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🌾 Grazing for the Modern Homesteader + A Hidden Message in Every Emotion 🔍

🌾 Grazing for the Modern Homesteader + A Hidden Message in Every Emotion 🔍

Question of the day: Which home or “cottage” skills are you most drawn to?

Cedie Omaña
May 18, 2025

In partnership with

NOTICE: Formerly known as The Steady Homestead, we’ve rebranded to The Homestead Movement! Same great content, just a fresh new name. 😊

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant."
— Robert Louis Stevenson

HOMESTEAD TIP OF THE DAY

To avoid burnout during long planting and harvest seasons, break your homestead garden into “micro zones.” Each day, focus on just one small area, such as a 4x8 bed, a row of herbs, or the compost bin. This keeps things manageable and helps you stay mentally present. You’ll avoid overwhelm and catch issues early, like pest damage or bolting crops.

Which home or “cottage” skills are you most drawn to?

IN TODAY'S EDITION

Homestead Tip 🌱
Poll Results From Last Thursday 📊
All Things Homestead: Rotational Grazing 101 🤓
Personal Development: Your Feelings Are Talking… Are You Listening? 💕
Today's Top Picks 🛍️
Let’s Keep It Reel 🤣

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Not conservative. Not liberal. Just Christian.

The world feels chaotic––but your news source doesn’t have to.

You can hide under a rock or spiral into the chaos… or you can subscribe to The Pour Over and get the news you need to know and the peace you crave.

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, The Pour Over sends quick news summaries that are actually fun to read. Plus, each newsletter includes short biblical reminders to help you stay focused on Christ and eternity. Instead of fueling outrage or anxiety, the news becomes another prompt to rest in God and respond in faith.

Over 1 million readers have ditched the doomscroll and found a better way to stay informed––Christ-first, anger-free, and (kinda) funny.

Try it for free and check out their welcome email that’ll make you glad you did!

POLL RESULTS FROM LAST THURSDAY

How much of your food do you currently grow or raise?

🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️ 0–10% (learning stage)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 10–25%

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 25–50%

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Over 50%

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Nearly all! We’re close to self-sufficient

via @beehiiv polls

Feel free to participate in fun polls in our next newsletters! 😉

Also, follow us on our social media accounts for daily homesteading inspiration and updates.

ALL THINGS HOMESTEAD

Rotational Grazing 101 🤓

Managing pasture health can be challenging for small-scale homesteaders. Rotational grazing offers a sustainable solution to improve soil fertility and animal well-being.

Understanding Rotational Grazing:

Definition: Rotational grazing involves dividing pasture into sections, or paddocks, and moving livestock between them to allow forage regrowth.
Rest Periods: After grazing, each paddock is rested to enable vegetation recovery, typically requiring 30 to 90 days, depending on climate and pasture conditions.
Contrast with Continuous Grazing: Unlike continuous grazing, where animals remain on the same pasture, rotational grazing prevents overgrazing and promotes healthier pastures.

Benefits for Small Homesteads:

Enhanced Pasture Health: Regular movement of livestock prevents overgrazing, allowing grasses to recover and maintain productivity.
Improved Soil Fertility: Manure distribution across paddocks enriches soil nutrients, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.
Animal Health: Access to fresh forage and reduced exposure to parasites contribute to healthier livestock.
Efficient Land Use: Even on limited acreage, rotational grazing maximizes forage utilization and supports more animals sustainably.

Implementing Rotational Grazing:

Paddock Setup: Use temporary fencing to create multiple paddocks, ensuring each has access to water and shelter.
Grazing Schedule: Develop a rotation plan based on pasture growth rates, moving animals before overgrazing occurs.
Monitoring: Regularly assess pasture conditions and adjust rotation timing to align with forage availability and regrowth.

By implementing a thoughtful grazing plan, us homesteaders can achieve sustainable land management and improved animal welfare.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Your Feelings Are Talking… Are You Listening? 💕

Learning to hear your emotions can help you show up more fully at home and in life. Here’s a breakdown of what your emotions are saying, and why you shouldn’t ignore them.

Bitterness
This shows there’s still healing to be done. It points to places where you may still be holding judgment, either against others or yourself.

Resentment
This tells you you’re holding onto something that’s already passed. When you resist the present, you lose your ability to live in it fully.

Discomfort
This isn’t a signal to panic. It’s a nudge from your body saying, “Something here needs attention and maybe a change.”

Anger
This emotion often gets a bad rap, especially for women. But it shows you what matters deeply, like your values, your boundaries, your sense of justice.

Disappointment
This emotion means you’re still hoping. It shows you tried for something meaningful and still care about what happens.

Guilt
This might be pointing out where you’re stuck living for others. Ask yourself: Am I trying to meet someone else’s standard instead of my own?

Shame
This one can feel heavy, but it's a wake-up call. It often means you’re believing lies about who you should be instead of embracing who you truly are.

Anxiety
This usually means your mind is spinning between past and future.
It’s a reminder to get grounded in the now where your power actually is.

Sadness
Sadness means you love deeply and feel deeply. It’s not weakness, it’s proof of your heart and capacity to care.

Real Talk for the Homestead Life: Why This Matters

Homesteaders don’t have time for emotional confusion. When you ignore what you feel, it builds up, and shows up in your relationships, your parenting, even your animals.

So, knowing what they mean helps you make better decisions, set boundaries, and stay grounded when life feels like too much.

Quick Emotional Check-In Routine

Take 5 minutes each morning or evening.
Ask yourself, “What emotion is the loudest right now?”
Use the list above to identify what that emotion is asking from you.
Write it down, pray on it, or talk it through with a trusted friend.

You don’t need to fix everything at once. Just noticing what you feel is the first strong step.

THE STEADY HOME’S GIGGLE CHAMBER

What’s a homesteader’s favorite type of May drama?

Which seeds actually sprouted and which were lying.

TODAY'S TOP PICKS

May Homestead Challenge is Here!

Ever feel uneasy about what’s in your skincare or candles? Same. That’s why this month, we’re getting hands-on with Tallow & Beeswax Projects. Simple, sustainable recipes to nourish your skin and home without mystery ingredients.

No fancy equipment. No guesswork. Just clean, natural living.

Plus: January–April challenges (pantry staples, skincare, gardening & natural cleaning) are always available in the portal.

LET’S KEEP IT REEL!

I've put together some fantastic farm videos that are sure to make you laugh. Take a look and enjoy the fun!

Not gonna lie, chickens can be super judgy sometimes 😂

@pnwfairyfarmer
Princess Lay-a is a true girls-girl . . . . . #funny #chickens #chicks #chicken #chick #funnychicken #theovon #theovonclips #chickentok #a... See more

Just a goat living its best, sassiest life 😎

@southern.feathers
Why is she even in my bed 🙄#foryourp #homestead #farmtok #farmlife #humor #funnyvideo #babygoat #bottlegoat #morning #CapCut

Just like the video below, making sourdough was my gateway to becoming a full-blown homesteader 😅

@heyitsbrittmay
Based on a real life. #sourdough #humor #homestead #sourdoughstarter #marriedlifehumor #farming