All language subtitles for Homestead.Rescue.S12E14.1080p.WEB.h264-FREQUENCY_[English] (SUBRIP)

[Marty] It's hard to imagine

the volume of water
it would take to fill up

all of that area over there,

and ultimately get high enough
to get over this.

-It's just hard to believe.
-[man] It is hard to believe.

-I agree with you.
-[Marty] You've seen it?

I have seen it
with my own eyes.

Oh, my goodness.

[woman] Jonah, come here.

[boy] The piglet's
completely underwater.

[man] We panicked.

[boy] It took all three of us
to drag him to high ground.

[Marty] What's the forecast?

[Jake] Rain today,

rain tomorrow.

[thunder rumbles]

[Marty] We've got a week
to figure this out.

[Marty] There's been
three floods

in the last four months.

Let's do it.

We're pretty much
forced to use

what the homestead
can provide.

[Misty] Woo-hoo-hoo.

[Marty] We're crushing it.
We're moving fast now.

[man] It's moving
quite a bit, Marty.

[debris crashes]

I can't see.

[man] Not cooperating.

[Marty] A needle
in a haystack.

When the homesteaders tell you
that around 1870,

the first homesteaders
flooded out,

you're in trouble.

Run.

[man] Wait, wait, wait.

[Marty] And that's how
it's done.

All you have to do is survive.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Marty Raney,

master builder and stonemason.

[Marty] I don't see problems
on homesteads.

I see challenges.

[narrator] Daughter Misty,

garden and food
preservation expert.

[Misty] I believe you can
grow food anywhere.

[narrator] And son Matt,

skilled craftsman
and predator protection.

[Matt] Wildlife
is a constant threat,

but I draw the line
between their home

and your homestead.

[narrator] Together,

they use Alaskan know-how...

-Let's find some power.
-[Misty] Yes.

[narrator]
...and ingenuity...

-[man] It's perfect.
-[Matt] Yes.

[laughs]

[narrator] ...to save
the off-grid dreams

of desperate homesteaders.

[Marty] We work
every second we can,

trying to help
complete strangers.

That's who we are.

[rain pouring]

Do you guys hear that?

Welcome to Oregon,

where it rains
and the trees grow big.

[Misty] This part
of the Pacific Northwest

has that rich history

with all the logging.

-[Marty] The Oregon Trail.
-[Misty laughs] Yeah.

Thousands and thousands
of people

went over the Oregon Trail.

[Matt] This part of Oregon
is very wild.

These thick trees,

these deep valleys like this,

anything can be up here.

Predators, prey,

there's mountain lions,

bobcat.

Now, look.

-[Matt] Oh, yeah.
-[Marty] That is cool.

[Matt] Did we just
cross the finish line

of the Oregon Trail?

[Misty] I hope so.

[Matt laughs]

[narrator] The Raney's head
towards a historic homestead

nestled at the base
of the coastal mountains

of southwest Oregon.

First established
over 200 years ago

as a pioneer logging camp,

an explosion of surrounding
farm and logging communities

brought on
by the Western expansion

of the Oregon Trail,

led the property
to be converted

into a school in 1901.

However,

the weather has intensified
in the past decade,

bringing over 100
inches of rain a year,

which funnels
down sheer cliffs

into the valleys below,

threatening lives
and livelihoods.

It is here
that the Hult family
finds their off-grid dreams...

deluged.

-I'm Shannon.
-I'm Jake.

[Jake] We live in the woods
of southern Oregon,

[Shannon] We've been
on this homestead
for two years.

When we found this property,

it was essentially
heaven on Earth.

[Jake] This homestead
used to be a rural school.

In the 1800s,

it serviced
several logging camps.

[Shannon] We knew that
it had flooded in the past,

but with the improvements

and with the
buildings on stilts

made us think that
the problems had been solved.

It was absolutely gorgeous.

We were on cloud nine.

[Shannon] We put in a garden.

We wanted to be able to
produce our own meat,

so we got pigs.

Uh, we wanted to
produce our own dairy,

so we got goats
and we built an animal pen.

Our whole plan
was coming together.

Everything we did
seemed to be succeeding.

[Shannon] And then,
the rain started.

[thunder rumbling]

We discovered
this property floods,

and it floods with a force.

