Not The Farmers Wife

About Not The Farmers Wife

🎙️ Ditch the Store Life’s too short for store-bought eggs. Tired of soaring prices and supermarket nonsense? This podcast is your cheeky, no-nonsense guide to growing food, raising animals, making homemade goods, and living frugally—whether you’re in the suburbs or on a small farm. New episodes weekly + a new Ditch the Store book every two months to help you break free, one step at a time. Let’s grow it, make it, raise it—and ditch the store.

Publisher

CJ Steedman

Category

leisure

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

26 Feb 2023

Latest episode

28 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

191 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Oct 2026

   Episode 186 — Beltane: From Planning to Producing

   EPISODE 186: Beltane on the Homestead Beltane is an old Celtic seasonal festival that marked the shift into the high-production half of the year, and for us in the Southern Hemisphere it lands right now, around 31 October to the first week of November. This week we look at what Beltane really meant to the original homesteaders, why it still matters if you grow food or keep animals, and simple, practical (and not-too-woo-woo) ways to mark the change of season while getting your homestead ready for summer. WHAT'S IN THIS EPISODE - What Beltane is, where it comes from, and why it's about the seasons and food production as much as ritual - Why the date is flexible: 31 October to about 7 November in the Southern Hemisphere, and 1 May in the north - Beltane vs Samhain, and why it feels odd for Aussies to see autumn decorations in the shops during our spring - The farming connection: fire, livestock, dairy and community feasting, and why it was all about a productive season ahead - Safe ways to bring fire into the day (and why a permit and common sense come first). Candles and a fire pit count. - A planning check-in as summer approaches: succession planting, breeding plans, supplies you need to order now, and a quarterly planning day in the Skool community - A seasonal walk around your property (or your neighbourhood): what's flowering, fruiting and germinating, and what needs attention - Parasite loads, weeds and pests booming with the grass, plus an honest update on a goat with barber's pole worm - What to plant now: tomatoes, beans, zucchini, pumpkins, corn, herbs, sunflowers and flowers for pollinators - Bringing flowers and greenery inside (olive jars make great vases) - Making something from milk: butter, yogurt, ricotta and mozzarella, and why to try them before you buy a milking animal - Baking something and sharing it, and a simple summer abundance list for the less woo-woo-averse - What "fertility" really means on a homestead: soil, seeds, pollinators and pasture - A Beltane homestead reset checklist: preserving jars and lids, irrigation, water troughs, shade, poultry and goat housing, the seed box, freezer space, tools and watering routines- Your Beltane challenge: grow one thing, make one thing, and prepare for one thing RESOURCES MENTIONED - Join the free Ditch The Store community on Skool: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about - Share your favourite gardening videos and books in the community. Quarterly planning days are coming to Skool. - From Brooder to Plate (Kindle): https://link.amazon/B0fq89feL - From Brooder to Plate (Paperback): https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL - Eggs Without Cartons (Kindle): https://link.amazon/B01mDroZD - Eggs Without Cartons (Paperback): https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6 - Not The Farmer's Wife clothing store: https://www.notthefarmerswife.com - Leave a review: it helps more people find the podcast A SAFETY NOTE Check your local fire restrictions and whether you need a permit before lighting any outdoor fire. Candles, a fire pit where permitted, or a barbecue are all fine alternatives. FOLLOW ALONG - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ditchthestore/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditchthestore/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ditchthestore - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC71O_rvkChJ94ZKDvDsDxbA - Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net Thanks for listening. See you next week.

2. 

