porch 🌱 🌻 hearing her speak in video is fresh reminder to plant more flowers while sunflowers grow 🪻🍀🌼
Thank you!!! Blessed be from our ranch family to thee. This is definitely a video I will rewatch and reflected from in the future ✨
Da Boholistic Ranch 🌈🍃🐾👣🌌
I love your videos. I may not need to for I have farmed and gardened my whole life. Maybe showing the other ways to keep/preserve your foods as you do. Thank you. God bless.
Thank you for sharing. You made me tired with everything you were doing. Be proud. That care of yourself first. I love your videos. Lu guys from Dartmouth Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️❤️😍😍😍
Thank you for sharing your testimony. I been farming for years and working part time. I’m also in the burn out mode. Thank you for your inspiration. May God bless you and your family. Misty Galyean
Fantastic video guys! I really learned a-lot; even though I do not homestead, it makes me wish I could.
Thank you so much for sharing this! Our goal is always working towards self sufficiency & raising healthy food for our family alone. I have often felt so overwhelmed with just that goal. Adding to our garden and food preservation each year is exciting and sometimes daunting. My husband and I have enjoyed your videos for about 2 years now and I’ve often wondered what is wrong with me that I can’t do 1/2 of what “my homesteaders” online do. This video comes at a very poignant time for me. I’m really happy for you guys & as always super appreciate your teachings! God bless 💗
We as a family almost went thru burnout. But thru our weekly discussions about the past week and next week looking forward it really helped everyone that was involved be happy so to speak. Main things we focused on was to try to divide chores up to where each person was doing what they liked to do the best we could. Now after 40 years and 400 plus acres and other investments we can hand it down to our family and hopefully keep the development going. It actually never ends but you have to have down time, no excuses. Blessings to you all.
Some of it could be that y'all haven't gotten over and rested up after covid. Takes a long time to get over that
Absolutely! Like Covid, burnout also massively affects the immune system. In the past, I have gone through burnout, which also triggered shingles and mycoplasma pneumonia. Worst I have felt in my life! Could not even keep food down and hurt too much to sleep. Really difficult to recover from! You really have to learn how to take care of and prioritize yourself, in order to avoid the burnout in the first place. Love seeing Sarah and Kevin understanding and helping each other do that!
You've explained it to us.
Now you gotta understand it for us.
😂❤
I enjoy the teaching. I quit watching 1 channel because the MAN was so superior "you better pay attention to what I'm telling you". Not look at this & see how this works, like u 2 do. U explain what u expect to happen, when it does & doesn't work & what to do to next. U admit when u take too much on, & what & where u want to cut back. U give me a lot to share with dad (he's difficult at times to talk to, he's an old farmer & modern stuff irritates him).
I have indeed learned lots of gardening stuff. You guys use common sense, and not this newfangled fancy stuff that doesn't really work. Thank you! 🙏
Funny, exactly what God was showing me in the last three years. Burnout is real so learning to put ambitious ideas on the shelf to look at later is so critical. This energizer bunny lost her charge as a result of moving long distance twice in one year, and the isolation of the last two years. I also was not eating well due to the stress and my body near died after I developed refeeding syndrome trying to gain some weight. I am crawling out of the hole with God's help, with professionals and the kindness of our neighbors. This is an important topic to bring to the homesteading community, thank you. I will recover cause I know Jesus has my back and the value of this lesson has given more than I could ever have imagined. Thanks again for sharing
You are human. Glad by the grace of God, that you realize your limitations
Excellent, thank you !!!
I truly enjoy your channel you two are very inspiring how you work together how you adapt and adjust your plans to fit what's best for your family and for your viewers and just your overall Journey. I love that you keep it real for us because life isn't easy and sometimes you do have to take a moment and rethink things and perhaps turn a different corner to get you to where you truly want to be. thank you for all that you do. thank you for inspiring me. I'm not a homesteader but I do have a nice little garden and I learn a lot from watching what you do it helps me to be better and to plan as well and to admit sometimes this isn't working let's try something else.
Great teaching video. Glad you’re being kinder to yourselves because you do work very hard.
At 76, our age is a limiting factor, so we concentrate on feeding our selves and a little we give to others. Edible and sustainable landscaping is our emphasis, seeking low maintenance solutions since we have arthritis and back issues. Our ignorance of the industrial agri-business that has crept into our grocery stores has done it's long term affect. Living off social security, our gardening, and some casual paying hobbies is what we do to survive. You might think of planning ahead to scale back towards semi-retirement. Life can be chaotic, one never knows what's next. If I were in your shoes, I would think about scaling back in the mid 60's. Maybe some of your kids wants to continue your life style. The legal stuff to figure out takes time. Plan now, don't make the mistakes we did.
