How to Read & Understand Seed Packets
Seed packets can contain a lot of confusing information, but learning how to read seed packets is crucial when it comes to giving your plants the best start in life. Here’s a breakdown of all the information included on most seed packets, and how to actually understand it all.
* * *
As I write this, it’s the first week of March, which means spring gardening season is just beginning for most of us here in the northern hemisphere.
That also means it’s seed-starting season!
But before you just start throwing seeds in the ground or into red solo cups on your windowsill, it’s important to take some time to read your seed packets and get to know each crop’s specific needs.
Understanding the information on a seed packet is super important when it comes to gardening, especially if you want your plants to get a strong, healthy start and produce an abundance of food for you. And what gardener doesn’t want that?!
The risks of NOT reading your seed packets…
If you’re a newer gardener or you’ve never actually learned how to read a seed packet before, some of the information can feel a bit confusing and even overwhelming. I remember the first time my husband and I made a pitiful attempt at starting carrot seeds one spring…
We were still living in our city condo, and decided we weren’t going to wait to move out of the city to start our garden. We were going to start it right there, on our shady, north facing balcony, where we couldn’t even keep herbs alive!
(I’m living proof that anyone can learn to garden and grow food, because I clearly had NO IDEA what I was doing at first!)
For starters, I don’t think we even really knew that we had to read a seed packet. We just sort of assumed that you started seeds in the spring. We also didn’t know that you’re supposed to direct sow carrots seeds and not start them indoors. Had we read the seed packet, we probably wouldn’t have made that mistake!
Oh, and we put them on a dresser that was sort of near a sunny-ish window, but not nearly close enough. Our little seedlings we reaching desperately for the sunlight while we flooded them with water and, eventually, drowned them.
Now, I’m not saying that learning how to read and understand a seed packet would have helped us to avoid all of those mistakes, but it would have helped.
Set yourself up for success
I’ve spoken to many first-time gardeners who’ve done similar things with their seeds and then wondered what went wrong— why their seeds didn’t germinate, why their seedlings died or didn’t make it when they transplanted them into the garden, or why they barely produced any food in the end. Very often I find that many of the mistakes that led to these outcomes could have been avoided if they’d only read and followed the directions on their seed packets first.
Because believe it or not, there’s actually a lot of useful information on there!
It’s a little like reading a full recipe before you start to cook, or reading the instructions before you put a piece of IKEA furniture together: if you don’t take the time up front to read through thoroughly, you could find yourself missing ingredients halfway through a recipe, or with a bunch of extra hardware wondering where on Earth you went wrong!
The point is, if you really want to set yourself up for success in the garden, take some time to read and understand your seed packets before planting!
How to read seed packets
Now that you know why it’s important to read seed packets, here’s how to actually read them…
What information is on a seed packet?
Most seed packets include a lot of information about the seeds and the plants they will one day become. While not all seed packets are created equal, most seed packets include the following information:
- Plant type and variety
- Seed type (open-pollinated/heirloom or hybrid)
- Days to maturity/harvest
- When and where to start seeds
- Packaging date
- Number of seeds
- Seed depth and spacing
Every seed packet is different and includes slightly different information, although in general most seed packets available commercially will include the information listed above.
Other information that is sometimes (but not always) included:
- Germination rate
- Days to germination
- Light/sun
- Optimal soil conditions & temperature
- Seed/plant descriptions and specifics
Let’s unpack each of these things one-by-one…
Plant type and variety
The single most important piece of information on a seed packet is the plant type and variety. Obviously this is important because without it you’d have no idea what you were planting! Usually this can be found right on the front of the seed packet— for example, it might say “Lettuce/Romaine,” or “Tomatoes/San Marzano.”
This sounds like an obvious piece of information to check, but it does matter, because certain types of plant varieties are better suited for different needs.
For example, San Marzano tomatoes are best for making tomato sauce, while a variety like Brandywine is best for fresh eating. Other varieties do well in containers while some do much better in the ground.
Decide what you want to get out of your garden and then choose seed types and varieties that will best suit your specific needs.
*Another reason why knowing the specific plant type and variety is important is because even if there’s little other information included on the seed packet, you can easily Google the plant type and variety and find all sorts of information about planting and growing that particular crop.
Seed type
Most seed packets will also tell you what type of seeds are inside. The seed type is not the same as the plant type. Rather, seed type refers to whether the seeds are open-pollinated or hybrid seeds. This could also refer to whether or not the seeds are heirloom seeds, or even genetically modified seeds.