[Jake] Oh, my goodness.

[Shannon] When the water
comes up,

it is extremely overwhelming.

[Jake] When the first
flood came,

one of our pigs
had just had piglets,

and during that flood
we lost all of the piglets.

Our garden got completely
inundated with water

and wiped out
the blueberry bushes
and trees that we planted.

Everything was destroyed
and washed away.

[narrator] Aside from
devastating floods,

Jake and Shannon
discovered even more threats

to their gardens
and their homestead.

[Shannon] Fifty
to a hundred head of elk

may have rooted up
in the garden,

just wreaked havoc.

[Matt] They do
a ton of damage.

We don't want to
feed the predators.

We were trying to
feed ourselves.

We don't have a Plan B.

This is Plan A, B and C.

I don't know
what we're gonna do.

[Shannon] We are in
desperate need of some help

because our dream
is quickly fading.

I feel defeated all the time.

[Matt] Having to
leave the property
would be heartbreaking.

Marty, Misty, Matt,
without your help,

our entire homesteading dream
will be washed away.

[Marty] Look at these
old buildings.

-Hello.
-How's it going?

[Marty] Good.

[Marty] Are you expecting
some people from Alaska?

-[Jake] We are.
-Marty Raney.

Jake Hult.

-[Jake] Hello, Shannon.
-Shannon. Hi.

-Shannon.
-Jonah.

-Jonah.
-Jess.

-Nice to meet you, sir.
-[Marty] Jess.

-My name is Matt.
-[Misty] Hi.

This place looks really cool.

But what is that building?

[Shannon] It's a gymnasium.

-Well, the average homesteader
doesn't own a gymnasium.
-[Shannon] Right.

So what's happening here?

[Shannon]
This is an old school.

-This was the schoolhouse.
-[Jake] Yeah.

[Marty] Okay.
How long ago?

[Jake] It started
in the 1800s.

1860s, 1870s,
it became a school.

It kind of serviced
the logging camps in the area.

That's the history of it.

So, how did you end up here,

and how long
have you been here?

[Jake] My family
lived up here,

so I spent a lot of
time up here,

and always wanted
to have a homestead,

always wanted to kind of
come back to our roots.

and this is where we ended up.

[Misty] And how long
have you been here?

We've been here
about two years.

And how's it been going?

[Shannon sighs]

It was good
and then it got wet.

If we were standing
where we're standing now,

two months ago,
we'd be up to

above our knees in water.

-Right here?
-[Jake] Right here.

-[Shannon] Mm-hm.
-[Marty] Knee deep?

-[Jake] Yes.
-Oh, yeah.

Okay, so you've
been here two years,

the first year was paradise.

-Yeah.
-It was.

And then the second year,

you had one flood or?

Three. Three times.

-[Marty] Three floods.
-[Shannon] We had three.

[Jake] Three times
since December.

Five inches of rain
in 24 hours,

puts two and a half
to three feet of water

where we're standing.

What if we got ten?

[Shannon] We've been married
for 27 years.

[Jake] Shannon and I
have known each other

since we were teenagers.

We went to
high school together.

I had a unstable childhood,

so did Shannon.

But it really changed us

and directed us
what we wanted to do.

We fell in love.

We got married
and decided to have a family.

[Shannon] We didn't have
a lot of stability, so...

Jake and I have
always worked hard

to create a stable
environment for our kids,

and what that
looked like to us

is to have a homestead.

[Jake] We've always
discussed homesteading

since we got married.

We've always
looked at properties,

even when we were poor,

didn't have two nickels
to rub together,

we always still wanted
to be out here.

This is where our roots were.

[Shannon] When we lived
in the city,

we had chickens,

and we were
doing our best to grow

what the property we owned
at the time would allow,

teaching our kids how to can,

how to cook,

how to be more
self-sufficient,

regardless of where they are.

[Jake] We've always wanted
to raise our kids

in the homesteading lifestyle.

We wanted them to have
the skills that it seems like

the world is
slowly forgetting.

[Shannon] This area is a place
where we always took our boys.

It was our place
of recreation.

[Jake] For hunting,
fishing, camping.

We saved up a long time
for this homestead.

When we found this place,
we fell in love.

This place means the source
of stability, you know.

