My name is Devon Ballard-Hudson, and I live in Southern Indiana, just outside Louisville, Kentucky, with my husband and our blended family on an ever-changing homestead.

I didn’t set out to become a homesteader.

Like many people, I simply planted a few vegetables in containers one spring. Then came raised beds. Then chickens. Then goats. Then sourdough. Before long, there was kombucha brewing on the counter, vegetables fermenting in crocks, seeds drying on paper towels, and a growing realization that I wasn’t just relearning lost skills, I was taking part in something bigger.

Today I’m the founder of Basil & Blossom Co., a community kombucha kitchen built around local food, fermentation, and sustainable living. I also co-host the Homestead-ish podcast, where we have conversations with farmers, scientists, gardeners, and educators who remind us that there isn’t one “right” way to homestead—only the way that fits your own life and values. I’m also the author of the forthcoming book Backyard Climate Activist: Healing the Planet from Home, which explores how the small choices we make at home and as consumers can create meaningful change for ourselves, our communities, and the planet.

Before homesteading became my full-time work, I spent fifteen years building workplace culture and developing people in the corporate world. That experience shaped how I teach today: breaking complex ideas into practical, approachable lessons that help people feel capable rather than overwhelmed. Whether we’re talking about fermentation, gardening, or sustainable living, my goal is always the same…to give people the confidence to simply begin.

At the heart of everything I create is the belief that homesteading isn’t about perfection, self-sufficiency, or owning acres of land. It’s about building a deeper relationship with the natural world, your food, your community, and your own capacity to care for the place you call home. Whether you live on a farm, in the suburbs, or in an apartment with a sunny windowsill, we don’t need a hundred people doing this perfectly—we need millions doing it imperfectly.

 How to connect with me:     

• Follow me on Instagram: @devonballardhudson
• Visit BasilBlossomCo.com
• Listen to the Homestead-ish Podcast @homesteadish_pod
• Read my articles on Substack: Letters from My Backyard