Homestead Food, Garden and Animal Skills

This unit develops practical homesteading skills in food preservation, small-scale garden production, and basic backyard animal care. Students will practice safe canning, freezing, drying, fermenting, bread and brewing basics, garden planning and soil management, and introductory poultry, bee, and goat husbandry to move from foundational concepts to hands-on competency.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze and select appropriate food preservation methods (water-bath canning, pressure canning, freezing, drying, fermentation, cold storage) for specific produce and recipes, justifying choices with safety, shelf-life, and ingredient considerations
• Apply soil preparation, seeding, fertilization, pest management, and greenhouse or structure selection techniques to design and implement a seasonal vegetable production plan suitable for a backyard homestead
• Demonstrate safe, humane, and practical husbandry skills for backyard animals and pollinators by selecting breeds/hive types, performing basic chick brooding and goat acquisition tasks, constructing appropriate housing (e.g., tomato cages, coops, hive stands), and executing a basic honey harvest
• Evaluate and apply homestead safety and sanitation protocols—including equipment selection and use for canning, fermentation, drying, candle-making, and workshop tasks—to reduce food-safety and workplace hazards