In this vlog, Moriah, Becky, Ginger, and several helpers recount returning home after the Homesteaders of America conference. They spend the day cleaning and reorganizing the farm, sorting laundry, toys, and supplies, and preparing garden beds with winter rye and wheat. The team discusses farm‑sitting arrangements, hiring interns to help with odd jobs, and implementing best practices learned from Polyface, such as keeping feed and water buckets separate. Animal care is highlighted, including feeding livestock, managing a metal yard, and tending to cows, pigs, and sheep. A personal subplot emerges when Ginger shares a hospice call regarding a family member with a heart defibrillator, prompting a discussion of tough medical decisions. Guests Bonnie and Kevin visit, sharing permaculture insights about wild coffee and other native plants. Throughout, the participants express gratitude, humor, and a sense of community as they organize stalls, repair fences, and prepare for upcoming work.
Chapters
It was so good to wake up to that scene this morning in my own bed. My house is a mess, so that's gonna be the majority of today is me cleaning it up. As you can see, we've got suitcases. We've got all our stuff. We've got a pile of clothes that I washed and we couldn't decide what we were gonna bring for the kids, so I need to put that away. Laundry has already been started this morning, I'm assuming by Justin. Here's all the stuff that I get to go through. Here's the kids' toys, we need to put them back in the right area. A bag of dirty clothes, just more stuff. When we go out of town, it's a lot. We had a great time at the Homesteaders of America conference, and while it is difficult to get out of town, it is very worth it. And we just had a wonderful time meeting all of y'all and talking and you guys just sharing all the stories with us of how our videos have helped you in some way in your life. So it's awesome. Another awesome thing is that as I'm Recording this, I'm thinking of certain people that I met that their stories really tugged at my heart. So I don't remember all your names, but I can see your faces, and that's really all that matters.
Good morning, Moriah. Looks super good right here. What's the impression of your garden here, Becky?
I love it.
I need to throw some cover crop in, I guess.
You do. We have some winter rye and, uh, Winter wheat. Yeah, now's the time, honey, because it might have— it might have frosted last night. You don't think?
If it frosted—
okay, peppers. It's getting close though, honey. This looks great.
Yeah, I pulled out everything that was dead.
Yay!
Except for those flowers because they still had some color, so— yeah, I didn't want to make you sad and pull out all the flowers.
Oh no, I know, that's great. Thank you for keeping the flowers. Yay! You got the feed in. Was this, was this drama-free?
Drama-free?
Okay, I'd say so. I separated your feed and water buckets.
Yay!
Because after being at Polyface, I got used to that because then you never have to clean out the water bucket. So Daniel, he has a never-ever list, and that's on his never-ever list, is never mix feed and water buckets.
Okay, I did. That's a good—
I did implement that.
Thank you. So we got hired these guys to farm sit, and we're like, well, if you want some extra work, we've got some odd-end jobs. And they just— they said, I guess you guys needed some extra work.
The poor interns were like, yeah, bring it on!
Yeah, we're like, yep, you're gonna get those dollar bills.
And we're like, yes, we will pay you to help us because we don't ever have time.
Yeah, this is kind of—
this is so good because now we can get in here and kind of I want to hang the fences.
Okay, and we're going to keep it this way. We're going to keep it.
Hey, you got a pinky promise?
Yeah. So do you ever have— does Polyface have an around to it pile? Like one day I'm gonna get around to it?
Actually, I was that girl. So when I got there, like, okay, there was behind the tractors this, like, you couldn't even walk. There was like pluckers just everywhere, and you're like— and so I got to spend 3 days with Buzz just organizing that.
All right, this makes me feel much better. Okay, that, that Polyface has something similar to what the stall looked like somewhere. We should do the chicken dance because of this one. Nice.
Try to do this room. Wow, made it more manageable.
Yay!
It's gonna be less junk out. Yes, that's right, but it's gonna be a lot less intimidating. We can actually walk in here.
Yeah, yeah, that was the first step.
Yeah, so It's one of those things where like, we so need to clean this, but we also have to feed the animals, create the content.
Oh yeah, it's— there's a lot.
Thank you.
And when it is so like there, you're like, oh, I don't want to clean it, it's too much. But once it's—
yes, thank you. Now it's going to be manageable. We can go through it. You're part of the big change on this farm for everything having a place and everything in its place. Anything else worth seeing out there?
We put the kids' stuff in this one and then all the wood in that one.
Okay.
And then this is still your scrap metal.
Yeah, we did not touch That one, the metal pile.
No, that's—
we just threw stuff in there.
That's right. Good, good. This one is the only stall that's supposed to look like this.
Yeah, that's what I thought.
She's like, are we going to clean that one? Like, I think we're just going to throw crap in there.
Once it gets full enough, which it might be, we'll load up our trailer and go to the metal yard.
That's what they do, and they use the money to take us bowling.
Oh cool, bowling! We should do that. We should do something fun like that with the money. Yay! I don't know if this has ever been this clean. Disorganized this area.
Yeah, I think this—
gosh, they had to rip all the pallets out.
The garden stall, they dared touch it. Oh, this is the garden stall because most— is that our huge gardens are right there and there, so our crop gardens.
I want to hang my jang on the wall.
