• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Ninnescah Made
  • RECIPES
    • BREADS
    • BREAKFAST
    • CAST IRON
    • DESSERTS
      • cakes, doughnuts & cupcakes
      • pies, cookies, quick breads & bars
      • pudding, custard & ice cream
    • KOMBUCHA
    • BEVERAGES
    • MAIN DISH
    • Preserving Food
    • Salads & Side Dishes
      • Garden to Table
      • side dishes
      • SOUPS
      • Vegetarian
    • SOUPS
    • SOURDOUGH
      • sourdough discard recipes
      • SOURDOUGH
    • VENISON
  • GARDENING
    • Gardening in Zone 6B
  • HOMESTEADING
    • Chickens
    • Preserving Food
      • Dehydrating
      • Canning
    • KOMBUCHA
    • KuneKune Pigs
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Homesteading
  • Gardening
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Homesteading
    • Gardening
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home

    Homesteading

    Hi, there!

    I’d like to personally introduce you to Ninnescah Homestead. We are located along the south fork of the Ninnescah River, named by the Osage Native Americans who first settled this land.  The word 'ninnescah' means 'sweet water.'

    We are growing on twenty acres that consists of a pollinator meadow, garden, and plenty of room for the kids to roam. Our little farm has grown over the years and now we have a trio of jersey dairy cows, kunekune pigs and a flock of laying hens.

    I started this blog as a way to document our journey as we learned how to live sustainably and in harmony with nature. What I didn’t expect to find were tens of thousands of people who have the same passion! Now I speak to gardening groups, contribute to published books and teach local classes about all things homesteading.

    What began as a place to share gardening tips has turned into a community of folks who want to know how to live traditionally. This encompasses recipes, preserving food, hunting, gardening, and so much more. I share recipes that are hearty, simple and from scratch. I'm so happy you're here!

    Here are my top homesteading categories for you to browse!

    • GARDEN
    • Preserving Food
    • Chickens
    • VENISON
    Jump to:
    • Here are my top homesteading categories for you to browse!
    • OUR STORY
    • WORKING TOWARDS SELF-SUFFICIENCY
    • HOMESTEAD COOKIN’
    • Popular Homesteading Posts
    • Latest recipes from my kitchen to yours
    • Simple sourdough recipes

    OUR STORY

    When we bought the property in 2013, we had two sons, Madden  & Sam.  Aaron was working as a biologist for the state and I was a dental hygienist.  I remember walking into this home for the first time and telling Aaron that it was perfect just as it was, and we wouldn't have to do a thing to it... I also remember knowing that I had a mental laundry list of ideas!

    Most of our initial home projects were of the boring variety, you know the ones.  Updating the HVAC and replacing the roof.  B-O-R-I-N-G.  We had another baby, Abe, and we decided that it could work for me to stay at home and raise the boys.  Our budget was small, but with Aaron's skills and my willingness to paint (and paint and paint), we were able to create a home that we have absolutely loved. 

    There are several inside projects I’d still like to work on, but we aren’t in a hurry. Our focus has been building the homestead infrastructure.

    A family photo of Aaron & Megan Austin with their kids in front of their chicken coop on Ninnescah Homestead.

    WORKING TOWARDS SELF-SUFFICIENCY

    We knew that growing our own food was a priority, and it has been quite a learning process! We definitely aren’t all the way there yet.

    The first step was creating a raised bed garden. We have been loving it for four years now.  The boys splash and play in the stock tank pool and I have developed a full-blown gardening addiction! The gardening has led to preserving foods through canning, freeze drying and dehydrating.

    Feel free to check out OUR GARDEN page for more tips and tricks for growing fresh produce and my PRESERVING FOOD category. It's updated seasonally! You also might enjoy a closer look at our greenhouse.

    rhode island red hen in the chicken run.

    HOMESTEAD COOKIN’

    In addition to growing fruits and veggies, Aaron and the boys are avid hunters and bring home delicious seasonal wild game for meat!  Let's play a game.  Never have I ever eaten elk... or deer heart... or bear... or squirrel.  Anyone still raising their hand?

    I hope you can get my humor, because while all of that may sound crazy, it is completely true.  I have a passion for cooking and love the unprocessed and natural wild game.  It completely aligns with my passion for simplicity and love of cooking.  Don't worry, I cook other things, too!

    If you you'd like to find recipes from our kitchen, they can be found in our RECIPES FROM SCRATCH page.  I also have a passion for bread and share my favorite recipes in the SOURDOUGH category.

    You can also follow me on Instagram @ninnescahhomestead for more daily life snippets. 

    I'm glad you are here! Please say hello in the comments!

