How We Raise A Year's Worth of Meat & Never Buy Meat from the Grocery Store Again

We had five pigs at any given time growing up. They got out one day. We chased them for hours. My dad threw his hands in the air, yelled “screw it!” and went to bed for the night. The next morning they were at the trough waiting for breakfast 🤷‍♂️

To test if a fence is goat proof, take a bucket of water and throw it at the fence, if the water gets through the goats will escape.

If your pig pen is stationary, you might consider planting a few oak trees (or other nut baring trees) and apple trees just outside the fence. It’s a great way to get free food for them and provide shade in the summer

My Dad developed a "trick" electric fence. We had one horse, and she liked to break through the barb-wire fence. Dad got an electric fence, but couldn't string it around the whole 4 acres, so he just put it in the places that the horse liked to break through. He didn't want the grandkids to get shocked, so he put that bright yellow "Caution" tape everywhere the electric fence ran. The horse learned pretty quick that the Caution tape knocked her socks off. As a matter of fact, she learned so well that Dad would walk the horse to the un-fenced front yard, lay some Caution tape in a 20 foot circle, and the horse never crossed it while she grazed all day long. He had to pick up the tape in order to take the horse back to the barn in the evening. He also wrapped the feed-bins with it. It was Very reliable.

Imagine working from home for a company, and being able to live on a farm. That's the life I want to live. Thanks for sharing.

I have goats. My theory is that when a new prison is built they should put goats inside the fence for a couple months before the convicts arrive. If it can hold the goats in it can hold the prisoners in.

I haven’t bought meat in years. On 17 acres I run six cows, ten nanny goats, and two sows. I am able to sell enough offspring to buy hay and feed and still provide meat for my wife and I and our grown children. The best thing is that we love our animals. Loved your video.

What a great sense of humor about the pig adventure, and what common sense operation she has. Great practical advice on what to expect as far as maintenance and yield. Thanks

We actually trained cattle dogs (Australian shepherds) to be pig dogs. We haven't put a single pig back in the fence ourselves for 3 years.

Most people would love to live this life. Great video. What I found most impressive is how natural it came to her explaining and talking about it all. I don't think there was a single cut in this entire video, at least it didn't feel like it.

She's so articulate, which I SO appreciate. I passed this video on to a friend who just bought 6 acres here in south central Texas.

Very practical! Thanks for sharing. We're just starting up with our homestead and have two small breed pigs, two milking goats and 10 ducks. It's definitely work but we're loving that connection to the animals that goes along with caring for them. And the benifits of raising your own meat is definitely worth it. Thanks again. Best, Alex - NetZero Homestead

the dog is the only thing not being eaten and he looks happy as a clam.

I’ve heard it said that if you have goats, so does your neighbor.

I leave my guinea hogs in the pasture to graze with my cows. They never try to get out. The grass makes the meat taste awesome

This is such a great video! Tons of solid info given clearly, quickly and briefly. Normally I’d have to watch six or seven videos and wade through multiple well meaning music montages before I could get half that much information! Well done and thank you!

She isn’t kidding about about the pigs when I was a kid we had run of around 20 Russian boars I came home from school to the volunteer fire department my parents volunteered at, chasing about 15 of the boars. Muddy and bloody it took another hour for them to contain them. I grew up in a prepping environment before prepping was a thing and took for granted a lot of it. 20 or so years later I’m finding myself obsessed with it.

I'm trying to do the same thing. I used to be a farm sitter and fell in love with farm life. Unfortunately there's a lot of money I need to make before I can just buy/rent land inorder to afford anything I want to build. I'm working on it in small steps though. If everything works out in about 6 years when I turn 30 I'll be able to start something.

Thank you Melissa K. Norris for your splendid introductive information! Good to know

Really appreciate the video. I switched to virtual work this year, and my fiancé and I have talked about homesteading for a while. We want to find a place to make a homestead in northern Wisconsin. Your advice is great help!