Hey ya’ll and thanks for stopping by our homestead. Some of you may of seen us on YouTube or Facebook. We are Off Grid with Doug and Stacy living the pioneer lifestyle in the 21st century. We live in a 600 sq. ft. 1800s style log cabin we built ourselves, collecting & living on rainwater, using a composting toilet, heating our home with wood, cooking on a Lehmans Pioneer Princess wood cookstove and growing/harvesting our own food in Midwest, USA. This is a huge contrast from a dozen years ago where we had to many bills, to big of a house, getting all of our food from the store, being stressed, and spending to much time apart. We put the brakes on that all and now we live, as Lehmans says, “for a simpler life.”
As we are coming out of the slumber of winter into the awakening of spring, we wanted to spend a typical day on our homestead with you. Homestead time is much different than city time. When the rooster crows is where our day begins. The cockadoodle of the rooster is our alarm clock. Doug is first to climb down the ladder from our sleeping loft and starts the fire on the cookstove and then fills the gallon stainless steel teapot full of water from our gravity fed rainwater catchment system. Stacy climbs down minutes later after making the bed. It might be a small accomplishment, but making the bed sets the tone for the rest of the day. She gets some peppermint tea, grown from our garden, ready while Doug lets the chickens, turkeys, and guineas out for the day.
On our homestead, breakfast is pretty important to keep us fueled for a busy day. Todays menu is a Dutch Baby Sourdough Pancake with some of our farm fresh eggs. Note to self……… If you never have tried a Dutch Baby, you don’t know what you’re missing! While the Dutch Baby is baking in a cast iron pan in the oven, it is time for choring. Our Airedale terriers, Maggie and Mollie, are waiting patiently for breakfast. We know it’s time to hurry up when our seven month old puppy Mollie starts licking our hands. To buy us a few extra minutes, we give them a treat. On our homestead we make our own dog treats. Dehydrated chicken feet are their favorite. These are loaded with collagen great for joint health. Our horses Smokey and Sadie are naying and stomping at the fence as they look at us, and Rambo our sheep ram and his ewes all start baaing like the school choir. While the animals are waiting for breakfast, we can’t forget Mrs. Turkey, the double-breasted bronze beauty, who always makes us chuckle as she run/waddles towards us like a prehistoric creature.
It’s perfect timing… chores are done and it’s time to sweep the floors before breakfast. The Dutch Baby Pancake is ready and so is cup #2 of our peppermint tea. After we eat, the dishes are washed by hand (remember we live off-grid with no electricity and no dishwasher!) While washing the dishes we are deciding what we should tackle today. While living on an off-grid homestead, plans can change in a snap. One minute our plans are running smoothly and the next the sheep get out from a downed tree on the fence. An important thing we have learned over these past years is to go with the flow and not to worry if things don’t get done that we wanted. Our motto is to keep walking down the path and eventually we will make progress.
Spring is in the air which means tidying up the greenhouse and prepping the garden beds using some of our favorite handheld hoes and rakes. Doug is already working at the woodlot at the front of our property getting wood ready for next winter. Always be prepared! Stacy finishes up and hears the rattling of the chainsaw and runs up to help Doug finish up. Teamwork makes the dreamwork is something we say to each other frequently. Both of us enjoy cutting wood together. We always do our best to help each other out. This off-grid journey has made our relationship much stronger because we rely on each other to get jobs done that we used to pay someone to do. Now we are the electric, sewer, gas, trash, and water company here on our homestead.
When our belly is rumbling, it’s time to start what we call “linner”. It’s a combination of lunch and dinner that we eat around 3-4 pm. We generally eat twice a day. Eating healthy whole foods is very important to us. In order to do this preparation is the key to our success. We are prepping meals in advance. The lambchops were marinated the night before along with Stacy’s famous ABC salad which is a chopped apples, beets, and carrot salad with parsley and lemon juice. This salad always tastes better the next day. The only thing to do now is start the grill. Linner will be done soon with little wait. Stacy rings the big dinner bell attached to the front porch to call Doug from the woodlot. Linner was a success! While Stacy is cleaning up and doing dishes, Doug goes out and collects the eggs and gives the barn cats leftovers from our meal.