Your previous video about this issue really made me think and no longer feel guilty about doing less - thanks! Off subject, I'm presuming, but did you build your deck on your house??
Thank you so much for sharing all your information and advice with us the subscriber. One question you did not address that I have, I don't know if anyone else does but I was wondering if you were not doing UA-cam and making videos is there something that you would invite back into your life that would take up that time? I asked because I was wondering how much time you contribute to putting videos together to how much time you're actually working around on your farm. If there are any other UA-camrs out there that are making videos that have any ideas time frame wise I'd be interested to hear what you have to say. Thank you for all you do.
Have you considered investing more in perennial food production? For example, you replant kale, chillis and peppers every year, when it is very possible to overwinter these plants year after year and reduce the amount of planting you need to do every year. And you plant alot of salads every year, but have you considered devoting a section of your land to alternative perennial greens? Various berries, asparagus, rhubarb, garlic, radiccho, horse radish, globe artichokes, lovage and watercress are all perennial options. The more time you invest in self seedings and perennial plants, the more they produce. Whilst they might not yield a great harvest the year you first plant, after a period of time- they can produce a reliable harvest for relatively little maintenance and effort. One homesteader/farmer I know was told by his father- to devote an extra portion of space to a new fruit or vegetable every year and every year, more and more of his food will be grown with relatively little effort on his behalf. Apart from being a source of food... these could also be a supply of baby plants for you to sell.
hey, maybe you can go fishing and catch a mess or two. well, don't forget to video it, great addition to your channel. you have been a blessing to me whether wins or losses. you always say GOD bless, well we hope and pray GOD blesses you more and more. thanks.
A fun challenge is to reduce admin and work from high maintenance animals, plants etc. And strategising for resilience to ill health/flu etc.
Wow glad u got out of it!!
You mention hatching eggs. I have a few questions. What breed of chickens are your hatching eggs from? How much do you sell your eggs for? Will they ship ok to Texas? What percentage of shipped eggs are likely to hatch?
Very few of the UA-camrs use their children in performing the chores on the homestead and teaching them such valuable lessons. Never understood that? No disrespect is meant, I’m a regular to your channel, keep up the transparency, it a good witness for the Lord. “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”🎉
I know it is hard for you guys but maybe find a local person to take care of your animals and take a vacation it is good for the soul and it will hopefully bring you back rested and ready for all your work.
We buy grass fed 1/2 beefs from a local farmer, perhaps you should sell your beef directly to friends and/or neighbors. They deliver the steer to the slotter house, we tell the slotter house how we want it cut up. We pay the farmer for 1/2 the steer and then we pay the slotter house for processing. The beef is by far the best we have ever had, so tender and delicious, well worth what we pay. I think we paid about $1300 for half a beef then add to that the slotter house expense, it is still cheaper than buying at a local supermarket, and it tastes so good. The farmer can't sell us beef legally so by buying 1/2 the steer we are able to get around the FDA rules.
I totally understand where you’re coming from. I want to work in my garden more this year so I decided no babies this year!! Brooding take up time I’d rather put into my garden this year. I have plenty of feathered animals for this year😂🥰
Daylight to dark thirty 7 days a week. It is hard work.
Having to make Videos for You Tube takes up a lot of time. That needs to be spent running the Homestead.
I'm pleased to hear that you will be taking time for yourselves to do the things you enjoy.
Passing the reins to others to do is sometimes the hardest best thing you'll ever do.
Congratulations to you 🎉
Well done! You remind me of my great aunt and uncle, who were farmers.
They sold their farm, built a new home on property across the road, then did what they enjoyed...bee keeping and gardening for food, as well as raising a couple of pigs and a heifer for meat...
They went from fulltime farming to homesteading in their 70's😊
OK, so this was really helpful and encouraging! Thank you! While I don't have a real "Homestead," what i do have is about 1/4 acre of fenced back yard (out of an acre yard) where I have a small "in ground" garden, 2 raised beds, and a small greenhouse. Also, 14 laying hens. My husband passed ( I say he "went Home") in 2021 and now I have family living with me, including my 92 year old mom. My days are filled with what I should do, what I must do, what I can or cannot accomplish... and even home and yard upkeep that my husband used to do for me. With property upkeep and with 1/4 acare "mini homestead,", I have been bordering on burn out. Thank you for the SAGE advice and encouragement. Today, I take my cup of morning coffee to the swing with a pen and paper and I prioritize... and that may be all I do. :) Giving myself the day off!