It's a symbol that everything
is going to be okay,

everything's gonna work out.

It seemed like
the dream homestead.

But even with all the progress
we've made in the first year,

it seemed like
when the flood happened,

it completely set us back
to square one.

Even I feel like beyond
where we were when we started.

[Shannon]
We've made an attempt

to channel the water
across the property

and it is not sufficient.

I haven't been able to
put up a greenhouse

because of all of the above.

I've been a nurse
for ten years,

he's been a police officer
for the same.

To know that...

we have taken on something
that we don't have
the answers for,

it's actually pretty humbling.

We need something to change

because this is really
tearing me apart.

[Jake] The flooding
could totally ruin us,

but we can't keep pouring
money into a property

that keeps pouring a river
out onto it.

[Marty] All right.
So what happens over here
when it comes to the flooding?

[Jake] This is definitely
a low spot here.

The old timers took some steps

to mitigate what flooding
did happen,

and this berm is kind of
the first example of that.

[Marty] They built this
out of tires?

[Jake]Yeah, they buried
a bunch of old equipment

and vehicle tires in here

to kind of help
hold this bank together

and hold this berm up.

We joked that we had
more tires than a junkyard,

but water definitely comes
over this part of the berm.

We know from history
that the first time it flooded

was in the 1870s.

[Marty] So it's been a problem
for 150 years.

Yes. Overnight
it can go from there

to right here in the yard.

[Marty] Right there
is the concrete wall.

[Jake] Somebody at some point
poured a concrete wall.

The water has been completely
to the top of this,

so this is definitely
a weak point.

This is one of
the first places

the water starts coming
into the yard.

[Marty] Is there
any more water

coming into the property?

[Jake] Over here.

So this whole area out here
fills with water.

-Where we're standing...
-[Marty] Mm-hm.

...is where the river
tends to jump its banks.

You see, we're just in
a straight shot to the river,

and at full current,

it goes straight through
our backyard.

All right, so we've got
several issues here.

We've got a berm
that is failing,

and that allows water
to come in

-and flood that portion
of the property.
-[Jake] Right.

You come down here,

this water just gets up
over the top of this

-where there's no berm at all.
-Yes.

And the forecast is rain?

The forecast is rain
in the next couple of days.

[Marty] People have used
different means,

rubber tires,

concrete walls,

to protect
life and property from...

biblically proportioned
flooding.

We have multiple problems
we're trying to solve,

but it has to be
a fix that lasts...

forever.

[Misty] And this looks
like you're growing
something, right?

[Shannon] Yeah. This is part
of the garden that we have.

-So you've had a flood
come in...
-Yes.

-...and wash the garden away?
-Yes.

Is the garden positioned

on the only high ground
on this homestead?

Actually, it might be.

-[Misty] Okay.
-[Shannon] And,

and our goal has been
to box in the whole thing

and protect it from the elk.

We have resident herd
in this valley.

-It's upwards of 75...
-[Misty exclaims]

...that come
and they help themselves.

[narrator] Elk are among
the largest land animals

in North America,

weighing up to 1100 pounds,

and foraging up to
24 pounds of food per day.

In addition, elk can be
highly destructive,

laying waste
to homestead gardens,

and due to their
territorial nature,

an encounter can prove
extremely dangerous,

even deadly.

But, posts
don't do you any good.

[Shannon] The fencing
was put on hold

because of the flooding.

When it does flood,
it collects so much debris.

So you didn't finish the fence
because of the flooding?

-Right?
-[Misty] Okay.

Hearing all these stories
about all this flooding

tells me that I'm
up against Mother Nature.

And one thing
I know about her

is she can catch you off guard
and be pretty brutal.

[Matt] So this is where
you have all your livestock?

[Jessip] Yep.
This is our goats.

[goats bleating]

We've got ducks in there,

and we've got chickens
that run around.

This portion was pigs.

And then this was
our goats only.

But after that
first flood we had,

and all the heartache
we had to go through

to get the pigs out of there,

we kind of just said,

we'll wait for the pigs

until we can find
a better solution

to get pigs back in here,

because the water came in here

and it was three and a half,
four feet deep

in the back of the pen,

and those pigs, they don't
swim all that great,

especially in the current.

So, the water is just like
rushing through

all the way through

-this whole property.
-[Jessip] Yes.

