Abundance Plus

Abundant Permaculture

Raise, Tend & Harvest Your Food to Feed Your Family Well

Explore the Blog
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.

Watch

Justin Rhodes on Youtube

Our new pig has a problem, the pig pen is turning wet and messy, the pumpkin patch is getting overtaken by weeds, and we have 66 days until frost. So we’re tackling it all—one homestead problem at a time. In this family homestead vlog, we check on our new gilt Madre, repair and re-bed the pig area with wood chips, clear a neglected pumpkin patch before weeds go to seed, harvest our first successful watermelon crop, check on Honeycomb after banding, and turn a mountain of pumpkins into homemade puree and pumpkin pie. Real homestead life is rarely one neat project at a time. It’s animal care, garden cleanup, infrastructure repairs, food preservation, family help, and making the most of a busy fall season. In this episode, you’ll see: • How we addressed a widening gap in the pig fence and improved a wet, muddy pig pen • Why we use wood chips as a “carbon diaper” to help keep pig housing drier, cleaner, and easier to manage • How we rearranged the pig shelter, feeder, water, and fence to better fit the herd • Why we keep our pig area compact enough to maintain with deep bedding and wood chips • How we’re watching our new gilt, Madre, as she settles into the existing pig herd • A check-in on Honeycomb after banding: looking for normal behavior, hydration, mobility, and that the band remains in place • Why we cleared weeds now instead of waiting until November—before they seed and create more problems for years to come • How covering a cleared bed with silage tarp can help reset the garden before planting a cover crop • Harvesting watermelons from our first truly successful watermelon season • Pulling up spent pumpkin vines, saving edible pumpkins, and preparing the beds for what comes next • How we roast pumpkins, save seeds and scraps for livestock, make pumpkin puree, and bake homemade pumpkin pie • The reason behind the enormous pumpkin harvest: two years without the porch full of pumpkins We don’t always finish everything we plan to do, but a few focused hours can transform a weedy garden bed, a muddy animal pen, and a pile of pumpkins into progress for the whole homestead. Farmhouse Teas: https://www.farmhouseteas.com/collections/tea?utm_campaign=gs-2021-05-04&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19861510501&gbraid=0AAAAABqLsHDwSdUGJ9oi-W_Tf-SF0H6C6&gclid=CjwKCAjw-rTUBhAiEiwADv8gBDH1ZKKuKraCatpyY5W9QzRMp-xIqQ8JmbvcD6sjevsY5tUCTL4NkhoChUgQAvD_BwE #HomesteadVlog #RaisingPigs #PigPen #DeepBedding #WoodChips #PumpkinHarvest #PumpkinPuree #PumpkinPie #FallHomestead #GardenCleanup #PreparingForFrost #FoodPreservation
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLnpmYVFyYnQwQzNz

I Can’t Get Down My Own Steps

Justin Rhodes 23 hours ago

We’re preparing for the first frost, harvesting the last of the garden bounty, caring for livestock we accidentally put off too long, and welcoming a new breeding pig to the homestead. In this family homestead vlog, we harvest pumpkins and edible squash before weeds take over, band a young bull calf, name him Honeycomb, introduce a new gilt named Madre to the pig herd, and turn a truckload of pumpkins into fall porch décor and future pumpkin puree. If you enjoy real homestead life—the productive, messy, funny, and sometimes overdue parts—come spend the day with us. In this episode, you’ll see: • Harvesting pumpkins, winter squash, and edible gourds before frost and weeds take over • Sorting decorative pumpkins from squash we can puree and preserve for food • What we learned from letting weeds get too far ahead in the garden • Banding a young bull calf later than planned and giving him a new name: Honeycomb • Welcoming a new female breeding pig, Madre, to the farm • Why we added a second breeding sow: redundancy, genetic diversity, future litters, and a backup as our existing sow gets older • Introducing a new pig to the herd and watching how the animals respond • Moving a huge pumpkin harvest for a fall front-porch display and cabin décor • A realistic family farm day filled with harvest work, animal chores, projects, laughter, and a little chaos Fall on the homestead is about preparing for what’s ahead: harvesting what the garden has given, caring for animals, building resilience into the herd, preserving food, and enjoying the beauty of the season while it lasts. #HomesteadVlog #FallHomestead #PumpkinHarvest #RaisingPigs #PigFarming #FamilyFarm #HomesteadAnimals #WinterSquash #FallGarden #PreparingForFrost #Homesteading
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLi1RcWhaQzRqWmJn

