Homestead Design Solutions

06/08/2025

We had such an amazing time of learning, encouragement, and rejuvenation at the Homesteading Festival 2025 outside Nashville, TN. We went with some dear friends and had so much fun together. If you’ve never been you must put it on your 2026 calendar. I got to meet some of my biggest homesteading heros and influencers and pick up a few new ones (Justin Rhodes, Joel and Daniel Salatin, Greg Judy, Ruthann Zimmerman, Emily and Jason Morrow (Really Very Crunchy), and more. I especially appreciated hearing many of them openly proclaim our shared faith. If there was a common theme that ran throughout the weekend it was “Homebirth, homeschool, homestead, homechurch, homedeath”.

03/30/2025

Never say “NEVER!”
When people visit my farm one of the most common questions was “do you not have goats?” For years I declared we would never have goats. We have almost every other homestead animal but goats were not in the picture.

Our children at home each have animal responsibilities with some profit opportunities for themselves: Benjamin - raising and selling meat chickens and lawn mowing, Hannah - milk cows and rabbits, Judah - laying chickens, and Bethany who tagged along with Hannah. One day Bethany decided she was ready for her own animals and begged for sheep. Soon afterwards we were given two Dwarf Nigerian does and a buck. The other day we purchased a pair of young does. I have no idea how deep the rabbit hole goes for Bethany but I’m confident she is loving every minute of it. I’ll even admit they’re pretty cute.

03/26/2025

Know Your Labels!!

03/22/2025

Do you know what’s in your cookware? Did you know the black plastics and Teflon are HORRIBLE for your health?

I came home from work yesterday to discover our kitchen cabinets had been emptied of their plastic and Teflon contents. These items are destined for the trash - no we won’t donate, give, or sell these to anyone. The BPAs, microplastics, and Teflon in these are literal poison to my family so we are switching to porcelain, iron, stainless steel, glass, pottery, and carbon steel. I’m so thankful that my kids and wife are as excited as I am to embrace this lifestyle shift.

Do your research; eat clean, healthy, local, and know WHAT’S IN YOUR COOKWARE?!

Teflon was discovered by accident in 1938 by Dr. Roy Plunkett, a chemist working for DuPont. He was experimenting with gases for refrigerants when he found that a gas (tetrafluoroethylene) had polymerized into a white, waxy solid inside a pressurized container. This substance turned out to be polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) — later branded as Teflon.

After its accidental discovery in 1938, DuPont began exploring its unique properties: chemical inertness, high heat resistance, and low friction. Here’s how it was first used:

Original Uses of Teflon:
1.World War II – Manhattan Project
Used to coat valves, gaskets, and seals in the equipment that handled uranium hexafluoride gas during the atomic bomb project. Its chemical resistance made it ideal for containing corrosive materials.
2.Wiring and Electronics (1940s–50s). Teflon was used as insulation for wiring, especially in aerospace and military aircraft, because it could handle high temperatures and was non-reactive.

At temperatures above 500°F (260°C), old Teflon can begin to break down and release toxic fumes (e.g. PFIB, PTFE fumes)…in your FOOD!

03/19/2025

I don’t buy candy at the grocery checkout, but fruit trees at TSC are more tempting than a Snickers. Don’t get suckered by clever marketing at the box stores. Do your research and know what you’re getting first.

https://youtube.com/shorts/cXS-uBhrTzU?si=FkrKhThE4wSm8zOv

Are you wasting money on fruit trees, berry bushes, and vegetable plants that won’t thrive? Big box stores and chain retailers often sell varieties that aren...