It'll sweep you off your feet
if the ground's slick enough.

That sounds dangerous.

This area,
it's all pretty flat.

It gets a little bit

higher over there.

[Jessip] When we set
the pigs there,

we didn't think about
it being a low spot

because we hadn't gone through
a flood just yet.

[Matt] And the piglets died

because they were
just too small.

[Jessip] Yeah, they got
swept away, unfortunately,

So, the pigs were...

-a big time protein source
for the host then.
-Oh, absolutely.

-[Matt] And they're not
here anymore.
-No.

[Jonah] Yeah,
it's definitely been different

just knowing that you're not
gonna have that food.

What aspect of the pigs
did you like the most?

I liked raising.

So you just come out
and you take care of them.

[Matt] When Jonah told me
he enjoyed taking care
of those pigs,

I realized that the homestead

was missing
something for Jonah,

something that is beneficial,

something that will teach him
everything he needs to know

about sustainability
and raising your own food.

And if they don't have
that resource for food,

this homestead
is not homesteading.

[Marty] All right,
take a look around, guys.

It's about this deep

when it floods here.

-Right here.
-Crazy.

It would mean that
the goats over there

washed downstream,

or the pigs, which did happen
right over there

A hundred and fifty years,

people have been trying to
stave off this flooding.

The question is,

what can we do
to keep these buildings

from washing down
the same river?

[Matt] The family said,

"We don't want
to put these animals
in harm's way."

And so they stopped
raising pigs.

And when I asked Jonah

what he liked most
about keeping pigs,

it was the fact that
he had something to do.

And if that opportunity
stays gone,

this homestead isn't
really going to continue,

and the only way
that I can see

to bring pigs back
on the property

is to make some high ground.

The property wasn't
good enough for a homestead,

and the old timers knew it.

This is a schoolhouse.

So, for the first time
in history,

we're going to try
to homestead here

in one week.

That's what we're up against.

[upbeat music playing]

[Marty] We walked
around the property,

heard all the problems,

and now we have to
figure out the solutions

because the work starts
in the morning.

The question is,

do you want to be
self-sufficient...

-Yes.
-...grow your own food?

That's the reason
you called us.

-[Jake] Right.
-Right?

I want you to do

whatever you think
that you can do

to help us be
a successful homestead.

That's why we're here.

To have a homestead.

[Misty] I think
it's so complicated

when you're trying to
combat flooding,

and I don't think
there's one solution.

The fact that
you don't have pigs here,

you know
you don't have the food.

The only way I see

getting the pigs
back on the property

is by creating high ground,

because you're not gonna
find it anywhere.

For us to roll in here
in a week and go,

"Yeah, we'll fix it."

I'm not gonna tell you that.

Well, what they didn't have
150 years ago, Marty,

was the Raney family, so...

-[exclaims]
-I think we have a shot.

Well, I wish you would have
never said that

because now
I'm really worried.

-[laughter]
-On that note,

we'll see you in the morning.

-We'll hit the ground running.
-[Jake] Yeah.

[Shannon] See you
in the morning.

[Marty] See you
in the morning.

[upbeat music playing]

[Marty] Let's get up close
and personal with this thing.

[narrator] It's day two
on the Hult Homestead

in southern Oregon.

[Marty] This is
definitely compromised.

[narrator] And Marty and Jake
set out to solve a problem

that's been plaguing
property owners

for a hundred years.

This thing gonna
collapse on me?

It looks pretty sketchy to me.

I see the aftermath
right here.

[Jake] Sure.

[Marty] So, I'm a believer.

But now,

we need to fix the problem
which is the flooding

-breaching these walls...
-[Jake] Right.

...and taking out the property
and buildings, yeah.

This is the 21st century

where there are rules
and regulations

for everything.

So, we just can't
waltz in here

and tear out
old rubber tire walls

that are collapsing

on the banks
of salmon streams.

Not gonna happen.

So, our hand is forced

to look at something else

besides tires

to stave off floodwaters.

It doesn't look like
any portions of this wall

have even come close
to being compromised.

-No. They're in great shape.
-It looks pretty good.

Okay. So, we're gonna
pour a footer.

We're gonna head
right over here,

We'll set in two pieces
of five-eight rebar.

