Ditch The Store

Eggs are one of the most valuable foods you can produce—or buy—but most of us only think about them at breakfast.

In this episode, I share 10 practical ways to use every egg well, reduce food waste, save money, and get more value from your backyard chickens (or your local egg supplier).

We'll cover preserving eggs, meal planning, using leftovers, making homemade mayonnaise, and simple ways to stretch every dozen further.

Whether you've got your own flock or you're just beginning your homesteading journey, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can put into action this week.

In this episode:

• Why eggs are one of the most versatile foods you can keep on hand
• Simple ways to stop wasting eggs

• How to preserve surplus eggs
• Easy meals that use plenty of eggs
• What to do with eggshells
• Homemade mayonnaise that tastes amazing
• Why planning beats panic-buying every time

This week's challenge

🥚 See how many different meals you can make using eggs this week.

Then take your Ditch The Store Score and see where you are on your self-sufficiency journey:

www.ditchthestore.com/dtsscore

If you're enjoying Ditch The Store, I'd really appreciate it if you could follow the podcast and leave a review. It helps more hardworking families discover practical ways to grow, make and raise more of their own food.

Everyone says chickens are the perfect first homesteading animal—but are they?

In this episode, I explain why I love chickens, why they're still one of the best additions to any homestead... and why they might not be the first step for everyone.

If you're just starting your journey towards self-sufficiency, we'll look at the practical skills that can save you money, build your confidence, and make keeping chickens much more rewarding when the time is right.

We also cover Australia's current bird flu situation, the real costs of keeping chickens, and a simple challenge that will help you rely a little less on the supermarket this week.

This week's takeaway

Before buying chickens, ask yourself:

"What's one thing I could stop buying from the supermarket?"

Start with one simple change. Build confidence. Then keep going.

Tag me at @MojoHomestead and let me know what supermarket swap you made—I love seeing what you're creating.

If you're enjoying Ditch The Store, please follow the podcast and leave a review. It helps more beginner homesteaders discover practical ways to take back control of their food supply.

Have you ever watched a beautiful cabbage, zucchini, or box of fresh vegetables slowly turn into compost while sitting in your fridge?

What if there was a way to preserve that food for months, improve its flavour, support your gut health, and do it all without a freezer, pressure canner, or expensive equipment?

In this episode of Ditch the Store, we're diving into one of humanity's oldest food preservation methods: fermentation.

From simple homemade sauerkraut to kimchi, sourdough, kombucha, and even fermented horse milk used by Mongolian nomads, we'll explore why fermentation has been helping people preserve food for thousands of years and how you can get started with nothing more than cabbage, salt, and a jar.

Whether you're a complete beginner or you've been curious about making your own fermented foods, this episode will give you the confidence to have a crack at it.

Beginner Sauerkraut Recipe

Ingredients

1kg cabbage

1 tablespoon non-iodised salt

• Finely shred the cabbage.
• Add salt.
• Massage thoroughly until brine begins to form.
• Pack tightly into a clean jar.
• Ensure cabbage remains completely submerged beneath the brine.
• Ferment for 7–21 days depending on temperature and taste preference.
• Refrigerate once the flavour reaches your liking.

✅ Keep the cabbage below the brine.

Air is the enemy of good sauerkraut.

Mentioned in This Episode

🌿 Mojo Homestead Freebies & Newsletter

https://www.mojohomestead.net

🌿 Ditch The Store Book Collection

https://www.mojohomestead.net/home/books

Next Week

🐔 Bird Flu Has Arrived in Australia — What Every Chicken Keeper Needs to Know

We'll separate fact from fiction, discuss what the current situation means for backyard chicken keepers, and look at practical biosecurity steps you can take to protect your flock without falling into panic mode.

Enjoying the Podcast?

If you're enjoying Ditch the Store, please consider leaving a review on your favourite podcast platform.

⭐ Your reviews help more people discover the show.

⭐ Five-star reviews may even earn you a shout-out in a future episode.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly episodes on:

• Homesteading

• Backyard chickens

• Food preservation

• Gardening

• Self-sufficiency

• Traditional skills

• Food security

• Ditching the supermarket one skill at a time

#DitchTheStore #Fermentation101 #Sauerkraut #FoodPreservation #Homesteading #GutHealth #FoodSecurity #TraditionalSkills #SelfSufficiency #FermentedFoods #MojoHomestead

Bird flu has officially arrived in Australia, and if you keep backyard chickens, you've probably seen plenty of headlines, social media posts, and opinions flying around.

