All the nitty-gritty (Candid chat about family, farm and the future) — Key Takeaways
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All the nitty-gritty (Candid chat about family, farm and the future)
Roots and Refuge Farm1h 23mAug 24, 2026
Watch the originalA homesteading couple downsized aggressively — one cow in milk instead of several, no breeding pigs, sold the bull and side-by-side — and found the farm more productive and enjoyable as a result.
Key takeaways
Two rounds of IVF produced only one embryo; two subsequent transfers both ended in miscarriage
Two rounds of IVF produced only one embryo; two subsequent transfers both ended in miscarriage
- First transfer (fall 2023): miscarriage. Second transfer (spring 2024): blighted ovum, required D&C at nearly 10 weeks.
- Both embryos came via donation from a family who found Jessica through a single Facebook post — they had never followed her content.
Scaling homestead production to sell often destroys the original purpose of growing your own food
Scaling homestead production to sell often destroys the original purpose of growing your own food
- They sold 15 dozen eggs/week to a bakery, then had to buy jam after selling all their homemade jam at farmers market.
- Cutting to one cow in milk gave them more time to actually use the milk than when they had multiple cows producing gallons daily.
Refusing to want something is a way to avoid trust and disappointment — but it costs you the chance to fully live
Refusing to want something is a way to avoid trust and disappointment — but it costs you the chance to fully live
- Jessica says the bravest act is to want openly, because wanting forces you to face the risk of unfulfilled longing.
- She chose to share two miscarriages publicly before having a happy ending specifically to model the courage she preaches.
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In this video
- 1mIntroduction and Farm Philosophy Reset
- 9mScaling Back: Livestock, Dairy, and the 'Why' of Homesteading
- 18mJersey Bull Encounter and Animal Stories
- 25mHomeschool Restart and Raising Boys with Purpose
- 29mBusiness Update: Bula Roasting and the Paused Farm Store
- 34mThe Workshop Plan and Vision for On-Farm Community Events
- 42mDebt Payoff, Downsizing Assets, and Housing Plans
- 47mExtended Family Living Together and Rejecting Hyper-Independence
- 57mIVF, Embryo Donation, and Two Miscarriages
- 1h 11mChoosing to Want: Hope, Grief, and Closing Reflections
“I would so much rather walk away empty-handed knowing I left no stone unturned for her.”
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