It will be 3000 PSI concrete,

and we'll figure out how we're
going to bring it from there

to this concrete.

Wow, I think
that's a great idea.

[narrator]
Instead of replacing

the original tire wall,

Marty will extend the existing
concrete barrier 60 feet,

building it taller

and reinforcing it with rebar.

First, he will
grade the ground

between the property
and the river's edge,

clearing trees and stone
along the way.

Then, after pouring
a concrete foundation,

he will install a 60-foot long
upcycled cinder block wall

reinforced with steel,

and poured solid

along the entire
western riverbank.

-[Marty] Here we go.
-[Clint] Okay.

[Marty] We'll cut
these trees out,

get them off to the side.

[narrator]
While Marty gets started

clearing land
for the new berm...

[Misty] Okay.

[narrator]
...across the homestead,

Misty pulls Shannon aside
to discuss garden solutions.

You know, these old timers,

-I'm not going to pretend
to know...
-Right.

-...more than they did, right?
-Yeah.

And there's a reason why

all of these structures
are on stilts,

and that they're still here...

-[Shannon] Right.
-...right?

Every single structure
is on stilts...

-[Shannon] Mm-hm.
-...right?

Showing up
on this homestead

and hearing like, "Oh,
there's so much history.

"It goes back to the 1800s."

But they weren't
actually homesteading

because the old timers
knew something that we don't.

[narrator] Developed
in the 1860s,

the site of the Hult's
nine acre homestead

once housed a school
for children of local loggers.

Located at the base
of a valley,

at the confluence
of two river systems,

the land
was deemed unfarmable,

due to the likelihood
of springtime snow melt

oversaturating the soil.

The original schoolhouse
was washed away

in the early 1900s

and rebuilt years later.

It would eventually
close down for good

in the 1960s.

[Misty] So,
you've seen water...

[Shannon] Oh, yeah.

It comes right to
the bottom of that board.

So, we're talking, like...

You've seen it
a couple of feet.

-[Shannon] Oh, yeah.
-Okay.

So, there's a reason why

-all of these stilts
are two feet.
-Mm-hm.

And anything I want to build,

-I want to put on stilts.
-Right.

Do you want to
build a greenhouse?

-Is that something
that you want to do?
-I would love to.

We have about
thirty old windows

that we're taking out
out of all these buildings...

...over the years, that would
be amazing to repurpose

'cause they're
still part of the history
of the property.

Can you show me
all the windows

-you've been collecting?
-Yeah. Yeah.

The one thing I've learned
about homesteading

is when you're trying
to combat something

like Mother Nature,
you wanna overdo it.

You wanna over build.

You just wanna,
like, totally go for it

so that you could be confident

that you tried do anything
you can think of.

These are old windows from...

-Like, the old school house
and the principal's office.
-Yeah. Yeah.

So right now
I'm going above and beyond,

and we're going to build

a stilted green house
on top of a berm.

-I think we're looking
at your new greenhouse.
-[chuckles]

-Are you ready?
-Yes, I am.

[narrator] Misty will first
build a two foot high berm

to use as the foundation

for a three foot high
greenhouse platform.

Then, she will upcycle
the heirloom windows,

creating a functional
schoolhouse greenhouse

that celebrates those

that came before

and provides for the Hults
for years to come.

[Misty] Let's rip out
the bushes.

That Greenhouse
is gonna give us

a lot more food,
a lot more ability

to grow things
and get it ready

for any part
of the seasons here.

Okay. Can we squeeze one more?

-There you go.
-I am completely...

-[Shannon chuckles]
-...in this the tree
that I'm moving.

But I'll be back.

[upbeat music playing]

[narrator] Over
by the river...

[Marty] Coming through.

[Jake] Our bank's pretty steep
down there, Marty.

[narrator] ...Marty hits
a roadblock clearing land

for the extended
retaining wall.

[Marty] We wanna
build a retaining wall
over 60 ft long to protect

this homestead
from floodwaters.

But there's a huge
granite boulder in the way.

You can see it
goes down into the ground.

I'm hoping we can
move it some way,

undermine it,
roll it, whatever,

and incorporate it
in the berm or wall.

Wow. We gotta move it.

[Marty] On more
than one homestead,

we moved big rocks
to hold back water.

