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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 VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLlRobFp5R09UOWxN

What to do with a sheep getting out

Justin Rhodes 14 hours ago

Today on the farm, we’re taking you along for a real look at what’s happening behind the scenes—from the day-to-day work and unexpected challenges to the progress that makes it all worth it. Homesteading is never just one project at a time, and this video is a reminder that building a more self-sufficient life takes patience, problem-solving, and plenty of hard work. Thanks for following along with our family as we learn, grow, and keep moving forward. If you enjoy practical homesteading, regenerative farming, raising animals, and building a life closer to the land, be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss the next episode. 👇 Let us know in the comments: What project are you working on right now? #Homesteading #FarmLife #RegenerativeFarming #SelfSufficiency #JustinRhodes
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I’m Not Pulling These Weeds, I’m Smothering Them

Justin Rhodes 19 hours ago

👉 Join us inside Abundance Plus: https://abundanceplus.com With just 46 days until frost, it’s time to get serious about the fall garden. A lot of people quit gardening when late summer hits—but this is one of the most important times of year to build soil, cover beds, and set yourself up for a productive spring. Today, we’re flipping neglected garden beds, putting compost right on top of the weeds, broadforking the soil, and preparing everything for a winter cover crop. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s working with nature: keeping the soil covered, letting organic matter break down in place, feeding the worms, and building better garden beds year after year. We also put the sheep to work on a difficult creek bank that the tractor, mower, and string trimmer can’t easily reach. Of course, getting animals to do farm work is not always as simple as it sounds—especially when there’s a creek, electric fence, and hungry sheep involved. In this video: - Why you should not quit on your garden at the end of summer - How to turn weedy beds into fertile winter garden beds - Why leaving dead weeds in place can become valuable organic matter - How compost, worms, broadforking, and cover crops build better soil - How we use the compost our chickens make in the garden - The simple goal of three wheelbarrow loads of compost per bed - How sheep can mow and manage areas machines can’t reach - A real-life look at the work, problem-solving, and family teamwork behind a productive homestead We’re working toward healthy, covered, compost-rich beds all winter so they’ll be ready to grow food again in the spring. What are you doing now to prepare your garden for winter? Let us know in the comments. #Gardening #Homesteading #Permaculture #CoverCrop #Compost #RaisedBedGarden #SoilHealth #Sheep #OrganicGardening #FallGarden
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLkxzVGtRbldIX09n

Do This Now (Fall) For An Abundant Garden (Spring)

Justin Rhodes September 14, 2026 5:09 pm

YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLnowcHZxa1pVM3Fz

Farming like it’s 1991

Justin Rhodes September 14, 2026 4:41 pm

👉 Learn more about New Country Organics https://www.newcountryorganics.com 👉 Get the free resource: Design Your Best Homestead Ever https://homesteadbuilds.com 👉 Farmers Friends Resource https://www.farmersfriend.com Justin and Lily take you through the homestead to rank the most overrated, underrated, and underutilized farm animals and explain which livestock actually earns its keep. From chickens that turn deep bedding into rich garden compost, to geese that protect the flock, pigs that efficiently convert scraps into pork, and sheep that mow the places machines can’t reach, this video is all about making every animal work with your land—not against it. Justin also makes the case for family milk cows, fast-growing meat chickens, and why goats may not be the perfect next step for every homestead. In this video, you’ll learn: - Why chickens are more than egg and meat producers - How mobile coops, deep bedding, and chicken tractors can build soil - Why geese may be one of the most overlooked homestead animals - The truth about raising pigs without creating a nasty pigsty - Why Cornish Cross meat chickens are such an efficient freezer-filling option - Why Justin believes sheep are the most underrated livestock for many homesteads - The practical pros and cons of cows, goats, turkeys, horses, pigs, sheep, and poultry Whether you’re deciding what animals to add first, trying to simplify your chores, or looking for ways to turn livestock into fertility, food, and better land management, this one is for you. Thank you to New Country Organics for sponsoring this video. Learn more about their organic, non-GMO, glyphosate-free feed below. What livestock do you think is the most underrated on a homestead? Let us know in the comments. #Homesteading #Livestock #Permaculture #Chickens #Sheep #Pigs #FamilyCow #RegenerativeAgriculture #SelfSufficiency #JustinRhodes
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Overrated vs Underrated: Farm Animals

