People used to comment to me frequently that growing food in my yard cost so much more than store bought. So one year I kept track of all the money I spent on the garden starting Jan 1st and then throughout the year, I weighed and noted the $ I would have spent on all the produce I was harvesting. By June I stopped because just harvesting the raspberries strawberries peas and lettuce I already saved more $ than what I had spent all year on the garden. And I hadn’t even gotten to all the other stuff I was growing. And all my food is so delicious and nutrient dense and organic. Well worth it! Great idea for a video!!
I do this during peak harvest times to justify the cost of the raspberry, strawberry, etc plants. It's crazy how much those higher dollar crops add up to. And they taste so much better than anything you could buy in the store, organic or otherwise.
Same, 35 pounds of red raspberries and 25 pounds of black raspberries add up. Also the sheer convenience of having food in your yard is not to be underestimated.
I don't have enough land to homestead but my garden has been such a boon to my mental health that it's been worth every penny just for that. I also enjoy having home grown food that's tastier and healthier and not full of junk. we still eat a lot of stuff from the store but each year I expand my garden and my cooking/baking skill sets to make more of our food at home ❤. It's been an invaluable experience for me
I clean all my Carrot Tops leaves really good and dice them up and put them in freezer bags. Because they're highly nutritious and I put them in soups throughout the winter😊
3 years ago gardening di NOT save money. I paid a lot for infrastructure and my produce was minimal, now I can say that fruit trees and good systems in place I am coming out on top
YES! if u keep a spreadsheet of all input costs and all output yields, you will know if a garden is a net loss or gain. I got $3,018 of free food above the costs put in this season. Spreadsheets don't lie. If anybody wants to know for sure, try it one season. This is my first season tracking EVERYTHING. i suspected i was at least breaking even in past seasons, but now i know..
Ps chickens are only a $500 net positive this season, no where near the garden value I mentioned previously, but still worth it for sure having day old eggs to eat
Not even started vid yet (0:01) and my answer is 'yes, worth it (if you got the time and ground), saves money? doupt it. But you get home grown and you know what you put into the soil. Family of 12? Absolutely (if you have the time and land). Or/and you make the tomato sauce, ketchup, herbs, stock and ... For me it's a hobby, growing what I can and harvesting what I can. Preserving is next step (why I watch this (and others)).
I can't stand how BEST y'all are. Okay, I can. Thank you for forward, not backward; consideration, not condemnation; reality, hope and preparation, not ideology, fear and something else I can't think of to add. 🙏🏾
I have a small garden and i grow so much food . My son recently moved into a small cottage with a big garden ( well big in Irish terrms ) the grass is about 200 feet long so i took on 100 feet of it. So far, I've 4 raised beds for growing and with a full time job, 12-hour shifts, it is hard to keep on top of. But what does it do for you physically and mentality you can't pay for. It gets me out into the fresh air, keeps my brain working im planning, organising, calculation making mistakes learning from them and always learning new things. Then the pleasure and achievement i get when picking the food I've grown and cooking it is amazing. Since I've had more space to grow and work on, i haven't watched TV. Maybe two hours a week, I spend a lot less time on my phone and im getting a lot more exercise and fresh air. I find its so easy in winter to just go to work then home, and do nothing .also as you get into growing vegetables fruits and of course flowers, it gets cheaper, collecting my own seeds , splitting plants, etc. Now you two do work extremely hard on your land. But for anyone who says you can't work full-time outside the home and grow your own believe me you can. I know a very long comment 😅😅
Hi Michelle, I don't know if you like parsley, but if you do, you CAN substitute carrot tops for parsley. I find it easier, and streamlines my garden plan for the other herbs that I use more of.
A lot of people misunderstand Acne. Always trying to find the perfect product. But there's an easier perspective that can allow you to treat yourself. Acne is simply an infection... on your skin! Mainly you just need to modify the skin "environment" (hydration and ph) for a beneficial bacteria to thrive. Different lotions and creams can have different fatty acid profiles, but ultimately everyone's biome is different and they just need to find one that is friendly. My family found that homemade apple cider vinegar worked great 🙂. It seemed the beneficial bacteria were just floating around in our house waiting to be used. The ACV change the environment, and really lots of different moisturizers worked well once using that.
When younger I had major problems with acne. The dermatologist finally gave up and told me to try brewer's yeast. It worked great. I found out nutrientional yeast works just as well. As an added bonus I found the b vitamins in the yeast helped control stress and my iron levels moderates
You know, I think you do a good job. I’m 78 years old and I always worked in my own garden. Did my grass cutting did my flowerbeds I did everything outside besides my housework cooking cleaning race three daughters put in through college and now they are RNs and we suffered a lot when our girls was little we were on no extra income. It’s just what I made and what he made but we did fine lotta love in our family. I see a lot of love in your family.
If you're a vegetarian ignore this comment...my friend was having issues with bunnies in his garden, I connected him with another friend who was looking for land to shoot on. He got free meat for a while and the garden started to grow again.
Where we live, it's so much more expensive. I'm watching some family really struggle to keep up with homesteading costs. We personally dipped our toes in and it was just so expensive. We live in the dry desert so you are heavily reliant on feed and you HAVE to water your garden and animals. Not to mention all the hoses you have to replace because the weather is so severe. My uncle raises cattle in Texas and it's the same. He says he doesn't do it to make money, otherwise, he wouldn't do it. He can only afford it because he made friends with a lawn care company that feeds his cows grass lol
NOT EVERY PLACE FIT FOR PLANT FARMING. like in desert, taiga, it's more like for animal farming. because only grass and moss and lichen that can grow. which is food for grazing animals like deer, caribou, camel, etc. and in coastal region, better be just fishing or fish farming. be rational. aware about our environment.
@DBT1007 There are all kinds of plants that grow everywhere. It's about working with the land and your surroundings not against it. There are ways to encourage aspects to better suit certain plants in any scenario. Maybe it's a greenhouse or the way you build your planter beds, using native plants, adding natives to help make your land more hospitable to others that may struggle. You can grow food in almost any climate, it just might be harder or different than you originally planned.