Open-Pollinated Seeds (OP)
Often referred to as “OP” on seed packets, open-pollinated seeds are seeds that are pollinated naturally— by wind, by insects, or even by self-pollination.
Open-pollinated seeds are sort of like the purebreds of the plant world, that will grow true to whatever parent plant they came from. Therefore, if you want to be able to save seeds from your plants at the end of the season, you’ll want to plant open pollinated seeds. You can learn more about saving seeds here.
Hybrid Seeds (F1)
Hybrid seeds are often referred to as “F1” on a seed packet. This stands for “Filial 1” or “first children.” In other words, they are the first generation of a hybrid seed that was pollinated by crossing one variety of plant with another. They’re basically cross-breeds that are deliberately bred by hand to create an offspring that has desirable qualities from both parents. However, they are definitely not genetically modified or created in a lab.
Hybrid seeds are perfectly healthy and organic (as long as their parents were raised organically and they haven’t been treated with anything), and are comparable in taste and nutrition to open pollinated and heirloom plants. So don’t ever worry about growing hybrid seeds! However, if you want to save seeds from your plants, you’ll want to avoid hybrid seeds because often when you save and replant seeds from hybrid plants, they won’t grow true. Instead they may revert back to one of their parents or will end up with a mix of strange (unintentional) traits.
Basically, you don’t really know what you’re going to get in the end when you plant seeds from hybrid plants, so you’ll need to re-purchase them each year.
Heirloom Seeds
Ah, heirloom seeds… These are the seeds that every gardener tends to covet; the ones that gets put on a pedestal above all the other seeds. But heirloom seeds aren’t always necessarily the best.
Heirloom seeds are simply open-pollinated seeds that have been selected, saved, and replanted for a number of decades or generations. So they’re naturally pollinated seeds (unlike hybrids), but they’re seeds that have been selected from the healthiest plants with the most desirable traits for long enough that they’ve often developed special qualities like superior taste, high yields, large fruits or unique colouring and visual characteristics.
Basically, all heirloom seeds are open-pollinated seeds, but not all open-pollinated seeds are heirloom seeds.
There is no exact number of years that a certain seed strain needs to be saved for to be considered an heirloom, although it’s generally agreed upon that it should be at least 50 years old (or about three generations) in order to qualify as an heirloom strain. Some people say it should be at least 100 years old. But at the end of the day you could create your own heirloom strain from any open-pollinated seed variety; you’ll just need to save it for 50 years and hand it down through a few generations first;)
Seed packets do not always specify if the seeds are heirloom seeds. Some will, but others will just say “OP,” so if growing heirloom seeds is important to you, you might have to do a little research on heirloom varieties first.
You can learn more about the best heirloom seeds and about growing an heirloom vegetable garden here.
Genetically Modified Seeds (GMO)
Genetically modified seeds (GMOs) are definitely seeds that you want to stay away from for many reasons, but the good news is that GMOs just aren’t available to home gardeners. They’re made (in a lab) for large, commercial, monoculture farms, and while some GMO seeds can cross-pollinate with plants in your garden if you’re too close to a farm that grows GMO crops, you don’t have to worry about accidentally buying genetically modified seeds.
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Days to maturity / Days to harvest
Most seed packets will also tell you the “days to maturity” or “days to harvest.” This is the number of days a plant will take to produce a harvest from the time of planting out in your garden.
This is important information to know depending on your climate, because if you live somewhere colder with a short growing season, you’re going to want to choose seeds that will grow and produce a harvest before you get your first frost.
Likewise, if you’re late on planting, the “days to harvest” will help you to know if you can still plant something and expect to get a harvest before the season ends.
One thing to note is that you start counting the “days to harvest” at different times, depending on what you’re growing. For seeds that are direct sown in the garden, you can start counting the days to harvest as soon as the seeds germinate and emerge from the soil. (Some people say to wait until the seedling has its first true leaves before beginning the countdown).
If, however, you have started seeds indoors or have purchased seedlings from a nursery, you’ll start counting the days to maturity/harvest once you’ve transplanted them into your garden.
When and where to start seeds
While the “days to harvest” will give you a good general idea how long it will take for your plants to produce a harvest, most seed packets will do the math for you and will tell you when and where to plant your seeds in the spring.