But what does it actually mean for your flock?

Should you be worried?

Do you need to lock your chickens up?

What practical steps can you take to protect your birds without falling into panic mode?

In this episode of Ditch the Store, CJ separates fact from fiction and explains what backyard chicken keepers need to know about avian influenza, how it spreads, the signs to watch for, and the simple biosecurity measures that can help keep your flock safe. Based on the episode transcript.

In This Episode

🐔 What bird flu (avian influenza) actually is

🐔 What's happening in Australia right now

🐔 How bird flu spreads between birds

🐔 Why backyard chicken keepers should pay attention

🐔 Practical biosecurity measures you can implement today

🐔 Signs and symptoms to watch for in your flock

🐔 Whether free-range chickens are at greater risk

🐔 Could bird flu affect egg supplies and prices?

🐔 How to stay informed without falling into fear and misinformation

Key Takeaways

✅ Don't panic

✅ Focus on practical biosecurity

✅ Secure feed and water sources

✅ Limit contact with wild birds where possible

✅ Monitor your flock daily

✅ Stay informed through official sources

✅ Preparation is more useful than fear

Resources Mentioned

📧 Mojo Homestead Website

http://www.mojohomestead.net

🇦🇺 Official Australian Bird Flu Updates

https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/pests-diseases-weeds/animal/avian-influenza

Next Week

From Shell to Shelf: How to Store, Preserve & Use More Eggs

Enjoying the Podcast?

If you're enjoying Ditch the Store, please consider leaving a review on your favourite podcast platform.

⭐ Reviews help more people discover the show.

⭐ Five-star reviews may earn you a shout-out in a future episode.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly episodes on:

Backyard chickens

Homesteading

Food security

Gardening

Food preservation

Self-sufficiency

Traditional skills

Ditching the supermarket one skill at a time

#DitchTheStore #BirdFluAustralia #BackyardChickens #ChickenKeeping #Homesteading #FoodSecurity #AvianInfluenza #AustralianHomesteading #SelfSufficiency #MojoHomestead

Winter has settled in. The garden has slowed down, the chickens are taking their annual leave, and the shortest day of the year is almost here.

But what if this wasn't something to endure?

What if it was something to celebrate?

In this episode of Ditch the Store, CJ explores the history of Yule, the ancient midwinter festival that celebrated the longest night of the year and the return of the light. We look at how many familiar Christmas traditions have roots in older seasonal celebrations and why Yule still makes perfect sense for modern homesteaders.

Whether you're interested in history, seasonal living, family traditions, or simply finding a meaningful way to mark the winter solstice, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can use on your own homestead.

❄️ What Yule is and why it was celebrated

🔥 The connection between Yule, winter solstice, and Christmas traditions

🌲 The history behind Yule logs, evergreen decorations, candles, and midwinter feasts

🐔 Why seasonal living still matters for modern homesteaders

📝 Questions to reflect on as you review your homestead year

🍲 Simple and affordable Yule traditions you can start with your family

🌱 How winter planning can set you up for success in spring

• Light candles to celebrate the return of longer days
• Share a meal made from homegrown or preserved food
• Gather around a fire pit or fireplace
• Create decorations from natural materials
• Reflect on what worked (and didn't work) on your homestead this year
• Set goals for the coming growing season
• Practice gratitude for the lessons, harvests, and experiences of the past year

Winter may feel slow, but it isn't standing still.

Every day after the winter solstice brings a little more light, a little more warmth, and one step closer to spring.

Mentioned in this Episode

🌿 Join the Mojo Homestead mailing list:
www.mojohomestead.net

🌿 Follow Mojo Homestead for more homesteading tips, seasonal living inspiration, and practical self-sufficiency advice.

🥬 Fermentation 101 – Learn the basics of fermenting food, improving gut health, preserving harvests, and adding natural probiotics to your pantry.

🎧 Subscribe to Ditch the Store for weekly episodes on homesteading, food security, backyard chickens, gardening, livestock, self-sufficiency, and creating a more resilient lifestyle.

#DitchTheStore #Yule #WinterSolstice #Homesteading #SeasonalLiving #SelfSufficiency #ChristmasInJuly #MojoHomestead #BackyardHomestead #SimpleLiving #HomesteadLife #AustralianHomesteading

Have your hens suddenly stopped laying eggs? Before you panic and start questioning your chicken-keeping skills, take a breath.

If it's winter, there's a good chance your girls haven't quit their jobs—they've simply gone on annual leave.

