Food systems are shifting. Farming is shifting. And the reality is — making a living in agriculture today looks nothing like it used to.

In this episode of The Homestead Education Podcast, Kody Hanner sits down with Lexi Wright of the Farming on Purpose podcast for a real conversation about what it actually takes to make farming work in today’s economy — from direct-to-consumer sales to managing multiple income streams and navigating the challenges modern farmers are facing.

From the disconnect between consumers and their food to the growing pressure on farmers to become marketers, educators, and business owners all at once — this episode breaks down what’s really happening behind the scenes.

This isn’t about going back to the “old way” of farming.

If you care about:

This episode will challenge how you think about agriculture — and what it takes to make it work.

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to connect with Lexi Wright from Farming on Purpose and support the work she’s doing to help farmers and rural businesses grow.

🎙 Listen to her podcast: Farming on Purpose

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Farming today isn’t just about raising animals or growing crops.

Food systems are shifting. Education is shifting. And in 2026, the question isn’t if things need to change — it’s how we do better moving forward.

In this Season 7 kickoff episode of The Homestead Education Podcast, Kody Hanner takes a hard look at the current state of agriculture, the rise of AI and digital influence, and the growing disconnect between people and their food.

From the dilution of farming practices under trending labels to the increasing reliance on broken education systems, this episode breaks down what’s actually happening — and what families, educators, and communities can do about it.

This isn’t about turning everyone into a farmer.

If you care about:

Food security and self-sufficiency

Agriculture education for kids and families

Homesteading, small-scale farming, and real-life skills

The impact of AI and media on learning and culture

This episode will challenge the way you think — and give you a path forward.

What’s really happening in agriculture in 2026

How AI and online content are shaping (and distorting) education

The problem with “trendy” farming movements losing their roots

Why traditional systems are failing to prepare capable adults

How small-scale agriculture education can rebuild stronger communities

Practical ways families can start taking back control of their food and learning

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We don’t need more noise.

Food and agriculture have never been louder — and clarity has never been harder to find.

As we move into 2026, grocery prices are rising, agricultural education is being shaped by broken systems, and AI is changing how information spreads. So how do we actually do better?

Season 7 of The Homestead Education Podcast is focused on rebuilding agricultural education at a human scale — not to turn everyone into farmers, but to raise people who understand food, land, and responsibility.

If you care about food security, agriculture, or strengthening families and communities, this season is for you.

👉Follow the show now so you don’t miss the full Season 7 kickoff episode next week. The conversation is just getting started.

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In this episode, I share an update on Ranger, our Great Pyrenees livestock guardian who is still missing, and how our family is moving forward while holding onto hope. I also talk about our plan to bring home a new working male dog, what we’re looking for in a ranch-ready name, and how we’re navigating the emotions of change while keeping the homestead running.

Then I dive into my annual New Year reflection, including my word-of-the-year approach (reemerge, redefine, and bringing it home), what’s shifting in our family and business, and why executive functioning matters for both kids and adults. I explain how homesteading naturally builds real-life skills through purpose, cause and effect, and responsibility, share details about my free Executive Functioning for Homestead Kids download, and give an update on our student planners—plus the launch of the new Junior Homestead Student Planner.

Episode Links

Homestead Student Planners: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/student-planner/

Grab your freebie here!

Kody Links

Website: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/

Shop Curriculum: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/shop

Speaking Events: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/events

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomesteadeducation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homestead_education

Watch episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@homesteadeducation

In this episode, I’m talking about working dogs—and what happens when one goes missing. After a brief life update, I share the story of our livestock guardian dog, Ranger, and the events leading up to his disappearance. From late-night disturbances to injuries on multiple dogs, this episode explores the reality of relying on a guardian dog to protect a farm and the emotional weight of not knowing what happened.

I also address common misconceptions about working dogs, especially livestock guardian breeds like Great Pyrenees—how they’re raised, why they live differently than house pets, and why pet standards don’t always apply to working roles. Drawing from my background with hunting, herding, and farm dogs, I explain the difference between livestock guardians and farm guardians and invite listeners to think critically about breed-specific needs, farm protection, and respectful support during hard seasons.

Episode Links

Homestead Education Shop: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/shop/

Hanner Homestead: https://hannerhomestead.com/shop/

Porthill Printing: https://porthillprinting.com/

Livestock Guardian: https://amzn.to/4j08Riq

Herding Dogs: https://amzn.to/3L3Vkts

Herding Dogs on the Homestead: https://amzn.to/48FctTn 

Kody Links

Website: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/

Shop Curriculum: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/shop

Speaking Events: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/events

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomesteadeducation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homestead_education

Watch episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@homesteadeducation

In this episode, Kody sits down with Lindy Bryant of Northwoods of Idaho—Air Force veteran, disaster response specialist, and creator of the Grab and Go Binder and Survival in a Bottle kits.

