All over the globe people are turning to a more traditional way of living. Homesteading and backyard farming has been on the rise since prior to the world wide pandemic. Families are waking up and seeing that the systems that have been built into the American lives are not quite as trust worthy as they thought. We are realizing the impact of the so called foods on the store shelves on our health and environment.

I was blessed to grow up in rural Idaho where small farms were still common and the pace of life was a bit slower. Daily life was connected to the seasons and often times controlled by the whims of Mother Nature. There were no internet, cell phones, or convince stores. My great grandmother who grew up during the Great Depression lived and cooked as if it were still going on. My grandmother, who lived close by cooked 3 meals a day in a manner that reflected her mothers influence greatly. My mom who did work outside of the home still often cooked from scratch. She having grown up in England which was known for their minimalist type attitude. The reduce & reuse concept well before it was a popular catchy phrase. Traditional skills were just skills for these women. They could cook and sew and garden with relative ease as it was taught to them by their previous generations. The loss of skills had to my benefit skipped over them.

*From Scratch donuts - My grandmothers recipe*

Most people are not walking into the homesteading lifestyle with three generations of family members teaching them these skills. And don’t get me wrong my great grandmother - whom we called nana, my grandmother and mother were practicing many of these much needed skills on a daily basis I just did not yet appreciate them for what they were. I often “helped” as a child and still had to learn many of them on my own as an adult. By this time I could not call two of them up and ask questions. My mom could sometimes answer questions but her main skillset was in nursing. So like most people I too had to learn from books and Youtube at best and trial by error at worst. These sources for learning traditional skills are not bad, but they do take longer.

My first attempts at making bread were technically successful. However my bread never turned out “great”. If you have not grown up making bread with your grandma standing over your shoulder teaching you exactly how the dough should look, smell and feel how are you supposed to gather that from a book? I found that I kept trying different recipes with the same results. A dense bread that fell apart when trying to slice it for sandwiches. I just knew it could be better, but how?

One day many years after those first loaves of bread I was still making it the same way and dealing with it. It was after all much tastier than any at the grocery store and better for us too. Then, I came across someone by the name of Carolyn Thomas. She was offering a free online bread baking class. I figured okay, why not. Maybe I would learn what I was missing? The class was very simple. Easy to follow. AND I couldn’t believe how many things my grandmother did not teach me about bread making!!! I immediately implemented the changes to my grandmothers recipe and it was the best bread I’d ever made! I have been using these same tips in my bread making ever since. Thank you, Carolyn. If you would like to take the bread making class you can click the link here.

I have since had the pleasure of learning many other traditional skills from the Thomas family. I’ve learned things like turning dairy into butter and how to make Carolyn’s famous dream cheese to gardening tips and so much more. From that first class on bread making I fell in love with their practical way of relaying information and their “you can do this” attitude.

Something that I have noticed in my own homesteading journey and in life in general is that if we surround ourselves with like minded people it often inspires us to grow, try new things, gives us new ideas and creates fertile soil in our lives for new skillsets to emerge. I have been inspire by not only The Homesteading Family, but by many others over the years. Justin Rhodes inspired me to keep on going day in and day out and to not give up no matter what comes my way. Jess Sowards of Roots & Refuge encouraged me to hold onto the joy that comes from living this life and share it with others. Living Traditions Homestead taught me so many practical homestead tips. Simply Living Alaska taught me to push the limits of my garden, to forage more and to utilize my canned produce in new ways. The grass-fed homestead taught me to do my research. All of these are Youtube channels I have enjoyed over the years. When your entertainment becomes your education you are learning without even realizing it. There are so many more channels I could mention, but these Youtube channels have been the ones I have gone back to over and over again.

I have found that the nature of homesteading is to create curiosity within ourselves. Suddenly we find our barnyards are full of curious creatures, we are growing rainbow colored vegetables and there are chicken feet swimming in one of the many pots simmering on the stove top. The counters are no longer clear, but are instead filled with contraptions, baskets of eggs, bubbling science experiments and often times loaves of bread rising for the next meal. It is a beautiful life. One we can truly be proud of.

I feel it is important to have resources and companies we can trust. People who strive to speak truth and who excel in their wheelhouses are the ones we can look to in order to further our own journey. Families who not only are supporting their own lives but who also seek to help others is a sure sign of something different. I was first drawn to this concept in Tennessee at Rory Feek’s Homestead Festival, when Joel Salatin spoke the famous quote “when one boat rises they all rise. When one boat sinks they all sink. The homesteading culture we are growing is such a beautiful thing. The educators truly care for each other and for you as a homesteader. I have met many of these wonderful teachers and I am constantly impressed by their genuine love for humanity, their country, traditional skills, and for each other.

I hope by sharing a few of my favorites with you it helps you learn and grow. Cheers to homesteading!

Are you taking any homesteading classes?? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

Esther Munroe

Learning Traditional Skills

6 Steps To Creating Resilient Systems

Learn Now, Before It’s to Late