He Doesn't Know What Today Is

Justin Rhodes August 24, 2026 4:00 pm

Given that we are made of soil, it leads to the fact that we can be no better than the soil from which our food comes.
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLm1iX1lXM0RXeXdj

We Can Be No Better Than Soil

Justin Rhodes August 23, 2026 6:19 pm

We built a brand-new walk-in cooler… and immediately discovered moisture, mold, leaks, exposed steel, a damaged roof, and a major deadline: 20 turkeys were coming, and this cold room had to be ready. In this video, we troubleshoot what went wrong with our DIY walk-in cooler and race to finish it before harvest day. From condensation and mold concerns to sealing gaps, repairing the roof, installing washable wall panels, and getting the cooler food-safe, this is the real behind-the-scenes process of building farm infrastructure. If you’re building a walk-in cooler, a DIY cold room, a butcher space, or any humidity-controlled farm structure, learn from our mistakes before you build yours. In this episode, you’ll see: • Why moisture and condensation became a major problem in our new walk-in cooler • How incomplete seals, gaps around doors, exposed wood, cold surfaces, and rain damage can create conditions for mold and mildew • Why we cleaned and treated the affected areas before finishing the interior • How we sealed cracks, corners, and problem areas to help prevent moisture from getting back into the wood • Why washable plastic wall panels are a better fit for a cleanable food-processing space • How we used primer, mildew-resistant paint, caulk, adhesive, and plastic panels to improve the cooler interior • Why we had to rethink our roof after hail damage and rain exposure • What we learned about protecting the floor, including why a rubber mat may make cleaning easier • A realistic look at the supply run, the unexpected costs, the time pressure, and the mistakes that happen during a DIY build • How the boys joined the project by cleaning, painting, measuring, cutting, gluing, and hanging panels • The final push to get the cold room ready before turkey harvest day This project was messier, more expensive, and more complicated than expected—but we learned a lot. Sometimes the best way to build a farm system is to start, make mistakes, solve the next problem, and keep working until it’s right. #WalkInCooler #DIYWalkInCooler #ColdRoom #HomesteadBuild #FarmBuild #TurkeyHarvest #ButcheringSetup #FoodProcessing #Homesteading #DIYProject
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLmZ5V2pyaEsyRnNj

Everything That Went Wrong With Our Walk-In Cooler

Justin Rhodes August 21, 2026 7:45 pm

It may be the end of July, but it’s time to start planting for fall and winter harvests. In this video, we’re starting fall garden seeds in the greenhouse, clearing tired summer beds, planting cool-season crops, adding compost and grass-clipping mulch, and protecting brassicas with bug netting—all so we can keep harvesting fresh food long after summer is over. If you’re tired after a long gardening season, this is your encouragement to push through and plant a little more. You may not regret the garden you plant now, but you may regret the one you don’t. In this episode, we’re growing and planting: • Collards • Broccoli • Cabbage • Lettuce • Walla Walla onions • Bush peas • Blue Lake green beans • Fall and winter greens You’ll also see: • Why we start fall garden seeds in the greenhouse before space opens up in the raised beds • How planting Walla Walla onions in late summer may help provide an earlier onion harvest next spring • How to choose varieties suited to your region, weather, and fall-growing window • Why bush peas and bush beans can be a simple option when you don’t want to trellis • How we use compost instead of tilling or adding synthetic amendments • Why grass clippings are one of our favorite garden mulches for moisture retention, weed suppression, quick breakdown, and nitrogen • How bug netting protects brassicas like broccoli, cabbage, and collards without using sprays • How chickens turn garden scraps, wood chips, manure, and spilled whole grain into compost—and sometimes even volunteer corn • How to clear out fading summer crops and make room for a productive fall garden • What vegetables can be planted for fall harvests versus overwintering: greens, Swiss chard, kale, collards, lettuce, peas, cabbage, broccoli, beets, and more Growing more food means more freedom, more resilience, and fewer trips to the grocery store. Start where you are, plant what your family loves to eat, protect it well, and give your future self the gift of a fall and winter harvest. #FallGarden #WinterGarden #FallPlanting #GardenPlanning #GrowingFood #RaisedBedGarden #Homesteading #OrganicGardening #NoSprayGarden #FoodFreedom #GardenToTable
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLmlYdzhtbWdJOE1N

