MilkMaids

Have you always wondered about ways to make an income off of your homestead or small farm? Hopefully the MilkMaids can help you! Today we are talking about five different ways to make money off of your homestead, and these are not the type of ways you may think. If you had to pick one way to make money off your homestead, which one would you choose?

Tara tried to get us talking about literally anything else but worms after our parasite suite, but Steph simply wont allow it. Join us this week as we look at the benefit of worms and how we can use them to help our gardens. Vermicomposting is simple and can be done anywhere, even in your house!

This week, we are shouting out

As always, you can reach us at

milkmaidspodcast@gmail.com

Weekly Resources:

The MilkMaids are TOGETHER! Tara visited Steph in Wyoming and we were finally able to record together. This is a fun episode talking about 6 popular pig breeds. We cover several conventional breeds as well as several heritage breeds- little something for everyone!

We’ve covered livestock parasites, now we are covering how to run a fecal float test on your own farm! We love doing these episodes to help you be in charge of your animal’s health. This episode covers everything you need to get started from the equipment you will need down to the nitty gritty details of how to perform a fecal test, and what the results actually mean.

Our shout out this week goes to Wild Coast Brew! Check out their products and of course the amazing artwork on their products at https://wildcoastbrew.com

As always, you can reach us at

milkmaidspodcast@gmail.com

Weekly Resources:

The topic no one asked for but the MilkMaids provided anyway! Before you even get your first farm animal, it is important to know about parasites. In this episode, we will break down internal and external parasites, the best protocol to have with your farm animals and your parasite management, what medications to use according to what species you are dealing with, and debunking some common ‘natural’ myths!

With spring calving right around the corner, its a great time to learn all about milk fever and ketosis. Both conditions can be life threatening, so being prepared is key. We cover everything from what is conditions are, how to spot the symptoms, potential treatment options as well as key prevention tricks.

*Disclaimer: We are not veterinarians. This information is for entertainment only. If you have concerns with your cow, contact your veterinarian.*

Join us this week as we discuss a MilkMaids favorite, Pollinator Gardens! If you are new to pollinators, tune in and hear about our favorite pollinators along with how you can help. So what is your favorite pollinator? Beetles? Please say it’s beetles.

Let’s talk about those Livestock Guardian Dogs! Tara and Steph are fascinated by these big beautiful beasts and the purpose they serve in the farming and ranching industry. We do a short LGD intro and then dive into 6 of our favorite breeds!

Kombucha has been all the rage in the homesteading world, and for good cause too! What is kombucha? Why brew and drink it? How? We answer all these questions and more. Get ready for your next obsession!

It's that time of year for garden planning! We cover the, often looked over, basics that help to set you up for a successful season. From where to plant, how much to plant, and what to plant, to even sourcing seeds- we cover it all.

This week is a timely episode as we encourage you to jump in on farm planning! This is absolutely applicable no matter your scale, from first time homesteaders to for profit farming. We guide you through our steps to help ensure our farm is successful, organized and well thought out.

This week, we spend some time in our homestead kitchens talking about bread! Making bread is such a romantic and self-sufficient skill that can also be quite intimidating. Not with this guide! Give it a listen and then get to kneading.

This week, we are talking about on-farm milk testing! It is so important to understand raw milk and the biology surrounding it to be sure you are consuming a safe product. The only way to do that is through testing, but the expense of lab tests add up. Not to mention the recent hassles with shipping and such. Having the means and knowledge to test your own milk on your own farm is such an amazing tool to have in your toolbox. We will be going through the entire routine.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our 2 part Raw Milk episodes. They will help form a full understanding combined with this episode.

As always, you can reach us at: 

milkmaidspodcast@gmail.com

Part two of intro to honeybees! This week we actually get into the act of beekeeping. First we cover the types of hives and equipment you will need. We help you choose, obtain and install your new bees. And lastly, we help you with a basic maintenance routine.

Bees Baby! Finally! This has been a highly requested topic and we are finally covering honey in this intro to bees, two parter! This week we are talking about the bees themselves and how they maintain and operate a hive. These creatures are beyond fascinating and deserve our respect. Tara sets us up for part two by giving us a fascinating dose of history on the act of beekeeping.

