As the Editor in Chief and Editor of the homesteading section of Scratch Mommy, I am so thrilled to be creating content with such an amazing team of writers. The homesteading section will be a devoted space to talk all things self-sufficiency… no matter how much space you have. You’ll be inspired to start a vegetable garden or raise some animals. If you already have a garden or raise chickens in your backyard, Scratch Mommy will be a resource for all your questions regarding a homestead.
Looking for information on a specific veggie to grow? We’ll have that here in time. Want to know how to grow food in small spaces? You bet that will be here. Want to read funny, down-to-earth stories about chickens, goats, and everything in between? We’ll have that here too.
It’s your one stop shop for your homestead and garden needs!
With that, let me introduce you to our Homesteading Team!
Anne Radcliffe
Blog: Food Retro
Bio: Anne is the mom of a boy with severe food allergies, and this started her scratch food journey. When not talking about herself in the third person, she frequently attempts to explain the laws of physics and high school chemistry according to the kitchen on her home blog FoodRetro. If you want to know why ice melts or pretzels turn brown, and you want to make foods that you never imagined could be made from scratch in the process, she’s your blogger.
What does homesteading from scratch mean to you? Homesteading from scratch means that I have a closer connection to what nurtures and sustains us.
Favorite homesteading from scratch post from Food Retro: Homemade Wooden Self Watering Planters (a comprehensive guide)
Favorite Scratch Mommy post: Homemade DIY Deodorant
Heather Jackson
Blog: Green Eggs and Goats
Bio: Heather is into cooking, cow milking, goat chasing, and egg gathering. She loves cast iron cooking and all things Mason jar. She despises laundry! She is also a novice martial arts practitioner and a homeschooling mom of three. She and her family homestead on three beautiful acres in Alabama.
What does homesteading from scratch mean to you? Homesteading from scratch, to me, means doing for myself or making my own whenever possible. Beyond the enjoyment of animal keeping, I use my homestead to produce the freshest ingredients imaginable. I love to cook and having such wonderful foods at my fingertips makes it a joy to be in the kitchen.
Favorite homesteading from scratch post from Green Eggs and Goats: Top 10 Reasons to Keep a Dairy Goat
Favorite Scratch Mommy Post: 10 Life Lessons I Learned Being Raised on a Dairy Farm
Cortney Munro
Blog: Daily Pea
Bio: Cortney blogs at Daily Pea about sustainable living, organic gardening, real food and natural parenting. She believes strongly that every small step towards a greener, healthier lifestyle counts in a big way!
What does homesteading from scratch mean to you? Homesteading from scratch is hard work! It’s hard work that is worth every minute for our health. It’s my girls’ laughter in the garden as they’re covered from head to tow in dirt. It’s their excitement when they dig a potato out of the ground or pick a tomato, or when they see a honeybee. It’s our little oasis in this busy, modern world.
Favorite homesteading from scratch post from Daily Pea: How to Grow and Harvest Garlic
Favorite Scratch Mommy Post: DIY Sunscreen- Easy to Make (and why you NEED this recipe)
Claire Trost 
Blog: Bloom
Bio: Claire is a City Girl Transplant that now lives on eighty panoramic acres in the country and writes for Bloom. Bloom is a local food and backyard gardening blog full of recipes and humous realities of what life is like when you own chickens… and designer shoes. Through the sarcasm and the dirt, there is an underlyng theme of growth in every sense. Claire is a longtime foodie with a career in the food industry and a passion for wholesome, home cooked meals.
What does homesteading from scratch mean to you? Homesteading from scratch challenges me, forces me to always be learning, and gives me a huge sense of accomplishment. But, most importantly, it takes me away from screens, roads, lists, and stress and brings be back to the basic elements of the earth.
Favorite homesteading from scratch post from Bloom: Tough Old Birds
Favorite Scratch Mommy Post: DIY Sunscreen- Easy to Make (and why you NEED this recipe)
Amy Knight
Blog: A Blossoming Life
Bio: Amy is a full time Registered Dietitian and the author behind the creative lifestyle blog A Blossoming Life. Her goal is to encourage others to create things homemade, eat real food, enjoy life, and encourage a faith filled life. On the blog she shares bits of her craziness like crafts, tasty recipes, DIY projects, furniture makeovers, fashion, and all things frugal!
What does homesteading from scratch mean to you? Living on 0.17 of an acre and using what we have. We have a big garden, 10 chickens, 6 fruit trees, strawberries, etc. You don’t need to have a lot of land to homestead, but rather use the land you have wisely!
Favorite homesteading from scratch post from A Blossoming Life: How to Water Your Garden Properly
Favorite Scratch Mommy Post: Smooth Finish DIY Organic Foundation with Sunscreen
Holly LaRochelle
Blog: The Inspired Home
Bio: Holly is a mountain mama, who shucked off life in the urban jungle to live in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. She is obsessed with all things outdoors & active. In her free moments, you will find renovating her home, gardening and trying to whip up the next DIY project and healthy meal for her family.
What does homesteading from scratch mean to you? It means growing my own food. I love gardening and teaching the next generation how to grow their own food. Through our local community greenhouse and disguised front “flower” beds, we enjoy fresh produce even in our harsh zone 3a climate. It’s true – you can grow it anywhere.
Favorite homesteading from scratch post from The Inspired Home: 6 Tips to Seed Starting from a Former Plant Killer
Favorite Scratch Mommy Post: Smooth Finish DIY Organic Foundation with Sunscreen
Crystal Madrilejos
Blog: Crystal Madrilejos
Bio: Co-founder and creative director of the design and marketing studio, Wild Daughters. Crystal began her design career in NYC before reverse-migrating to her hometown in rural Ohio where she now lives, works and blogs about being a mama, crafter, and homesteader.
What does homesteading from scratch mean to you? Striving to live and create in a meaningful way.
Favorite homesteading from scratch post from Crystal Madrilejos: Maple Tapping Week 1
Favorite Scratch Mommy Post: Fall Gardening: What to Plant and When