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Homesteading Made Simple I Joyfully Prepared

Wendi Bergin

Homesteading Made Simple is a podcast about practical homesteading skills for real life.

Homesteading looks a lot different in real life than it does on the internet, and this podcast is about making it feel doable.

I’m Wendi, and each episode focuses on homesteading skills that actually fit into everyday life. We talk about gardening, food storage, food preservation, kitchen skills, preparedness, and self-reliance. The calm, common-sense kind. Not extreme. Not fear-based.

You’ll also hear about real estate, land, and choosing homes that support homesteading and self-reliant living. Whether you’re dreaming of land, managing a backyard homestead, or simply making better decisions where you live, real estate plays a big role in the life you’re building.

This podcast is practical, honest, and rooted in real experience. Some lessons go smoothly. Others are learned the hard way. Either way, the goal is the same. Build skills. Build confidence. Keep it simple.
New episodes release regularly.

Subscribe and start building homesteading skills that support a more prepared, capable life.

On Homesteading Made Simple, you’ll hear conversations around questions like:

How do I start homesteading when I don’t have land or a perfect setup?
What homesteading skills actually matter most for everyday life?
How do I build real homesteading skills without getting overwhelmed?
What does modern homesteading look like for families today?
How do gardening, food storage, and kitchen skills work together on a homestead?
How can homesteading make life feel calmer, not harder?
What does preparedness look like for homesteaders who don’t want to live in fear?
How do I become more self-reliant through simple homesteading skills?
How does real estate and land choice affect homesteading success?
How do I build confidence and capability at home, one skill at a time?

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23 episodes
weekly
Avg 25 min
English

