“Before sustainable living had a name, it had roots. 🌱
 This Black History Month, Old Ways New Days honors the Black innovators, ancestral farmers, and land stewards who shaped homesteading, regenerative agriculture, and food sovereignty — blending history, spirituality, and soil wisdom into one powerful story.”

Resources:

Oneearth.org

Tsfrcbo.org 

Blackinplantscience.org

Csuchico.edu

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Before spices were trendy, they were powerful. 🌿
 From garden herbs to world-changing seeds, this episode of Old Ways New Days explores how to grow, dry, store, and honor the seasonings that once shaped empires—and can still shape your pantry today.

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Food preservation isn’t pretty — it’s powerful.

This episode of Old Ways New Days dives deep into real‑world food preservation: pressure canning, water bath canning, drying, salt preservation, and the mistakes that teach us how to do it right.

Because resilience is built one jar at a time.

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February is not an empty month.

It’s a time of milk returning to the pail,
 candles lit against the cold,
 homes cleansed for what comes next,
 and new years beginning under a different moon.

In this episode of Old Ways New Days, we explore February’s holidays and holy days—from Imbolc’s dairy and fire, to folk traditions of purification, to fertility rites, and the Lunar New Year’s ancestral renewal.

Different cultures.
 Shared survival.
 The same human instinct to prepare for spring.

If you’ve felt February tugging at you—quietly asking you to tend, to clean, to hope—this episode is for you.

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Book: "Pilgrim's Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier" by Tom Kizzia (Crown Publishers, 2013)

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 1-800-656-4673

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The Homestead Act of 1862 promised land, opportunity, and independence — but its story didn’t end in the 1800s.

In this episode of Old Ways New Days, we explore where the Homestead Act began, how it shaped American land ownership, and how homesteading laws and land policies have continued to evolve — including key changes and interpretations that emerged and bring us into the modern era.

Because homesteading isn’t frozen in history. It adapts. Just like the land itself.

SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES 

Historical Resources:

National Parks Service - Homestead National Historical Park

"The Homestead Act of 1862" - Britannica

Library of Congress - American Memory Collection

Modern Homesteading Legal Resources:

Vermont Law School's Center for Agriculture and Food Systems

USDA National Agricultural Library - Urban Agriculture Resources

Sustainable Economies Law Center

Local Harvest - Find farmers' markets and CSAs 

www.localharvest.org

Municode Library - Search local ordinances

Urban Agriculture Organizations:

American Community Gardening Association

Urban Farming Institute

National Urban Agriculture Coalition

Books Mentioned:

"The Urban Homestead" by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen

"Paradise Lot" by Eric Toensmeier

"The Backyard Homestead" by Carleen Madigan

Contact Your Local Officials:

City Planning Department

Zoning Board

County Extension Office

Local Food Policy Council

Legal Consultation:

For complex situations, consult a land-use attorney

Many offer free initial consultations

Some work with sustainable agriculture nonprofits

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January isn’t too early — it’s intentional.

While the land rests under frost, this is when the real work begins: choosing seeds, reading light, warming soil, and planning growth before spring ever arrives. In this episode of Old Ways New Days, we explore why January seed starting matters, what actually thrives when started early, and how quiet winter prep leads to stronger, more resilient gardens.

Because before anything grows above ground…
 it begins in the dark.

🌱🎧 Listen now.

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What does self-reliance really look like when the internet goes quiet and the grid feels fragile?

In this episode of Old Ways New Days, we take a thoughtful look at Backwoods Home Magazine — its roots, its philosophy, and its place in modern homesteading culture. From practical skills and off-grid living to the deeper mindset of preparedness and independence, we explore what this long-running publication gets right, where it shows its age, and whether it still holds value for today’s sustainable, earth-connected households.

Is it just nostalgia — or a quiet manual for resilience?

Listener Resource:

Backwoods Home Magazine Website:

https://www.backwoodshome.com/

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In this FREE bonus episode we announce our winner and get to speak with them on the phone; followed by a compilation of bloopers that were edited out from our December episodes. Enjoy!!

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Winter may slow the world outside, but a homestead never truly sleeps. In this week’s episode, we’re diving into midwinter maintenance—the quiet, essential work that keeps the hearth warm, the tools ready, and the home resilient. From practical tips to old seasonal traditions, join us as we tend the heart of the homestead during the coldest days of the year. 

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