Roots and Refuge Podcast
Jessica Sowards
Hey there, darling! My name is Jess. There was a time that all I wanted in the world was a little farm where I could raise my family and grow our food. Now, that's exactly what exists outside my door. In watching it unfold, a new dream was formed in my heart – to share this beautiful life with others and teach them the lessons we've learned along the way. Welcome to the Roots and Refuge podcast, friend. I am so glad you're here.
Categories: Sports & Recreation
Listen to the last episode:
Hey y'all, welcome back to episode 73 of the Roots and Refuge Podcast.
In today’s episode, I’m joined by my friend Morgan Gold from Gold Shaw Farm in Vermont. Morgan’s YouTube channel captures the beauty and reality of life on his homestead, and over the years, we’ve built a friendship through our weekly meetings, which have become a cornerstone for both of us.
Together, we dive into the realities of homesteading, including the less-glamorous side that often gets overlooked. Morgan and I both started out with different jobs and challenges that made homesteading full-time a stretch. Before my YouTube channel became profitable, we struggled financially. Morgan was working a 50-hour week to fund his farm, which meant less time for the homestead. It’s important to dispel the myth that all we do is farm—our content creation and businesses make this life possible.
We also touch on balance and managing expectations. While we grow a lot of our food, we don’t grow all of it, and we’re okay with that. Life on the farm isn’t about perfection—it’s about sustainability and doing what works for your family. Some days are messy, chaotic, and yes, there may be packaged food when life gets overwhelming. The all-or-nothing mentality just isn’t realistic, and that’s a message we want to share in today's episode.
Ultimately, this conversation is about creating a homestead life that works for you. It doesn’t have to look exactly like ours. Find what works for you, embrace where you are, and live your story fully. 🧑🌾💖
Thanks for tuning in! If you’d like to join our Patreon page, you can get early access to all our podcast episodes and monthly live Q&As with Miah and Jess (including past lives). Visit our Patreon Page to learn more and check out past episodes of the podcast on the website.
Previous episodes
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73 - Homestead Realities (With Morgan Gold of Gold Shaw Farm) Wed, 25 Sep 2024
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72 - The Crushing Summer Wed, 18 Sep 2024 - 0h
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71 - For Such a Time as This Wed, 31 Jul 2024
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70 - Supporting Dreams as Homestead Husbands Wed, 24 Jul 2024 - 0h
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69 - Living Off The Land Wed, 26 Jun 2024 - 0h
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68 - Turn Your Waiting Room Into A Classroom Wed, 19 Jun 2024 - 0h
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67 - Fathers Day Wed, 12 Jun 2024 - 0h
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66 - The Hard of Homesteading Wed, 05 Jun 2024 - 0h
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65 - Preserving the Harvest Wed, 29 May 2024
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64 - Building a Life of Beauty Wed, 22 May 2024 - 0h
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63 - Creating a Lifestyle vs. Following a Fad Wed, 24 Apr 2024 - 0h
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62 - The Forging (Women and Friendship with Kelly Brotherton) Wed, 17 Apr 2024
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61 - My Best Gardening Advice Wed, 10 Apr 2024 - 0h
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60 - Parenting on the Homestead Wed, 03 Apr 2024
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59 - Granny Skills- A Return to the Old Ways Wed, 27 Mar 2024
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58 - Mine Your Elders (with JeriLynn) Wed, 20 Mar 2024
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57 - The Hungry Month- A Talk on Homesteading and Resilience Wed, 13 Mar 2024
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56 - Geeking out on Goats with Cass Wed, 06 Mar 2024 - 0h
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55 - Life on Purpose- Intention Instead of Overwhelm Wed, 28 Feb 2024 - 0h
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54 - Garden Design with Jeremy from Semojo Homestead Wed, 21 Feb 2024 - 0h
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53 - Grow Something Lovely Wed, 14 Feb 2024 - 0h
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52 - On Goats and Homebuilding Wed, 07 Feb 2024 - 0h
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51 - The Worst Case Scenerio (A talk about sustainability) Wed, 31 Jan 2024
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50 - The Garden Starts in January Wed, 24 Jan 2024 - 0h
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49 - Whats the Point of Making a Home? Thu, 18 Jan 2024 - 0h
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48 - Creating Holiday Traditions Wed, 13 Dec 2023 - 0h
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47 - Garden Planning (And Why I'm Not Doing It) Wed, 06 Dec 2023 - 0h
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46 - The Balance of Rest Wed, 29 Nov 2023 - 0h
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45 - Cultivating Cozy (& Tips for Dealing With the Winter Months) Wed, 22 Nov 2023 - 0h
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44 - Knowing Where Your Food Comes From Wed, 15 Nov 2023 - 0h
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43 - The Garden Inside Wed, 08 Nov 2023 - 0h
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42 - Fast, Cheap & Easy Wed, 01 Nov 2023 - 0h
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41 - The Hope Homestead - Health Journey to Homesteading Wed, 25 Oct 2023 - 0h
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40 - Eyes and No Eyes Wed, 04 Oct 2023 - 0h
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39 - Growing Up in Newfoundland with Nana Wed, 27 Sep 2023 - 0h
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38 - Accepting Differences (Building Homesteading Community) Wed, 20 Sep 2023 - 0h
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37 - Perceptions and Misperceptions Wed, 13 Sep 2023 - 0h
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36 - Embracing Uncomfortable Wed, 06 Sep 2023 - 0h
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35 - Music, Gardening & Creativity Wed, 30 Aug 2023
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34 - Dreaming Bravely Wed, 23 Aug 2023 - 0h
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33 - Daniel's Journey to Beulah Wed, 16 Aug 2023 - 0h
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32 - Honor & How it Affects Every Aspect of Our Lives Wed, 09 Aug 2023 - 0h
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31 - The Fall Garden (What to Plant in August & Fall Garden Planning) Wed, 02 Aug 2023 - 0h
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30 - The Art of Hosting Well Wed, 26 Jul 2023
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29 - Navigating Seasons of Overwhelm Wed, 19 Jul 2023 - 0h
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28 - Why I Homestead Wed, 12 Jul 2023 - 0h
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27 - The Home Dairy (Keeping a Family Dairy Animal) Wed, 05 Jul 2023
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26 - Homesteading and Hungry with Lisa Wed, 28 Jun 2023 - 0h
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25 - Don't Forget to Prepare (Front Porch Chat about Preparing, Security & Being Wise, Not Afraid) Wed, 21 Jun 2023 - 0h
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24 - The Leaves Are Green | Devotional Wed, 14 Jun 2023 - 0h