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#232
Tuesday · 42 min
Iridology & Homesteading: An Old-School Approach to Health
What if your eyes could tell you something about what’s happening inside your body? In this episode of Homesteading Made Simple, I sit down with naturopath and iridologist Dr. Angel Hill to explore the fascinating world of iridology and how it connects to self-reliance. Angel explains what she looks for in the colors, patterns, lines, and markings of the iris, and how she uses those observations as part of her naturopathic practice. But we don’t stop with eyeballs. We talk about gut health, ho
#231
September 1 · 25 min
Who's Actually Homesteading in 2026?
Homesteaders of America surveyed over 4,000 homesteaders and compared the results to their 2022 survey — and the picture that came back is not the one Instagram sells you. Wendi walks through who American homesteaders actually are in 2026: their age, their land, their money, why they started, and why they stayed. Along the way she's honest about what the numbers can't tell you, and lands on the one reframe that changes everything for people stuck in the "someday" phase.
#230
August 25 · 27 min
When Do You Get to Call Yourself a Homesteader?
When do you finally get to call yourself a homesteader, quilter, baker, or anything else you're working to become? After looking back through eight weeks of my Transformation Journal, I realized I had a whole lot of evidence that my life is changing. I've harvested and preserved food and herbs, finished my first quilt top, cooked more from scratch, milked a friend's goats, navigated some stressful real estate closings, watched my daughter reach some pretty exciting milestones, and learned a who
#229
August 18 · 27 min
Would You Date This Homestead? Red Flags Before You Buy
Buying a homestead can feel a lot like dating. The listing photos catch your eye, you imagine your future together, and suddenly you are naming goats before you have even walked the property. But a homestead can look wonderful in its profile pictures and still be a terrible choice for a long-term relationship. Wendi walks you through the five stages of getting to know a property: the dating profile, the first date, meeting the family, discovering the baggage, and deciding whether it is actually
#228
August 11 · 46 min
Too Many Tomatoes? Preserve the Harvest
What do you do when the garden gives you more tomatoes, zucchini, basil, or fruit than you know what to do with? In this fun conversation, Wendi Bergin joins Greg Peterson of The Urban Farm Podcast to talk about developing a harvest mindset. Instead of waiting until the kitchen counters are overflowing, they share how to prepare ahead, choose the right preservation methods, and turn a garden’s abundance into food your family will actually use. They explore practical ways to preserve tomatoes a
#227
August 4 · 21 min
Everybody Needs a Carol
The world feels a little cuckoo right now. School is starting, fear is everywhere, and even ordinary life can feel like too much. In this heart-to-heart episode, Wendi talks about the things we can still control. We can plan a meal, prepare ourselves for the day, make room for real rest, and create more peace inside our own homes. We can also begin becoming the women we want to be, even when those new choices feel uncomfortable. You may not be able to fix everything today. But you are probably
#226
July 28 · 25 min
BeanTok: Why Everyone Is Suddenly Eating Beans
Why is everyone suddenly talking about beans? TikTok has a new obsession called #BeanTok, and for once, Wendi is cheering on a social media trend. In this episode of the Joyfully Prepared Podcast, Wendi explores why beans are making a comeback and why they've quietly been one of the smartest foods to keep in your pantry all along. She shares her simple method for preparing dried beans, explains what really causes the infamous "bean gas," and reveals how proper preparation can make beans easier
#225
July 21 · 20 min
What Type of Homestead Manager Are You?
A woman in a homesteading Facebook group asked what sounded like a simple question: how do you keep track of everything? Wendi expected a flood of planner and app recommendations. Instead she got "I keep it all in my head — it's very scary in there," "plans are more like suggestions," and "homesteading will whip the OCD right out of you." Nobody gave the same answer. And that turned out to be the point. This episode breaks down the four ways homesteaders actually manage their lives — the Memor
#224
July 14 · 23 min
Choosing the Right Food for Every Emergency
When it comes to emergency food, most people think they have to choose one solution. Should you build a pantry? Buy freeze-dried food? Store no-cook meals? The truth is, each type of emergency food solves a different problem. In this episode of the Joyfully Prepared Podcast, Wendi Bergin walks you through a simple decision-making framework to help you choose the right food for the right emergency. Through fun, interactive games, you'll learn why a layered food storage system provides more peace
#223
July 7 · 21 min
How to Make Better Homestead Decisions
Are raised garden beds a waste of money? A lively Facebook debate inspired this week's episode, but the conversation quickly became about much more than gardening. Wendi explores why the best homestead investments aren't determined by trends or someone else's opinion. Instead, they're determined by the problems you're trying to solve, your season of life, your property, your budget, and your goals. Whether you're considering raised beds, livestock, tools, or your next big homestead project, thi
#222
June 30 · 20 min
Two Successes and a Failure (A Six-Week Update)
Lightning hit the ground about 200 yards from our house — and somehow that's not even the most dramatic thing that happened in the last six weeks. Welcome back to the Joyfully Prepared Podcast! I love doing these little six-week updates — they keep me humble, grateful, and honest about really living what I talk about here. This time it's two successes and a failure. First, the win I've been waiting for: I cashed my very first real estate commission check. Then the failure (it involves fabric):
#221
June 23 · 14 min
Hurricane Prep Without the Panic
Technically we're already a month into hurricane season — but there's still time to get ready the calm way. In this replay (refreshed for 2026), Wendi Bergin shares her 12-week Hurricane Preparedness Checklist: a strategy, not a shopping spree. Instead of stress-buying "all the things or none of the things" when a storm is two days out, you'll tackle one or two tiny tasks a week across four categories — Food & Water, Gear & Gadgets, Organization & Personal Prep, and Home & Comfort. It starts wi
#220
June 16 · 20 min
Small Homestead Income Ideas for Real Life
Have you ever wondered if your homestead, property, garden, or handmade skills could help support your family financially a little? In this episode, Wendi talks about peaceful, practical homestead income ideas for real life. Not hustle culture. Not “47 income streams.” Just thoughtful ways ordinary families may be able to create a little breathing room through simple skills and stewardship. From eggs and homemade bread to fiber arts, herb classes, and small farm stands, this episode explores b
#219
June 9 · 19 min
How I Fed 7 Kids With Simple Ingredients
In this heartfelt and practical episode of the Joyfully Prepared Podcast, Wendi Bergin talks about the old-fashioned kitchen skills that are quietly becoming important again. As grocery prices continue to rise and families feel stretched thin, Wendi shares personal stories about growing up in a home where every meal was cooked from scratch, learning how to roast a whole chicken using canning jar rings because she didn’t own a roasting pan, feeding seven children on a tight budget, and sneaking
#218
June 2 · 17 min
How to Make Progress When You Feel Overwhelmed
How to Make Progress When You Feel Overwhelmed Feeling overwhelmed by big goals, messy homes, unfinished projects, or the pressure to completely reinvent your life overnight? In this encouraging and funny episode of the Joyfully Prepared podcast, Wendi Bergin shares the surprisingly powerful mindset shift that helped her clean her garage 15 minutes at a time and inspired her new summer quilting goal. After realizing that just 15 minutes a day over summer break equals nearly 18 hours of practic
#217
May 26 · 25 min
You’re Doing Better Than You Think You Are
In this deeply encouraging episode of the Joyfully Prepared podcast, Wendi Bergin shares real-life stories and lessons from the Bergin homestead while exploring how journaling, homesteading, homemaking, faith, and preparedness reveal something many women forget: You are doing better than you think you are. Through stories about teaching canning classes, expanding a Florida food forest, learning new homemaking skills, caring for an injured child, raising backyard chickens, bread baking, emergen
#216
May 19 · 19 min
Why I’m Talking More Seriously About Preparedness
In this honest and heartfelt episode of the Joyfully Prepared Podcast, Wendi Bergin talks about rising fuel and oil prices, increasing grocery costs, hurricane season in Florida, and why preparedness matters now more than ever. But this is not a fear-based “doomsday prepper” conversation. Instead, Wendi shares a realistic and hopeful perspective on preparedness, self-reliance, faith, stewardship, and creating peace at home during uncertain times. She explains how rising oil prices affect nearl
#215
May 12 · 18 min
3 Herbs Every Woman Should Know
In this episode of the Joyfully Prepared Podcast, Wendi Bergin introduces three beginner-friendly medicinal herbs every woman should know: chamomile, calendula, and lemon balm. She breaks herbalism down into a simple, approachable practice for everyday life, especially for overwhelmed mothers and women looking for practical self-care and self-reliance skills. Wendi explains how chamomile supports the central nervous system and digestion, how calendula supports skin healing, inflammation, the lym
#214
May 5 · 9 min
Prepared, Not Panicked: A Real-Life Hurricane Lesson
A single moment can shift how you see preparedness forever. In this episode, Wendi shares a powerful real-life story from Hurricane Isabel that completely changed her understanding of self-reliance. It’s not about fear. It’s not about preparing for every possible scenario. It’s about how you respond when life hits. Through the story of a man who refused to wait around for help and instead took action to care for his family, Wendi breaks down what true preparedness looks like in real life. Pra
#213
April 28 · 23 min
I Was a Doomsday Prepper… Until This
Preparedness doesn’t have to come from fear. In this episode, Wendi Bergin shares the moment that completely changed how she approaches preparedness. What started as a well-meaning but fear-based conversation at a playdate turned into a powerful realization: preparedness should bring peace, not panic. From that day forward, Wendi shifted her focus from urgency and fear to calm, steady, skill-based living. In this episode, she redefines what preparedness really means and introduces the five co

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