The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

3 Comments | |    Last Updated: December 27, 2023

The Contrarian Way

Today I'm typing from the airport instead of the homestead.  I tend to be extra contemplative when I fly and this morning, as I made the two hour trek to the airport, wove through traffic, found a parking spot, stood in line, and stood in line some more, one thought kept dancing through my mind:  Figure out what everyone is doing and then do the opposite.  This idea served me well at the airport today: If ...Continue Reading

33 Comments | |    Last Updated: December 27, 2023

Dichotomies & Bandwagons

I’ve been thinking a lot about false dichotomies lately. They seem to be all the rage these days.  A false dichotomy is when a choice or belief is incorrectly presented as EITHER/OR. It presumes there are only two options. “In philosophy, “you’re either with us or against us” is considered a false dichotomy or a false dilemma,” writes Brene Brown in Braving the Wilderness. “It’s a move to force people to take sides. If ...Continue Reading

2 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 6, 2025

Homesteading Skills to Develop Over Winter

Homesteading doesn't stop because the garden is full of snow or the hens have decided to go on an egg-laying hiatus during the winter. This time of year doesn't mean that there aren't any outdoor homesteading chores to do: the animals still need to be fed, ice needs to be chopped out of the livestock water tanks, and the snow needs to be shoveled. But the winter months seem to be a bit slower without the hustle and bustle of gardening ...Continue Reading

3 Comments | |    Last Updated: December 27, 2023

Just Like Us

I don't know what normal people read over their holiday break, but I dove into a book about the Donner Party-- the infamous wagon train that got stuck in the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1846 and resorted to cannibalism.  I'm weird like that. I needed an audiobook to help pass the 15-hour drive to visit my family over Christmas. And the story seemed strangely fitting as we rolled across Montana in the middle of a blinding ...Continue Reading

2 Comments | |    Last Updated: January 18, 2023

Ultimate Guide to Chicken Nesting Boxes

Have you decided to add chickens to your homestead or are you looking for ways to improve your current egg-laying system? We've been raising chickens (both meat chickens and laying hens) for over a decade now. I've been sharing tips on raising chickens throughout the years, and I've got tons of thorough info available for you all on my website, including: How to Build a Chicken Run Ultimate Guide to Broody Hens Fly Control ...Continue Reading

15 Comments | |    Last Updated: July 24, 2024

Easy Fermented Mustard Recipe

Condiments are a great addition to snacks and meals for an added flavor boost, but sometimes the store-bought stuff isn’t always the best for you. Making your own condiments can seem daunting, but it isn’t usually that difficult. When making homemade condiments, you get to control what ingredients are being used, and this is another way you can be more self-sufficient. The homesteading lifestyle is about producing more than we ...Continue Reading

Nice to Meet You

I’m Jill. I’ve never been very good at following prescribed paths.

For the last 15 years, that instinct has led me through homesteading, entrepreneurship, and creating a life my younger self could have only dreamed of.

These days, I’m less interested in living the perfect "old-fashioned life" and more interested in knowing which ideas are worth carrying forward. The first half of this story was about building a homestead. The next part is about building a life that actually fits.
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