Ben and Nicole are two modern homesteaders learning how to grow their own food and survive the chaos of owning a hobby farm.
What Is a homestead?
Episode
1
Ben and Nicole have committed to a goal of self-sufficiency, but unfortunately it's proving harder than they thought.
Winter Woes
Episode
2
Ben and Nicole run out of dry firewood before the season is over; regardless, looking back at the prior year proves helpful in moving forward with their garden plans.
Spring Cleaning
Episode
3
As winter thaws, Ben and Nicole set out to tidy up the yard and prep the garden; with cleanup well underway, they pick up a new honeybee hive in hopes of being able to pollinate their garden and reap some homegrown honey.
Honey, Honey
Episode
4
After Ben gets a nasty sting from his honeybees, he ventures out to MacPherson's Apiary and Farm to learn the ropes of what it takes to be a beekeeper; with his newfound knowledge, he's confident enough to harvest his own honey.
Let's Get Cracking
Episode
5
For the first time, Ben and Nicole set out to hatch chicks from their own eggs; while waiting for hatchlings, they reap the first bounty from their garden.
Foraging Fun
Episode
6
Ben and Nicole join the Bubar family to pick fiddleheads and learn about blueberries with River Valley Blueberries; unfortunately, not everything foraged is safe to eat and Ben learns his lesson about mushroom misidentification.
Chicken Chaos
Episode
7
Ben, Nicole and Ben's parents decide to try their hand at raising meat birds; however, they neglect to take into account that 100 chicks quickly turn into 100 chickens; a lack of room forces them to quickly move them outdoors.
Predator Problems
Episode
8
After losing too many birds to raccoons over the last couple of years, Ben and Nicole set out to catch their criminal and protect their meat bird investment in hopes of filling the freezer with meat for the winter.
Chicken Chaos
Episode
9
After resolving the predator problem, the chicks still have only six more weeks before they're ready for the chopping block; as their end grows near, Ben visits a local butcher to learn the ropes on how to cut and prep meat.
Filling the Freezer
Episode
10
After eight long weeks, the meat birds are finally ready for the freezer; family and friends band together and join Ben and Nicole in hopes of being able to feed both them and Ben's parents for the winter.
The Seeds
Episode
1
Ben and Nicole start their journey planting seeds and get ready for the season; they plant their seeds in anticipation of the season yet to come; Ben explains his plans for the season, and Nicole discusses how difficult the pregnancy is.
The Ducks
Episode
2
Ben and Nicole put some eggs in the incubator to hatch and head to town to pick up some ducks; Ben gives a talk at the local library; with little faith in their ability to hatch duck eggs for the first time, they adopt three drakes.
The Hatch
Episode
3
Ben struggles with the eggs in the incubator as the humidity drops dangerously low; Nicole gets ready to give birth.
The Tiller
Episode
4
Ben scouts and preps the garden by enlisting the help of their friend, Brent; Brent brings his tractor to help till the garden so they can get it planted.
The Raccoon
Episode
5
After the new duck eggs hatch, Ben moves the chicken tractor; they have another unfortunate visit from their nemesis, the raccoon.
The Herbalist
Episode
6
After picking up their first batch of meat chicks, Ben heads to meet Munna, a clinical herbalist, to learn about foraging native plants.
The Goats
Episode
7
In an effort to expand their homestead and add dairy, Ben and Nicole adopt a few milk goats; Ben milks them for the first time.
The Solar
Episode
8
After a tour of the garden, Rudi, a solar expert, teaches Ben more about how they could go off the grid using solar power.
The Rooster
Episode
9
Ben makes sausages for the first time; Ben becomes the local Rooster Wrangler to catch a feral rooster before butchering their first batch of chickens for the year.
The Garden
Episode
10
After a hurricane rips through the farm, Ben and Nicole take inventory of what's left still standing in the garden.
The Waste
Episode
11
After feeding all their extra pumpkins to the goats, Ben meets up with Jamie White to learn about how his company helps reduce waste from the grocery store by helping feed small farms.