For example, a seed packet might tell you to “start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before planting out.” This means you would start your seeds indoors roughly 6 to 8 weeks before you’re ready to transplant the seedlings out into your garden. Many seed packets will state more explicitly when you should transplant seedlings to your garden, as some crops can go outside in early to mid-spring (like lettuce and onions), while others need to wait until the weather warms up more (like tomatoes and peppers).
If the seed packet says to “direct sow outdoors once all danger of frost has passed,” then you would wait until after your last frost date and plant the seeds directly in your garden.
Knowing when your first and last frost dates are is definitely helpful as a gardener. You can find your average frost dates here.
Packaging date
Seed packets typically include a packaging date, which is simply the year they were packaged for— so if you buy a new seed packet, it will most likely say that it was packaged the same year that you bought it. But if you end up gardening for any length of time, you will inevitably end up with leftover seeds from years past.
The packaging date is super helpful because the older seeds are, the lower their germination rate tends to be. You’ll want to make sure you use up older seeds first in order to get the most out of them. So if you plant a packet of seeds with a packaging date of 2015 and none of them grow, you’ll know it was most likely because they were too old and were no longer viable.
Number of seeds
Most seed packets should also tell you the number of seeds in each packet. This is useful to know and pay attention to so that you can ensure you have enough of certain crops to fulfill your needs, and roughly how many seasons the seed packet should last you. It helps you to avoid overbuying, too.
For example, when we start our tomatoes indoors, the seed packets we get typically come with about 30 seeds. We grow around 30 plants each year, so one packet of seeds per year is enough. Our packet of broccoli seeds, on the other hand, contains upwards of 300 seeds! We grow about 12 to 16 plants per year, so one packet will last many years so long as the seeds remain viable.
Onions are another example that comes to mind. This year, I planted a different variety of storage onion and just assumed we’d get around the same yield as last year when we planted a different variety. But when I planted all the seeds, I discovered there were only about 50 seeds in the pack compared to the 200 seeds we started last year. I didn’t manage to get more onion seeds in time this year, so we’ll be growing fewer onions than I had hope this season.
(See… I still make rookie mistakes too!)
Seed depth and spacing
Seed packets will also usually tell you how deep to plant the seeds and how far to space them apart when direct sowing or transplanting outdoors.
The general rule of thumb is to plant seeds twice as deep as they are large. So for tiny seeds like broccoli seeds and lettuce seeds, you only need to plant them about ¼-inch deep. But for larger seeds like peas and beans, you’ll need to plant them about one to two inches deep.
As for spacing, most seed packets will tell you how far apart to plant each seed, or how to space each plant so that they have room to grow and stretch their roots. Sometimes it will also tell you how far apart to space your rows so that you have room to walk between them, but this is only important for market-style gardens that are planted in rows.
It might also say to plant and thin seedlings to a certain distance apart. In this case (like with carrots), it’s easiest to plant a bunch of seeds in rows and then thin (aka. pull out) extra seedlings as they emerge in order to give the ones that remain enough room to grow big and produce lots of food for you!
Germination rate
The germination rate is the average percentage of seeds that you can expect to actually germinate and grow. There are almost always at least a few duds in every seed packet, and some varieties tend to have a slightly lower germination rate than others (aka. more duds). Knowing the germination rate ahead of time can give you a better idea of what to expect in terms of how many seeds to start and how many plants you’re likely to end up with.
Remember too that older seeds tend to have lower germination rates, so if a seed packet says “92% germination rate” but the seed packet is three years old, that number might be closer to 80-85%.
Days to germination
Along with the germination rate, your seed packet might include the “days to germination,” which is the average number of days it takes for certain seeds to germinate and start to grow.
This can be especially useful to know when you’re waiting for what seems like FOREVER for your seedlings to emerge from the soil —ahem… I’m looking at you sweet peppers!— because you can refer to the seed packet and see whether it’s normal for the seeds to take that long to germinate or whether you’ve got yourself some duds and should do another planting of newer, more viable seeds.
Light and/or sun
Many seed packets will also tell you how much light or sun your plants will need as they begin to grow. Your seed packet might say “full sun” or “direct sun,” “partial sun,” “partial shade” or “full shade.”
Usually if a seed packet doesn’t indicate how much sun your plants will need, you’re probably safe to assume “full sun,” as most plants (annual vegetables in particular) do best in full sun.
Optimal soil conditions
Your seed packet may also tell you what soil temperature and conditions are best for the seeds. Some seeds like peas and radishes can be planted when the soil is still fairly cold— as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. Other crops like cucumber, squash and melons need warmer soil to germinate and grow. Some crops do better in sandier soils and others need more humus-rich soil, etc.
