Pioneering Today With Melissa K. Norris

Grab these tips to put into place now to have an old-fashioned, frugal, and homemade Christmas homestead style. These will not only save you money but also keep Christmas simple so you're not overwhelmed. 

Learn how to make homemade extracts with tips on saving time, best sources of ingredients to avoid GMO's, best flavors, and recipes for making over 6 different homemade extracts. 

We share over 5 tips today that will help you save money and cultivate a new mindset on your homesteading journey. I think my favorites are tip #4 and #6, how about you?

Learn how to make old-fashioned saltwater brine pickles, aka fermented, pickles. The best type of salt, water, temperatures, and tips for success. Plus, how long to ferment and storage requirements.  Make pickles like the pioneers and your great-grandmother did with just 3 ingredients!

Learn how to make easy homemade apple cider vinegar with troubleshooting tips to make sure it turns out and uses for apple cider vinegar for a natural homestead and home health remedies.  For full show notes, pictures, and video on how to make apple cider vinegar go to 

We dive into what the ingredients on your skin and body care products really mean and how to know which ones are benefiting your skin and which ones aren't. We share how to help your skin if you're suffering from acne, eczema, and other skin irritations and how to make sure you're not paying for filler ingredients that don't benefit the skin. 

Tips for getting it all done when you're swamped, from a full time homesteader with a day job. 

We discuss the cost breakdown of canning at home compared to store bought, plus other health and convenience concerns to consider when comparing. How much does that jar of home canned food actually cost? 

Learn the plain living tips and lessons from the Amish and Mennonites, what makes them different, and clear up some common misconceptions about the groups. 

Learn the money mistakes even frugal people make and how to get back on track homesteading style. 

Learn how to dry cure meat at home like the pioneers, which recipes and cuts don't require refrigeration, salt ratios, and safety to making shelf stable meats like salami, pepperoni, and prosciutto with traditional methods at home. 

Learn the best picks that double for companion planting and preserving while helping control pests naturally in the garden. 

Learn how much of each plant you need to plant in order to feed your family for a year. Old time advice on putting up enough food from what you've grown to last you all year. 

Put edible plants into your landscaping. Learn forgotten plants that are edible and how to incorporate these elements into existing areas or create brand new ones. 

What life was like during the Great Depression and 1940's without electricity or indoor plumbing. 

A lost historical canning recipe and life lessons from the Great Depression. Plus, a special invite to send in questions for the Q&A podcast with my father, who was raised during the Great Depression.

How to raise ducks & why they're our top pick for preppers and homesteaders wanting a daily egg source! 

Tips on raising chickens without heat lamps, best breeds for cold climates, and how to keep your flock healthy and warm like the pioneers. 

Learn how eating this one old-fashioned food daily helps naturally boost your immune system and how to make it in less than 15 minutes for half the cost of store bought! 

Which vegetables give you the most harvest for the smallest amount of space and are the best candidates for seed saving. We grow enough of these two plants to save the seed and preserve enough food to feed our family year round.