What do you two do for recreation - for fun and relaxation? Animals require constant care. Do you ever get “away” time? It’s really hard when all there is is work and more work.
Our Family experienced this last year, and we have really learned to prioritize and admit to ourselves it is ok to not be able to do everything; and it is ok to take a break sometimes.
I'm burned out... on trying to renovate a doublewide so we can BEGIN to homestead!! 😂
I love how well you can communicate with each other! You are a great team and there is no shame in asking for a little help. Blessings, Texas Deb 😊
I've been watching your UA-cam videos for years now and have followed you through from one property to the other and happy to see that, through it all your A-Team and you truly are inspiring to me. God bless you from Garden Grove California and may God continually watch over you and you're incredible beautiful family. Even at 59 years old, I pray my fiance and I can acquire a piece of property and a homestead of our own and start a legacy for her kids.
Getting tired of feeling overwhelmed! This was helpful, thanks.
Burnout is a big problem with many in the workforce, and especially with those who are self employed.
This video could not have come at a more perfect moment. I’ve been struggling a lot lately with burnout. Mostly due to the fact that I work as a nurse still and am trying very hard to make my homestead/farm become profitable so I can stay home. I have over extended myself in so many different directions and now realize how detrimental that is. Thank you so much for sharing this! ❤
I am in the same boat! Work full time as a nurse but would love to leave the profession and be a full time homesteader. I just need to put my plan in place and figure out what is best for me and my family and go that direction. Homesteading is my passion and I love how much better I feel feeding my family real food. Balance is hard
L
Same here. I work 12 hour private duty night shifts which means I have been known to garden by flashlight. We have a backyard homestead with several garden beds, chickens and rabbits. Will be building a greenhouse and new rabbit cages this weekend. It certainly doesn’t leave much time for cleaning or fun. Lol! I did cut my shifts down to only three a week though.
ROFL...we nurses are running from society - why is that? I'm retired so I'm not chasing the rainbow at the end, but for all of you taking on this endeavor while you are working - I tip my nursing hat to you!!!
32 year LPN with a bad back to prove it!! 🤪
You know that probably a large number of your viewers are not and will never be Homesteaders. But everything you teach can be applied to all family units. Goal planning, making lists, taking time to understand what is important to reaching the goals and knowing to identify what is not as important, these are all skills that apply to every situation. I am a single person who learns something from you all of the time. You are so good at what you do.
EXACTLY! ❤
Absolutely!
YES!
Great subject guys it really does happen
Totally agree.
Thank you for this video, now I’ve got to show it to hubby. We’ve been struggling the past 6-7months as well. We love this lifestyle but we’ve had to pull back & re-evaluate as well but we’ve felt so guilty. Thanks for affirming that it’s ok to admit you can’t “do it all”.
Absolutely! But I so love your bees... and Miss Daisy! And the pups... and the new chicken tractor... sigh!💕 Oh! And I really liked the way you figured out how to break up that block of wax!!! Thank you for sharing your story with all of us! Blessings on your day Kiddo!🥰🌻🐛🙏💕
The one thing that helped me with burnout was finding a hobby I enjoyed on the farm. I now collect wildflowers and press them into books ❤ I also collect sticks and other wild wonders as a side hobby besides farming 😊 blessings
Hi Destiny! God bless! That is a great idea about finding a hobby. :-)
@@church8042 god bless you my friend ❤️ hugs
Totally! You both are so level minded and so helpful.Too many people burn out and don't take the time to re-evaluate goals and priorities.Good job
Thank you for always bringing the honest lense to homesteading! This is very valuable and practical information and I appreciate your guidance.
I clearly understand burnout what I have found does help it's just a manage your time a little better in the things that you do I live in Australia and I am raising cows pigs sheep and meat chickens I believe securing your own food sources very important also any access livestock that I get through breeding which does help financially because animals do eat a lot of food I don't think a lot of people understand that animals do take up a lot of time and they are very hard work looking after recently I took on the task of breeding my meat chickens and incubating their eggs it might take a little bit more time to what I was doing throughout the day but I love it even though it's a bit of hard work just seeing little baby chickens hatch makes my day or seeing a cow being born or a sheep being born I don't mind little piglets but they take a lot of work and wear me out very fast but as I said I think it's about time management and always making sure that you leave time for yourself just to do something different
I burnt myself out , and it made me slow down and stop doing so much.