Now it’s time to do one of our favorite things of the day. Some of the barn cats, Maggie and Mollie, all join us for a late afternoon walk. This is a great time to talk about our plans for tomorrow, check our fence lines and pick up trash and debris that may of found its way on our property. As we make our way back to the log cabin, the sun is setting. It is time to light our oil lanterns and sit in our hickory rockers answering emails and catching up on some reading. Soon after we climb back up the ladder to the sleeping loft and fall asleep to the sounds of Mr. Owl and the frogs.
Doug and Stacy,
While sitting here recovering from shoulder surgery, ouch btw, I came across you guys on YouTube. I was scrolling thru all your videos and mercy, I think I have watched 50% so far. My TV doesn’t allow me to comment, but I am watching and learning so much.
I started my very first ever ferment last Wednesday. Carrots in one and Asparagus in the other. We have 2 raised beds and am excited to go get my “hand” dirty. Looking forward to taking the no bake dessert out of the fridge. My husband says it smells so good and can’t wait to taste it. We even picked dandelions yesterday and used them in our salad. I love watching you guys. Things are waking up here in East Tennessee and the redbuds are blooming.
Hi Doug n Stacy
My son clued me in to your videos on YouTube two weeks ago.
I’ve been binge watching ever since !
Your homestead, on video, is now my happy place !!
Much of what I see was a good part of the lifestyle I lived until I was about 15 years old!
I love it! So peaceful.
Working on making some changes in my life and am excited about it all !
Keep up the good work !
Love you guys!
hello, keep reading about your work. I am from Jefferson City, and how far are u from me. My sister in CA watched your videos.
Love your lifestyle, content is informative and entertaining! We live in Rhode Island , on our 2acre “Ranch” lol . Burn wood, raise chicken’s, have a 30′ x40′ garden with raised beds, & compost, can, ferment, and brew! Thanks for dropping knowledge bombs. We are the “Poser Homestead” as it is illegal to be off grid in RI. Crazy 🙂
Wow! to the illegal in Road Island? Good Name, Walter was my Daddy’s name, and he was a great person… he’s been gone 40 years, but i still miss him like it was yesterday! 🙂 God bless your little homestead… 🙂
What state are you in?
Hey Doug an Stacy!
I’m a big fan on YouTube and my wife and I are going to do the same thing that you guys are…Lord willing.
I have a ton of mature white oaks on our property in the Ozark’s and plan on building a cabin too. Did y’all have to kiln dry your logs before you built with them?
Thanks for all you guys do!
God Bless
Love the videos
keep up the good example
Hope to get to meet you this year at Lehmans.
Hello Doug,
have a great Question for you I have a pet waste removal company and I seen that you mulch your human waste . How long did you say it took you, over a year?
Well the reason I ask you is because I have a dog waste removal service and I was wondering about mulching it the way you have done it with your waste removal system. anything you can suggest for me thank you Christina.
Thank you so much for sharing your lives. It has been a big inspiration to me to start over again. Unlike Doug I have building skills out the wa-zoo. I grew up on a 20 acre farm. I am also in my 50’s. Love you guys. I hope we get to meet one day. Your friend,Albert
Hi guys I am just wondering how Doug is doing with his injury, that last video was heart breaking to watch. I am keeping you in my prayers and wishing you a speedy and easy recovery.
Wow…what a test this has been for Mr. Doug…that bruise was mind-boggling, not to mention painful for you! However, you are behaving and staying the course of healing, good on you! It’s truly wonderful to watch the ‘roofers’ at work, what a blessing! I’ve been reading the cookbook that arrived last week, getting ready to add my sticky note indexes to tag the ones I want to attempt first.
Since we found you on youtube via a post by someone I don’t recall the name, it linked you and Zach Bauer (New2Torah) we have watched him for years; and now we have your channel as well…many blessings in the name of Messiah Yeshua!