So, hey, guess what?

I'm a pro.

That's what I thought
we were going to do here

until I realized
I'm not the pro
that I thought I was.

So I think we just gotta
go back to the drawing board.

Retreat.

[Marty] Hey, bud.

[narrator] On the Hult
Homestead in Oregon...

Let's talk.

[narrator] ...racing against
the end of the day,

Marty has made little progress
clearing land

for his retaining wall build.

Halted by
a massive stone boulder.

You ever heard
of a place called Egypt?

They moved a lot of things
by undermining them.

-They did.
-What do you think about
if I dig down here?

If we can
roll it over a little bit,
it'll be pretty good.

-Wanna try it?
-I like it. Let's do it.

[dramatic music playing]

-Moving.
-Looks like
it goes pretty deep.

It's pretty crazy.

[Jake] Yeah.

It's moving
quite a bit, Marty.

Oh, jeez,
I couldn't even guess
how much that Boulder weighs.

I mean, he sort of dug a hole

next to
and underneath the boulder,

and he just,
kind of, kept undermining.

You might be getting close.

[Jake]
He just kept working at it
and digging and digging

and digging
till he had enough leverage

to pull and just flop
that whole giant boulder

over into the hole
that he made.

-[chuckles]
-Okay.

I would have not
in a million years

thought to move
that boulder like that.

In fact, I didn't think
it was possible.

You might end up
with some more

parking and flat area
before it's over with.

Yeah. There you go.

[Marty] But that said,
let me get back to work.

[Jake] Sounds good.

[Marty] Looks like
the beginning of a wall to me.

[Matt] It's raining right now.
That is a lot of water.

But this is
a really useful structure.

There's a lot
of space in here.

Would you ever wanna
keep pigs in here?

Yeah, absolutely.
I think that's a great idea.

Okay, but this is
a low, wet ground.

You have a grade
and drainage problem.

And you have high ground

just on the outside
of this building

that actually needs to be

on the inside
of this building.

Before we can even
get the pigs over here

to help them
survive the floods

we need to bring
that high ground inside.

Does this skid steer run?

[Jessip] Yeah. It actually
came with the property.

The previous owner said that

he was having
problems with it

and we've got
some of the problems
straightened out,

and this has been,
kind of, our saving grace.

-Really?
-Yeah.

You think you can move
some logs with it?

-[Jessip] Absolutely.
-Then that's, like, gonna
save us a ton of time,

and it might be
just what we need

to get this
actually figured out.

[narrator] First,
Matt will clean out
the cluttered pole barn

before grading
and elevating the interior,
creating high ground.

Then he will build
an elevated platform

designed to keep hooves dry

even in the heaviest of rains.

Finally, he will fence in
the area inside
and outside the pole barn,

giving the pigs a safe place,
rain or shine.

[engine starts]

All right,
let's just get this out.

It's kind of funny
how somebody comes in
with a fresh set of eyes

and kind of sees
our problems right away,

whereas we just
kind of live with them

and don't really notice them
like he does.

-You got that?
-[Jonah] Yeah.

[Jessip] I have not
seen that barn
this cleaned out.

It's crazy to see
how much space
is actually freed up.

[Matt] Yeah. Nice job, Joe.
Whoo!

[narrator] As day three begins
on the Hult homestead...

Where's that lumber going?
Right here?

[narrator] ...Marty and Jake
prepare the bank
for the next phase

of the river-resistant
retaining wall.

[Marty] I'm telling you
right now, they're making
the mud,

so we gotta get cracking.

Pouring this concrete wall
for the riverbank.

The concrete
truck's on the way.

So time is of the essence.

[Marty] Not bad,
not bad. One more.

We can't scavenge enough rocks
to build a retaining wall

that's worthy
of the flood waters

that come down that river.

So we're gonna do
the one thing that I know

that will fix
that flooding forever.

Tie it to the Rebar.

[vehicle reversing]

Mud's here.

So what we've done now
is set the footers.

We're gonna
fill this full of concrete.

We're replacing the rebar,
and we're gonna tie it...

[drilling]

...with rebar
coming out of here

into the wall that we're
going to build on a block.

[whistles]

Okay. So this is
pretty exciting.

We should just go over.