I think for our family the health benefits far outweigh the costs associated. While we have actually saved money this year, eating better has been our focus. This year I gardened with intention. Resourced bulk raw ingredients. (Game changer) We preserved (i learned to can and dehydrate.) I've cooked so much from scratch and have been using everything i can so there isn't waste . (I dry my carrot greens and put the powder in my pasta sauce, etc) We are so lucky that being hay farmers and my husband being a diesel mechanic we have bartered for a freezer full of beef, tons of veggies and soon we'll be adding local chicken. I haven't started making my own skin care projects just yet. I buy those every other year from a person who uses natural ingredients which has made my rosacea nearly non existent. Wishing you both and your family a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving. PS. Our mushrooms from the giveaway have grown awesome. I'll be dehydrating some for dishes and using some for cooking. My daughter has loved watching them grow. Her highlight in the morning is seeing if they have grown bigger. From the night before. What a fun experience it's been!
When we first started hunting we spent so much money on gear and we didn’t get an elk for 4 years. However since then we just spent money on tags and gas. It does take a lot of time though. I also like to garden- I haven’t spent much on it and it’s surprising easy to grow once you know how
I’ve had acne since becoming pregnant with my third baby and nothing would clear it up…till tallow came along. Just so interesting how everyone’s skin responds differently. Glad you were able to find something that works for you.
Yes me too I was so surprised! I’ve always had oily acne prone skin and tallow has been the only thing I’ve ever tried that cleared it up and keeps my face less oily
I'm on board with you both about saving money, using what you already have, making your own products. I'm always looking for ways to save money especially during the holidays. I also use hemp seed oil and aloe jell from my garden. Right now I'm going through my scrap card stock to make Christmas cards. I make all of my own cards for all occasions. I give gifts from my garden all throughout the year. I love both of your creative ideas. Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to your family.
You guys are doing a fantastic job! Love to see that there are still people who enjoy this kind of living. Not only are you saving money but by doing everything (most) from scratch also save you and your kids from all the chemicals, hormones and dyes that are being put in all our food. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Loving all the tallow products! We get all of ours from our Farmers Market. Our tallow deodorant consists of triple rendered 100% grass fed grass finished beef tallow, organic arrowroot starch, organic coconut oil, organic beeswax, baking soda, and essential oils. 🌞💜
It is more about the quality of the food and nutrients that is being grown, than whether cost effective. You cannot even compare the flavor difference of what you grow to that which you purchase in the store. Home grown wins all of these.
Love your videos. One reason people get dry skin in winter is from not enough vitamin D. I live in the north and up my vitamin D supplement in winter. It really helps with the dry skin. Thanks for your wonderful videos. Happy Thanksgiving!
Another Fabulous Video!!🥰 Your common sense & intelligence combined with your good hearts and souls - make for wonderful relatable teaching moments. More Than Farmers is on my Thanksgiving gratitude list❤ Thank You for being and doing You!! Wishing you both and your kids a Blessing filled Thanksgiving🤎🧡
We built our own chicken house years ago and one of the best things we did was to get a remanent piece of lanoleum and covered the whole floor before we started dividing up the walls between the chickens area from the storage area. It made cleaning easier plus added a little extra insulation. We've had our chicken house now for 12-15 years and it has hled up great. I would definitely use lanoleum again. Also the chickens would love those carrot tops. Love your videos!!
Great title, it got my attention and I can't wait to watch this after work. My thoughs on the big question is that it gives you more opportunity to trade time and energy into your own food systems. Either pay for it, work for it or a combination of both work and money!
Michelle?!? I know more fit than I and y'all walk and run a lot but my legs started to freeze just watching you harvest those carrot in tights! 😂😂😂 Codi, I always love just watching your edited work. Great video! I love calendula salve for my natural skin care... so fantastic even though I don't do much for my skin. Recently saw an interview with a company that uses Tallow and other fat products that was pretty amazing! (If you're interested I can tell you but I don't know your policy on mentioning other channels in comments. Let me know.) Mmmm... Codi and your meed! That something I SOOooo want to try!!❤
Yes, it is worth it! Yes, it saves money! My small 30x50 garden feeds me a year. Potatoes, tomatoes (all tomato products for over a year) Green beans, carrots, rhubarb, grapes, apples, strawberries and blueberries. The cost? A whopping $20.00!!! Plus....it is organic, and it keeps me out of the Dr's office. The only thing I buy in the store is dairy. I go to the local butcher shop for meat, or I buy a half a pig. I grow my own meat birds and have my own eggs.
Lifetime and adult hormonal acne-prone skin girlie here. I use calendula/sweet almond oil with 1.5% to volume Frankincense and Myrrh essential oil like you use the hemp oil with the same results. 4-5 drops in my hands onto my face and then through the lengths of my hair.
My name is Debby. My husband and I watch you and your family on UA-cam all the time. We have watched the episode when you two saved the baby calf several times...so sweet. I have to tell you what Ed said tonight as we watched this video. You were on the screen talking about how to make tallow. He commented, "If she uses deodorant made with tallow, she will smell like a cow walking around." He didn't want me to tell you because he does really like you. He teases me all the time too...lol:) Keep making your fun and interesting videos. We look forward to every one of them!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.. Growing your own vegetables in the city is definitely not cheap but cost comparison I think I at least break even Taste Texture and Chemical Free on my tomatoes versus store bought? That's the big difference. Anna In Ohio
My skin is the opposite, very dry. I now (for last 3 years) only use soap on my hands. Nothing anywhere else, and I shower every day in cold water. I became allergic to hair dye and shampoo. I brush my hair with a boar bristle brush twice a day and wash the brush instead. I also tie back and plait my hair and wear scarves on it when doing anything dusty or dirty. It's washed only with tepid water and that not often. Anything else and my scalp itches for days. My skin has never been better. And no, I don't smell! But I don't sweat much and though my skin is much better, obviously it's still not oily at all, so maybe I'm just lucky. My hair never did get greasy at all. I do use plain petroleum jelly or olive oil on my hands or lips if needed. I guess I spend nearly nothing on skin or hair care and don't wear makeup!
