Hi, I’m Sarah Kate — the Homestead Fanatic

I’m a mom of three, a homesteader, and the voice behind everything you read on this site. And honestly? I never planned to end up here.

How It Started

Seven years ago, I was a suburban mom in central Texas with a perfectly normal life — a minivan, a mortgage, and a Costco membership I used religiously. I didn’t grow food. I didn’t can anything. I had never touched a chicken in my life.

Then the ice storm of 2021 hit. Four days without power, without heat, and without running water — with a 2-year-old, a 5-year-old, and a newborn. We were completely helpless. I remember sitting in the dark, wrapped in every blanket we owned, thinking: I have no idea how to take care of my family without the systems I’ve always depended on.

That thought changed everything.

From Suburban Mom to Homesteader

I started small — a raised bed garden in the backyard. Then a rain barrel. Then chickens (which my HOA loved, as you can imagine). Within a year, my husband and I had sold the suburban house and moved our family to 12 acres outside of Wimberley.

The learning curve was brutal. I killed my first garden. I lost a whole flock of chicks to a predator I didn’t know how to protect against. I bought a pressure canner and was genuinely scared to use it for three months because I thought it would explode.

But piece by piece, season by season, I figured it out. And I started writing it all down — partly to remember what worked, partly because other moms kept asking me how I was doing it.

Why Homestead Fanatic Exists

This site is the resource I wish I’d had when I started. No gatekeeping, no judgment, no assumption that you already know the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes (I didn’t). Just real, practical information from someone who’s learned most of it the hard way.

I write about what I actually do:

Growing food — from survival gardens to year-round production on our homestead
Raising animals — chickens, goats, and the occasional extremely opinionated duck
Preserving the harvest — canning, dehydrating, freeze-drying, and fermenting everything I can get my hands on
Emergency preparedness — because that ice storm taught me you can never be too ready
Off-grid skills — solar, water collection, wood heat, and reducing our dependence on systems that can fail
Natural health — herbal remedies, natural supplements, and taking ownership of our family’s wellness
Gear and product reviews — honest opinions on the tools that make this life work (and the ones that don’t)

The Health Piece

Once you start questioning how your food is grown, you inevitably start questioning how your health is managed. That’s how I ended up researching natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals — not because I’m anti-medicine, but because I believe in having options.

When my own doctor suggested I look into GLP-1 injections for weight management after my third baby, the $1,200/month price tag and the side effect list sent me looking for alternatives. That research led me to natural GLP-3 supplements, and I’ve been writing about my experience ever since. Same mindset as homesteading: understand the problem, find the natural solution, take control.

A Note About How We Make Money

Let me be upfront: this site earns money through affiliate links. When I recommend a product and you buy it through my link, I earn a small commission. It costs you nothing extra.

Here’s what I promise: I will never recommend something I haven’t used, researched thoroughly, or wouldn’t give to my own family. The affiliate income lets me keep creating free content instead of putting everything behind a paywall. You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.

What the Kids Think

My oldest (now 12) thinks the homestead is “the best place ever” — mostly because of the animals. My middle one (9) is my garden helper and already knows more about composting than most adults. And my youngest (7) just likes collecting eggs and naming every chicken. They’re growing up knowing where their food comes from, how to build things with their hands, and that self-reliance isn’t a hobby — it’s a way of life.

That’s what this is really about. Not just prepping for emergencies (although that matters). It’s about raising a family that’s capable, resourceful, and not afraid to get their hands dirty.

Get In Touch

I love hearing from readers — whether you’re a fellow homesteader, a suburban mom just starting out, or someone who just wants to know which pressure canner won’t terrify them. Drop me a line at sarahkate@homesteadfanatic.com.

And if you’re not sure where to start, check out my 25 Essential Homesteading Skills for Beginners — it’s exactly what I would have wanted on day one.

Stay prepared. Stay free.
— Sarah Kate