Rebekah’s Fall Garden (And the Chicken Trick That Plants Corn for You)

Justin Rhodes August 20, 2026 4:00 pm

Don't know where to start? Start right outside your door, physically, as close as possible, and then expand. Too many people go broad and get overwhelmed. Start outside your door. Don't know where to go next? Back to your door. Also, start outside the door of your heart, meaning grow what you like to eat or what your beautiful one likes to eat.
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLlRjbUpxNGJDNWo0

Start Your Garden Outside Your Door

Justin Rhodes August 19, 2026 8:47 pm

Our tomato plants were in trouble: crowded vines, blight, dying fruit, weeds pushing through the fabric, and squash taking over the bed. But instead of giving up on the harvest, we spent the day saving the tomatoes and preserving them as homemade tomato sauce for the pantry. In this video, we show you how we cleaned up a neglected tomato patch, improved airflow, removed blight, supported the vines, harvested what was still good, and turned fresh garden tomatoes into shelf-stable canned tomato sauce. If your tomato plants have blight, are overcrowded, or are starting to look rough late in the season, this is your reminder that there may still be a harvest worth saving. In this episode, you’ll see: • How we prune tomato plants with blight by removing diseased leaves, dead fruit, crowded growth, and anything touching the ground • Why vertical trellising, tomato clips, pruning, and airflow can help reduce blight pressure • How we clear weeds, volunteer plants, and encroaching squash from around tomato plants • A realistic look at the work it takes to restore a struggling tomato bed • How we harvest, wash, roast, peel, strain, blend, and cook down garden tomatoes into sauce • Our home-canning process for preserving tomato sauce in jars • What to do when your canned tomato sauce separates or looks bubbly after processing • Why growing, tending, harvesting, and preserving food from your own soil is about more than saving money From soil blocks and greenhouse starts to compost, drip tape, pruning, harvest, and canning—this is the real work behind a jar of homemade tomato sauce. It may be easier to buy sauce at the store, but there is something special about feeding your family food grown and preserved from your own land. Farmers Friends: https://www.farmersfriend.com/c/justin-rhodes #Tomatoes #TomatoBlight #TomatoSauce #Canning #HomeCanning #PreservingFood #GardenToTable #Homesteading #GrowingTomatoes #FoodPreservation
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLmJ2eWZQams4eFBN

We Almost Lost Every Tomato Plant. Here’s How We Saved Them (and Made Sauce)

Justin Rhodes August 19, 2026 4:00 pm

How do you grow over 75% of your family’s food from your own land—without building an expensive, complicated homestead? After 20 years of homesteading, I’m sharing the biggest lessons, mistakes, and practical systems that helped us feed our family from a 1,400-square-foot front-yard garden, chickens, rotationally grazed livestock, and connected permaculture systems. If you’re starting a homestead, raising chickens, building a family farm, or trying to grow more of your own food, this video will help you focus on what matters most—and avoid costly mistakes. In this video, you’ll learn: • Why you should start with what your family actually eats instead of copying someone else’s homestead • Why your garden, chickens, and daily chores should be close to your house—even in the front yard • How chickens on wood chips can create compost, till future garden beds, fertilize soil, and turn scraps into eggs and meat • How rotational grazing with cows and sheep can improve pasture while reducing daily cleanup • Why management matters more than breed when choosing homestead livestock • Why you should wait before planting fruit trees, building a barn, buying a tractor, or installing permanent fences • How mobile coops, electric fencing, deep bedding, and simple shelters can save time and money • How to involve your kids in the homestead so it becomes a family culture—not just another chore • Why soil health, better animal feed, and food quality matter for your family • The best low-cost places to start: meat chickens, laying hens, a garden, and simple connected systems • Why homesteading should serve your family, your faith, and your bigger purpose—not become the point itself You do not need a perfect property, a big barn, a tractor, or every answer before you begin. Start with what you have, build systems that work together, learn as you go, and move forward anyway. Design your best homestead ever: https://abundantpermaculture.com/design #Homesteading #BackyardHomestead #RegenerativeAgriculture #RaisingChickens #RotationalGrazing #GrowYourOwnFood #FamilyFarm #Permaculture
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLjRzMmtSVjFNZ3Vn

I Spent 20 Years Learning to Feed My Family | My 10 Lessons

Justin Rhodes August 18, 2026 4:02 pm

While most people have long walked away from their gardens, it's not over. The best garden is yet to come. Plant in the heat for the fall and winter harvest gardens. Think green, cold, hardy crops like cabbages, collards, and lettuce.
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLk5oQnNYaUZOUEtv