You’ll probably have a pretty good idea of what soil temperature is best based on the information on when and where to start your seeds, and as far as soil composition, you can really never go wrong with adding compost and organic matter to any type of soil.
Seed descriptions and specifics
Aside from all of the above, some seed are just very unique and require special planting instructions or warrant a special description, so look for additional information on your seed packets that can help you get the most out of your plants.
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What if your seed packet is blank?
If you save your own seeds, participate in any type of seed exchange, or are gifted seeds from a friend or neighbour, you may end up with homemade seed packets or envelopes with no information on them at all. If this is the case, you’ll have to do some digging online (or in books if you’re old school), but you will at least need to know the seed type and variety first.
Always make sure to write this information down when saving seeds so you don’t forget! And if you do have the original seed packets, I make a point of holding onto mine throughout the growing season and sometimes even longer so I have them to refer back to whenever I need them.
At the end of the day, you could ignore basically everything on a seed packet and just throw some seeds in the ground and hope for the best, but you’ll likely have a lot of things fail before you ever get a harvest. So do the work up front and read your seed packets before planting! You’ll save yourself a lot of wasted time and effort in the end.
And just know that the longer you garden for, the more second-nature it will become and the less you’ll have to look at the seed packets. Sort of like cooking without a recipe, or putting together IKEA furniture without the instructions;)
(Although, is there seriously anyone out there who can put a piece of IKEA furniture together using ALL of the parts without the instructions? Doubtful. Very doubtful.)
>> For more help with seed-starting, sign up for my FREE Resource Library to get my Seed-Starting Cheat Sheet (and so much more!) You can find the cheat sheet under the Gardening Resources section of my resource library:)
Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness:)
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The world is changing faster than ever.
We’ve barely had time to adapt to the “new normal” and still things are continuing to shift, change, and in some cases spiral more each day.
From rising inflation and persistent supply chain issues, to a looming recession and food shortages that are expected to get worse after a very tough farming year, to a war on European soil and the threat of cyber attacks and (God forbid) a nuclear attack, to the future of digital IDs and increasingly pervasive government control over every aspect of our lives, it’s no wonder more people are looking for ways to escape the matrix and “opt out” of the system.
I consider myself an optimistic realist: I hope for the best and I live fully and freely in the moment, but I prepare for the future accordingly based on what I can see unfolding in our world. And honestly, I find this “sweet spot” to be incredibly empowering.
This is why I do what I do and why I share it with you on a regular basis; I WANT TO EMPOWER YOU TOO!
That’s why I created The Society of Self-Reliance: A private membership that connects you with the resources, support and community you need to reclaim your independence and become more self-reliant in every aspect of your life.
From growing and preserving your own food to crafting and using herbal medicine to life skills like how to manage it all and stay calm in stressful situations, how to prepare for emergency situations and much more, if you’re ready to learn invaluable skills that will help you take control of your family’s food security, health and wellbeing, time, finances, and ultimately over your own future, The Society of Self-Reliance was created for you!
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be reopening the Society doors for a limited time starting next week, and wanted to give you the heads up NOW so that you can get on the waitlist and make sure you don’t miss out when enrollment opens.
To learn more or get on the waitlist, click the link in my bio @anna.sakawsky or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society
#homesteading #selfreliance #livefreeordie
It’s October, and that means pumpkin spice season is officially here 🎃
This year, instead of spending $5 or more on a PSL loaded with questionable artificial ingredients, why not make your own pumpkin spice syrup at home with REAL PUMPKIN and all-natural ingredients!
All you need is some puréed pumpkin (I make mine with fresh pumpkins, but you can use canned), some brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, allspice and ginger, a splash of vanilla extract and some water.
Bring everything to a boil and then simmer and reduce. Strain into a bottle or Mason jar and store in the fridge for up to a week or so.
Add a tablespoon or 2 of this syrup to your coffee or homemade latte for a better quality, better tasting PSL for a fraction of the cost of what you’d pay at a coffee shop.
You can also add this syrup to homemade kombucha, or drizzle it over pancakes, waffles, French toast or even ice cream!
Grab the full recipe via the link in my bio @anna.sakawsky or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/homemade-pumpkin-spice-syrup/
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Do you dream of escaping the rat race and starting a homestead far from the chaos of the modern world?
