How We Are Upgrading Our Homestead this Year

After years of pushing hard on our homestead, we reached a point where we had to ask a tough question: Is everything we’re doing actually sustainable?Last year, we intentionally slowed down. Not completely, but enough to take a step back and evaluate what was working and what wasn’t.And what we learned changed how we’re approaching this year in a big way.In this episode, we’re sharing the real-life changes we’re making on our homestead. The projects we’re moving forward with, the systems we’re simplifying, and a few things we’re choosing to let go of entirely.Because here’s the truth most people don’t talk about... You don’t have to do everything to build a successful homestead.🌱 In This Episode Why we took a slower year and what it revealed  The homestead projects we’re focusing on in 2026  What we’re scaling back and why it matters  How our homestead is shifting into a multi-generational model  The systems that were adding too much pressure  What we’re doing differently this time around 🧭 Topics We Cover Simplifying dairy production  Stepping away from pig breeding  Turning over the main garden to the next generation  Expanding the beef program  Starting a family egg business  Rebuilding the house exterior  Resetting the orchard for long-term success 🧭 Mentioned in This Video- Learn how much to plant for a year’s worth of food: https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-to-grow-a-years-worth-of-food/- Raising backyard chickens: https://homesteadingfamily.com/raising-backyard-egg-laying-chickens/- Stocking your pantry the right way: https://homesteadingfamily.com/prepping-your-pantry-for-winter/- Planting fruit trees: https://homesteadingfamily.com/growing-perennials-on-the-homestead/- Thanks to Azure Standard for sponsoring this podcast. For first-time customers, use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY15" for 15% off your first order of $100 or more: https://homesteadingfamily.com/main-azure-standard-b⏱️ Timestamps0:00 - Introduction1:22 - Azure Standard5:29 - 2026 Projects~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MORE ABOUT US!WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideoGrow, Preserve & Thrive with us!Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.comFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamilyInstagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamilyRumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamilyBecome a master canner in just a few days with my FREE video series where together we are going to stock your shelves with amazing food the whole family will love.