Join us this week as we talk all about providing your own protein on the homestead! This episode isn't what you expect it to be, its not a countdown of meats. As it turns out, there is a lot to protein, where it comes from and all of the wild ways to acquire it! 

Our shout out this week goes to Southern Exposure Seed Exchange! They are a great company, preserving the variety in our veggies. Check them out at http://www.southernexposure.com

As always, you can reach us at

milkmaidspodcast@gmail.com

Weekly Resources:

This week were are talking about soap! Why? Well, because soap is an amazing option for utilizing all your amazing products that you produce on the farm. Enjoying homemade soap for you and your family is an amazing luxury. It is also a great value added product if you are a for profit farm. 

Grass fed beef vs grain fed beef, self explanatory, right? Turns out there is way more to this topic than you would think! We are covering everything from flavor and texture of the meat to management practices of the cows. Of course we also discuss labels, what they actually mean, and the future of grass fed beef. 

We are back into an important topic! This week we are discussing milking machines and how they got started. Warning, it may haunt you! Then we get into the types and how they're set up. 

This week, we are talking artificial insemination of cows. Due to the nature of this topic, listener discretion is advised. This is the ultimate owner's guide to artificial insemination. We tell you what to expect and how it will go. We also help you prep and predict heat cycles so you know you have the timing right. We even talk about the pros and cons to AI vs having a bull.

BONUS EPISODE!

It's our favorite- SPOOKY SEASON! And we can't help but to combine the spooky season with cows. So join us for this fun, unconventional episode all about cows, lore and bog butter!

As always, you can reach us at

You want to raise pastured chickens? Which breed do you choose, Freedom Rangers or Cornish Cross? This episode answers it all! We compare everything from behavior in the brooder, to husbandry differences in the pasture, even to differences in the butchering. Of course, learn some cool history while you're at it! And for the grand finale, we reveal the results of our blind taste tests of both Cornish Cross and Freedom Rangers.

Brrrrr…. Winter is coming! As we dig out our winter gear, we figured it was best to share with you the farm gear that we love, and of course, some we hate. Get ready for the chilly season with cold weather hacks and brands.

Ready to be scared for spooky season?! Yeah, us too! Lets talk about common plants that will kill both you and your livestock! Poisonous plants are fascinating and terrifying all at the same time. Don’t worry, we end the episode on steps you can take to keep your critters safe, so its not all gloom and doom!

Our preservation series continues into the wild world of fermentation! We are specifically talking about fermenting veggies in this episode, sourdough and kombucha will be coming down the line. This is part two of two where we are actually telling you how to ferment food! We go step by step through both sauerkraut and pickled veggies recipes. Nothing stopping you from giving it a try after this episode!

Our preservation series continues into the wild world of fermentation! We are specifically talking about fermenting veggies in this episode, sourdough and kombucha will be coming down the line. This is part one of two where we are telling you all the nitty gritty details on the history,  process, and the equipment you will need.

It's Season TWO!! Join us for more in depth introductions of your hosts Tara and Steph, how we got started, where we've been and where we are going. Steph covers her decision to step back from for-profit farming. Also, we processed Tara's chickens and did a review of that experience. Plus, for those of you who participated in the #preservewithmilkmaids challenge- we have a special treat for you! This fun, laid back episode is great before we dig into the meaty season two topics we have planned.

As always, you can reach us at

Could you use a little extra cash on the homestead? Of course, we all can! Farming is a passion of ours, but it also costs money. Which is why we've gotten creative over the years on ways to expand profit by using excess farm products to make and sell something entirely different. Follow us along these 5 easy ways to increase your homestead income!

Farming- the ideal lifestyle, right? We agree! But also, there are aspects to farming that aren't nearly as romantic as they are portrayed in the movies. One of those being the time it takes to get everything done in a day, month, season, year. Daily chores are one thing, but farm maintenance, food preservation, and food creation is another. All things to consider if you are dying to jump right into this incredible lifestyle! Join us as we talk about our timeline on our farms.

This week we are shouting out The Sioux Chef, and we can't say enough amazing things about them! They are remembering, documenting, teaching and bringing indegenous foods! They even have a restaurant serving only pre colonial dishes!

