Returning guest, Vince, and I believe that raising your own food and being self-sustainable is a large part of what it means to live on a homestead. Chickens are often thought of as the gateway animal to get started, but should they be? Let’s think more about milk cows and all the benefits and products that can be made from raw milk. And of course, the cow itself can make all the difference. Does the cow produce the more digestive A2 beta-casein protein? Do you have a breed that will produce heavy amounts of cream that will lead to the creamiest butter and cheeses? Vince and I chat about milk cows and more in this episode, including the living enzyme benefit of milling your own ancient grains.

Resources:

A1 vs. A2 Milk

Grains you can Mill and How to use the Flour

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Instagram: ahomegrownfam

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Ever thought “there has to be a better, more flavorful way of cooking up a deer roast or a pheasant breast rather than just tossing it into the crock-pot”? Well, you’re in luck! In this episode, Jeff Benda, a cook and recipe developer of “Wild Game and Fish” shares his passion for cooking and how he fell in love with hunting and the State of North Dakota as a whole. As a result, North Dakota’s wild game and fish are the primary subjects of his recipes. Other topics like field dressing pronghorn, canning meat, salmon fishing and elk hunting in North Dakota, and the presence of rattle snakes in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park are also discussed in this episode.

Jeff Benda’s website: https://wildgameandfish.com/

Recipes:

Venison Spaghetti

Salmon Chowder

Deer Chili

Books:

My Side of the Mountain

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Sign of the Beaver

Salt:

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

Email: ahomegrownfam@gmail.com

Instagram: ahomegrownfam

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In a coffee break kind of chat, join three generations of Mettlers talking about “maple syruping”. Grandpa didn’t have trees to tap in South Dakota, but after migrating up to Minnesota, he found a new way to keep his sweet tooth satisfied. Grandpa started the same way my Dad and now my brother Sam do by simply reducing the sap on the kitchen stove, but his with his ingenuity and desire for a larger quantity of product, he transformed an old wood stove into a maple sap reducer. Tapping trees and making maple syrup is now something my Dad enjoys and his great grandkids now delight in. It doesn’t cost much to get started, approximately $50 + heat (energy) costs and you’ll have a pint of your very own homegrown maple syrup.

Resources:

Tapping Kit

Metal Maple Bucket Starter Kit

Email: ahomegrownfam@gmail.com

Instagram: ahomegrownfam

A Homegrown Family on YouTube

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