Justin Rhodes September 13, 2026 5:01 pm

t first starts with opting out of the grocery store and buying from the farmer, and then you're buying a couple of steers in the spring, harvesting them in the fall, and that's with an on-farm kill and hauling it to the processor. You opt into family cows, and they give you offspring that are born on the farm that you can raise up to harvest. You kill yourself, but then you haul it to the processor. Eventually, you build a cold room. Before you know it, you have calves who were conceived, born, grew up, harvested, put into your do-it-yourself cold room, and then even broken down on your own farm. You've gone from paying $10 to $12 a pound for premium grass-fed beef to $2.50.
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How I buy grass-fed beef for $2.50

Justin Rhodes September 11, 2026 4:42 pm

We baled hay for the first time… with rain in the forecast for tomorrow. 🌧️ After cutting our little hay field, we had one big question: Is it dry enough to bale—or are we about to ruin it? Between heavy morning dew, shady spots, a 50% chance of scattered thunderstorms, and an old square baler that may not have run in 10 years, this job turned into a real homestead learning day. We check the hay, move the sheep, troubleshoot an escaped flock, ask local neighbors for old-fashioned haying wisdom, rake our windrows, and finally fire up the baler. The first bales are a little rough… but eventually, we get our first real square bales of homegrown hay. This is not a giant commercial hay operation. It’s a small family farm trying, learning, making mistakes, and putting up a little winter feed one bale at a time. In this video: - First time running a square hay baler - How we decided whether hay was dry enough to bale - Why dew, shade, and local weather matter so much - Advice from experienced neighboring farmers - Raking and forming windrows - Troubleshooting an old baler and getting the knots to catch - Moving sheep with portable electric netting - Our first humble stack of homegrown hay Have you ever baled hay under a tight weather window? What is the biggest lesson you learned your first time? Let us know in the comments. #Homesteading #HayBaling #Sheep #FamilyFarm #SmallFarm #RegenerativeAgriculture #HomesteadLife #Farming #SquareBales #JustinRhodes
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLkZWdUUtNkRRNEJN

First Time Bailing Hay & It Rains Tomorrow

Justin Rhodes September 11, 2026 4:24 pm

We cut our hayfield yesterday, but cutting it is only the beginning. Now the real race is on: getting it dry enough to bale before weather, shade, and equipment problems turn a good hay crop into a disappointment. This field has plenty of challenges. Parts of it stay shaded well into the morning, the hay is drying unevenly, and there are steep banks and tucked-away corners that the tractor simply cannot reach. Rather than letting that quality forage go to waste, we bring in the sheep to clean up the areas our equipment can’t handle. It is a perfect example of using animals and machinery together to get the most from every acre on this nook-and-cranny farm. While the sheep work the rough ground, we are checking the cut hay again and again. It may feel dry on top, but the underside can still hold moisture—and that is where the decision-making begins. Do we ted it again? Do we risk shredding it? Can we get enough sun and airflow on it to bale safely tomorrow? At the same time, we are diving headfirst into the world of old hay equipment. We have twine to figure out, springs to adjust, grease fittings to clean, a flat tire that needs attention, mower blades that may need replacing, and a baler that has to be understood before we can trust it in the field. We are learning how to rake, ted, and bale—all while trying to get this equipment working in time. There are plenty of moments where we wonder what we just did, whether we are turning the right part, and if the twine is threaded correctly. But little by little, things start moving, the baler starts making sense, and we get one step closer to making our first bales. This is real small-farm haymaking: making do with what you have, learning as you go, using livestock wisely, and trying not to waste a single patch of good grass. Tomorrow, if the weather and equipment cooperate, it is time to rake and bale hay. Thanks for following along with our homestead journey. Be sure to subscribe so you do not miss the next step in our first haymaking adventure! #HayMaking #BalingHay #Homesteading #SmallFarm #Sheep #RotationalGrazing #PastureRaised #FarmLife #TractorLife #OldTractor #HayBaler #SustainableFarming #HomesteadLife
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLkRiUWFFTXpVblpz

