1KHO 564: The Backyard Homestead You Can Actually Do (Even with an HOA) | Laura Cox, Cox Homestead

The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Ginny Yurich

Parenting, Kids & Family

4.9 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Rabbits, worms, sheep…and a whole lot of hope. In this lively, can-do conversation, Ginny meets homesteader and educator Laura Cox—the new friend she made at the Homestead Festival—who shows how ordinary families can reclaim food, skills, and sanity without moving to 50 acres. Laura de-mystifies meat rabbits (hello, “bunny berries” that are cold compost and garden-ready), explains simple worm-bin systems you can feed twice a year, and shares why rabbits are the highest protein per gram of the common meats—plus how quiet, low-odor setups can work in a garage, subdivision, or even with an HOA. You’ll hear how her one-income family traded grocery premiums for hands-on, joy-filled work; how agritourism, workshops, and even rabbit-poop sales (!) became a family economy; and why “learning by doing” grows confident kids and connected communities. We also roam through hair sheep and rotational grazing, a forthcoming Young Homesteader book on rabbits (with homeschool tie-ins), and the small businesses Laura spun up from her kitchen—like DIY elderberry syrup kits and a clean seasoned salt blend. It’s a fresh, funny, deeply practical episode that will have you eyeing your yard, your budget, and your week with new imagination. Start with one simple win (zinnias, anyone?), then build from there. Tap the links, listen with a friend, and share with a parent who needs a hopeful on-ramp today: Cox Homestead (workshops, mentorships, farm experiences): https://cox-homestead.com Laura’s Etsy shop (elderberry kits & seasoned salt): https://www.etsy.com/shop (search “Cox Homestead”) The Homestead Festival: https://www.thehomesteadfestival.com A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them ALL out below: Select Quote: Head to www.selectquote.com/1000hours to learn more. BetterHelp: Visit www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS today to get 10% off your first month. Quince - Visit www.quince.com/outside and get free shipping and 365 day returns NIV Application Bible - visit www.NIVapplicationbible.com if you’re looking to grow in your understanding of Scripture and make it real in your daily life. Capstone Wellness - For over 24 years, Capstone has helped thousands of families on their path to healing. Learn more at capstonewellness.com/1000hours NurtureLife - Head to NurtureLife.com/1000HOURS55 and use code 1000HOURS55 for 55% off your first order PLUS free shipping. Wayfair - Get organized, refreshed, and back to routine for way less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Earthley - Use the code 1000hours to get 10% off your next purchase at www.earthley.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Here we go. Welcome. Welcome, welcome to the 1000 Hours Outside podcast. My name is Ginny Urge. I'm the founder of 1,000 Hours Outside. And I'm so excited because I have a new friend today. We're actually friends. We met in person, the Homestead Festival somewhere in Tennessee, Columbia, I think. Laura Cox, welcome.
0:20.1	Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. This is an honor and I am so excited to be here with you. You're doing great things. Oh, thank you. Okay, so huge shout out, first of all, to Rory and Rebecca Feek. They put on this Homestead Festival, which is remarkable. I had not been to a Homestead Festival yet. It was my first one, and I was just blown away.
0:38.3	It's all the vendors, all these speakers, and they did this such a nice thing. They had a speaker
0:43.4	dinner the night before, and the Kindred Farm came out and did these homemade pizzas. One of them had
0:49.5	honey on it. I mean, there's just incredible. I love the Kindred farm. They're like the best caterers in the whole world.
0:56.0	A phenomenal. And they put on the speakers dinner, Rory and Rebecca, and we got to meet in person.
1:02.0	And you were so nice. I was nervous because I didn't know anybody.
1:05.0	But we knew you.
1:06.0	Well, I mean, I'm not saying it now. I'm just like, I didn't have any friends there. And my family was supposed to come, but it changed last minute. And I think that's like a big part of life when you like walk into a room of people and you're like, well, some of these people have been to this festival before. They already know each other. And I did not know one person. And you and your friends were so kind to me. Yeah, that was my first time
1:28.4	doing anything like that too. So they were, it was all new to me. So when you told me your name and I was
1:33.5	like, she pretends and I don't know who she is. I know who she is. Well, then the funny thing,
1:39.8	too, is this is what I'm learning in my life is then Emily came from really very crunchy.
1:45.4	And then everyone was like, can you make sure you introduce me? And I met this family the other day that
1:52.1	knew about 1,000 hours outside, you know, whatever. I don't ever care. It was a dumb idea. You know,
1:58.2	people thought, I think it's a good idea, but people thought it was a dumb idea forever.
2:17.5	I never had any expectation that I would go anywhere and anybody would know who I am. But I met this couple and they knew about 1,000 hours outside. We didn't even really talk about it. And as I was, you're going to think this is really funny. As I was walking away, I overheard the husband say to the wife, maybe now we'll get to meet Emily. you.
2:22.1	Oh. I overheard the husband say to the wife, maybe now we'll get to meet Emily. So my whole role has changed. It's like, okay, well, if we meet her, then maybe.
2:27.8	We're on the path to meeting Emily. It happened to me. It can happen for you.
2:32.9	I was like, this is my new role in life, you know. I might be able to get you an opportunity to me. It can't happen for you. I was like, this is my new role in life, you know, I might be able
2:36.5	to get you an opportunity to meet Emily and Jason. Anyway, so super funny. So we met at this,
2:41.1	a Homestead Festival. We got to have dinner together and I got to come to a portion of one of your
2:46.0	sessions. There was like crazy rain and all the scheduling got mixed around a little bit where you
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