It’s no surprise that in this day and age, more and more people are ready to leave it all behind and move to a property in the country where they can grow their own food, live a simpler life and become more self-sufficient and less dependent on “the system.” But as romantic as it sounds, it’s definitely easier said than done.
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Ann and her husband Justin recently moved from their two-acre homestead outside of Seattle, Washington to a 40-acre homestead in rural Tennessee. Ann and I sat down to talk about the realities of buying and selling a homestead, moving across the country to pursue your homesteading dream, what to look for when you’re searching for your next property, pitfalls to avoid (if you can!), and what you can do if you’re not ready or in a position to make your move just yet.
Whether you’re looking to purchase your first homestead or trying to sell an existing homestead and upgrade to a bigger property, Ann had some great insights to share that can save you time, stress and money when you’re ready to make your move.
Check out the full interview in the fall issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine: link in bio @anna.sakawsky or visit www.modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to subscribe, login to the library (if you’re already a subscriber) or view a sample of the current issue!
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This is why people don’t trust our medical system!!!
I very rarely go on a rant about current events but this has me feeling really fired up…
My husband and I each got an Amber Alert on our phones the other night along with millions of other British Columbians, informing us of a child abduction in Vancouver. It made the suspect sound like a dangerous kidnapper and said “do not approach. Call 911.”
As it turns out, it was the mother of the child (a 3-year-old boy), who had refused medical treatment without getting a second opinion and follow up blood tests, so the Ministry of Child and Family Services was called, she was arrested and her son was taken from her and was administered medical treatment in the hospital without consent and without a guardian present.
There’s a lot more to this story than I’m able to share in this video or this caption, so I’ll post some links below where you can hear directly from the mom what happened, and check out other IG accounts that have been in direct contact with her and the father. But the point is this was a GROSS misuse of our Amber Alert system, a GROSS abuse of power (turns out the boy wasn’t sick in the end anyway), and has now traumatized this family for life.
Doctors are not gods and as mothers we do not co-parent with the government!!!
This hits close to home for me because I too have been through the medical system and had my concerns dismissed, was misdiagnosed and given wrong information, and was treated with obvious contempt when I got a second opinion.
In this day and age of rampant medical coercion and the erosion of bodily autonomy over our own bodies and over those of our children, this story highlights the dangers of the very slippery slope we’re on.
As parents who only have the best interests of our children at heart, this could happen to any one of us. We can’t let this be normalized. Remember “first they came for (fill in the blank), and I said nothing. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Check out my stories for the full video that the mom, Wiloh made explaining the details of what happened or check out the comments for links to learn more & support this family.
I’ve hesitated about posting this reel over and over because I know I’ll probably get backlash, hate and vitriol from some people in return. But I wouldn’t be being true to myself if I didn’t speak the truth that’s on my heart and mind…
If you haven’t noticed, there are currently thousands of Canadians sharing their stories and using the hashtag #trudeaumustgo on their social media posts right now in response to the divisive rhetoric and actions of our prime minister over the past few months. But our media has downplayed the issue and has attributed most of the hashtags to “bot” accounts and foreigners trying to influence our politics.
In response, real Canadians are making videos and sharing their stories to show that we are not bots, but real people who have been negatively affected by the words and actions of our leaders, particularly our leader at the top.
I used to consider myself a lifelong leftist and have supported the liberal government and Trudeau over the years, but after what I’ve witnessed over the past few months; After how he has spoken about Canadians who have made a different medical choice or who have protested mandates (which have done nothing to stop the spread of you-know-what anyway); After the hate and division that has trickled down from the top and infiltrated our communities, I can no longer stand silently by.
While I am 💉, a few months ago when I voiced my support for those who stood up against mandates and against the division being pushed on us by our leadership, I suddenly found myself among what our prime minister called the “small fringe minority” of citizens with “unacceptable views.”
I lost followers, friends and even a couple family members. I was told I’d been “radicalized,” although my views have never changed.
So today I’m adding my voice to the chorus of real, everyday Canadians who are taking a stand against tyranny and division in this country. As the saying goes, if we do not stand for something, we’ll fall for anything. I stand for freedom & autonomy, and against division & tyranny.
#trudeaumustgo
(Special thanks to fellow 🇨🇦 homesteader @meggarlandd for inspiring me & giving me the courage to post this:)
What would you do if the grid went down?
Imagine not just the lights going out, but all power, all digital communication and information. Would you be prepared?