You are living the way we wanted to live, but old broken bodies can still learn to eat better and we are trying your ideas.
I ant to build a raised vegetable garden
Doug and Stacy,
Thank you for all of your videos. I started with the beekeeping videos and am now moving to other homestead material.
Do you have any videos of your water sourcing and do you product electricity via windmill or anything?
I’m so excited to be on this journey and appreciate all you give to help us out.
Been watching you guys for a while. I enjoy it all. Really enjoying the log cabin build.
Good day you two lovely people. You have been missed on you tube and I just saw your post that you got shut down. Now I for the life of me can not imagine why they would do such a thing. It is hard to wrap my head around, but hey, it is what it is and I’m now so curious and will be looking in on you guys everyday, will be watching those vids like you asked , AND when I go to bed will be putting them on auto play. Whatever it takes, right!
Love you guys and hope you can get back on, or hope you can find another platform some how or another, there are several out there. Locals, Rumble, Odysee to name a few. Till next time God bless
I’m trying to find what Stacy used for body lotion / oil and face as she looks amazing
In one of their video’s I watched, Stacy said she used her ghee.
Good afternoon y’all I’ve been watching your videos for a little while now. I’m enjoying every one of them I’m learning so much . Thank you… I can’t wait to start fermenting veggies . Stacy your ABC salad sounds so good . The day I seen you make it on your video I wanted to reach out and taste it. Lol.. I love your videos.
Hey Doug and Stacy, hello again watching some of your videos and am trying to find out how to catch your live stream. I don’t have a place to get notifications that I can find, so I wanted to ask you is there a specific day and time that you do your live streaming so I can try to see them?
I don’t believe they have a set time or date, and i can’t seem to catch them either… i have a cell phone but i am still trying to learn how to use it, i can’t see very well… , so i usually write in all caps so i can see if i miss-spell a word or not, but i didn’t want you to think i was being rude, or yelling so i’m typing and deleting equally… 🙂 Hubby and i enjoy what we can catch later, and make comments on the late comments anyway! 🙂 GOOD LUCK! 🙂
Just to wish you both a Happy Sunday, I love the cookbook, and the chocolate tea is heaven. Growing. turnip greens. corn, peppers and tomatos, lettace all the veg – thanks for the tips and tricks. I’m still in the city ,but “A HOMSTEAD HOMY” anyway. Excited for the Fermenting book to come out. So, gateful for what YOU do.
“Thank you,
Doug and Stacy
I am so in love with your whole setup!!!
We’re in our early 60s and retired early , we bought land in Arkansas and as with the economy looked bleak we talked about raising and growing our food. My husband couldn’t wait to get out of Houston Tx and be in the country. We love it here. But he isn’t on board at all about self sustain life. I’ve focused on the garden , our first year was this spring. While building a house ( with all the luxuries) I did plant an orchard. I’m planting constantly. And this summer putting up food from my garden. It’s been a learning experience. Every night I watch a video. Oh how I would love to live your life in a log home off grid and well your lifestyle!! He’s not there so I live through you guys , and I will continue to grow our food. My the way I’m very proud to announce we do not eat out always home cooked food Except when and if we travel And I don’t crave the fast foods at all. Ok maybe a blizzard once in a great while. Love you guys.
Doug and Stacy, it is such a joy to have found you guys. I work out of my home and try and watch your shows as much as I can, You both are so good at what you do. Doug, you are so comical, a hard worker and wise man. Stacy I love to watch you throw recipes together and all the hard work and many different things you do and yet you sit and help all of us with smiles and great attitudes. I could watch 24/7. Life out there looks exciting. Your little cabin is so nice and the way you plant your food and raise your own meat. Wish I saw you guys do this when I was younger I would have been in your footsteps. I love your way of living. Thankyou so much for sharing your lives with all of us!!!!
G’day from Australia! A Joy to hear & see Your videos Stacey & Doug. My wife & I admire how you live, love God & share helpful wisdom. We had 3 fabulous years in Texas & have recently returned to Oz, trying off grid life in the bush. So far so good. God Bless & prosper You Both.
