This week on _ We Dig Plants _, Alice and Carmen are tipping their hats to the homesteaders that settled the country located west of the Mississippi River. Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act encouraged western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange, homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership of the land.  On the line with Dan Housholder, he explains the story behind his family’s history of 19th century homesteaders that worked the land in Kansas.  After returning to his roots and repurchasing the land that once belonged to his ancestors, he shares his homesteading journey from researching the original Homesteading Act to how his family became involved to the farm auction that led him back to the land in Kansas.  Tune in for a fascinating story!

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