A lot of us THINK we’re prepared for a grid down situation, but unless you’re already living off grid, you might not realize how dependent on technology we really are!
In the fall issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, contributor Ashley Constance of @dirtypawshomestead and @alittleselfreliant shares her experience voluntarily going without power for the day, and what she and her husband, Shawn learned from their grid down experiment.
You might be surprised at the things they discovered and missed on their prep list, and it might prompt you to reevaluate whether you’re ready in case the grid goes down, or even just Google 😱
Check out the full story in the latest issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine!
Link in bio @anna.sakawsky or visit www.modernhomesteadingmagazine.com
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The other day when I had a few minutes to spare, I was out in the garden doing a little work when my neighbour said hi over the fence.
I lamented to her about how busy we’ve been and how hard it’s been to keep on top of this year. Very sincerely, she replied “wait until you have another one,” referring to our baby on the way.
“You’ll be moving back to the suburbs so quick, mark my words,” she said.
Now, I don’t for a second think there was any ill intent behind her statement, but still, it took me aback.
“We’ll never move back to the city or the suburbs,” I replied with a laugh. “This may be hard work but we love it.”
She then repeated her statement and followed it up with “just you wait and see.”
I decided not to continue the back and forth. After all, I told myself, it doesn’t matter if she or anyone else knows what’s truly in your heart. It doesn’t matter if she understands that there’s no amount of difficulty that would make me run back to the suburbs and leave this life behind. In fact, our dream is to upgrade to a bigger property someday where we can grow an even bigger garden and add more livestock to our homestead!
Likewise, I visited the city last weekend for a family event and as always, I had at least a couple people ask me “so when are you moving back to the city?”
Seven years later, and still we have friends and family members who think this is just a phase we’re going through, and eventually we’ll come to our senses and move back.
I used to get offended by these questions because I felt unseen; I felt like nobody took this life that I’m so passionate about seriously, and thought it was “cute” that I was “playing farmer” for a bit, but eventually I had to grow up and become part of the “real world” once again.
Now I just smile and reply “never:)”
Can you relate? How do you (politely) respond when someone questions your lifestyle choices or implies that you’ll eventually come to your senses and come back to “reality”?
Let me know below 👇
The fall issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine just dropped!
In this issue you’ll find:
• Preparedness tips, tricks and advice to help you be ready for anything on the homestead (and in life!)
•The ultimate guide to growing garlic at home and it as both food and medicine
• Drool-worthy recipes that feature garlic as the star!
• Expert advice from A Farmgirl in the Making’s Ann Accetta-Scott on what to look for (and look out for) when buying or selling a homestead property
• Advice on how to learn and grow from perceived homesteading “failures”
And more!!!
Go to modernhomesteadingmagazine.com or click the link in my bio @anna.sakawsky to subscribe or login to the library and read the latest issue if you’re already subscribed!
When I first started homesteading, I had a burning desire to become more self-sufficient and live a more sustainable life.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a rebel at heart, and learning how to homestead and become more self-reliant was a way for me to “throw a proverbial middle finger to the system” and live life on my own terms.
As a teenager, I was the girl who drove around town with punk rock music blaring from my car, Misfits sticker on the back and studs around my wrists. I felt misunderstood and angsty and like I desperately didn’t fit in with the world I grew up in.
I always knew in my soul that I wanted something different; Something more.
Today I’m the mama with stretch marks on my belly and battle scars on my heart. I’m the woman who gardens and cans food and makes her own tinctures and believes in something greater than herself and fights every day to stay free in a world that feels increasingly engineered to keep us hopelessly dependent.
Today I feel whole and at peace, and connected to a higher power and a higher purpose. I feel like I’ve finally found the place where I belong.
This journey has been about so much more than homesteading for me, and I've learned, lost, gained and loved so much more than I ever could have imagined.
Because, as I've said before, homesteading doesn't happen in a vacuum. Life is always happening at the same time.
This is the full, raw and unfiltered story of my homesteading journey, and how I've gained so much more than a pantry full of food along the way.
Click the link in my bio @anna.sakawsky to read more or check it out here >> https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-it-started-how-its-going
The news we’ve all been waiting for…
IT’S A BOY!!!
After so many years and too many losses, our hearts are so full and it feels like we are inching closer to our family finally being complete.
