Has the homesteading movement finally peaked?
In this episode of the Thriving Farmer Podcast, Michael explores this question and more with Melissa K. Norris who is a fifth-generation homesteader, author and educator in Washington state. Melissa inspires and guides thousands of fellow homesteaders through her website, podcast, and books on creating a self-sustaining home and kitchen to help further preserve the old ways of farm-to-table living.
Tune in to hear about the transformational power of sustainable living and the value of a supportive homesteading community.
Episode Highlights:
- Five Generations: More on Melissa’s family history in homesteading [1:05]
- Health Challenges: The Impact of Food Choices on Health and Holistic Living [7:59]
- Sharing with Others: About Melissa’s journey to educating others [15:21]
- Homestead Living: Learn about the magazine Melissa co-founded [17:45]
- Community Sufficiency: Melissa’s take on the importance of community [21:14]
- Spousal Support: Getting the Spouse on Board with Homesteading [32:38]
- Inspiring Others: Melissa’s advice to a new or aspiring homesteaders [42:16]
Melissa K. Norris helps hundreds of thousands of people each month raise their own food and create a homemade and homegrown kitchen, home, garden and barnyard through her website, popular Pioneering Today Podcast, the Pioneering Today Academy and her books. She is a co-founder of the Modern Homesteading Conference as well as owner of Norris Farmstead.
Melissa is a 5th generation homesteader and lives with her husband and two kids in their own little house in the big woods in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains.
Connect with Melissa:
- Website: Melissa K. Norris
- Instagram: Follow on Instagram
- Facebook: Like on Facebook
- YouTube: Subscribe on YouTube
The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsor

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One Response
Hi,
I’ve been apart of your emails Michael for several years and appreciate what you’ve been doing with networking. This is the first podcast I have listened to however and found Melissa extremely helpful with the simple things that as most of us know ends up biting off more than I can handle by going to many different directions and found it great advice starting with something and make it routine than add more as your time and skill set allows. Her inspiration platform with adding others to keep things informative and fresh are also important I’m finding for myself and will be joining her followers.
I also live in Washington state and finding gatherings on the northwest corner is very limiting so I will be sure to keep an eye out for her posts.
So glad I took the time listening while I was outside watering and cutting from my vegetable and flower gardens.