Never feel guilty about planting flowers along with your veg. They feed the soul. So nice that the two of you can adjust your goals and workload as a team.
This was a really good video. I've often wondered how you do it all. I do understand that it can be difficult to ask for help and it's good to hear that you are now getting help that will free you up to live a fully rounded life. Kevin and Sarah you remain my favorite homesteaders and t's been a joy to see you grow through this whole process. God's blessings!
btw...I do like your new website. 🙂
Excellent video! Thank you for sharing this. I'm not a homesteader but I think it's wonderful advice that can be applied to anyone's life and goals.
Good for you! As much as we'd like to, we can't do everything. I'm getting into my later sixties, and I just can't do what I used to. I think it's wise to know your limits and preserve your mind body and soul for the future. God has certainly blessed you in your endeavors! 💜 And through you, me as well.
My hubby (on a much smaller scale) is “driven” for a lack of a better term. He can’t “sit still”, and sometimes I’m afraid I’ll find him dead somewhere in the yard. 😞 He works at least 60 hours a week at his job, and then the weekends are consumed with “projects” that at least in his mind need to be done. He’s turned our yard into a Better Homes and Gardens show place; but the personal cost has been high. He REALLY wants to buy some property; but I hesitate, because it’s “something bigger” to attend to. I often have just said to him “it’s time to stop for today, honey, you’ve done enough”. To his credit, he seems to be relieved, because to be honest, I don’t know if he has his own “brakes”. In the spring/summer, he is outside on nice days, or driving himself inside the house, on rainy ones. I’m retired (older than him by 8 years), and home all the time; but if I clean the house (for example) on Friday, he’ll go along behind me of a rainy Sunday AND RE CLEAN, which drives me insane! Did I say he has OCD, in spades? Smiling, sadly. We were at Lowe’s last Sunday and a couple walked by, saw our cart, and he said, “guess you’ve got him busy for awhile”. I said “not me, he drives himself”. It’s not enough he’ll get a project done, but then he’ll think “it would be better” doing this or that, and before I know it, he’s pulling it apart!! We do talk a lot about ways for me to save him from himself, and he’s always open to my interventions, but honestly it’s exhausting! I could clean the house every week, and do do my share; but IF I didn’t he’d just do “it all”, which isn’t going to happen as long as I live. I always tell him “you know there’ll be plenty of time for you to clean after I’m dead”, but that doesn’t seem to register. 😢 So, women who think I have it “made” with my hubby, don’t really know the cost of living with a man who’s driven to work, work, work! And I worry about what he’ll be like in retirement! Suggestions anyone???
Music. He needs an guitar and lessons to get started. My son at 13, now 36, has the similar need to be busy at all times. Learning and playing guitar has been a life saver for him. Can’t hurt to try!
@@SeattleDonna206 great idea. I’ll ask him! Thanks for your comment. ❤️
@Dori Fraser Dori, thanks for the response! I don’t want to change him at all, would just like him to slow down a wee bit, before doing it all to “perfection” kills him. Yes, it stems from his childhood, but it goes back further … lol it’s in his genes. His mum, and several uncles are all the same way! So, I just let him go, sit with him, whilst he goes around the yard, and on occasion bring his focus back to us. Of late, I’m thinking of saying I’d like Sunday afternoons to go to the Pedlars Mall, or just for a long drive, just to get him away from it all. He’s inspired me to have a huge garden, preserve, can, and freeze way more than I ever have, which given the way the world is, turns out to be a very good thing. Lol Have a blessed day!!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can say the burnout will come again as you allow different things back into your schedule. 33 years on our little farm has taught me to keep it as simple as possible allowing time for other fun things in your life. May God continue to Bless Your Family.
This video came at an opportune time. We’ve been thinking hard about getting a few pigs, but hadn’t made the jump yet.. we were thinking Guinea hogs or something smaller and more manageable. Our idea for pigs came up because My cow drowns us in milk when she is lactating. I’ve been selling a little locally, making all of the butter I could, but end up letting the excess clabber and feed it to my chickens. I have a large garden, and have toyed with the idea of selling at the farmer’s market, but then I’d need a tent, and tables, and have my garden inspected by the Farmer’s Market coordinators. We have a small herd of registered cattle, sold a few calves and a few cows that didn’t fit what we are striving for, I have chickens and sell eggs, but the market has slowed down because everyone (I presume) has bought their own chickens due to the recent crazy egg prices, so I’m swimming in eggs also. I have incubated and sold some chicks this year, last year I bought and hatched turkey eggs and sold all but one that we ate for Christmas. I bought a freeze dryer, but am not one of the lucky ones to have it work right out of the box, so am working with the company and working on it, when I can spare the time.. I am definitely going into a bit of burnout. My days start before the sun is up, and it seems that I blink and it is already afternoon…. Day after day after day. I am living my dream, but it is at times like being on a hamster wheel..