Grazing the Sheep Where The Tractor Can’t Go

Justin Rhodes September 10, 2026 4:01 pm

Maybe the thing we’re avoiding is the very thing we need. Lately I’ve felt busy, but not always like I’m moving forward. Old plans don’t work the way they used to, and it’s easy to fill the day with familiar tasks instead of facing the difficult work that might actually change something. But the hard thing has value. Reading instead of scrolling. Making the uncomfortable call. Defining the goal. Working backward. Taking the first step before you feel ready. We are conditioned to seek ease—but friction is where strength, clarity, and progress are built. If you don’t know what to do today, start by naming where you want to go. Then work backward until you find the next small, difficult step. Make the plan. Do the hard thing. Learn from the mistakes. Keep moving. The friction is the point.
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLnRlc2pWd1BUUjZr

The struggle is the point

Justin Rhodes September 10, 2026 3:41 pm

YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLnFfdjd6RDlSUEU4

Farmers Only Get 9¢ of Every Dollar… Here’s How to Change That

Justin Rhodes September 9, 2026 7:06 pm

After 20 years of homesteading, we’re making hay for the very first time—and learning every step the hard way. With a short window of dry weather, a small practice field, and a newly repaired disc mower, we finally put our used hay equipment to work. But before we can cut grass, we have to troubleshoot hydraulics, deal with a leaking hose, figure out how to engage the cutter, adjust equipment that has been sitting for years, and learn how to use a hay tedder as we go. In this family homestead vlog, we cut our first half-acre of hay, fluff it with the tedder to speed drying, and pick up our used square baler so we can complete the next stage of our hay-making journey. It is messy, intimidating, exciting, and a reminder that there is always something new to learn on the farm. In this episode, you’ll see: • Our first attempt at making hay on the homestead • Repairing and troubleshooting a used disc mower before cutting • Replacing a hydraulic cylinder and working through hydraulic-hose issues • Diagnosing a leaking hydraulic line and learning which tractor remotes operate which functions • Why cycling hydraulics can help after repairs and air enters the system • Using the skid steer to help free up a mower that was sticking in transport position • Working with older used farm equipment and learning its quirks • Testing whether grass is dry enough to cut after morning dew • Why cutting hay wet can create clumps and slow down drying • Cutting our first grass successfully with a used disc mower • Turning an $8,500 mower into a working farm tool after acquiring it for a fraction of the price • Making practical repairs with zip ties when old mower-cover buckles have rotted away • Learning how a hay tedder fluffs and spreads cut grass for faster drying • Why hay needs to be tedded soon after cutting • Our first experience switching tractor implements from mower to tedder • Learning how high or low the tedder needs to run over the cut grass • Watching the tedder spread out the grass and improve airflow through the hay • Mowing approximately half an acre during our first hay-making test • Four generations connected through one tractor and one piece of land • Using a tractor gifted by Grandpa Henry and teaching the next generation how to work the farm • Why we decided to learn haymaking ourselves instead of relying completely on custom hay crews • Picking up our new-to-us square baler • A walkthrough of the square baler’s transport position, field position, pickup, windrow alignment, shear pin, gearbox, and tire setup • Checking the cut hay as it dries and preparing for the next day’s test We are not hay experts—not even close. But every new skill starts somewhere: a repair, a weather window, a used machine, a practice field, and the willingness to keep learning even when things leak, stick, stall, or do not work the first time. This is the beginning of our hay-making journey. Next up: getting the hay dry enough, learning the baler, and hopefully making our first square bales. #HayMaking #FirstTimeHayMaking #HomesteadVlog #DiscMower #HayTedder #SquareBaler #FarmEquipment #UsedFarmEquipment #SmallFarm #FamilyFarm #LearningToFarm #Homesteading #MakingHay
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLmJBZl81dVNwSl9B

1/2 Acres To Find Out If We Can Make Hay

Justin Rhodes September 9, 2026 4:00 pm

What to do in September to keep the abundance going on the homestead: : Plant quick growing crops : Plant next years crop (asparagus) : Flip the garden beds and cover : Plant Cover crops : Secure hay : Cure crops : Store crops : Can Link in bio for my free frost plan
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLlpaLVZTalFJRXQ4

9 things to do in September of Homestead Success

Justin Rhodes September 9, 2026 2:14 pm

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