We're gonna have to. Yeah, but now you can actually get in and walk to the jang.
I know, right? It's so good to be back and doing it instead of traveling. Traveling is fun, but—
This is where we belong. Yay!
And I cut down the towering lettuce.
Yeah, see, our hoops will go over these two rows.
Okay.
And then over these two rows. Good morning, Mr. Brown. You glad to have us back? You brushing your tool's teeth? No. How are you?
Good.
Good to be back with you. I'm proud of you, George, said the man with the yellow hat. I guess the whole world is proud of you today. It was the happiest day in George's life. Needed to read a little bit to Mr. Brown before I went to edit. Hey, you know what? I'm proud of you. You know that, right? Well, 'cause you've turned out so well.
Ollie.
All right. Will you go get the cows? Sure. I'm gonna start knocking this out. Hey, you remember me? You remember? Good to be back to my office, stud. You causing problems this morning? You coming down? Boy, Flossie's slowing down. It's all right, you switch them out, Jonah. I'll be right back. I'll just set this up there. We got Ginger on the phone.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, they want to know their We're very invested in this with him, you know.
Yes, I do. Yes, I do.
Yeah, so start over from the beginning.
Okay, so I called Asheville Cardiology this morning as planned to get to Skinny about hospice, and we talked. He said very clearly, hospice is not there because you're dead. Hospice is there to keep you as comfortable and happy and content and help all they can.
Okay.
So, Boots said, you know, I kept asking him, is this what you suggest? He said, yeah, you know, it is, bottom line.
My dad, Ginger's trying to get him home today. Doctor gave him 6 months. That's not a surprise to anybody. Uh, of other things other than his heart, heart. He's got a defibrillator on his heart, so they're afraid, um, that the defibrillator is going to keep him alive from these other things. So I guess he's got to make a very tough decision.
All right, done.
I gotta leave.
You guys are cleaned up, got your laundry, well eaten, ready to go. She's got you going to Yaburger in Nashville, Atlanta. Bye-bye. Thank you, you guys did a good job.
You hug me and you get a hug.
Oh, okay.
Are you sad? No, no, no, that's not the right answer. Yes, you're very sad.
Time to put the chairs in. You guys got one? They're heavy. Do you need help?
No, we've got it.
Let's see, can I get this thing on an appliance dolly? I just girded up my loins to bring it in here, but I'm not sure I want to do that to get it out.
Yes. See, there we go, there we go.
Hey, we did it! Becca, I'm out of time. 4 o'clock, we got to move animals.
Got to get going.
Hey there. Hey, you want to go with? Is something wrong? You sure? I think he's holding something back on me. What do you guys think? Wild Coffee Homestead.
Yep, Kevin and Bonnie.
Okay. Nice to meet you guys. Why Wild Coffee?
Because that's what we have on our farm. Permaculture tells you to, you know, look and see what you already grow.
Really?
And we learned we had wild coffee and beautyberry, and of course we have poison ivy and greenbrier. We didn't want to name it after that. That's no fun.
Look at these fat pigs with feathers. You guys are coming along nicely. Are you gonna come with now, please? Sure.
Yes!
Look at this. Look at this cow, fat and happy. Do you realize where she is, guys? You realize where she is? This is where we first put the pigs. This was week 2-ish, week 3-ish. Got a good, good bit of work to do right there. You gotta say thanks to those pigs. They brought up this, this grass you're eating right now. Wasn't here. It was not here. You're a fat cow. This dude brought him some hay and, uh, They're letting him hand— they're letting a complete stranger hand feed them. Rebecca's work is paying off. I was so afraid they would just resort to wild back in the pasture, but maybe Sadie and Moriah will work with them too. Good job.
Smile. Take a picture of me and Belle.
Mwah!
Become the Kay's sheep lady. Got Bonnie, our guest, and we went and measured and cut a 2x4. We're raising the minerals up because they're pooping and peeing in them, I think. I got my holy basil though. It's giving me a boost of happiness. I can do anything because I have this. Not really, but— oh, well, thank you.
And look, totally eating this bramble-esque. Oh, this, the stuff the cows left behind. Look at that. We're just doing a cross beam across and moving them. This, this baumegilliad, the vein of our existence.
Guess who eats it?
Guess who came here and nibbled on this first? The lovely sheep. So this was 2 days ago. They totally slammed this balm of Gilead. I'm not sure it will survive. They reached up about 3.5 feet. Look, some have no more leaves at all. We have an old wood pile there. We can actually see it now, get it out, and then mow behind the sheep. All right, this one's acting funny. You gonna let me by? Nope. We're putting Moose up. Gonna do it from now on. She must be coming out of her heat. Oh shoot, the gate's up. Tony, you got the gate? Thank you.
Come on.
Nice boy. Lord help us, I pray, not a 4 o'clock nap. Not a 5:30 nap. Trevor, I think Gideon will spend the night with you guys tonight. Well, we say goodbye to one guest, hello to other guests.
Emily, Trent from Toops and Co. Look at his face, he's all like—
You guys match. Your sweater and onesie.
I know, we're just meant to be. I'm the one who asked for him. You're the one who asked for him? You prayed for him, didn't you?
That's it. They got a little mixed up in the details, but it's supposed to be a girl. I actually wanted a girl, but I got a boy.