Before | After Fall Garden Planting

Justin Rhodes August 16, 2026 4:58 pm

Turkeys aren't just for Thanksgiving. On the homestead, we had about a dozen a year, giving us a different variety of meat to keep our menus fresh and interesting. Here we: 1. Start in the killing cone 2. Move to the plucker 3. The skull, which is out of frame temporarily 4. Move to the eviscerating table 5. Move to the stainless steel tank full of ice to cool them off
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLmhWMTBQR3k3bXhj

Turkeys aren't just for Thanksgiving

Justin Rhodes August 13, 2026 6:07 pm

Taking my little boys off grid overnight in a treehouse—rain or shine. With Mom and Lily away at pony finals and the teens doing their own thing, it’s the perfect chance for a real adventure: no phones, no normal house comforts, and no electricity the way we’re used to it. How do you cook, clean dishes, bathe, keep food cold, and have fun after dark when you’re off grid? We explore this incredible treehouse property and figure it out as we go. What starts as a family overnight turns into a mystery: where does the running water come from, how is the fridge powered, and how does the whole system work? In this episode, you’ll see: • A rainy-day tour of the treehouse, outdoor kitchen, cooking nook, bathhouse, sauna, cold plunge, and surrounding property • How the off-grid fridge runs on solar power and batteries • A closer look at the water system: spring-fed cold water, a pump, a storage tank, rainwater collection, and a propane-powered water heater • Cooking supper under shelter when the rain changes our original grilling plans, including burgers made from our own recently harvested steer with garden tomatoes, pickles, and lettuce • Learning to conserve water while washing dishes and cleaning up with just a small dish caddy • Wood-fired sauna time, a cold plunge, and an honest look at why camping with little kids is more adventure than rest • The unexpected discoveries that make us rethink what off-grid living can really look like Come along as we slow down, get wet, cook outside, solve problems, and make memories with the boys in a one-of-a-kind off-grid treehouse. Book your stay: https://ravenrockmountain.com/
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLmF0YU9oOWRYcl9j

Spent 24 Hours Off Grid With My Boys. Here's How It Actually Works

Justin Rhodes August 12, 2026 5:13 pm

Scrolling gives you cheap dopamine hits that feel good for a second and leave you unsatisfied. This one was different. I walked into an overgrown mess and walked out to a clean, tidy garden. I physically worked for it. Sweat, effort, the whole deal. That kind of dopamine hits different. It’s deeper, longer-lasting, and it actually sticks. And if I’m honest, there was another layer to it… My wife was overwhelmed by the garden. So I snuck out and took care of it for her. That added something extra. Not just the satisfaction of finishing the job, but the feeling of lightening her load. That one lands deeper. That’s one of the bigger reasons we homestead. Growing tomatoes or keeping a garden often isn’t the cheapest or most efficient way to get food. But we’re not doing it just to save money. We’re doing it because the work itself pays us back in ways scrolling never will. Visible progress and having a sense of self responsibility. I mean, we need something to do, right? This gives us a reason to get outside and use our bodies. And sometimes the chance to quietly minister to the people we love.
YouTube Video VVVPU0dFb2tRUWNkQVZGdUxfQXE4ZGxnLkpwV1JtcVF6UERF

Cheap Dopamine Hits

Justin Rhodes August 11, 2026 8:00 pm

Read

Let's dig deeper

A chicken in a field.
Animals
Gardening
Homesteading
Permaculture

You Can Homestead, We Can Help

Learning to homestead is difficult. You don’t know what you don’t know and there’s a whole lot of learning to be done. We’re here to help maximize your efforts, reduce the questions and uncertainty, and come alongside you as you realize your homesteading dreams.

Sign Up
Recent Blogs

The Latest From Abundant Permaculture

A man holding up a scythe.

How To Use A Scythe

Learn how to use a scythe to cut your wheat, keep your blade properly sharp with a whetstone and learn the effects of scything.
Read More
Previous
Next

Get Justin's Book, The Rooted Life

Justin Rhodes shares the skills and the delights of becoming a part of your own food story in this inspiring and accessible and beautiful four-color invitation to a more abundant, healthy, and connected life.

Buy the Book
Links
Recent Blogs
Follow
Youtube Facebook Instagram
Abundance Plus