Most investment take 8-10 years. We are put a ton of money into our farm. We are just now starting to see the cost covered. Its hard to put numbers to time with kids and the education there as well as actual “savings” on food I’d say it’s worth but don’t go into thinking it’s about money. In the past we worked to live, now we work to buy. It’s a mind shift to going back to working to live. We did dry beans this year and my cost of production was $5.00 per lbs~. I can buy pintos for $1.98 😭 it’s hard to justify that…. However we don’t hardly buy any fresh produce year round. I said all that to say do it 👨🏻🌾 the connection to God and land is worth it
Please don't allow your daughter or anyone who has long hair to get so close to anything with moving parts like your mixer. It takes just a second for hair to fall forward and get snagged by the beater.
You guys are an amazing team. Cody, you have such ability with your builds on the homestead, its quite amazing to me how you adapt yourself to the situation and make it work. Michelle you are a wealth of knowledge and garden guru, I love to make soap and body products myself, it really helps my skin. Ontop of everything what a great upbringing for your children. So inspiring. Its spring time here in New Zealand, so Im now going out to the garden ..have a great week.
I used to make tsllow balm as well but then tried it with lard. Lard actually soaks into your skin muuuch faster than lard. Try it. Youll be amazed how much better lard is. Your skin likes its so much better. And it doesn't break me out like tallow does.
I force gel on my cold process soap by heating the oven to 170. I turn it off and put my batch of soap in and let it in there overnight to also avoid soda ash on top. Some oils can’t handle it so you’d have to determine what the flash point is of the fragrance you’re using.
HI guys! Good video! You answered the question throughout the video. I agree. Nice carrots! I cannot keep mine in the ground that long because the vole pressure is too much. Feel fortunate that you did not buy those contaminated organic carrots at the grocery store. I have used tallow for soap for many years. Never made skin balm, though. Sounds interesting. As I mentioned in another comment, deer tallow is a waxy tallow that might be good for skin. I hope you guys bagged a deer for meat and tallow. If you already have a rifle, deer hunting more than pays for itself (if you get one or two). Another money saver. We rarely eat beef. Don't take this the wrong way, but the way you are making the mead is not optimal. Fermentation should only take about 3 to 4 days in a primary fermenter and then possibly another 2 days in a secondary. Leaving your fruit in that long will also give you off-flavors when the plant material breaks down. I have been making mead and wines for decades. It took me a few years to dial it in. FWIW, I don't do it like all the websites suggest. I dance to the beat of my own drum. I made about 50 gallons of wine this year, all from my own homestead. It costed me about $8 total. Yes, that is not a typo. I have fruit trees, berries, and grapevines. I tend to offer suggestions. Don't take it as being critical. I make suggestions to help people. I'm an old homesteaders and made a lot of mistakes... like every other homesteader. If I can save somebody time, it saves them money (time is money). You guys are doing great. I wish I was closer to offer some help. Nobody else homesteads around here, so it is kind of a lonely profession. While it would be nice to associate with other local homesteaders if there were some, I do just fine by myself. I was born dirt poor and a loner, so I am very comfortable with it. FWIW, I am not dirt poor anymore. And I too built my house. Still here. Nice batch of cookies! It was wonderful to hear young voices in the kitchen while they were helping. Makes me miss those times with my kids (absolute best time of my life). You cannot put a price on that. Seriously. Not only are you growing vegetables, you are growing spireluminas that will be with you in the world you build for eternity. I know the hard work gets you guys down at times, but when that happens, stop thinking about the negatives and switch over to the positive. REAL life and living is NOT supposed to be easy. Instead, feel how fortunate you are to have a family being raised in a wonderful environment. Nothing physical goes with you after death, but the life you build and the bonds you form does. I am still using my "first" chicken coop. It is a St Bernard dog house somebody gave me decades ago. I did eventually build a large coop, like you are doing. I built birdhouses out of throw-away pine siding from Home Depot this year. The birds love them. While I am not dirt poor anymore, there is nobody more frugal than I am. It keeps me from becoming poor. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the inspiring messages and music today. It's been very grey and overcast here for a few weeks now, and watching this lifted me up. Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Mammie
Best facial products I ever used are from Simply Devine botanicals. I use “pack your bags they r leaving” eye cream and “Amazing Face” face cream. All natural. 👍👍👍
My wife just got into switching from seed oils to tallow for cooking. She’s also experimenting with body creams. We have a butcher really close and get fat for 2 bucks a pound
I make salve with infused olive oil. I did a trial of deodorant for my family - I did one salve with baking soda, one with activated charcoal (I opened a bunch of capsules I have) and one just coconut oil salve. I can just use coconut oil as a deodorant but my older boys like the salve with baking soda. It saves a ton and we know everything that's in it! (We also do our own toothpaste!) Good luck finding your recipe!
Yes, yes and more YES. We have always been a one income family(10 children) and ... * roll the game show anoincer voice- 'ALL this, CAN be Yours, if you pick the right mindset. "...🎉 Just like anytime a routine/schedule has to be rethought, and revamped- it takes a little time to get back into the groove and flow- BUT ITS DO-ABLE!
Next time, keep your carrot tops! They make a great pesto. You can combine it with basil, garlic, your choice of nuts (you can add a hard italian cheese like parmesan (not the shelf-stable kraft stuff)) or even nutritional yeast (cheaper and also vegan). I dont grow carrots, but when I buy carrots with their tops, I make it into pesto, freeze it in small portions and pull it out to throw into pasta to make sauces, or defrost and put on top of hearty winter soups and stews.
Some of what you just made can be given as gifts…. Even down to the carrots and the mead! Gift maybe 3 different veggies or some of your cookies or a couple bottles of mead to a nice couple! God bless you!!!
Gardening is more expensive when you're first starting, but then it becomes less expensive because you have your startup costs behind you. You can save seeds, reuse/repurpose materials, etc. The food outcome is so much tastier from the garden.
