Freedom Forest Farm

06/04/2026

🌱 Real homestead life isn’t always picture-perfect. Between family responsibilities, work, and everything else life has thrown our way lately, our melon patch got completely overtaken by weeds—some of them taller than I am!

Thankfully, my brother came to the rescue and tackled the overgrowth the old-fashioned way, pulling the weeds out roots and all. His hard work is giving us a fresh start and getting our homestead garden back on track.

One thing I've learned about homesteading, gardening, and self-sufficiency is that sometimes you fall behind, and that's okay. The important part is getting back out there and doing the work when you can. Thanks to his help, we'll be planting our watermelons, cantaloupes, and summer garden crops this week, and I couldn't be more grateful.

Homesteading is rarely a solo journey—it takes family, teamwork, and a whole lot of determination. 💚

05/13/2026

Harvested some lemon balm today to dry out for tea 🫖 It’s doing little things like this each day on our homestead that brings me such joy 🍋 🍃

04/21/2026

🐇🌿 Ready to Raise Your Own Meat… Without the Overwhelm? 🌿🐇

If you’ve been thinking about raising rabbits for meat but don’t know where to start—this is your sign. 🙌

I just found a self-paced, video-based rabbit farming class taught by Daniel Salatin (yes… that Polyface Farm 👀), and it breaks EVERYTHING down in a way that actually feels doable—even for busy families.

And honestly? I’m about to take it myself. 👏

💥 Here’s why this is a game changer for homesteaders:

🌱 Raise clean, homegrown meat (in under 30 minutes a day)
Perfect if you want sustainable living without adding hours to your day.

🛠️ Set up a system that LASTS
We’re talking durable housing plans built for the long haul—not something you’ll redo in 6 months.

🐇 Low-stress, self-managing breeding system
This is the exact method used at Polyface Farm—proven, practical, and beginner-friendly.

📋 Know your animals are healthy (without guessing)
Learn what to look for + how to track everything like a pro.

🍽️ Go from setup → harvest → dinner table with confidence
No more fear around the process—just clarity, step-by-step guidance, and even recipes to use your harvest.

✨ If your goal is homesteading, self-sufficiency, or raising your own meat, this class offered by the School of Traditional Skills is one of the most practical ways to start. Rabbits are low space, efficient, and incredibly beginner-friendly.

👉 Want in? Check it out here and learn at your own pace: https://www.ststrk1.com/7P4RRF/7KNGTQ/?creative_id=1158

03/04/2026

Progress?!?

03/01/2026

We always knew Pember had SUCH personality, but now he has SUCH attitude too! 🤣

02/18/2026

🐮 Six months ago, when we processed our cow, Seven, we made the decision to honor and use every part of the animal we raised.

As part of our homestead commitment to not wasting anything, we kept his head and buried it inside a ventilated bin to allow natural decomposition. No chemicals. No shortcuts. Just letting nature do what it was designed to do.

Today we dug it up.

And yes — it’s dark brown.

That color is not the natural bone color. What you’re seeing is grease saturation. Cattle skulls contain a significant amount of fat within the bone structure. As the tissues broke down over time, the fat liquefied, soaked into the porous bone, and oxidized — turning it deep brown.

This discoloration is very common in livestock skulls after natural decomposition.

Before it can be mounted, there are a few important steps I’ll be taking:
• A long, warm degreasing soak to pull the remaining oils out of the bone (this can take several weeks with cattle).
• Careful cleaning around the horn bases while preserving the natural horn sheath.
• Whitening with hydrogen peroxide — never bleach — to achieve a clean white but still rustic finish.

The goal isn’t a sterile, artificial white. I’m going for a natural, rustic European mount look — something that tells the full story of the animal we bottle-fed and raised.

There’s something deeply meaningful about honoring livestock this way. When you raise your own beef, you understand stewardship, responsibility, and respect for the life that feeds your family.

Homesteading isn’t always pretty — but it is purposeful.

01/24/2026

Another hearty meal for our family, thanks to all the meat our cow provided 🐮

Homemade beef stew and sourdough bread on a rainy night just hits differently, especially when you also know where your food came from.

01/23/2026

All prepped for this ice storm ❄️

Some folks think a high-rise condo and expensive cars are the ultimate flex. We all measure success differently — and that’s okay.

For me, it’s the quiet confidence of freezers stocked with a whole cow, two pigs, and home-raised chickens — all farm-to-table, raised right here. Add in baking our own bread, cooking from scratch, and knowing we can take care of our family no matter what… that’s what matters to me.

The animals are tucked in, the emu has a warm enclosure, the generator is ready just in case, and the homestead is as prepared as can be.

Homesteading isn’t about perfection or showing off — it’s about learning skills, building resilience, and finding peace in being prepared.

Stay warm and dry, y’all!

01/09/2026

01/02/2026

My emu wanted to play Peek-A-Boo! 🦕

I love my big dinosaur so much! We raised him from just a little 🐣 and he’s such a sweetheart with the goofiest personality. Our homestead wouldn’t be complete without him.