Homestead Living: March/April 2026

Description

What’s Inside?

From Anna Sakawsky, Editor-in-Chief:

“There’s an unmistakable energy in the air, urging us to clear out what’s stagnant and make room for new growth. After months of inward focus, ideas feel possible again, plans begin to take shape, and the projects we’ve been dreaming about finally start moving from our heads to our hands. In this issue of Homestead Living, we’re leaning into this natural inclination to reset our foundations and begin again.”

From water kefir to folk medicine and spring cleaning, the March/April 2026 issue of Homestead Living will inspire you to embrace new beginnings!

Here are the articles waiting for you inside this stunning issue …

Gardening With Chickens by Lisa Steele

Lisa Steele reveals how to turn your chickens from garden destroyers into garden allies … without sacrificing a single seedling. With controlled free-ranging before and after the growing season, plus composting their rich manure, your flock becomes a living, breathing part of a thriving closed-loop system that builds better soil, slashes feed bills, and creates a more productive, harmonious homestead for years to come.

A Smarter Approach to Livestock Management by Joel Salatin

Joel Salatin reveals how to turn chaotic livestock management into a calm, efficient daily routine by starting small, building rock-solid fencing and watering systems, and creating consistent routines that earn your animals’ trust. With smart infrastructure and patient stockmanship, you can eliminate frustrations, streamline chores, and create a thriving, low-stress homestead where both you and your animals actually enjoy the work.

The Lowdown on Domestic Ducks by Mike Fitzgerald
Mike Fitzgerald shares the real story of raising ducks for eggs and meat … how these water-loving birds turn lawns into mud puddles, why they need different housing and care than chickens, and how to choose the right breeds for high egg production or fast-growing meat. With practical advice on feeding, brooding, and daily management, he shows how ducks can become a rewarding, productive part of any homestead when you understand and embrace their unique (and often entertaining) ways.

Farm to Fiber by Janet Garman

Janet Garman guides homesteaders through the important decision of choosing the right wool sheep breed (from fine, soft Merino and Rambouillet to versatile Finn and Romney, and hardy feral varieties) so you end up with fleece that matches your crafting dreams. With practical tips on micron count, staple length, blending wools, and learning from fiber festivals, she helps you build a flock that produces beautiful, usable farm yarn while supporting your land and lifestyle.

Selling the Farm by Larry Littrell

Larry Littrell offers wise, compassionate guidance for homesteaders preparing to sell their land … helping you ready both the property and your heart for its next chapter. From presenting your hard-won infrastructure so the right buyers clearly see its value, choosing optimal timing and the right agent, to thoughtfully leaving behind resources and a welcome note, he shows how to honor the years of love and labor you’ve poured in so the homestead you built continues to thrive under new stewards.

Triple Your Garden’s Production by Shawn and Beth Dougherty

Shawn and Beth Dougherty explain how you can turn a single garden into a triple-threat powerhouse by growing feed crops for livestock, soil-building cover crops and green manures, and your regular vegetables all in the same space. With smart timing, simple rotations, and multi-use plants like mangels, buckwheat, sorghum, and winter squash, you’ll feed your family, nourish your animals, build richer soil, and dramatically increase production without needing more ground or more work.

Under Cover Gardening by Niki Jabbour

Niki Jabbour shows how four simple garden covers can protect your plants from pests and extreme weather, and dramatically increase your harvest. With practical tips on hoops, venting, and timing, she helps homesteaders plant earlier, grow more food, cut losses, and enjoy fresh produce much longer with minimal cost and effort.

Preventing Fruit Tree Problems by Susan Poizner

Susan Poizner shares smart, organic strategies to prevent fruit tree problems before they start by choosing disease-resistant varieties, diversifying your orchard, pruning for better airflow, doing thorough fall cleanups, and using timely preventive sprays. With practical tips for spotting early symptoms of common issues like fire blight, apple scab, and peach leaf curl, she helps homesteaders grow healthier, more resilient trees and enjoy more abundant harvests with far less struggle.

Water Kefir 101 by Alex and Sarah Maher

Alex and Sarah Maher share a simple, step-by-step guide to brewing water kefir at home … a fast-fermenting, caffeine-free probiotic drink made with sugar water and living kefir grains. From sourcing grains and maintaining healthy cultures to flavoring with juices or fruit and bottling for natural fizz, they show how easy it is to make this refreshing, gut-nourishing beverage part of your daily homestead rhythm.

Getting Started With Sourdough by Lisa Bass

Lisa Bass gently walks beginners through the simple, forgiving process of creating a living sourdough starter from just flour and water, then baking your very first nourishing loaf in a single day. With practical tips, no-discard flexibility, and her reliable same-day sourdough bread recipe, she shows how easy it is to bring real, digestible bread back to your table … turning pantry staples into warm, flavorful loaves your family will love.

Garden to Table by Victoria Pruett

Victoria Pruett invites us to welcome spring’s gentle return by cooking with the season’s first tender harvests, turning simple ingredients into nourishing, soul-satisfying meals that celebrate renewal. Through comforting recipes like asparagus frittata, creamy potato leek soup, and zero-waste carrot top pesto pasta, she shows how to move gracefully from winter stores to vibrant garden-to-table cooking that honors both the land and the fleeting beauty of the season.

Spring Cleansing by Suzanne Tabert

Suzanne Tabert offers a gentle, traditional spring cleanse using the powerful weeds already growing along your fence lines and in your fields to awaken the liver, clear the lymph, support the kidneys, and re-mineralize the body after a long winter. With simple daily tonics and a fresh spring salad, she shows how to activate digestion, eliminate waste, and restore vitality so you step into the busy growing season feeling clear, energized, and deeply nourished.

Heal Your Body From Inflammation by Melissa K. Norris

Melissa K. Norris reveals how chronic inflammation fuels most modern diseases and shows how to fight it at the root by removing inflammatory foods like refined sugar, gluten, dairy, and seed oils while embracing real, healing ingredients. With practical swaps, powerful anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, and nourishing recipes, she helps homesteaders reduce inflammation naturally, support deep healing, and reclaim vibrant health through the food they grow and prepare.

Folk Medicine by Georgia Varozza

Georgia Varozza shares the simple, time-tested wisdom of using everyday kitchen herbs, spices, and pantry staples to create effective natural remedies for common ailments. From arnica and calendula salve for sore muscles to molasses and vinegar syrup for coughs, sleep-supporting herbal tea, and hot pepper pain relief, she shows how homesteaders can draw on generational knowledge and what’s already on the shelf to care for their families with confidence, thrift, and gentle effectiveness.

Budding Entrepreneurs by Emily Eng

Emily Eng shares how she and her younger sister built Joy & Jolie (their thriving homestead business selling organic teas, healing salves, phở spice mixes, and handmade pottery) starting as young children, through project-based homeschooling. With practical lessons on finding your “ikigai,” learning from mistakes, and turning family traditions into a real-world enterprise, she inspires the next generation of young homesteaders, reminding them that age is no barrier when you combine passion, persistence, and the support of a growth-minded family.

*NOTE: Purchase of this single issue will NOT start a monthly subscription to Homestead Living. You can do that right here 😉