In this episode of Ditch the Store, CJ explains why egg production drops (or stops completely) during winter, what a molt actually is, how daylight affects laying, and the practical steps you can take to help your flock through the season.

You'll learn:

🐔 Why shorter days—not cold weather—are usually responsible for reduced egg production

🐔 What happens during a molt and why hens need this natural rest period

🐔 How to tell the difference between a molting hen and a sick hen

🐔 The best high-protein foods to support feather regrowth

🐔 Common mistakes that can make a molt last longer

🐔 Whether artificial lighting is worth using in a backyard flock

🐔 What to expect as spring approaches and egg production returns

If you've opened the nesting box lately and found nothing but disappointment, this episode is for you.

✅ Join the Mojo Homestead mailing list: www.mojohomestead.net

✅ Upcoming book: Eggs Without Cartons – the complete guide to raising chickens for fresh backyard eggs

✅ Current book: Ditch the Store: From Brooder to Plate

Remember: winter doesn't last forever, and neither does a molt. Feed them well, keep them healthy, and the eggs will return.

🎧 Subscribe to Ditch the Store for practical homesteading advice on chickens, gardening, self-sufficiency, food security, and living a more independent life.

#DitchTheStore #BackyardChickens #ChickenKeeping #EggProduction #MoltingChickens #HomesteadingAustralia #SelfSufficiency #FarmLife #MojoHomestead #RaiseYourOwnFood

Mentioned in this episode:

Brooder to Plate - USA and Kindle https://amzn.to/44yQr2L

Brooder to Plate - Aussie version https://amzn.to/4eTcGnw

✅ Join the Mojo Homestead mailing list: www.mojohomestead.net✅ Upcoming book: Eggs Without Cartons – the complete guide to raising chickens for fresh backyard eggs✅ Current book: Ditch the Store: From Brooder to PlateBrooder to Plate - USA and Kindle ⁠https://amzn.to/44yQr2L⁠

Brooder to Plate - Aussie version ⁠https://amzn.to/4eTcGnw⁠Remember: winter doesn't last forever, and neither does a molt. Feed them well, keep them healthy, and the eggs will return.🎧 Subscribe to Ditch the Store for practical homesteading advice on chickens, gardening, self-sufficiency, food security, and living a more independent life.#DitchTheStore #BackyardChickens #ChickenKeeping #EggProduction #MoltingChickens #HomesteadingAustralia #SelfSufficiency #FarmLife #MojoHomestead #RaiseYourOwnFood

Southern Tablelands, NSW and cool-temperate Australia — June, July, August

LEAFY GREENS

Kale: Cavolo Nero / Tuscan Kale, Curly Kale,

Red Russian

Silverbeet / Rainbow Chard

English Spinach: Bloomsdale, Winter Giant — direct sow only

Mustard Greens

Asian Greens: Bok Choy, Pak Choi, Wombok/Chinese Cabbage

BRASSICAS

Broccoli — plant as seedlings

Cauliflower — plant as seedlings, frost cloth on hard frost nights

Cabbage: Green Drumhead, Savoy

Kohlrabi

LEGUMES

Broad Beans: Aquadulce, Coles Dwarf — direct sow

Peas: Greenfeast, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap Peas — direct sow, needs a trellis

ROOT VEGETABLES

Radishes: Cherry Belle, French Breakfast — direct sow, very fast

Beetroot: Chioggia, Cylindra — direct sow

Turnips — direct sow

Swede — direct sow

Leeks — plant seedlings

ALLIUMS

Garlic: Monaro Purple, Australian Purple (ideal for Southern Tablelands) — best planted March–April, but plant now anyway; buy seed garlic, not supermarket bulbs

Spring Onions

HERBS

Parsley — very frost-hardy, thrives in cool weather

Coriander — best grown in winter; bolts in heat

Chives

Rosemary,

Thyme,

Sage — established plants sail through winter

DO NOT PLANT IN SOUTHERN TABLELANDS WINTER:

Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin, corn, French beans, climbing beans, capsicums, eggplant, sweet potato, basil

PRACTICAL TIPS FROM THIS EPISODE:

In Australia, north-facing beds get the most winter sun (sun comes from the north)

Use frost cloth in the evening when frost is forecast; remove in the morning

Mulch around plants to protect roots — keep mulch away from the crown

Direct sow: spinach, broad beans, peas, radishes, carrots, beetroot, turnips

Plant as seedlings: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, silverbeet, cabbage, leeks

Water less in winter — check soil before watering

Succession sow radishes and spinach every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvest

Cold frames and frost cloth can extend what's possible on hard frost nights

LINKS:

Join the Mojo Homestead email list: www.mojohomestead.net

'Eggs Without Cartons' — coming soon. Email list members hear first.