I’ve always known in my heart and soul that we were meant to have a girl and a boy. I know, it sounds cliché and very “nuclear family,” but years ago I saw a psychic who told me I would have a girl who loved to be centre stage and had a personality larger than life, very much how our daughter has turned out!
She also said I would have a boy who would be much more introverted and in tune with nature and with his own intuition. That’s yet to be seen, but I’ve always had this unwavering vision of a son and a daughter that fit these descriptions, and my heart has been set on a son ever since we had Evelyn.
Of course, things went sideways for a few years. Shortly after Evelyn was born, I became pregnant again, but we made the heartbreaking decision to terminate that pregnancy at 24 weeks due to a severe medical diagnosis. We lost our son, Phoenix Rain on June 15, 2018. Our hearts were shattered and have never fully healed.
Over the next few years, I had 3 more early miscarriages. None of the doctors knew what was causing them as most didn’t seem to have any sort of genetic explanation. We were told it was “something environmental,” but weren’t given any clues as to what that could be.
After pushing to see several specialists last year (after our most recent loss), and being told once again that there was “nothing wrong with me,” I finally got another opinion and found out I had something called Chronic Endometritis: A low-grade infection in my uterus that I believe in my heart was caused by my c-section with our daughter; A c-section I didn’t want and probably didn’t need, but felt I needed because I was under pressure to make a decision before the surgeon went off duty.
I’ll never know for sure, but when I pushed for more testing and finally got a simple round of antibiotics, the endometritis cleared up. I got pregnant again almost immediately and so far we now have a healthy baby boy on the way.
(Continued in comments…)
My baby girl is 6 today!
For the last couple months I’ve been making a concerted effort to be more present with her. While I try to do this all the time, it’s easy to get caught up with work, the daily to-do list, etc. But with her home from school for the summer, dad working out of the home full time at a new job and me pregnant with a new baby on the way, I knew that not only did I need to take a step back from work and the daily grind for a while, but that this time together, just her and I, is precious and fleeting, and I need to make the most of it while I can.
Over the last few weeks we’ve had many adventures and fun times together. We’ve gone camping, hit the beach, she learned how to ride a two-wheeler, is swimming in the deep end of the pool and in the ocean on her own, and we’ve spent countless hours together just talking, bonding, cuddling and enjoying each other’s company.
Many nights I’ve gone to bed after a long day of fun with dishes still in the sink, emails still unanswered and not one thing scratched off my to-do list. But then I remember that my most important “to-do” right now is to be a mama to my girl, and to cherish this time together because I know it won’t last forever.
She’s an independent spirit who probably won’t always be willing to spend hours hanging out with her mom or invite me to snuggle with her every night before bed. So I’m gonna soak up as many of those moments together as possible while I can.
Today my baby girl is 6, but she won’t be forever. So if you can’t find me here, you know where I’ll be:)
Oh, and maybe from now on I’ll remember to get a few more pics of the two of us together too 😉
We’re living through interesting times. Many people have even used the term “unprecedented times,” and while that may be true in that there has perhaps never been another time in history when we’ve faced so many existential threats all at once (ie. a global pandemic, climate change, political divisions, AI advancing at an incredible rate, cyber attacks, nuclear threats, globalization, food shortages, supply chain issues, hyperinflation, social media and the age of information/misinformation, etc. etc. all converging at once). But despite all of this, we are not the first generation(s) of humans to face hardships and threats of great magnitude, and in fact we’ve had it better than any other previous generations for most of our lives, especially here in the west.
The fact is, there are lots of things we can do to ensure we’re not sitting ducks when these threats come knocking at our door. But it takes action on our part, not waiting around for someone else to fix things or take care of us.
In the Summer issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, I sat down with The Grow Network’s Marjory Wildcraft to talk all about the realities of our current climate, including worsening inflation and looming global food shortages, as well as what every day people like you and I can actually DO to improve our food security, become more self-sufficient, care for our families and communities and ensure our own survival and wellbeing even in difficult and uncertain times like these.
While I don’t believe in fear mongering, I do believe in acknowledging hard truths and not burying your head in the sand. That being said, things may very well get worse before they get better, and we would all do well to start learning the necessary skills, stocking up on essential resources and preparing now while there’s still time.
Check out the full interview in the summer issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine. Link in bio @anna.sakawsky to subscribe or go to www.modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to subscribe or login and read the current issue.
#foodshortages #selfsufficiency #selfreliance #foodsecurity #foodsecurityisfreedom #homesteading #growyourownfood #fightinflation #stayfree
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