-I actually don't really know
what's happening...
-Okay.

but anytime there's
a concrete truck here,

-it's kind of a big deal.
-[Shannon] It's a big deal.

[Misty] Also, we could score
a little maybe for us.

-Yeah.
-Dad!

-She's kind of pumped.
-About what?

-[Misty laughs]
-This is exciting.

-You know
what's happening back here?
-[both] No.

Okay, so there's
a 60-foot-long
footer over there.

-Yeah.
-You pour concrete in it,
then you take the boards out

and you're left with
a 10-inch tall footing

that you can build
a block wall off of,

-which is what most houses
are built on, right?
-Yeah.

[Marty] We wanna
keep flooding away.

So it's concrete.

I'm excited.

Oh! This is amazing.

I didn't know
how we were gonna fix it.

And this is
so promising for real.

Yeah. Good?

[both laughing]

Happy?

[chuckles]

Don't, don't cry, Shannon.
You cry, I cry.

I've never seen somebody
cry over concrete.

-I know.
-You know what?

-I like it because it tells us
we're on the right track.
-Yeah.

There's a lot of hardship
that comes with this property

because you never know
how it's going to behave.

And if all your hard work
is gonna be there

from one day to the next.

Hey, Dad, you and your wife

are gonna be
flattening this out.

-Okay. Sounds good.
-Okay?

[Shannon] I really have
a lot of hope,

a lot of faith
that it will work out

and that it'll
help mitigate the flooding.

[both] Here it comes.

-Oh, there we go.
-[both laughing]

-Hey!
-Hey.

-Let's go.
-Perfect.

Pull it down real quick.

So we're pouring concrete
inside forms over 60 ft long,

and the concrete strength
is 3000 lbs. per square inch.

[Marty] Stop the mud.
Holy moly.

[Marty] Cement reinforced
with steel rods

make for a formidable force

when it comes
to our first step

in building a wall
that will protect

life and property
on this homestead.

[Marty] Yee-haw! Misty!

[all laughing]

-[Misty] Dad!
-Mud.

Let's go.

-I'll get it.
-[Misty] I got it.

-[Marty] I'll get it.
-I got it.

-Holy, it's heavy.
You can get it.
-[both laugh]

[Misty] It's heavy. Watch out.

I'm taking it
for the greenhouse.

Yoo-hoo.

I wanna beef up
these concrete piers

and I actually
was helping my dad
so we could steal some mud.

Because when it
comes to flooding,

I've kind of
seen the unexpected.

Let's go! I think
now with this structure,

when you've combined stilts,
the berm, concrete,

this structure
isn't going anywhere.

[upbeat music playing]

[narrator] As work
gets underway

on the schoolhouse
greenhouse...

[Misty] Hey, you guys,
you wanna grab a hammer?

[narrator] ...Misty turns
her attention to the fence.

Shannon began but abandoned
due to the floods.

[Misty] They have elk
that come through here
and wreak havoc on the garden,

and they started putting up
these fence posts.

But then she realized, man,
this is gonna be, like,

a debris catchment,
and she didn't want
to add to the problem.

Ready for
a little homestead hack?

I call it
the old ball and chain.

When you don't have
a fence stretcher,

you just use an old train,

you tie off to an old post.

You just ratchet
strap it tight

off of some two by sixes.

You're gonna go--
Look how tight this thing is.

I'm gonna pick up
where she left off.

And I'm gonna
try and figure out

how we can protect this fence.

[Marty] Okay, guys.
Come on over here, please.

[narrator]
While work continues
on the retaining wall,

Marty turns his attention

to the flooding issues
at the back of the homestead.

-You can clearly see
there's no berm at all.
-[both] Right.

[Marty] You know, it's a lawn
and it's flat and it's great,

but it needs a berm, right?

-Yeah, it does.
-So would you sign on

with a plan
of continuing the berm

straight across here

and take it
as far as it needs to go?

It might have to go
all the way to the goat pen.

[Jake] Absolutely.
I think that that would
solve a lot of our issues.

You've got
a couple of trees here

-that look like they might be
in the way of the berm.
-Mm-hmm.

You've got a big, crazy,
dangerous leaner over there.

Let's go look at it.

[Marty] We need
200 yards of berming

to keep
the floodwaters at bay.

