July 05, 2025

#127: From End-Stage Liver Disease to Homestead Healing: How One Family Transformed Through Homesteading, Homeschooling, and Self-Sufficiency

55 minutes

What happens when life throws you a devastating curveball? For Kody and her family, her husband's end-stage liver disease diagnosis with just one year to live became the catalyst for a complete lifestyle transformation. They sold everything, bought a farm, and began growing their own food—a decision that ultimately led to his liver fully healing eight years later.

This conversation takes us deep into the intersection of homesteading and homeschooling, revealing how one family found purpose, health, and a thriving business by reconnecting with traditional skills. Kody shares candidly about their journey from thinking "we don't want to spend all day with our children" to creating an integrated life where education happens naturally through meaningful work. Her story of watching her once-struggling son thrive outside traditional education—eventually becoming a $50/hour foreman at age 20—challenges conventional thinking about learning and success.

As founder of Homestead Education, Kody created curriculum that's now used in five countries after discovering a surprising gap in agricultural education resources. "Food is literally humanity's most driving force, and yet nobody knows how to do it," she explains, describing how her materials blend agriculture, science, and home economics for all ages. From raising heritage pigs to managing a micro-dairy, her family demonstrates how developing self-sufficiency skills creates resilience and purpose beyond what conventional systems offer.

Whether you're curious about homesteading, considering homeschooling, or simply interested in more sustainable living, this episode offers practical wisdom and inspiration. Visit thehomesteadeducation.com to explore Kody's curriculum and resources for starting your own journey toward greater self-sufficiency and purposeful living.

Check out Kody's work at: Homestead Education

What is the most important thing we can teach our kids?
HOW TO HANDLE AN EMERGENCY!
This could mean life or death in some cases!
Help a child you know navigate how to handle an emergency situation with ease: Let's Talk, Emergencies! -

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By Cheryl - Host

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