    Affectionately yours, Meg

    Popular Homesteading Posts

    • Two jars of whole berry cranberry sauce with a colander of fresh cranberries.
      Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce - Easy Canning Recipe
    • A close up view of sliced smoked venison jalepeno cheddar summer sausage showing the detail of the spices.
      Venison Jalapeño Cheddar Summer Sausage
    • A picture of a sliced wheel of Colby cheese on a cutting board showing the detail of the cheese.
      How to Make Colby Cheese: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
    • Close up top view of beef jerky.
      Best Beef Jerky
    • A close up view of deer meat venison jerky being held.
      Homemade Venison Jerky
    • How to make homemade butter with a fresh pressed raw cream butter on a plate with a butter knife.
      How to Make Butter
    • A picture of three jars of chunky homemade salsa for a blog about how to can salsa and how to make homemade salsa.
      Easy Homemade Salsa - How to Can Salsa
    • A guide for how to dehydrate peppers.
      How to Dehydrate Peppers
    • A raised garden bed covered with a screen with harvested onions laying across it.
      Growing Onions from Seeds
    • A close up view of a sourdough apple zucchini muffin with the wrapper slightly unwrapped to show the detailed crumb.
      Sourdough Apple Zucchini Muffins
    • A close up view of sliced zucchini banana bead.
      Sourdough Banana Zucchini Bread
    • A close up of several jars of peach preserves recipe for canning.
      Old-Fashioned Peach Preserves Recipe for Canning
    • A hand holding a jar of egg shells that are ground into powder to show how to compost egg shells for plants.
      Can You Compost Egg Shells for Plants?
    • How to Can Peaches - Beginner Peach Canning Recipe showing jars of fresh canned peaches.
      How to Can Peaches - Beginner Peach Canning Recipe
    • A guide to Growing Zucchini From Seeds with meg picking a zucchini from a raised bed.
      Growing Zucchini From Seeds
    • Slicing yellow squash for a blog post explaining how to roast zucchini and yellow squash.
      How to Roast Zucchini and Squash
    • A snow covered garden and chicken coop.
      Cold Weather Checklist for Chickens in Winter
    • A top view of blueberry sourdough scones on a cooling rack.
      Fluffy Blueberry Sourdough Scones with Lemon Glaze
    • A top view of a bowl filled with edible herbs for chickens and garnished with strawberry tops.
      Best Herbs For Chickens - Backyard Plants with Benefits 
    • Christmas Star bread on parchment paper and a baking sheet, top view.
      Star Bread

    Latest recipes from my kitchen to yours

    • A top view of a batch of sourdough bliss bars with orange zest, dried cranberries and a white chocolate drizzle.
      Sourdough Discard Cranberry Bliss Bars
    • A close up image of a sourdough pumpkin roll.
      Sourdough Pumpkin Roll - Discard Recipe
    • Homemade sandwich bread in a baking pan with slices around it.
      Homemade Sandwich Bread
    • Two loaves of honey oat bread on a wire cooling rack with oats on top.
      Honey Oat Bread (Bread Baker's Favorite!)

    Simple sourdough recipes

    • sourdough starter in a jar.
      How to Make a Sourdough Starter
    • A sliced loaf of artisan sourdough bread on a cutting board.
      How to Bake a Loaf of Sourdough
    • sourdough starter discard coffee cake on a cooling rack.
      SIMPLE SOURDOUGH STARTER DISCARD COFFEE CAKE RECIPE
    • A cooling rack with sourdough bagels.
      Soft & Chewy Sourdough Bagels (easy discard recipe)
    • A top view of zucchini banana muffins in a muffin pan.
      Sourdough Banana Zucchini Muffins
    • A top view of sourdough peach quick bread.
      Sourdough Peach Quick Bread
    • Top view of sourdough ranch crackers in a white bowl.
      Ranch Crackers- Sourdough Discard Recipe
    • Side view of sourdough blondies stacked 3 high on a plate.
      Best Sourdough Blondies (Easy Discard Recipe)

    Primary Sidebar

    Megan Austin wearing a sunhat holding salad greens in her yoderbilt greenhouse, smiling at the camera.

    I'm a wife, mama of 3, and a 5th generation farmer. Through teaching local classes and nurturing my online community, I've helped more than 100,000+ people dive into homesteading.

    More about me →

    Fresh and Fast

    • A top view of homemade ranch seasoning mix in a mason jar.
      Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix
    • How to Swiss chard by refrigerating, freezing, freeze drying, fermenting and dehydrating with Meg holding a jar of chard.
      How to Store Swiss Chard: 5 Methods & Step-by-Step Guide
    • A close up view of Whip up this easy Cannellini Bean Recipe in a white bowl, topped with roasted red peppers.
      Marinated White Beans
    • A top view of fresh mango salad in a glass bowl garnished with cilantro, tortilla chips and red onion.
      Mango Salad

    Sourdough Recipes

    • A close up view of the top of a round baking dish filled with sourdough garlic knots and grated parmesan.
      Easy Sourdough Garlic Knots Recipe
    • A top view of a white baking dish with sourdough cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting.
      Easy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
    • A top view of a white baking dish filled with golden sourdough dinner rolls.
      Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe (Pull Apart)
    • A picture of chocolate chip sourdough discard pancakes with whipped cream.
      15 Easy Sourdough Discard Pancake Recipes

    New from the Coop

    • A bowl of egg shells broken up for chickens to eat.
      Can Chickens Eat Egg Shells? A Crunchy Dilemma
    • A white super blue hen in a greenhouse, nestled amongst the plants with a little pile of chicken scratch grains for a blog post about what not to feed chickens.
      What NOT to Feed Chickens
    • Chicks using a heat lamp for added warmth in a mobile chicken tractor.
      How Long Do Chicks Need a Heat Lamp?
    • What does it mean when a hen goes broody, image of mama hen in a nesting box with hatched chicks.
      What Does Broody Mean in Chickens?

    Subscribe

    Join my email list so you never miss a recipe!

    • Amazon
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Ninnescah Made