They break down real-life preparedness for normal people: families, single parents, seniors, urban dwellers, and rural homesteaders who want to be ready for power outages, job loss, medical emergencies, and everyday “mini disasters” long before a comet hits the earth.

From emergency binders and car kits to bartering, community support, and skill-based prepping, this conversation will help you rethink preparedness as a practical, affordable, and deeply caring way to protect your family.

Episode Links

Website: https://www.northwoodsofidaho.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthWoodsOfIdaho

Get it on Amazon: Do It Yourself: Grab-N-Go Binder

Lindy's Book: The Single Person's Guide to Preparedness: Prepping for One!

Kody Links

Website: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/

Shop Curriculum: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/shop

Speaking Events: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/events

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomesteadeducation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homestead_education

Watch episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@homesteadeducation

In this episode, Kody chats with Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, about helping farmers sell meat directly to consumers in today’s market. Katie shares how she transitioned from teaching elementary school in rural Iowa to building an online farmers' market that connects producers with buyers nationwide. Together, they unpack the difference between custom-exempt and retail meat sales, how inspection laws affect shipping, and why clear pricing and education are key to building trust with customers. Katie also shares insights on simplifying online sales, using email marketing instead of relying on social media, and creative strategies for selling the lesser-known cuts that often sit in farmers’ freezers.

Episode Links

Chop Local Website: https://choplocal.com/

Chop Local University: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/choplocalmeat

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@choplocal

Podcast: Meat Success

Kody Links

Website: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/

Shop Curriculum: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/shop

Speaking Events: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/events

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomesteadeducation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homestead_education

Watch episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@homesteadeducation

In this episode, Kody tackles one of the most complex and often misunderstood topics in America: the food stamp system and its impact on personal responsibility, nutrition, and self-sufficiency. She traces its origins from FDR’s 1939 program to today’s SNAP, uncovering how a system designed to feed the hungry gradually created a culture of dependency. Drawing from her own experience as a single mother who once relied on food assistance, Kody offers a compassionate yet challenging perspective on how modern policies, education gaps, and processed food industries have eroded our connection to real food and the skills to provide it.

She reminds listeners that if those in power control the food, they control the people. Through history, statistics, and personal reflection, Kody urges families to reclaim their independence by learning to cook, grow, and nourish themselves. She calls for a return of home economics and small-scale agriculture to schools, stronger nutrition education, and support for farmers—the very people who sustain our nation. This thought-provoking conversation challenges the idea that aid alone can solve hunger and points toward a future where resilience, knowledge, and self-reliance take the lead.

Episode Links

Brand new student planner: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/product/homestead-student-planner/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/160411704

Porthill Printing website: www.porthillprinting.com 

Porthill Printing social media: @porthillprinting

Book Links:

Kody Links

Website: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/

Shop Curriculum: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/shop

Speaking Events: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/events

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomesteadeducation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homestead_education

Watch episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@homesteadeducation

In this episode, Kody sits down with Greg and Kristen Leininger, founders of Steader, to share how their own homesteading challenges sparked the idea for a faith-led, community-driven app built to reconnect local food systems. They open up about turning that vision into a working platform that helps neighbors buy, sell, and trade. From their family’s journey toward a simpler, purpose-filled life to their mission of helping others live closer to God’s design for food, land, and fellowship, Greg and Kristen show how technology can actually bring homesteaders back together—one trade, seed, or story at a time.

Episode Links

Website: https://www.steader.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steaderapp

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steaderapp/

Kody Links

Website: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/

Shop Curriculum: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/shop

Speaking Events: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/events

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomesteadeducation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homestead_education

Watch episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@homesteadeducation

In this episode, Kody sits down with author Brian Combs of The Homestead Kids to share how a dad’s bedtime stories, written to help his newly adopted daughters navigate a big move, grew into a faith-led adventure series that’s turning reluctant readers into eager book finishers. Brian opens up about weaving Scripture naturally into wholesome homestead tales, why he designed the books with full-color chapter illustrations, 14-point type, and a dyslexia-friendly edition, and the reader feedback that keeps him writing.

Episode Links

Website: https://thehomesteadkidsbooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095518380679

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehomesteadkidsbooks/

Kody Links

Website: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/

Shop Curriculum: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/shop

Speaking Events: https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/events

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomesteadeducation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homestead_education

Watch episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@homesteadeducation