The Coop

In a time when grocery prices keep climbing and the world feels increasingly uncertain, many families are asking a simple question: how can we stretch what we have further while building something that lasts?

In Episode #21 of The Coop, Anna sits down with Jessica Spiers (homesteading and homeschooling mother of nine) for a deeply practical conversation about how modern homesteading is stepping in to fill the gap left by traditional home economics.

Jessica shares how the old principles of home economics (planning, production, prevention, price comparison, and resourcefulness) are more relevant today than ever. 

She explains how these timeless ideas naturally overlap with homesteading, helping families save money, reduce waste, involve their children in meaningful work, and become better stewards of their resources.

Whether you have acreage or none at all, Jessica’s wisdom shows that homesteading doesn’t have to be expensive or overwhelming.

It’s about making intentional choices with what you already have, teaching kids real skills through everyday tasks, and shifting from a mindset of pure consumption to thoughtful production.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re allowed to keep chickens, sell eggs from your backyard, build a shed, or start a small homestead business … this episode is essential listening.

In Episode #20 of The Coop, Anna sits down with Jacob Lauser (lawyer, homesteader, and founder of Homesteaders.Legal) for a practical, no-nonsense conversation about the legal realities every homesteader should understand.

Jacob shares his unique perspective as someone who has both practiced law and lived the homesteading life. He explains how to research zoning and land-use rules before (and after) buying property, what to watch for with livestock regulations, cottage food laws, water rights, HOA restrictions, and the realities of selling produce, eggs, or value-added products.

Rather than acting as a roadblock, Jacob encourages homesteaders to become informed so they can work within the system when possible … finding legal pathways instead of constantly fighting it. He stresses the importance of doing your due diligence: checking official sources, talking to locals, understanding your county’s specific rules, and knowing when to consult a knowledgeable attorney.

Whether you’re dreaming of buying land, already raising animals, or thinking about turning your homestead into a small business, this episode will help you avoid common legal pitfalls and make smarter, more informed decisions.

In this episode, Anna and Jacob discuss:

• Key things to research before buying land (zoning, restrictions, water rights, and more)
• Rules around livestock (chickens, goats, cows, and other animals)
• Cottage food laws, selling produce/eggs/meat, and starting a small homestead business
• How to work with the system instead of constantly fighting it
• Practical advice for staying compliant while still enjoying the freedom of homesteading

If you’ve ever dreamed of stepping outside and picking fresh, juicy fruit straight from your own trees (but felt intimidated by pruning, rootstocks, pollination, or where to even begin) this episode is for you.

In Episode #19 of The Coop, Anna sits down with Susan Poizner, orchardist, author, educator, and founder of OrchardPeople.com, for a warm, practical conversation that takes the mystery out of growing fruit trees.

Susan shares why most big-box store trees set beginners up for disappointment and explains how choosing the right variety and rootstock for your climate and space can eliminate up to 60% of future problems. She walks through the importance of bare-root trees, proper planting techniques, and why the first 3–5 years are critical for shaping a strong, productive tree.

The conversation dives into cross-pollination (why some trees need a partner and others don’t), the difference between open-center and central-leader pruning, and how timing your pruning cuts makes a big difference in tree health and fruit quality. Susan also explains why grafted trees are the norm and how they allow us to grow exactly the fruit we want … without waiting 5–7 years to see what a seedling produces.

Whether you have room for just one small dwarf tree on a patio or are dreaming of a backyard orchard, this episode gives you the knowledge and confidence to get started the right way. Susan’s passion is contagious, and her straightforward advice makes growing fruit trees feel exciting and totally doable … even for complete beginners.

If you’re ready to move beyond “someday” and actually plant your first fruit tree this season, don’t miss this conversation.

In this solo episode of The Coop, Homestead Living Editor-in-Chief Anna Sakawsky shares her personal story for the first time.

