Harvest Haven Homesteading Workshop

Dear Friends,

September’s workshop reminded me why I fell in love with so many of these old-fashioned ways in the first place.

I originally started making my own dry mixes because I wanted more control over what was going into the food we ate. I realized I didn’t need all the little boxes and packets filled with ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. With a few simple pantry staples, I could make many of those same things myself, choose the quality of every ingredient, save money, and know exactly what was in the jar.

That same thinking is what drew me deeper into fermentation and herbal infusions. Learning these traditional methods has changed the way I do things in my own home. Instead of always reaching for something commercially prepared, I’ve learned to go back to simple ingredients and methods that people relied on long before everything came ready-made in a package.

For me, homesteading isn’t about doing things the hard way just because they’re old-fashioned. It’s about learning another way—a simpler, more natural way that gives me more control over what I bring into my home and use on the farm.

Simple ingredients. Old-fashioned methods. As natural as we can make it. That’s how we roll here on the farm.

— Sandra, The Goat Lady 🐐