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Hello and welcome!

My name is Justin Rhodes

Some may know me as the crazy chicken ninja, but that’s not how my story started.

Many years ago, the Beautiful One (aka, my wife Rebekah) and I brought home four chickens and placed them in a vacant horse stall. Within the first hour, two of them literally “flew the coop” and were gone forever.

Doubts quickly set in at what we had gotten ourselves into.

With determination and massive (perhaps ungodly) amounts of effort, time and money, something surprising happened… I got really good at raising chickens for both meat and eggs.

Fast forward and our 140-acre farm has expanded to include cows (both meat and dairy), sheep, pigs, rabbits, turkeys, and countless other livestock, all with a steep learning curve of their own.

Join me on this homesteading journey and learn from my countless hours of research and “trial by fire.”

This life may not always look perfect, but it’s perfectly fitting for us, and we’re enjoying the journey.

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Justin Rhodes on Youtube

YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLmlqdmFJN0w4LWtr

How to build a permaculture crop garden in Africa

Justin Rhodes May 11, 2026 12:33 pm

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Tell me what's different about this. Hint: I'm in Africa

Justin Rhodes May 10, 2026 12:56 pm

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Permaculture orchards work anywhere, from Africa to North Carolina

Justin Rhodes May 9, 2026 11:40 am

Today’s number one goal: bless the Beautiful One. Rebecca turns 47, and I set out to serve her by secretly finishing morning chores, skimming precious colostrum for a rare custard, buttoning up the farm before Africa, and giving her as much uninterrupted greenhouse “happy place” time as possible. You’ll see us separate colostrum cream from fresh milk and talk about why that thick, golden “first milk” is so critical for newborn calves—and how we’ve even seen it help a neighbor’s child heal after major surgery. While Rebecca pots up tomatoes, peppers, zinnias, marigolds, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, calendula, sweet corn successions, and more, she shares honest reflections on turning 47, still not feeling “grown up,” and what she’d tell her younger self as we flip through the years. The boys level beds and later take her to Linda’s Plants for a surprise shopping trip where Jonah buys a trunk‑full of flowers, ferns, and even a cold‑hardy banana as his birthday gift. Back home we tuck new plants around the porch, prepare a harvest‑heavy birthday dinner, and gather for gifts, cake, and spoken blessings—from the kids’ words about her support, to grandparents remembering Fort Worth days, to heartfelt birthday messages read aloud from viewers who see her quiet work behind the scenes. If you enjoy family‑centered homesteading, greenhouse therapy, and seeing the “invisible” mom honored for all she carries, this one’s for you—please like, subscribe, and drop a birthday blessing for Rebecca in the comments
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My Wife Turned 47 — So We Gave Her the Perfect Homestead Day

Justin Rhodes May 8, 2026 4:00 pm

Look at the size of this kitchen garden at Umdoni Farm in Eswatini @adventuresinmissions . It's absolutely incredible. It's like a subtropical paradise. Inside this kitchen garden they're growing herbs, veggies, and bananas and more. Not only is it a garden that supplies the kitchen with food, there's a nice pathway for guests to enjoy the beauty of the garden. It's a multipurpose garden, not just growing food, but it's a pleasant place to be and find peace and rest. You'll notice mulch to replenish it and keep weeds at bay. You won't see any straight lines, just like in nature, and you'll see plenty of abundance. This is reflective of what it's like all year. Stay tuned for a full YouTube video on this Africa experience, for the 15th.
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The largest kitchen cart I've ever seen and it's in Africa

Justin Rhodes May 8, 2026 3:11 pm

After 30+ hours of travel we finally arrived at the @adventuresinmissions Umdoni farm in Eswatini, Africa. Jonah’s passed out. Let me give you a tour of our house. We're not going to be suffering for accommodations this trip. That's good
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You won't believe this lodging in Eswatini, Africa

Justin Rhodes May 7, 2026 2:57 pm

Want to see what a breakfast buffet is like at the airport hotel in South Africa? It's a carnivore's dream.
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Carnivore's Dream Buffet in South Africa