From growing up as a city kid in Vancouver with almost no exposure to homesteading, to the stressful travel-agent days that sparked her desire for a slower, more connected life, Anna opens up about the path that led her here.

She talks about how her travels abroad unexpectedly taught her to cook creatively and make do with what was available, and the early days with her husband Ryan … learning to turn simple ingredients into meals on a tight budget.

Most importantly, Anna addresses the big question: What does homesteading actually mean in the modern world? She shares her thoughts on the confusion around the term, why definitions vary, and who this lifestyle is really for.

Whether you’re just starting out or have been at it for years, this honest conversation will give you a clearer picture of the heart behind Homestead Living and The Coop.

In this episode, Anna discusses:

• Her city upbringing and limited early exposure to homesteading
• The travel-agent job that sparked her desire for change
• How traveling and living abroad shaped her skills and perspective
• Early married life with Ryan: learning to cook creatively on a tight budget
• What homesteading means (and doesn’t mean) today
• Why there’s debate around who counts as a “real” homesteader

Eve Kilcher is no stranger to homesteading life. 

As a former star on Discovery Channel’s Alaska: The Last Frontier and a dedicated homesteader herself, she’s lived the reality of trying to balance it all: growing food, raising animals, and managing a homestead while also juggling the demands of modern life.

In this honest conversation, Eve and host Anna Sakawsky talk about the gap between the romanticized version of homesteading we often see online and what it actually feels like day to day … especially in Alaska, where summer is short and manic and winter is the complete opposite.

This conversation is about the realities of dealing with overwhelm as a modern homesteader, the hard choices we have to make sometimes, and the beauty of learning to let go when something no longer serves you.

Eve shares her decision to get rid of her goats this year, the mental juggle of motherhood and homesteading, how she and her husband, Eivin, have compromised and made tough decisions on what to keep and what to let go of, and why she believes community and working together is more important than trying to do it all alone.

If you’ve ever felt the pressure of trying to keep up with homestead life while dealing with all of the other demands of modern life (especially while watching other people online make it look so easy), this episode is for you.

For nearly forty years Suzanne Tabert has been teaching people to look out their back door instead of reaching for a bottle.

As a little girl in suburban Chicago she was already under the fir trees harvesting violets and baking tiny potatoes in a pit she dug herself. That same thread never broke. 

Today she runs Cedar Mountain Herb School in North Idaho, writes books, and shows everyday families how the plants growing right where they live can gently support their bodies and spirits through every season.

The idea is refreshingly straightforward: your backyard, your woods, and your garden already hold exactly what you need … if you know how to see them and use them.

Nettles and dandelions for spring energy and cleansing. Hawthorn flowers when life feels in-between. Tulsi and motherwort when the to-do list feels bigger than you are. Roots and preserved herbs when the days grow short and you need deep nourishment.

The conversation feels like sitting on the porch with a wise friend who actually lives what she teaches. And right now, more and more families are quietly stepping outside, picking a few leaves, and noticing how much better they feel.

If you want simple, seasonal ways to support your family’s wellness without complicated protocols, this episode of The Coop is for you!

Don Tipping has been at the seed starting game a long time. 

He’s farmed and stewarded seeds at Seven Seeds Farm since 1997, founded Siskiyou Seeds in 2009, and now grows over 700 open-pollinated varieties, breeding for bio-regional strength in Southwest Oregon’s variable climate.

He’s seen the industrial seed game up close: big companies sourcing globally, pushing flashy hybrids while workhorse open-pollinated lines get neglected.

His work pushes back, prioritizing adaptation to local pests, weather, and soil so your garden thrives without constant inputs.

The core truth is quiet and powerful:

• Start from seed for control over every dial (light, soil, timing)
• Source bio-regionally adapted varieties for plants that are adapted to your climate
• Prioritize workhorse varieties for a more reliable harvest
• Keep a journal, talk to neighbors, swap seeds, and don’t underestimate the power of local wisdom

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by seed starting, spent way too much money on transplants that didn’t produce, or wondered why your results vary crop by crop and season by season, this conversation will give you all the tools and information you need to get growing.

