Homestead Production and Preservation

This unit develops practical homesteading skills for producing, protecting, and preserving food and resources on a small scale. Students practice construction and maintenance of garden and animal systems, learn safe food‑preservation and processing techniques (including high‑altitude adjustments), and develop care plans for pollinators and poultry to support year‑round self‑reliance.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze sanitation principles and food‑preservation parameters and implement correct processing procedures (water bath canning, pressure canning, pickling, drying, and fermentation) including altitude and pressure adjustments for at least three methods
• Construct and demonstrate maintenance tasks for small homestead structures and systems by building a raised bed and assembling either a cold frame or a Kenya top bar hive prototype with an itemized tools/materials list
• Evaluate and develop integrated animal and pollinator management plans that address coop and hive anatomy, predator/pest control, swarm prevention/response, honey harvest, and egg production expectations
• Apply hands‑on production techniques by performing seed starting, mulching, basic hydroponic/aquaponic setup, bread production steps (proofing and baking), and two candle‑making methods (molded and dipped)