On this week’s episode of The Rural Woman Podcast, you’ll meet Deborah Niemann (@thriftyhomesteader). Deborah is a homesteader and self-sufficiency expert. In 2002, she relocated her family from the suburbs of Chicago to a 32-acre parcel on a creek in the middle of nowhere. Together, they built their own home and began growing most of their own food. Sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, and turkeys supply meat, eggs, and dairy products while an organic garden and orchard provide fruit and vegetables.

A highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader, Deborah presents throughout the US and Canada on topics including soapmaking, cheesemaking, raising livestock, gardening, and health. She is an online adjunct instructor in sustainable agriculture for the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She is the author of six books, including Homegrown and Handmade, Raising Goats Naturally, and Goats Giving Birth.