I’ve been wondering what you think of the contamination of commercially grown foods that seems to be so pervasive these days and why it’s happening? I wish basic foods could be grown inside!
I’m the same way with my skin! over so many years of trial and errors I found out my skin LOVES vitamin E , pure olive oil and aloe is key for me 🤗 whatever you find works you’ll never go back ! Lol
You probably already know this but just in case I’ll say it! You know you can use the greens on the carrot tops as a parsley substitute??? Also, you can make amazing pesto with it!!! Although, from the previous video I know you don’t really need to find any substitute for basil… 😂 Love your channel!!! Keep it up!!! ❤
That’s where we are now. We buy local beef and want to consider raising our own. Just not sure we have enough land for a couple calves. We have 5 acres total, but our house, large garden, large chicken coop, garage and out building are are all on that.
Last year, I kept a very detailed log of my garden and it included all the fruit, veg and seeds harvested. I shopped online for organic produce that was comparable to what I had grown, during the times of the year that were when it should be best priced in the stores for the same items, knowing the prices would be lower in the stores since it was in season. I finished my season with over $30,000 worth of product. There is no way, even with infrastructure, canning jars, freezers, dehydrator, fertilizers, starting trays, etc, that I have spent that much over the past 7 years I've had my garden. That was just ONE year of tracking. Imagine if I had done that with the other six years? My garden pays for itself repeatedly. AND it all is fresh and tastes amazing. 😊
I didn't track everything, but just checked this once: I bought a bag of organic zucchini seeds (yellow zucchini) that I paid 3,40€. I did not plant all of the seeds and ended up with 3 zucchini plants (one died early on, I don't know why) and more zucchini than the two of us can eat in a year. We didn't have to water a lot and used collected rainwater. The house has a garden anyway, and even if we made a fence and nice alleys etc., we could have planted them just in the ground. The cheapest price for (green) zucchini I found was 1,30€. So the seed bag more than paid off even compared to the cheapest price available, because we had much more than 3 kilos... I'm less sure about the laying hens though, feeding them is quite expensive plus the price for the hen itself plus material for building the coop plus vet bills... I guess they don't pay off, but they are also much more than just egg producers. ;)
I make soap all the time - it was my business for awhile. If you go and find a large styrofoam cooler and put your loafs of soap into it once they are poured and put the lid on. When you open it in the morning they will be perfectly gelled. I’ve never had a single bar not gel. I know styrofoam is not the most eco friendly but you will use the same one over and over for years.
the kids love ketchup. had 18 tomato plants this year and made a load of ketchup, will for sure last us until harvest next year. definitely saving us money and it tastes 1,000X better! just one example obviously.
Thank you for this good video, I am sure you will need days to finish these videos. I would like to thank you all the more for your time and showing it. Have a good week, best regards
Have you noticed any difference in how well the carrots store when you have to wash them off vs. when you don’t have to wash them off? I’m comparing them to eggs in my mind.
Thanks for the video! I wonder if your tallow balm works on my psoriasis? I have it on my hands and feet. Would be interesting to see! HappyThanksgiving !
I thought that was your orange calendula oil NOT avacado oil in your balm you were making. My avacado oil has a green color to it. You can use avacado oil also.
People used to comment to me frequently that growing food in my yard cost so much more than store bought. So one year I kept track of all the money I spent on the garden starting Jan 1st and then throughout the year, I weighed and noted the $ I would have spent on all the produce I was harvesting. By June I stopped because just harvesting the raspberries strawberries peas and lettuce I already saved more $ than what I had spent all year on the garden. And I hadn’t even gotten to all the other stuff I was growing.
And all my food is so delicious and nutrient dense and organic. Well worth it!
Great idea for a video!!
I do this during peak harvest times to justify the cost of the raspberry, strawberry, etc plants. It's crazy how much those higher dollar crops add up to. And they taste so much better than anything you could buy in the store, organic or otherwise.
lol just with the raspberries! They are like $10 for a handful where I live 😆
yes I saved $80 in blackberries alone last year! and that was from only 1 blackberry bush!
Same, 35 pounds of red raspberries and 25 pounds of black raspberries add up. Also the sheer convenience of having food in your yard is not to be underestimated.
@@VV-xy8djyes! I find I also save money because I don’t got to the grocery store as often with food in the back yard.
I don't have enough land to homestead but my garden has been such a boon to my mental health that it's been worth every penny just for that. I also enjoy having home grown food that's tastier and healthier and not full of junk. we still eat a lot of stuff from the store but each year I expand my garden and my cooking/baking skill sets to make more of our food at home ❤. It's been an invaluable experience for me
I clean all my Carrot Tops leaves really good and dice them up and put them in freezer bags. Because they're highly nutritious and I put them in soups throughout the winter😊
I dehydrate mine and do the same thing! Or use them as a garnish. I like the idea of freezing them too!
@@carrieharrison5734 Yum! Great idea.
They make a great pesto
Same!
Can also give some to the chickens!
I think homesteading is more about being more in control of your food quality & safety, and less about cost comparison.
100%
Exactly! Thats why we do it.
For sure!
@@PineRidgeCottage Agreed. Not to mention all the "money saved" by having good health. Can't put a price on that.
And taste!!! Everything tastes better too
3 years ago gardening di NOT save money. I paid a lot for infrastructure and my produce was minimal, now I can say that fruit trees and good systems in place I am coming out on top
Very good video. Living the lifestyle your family lives goes far beyond whether you save money or not. That lifestyle is a blessing !!!!!
YES! if u keep a spreadsheet of all input costs and all output yields, you will know if a garden is a net loss or gain. I got $3,018 of free food above the costs put in this season. Spreadsheets don't lie. If anybody wants to know for sure, try it one season. This is my first season tracking EVERYTHING. i suspected i was at least breaking even in past seasons, but now i know..