I built 2 raised gardens this year but had no idea how to organize the groups of plants. Everything grew fine. Do you have suggestions for complimentary grouping of plants for my gardens next year?
Hi my name is Davina and I watch y’all almost every day. I’m trying to live like y’all do I’ve been preparing foods. The only think I raise right now is quail. I stopped for a little while after my feancy was killed in a car crash last year. But I’ve started up again and was wondering if you could give me some tips.
Hi Doug and Stacy,
Love the idea and the content. My wife and I live on a 30 acre farm/ranch. We have goats and chickens as well as a nice garden. I was wondering if we could find a few viewers in our area so that we could review and discuss this life style. North Alabama.
Again appreciate all you do and love you guys.
Thanks Daniel
We received Stacy’s cookbook today August 31,2022. thank you looking forward to more info on what you KNOW about what is happening and what we can do about it. We have retired now after many years and bought 5 acres. this land is on a hillside with a creek on north side mostly we have rocks except down on the bottom and that is flooded sometimes, we have been here 12 years and it has flooded 3 times 18″ each time over the bank I will make raised beds on the hillside.
Thanks Patrick Smith USN retired
I live in north Texas and I am trying to find out what kind of dirt to put in my newly built above ground garden.
I have been watching you guys for a while, however, I just signed up today for one of your giveaways. I had also already heard of Lehmens and bought some Buckeyes and a slingshot from them some time back. Love your presentation and just today looked at your “store”. I wanted to suggest a t-shirt with Mollie’s picture and a cute caption…” Off-Grid and digg’n it”, or something else catchy. (Feel free to use that one if you like). I am always mentioning to my hubby what Doug said and Stacy did and how they… he has not tired of me yet, or you either. He is also aware of the bad news circulating because of what the government has ordered. Sad state of affairs, we are really f…ed if something does not change. I will remain looking for your news, blogs, and videos. Love you guys from Florida. Keep up the good work and thank you for keeping us all informed. I had more to say, but I am actually afraid to put it “here”, so guess I will close my mouth, my eyes and don’t let my teeth touch, and do something else constructive. God Bless And Help Us ALL cause the government won’t.
Hi guys!
I just started watching your videos on FB and have now started following you online. My wife and I live in northern Maine. Way up there! I have always wanted to live off grid. Ever since I was a child, I have dreamed of breaking away from society. I am slowly getting my wife interested in the idea. We own a small house, out of town a bit, and decided to buy 37 acres behind our house. We have a small pond, and some river frontage. I want to build our forever home facing the pond, and am entertaining the idea of solar power, with a well, and septic. Wood for heat, of course! It gets very very cold here.
Thank you for all the amazing information!
You all are the real deal !!!!! I have watched your videos for a couple years or so. You are sincere, honest, hardworking folks. Hard work does pay off, as you are finding out. Keep up the great videos and fighting the good fight.
I made six 1/2 gallon jars of Mezzetta Spicy Italian Mix Giardiniera Crunchy Vegetables yesterday. Learned how to from Stacy. You’r the greatest.
Good morning guys,
I love your your YouTube. Just as a follow up can you make a video on how you connected the generator to the solar system to charge the batteries, and can you show how you have it running into your home stead? did you run it to the out buildings?
Thank you,
Jay from PA
Hello, after you installed your wood stove how much wood do you think you’ll use in a season?
I just found this and I love it, too! I have an insatiable appetite for all things “Doug and Stacy” and you just keep coming with the content! Thank you. . .from the bottom of my heart!
Been following you for awhile now enjoying your development. Hoping we can find a way ‘back to the land’ come Spring. Procrastination a killer.