Frost season is here — and if you’re in a cold pocket like the Southern Tablelands, you already know it can wipe out a garden overnight.

In Episode 165 of Ditch The Store, I’m walking you through frost protection basics: what frost actually is, how to judge your risk, the cheap methods that work, and the common mistakes that make things worse.

Quick personal note first: Tuesday was my “D‑Day” — I’m saw the surgeon to check the X‑ray and find out whether the bone graft in my leg has taken. If you’ve got a spare good thought, send it my way.

In this episode

• What frost is (ice crystals forming on plant surfaces below 0°C)

• Why clear, still nights are the biggest frost risk (clouds = a blanket)

• Frost pockets and why cold air behaves like water (it sinks and pools)

• How to judge your frost risk: light frost vs hard frost

• Knowing your first/last frost dates (and why late surprise frosts happen)

• What gets smashed first (the drama queens) vs what can cope

• Microclimates you can use to “cheat”:

• Brick walls + under eaves

• Evergreen shelter (with the trade-off of shade)

• Near water (more stable temps)

• 5 frost protection methods:

1. Cover plants (frost cloth, sheets, cloches, plastic with a frame)

1. Mulch (stabilises soil temps + suppresses weeds)

1. Watering (moist soil holds heat — but water early, not at night)

1. Move pots (verandah, greenhouse, shed/garage overnight)

1. Windbreaks + airflow management (wind strips warmth and dries plants)

• What NOT to do:

• Plastic/fabric sitting directly on leaves

• Leaving covers on for days without airflow/light

• Pushing nitrogen fertiliser in winter (soft growth = frost damage)

• Ignoring weeds (they don’t take winter off)

• Protecting specific plants: seedlings vs established plants, herbs, leafy greens, root veg

• Winter infrastructure checks: hoses, taps, irrigation lines, frozen pipes

• A simple frost-night checklist (forecast → cover → mulch → move pots → uncover)

• Australian cold zone map (https://canva.link/wthzfa19m20cmbi)

Mentioned Next week

What you can still grow in winter — including ideas for different zones (not just mine). Got a go-to frost trick that actually works? Send me a DM and tell me what you do.

Winter’s rolling in down here in the Southern Tablelands, so today we’re talking backyard greenhouses — and I don’t just mean the “grab a kit from Bunnings and hope for the best” kind.

I break down what a greenhouse actually does (wind management, frost protection, moisture control and temperature buffering), why it matters in frosty climates, and the different options from tiny cloches right through to DIY window-and-door masterpieces.

I also share a quick personal update on my leg (surgery, bone graft, and the long road back to being properly useful around the farm again). Thanks for all the kind messages — they’ve meant a lot.In this episode

• Why there was no episode last week (and where I’m at with recovery)

• Greenhouse vs hothouse (and why I want both)

• The first step: know your climate zone + frost dates

• Frost pockets, wind exposure and why valleys can be colder

• What a greenhouse is meant to do (not just look pretty)

• Greenhouse options:

• Cloches (mini plant domes)

• Cold frames (old window over a raised bed)

• Hoop houses / plastic tunnels

• Shade cloth houses (what I’m using right now)

• Polycarbonate kit greenhouses

• Traditional glasshouses

• DIY builds using recycled windows and doors

• Location tips: winter sun, ventilation, drainage, access and shelter

• Practical design stuff: walkway width, benches vs in-ground, door width, vents

• Materials + covers: timber, steel, PVC hoops, greenhouse plastic, shade cloth, polycarbonate, glass

• Anchoring (because nobody wants their greenhouse ending up next door)

• What to grow through winter (and what’s a bit too optimistic)

ResourcesFree Australian hot/cold zone map for you to save or print: https://canva.link/wthzfa19m20cmbi

Next week

I’m going deeper into frost protection — the basics and what actually works when winter really bites.If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a mate who’s trying to grow food in a frost pocket.

See you next week, bye for now.

Fresh herbs from the garden taste nothing like the sad wilted bunch from the supermarket — and if you know how to preserve them, you'll have that flavour all year round.

CJ covers drying, freezing, herb butter, herb salt, and infused oils, so nothing from your autumn harvest goes to waste.

👉 Weekly tips and seasonal advice at mojohomestead.net