Ps chickens are only a $500 net positive this season, no where near the garden value I mentioned previously, but still worth it for sure having day old eggs to eat
Not even started vid yet (0:01) and my answer is 'yes, worth it (if you got the time and ground), saves money? doupt it. But you get home grown and you know what you put into the soil.
Family of 12? Absolutely (if you have the time and land). Or/and you make the tomato sauce, ketchup, herbs, stock and ...
For me it's a hobby, growing what I can and harvesting what I can. Preserving is next step (why I watch this (and others)).
I can't stand how BEST y'all are. Okay, I can. Thank you for forward, not backward; consideration, not condemnation; reality, hope and preparation, not ideology, fear and something else I can't think of to add. 🙏🏾
I have a small garden and i grow so much food . My son recently moved into a small cottage with a big garden ( well big in Irish terrms ) the grass is about 200 feet long so i took on 100 feet of it. So far, I've 4 raised beds for growing and with a full time job, 12-hour shifts, it is hard to keep on top of. But what does it do for you physically and mentality you can't pay for. It gets me out into the fresh air, keeps my brain working im planning, organising, calculation making mistakes learning from them and always learning new things. Then the pleasure and achievement i get when picking the food I've grown and cooking it is amazing. Since I've had more space to grow and work on, i haven't watched TV. Maybe two hours a week, I spend a lot less time on my phone and im getting a lot more exercise and fresh air. I find its so easy in winter to just go to work then home, and do nothing .also as you get into growing vegetables fruits and of course flowers, it gets cheaper, collecting my own seeds , splitting plants, etc.
Now you two do work extremely hard on your land. But for anyone who says you can't work full-time outside the home and grow your own believe me you can.
I know a very long comment 😅😅
That’s awesome! Keep up the good work!😊
Hi Michelle, I don't know if you like parsley, but if you do, you CAN substitute carrot tops for parsley. I find it easier, and streamlines my garden plan for the other herbs that I use more of.
The difference is that parsley tastes like parsley, and carrot tops taste like carrots :)
A lot of people misunderstand Acne. Always trying to find the perfect product. But there's an easier perspective that can allow you to treat yourself.
Acne is simply an infection... on your skin!
Mainly you just need to modify the skin "environment" (hydration and ph) for a beneficial bacteria to thrive.
Different lotions and creams can have different fatty acid profiles, but ultimately everyone's biome is different and they just need to find one that is friendly. My family found that homemade apple cider vinegar worked great 🙂. It seemed the beneficial bacteria were just floating around in our house waiting to be used. The ACV change the environment, and really lots of different moisturizers worked well once using that.
When younger I had major problems with acne. The dermatologist finally gave up and told me to try brewer's yeast. It worked great. I found out nutrientional yeast works just as well. As an added bonus I found the b vitamins in the yeast helped control stress and my iron levels moderates
Brewer's yeast to eat? Not in a lotion or anything right? Sounds like a good idea 😊
You know, I think you do a good job. I’m 78 years old and I always worked in my own garden. Did my grass cutting did my flowerbeds I did everything outside besides my housework cooking cleaning race three daughters put in through college and now they are RNs and we suffered a lot when our girls was little we were on no extra income. It’s just what I made and what he made but we did fine lotta love in our family. I see a lot of love in your family.
Good job !😊
Wild bunnies ate all my carrots and beets this year, little stinkers! Your harvest looks wonderful as always 👏
Something that deters rabbits is human hair; scatter it or put it in clumps around the veg! Your hairdresser will be willing to give you it!
@marjorieorveau6707 for real!?! I'll have to try this! Thank you!!
Plant onions and garlic as a surround the carrot bed as the bunnies don’t like it.
If you're a vegetarian ignore this comment...my friend was having issues with bunnies in his garden, I connected him with another friend who was looking for land to shoot on. He got free meat for a while and the garden started to grow again.
Where we live, it's so much more expensive. I'm watching some family really struggle to keep up with homesteading costs. We personally dipped our toes in and it was just so expensive. We live in the dry desert so you are heavily reliant on feed and you HAVE to water your garden and animals. Not to mention all the hoses you have to replace because the weather is so severe. My uncle raises cattle in Texas and it's the same. He says he doesn't do it to make money, otherwise, he wouldn't do it. He can only afford it because he made friends with a lawn care company that feeds his cows grass lol
Hügelkultur is something that works in desert climate to cut down on water needs. Just throwing that out there. Also rain catchment 👍
Hope those lawns don't have pesticides like round-up on them.
NOT EVERY PLACE FIT FOR PLANT FARMING.
like in desert, taiga, it's more like for animal farming. because only grass and moss and lichen that can grow. which is food for grazing animals like deer, caribou, camel, etc.
and in coastal region, better be just fishing or fish farming.
be rational. aware about our environment.
@DBT1007 There are all kinds of plants that grow everywhere. It's about working with the land and your surroundings not against it. There are ways to encourage aspects to better suit certain plants in any scenario. Maybe it's a greenhouse or the way you build your planter beds, using native plants, adding natives to help make your land more hospitable to others that may struggle. You can grow food in almost any climate, it just might be harder or different than you originally planned.
I think for our family the health benefits far outweigh the costs associated. While we have actually saved money this year, eating better has been our focus. This year I gardened with intention. Resourced bulk raw ingredients. (Game changer) We preserved (i learned to can and dehydrate.) I've cooked so much from scratch and have been using everything i can so there isn't waste . (I dry my carrot greens and put the powder in my pasta sauce, etc)
We are so lucky that being hay farmers and my husband being a diesel mechanic we have bartered for a freezer full of beef, tons of veggies and soon we'll be adding local chicken.
I haven't started making my own skin care projects just yet. I buy those every other year from a person who uses natural ingredients which has made my rosacea nearly non existent.
Wishing you both and your family a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving.
PS. Our mushrooms from the giveaway have grown awesome. I'll be dehydrating some for dishes and using some for cooking. My daughter has loved watching them grow. Her highlight in the morning is seeing if they have grown bigger. From the night before. What a fun experience it's been!
