I'm thrilled to be talking with Michael Easter today, an award-winning journalist, contributing editor at Men’s Health magazine, and author of The Comfort Crisis.

Michael breaks down how our world has gotten more and more "comfortable" since the Industrial Revolution, why this isn't necessarily a good thing, and why more folks today need to do what homesteaders, as a natural inclination, tend to do... challenge themselves and lean into "hard."

Where to find Michael (and his 5-day challenge!): eastermichael.com

Be sure to check out this episode's sponsor, Redmond's Agriculture, & my favorite soil kit option on the market, right here: theprairiehomestead.com/soiltest. Use code HOMESTEAD, save 15% off your entire order, and improve your garden soil before next growing season.

My (New) Old-School Blog: www.prairiephilosophy.com

Head to http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/grow to get complimentary access to my best homestead resources.

Get more in-depth homestead info, printable recipes, tutorials, and more on my blog at www.theprairiehomestead.com

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S10 E7: Stop Being Comfortable with Michael Easter

Have you felt it? Something is rippling through humanity at this moment. It's a stirring... a longing... a remembering. A sense that we are more capable than we’ve been led to believe. We want to feel alive, not sedated.. but we've lost our way. We've traded a life intertwined with nature for asphalt and artificial lights. We've swapped natural movement for a sedentary existence. We've given up food from the earth in favor of food from the factory. We've sacrificed our traditional skillsets for apps and gadgets. But while our overdose on modernity may have made us sick, there is an antidote. Join best-selling author and mentor, Jill Winger, each week as she digs into a different facet of the old-fashioned on purpose lifestyle.

Education

Training

Language Courses

Higher Education

K-12

Educational Technology

Hobbies

Games & Hobbies

Home & Garden

How To

Leisure

Ever been accused of being a "fun hater?" If so, you're not alone. In fact, it seems to be a common trait in those of us drawn towards old-fashioned things.  Find out the difference between fun vs. flow and why your fun-hating ways may actually be a superpower.

 Podcast Episode HighlightsPerceptions of 'fun'How an interview made me think about 'fun'Modern definitions of 'fun'Older definitions of 'fun'What brings me the most fun and joyThe idea of a 'flow state'Why I think the homesteading movement is growing like it isHow I find flow in my lifeFinal thoughts on 'fun'Podcast Episode Resources and Links Mentioned Learn more about the Modern Homestead Conference here: https://modernhomesteading.com/

 Find my Old-Fashioned on Purpose book here: http://oldfashionedbook.com/

 Get weekly musings from my homestead: http://theprairiehomestead.com/letter My homesteading tutorials & recipes: www.theprairiehomestead.com Our Wyoming-raised, grass-finished beef: http://genuinebeefco.com Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead

 Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application


Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback! 

S14 E15: Confessions of a Fun Hater

Note: Due to privacy reasons, Reesa has deleted her website.

Even though I live ON-grid with electricity and running water, sometimes I day-dream about what it'd be like to live completely off-grid in a tiny cabin. And today's guest does exactly that!  This conversation with Reesa of Morning Star Mama is packed-full of creative strategies and tactics for DIY-ing a small home and living off-grid. I love Reesa's out-of-the-box approach and I know you will too!

 Podcast Episode HighlightsWhat inspired Reesa in her off-grid lifestyleHow she started her off-grid lifeDetails on lighting, electric, sheet rock, heating, etc.Off-grid water detailsTalking about composting toiletsWhy off-grid doesn't need to mean inconvenient Looking at refrigeration for foodDetails on cookingHardest part of being off-gridRaising kids on an off-grid homesteadAdvice for someone wanting to go off-gridPodcast Episode Resources and Links Mentioned 
Get weekly musings from my homestead: http://theprairiehomestead.com/letter My homesteading tutorials & recipes: www.theprairiehomestead.com Our Wyoming-raised, grass-finished beef: http://genuinebeefco.com Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!   

S14 E14: How to Live Off-Grid in a Tiny Cabin

It's no secret-- I am an unfit sourdough parent. I often forget to feed it and I regularly leave it in my fridge for 8 months at a time. Yet-- even through my sourdough faux paus, I'm able to maintain a starter that creates delicious bread and more.  In today's episode I'm confessing my sourdough sins and sharing my sourdough CPR method for bringing neglected starters back from the dead.

