203. Axe & Root Homestead’s Angela Ferraro Fanning on Permaculture and Sustainable Living

The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

Angela Ferraro Fanning built and runs the Axe and Root Homestead in New Jersey. After suffering from postpartum depression, Angela wanted to remove herself from modern day hustle culture and return to nature, growing as much of her own food as possible. She grew from her own private garden to a fully functioning farm, and shares the empowerment that comes along with homesteading with our audience today. Sitting down with Emma and Mary in this follow-up to her original episode “Homesteading is What You Make It”, we catch up with Angela’s progress in running her farm a few years later after she was certified as a permaculturist by Cornell University. Angela shares insights about the evolution of her farm, managing a variety of plants and animals, and implementing permaculture principles into her lifestyle. She talks about publishing her books “The Sustainable Homestead” and the “Little Homesteader” series , growing protein-rich crops as a vegetarian, and raising a family on a farm. She leaves us all with why she believes it is vitally important to remember the legacy we leave for the people who take over the land after we’re gone.

Topics Discussed

· Eco-friendly Permaculture Homesteading

· Maintaining Geese, Ducks, Apiary, Sheep, Orchard, and Garden

· Being a Vegetarian Homesteader

· Leaving Graphic Design and Web Design for Nature

· Food Allergies & Pesticide Pain

· Pros and Cons of Eating According to the Season

· Compromises for Family

· Finding a Flexible Sustainability Sustain that Works For YOUR Lifestyle

· Mary’s Raspberry Story

· Preserving Your Food

· A Mugwort Invasion

· Growing Strawberries

· Working with Horses

· Raising Kids on a Farm

· Spending Time Outdoors

· Compromises, Saltwater Pools, and Honeybees

· Cultural Shifts Post-Pandemic

· Writing “The Sustainable Homestead: Create a Thriving Permaculture Ecosystem with Your Garden, Animals, and Land" by Angela Ferraro-Fanning

· The Little Homesteader Books

· Seitan

· Growing Beans, Garbanzos, and Quinoa

· Impact of COVID on Homesteading

Episode Resources:

· Listen to The Good Dirt “Homesteading is What You Make It with Angela Ferraro Fanning of Axe & Root Homestead”

· Listen to The Good Dirt “Homesteading is a Mindset with Angela Ferraro Fanning”

· Read Angela’s Books including “The Sustainable Homestead”, “The Harvest Table”, “Design for Change”, and the “Little Homesteader” series

· Listen to Vox Media’s “Today Explained: Honey, We Saved the Bees”

Connect with Angela :

· Axe & Root Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axeandroothomestead/

· Website: https://www.axeandroothomestead.com

· Angela’s Photography Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angferrarofanning_photography/

· The HOMESTEADucation Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homesteaducation/id1593301801

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Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:

· Wendy Gray