   21 Oct 2026

   Episode 185 - How Real Families Are Ditching the Store

   I asked you to send in your stories about how you're ditching the store, and one person did. So this week we hear hers, plus a few real people from around the world who are breaking up with the supermarket in their own way. A jar of hot sauce, fourteen garden beds, a city balcony. Different starting points, same direction. If you've ever looked at someone else's homestead and thought "that's not me", this one is for you. WHAT'S IN THIS EPISODE - Why I'm sharing stories this week, and how you can send in yours - A farm update: shearing the angora goats (and why blunt blades are a nightmare), a funny tummy for Marie Antoinette, copper bolusing for barber's pole worm, and rabbit-proofing the veggie garden - Charmayne's story: fermenting chillies so she can stop buying hot sauce, and growing enough plants to share with the chooks, the starlings and herself - Why hot sauce is such a smart first swap (chillies, salt and time) and what's often hiding in the shop-bought versions - Andrew from Fern Bay, NSW: a former horticulturist with 14 garden beds, "food feet" instead of food miles, and an honest look at what it costs to set up - Leslie from San Francisco: a small apartment balcony, 24 lightweight containers, and a refusal to keep paying $20 for a salad - What the research says is worth growing: herbs, repeat-harvest crops like lettuce, silverbeet, cucumbers, zucchini, peas, beans and tomatoes, and which crops (onions, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, potatoes) are poor value in a small space - Why you should always grow what your family will actually eat (RIP, capsicum) - What's happening in the kitchen: refreshing a dormant sourdough starter, and a strawberry plant in a hanging basket away from the rabbits - A call-out for your own "ditching the store" stories, plus a plug for the free Skool community and a review ask RESOURCES MENTIONED - Send your own "ditching the store" story (a written message is fine, no recording needed): help@ditchthestore.com - Join the free Ditch The Store community on Skool: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about - Episode 170 (Fermentation 101): for how to get your fermentations going - Episode 176 (Your Spring Ditch The Store Plan): baby spinach at $49 a kilo and other pricey supermarket items - Episode 184 (Imagine If Half Your Groceries Came From Home): the "halve it, don't quit" idea - Newcastle Herald, "Grow your own food at home: how Hunter gardeners save on their groceries by raising a vegetable garden": https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/8857794/grow-your-own-food-at-home-how-hunter-gardeners-save-on-their-groceries-by-raising-a-vegetable-garden - Domino, "This Gardener Grows 35 Herbs and Veggies on Her Tiny San Francisco Balcony" (a US story, so prices are in US dollars): https://www.domino.com/content/leslie-santarina-balcony-garden-ideas/ - The Conversation, "Growing your own food and foraging can help tackle your ballooning grocery bill. Here's how": https://theconversation.com/growing-your-own-food-and-foraging-can-help-tackle-your-ballooning-grocery-bill-heres-how-216264 SUPPORT THE SHOW - From Brooder to Plate (Kindle): https://link.amazon/B0fq89feL - From Brooder to Plate (Paperback): https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL - Eggs Without Cartons (Kindle): https://link.amazon/B01mDroZD - Eggs Without Cartons (Paperback): https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6 - Not The Farmer's Wife clothing store: https://www.notthefarmerswife.com - This week's tee, "A Good Day Starts" (chickens and coffee), made to order: https://www.notthefarmerswife.com/products/i-like-chickens-and-coffee?variant=45028932780211 - Leave a review: it helps more people find the show FOLLOW ALONG - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ditchthestore/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditchthestore/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ditchthestore- Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net Thanks for listening. See you next week.

3. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Episode 184 - Imagine If Half Your Groceries Came From Home

   Picture your weekly shop with half the items in the trolley, half the bill at the checkout, and half the time spent on the whole process. That's what this episode is about — not giving up the supermarket entirely (we are never, ever giving up shop-bought toilet paper), but cutting it back to just the things that are genuinely too complex to make or grow yourself. WHAT'S IN THIS EPISODE - A farm update: school holidays, a very pollen-heavy trip to Floriade, and how switching the family to a ketovore way of eating has improved both kids' eczema and hay fever - Farm jobs ticked off: the buck shed is done, Loki's being weaned off the bottle, and a new strawberry plant is going in a hanging basket to keep it safe from the rabbits - A reminder that the October 5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge is still open to join any time, day one or day five, and the next round runs November 23–27 - What "halving your groceries" actually means — and what it definitely doesn't mean (no flour mills, no home-grown coffee, no giving up toilet paper) - Category one: supermarket staples that are genuinely overpriced for what you get — sourdough, pasture-raised eggs, strawberries, and herbs - Category two: what "shelf-stable" really means — long-life milk, preservative-loaded "sourdough," and why barn-laid or free-range labels don't guarantee the nutrition you're paying for - What you don't need land for: eggs, bread, herbs, and cleaning products - What you probably do need land for: raising your own meat and milk - A practical starter list for apartment and balcony living, suburban backyards, and small acreage - Why this isn't just about money — the health, food security, and skills side of producing more of your own food - A call-out: send CJ a voice recording of how you're ditching the store, and you could be featured on next week's episode RESOURCES MENTIONED - Join the free Ditch The Store community on Skool: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about- The 5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge is running right now (jump in any day) — next round is November 23–27, hosted inside the Skool community - From Brooder to Plate — Kindle: https://link.amazon/B0fq89feL - From Brooder to Plate — Paperback: https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL - Eggs Without Cartons — Kindle: https://link.amazon/B01mDroZD - Eggs Without Cartons — Paperback: https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6- Want to be featured on the podcast? Record a short voice note on your phone telling us how you're ditching the store and send it via Facebook Messenger to Ditch The Store, or through the contact page at help@ditchthestore.com FOLLOW ALONG - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ditchthestore/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditchthestore/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ditchthestore- Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net Thanks for listening — see you next week.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

51,698

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

4.5 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

76

Social presence

0

YouTube

72

Engagement

30

Contact Not The Farmers Wife

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Not The Farmers Wife