Wow that’s great! Keep up the good work!😊 Happy Thanksgiving to you! Glad you have been enjoying the mushrooms.😊
When we first started hunting we spent so much money on gear and we didn’t get an elk for 4 years. However since then we just spent money on tags and gas. It does take a lot of time though. I also like to garden- I haven’t spent much on it and it’s surprising easy to grow once you know how
I’ve had acne since becoming pregnant with my third baby and nothing would clear it up…till tallow came along. Just so interesting how everyone’s skin responds differently. Glad you were able to find something that works for you.
Yes me too I was so surprised! I’ve always had oily acne prone skin and tallow has been the only thing I’ve ever tried that cleared it up and keeps my face less oily
I'm on board with you both about saving money, using what you already have, making your own products. I'm always looking for ways to save money especially during the holidays. I also use hemp seed oil and aloe jell from my garden. Right now I'm going through my scrap card stock to make Christmas cards. I make all of my own cards for all occasions. I give gifts from my garden all throughout the year. I love both of your creative ideas. Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to your family.
You guys are doing a fantastic job! Love to see that there are still people who enjoy this kind of living. Not only are you saving money but by doing everything (most) from scratch also save you and your kids from all the chemicals, hormones and dyes that are being put in all our food. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
As a holistic licensed aesthetician, I approve of this message. You hit the nail on the head Michelle! ❤
Loving all the tallow products! We get all of ours from our Farmers Market. Our tallow deodorant consists of triple rendered 100% grass fed grass finished beef tallow, organic arrowroot starch, organic coconut oil, organic beeswax, baking soda, and essential oils. 🌞💜
I have issues with dry skin and allergies. Do you have any problems with the deodorant? TYIA
@kathrynmauro8673 None at all!
Does the tallow smell disappear when it's rendered 3x? my tallow balm smells like beef stew.
@@mcpack3258 Lol! No beef smell to it at all. Probably due to being triple-rendered.
I bought beef tallow cream on Amazon and I love it ,it helps with winter skin its tallow and honey this is grass feed beef
It is more about the quality of the food and nutrients that is being grown, than whether cost effective. You cannot even compare the flavor difference of what you grow to that which you purchase in the store. Home grown wins all of these.
Happy Thanksgiving 🍁🦃!
I'm in Vietnam, but I also feel the cold where you live. It's amazing, hardworking people.
your editing and filming techniques are fantastic! enjoy all your videos!
Thank you!😊
Love your videos. One reason people get dry skin in winter is from not enough vitamin D. I live in the north and up my vitamin D supplement in winter. It really helps with the dry skin. Thanks for your wonderful videos. Happy Thanksgiving!
You guys are awesome...Happy Thanksgiving!
Another Fabulous Video!!🥰 Your common sense & intelligence combined with your good hearts and souls - make for wonderful relatable teaching moments. More Than Farmers is on my Thanksgiving gratitude list❤ Thank You for being and doing You!!
Wishing you both and your kids a Blessing filled Thanksgiving🤎🧡
So kind, thank you!😊 Happy Thanksgiving!
We built our own chicken house years ago and one of the best things we did was to get a remanent piece of lanoleum and covered the whole floor before we started dividing up the walls between the chickens area from the storage area. It made cleaning easier plus added a little extra insulation. We've had our chicken house now for 12-15 years and it has hled up great. I would definitely use lanoleum again. Also the chickens would love those carrot tops. Love your videos!!
Coconut oil works fantastic as make up remover too. As for face I find the simplest things work best too. For me it's a rosehip oil.
You can dehydrate the carrot tops and use instead of carrots in soups, stews, casseroles, etc..
Great title, it got my attention and I can't wait to watch this after work. My thoughs on the big question is that it gives you more opportunity to trade time and energy into your own food systems. Either pay for it, work for it or a combination of both work and money!
Michelle?!? I know more fit than I and y'all walk and run a lot but my legs started to freeze just watching you harvest those carrot in tights! 😂😂😂 Codi, I always love just watching your edited work. Great video!
I love calendula salve for my natural skin care... so fantastic even though I don't do much for my skin. Recently saw an interview with a company that uses Tallow and other fat products that was pretty amazing! (If you're interested I can tell you but I don't know your policy on mentioning other channels in comments. Let me know.)
Mmmm... Codi and your meed! That something I SOOooo want to try!!❤
Yes, it is worth it! Yes, it saves money! My small 30x50 garden feeds me a year. Potatoes, tomatoes (all tomato products for over a year) Green beans, carrots, rhubarb, grapes, apples, strawberries and blueberries. The cost? A whopping $20.00!!! Plus....it is organic, and it keeps me out of the Dr's office. The only thing I buy in the store is dairy. I go to the local butcher shop for meat, or I buy a half a pig. I grow my own meat birds and have my own eggs.
That’s great!😊
Lifetime and adult hormonal acne-prone skin girlie here. I use calendula/sweet almond oil with 1.5% to volume Frankincense and Myrrh essential oil like you use the hemp oil with the same results. 4-5 drops in my hands onto my face and then through the lengths of my hair.
Try arrow root powder in place of the baking soda for Cody's deodorant.
Nice decorating skills!
Thanks for that Hemp Oil option!
My name is Debby. My husband and I watch you and your family on UA-cam all the time. We have watched the episode when you two saved the baby calf several times...so sweet. I have to tell you what Ed said tonight as we watched this video. You were on the screen talking about how to make tallow. He commented, "If she uses deodorant made with tallow, she will smell like a cow walking around." He didn't want me to tell you because he does really like you. He teases me all the time too...lol:) Keep making your fun and interesting videos. We look forward to every one of them!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.. Growing your own vegetables in the city is definitely not cheap but cost comparison I think I at least break even Taste Texture and Chemical Free on my tomatoes versus store bought? That's the big difference. Anna In Ohio
Agree with others here. It’s not about saving money. Especially with all the food recalls. It’s about quality and availability.
So excited to see the soap making process it's definitely something I want to learn too make!