I LOVE TO READ, AND I LOVE YOU KIDSES STORY! SO I READ IT AGAIN… hUBBY READ YOUR BOOLET IN 2 SETTINGS AND I READ IT IN ONE, BUT THAT WON’T BE THE LAST TIME I READ IT… WE’RE LOOING FORWARD TO THE EXTENDED VERSION! AND ENJOY ALL OF YOUR VIDEO’S EVEN THOUGH WE ONLY HAVE UNDER AN ACRE OF OUT-;AWED ANIMALS NOW THEY TRY TO MAKE US GET RID OF NOW THAT THE LAKE ACCESS PEOPLE ARE GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS. PROBABLY TOO OLD AND HANDICAPPED NOW TO GO OFF-GRID BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE MORE LAND TO GROW, AND BE 90% OFF-GRID ANYWAY!
OUR OLDEST JUST TURNED 50, AND ANOTHER 49, THAT LOOKS AND ACTS OLDER THAN YOU DOUG… 🙂 I’LL BE 69 THIS YEAR, BUT 🙂 HUBBY WILL BE 72! 🙂 I’D NEED AT LEAST SOMEWHERE TO PLUG MY 24/7 OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR IN… I’VE BEEN BLESSED BUT IT WASN’T WITH AIR POWER FOR MY HEART…
I love your show and website. you guys are amazing. I’m really wanting to do this kind of living for over 10 years I’ve wanted to but my husband is dragging his feet. we have 8.5 acres and building a new home. we went ahead and started hitting animals. chickens turkeys which I just love. and now we have a cow fir milking and she is pregnant due in March. so alot going on. I want the house finished so we can sell it and move to Idaho. hopefully this year. Thanks for your great life you share with us.
getting animals. lol
Hi Doug and Stacey,
I started watching you guys last year late summer, watching all the videos. As a single mom, I’ve raised my children and all along new I wanted my country life living back. You both have inspired me so much to find land and leave this rat race. 8 know I will be successful because I’ve been planning this for a while. I cannot wait to experience building my own home. it scares me to see the direction we are going in. I’ve been purchasing many of the things I need. I have a business that will sustain me as I go forward. I now need to purchase some chickens before the price shoots sky high. As an brown skinned woman, I don’t see many who want this life. I do watch several homesteaders but I love you guys. I live vicariously through you until I buy my land. thank you for showing me the way. I look forward to the video teachings.❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi Doug, hi Stacy. You guys are such an inspiration. I watch your posts on YouTube which I must say are enlightening. I like to watch Doug and his tidbits of what’s going on around us, his very informative in giving us a heads up. I also like Stacy’s recipies and the segments with other friends sharing their ideas and what they are doing. I am starting my garden (again) first time was in storage containers – that didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped, so now I’m building raised beds from reclaimed wood fencing – I know, I know, it’s not good because of the chemicals but I’m using a heavy duty plastic to line the beds first, it’s a slow process because of money issues. I’m hoping to have at least two ready for planting by next month. I’m looking forward to watching your next episode. Blessings to you.
love watching your shows , especially the gardening. love the items you make , looks so good . your both so lucky to live that way, I wish you all the luck , I will continue to watch , and tell everyone in pa about you guys
You did an awesome job with your homestead cabin. My homestead cabin was only for hunting originally but then my dad passed and I inherited it and decided to move into it this passed year. I love living out away from the city. Now I live down a 1/2 two track in a mostly modern cabin off grid off the system and I’m just now getting used to this lifestyle. NEVER GOING BACK!!
Bullzeye (👈YouTube)
I am wanting to find property with a home and outbuilding in the country. I am 73 and alone. Wondering if this decision would be good for me. I am alarmed about our society. Love watching your videos.
Hello I’m joe and I was wondering if you think it’s possible to have a dairy cow and chicken’s on 1and 1/2 acres and still grow my garden I became disabled in 2019 I got my right leg and ankle crushed and don’t walk the greatest and not much income any ideas on getting started with next to nothing
Joe, My wife and I had a dairy cow and baby but had no place bigger than a 1/4 acre to let them graze. Not enough. It wasn’t the food that was the problem in which we just bought the hay etc. it was their pee and poo. They urinate a lot! Summers were ok but The winters were awful because of it being wet from not only the rain but their pee. They would do it everywhere including the enclosed area under the protection. Milking her was a delight and the milk, butter etc were wonderful so we tried but finally had to sell them. Sad day. Just remember this and realize they are work to clean stalls etc also clean her before milking :). Hope this helps.
