About this episode

Melissa Ferguson shares her family's journey from suburbia to building a homestead and the inspiration behind her children's book.

If you’ve ever dreamed of leaving the suburbs for a slice of quiet country life, this episode will speak right to your heart. Author Melissa Ferguson joins me to share the real-life inspiration behind her new children’s book, Our Friendly Farmhouse —a sweet and whimsical reflection of her family’s journey from cul-de-sac to countryside. We talk about building a home from scratch, traveling with a big family, and slowly creating a homestead that feels peaceful, practical, and full of charm. Melissa offers encouragement and budget-friendly tips for anyone in the thick of building, dreaming, or simply trying to make thoughtful choices in the season they’re in. In this episode, we cover: Melissa Ferguson returns to share the inspiration behind her debut children’s book, Our Friendly Farmhouse , which tells a whimsical version of her family’s move from suburbia to the country How a spontaneous land auction and a last-minute bid from her brother-in-law launched their homesteading journey The process of building their home from scratch—leveraging her husband’s experience as a builder and funding parts of the project through social media brand deals Reflections on the early stages of…

More episodes of Simple Farmhouse Life

• The Farmhouse Edit: Debt-free living, summer sourdough, and what we’re skipping in the new house (+ more Q&A!) · June 29, 2026 · 56 min
• The Farmhouse Edit: Breaking Free from Diet Culture: Joyful Rhythms for Nourishing Meals | Jillian Margaret Wellness · June 25, 2026 · 1h 3m
• The Farmhouse Edit: How we’re managing sleep, room sharing, house progress, and large family life in this busy season + more Q&A! · June 18, 2026 · 43 min
• From the Farmhouse Edit: You Won’t Mess Them Up: Real Encouragement for Homeschool Moms | Ginny Yurich of 1000 Hours Outside · June 15, 2026 · 54 min
• From the Farmhouse Edit: Cooking from Scratch for Modern Life: Kitchen Rhythms, Real Ingredients & Homestead Tips | Melissa K. Norris · June 11, 2026 · 56 min
• The Farmhouse Edit: Pregnancy, Motherhood & Homebuilding: A Summer Life Update · June 8, 2026 · 54 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Simple Farmhouse Life podcast page.