My skin is the opposite, very dry. I now (for last 3 years) only use soap on my hands. Nothing anywhere else, and I shower every day in cold water. I became allergic to hair dye and shampoo. I brush my hair with a boar bristle brush twice a day and wash the brush instead. I also tie back and plait my hair and wear scarves on it when doing anything dusty or dirty. It's washed only with tepid water and that not often. Anything else and my scalp itches for days.
My skin has never been better. And no, I don't smell! But I don't sweat much and though my skin is much better, obviously it's still not oily at all, so maybe I'm just lucky. My hair never did get greasy at all.
I do use plain petroleum jelly or olive oil on my hands or lips if needed.
I guess I spend nearly nothing on skin or hair care and don't wear makeup!
I use my carrot tops in bone broth. Adds great flavor. Wonderful content ❤
there is no price on independence
Most investment take 8-10 years. We are put a ton of money into our farm. We are just now starting to see the cost covered. Its hard to put numbers to time with kids and the education there as well as actual “savings” on food
I’d say it’s worth but don’t go into thinking it’s about money. In the past we worked to live, now we work to buy. It’s a mind shift to going back to working to live. We did dry beans this year and my cost of production was $5.00 per lbs~. I can buy pintos for $1.98 😭 it’s hard to justify that…. However we don’t hardly buy any fresh produce year round.
I said all that to say do it 👨🏻🌾 the connection to God and land is worth it
Love y’all!!
Another great video. Those cookies are so cute and I’m sure they’re yummy yummy thanks for sharing.❤
Please don't allow your daughter or anyone who has long hair to get so close to anything with moving parts like your mixer.
It takes just a second for hair to fall forward and get snagged by the beater.
You guys are an amazing team. Cody, you have such ability with your builds on the homestead, its quite amazing to me how you adapt yourself to the situation and make it work. Michelle you are a wealth of knowledge and garden guru, I love to make soap and body products myself, it really helps my skin. Ontop of everything what a great upbringing for your children. So inspiring. Its spring time here in New Zealand, so Im now going out to the garden
..have a great week.
Thank you so much!
Great video HAPPY THANKSGIVING ❤️
Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving!😊
I like the topic, you’re right that you have to weigh the pros and cons!
Your cookie decorations looked really good, artistic 👌 😍
I used to make tsllow balm as well but then tried it with lard. Lard actually soaks into your skin muuuch faster than lard. Try it. Youll be amazed how much better lard is. Your skin likes its so much better. And it doesn't break me out like tallow does.
I force gel on my cold process soap by heating the oven to 170. I turn it off and put my batch of soap in and let it in there overnight to also avoid soda ash on top. Some oils can’t handle it so you’d have to determine what the flash point is of the fragrance you’re using.
HI guys! Good video!
You answered the question throughout the video. I agree.
Nice carrots! I cannot keep mine in the ground that long because the vole pressure is too much. Feel fortunate that you did not buy those contaminated organic carrots at the grocery store.
I have used tallow for soap for many years. Never made skin balm, though. Sounds interesting. As I mentioned in another comment, deer tallow is a waxy tallow that might be good for skin. I hope you guys bagged a deer for meat and tallow. If you already have a rifle, deer hunting more than pays for itself (if you get one or two). Another money saver. We rarely eat beef.
Don't take this the wrong way, but the way you are making the mead is not optimal. Fermentation should only take about 3 to 4 days in a primary fermenter and then possibly another 2 days in a secondary. Leaving your fruit in that long will also give you off-flavors when the plant material breaks down. I have been making mead and wines for decades. It took me a few years to dial it in. FWIW, I don't do it like all the websites suggest. I dance to the beat of my own drum. I made about 50 gallons of wine this year, all from my own homestead. It costed me about $8 total. Yes, that is not a typo. I have fruit trees, berries, and grapevines.
I tend to offer suggestions. Don't take it as being critical. I make suggestions to help people. I'm an old homesteaders and made a lot of mistakes... like every other homesteader. If I can save somebody time, it saves them money (time is money). You guys are doing great. I wish I was closer to offer some help. Nobody else homesteads around here, so it is kind of a lonely profession. While it would be nice to associate with other local homesteaders if there were some, I do just fine by myself. I was born dirt poor and a loner, so I am very comfortable with it. FWIW, I am not dirt poor anymore. And I too built my house. Still here.
Nice batch of cookies! It was wonderful to hear young voices in the kitchen while they were helping. Makes me miss those times with my kids (absolute best time of my life). You cannot put a price on that. Seriously. Not only are you growing vegetables, you are growing spireluminas that will be with you in the world you build for eternity. I know the hard work gets you guys down at times, but when that happens, stop thinking about the negatives and switch over to the positive. REAL life and living is NOT supposed to be easy. Instead, feel how fortunate you are to have a family being raised in a wonderful environment. Nothing physical goes with you after death, but the life you build and the bonds you form does.
I am still using my "first" chicken coop. It is a St Bernard dog house somebody gave me decades ago. I did eventually build a large coop, like you are doing.
I built birdhouses out of throw-away pine siding from Home Depot this year. The birds love them.
While I am not dirt poor anymore, there is nobody more frugal than I am. It keeps me from becoming poor.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you! Appreciate all of the advice.😊
Thank you for sharing your ways with us. We all have something to learn.
Hi guys, love your videos, watching from Jamaica. keep up the good work.
Such a beautiful mom! 😍
Thanks for the inspiring messages and music today. It's been very grey and overcast here for a few weeks now, and watching this lifted me up. Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Mammie
Glad you enjoyed it!😊 Happy Thanksgiving!
Enjoyed watching the channel!
Best facial products I ever used are from Simply Devine botanicals. I use “pack your bags they r leaving” eye cream and “Amazing Face” face cream. All natural. 👍👍👍
You do an amazing job at all you do. Loved this video. Val C
Thank you!😊
My wife just got into switching from seed oils to tallow for cooking. She’s also experimenting with body creams. We have a butcher really close and get fat for 2 bucks a pound
Awesome!😊
I make salve with infused olive oil. I did a trial of deodorant for my family - I did one salve with baking soda, one with activated charcoal (I opened a bunch of capsules I have) and one just coconut oil salve. I can just use coconut oil as a deodorant but my older boys like the salve with baking soda. It saves a ton and we know everything that's in it! (We also do our own toothpaste!) Good luck finding your recipe!
