They Quit Normal to Homestead - 10 Years Later
Ten years ago, Jason and Lorraine “quit normal,” left cancer and city life behind in California, and started over on a tiny 1.5‑acre homestead that eventually grew into a thriving 14‑acre farm in North Carolina. In today’s video, I’m touring their place to see how far they’ve come, how they raise their own meat, and how this lifestyle helped Jason heal and stay out of the office and on the land.
We’ll walk through their brooder setup with 25–30 chicks, lightweight chicken tractors, and the mobile coops that keep their Cornish Cross birds active and “feisty,” not lethargic. Jason shows how he designed nearly everything himself, from the coops to the water systems, despite coming from a computer‑drafting background, not construction.
You’ll also see:
Cooney Cooney pigs (the “non‑rooting” lard pigs) grazing with piglets at their side
Gravity‑fed rainwater systems using IBC totes and a hilltop shed to water animals without miles of hoses
Sheep moving across pasture on simple hot‑wire and net systems, turning “the desert” parts of the old horse property green again
How they manage chores, avoid burnout, and keep animals healthy by moving them regularly
Along the way, Jason opens up about surviving cancer, battling doubt and anxiety, and why he refused to “go back to normal” when the doctor cleared him. He shares advice for beginners—start small, don’t try to do everything in year one, maybe even “buy the chicks before you build the coop” so you’re forced to learn—and what parts of homesteading you actually should romanticize: early mornings, moving animals, harvesting your own food, and even the sacred work of butchering.
If you’re dreaming of your own homestead, this tour is packed with real‑life systems, honest talk about costs and burnout, and proof that you can transform abused land—and your own life—one small step at a time.
🎥 Watch the full documentary with Jason and Lorraine, including the deeper cancer‑to‑homestead story, in “Abundance Plus” on Friday, June 5, and catch Jason hanging out in the comments during the premiere.
👇 RESOURCES & LINKS
Subscribe to Jason & Lorraine: “Sow the Land” on YouTube: / @sowtheland
Watch the full documentary inside Abundance Plus: https://abundanceplus.com
Get my full pasture‑based poultry training and chicken tractor plans: https://shopjustinrhodes.com/products...