DANTAisms

I have been growing some my own food on my once acre homestead for five years. With a small flock of chickens and ducks I am trying to be sustainable and self-sufficient. Growing your own food has many advantages including; improving your family’s health, reducing your environmental foot print, and my favorite – saving money on groceries. Homesteading also increases your yard appeal, allows you to control what nutrient-dense, colorful crops you are consuming and reduces food waste. Nearly 1/3 of food is wasted in the US – which is disgusting. It is not just the food that is being wasted it is also the natural resources including fossil fuels, water and nutrients, as well as time and money.

Part of my success for growing, harvesting, canning, preserving and cooking the crops in my yard is due to the free, educational, entertaining gardening and homesteading YouTube channels. Check out these must watch gardening and homesteading YouTube channels for 2019. They will inspire, engage and empower you!

Learn Organic Gardening at Growing Your Greens

With more than ½ million subscribers Growing Your Greens is the most watched gardening show on YouTube. I interviewed John several years ago with the story making the cover of Countryside magazine.

John shares his experiences growing food at his urban homestead, while giggling to himself and making offbeat jokes. I understand we only see a portion of his life through YouTube, but his happiness and passion are ostensible. John is dedicated to helping you sustainably grow the highest quality fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts and other edible foods in your front yard and beyond.

Whitehouse on the Hill

Jake and his family from Whitehouse on the Hill have been very generous to me and my new homesteading book! Check out what Jake has to say about their every growing homestead YouTube channel: “We are a family of four (soon to be five) that moved three years ago from the city to the country. Our goal is to eat healthier and more simply by growing our own food on a small, rented farm property. On our YouTube channel, we are a family vlog, showing our experiences raising poultry and growing food in creative ways utilizing small spaces. Last year, we grew watermelons vertically along with jelly melons & peanuts for the first time. Who knows what crazy things we’ll try to grow next year!”

MIGardener

With more than 350,000 subscribers MIGardener has been able to reach gardeners of all levels of experience. Here is what Luke says, “We believe at MIgardener that growing your own food is the best way to increase your standard of living without increasing the cost of living. We don’t just recycle gardening information, we actually research, learn ourselves, and promote different methods of gardening because with so many people from so many different backgrounds, gardening is not a one size fits all solution. Our YouTube channel promotes 100% organic gardening and sustainable living, which is not only good for your health, but the health of the environment. Lastly, you can’t go anywhere else on the internet and get truly free information, we hold nothing back and have always believed in the free distribution of gardening knowledge for those who want to put the time in to learn so there is never an excuse for why someone can’t learn to grow their own food.”

The Swedish Homestead

The Swedish Homestead Channel is a great compliment to the North American Homesteading channels. Simeon from the channel says, “It shows how homesteading can be done in Scandinavia and how many principles and methods can be adapted in this rugged climate. You will get political and cultural insides into homesteading in Europe as well as the heartwarming story of a family of 6 trying to live a sustainable life at almost 60° North.”

Kaye Kittrell‘s Late Bloomer Urban Organic Garden Show

Kaye Kittrell‘s Late Bloomer Urban Organic Garden Show is the highest quality independent garden show on the web with a Best Reality Series win at Vancouver Web Fest in 2017! I discovered this channel a month ago and I have been binge watching it ever since. One of my favorite parts of this channel is when Kaye is silently reflecting. Late Bloomer seeks to inspire everyone to grow their own food. From documenting her growth as a food grower, starting from scratch seven years ago in her small Los Angeles yard, to traveling around the US and Europe, Kaye always brings an upbeat gardening experience to her viewers. Appealing to the whole family, she shares the highs and lows of gardening, with a focus on insects, soil biology and bio-diversity. Kaye goes out of her way to visit fans (hopefully me one day), because she believes building community is as important as building soil. Download Kaye’s free e-book “10 Steps to a Great First Garden at www.latebloomershow.com.

Lumnah Acres

Al asked his fans for a description of their channel and here it is, “A guide to modern homesteading, self-sufficiency and freedom, Lumnah Acres inspires you to re-connect and find your “better way” to live happy, healthy, fulfilled lives. A family-oriented channel for any age, skill level or background you will find fun, informative, educational, and entertaining. We enjoy life on and off the homestead and take our audience along for the journey. Whether it’s raising our own animals, planting our gardens, harvesting, butchering, building, or just fixing things there is always something, fun and informative going on. Join us as we live our life, of modern homesteading.”

Urban Farmer Curtis Stone

The Urban Farmer is, you guessed it, all about urban farming. “We don’t just talk about urban farming, we actually make our living at it. Curtis Stone is the owner of Green City Acres, a commercial urban farm based out of Kelowna, BC Canada. Follow us as we take you on a tour of our farm, what we grow, how we sell it, and demonstrate best practices in the real world of commercial urban agriculture.”

Justin Rhodes

This permaculturalist has grown his channel to more than 380,000 subscribers videos demonstrating homesteading tasks ranging from milking cows, growing crops, raising livestock, and how to humanely butcher. In this video he uses pigs and chickens to prep his garden. 

Weed ’em & Reap

After years of health issues and working the 9 to 5, Kevin & DaNelle, along with their children moved to a 1 acre lot in Phoenix, Arizona. “They learned how to raise goats, chickens, ducks, sheep, pigs, geese, turkeys as well as learned how to garden and grow trees in their harsh climate. Now their daily life includes milking goats, gathering eggs, eating fresh fruits & vegetables from their garden, & harvesting fish from their pond. Follow along as they breed and raise new baby goats each year, laugh at their mistakes, grow just about everything, and enjoy life together as a family who’s trying their best to live a life that’s worth living.”

Roots and Refuge

This large family is living their childhood dream. Many lessons are learned from disappointment and failure while others are learned by harvest and  abundance. They want to encourage their viewers by opening their door and making a seat at the table. Jess says, “We are so, so thankful that you are here and we hope you are both encouraged and entertained by what we share here.”

Still need inspiration to start growing your own food? Check out this poem from my latest book, “99½ Homesteading Poems: A backyard guide to raising creatures, building features, growing opportunity and cultivating community” which is now on SALE.

Harvesters’ High

Harvesting can be a great serotonin-boosting antidepressant
It keeps you limber, eases stress, and gets you away from the fluorescents
Harvesting your own source of fresh, healthy crops will improve your mood
Getting into the rhythms of nature, may convince you to harvest in the nude

Trade BlackBerry for black berry bushes to get a harvester’s high
You’ll feel high as a kite, in a light-blue cloud-free sky
You’ll be in high gear, and be held in high esteem
For homesteaders’ welcome others, as if they were on the same team

The harvester’s high is a feeling like no other
You’ll have friends in high places, even more than just your mother
You’ll feel high and mighty and eat high off the hog
Warning: with all this exercise you may smell like a French bullfrog

Farming your land allows more variety and superior flavor
Saving money and the reduction in food waste is something else to savor
You’ll be taking the moral high ground and setting the bar high
Friends will want to experience the high and come by

You’ll have a sense of pride, but do not get on that high horse
Grow their green thumbs by offering a free homesteading course
When picking your produce look high and look low
When picking your crops, don’t forget to eat the rainbow