Loved Linner.
Doug and Stacy, thank you for all the helpful homestead information that you share. I showed my husband your videos and he’s pretty much sold on what our next journey will be. We’ve always talked about getting off the grid/ System. And thought it would be to much to even start that life, but you showed us an easy way to implement that life and be successful! We are in our 50’s and don’t want to be dependent on public utilities and franchises, the homestead life is so much more wholesome and the way God intended us to live. Thank you for bringing us in your home and educating us to be successful. As my husband and I continue on our endeavors, we may need to reach out for help. May God bless you and your home richly.
Hello my name is Sandra my husband is Bobby we are trying to find a place but it’s hard but i love watching your videos and we do have chickens and going to try to have a garden but thinks y’all for taking time out of your day
Y’all just make me wanna do something..and help others! I started preserving n canning with fresh & farmers market food this year; Yogurt and fermenting. Gave as gifts Thanksgiving by Dec most wanted more so I am trying 2 help them start at least start! You made me hopeful & happy 😊 2 refocus on important things. God Good people Good times Good food and stewarding creatures/an a humble garden plot. Now 4 some fruit tree seedlings … yeah! Luv y’all. Your genuine sparkle is contagious
My favorite escape is with you two. I just finished my first attempt at the fermented sauerkraut. Can’t wait to taste it. Hubby is in the process of putting together our first raised bed. We’re in the city limits and aren’t allowed chickens. Very disappointing. We do grow our own tomatoes, green peppers, chard and sometimes corn. In pots. Gonna be happier with our new raised bed. It’s small but it’s a start. Keep doing what you’re doing. You are a great inspiration for us all.
Saw your livestream last night and it was so nice to hear someone in homesteading discussing Ohio. Not sure how else to contact y’all without using YouTube/Meta, but do you know any of the owners of the farms/factories that have been burnt down the past couple of years? Are firemen investigating the source/do you of know of any conclusions? It’s just too many “accidents!”
Holy cow! I am instantly embarrassed I didn’t discover I could make comments sooner! We sure have missed you guys on yt for the last few day, but that’s okay as we’ve had plenty of old videos to catch up! Hope you’re doing well and look forward to new and improved videos when you come back! Thank you for the wealth of content you’ve made over the years. God bless you and you’re family!❤️
We purchased a Dorper ewe and baby female lamb. Only problem they are a bit wild. Got any ideas on taming the two? Also seems they are a bit spoiled, only wanting grain and alfalfa. She’s still nursing so we don’t mind the alfalfa but a bit concerned about the grain. Is this typical? She will graze as well as eat Timothy grass as well as the heads off a triple mix hay of barley, oats and wheat. Only two weeks in so I know it’s early. The Ewe will eat out of a small bucket we hold . That’s as close as we get.
Btw. Thank you for your time with the videos. Enjoy each one. Your knowledge is appreciated!
CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN HOW TO BUILD MY OWN HOOP HOUSE FOR MY RAISED BEDS, CONSIDERING WHAT THEY’RE SPRAYING LOOSE IN THE ATMOSPHERE. DOUG SAID HE WAS GOING TO HAVE A VIDEO READY FOR US. I ALREADY HAVE A COUPLE RAISED BEDS AND WILL BE ADDING ANOTHER RAISED BED WHICH WILL ALSO NEED A HOOP HOUSE. IS THERE A VIDEO HOW TO BUILD THE GREEN HOUSE STACEY PRESENTLY HAS TO START HER PLANTS AND WORK WITH SEEDS BEFORE IT’S WARM ENOUGH TO PLANT ANYTHING. I’M IN MICHIGAN AND WE STILL HAVE SNOW ON THE GROUND AND THE GROUND IS FROZEN ABOUT 1 INCH DOWN. SO NO WORKING THE GARDEN YET.
I’M 74 YEARS OLD AND MY HUSBAND IS 79, AND WE’RE STILL GARDENING ALONG.
BLESS YA’LL,
NYLA