Make cheese with the extra milk. It could also be lucrative.
Such a lot of sense and will help people like me who wonder why they are so tired all the time
So glad you are taking time to get back to your main priorities. Before we moved back to a small town, we were involved in volunteering for everything and anything in the 55+ community we lived in. It got to be too overwhelming and we are so much happier living where we can just live our retirement years enjoying what we really like to do and not what everyone expects of us. It’s so easy to get caught up in things and before you know it you have no “me” time. God bless you both.
Not to mention all the rules in a 55 plus community. I want out from the HOA. they're bringing in tons of surveillance along with 5G fiberoptics. Not good. Seems like they're moving us into a smart city.
I going through one too! My husband is now a ex husband. Didn't wanna talk to me without being mad at me. You two are happy with what you do, that's how it's going to work better. Air change from city to country. You are two teachers that made your own world 🎉 even more cooking shows! God bless you too!❤
I can totally relate to your situation. I hope that you get on track. I always wanted to be a Farmer's wife. THAT never worked out for me. Now I have a mini Homestead. Just a little under 5 acres. More than enough for my purposes.
I've got a partner/boyfriend. We've been together for 37 years. It's like a mismatched team of horses. One pulling one way, one pulling the other way. So I can relate to you. Just do what you have to do. We don't talk much. I hate wasting 37 years. I don't want to waste 37 years. So I focus on my land and house. I own it, and I try to include him in everything. Sometimes it's like walking on eggshells.
I wish you well. GOD bless
@@ritamccartt-kordon283 the saddest thing about possibly wasting 37 years, is that next year it will be 38 years.
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance.
The ABSOLUTELY BEST TIME to plant a tree, was 10 years ago... the SECOND BEST time to plant a tree, is TODAY.
There is nothing worse than compounding an error just because we have so much time invested.
Wish you well.
@@ritamccartt-kordon283 Rita, it’s never wasted time. You’ve learned more about what you’d like vs what you don’t like, in a mate. I spent 26 years with my first husband, and when I finally decided “we were done”, was the most freeing thing I’ve ever felt. Like you, we were playing at being married/parenting; but it was like I was playing hockey in Canada, and he was playing football in the US. We weren’t even in the same game, or in the same inning. Then my dad got sick. I was in my early 40’s he was in his early 80’s. I remember thinking, you’re half done life Bella, if you get to live as long as your dad, and you’ve been unhappily married to entirely the wrong man. To not change that would be so sad. It was in that moment, that he had to go, quietly into that dark night, but go just the same. My happiness wasn’t contingent on anyone but me, and once you get there, the world opens up to a million possibilities. My life only went up from there, and I’m so happy I didn’t give him one more second of ME. I hope I’ve helped. Is it scary going it alone? To be sure; BUT give it over to God, and when the time is right he will send whom you’re meant to be with … just be ready, and accept your life may change. Hugs and Good Luck.
I wonder what your ex husband has to say about you. Probably nothing good. There are 2 sides to every story, not just yours.
@@miguelfilo962 some women see love in a man, with a hug or even looking at her like no another person did. Love isn't always for the person and red flags are not seen tell out of the Relationship. Heart ♥ goes out to you! It all gets better with time.
Yep! I'm finding that anything can turn into burnout... lol. Even if it's fun, fulfilling, etc...
I think most of the people have the same problem, in the city.
I went throught this two years ago and made some really similar changes. I dropped a breeding program, and also let go of some of my plans for sharing food in the community too. And as a treat, hiring a gardener to come in once a week to maintain the non production parts of the property. Just to stick to what is manageable.
We too have a landscaper take care of the front of the property. Without that, we'd probably have a modest herb garden and a few things in containers. That is, we would not have the time or energy to do it all. It has been a great decision.
Folks don't realize how much work "homesteading" is. Even if you just do a couple extra things as a hobby of sorts stuff like a large garden and firewood become all consuming.