Farm Reset: Secure, Feed & Shelter Your Animals

Why You Need This Checklist

What if the biggest threats to your homestead this winter are the small things you keep putting off? Not the big dramatic emergencies — but the loose net, the missing minerals, the shelter with a wobbly axle. Justin Rhodes knows this feeling better than anyone, and in one honest, boots-on-the-ground day of farm work, he shows exactly how the basics can slip away — and what it takes to get them back in order.

Here's the hard truth: when frost is coming in nine days and you're about to be away from the farm, those little gaps in the chicken net stop being minor inconveniences. They become full-on escapes. That mineral sled you've been meaning to refill? Your cows and sheep are running low on what their bodies actually need to thrive through the cold months. And that sheep shelter with a loose handle and a sliding axle? One bad storm away from becoming a liability. These aren't catastrophes yet — but they will be if you don't get ahead of them now.

Imagine leaving for a few days knowing your chickens are secured, your animals have their minerals topped up, your sheep have proper shelter and cover, and your foundational farm systems are actually working the way they should. That's not a fantasy — that's what a focused, methodical reset day looks like. The kind of day where you walk the perimeter, stake down the net, fix what's loose, and feel genuinely good about the state of your place.

Justin Rhodes has built one of the most trusted homesteading communities in the country through his channel and Abundance Plus platform, where he regularly answers questions from farmers at every level. One of the single most common questions he receives — from beginners and experienced homesteaders alike — is about the mineral program for livestock. He's written about it, talked about it, and lived it on his own working farm. When he says animals need food, water, and minerals, he means it in the most practical, daily-life sense possible.

This checklist takes everything from that foundational reset day and puts it in your hands as a clear, step-by-step action guide. Walk your property, check your fencing, repair your equipment, stock your minerals, and button up your shelters — all in the right order, with the right details. Download the checklist and get your homestead back to basics before winter takes the choice away from you.

What's Inside — Preview

Every checklist item comes with actionable notes to guide you — things like "Don't forget to do this before you start," "Avoid this common mistake," or "Set a reminder for 30 days out." Nothing vague, just clear next steps.

CHECK Walk the full perimeter of your chicken net and identify every gap, especially along the bottom strand

DO Reestablish and retighten the electric net around your deep bedding compost making system

DO Drive garden stakes along the bottom of the net to pin it to the ground

CHECK Do a final walk-around check of the entire net after staking to confirm there are no remaining gaps

DECIDE Assess your outdoor runs and determine whether a roof or cover is needed for weather protection

+ 18 more action items inside...

Farm Reset: Secure, Feed & Shelter Your Animals

Why You Need This Checklist

What's Inside — Preview

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