Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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 their homestead—living in town during the build, missing the land, and making daily visits to the property
- A rich conversation about traveling with a big family—carry-on-only tips, spontaneous trips, dividing and conquering, and how animals (especially dairy cows) impact travel flexibility
- Melissa’s best budget-saving build strategies: buying materials on Black Friday, repurposing gym flooring, and skipping high-end finishes in favor of upgrades over time
- Thoughtful advice on design choices—prioritizing natural light, southern exposure, adaptable floor plans, and creating cozy, lived-in charm
- Honest reflections on what she might do differently: adding a tornado shelter, skipping carpet, and not letting a gifted vanity dictate an entire bathroom design
- Why they chose to build slowly, add animals over time, and prioritize flexibility over going “all in” from the beginning
- The value of outdoor gathering spaces—daily porch coffee with her husband, chalk art and pickleball in the driveway, and simple spots that invite rest and connection
Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!
Azure Standard is a family-owned company dedicated to providing you with high quality, affordable organic, natural, and non-GMO groceries, health, and household products. Place your order at azurestandard.com and use the code SIMPLE15 to receive 15% off your purchase. This promotion is only available for the first-time Azure customer order with a minimum of $100 order (orders to drop locations only). One time use per customer.
RESOURCES
Our Friendly Farmhouse by Melissa Ferguson melissaferguson.com/our-friendly-farmhouse
Check out Melissa’s other books goodreads.com/author/show/18840016.Melissa_Ferguson
Join my FREE masterclass to learn my 4-step framework for making money on YouTube bit.ly/farmhouseyoutubemasterclass
Master the rhythm of sourdough with confidence in my Simple Sourdough course bit.ly/simplesourdoughcourse
Gain the sewing knowledge and skills every homemaker needs in my Simple Sewing series bit.ly/simplesewingcourse
Turn your content creation dreams into a profitable business with my YouTube Success Academy bit.ly/farmhouseyoutubecourse
Keep all my favorite sourdough recipes at your fingertips in my Daily Sourdough cookbook homesteadliving.com/daily-sourdough/?utm_source=farmhouseonboone&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=SRD
CONNECT
Melissa Ferguson of Our Friendly Farmhouse
Website: melissaferguson.com
Instagram: instagram.com/ourfriendlyfarmhouse
TikTok: tiktok.com/@ourfriendlyfarmhouse
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/18840016.Melissa_Ferguson
Bookbub: bookbub.com/authors/melissa-ferguson
Pinterest: bookbub.com/authors/melissa-ferguson
Lisa Bass of Farmhouse on Boone
Blog: farmhouseonboone.com
YouTube: youtube.com/c/FarmhouseonBoone
Instagram: instagram.com/farmhouseonboone
TikTok: tiktok.com/@farmhouseonboone
Facebook: facebook.com/farmhouseonboone
Pinterest: pinterest.com/farmhouseonboone/_created
Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
Listen to this podcast episode: pod.link/1494284839/episode/0700bdab235c78b7ed7bb4c82847356d
View full show notes on the blog: simplefarmhouselifepodcast.com/2025/07/01/from-suburbs-to-homestead-building-a-family-farmhouse-life-melissa-ferguson-of-our-friendly-farmhouse-episode-296
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 their homestead—living in town during the build, missing the land, and making daily visits to the property
- A rich conversation about traveling with a big family—carry-on-only tips, spontaneous trips, dividing and conquering, and how animals (especially dairy cows) impact travel flexibility
- Melissa’s best budget-saving build strategies: buying materials on Black Friday, repurposing gym flooring, and skipping high-end finishes in favor of upgrades over time
- Thoughtful advice on design choices—prioritizing natural light, southern exposure, adaptable floor plans, and creating cozy, lived-in charm
- Honest reflections on what she might do differently: adding a tornado shelter, skipping carpet, and not letting a gifted vanity dictate an entire bathroom design
- Why they chose to build slowly, add animals over time, and prioritize flexibility over going “all in” from the beginning
- The value of outdoor gathering spaces—daily porch coffee with her husband, chalk art and pickleball in the driveway, and simple spots that invite rest and connection
Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!
Azure Standard is a family-owned company dedicated to providing you with high quality, affordable organic, natural, and non-GMO groceries, health, and household products. Place your order at azurestandard.com and use the code SIMPLE15 to receive 15% off your purchase. This promotion is only available for the first-time Azure customer order with a minimum of $100 order (orders to drop locations only). One time use per customer.
RESOURCES
Our Friendly Farmhouse by Melissa Ferguson melissaferguson.com/our-friendly-farmhouse
Check out Melissa’s other books goodreads.com/author/show/18840016.Melissa_Ferguson
Join my FREE masterclass to learn my 4-step framework for making money on YouTube bit.ly/farmhouseyoutubemasterclass
Master the rhythm of sourdough with confidence in my Simple Sourdough course bit.ly/simplesourdoughcourse
Gain the sewing knowledge and skills every homemaker needs in my Simple Sewing series bit.ly/simplesewingcourse
Turn your content creation dreams into a profitable business with my YouTube Success Academy bit.ly/farmhouseyoutubecourse
Keep all my favorite sourdough recipes at your fingertips in my Daily Sourdough cookbook homesteadliving.com/daily-sourdough/?utm_source=farmhouseonboone&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=SRD
CONNECT
Melissa Ferguson of Our Friendly Farmhouse
Website: melissaferguson.com
Instagram: instagram.com/ourfriendlyfarmhouse
TikTok: tiktok.com/@ourfriendlyfarmhouse
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/18840016.Melissa_Ferguson
Bookbub: bookbub.com/authors/melissa-ferguson
Pinterest: bookbub.com/authors/melissa-ferguson
Lisa Bass of Farmhouse on Boone
Blog: farmhouseonboone.com
YouTube: youtube.com/c/FarmhouseonBoone
Instagram: instagram.com/farmhouseonboone
TikTok: tiktok.com/@farmhouseonboone
Facebook: facebook.com/farmhouseonboone
Pinterest: pinterest.com/farmhouseonboone/_created
Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
Listen to this podcast episode: pod.link/1494284839/episode/0700bdab235c78b7ed7bb4c82847356d
View full show notes on the blog: simplefarmhouselifepodcast.com/2025/07/01/from-suburbs-to-homestead-building-a-family-farmhouse-life-melissa-ferguson-of-our-friendly-farmhouse-episode-296