Lisa Steele returned to her fifth-generation roots after Wall Street, launching Fresh Eggs Daily in 2009 to share natural, herb-based poultry care the old-timer way.

Her book Gardening with Chickens showed that flocks and gardens can thrive together: chickens debug, fertilize, and till; gardens supply greens, bugs, and scraps. 

Ten years on, the updated 10th anniversary edition (https://homesteadliving.com/gardening-with-chickens) adds refined systems, small-space hacks, and lessons from a decade more dirt-under-nails experience.

The message is clear: build a symbiotic relationship that supports both your hens and your plants. Cut your feed bill, raise healthier birds, and grow better food (even on a small plot of land).

Learn how herbs can support your flock, how to prevent your chickens from destroying your plants, and how to harness the power of your garden and your chickens to improve the health and outputs of both.

If you want practical harmony between hens and plants, this is it.

In this episode, Anna and Lisa cover:

• Lisa’s journey from Wall Street back to her rural roots
• Why she chooses natural herbs over chemicals for keeping her flock healthy
• Safe plants vs. toxic ones for chickens
• How chickens can help manage compost, weeds, and garden pests 
• Timing free-range access to optimize your garden while protecting your main-season crops
• Chicken tractors, tunnels, and wing clipping: real-world pros and cons
• Decorating the coop for joy (curtains, herbs, and aesthetics for form and function)
• Lessons learned from more than a decade of gardening with chickens
• A sneak peek into Lisa’s updated 10th anniversary edition of her book Gardening with Chickens

Thirty years ago, Sally Fallon Morell dared to challenge the low-fat gospel. Her book Nourishing Traditions wasn’t born from theory.

It came from a mother’s quiet rebellion against the “virtuous” diet being sold to families.

She discovered Dr. Weston A. Price’s photographs of indigenous peoples with broad jaws, straight teeth, and robust health, then watched modern guidelines push the opposite:  margarine in place of butter, skim milk instead of whole milk, and seed oils over saturated fats. 

Sally pushed back against the “diet dictocrats,” and recommended an ancestral diet where red meat, raw milk, and healthy fats reign supreme.

The message is disarmingly simple: nutrient-dense, traditional foods (properly prepared) built the healthiest humans for centuries. 

Butter for vitamin A and contentment. Soaked grains to unlock minerals. Bone broth for glycine. Liver once or twice a week for the sacred nutrients that guide new life.

Today the tide is turning. Butter sales climb. Raw milk finds new fans. The food pyramid has (rightfully) been flipped on its head. One family at a time, people are remembering what real food and health actually looks and feels like.

If optimizing your family’s health and nutrition matters to you, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

In this episode, Anna and Sally discussed:

• The story behind Nourishing Traditions and discovering Dr. Weston A. Price’s work
• Why traditional, nutrient-dense foods beat modern “healthy” guidelines
• The dangers of industrial seed oils and the supremacy of butter & animal fats
• Importance of vitamin A (from liver, butter, cod liver oil) for fertility & healthy babies
• Raw milk’s superiority, finding sources, and why pasteurization creates problems
• Proper preparation of grains (soaking, fermenting) to unlock nutrition
• Sacred foods: liver, shellfish, bone broth, fermented vegetables
• Building health before pregnancy—and redemption even if you “missed the boat”
• Saturated fats vs. carbs for satisfaction, mood, and avoiding addiction
• The quiet revolution: rising butter sales, raw milk popularity, wiser families surviving
• And yes, plenty more

In this episode, Anna and Jill discussed:

• Why true balance is a myth
• How homesteading keeps us human
• Seasonal productivity vs. daily perfection
• Managing big goals with real-life constraints
• Brain-dumping, prioritizing, and building momentum
• Using a planner that reflects actual homestead life
• And much more …