That’s awesome!😊
Yes, yes and more YES. We have always been a one income family(10 children) and ...
* roll the game show anoincer voice- 'ALL this, CAN be Yours, if you pick the right mindset. "...🎉
Just like anytime a routine/schedule has to be rethought, and revamped- it takes a little time to get back into the groove and flow-
BUT ITS DO-ABLE!
Next time, keep your carrot tops! They make a great pesto. You can combine it with basil, garlic, your choice of nuts (you can add a hard italian cheese like parmesan (not the shelf-stable kraft stuff)) or even nutritional yeast (cheaper and also vegan).
I dont grow carrots, but when I buy carrots with their tops, I make it into pesto, freeze it in small portions and pull it out to throw into pasta to make sauces, or defrost and put on top of hearty winter soups and stews.
Carrot greens are perfect for smoothies. More nutritious than the toot parts.
Wonderfull carrot.When You saw them? Do You put some ferlitzer? You can use carrot leaves for smoothie or some soup recipe.
Wow! Great job on the cookies!
Nice carrot harvest! Blessings!
Ooooo I love the soap😍😍😍😍 also yall finally talked me into trying LMNT so I put in my order and can’t wait to try it!
I am in NC, is it to late to plant carrots? Probably so. Wish I had a green house.
I made my own soap about a month ago just a lavender log made with 500ml coconut oil and olive oil turned out pritty good wanna try with tallow now 😅
Some of what you just made can be given as gifts…. Even down to the carrots and the mead! Gift maybe 3 different veggies or some of your cookies or a couple bottles of mead to a nice couple! God bless you!!!
Gardening is more expensive when you're first starting, but then it becomes less expensive because you have your startup costs behind you. You can save seeds, reuse/repurpose materials, etc. The food outcome is so much tastier from the garden.
Absolutely!
Keep up the good work and God Bless!
I’ve been wondering what you think of the contamination of commercially grown foods that seems to be so pervasive these days and why it’s happening? I wish basic foods could be grown inside!
I’m the same way with my skin! over so many years of trial and errors I found out my skin LOVES vitamin E , pure olive oil and aloe is key for me 🤗 whatever you find works you’ll never go back ! Lol
Oh, and...Happy Thanksgiving week Y' all!!!🎉❤🦃🥧🍽💐
You probably already know this but just in case I’ll say it! You know you can use the greens on the carrot tops as a parsley substitute??? Also, you can make amazing pesto with it!!! Although, from the previous video I know you don’t really need to find any substitute for basil… 😂
Love your channel!!! Keep it up!!! ❤
That’s where we are now. We buy local beef and want to consider raising our own. Just not sure we have enough land for a couple calves. We have 5 acres total, but our house, large garden, large chicken coop, garage and out building are are all on that.
Last year, I kept a very detailed log of my garden and it included all the fruit, veg and seeds harvested. I shopped online for organic produce that was comparable to what I had grown, during the times of the year that were when it should be best priced in the stores for the same items, knowing the prices would be lower in the stores since it was in season. I finished my season with over $30,000 worth of product. There is no way, even with infrastructure, canning jars, freezers, dehydrator, fertilizers, starting trays, etc, that I have spent that much over the past 7 years I've had my garden. That was just ONE year of tracking. Imagine if I had done that with the other six years? My garden pays for itself repeatedly. AND it all is fresh and tastes amazing. 😊
That’s amazing! Good for you!
I didn't track everything, but just checked this once: I bought a bag of organic zucchini seeds (yellow zucchini) that I paid 3,40€. I did not plant all of the seeds and ended up with 3 zucchini plants (one died early on, I don't know why) and more zucchini than the two of us can eat in a year. We didn't have to water a lot and used collected rainwater. The house has a garden anyway, and even if we made a fence and nice alleys etc., we could have planted them just in the ground. The cheapest price for (green) zucchini I found was 1,30€. So the seed bag more than paid off even compared to the cheapest price available, because we had much more than 3 kilos...
I'm less sure about the laying hens though, feeding them is quite expensive plus the price for the hen itself plus material for building the coop plus vet bills... I guess they don't pay off, but they are also much more than just egg producers. ;)
I make soap all the time - it was my business for awhile. If you go and find a large styrofoam cooler and put your loafs of soap into it once they are poured and put the lid on. When you open it in the morning they will be perfectly gelled. I’ve never had a single bar not gel. I know styrofoam is not the most eco friendly but you will use the same one over and over for years.
Thanks for the tip!
Gracias por tener audio en español ❤
the kids love ketchup. had 18 tomato plants this year and made a load of ketchup, will for sure last us until harvest next year. definitely saving us money and it tastes 1,000X better! just one example obviously.
Thank you for this good video, I am sure you will need days to finish these videos. I would like to thank you all the more for your time and showing it. Have a good week, best regards
You’re welcome! Hope you have a good week as well!😊
Thank you so much for the video! How do you use the hemp oil to wash your face? I’m super interested in getting some. You look so great! ❤
Hi Codi lol. Love you both. Thank you
Have you noticed any difference in how well the carrots store when you have to wash them off vs. when you don’t have to wash them off? I’m comparing them to eggs in my mind.
Thanks for the video! I wonder if your tallow balm works on my psoriasis? I have it on my hands and feet. Would be interesting to see! HappyThanksgiving !
I thought that was your orange calendula oil NOT avacado oil in your balm you were making. My avacado oil has a green color to it. You can use avacado oil also.
Would love Michelle to talk more about natural flavors!
How do you keep your white kitchen rags clean/stain free when you’re straining colored stuff through them?
Oh, Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!😊
Love your sweatshirt! Is that available somewhere?!
Office/weight room is looking great.
Lehman Brothers Amish store sells a deodorant stone. I haven't trier it, but my oldest sister swears on it.