On today’s podcast, my guest is Heather Eby. Heather and her family have a ten-acre homestead in Kansas and they are building their homestead by adding one new thing at a time. Heather is a wonderful storyteller and blogger with a real passion for homesteading.
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A Homesteading Adventure: From City Life to Country Dreams
Moving to the Country and Building A Homestead
Heather and her family made a big move from city life to living on a homestead. They now live on 10 acres in Kansas. They moved there three years ago, and it’s been an exciting adventure ever since.
One New Thing a Year
Before moving, someone gave them great advice: “Never do more than one new thing a year.” This made sense and helped them not feel overwhelmed with all the new things they wanted to try.
Year One: Growing Their Flock
In the first year, they focused on their chickens. In the city, they could only have twelve hens. When they moved to the country, they added more chickens, got some roosters, and even started hatching their own chicks. They also added turkeys and ducks to their flock. It was fun to watch their poultry family grow!
Year Two: Bringing Home the Sheep
Heather grew up in Australia, where lamb is a common food. In Kansas, lamb is hard to find and expensive. So, in their second year, they decided to raise their own sheep.
They found six little lambs for sale. Excitedly, they drove an hour to get them—in their small PT Cruiser! The lambs didn’t seem to mind, but the car smelled like sheep for a long time after that.
The Lambs Run Away
When they got home, it was dark and a storm was coming. They quickly made a pen for the lambs. The next morning, they found that the lambs had escaped! They searched everywhere but couldn’t find them.
They were so sad, thinking they had lost them for good. But the next morning, guess what? The lambs were huddled under their bedroom window! They had found their way home. They fixed the pen, and the lambs settled in nicely after that.
Adding Goats to the Family
Later, they decided to get some goats. They have a mama goat and a papa goat. Recently, the goats had twin baby goats! The family is excited to try goat meat for the first time when the twins are older.
Sharing a Dairy Cow
At first, they didn’t plan to have a dairy cow. But their neighbor wanted one and asked if they’d like to share. They thought it was a great idea!
Now, they co-own a cow with their neighbors. They share the work, the costs, and the milk. They only have to milk every other day, which gives them more freedom. Heather is learning to make butter, yogurt, and even cheese!
Their Busy Garden
They love growing their own food. Their garden is big—about 50 feet long and 16 feet wide. They have seven beds where they plant vegetables.
They grow tomatoes, hot peppers, kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, and mustard greens. Heather hasn’t had much luck with spinach, but she’ll keep trying!
Fighting Pests the Natural Way
They like to keep their garden organic. That means they don’t use chemicals to kill bugs. Instead, Heather spends time picking off the pests by hand. Then, she feeds them to the chickens, who love the tasty treats!
A Surprise Visitor: The Big Black Snake
One night, they found all their ducks outside instead of in their coop. When they looked inside, they saw a huge black snake! It was about 12 feet long and was close to their baby chicks.
Without thinking, Heather grabbed the snake by the tail and pulled it out of the coop. It hissed at her, but she carried it across the street and let it go in a field. They haven’t seen it since.
Dealing with Predators
Living in the country means dealing with wild animals. They’ve had visits from foxes and coyotes. One fox took some of their chickens. But they learned to protect their animals better, and now they have fewer problems.
Thinking About Bees and Pigs
They are always thinking about what to add next to their homestead. Heather would love to have bees for honey, but she feels a bit guilty taking their hard-earned honey. Maybe someday she’ll get over that!
They’re also considering pigs. Pigs can be a lot of work and like to dig up the ground. They’re not sure yet, but it’s something they’re thinking about.
Rotational Grazing with Their Sheep
This year, they’re trying something new with their sheep. They’re going to use special fencing to move them around the pasture. This helps keep the sheep healthy and the grass fresh.
Raising Heritage Chickens
They love their chickens! They have special breeds called Barred Rocks and New Hampshire Reds. They are big, friendly, and give both eggs and meat. They let them roam freely around their land.
Their Messy Ducks
They also have Muscovy ducks. They are good for meat, but they can be very messy! They used to sleep on the pond, but after some were taken by a fox, they decided to sleep in the coop instead.
Loving the Homestead Life
Homesteading is hard work, but it’s also very rewarding. They feel so lucky to live there and do what they love. Every day brings something new, and they wouldn’t trade it for anything.
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