 Podcast Episode HighlightsMy sourdough bad habitsMy typical sourdough routineMy most recent sourdough starter disasterHow I revived my sourdough starterSigns that indicate your sourdough starter is active againSigns that indicate you cannot save your sourdough starterHow to save and preserve a sourdough starter (esp. when you need a break)Wet vs. dry starter methodFinal thoughts and tips on sourdoughPodcast Episode Resources and Links Mentioned My Instagram reel on reviving an old sourdough starter: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2swSt6PXvi/

 Find my free sourdough pdf resource here: https://meet.theprairiehomestead.com/no-stress-sourdough-main

 My sourdough starter tutorial: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/03/make-sourdough-starter.html

 My sourdough bread tutorial: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/04/sourdough-bread-recipe.html

 My favorite ways to use up a sourdough discard: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2021/12/my-5-favorite-ways-to-use-sourdough-discard.html    Get weekly musings from my homestead: http://theprairiehomestead.com/letter My homesteading tutorials & recipes: www.theprairiehomestead.com Our Wyoming-raised, grass-finished beef: http://genuinebeefco.com Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application


Podcast Feedback Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!

S14 E13: How to Bring a Sourdough Starter Back from the Dead

There's a lot of fear floating around the homestead community lately.  In today's episode I'll share my history with paranoia, how it ultimately will hurt your homestead, and why I no longer subscribe to fear-based homesteading.

 Podcast Episode HighlightsThoughts about the term' homestead'Concerns about current shifts in what 'homestead' meansWhy I think fear has creeped into the homestead movementMy background with paranoia-based cultureCycles, perspectives, and a closer look at historyReading suggestionsPreparedness and pleasure vs. fear and panicConfirmation bias and issues with social mediaOccam's razor principleBaader-Meinhof phenomenonFinal thoughts on being aware and asking questionsPodcast Episode Resources and Links Mentioned Get weekly musings from my homestead: http://theprairiehomestead.com/letter

 My homesteading tutorials & recipes: www.theprairiehomestead.com

 Our Wyoming-raised, grass-finished beef: http://genuinebeefco.com

 Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger

 Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead

 Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application



S14 E12: Why I Don't Live Like the Sky is Falling

The world of whole wheat can be ridiculously overwhelming: Hard, soft, winter, spring, red, white... and that doesn't even take into account all the different varieties out there.  In today's episode I'm sharing my helpful whole wheat framework that will not only cut through the noise, but also empower you to finally tackle that whole wheat baking (without making bread bricks in the process).

 Podcast Episode HighlightsCommon perception about whole wheatWhole wheat framework that I created to helpW.H.O.L.E. acronym for deciphering wheatWheat seasonsHue of the wheatOrigin of the wheat (varieties of wheat)Level of hardness in the wheatExtraction of wheatTips for beginnersWhere to find whole wheat berriesFinal thoughts on whole wheatPodcast Episode Resources and Links Mentioned

Join my weekly newsletter here: http://theprairiehomestead.com/letter Struggling to find wheat berries? I get mine from Azure Standard

 Are you a visual learner? Check out my blog post for the W.H.O.L.E. graphic here: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2024/02/unlocking-the-wheat-berry-puzzle.html

 My other podcast episodes and blog articles on wheat include:Season 11: Episode 14: My Long Road Back to Whole Wheat FloursSeason 11: Episode 6: Ancient Grains: Your New Best Friend in the KitchenEpisode 107: Flour Shortages, Grain Mills, & Whole WheatEpisode 105: ALL Your Sourdough Questions: Answered!Episode 89: My 5 Favorite Ways to Use Up Sourdough DiscardEpisode 72: How to Make Your Own Sourdough StarterEpisode 44: How to Start Using Einkorn FlourWheat Berries and Grinding Your Own Flour (blog article)Troubleshooting Sourdough (blog article) Get weekly musings from my homestead: http://theprairiehomestead.com/letter My homesteading tutorials & recipes: www.theprairiehomestead.com Our Wyoming-raised, grass-finished beef: http://genuinebeefco.com Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast:  https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

S10 E7: Stop Being Comfortable with Michael Easter

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