It’s time for another installment of our Preservation Series! This is part two of two and we are talking all things canning. It’s harvest season all around the country and this is the perfect time to learn or brush up on your canning skills. In this second part, we cover the actual how to of both water bath canning and pressure canning, storage, and what to do if things go wrong.  Dont forget to #preservewithmilkmaids

It’s time for another installment of our Preservation Series! This is part one of two and we are talking all things canning. It’s harvest season all around the country and this is the perfect time to learn or brush up on your canning skills. In this first part, we cover all of the history, safety, equipment and preparations of canning.  Dont forget to #preservewithmilkmaids

Welcome to the much awaited Chicken Processing episode!! This episode is two of two that covers equipment needed, set up layout, and the second half of the procedure, which does include cleaning, packaging, and chilling the birds properly.

***WARNING*** This episode contains talk of death, blood, butchering etc. LIstener discretion is advised!

There is no shout out this week, but we do encourage you to look at our past shout outs and support or purchase from them. Don't forget to reach out and let us know of a person, organization, farm, ranch, etc that we should feature!

As always, you can reach us at

Welcome to the much awaited Chicken Processing episode!! This episode is one of two that covers equipment needed, set up layout, and the first half of the actual processing procedure.

***WARNING*** This episode contains talk of death, blood, butchering etc. LIstener discretion is advised!

Join us this week for another foraging episode! This time, we are covering some common plants that are perfect to harvest right now! Learn to identify these wonderful plants, what they are used for, and recipes on how to use them.

*** Disclaimer*** Please consult your physician before using any of these plants internally or for medicinal purposes. Consult an expert to confirm identification of plants before use.

This week join Steph and Tara as they talk about what has been going right and wrong in their garden. Did you all have germination issues? What about the weeds, are you winning that battle? Are you harvesting anything? We get right down to it and ask to see and hear how your gardens are doing!

Our shoutout this week goes to the well deserved Vertical Harvest based out of Jackson Wyoming. Not only are they utilizing inner city space and hydroponic practices, Vertical Harvest also employs people of all abilities and are really changing the way that cities think about their food system. You can find them here:

COWS VS GOATS!!! Wait, are we fighting? Well, sort of! Tara and Steph go through all the pros and cons of both goats and cows. Everything from milk quality, to fencing needs, to up front costs, profits, and skill levels. We absolutely have our favorites in mind- which is yours? Let us know!

The first of many on our series of food preservation: dehydrating! This is possibly the easiest form of food preservation, and there are several ways to do it. We run through all of the options, how to's and hacks of making good food that will last through dehydrating. Come along with us and #preservewithmilkmaids!

Goats, Goats and more GOATS! Thinking about getting a dairy goat? Or even if you already have one breed, this is the episode for you! We cover the most popular dairy goat breeds- everything from history to milk stats.

What a better time to start fencing in your animals than spring? We know there are a lot of options out there when it comes to fencing, but we have got you covered on your farm or your homestead. Steph and Tara address cattle panels, woven wire fencing, high tensile fencing, and of course electric netting and conventional electric fencing so all your goats, cows, pigs, and sheep can stay in and graze away.

Join us this week for a surprisingly fun talk about cow breeds! Steph shares the popular dairy breeds and Tara tells us about the dual purpose breed. And just for fun, find out which breeds now reside on our wish lists!

Join Tara and Steph as they talk about the pros and cons of owning guinea fowl. What is a keet anyway? Are guineas always so loud? How many guineas should you own? We answer what guineas are, where they come from, why you should own them, and of course how to brood them. Surely no one will mind if you get them!

We are back at it with some tips on gardening for the lazy gardener! We share our favorite perennials and self seeding plants to make gardening year after year a breeze!

Part Two- Raw milk talk continues! We pick up where we left off last week with a brief talk about pathogens and in depth conversation on testing milk. Learn why we test, how to collect and send in milk, and what to even test for.

Lets talk Raw Milk! This episode is part one of two? three? There is a lot to cover in raw milk, and we are MIlkMaids, aren't we?! In this episode we are talking about the history of raw milk, how milk is actually made in the cow udder or goat, and clean hand milking technique.

Turkey Talkin Time! The 101 courses continue with start to finish guide to turkeys. From breed selection, to brooder care, to housing and processing, we cover it all.