Justin Rhodes May 6, 2026 2:43 pm

This is how our 15‑acre homestead feeds our family of seven and today a guest family tags along so you can learn through their questions and hands‑on chores. As we move mobile coops, harvest eggs, and soak and store feed right by the chickens, I explain why everything here is designed to work together: deep‑bedding runs that self‑clean, chickens on wood chips making compost next to raised beds, and front‑yard gardens that return three times their cost in food using intensive planting. We walk from the 1,400‑square‑foot front‑yard homestead (seven raised beds, herb garden, comfrey, and a chicken tractor you can build from our Homestead Builds plans) out to the greenhouse, cows, sheep shelter, and broad‑acre pastures, talking about pecking order, how often to replace laying flocks, where to plant fruit and shade trees to “forest the pasture and pasture the forest,” and how we run water and temporary fences until they prove themselves over years. You’ll also see the boys’ milking station setup, how we skim cream and manage raw milk, how chickens and ducks turn woodchips plus manure into hot compost with nothing more than carbon, nitrogen, air, and water, and why delayed gratification is the mindset that makes a small homestead truly productive. If you’re starting (or scaling) a homestead and want a practical, numbers‑backed look at how systems, proximity, and kid‑powered routines can actually feed a big family, this walkthrough is for you—like, subscribe, and share it with someone dreaming of turning their acreage into abundance. Links mentioned • Homestead Builds book (Chickshaw, chicken tractor, and other build plans)https://www.amazon.com/s?k=homestead+builds
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How Our 15-Acre Homestead Feeds a Family of 7 (Spring 2026 Tour)

Justin Rhodes May 4, 2026 4:00 pm

We’re up before sunrise to move chickens out of the high tunnel and onto a huge pile of excess wood chips, and I’m bringing Henry along because the first step in having kids work with you on the farm is actually wanting them there. We set up the front‑yard “pretty coop,” roll out Premier One netting, grab rogue hens while we can, and build a mobile “air flow” water system so the flock can manure, scratch, and water those chips into compost by fall. Along the way we discover our first ever set of triplet lambs (a much‑needed gift after losing two lambs), check on a broody hen Rebecca is giving privacy to hatch, and talk through what it looks like to prioritize “Beautiful One” garden jobs—like potatoes and onions—even when I barely eat most vegetables myself. We also get a same‑day surprise: New Country Organics delivers bulk totes and turkey starter in record time, McMurray Hatchery’s unvaccinated turkeys and chicks arrive in just 24 hours, and Rebecca switches the brooder from chick feed to higher‑protein turkey starter to give these fragile poults their best start. By the end, the new Chick‑Shaw 5.0 is parked on wood chips with feed sprinkled to encourage scratching, the birds are obsessively hunting for grass through the fence, the broody hen is settled, triplets are tagged and counted, and we’re sitting down to the best black‑beans‑and‑pork “Burn It Up Cooking Show” meal yet, hoping this spring is more abundance and less disaster than last year. If you’re into family‑centered homesteading, compost‑powered systems, and the chaos of spring animals, hit like, subscribe, and share this with someone who wants their chickens to actually work for them. Links mentioned • Premier One Supplies (electric netting, posts)https://www.premier1supplies.com • New Country Organics https://www.newcountryorganics.com • McMurray Hatchery (turkeys, chicks)https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com • ChickShaw 5.0 and other builds: Homestead Builds on Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=homestead+builds If you’ve grabbed Homestead Builds, would you consider dropping a high‑star review on Amazon to help more people find it?
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Free Compost, Happy Chickens, and the Best Pork & Beans I’ve Ever Made

