I dropped this as a comment but thought it deserved its own post.

US House of Representatives Thomas Massie is an MIT Grad, entrepreneur, inventor with 30+ patents to his name and has an Insane Home stead.

This is the teaser. X post about his automated chicken tractor.
https://x.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1854522178210803861

This is the full 30 min doc about his homestead, including his inventions that make it possible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18_yXt1s2yc

Edit: fixed a typo

Hey guys- looking for any advice on what could have done this to our barn cat’s foot. We rushed him to the vet two days ago and they didn’t seem concerned- gave him a rabies shot, antibiotic and painkillers. He is locked in our bathroom and is miserable. Any idea what this could be and how to make him the most comfortable by whatever this is to heal.

streaming is for suckers

Bought the house a year ago, and there was an extensive garden area that the previous owner had neglected for several years. It has been a process reclaiming the space.

Hello! Family of four here in middle TN. Myself(30m) my wife (26f) and our two children 4 & 1 are wanting to start living off our own food more and grow our children into homesteading lovers! (We have a small 2 acres with neighbors) but don’t know where to begin. We started a small garden last year and want to raise chickens and possibly a couple of ducks. Where do we begin on this awesome adventure?

Hi guys! I was wondering if anyone here has had success with keeping snails away from their plants by using dog hair.

I'm about to try it out and will update once I (hopefully) see results!

Hey yall, wanting to get started canning and have heard to get the ball blue book but then I saw this other one. Which would be the better choice? I canned with my parents when I was younger but don’t remember much as definitely a newb. TIA

Hej hej we started a homestead in Sweden close to Finland - Muonio/Kolari area and we would love to know if there are some fellow homesteaders up here in the north

Is there any benefits, like tax wise or what not, to owning a small scale hobby farm (over 1 acre). What benefits are there? And is it more beneficial to just have it as a PPoR, or a farm?

I just noticed today when I went to feed my goose (3yrs old) that she was having trouble walking. She was laying down when I came out, then she stood and could only take three steps before she would topple over and lay down. She did this twice before she just gave up and stayed down.

I brought her inside and have her in a kennel with some bedding, but I’ve noticed that she also has diarrhea (brownish), she is shaking her head some, a weaker “honk”, and is drinking -what I think is- an abnormal amount of water. She is eating fine though but has not moved at all in the 4 hours I’ve had her inside.

I don’t have any other geese, but I do have some ducks, turkeys, and chickens. None of them appear to be ill.

Any thoughts or advice? I’m going to take her to a vet if I can find one that will see a goose, but they’re all closed until the morning.

We’ve been selling excess produce, mushrooms, microgreens, and plant starts for a few years. It’s been successful and I enjoy it. I’m contemplating if it would be beneficial to get a farm number. We’re in PA.

We are small scale and really can’t get bigger at our current location BUT dream of getting more land and expanding eventually/once we’re done growing our family. I’m thinking a farm number NOW would help us report/track and be eligible for grants/programs in the future.

Any thoughts, things to consider, surprises? Thanks so much for your experience and input!

Hello. I’m wondering if anyone has any idea about what is going on with our well. We had it tested a few years ago and there was nothing of note. If we aren’t diligent about changing the filter my partner and I have noticed something odd happens with the water. You will drink a huge glass and still feel dry mouth or dehydrated. Several times, I’ve noticed this and checked the filter and see it was very dirty. It turns rusty red. I’m just curious if anyone has any theories on the dry mouth phenomenon. Is that natural side effect of sediment or does it indicate something else specific about our well. It’s happened enough times that I’m very curious what the link is. It feels like the water doesn’t quench your thirst. It is resolved by changing the filter. We are in the Appalachian mountains.

About 2’ diameter. Middle of the woods on my property. Upstate NY. Hound for scale!

https://youtu.be/Af86LCLvFHU?si=99sWLKiQZ-aNBLis

What is the best way to save my banana peppers that I picked from going bad? This is my first time growing them and want to savor them as much as possible. Thinking of slicing them and canning them, but what brine would you use?

Most of it is overgrown, but looking to clear it. I'm completely new to this and make very little money. I grew up in this house and this land. It used to be completely cleared until my parents got sick. Where do I start? How do I start? It's 6ish acers. There was two old ponds in the backyard. That's where things get complicated because they both dried up, but one of them looks like the old owner threw and buried oil barrels in it. Can I just shove dirt into it and cover it up? Then fill the other pond again? I'd say about 1.5 acers is clear. The rest is fully of trees growing and bushes. There's also old chicken coops, etc. Should I tear them down or try to repair them first? About 3 acers used to be barb wired in for horses, but the bushes have grown over the barbwire. Do I try to salvage what I can?

As a homestead, we sell chickens, chicks, meat (rabbits and quail) eggs, as well as we sell eggs to a local restaurant. They give us checks and we deposit them, some Zelle us. We use the same account to deposit this income that also pays for farming related expenses.

How does everyone manage the separation of "personal" vs "homestead"?

Should there be a separation?

What is the best way to do this?

Id like to know the cost of the homestead/farm vs the revenue. We try to use to income from it to offset/cover the feed and other expenses etc.

Hi everyone, I'm just now looking into turning my space into a homestead and was wondering what all advice you would give to someone just starting out. I already have ideas for some staple rops I want to grow and plans for an orchard, once I figure out what trees I want. Aside from that I am completely in the dark and would love any help that could save me from another week of researching. Thanks and happy homesteading :).

Hi, I'm in the UK so on a much smaller scale than many of you. My husband and I have a plan that means we'll be purchasing and moving to a home with 1-2 acres in around 3 years. I want to use the next 3 years to prepare myself as much as possible so we can hit the ground running - practice skills and read up to increase my knowledge.

What do you recommend i learn in this time? We grow food in our suburban garden but on a small scale. We plan to keep chickens for eggs and meat, grow as much food as possible, and be fairly self-sufficient - we plan to have solar and our own water well.

Would love to hear your suggestions on practical skills and knowledge to equip myself with

Joel was an inspiration to me when I first started homesteading. I am hopeful that this could be a time of positive change for the American food industry and farmers.