Justin Rhodes May 1, 2026 4:00 pm

I have just one day to finish the things the Beautiful One needs for spring before I leave for Africa because in the Garden of Peace, her priorities have to come first. That means getting 400 feet of potatoes planted and mulched, dialing in drip tape and water for the crop garden, rendering fat so there’s plenty of cooking oil while I’m gone, and scrambling to prepare for an unexpected delivery of layer chicks and turkey poults with no feed on hand. You’ll see the boys and me lay out drip, discover and fix multiple leaks we should have tested before pinning plastic, and plant and cut seed potatoes together while I wrestle with whether expensive, unsprayed hay mulch is “worth it” compared to plastic—even as I choose to invest in soil health and keeping Mother Nature covered. In the middle of that, our poults and chicks arrive earlier than expected, forcing a mad dash to source chick starter locally, order New Country Organics turkey starter, refresh the brooder, and watch Rebecca and Lily mix their tried‑and‑true “magic water” with apple cider vinegar, garlic, and honey to help fragile turkeys thrive. By the end, potatoes are planted and mulched, the brooder is refreshed, the first boxes of chicks and poults are drinking magic water, and we’ve at least mostly checked off Beauty’s list—even if the brassicas will still need to be planted before we actually board that plane. It’s a real‑time look at how we balance family, soil, animals, and a looming trip when there’s never quite enough time. Links mentioned • New Country Organics (feed, chick starter, turkey starter): https://www.newcountryorganics.com If this kind of “one‑day sprint” homestead vlog encourages or helps you, tap like, subscribe, and share it with a friend who’s trying to prep their own farm before a big life event. Comment below: Would you have chosen hay mulch, plastic, or something else for those potato beds?
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She Told Me What She Wanted. I Have To Get It Done Today.

Justin Rhodes April 27, 2026 4:00 pm

Spring is here and we are absolutely not ready plus we somehow scheduled our Africa departure right in the middle of it. In this vlog we race the clock to fix our gravity‑fed water system, get cows and sheep out on pasture for their happiest day of the year, and squeeze in a visit to a friend’s farm that’s quietly paying for itself with a creative chicken business. You’ll see us wrestle a broken fitting out of the mountain spring tank, test and repair lines, and set up paddocks, shelters, and water troughs so the herd can finally move from hay to green grass. The cows explode into the field, steers join the big cows, a young calf gets moved to the pole barn as a future buddy for a buyer’s calf, and Minty continues her early milking training in the stanchion without a single kick. We also tour Green Haven Farm’s operation: fertilized hatching eggs, “coop‑ready” pullets, bachelor‑pad roosters, a DIY solar kiln for lumber, and a tiny‑house farm stay that together help cover homestead costs without anyone “getting rich.” Back home, boots for Africa arrive, Lily cooks tacos for a youth night, and I reflect on fasting, turning 47, and the reality that you’re never truly “ready” for spring, homesteading, or big trips—you just have to go. If you like honest farm prep, pasture days, and small‑farm business ideas, hit like, subscribe, and share this with a friend who dreams of getting their animals on pasture and their homestead closer to paying for itself. Comment below: Which part of this setup would you want on your own place gravity water, pasture rotations, or a chicken side hustle?
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Spring Hit and We’re Not Ready (But I’m Leaving Anyway)

Justin Rhodes April 24, 2026 4:00 pm

Have you ever dreamed of starting a farm, but felt stuck because you live in the city? In this episode, we sit down with Amie Torkelson from Rooted & Rested Urban Farm to discuss how she transformed her 0.174-acre city lot near downtown Spokane, WA, into a thriving urban homestead. Watch Amie's full documentary only on Abundanceplus.com For more ways to connect with Amie and Dakota check out their website: https://www.rootedandrestedurbanfarm.com/ Follow them on Facebook: rooted and rested urban farm: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574949484061 Instagram: rooted and rested urban farm https://www.instagram.com/rootedandrestedurbanfarm/?hl=en Substack: https://substack.com/@amietorkelson Check out all of Amie's books: https://www.rootedandrestedurbanfarm.com/products Get away and stay on the farm in their Airbnb: airbnb.com/h/groupfarmstay Or experience the full immersion of Rooted and Rested Urban Farm through a retreat: https://www.rootedandrestedurbanfarm.com/retreats
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLjd6YlU1bHVVLUo0

Growing Food Right Where You Are | Urban Farming with Amie Torkelson

Justin Rhodes April 22, 2026 10:11 am

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