[Jake] We had
two actually fall

right from
this clump down here.

How about using
the trees along the river?

This one obviously
has a big lean to it.

But the one behind you
makes us even more nervous

because in one of the storms,
one of the sections broke off.

The other one broke off
but is now hung up
in this leaning tree.

-[Marty] This guy right here?
-[both] Yeah.

[narrator]
To safeguard the back
of the Hult homestead,

Marty will clear a patch

of danger trees to use
as the support structure

for a 200 yard long,
five foot tall dirt berm.

When connected to the
60 foot retaining wall,

it will provide the homestead
with complete protection

along the river's edge.

Okay, So that broken tree...

-Yeah.
-...this crazy leaner...

Yep.

-...uh, and those two
over there.
-[both] Yeah.

-That's four.
-That would be...

The thought entered my mind,

"Is it possible not to cut one

but four trees
at the same time."

[Jake] Let's try it.

We start with a tree
this big a round,
and it's leaning like this.

It was compromised already
by floodwaters.

And it's dangerous.

Leaning in to a clump of trees
and there's a dozen of them,

and today we have to defy
the term "widow-maker."

We'll leave
a little bit of it holding.

Here we go.

[trees snapping]

-Run.
-[Shannon] Run, run, run.

That's how it's done.

[narrator] At the back
of the homestead

the pole barn
is cleared out...

[Matt] You gained
a lot of space.

-[Jessip] Yeah.
-[narrator] ...and Matt
shows Jonah and Jessip

where he'd like
to source the material

to create higher ground
for the pigs.

[Matt] I got
a pretty wild idea.

We can actually dig
a massive hole
into our goat pen

that will actually
have a dual purpose.

All that material that
comes out of this goat pen

we can use
for high ground for the pigs.

And then we can do something
with that hole for the goats.

I think it's
a really interesting idea,
but I think it will work.

-I fully believe in it.
-[Matt] All right.

First order of business
is let's start digging.

Yeah.

[Matt] Jonah and Jessip
are brothers

that work
really well together,

and they are
helping me out a ton.

This homestead
will finally have dry ground

and an elevated platform,

so if the flood comes in,

those pigs are gonna
stay high and dry.

[upbeat music playing]

[narrator] At the front
of the homestead

Misty's Schoolhouse Greenhouse
is almost ready for windows...

[Misty] I would like to
take it to a place

where we're definitely
not gonna break any windows.

[narrator] ...while she
and Shannon work
on the elk proof fencing.

[Misty] Okay.
This is not good.

I just hit a water line.

That's, like,
a one in a million.

What are the chances?

I'm digging
with a postal digger

this big around,
putting in a fence
and I hit a water line.

Oh, yeah, that is wild.

So I'm going to find my dad.

I didn't even know
they had water

and I have to find out
if this is good,

is this bad...

Like, we gotta man down
and figure this out.

We've hit a water line.

-Did you break it?
-Uh-huh.

Was there water in it?

-[Jake] Was there water in it?
-Uh-huh.

There shouldn't be
a water line up there.

Well, let's go look at it.

Let's find out.

I'm curious.
What did you find?

[Misty] I mean, I don't know.

[Marty] Show me exactly.

[narrator]
On the Hult homestead
in Southern Oregon...

This one.

[narrator] ...while digging
fence post holes
to protect the garden

Misty makes
a surprising discovery.

None of the other holes
have water in them.

And then, none of, obviously,
the other holes have lines

running through them
like that.

Well, it's heading that way.

So was there ever a water line
along the road?

We have a water... from 1912.

It's an old hand drawn map
of a pipe coming out

somewhere on the mountain.

I've scoured that hillside
looking for that spring,

and there's no sign
of any spring up there.

[Marty] Where does the map
say the spring is?

So it's measured in chains,

and I don't understand
all that.

My dad tried
to help me find it.

-Um...
-Yeah, it's old.

It was measured
from the property corner
on that side,

a certain distance up
and a certain distance over.

-So let's talk about water.
-Yeah.

[Misty] Where are you getting
your drinking water?

From the creek.

You're getting your water
from that river.

[Jake] Yes.

That's not healthy.

-[both] Yeah.
-It makes us even more nervous

because there's cattle
above us in that creek.

[Marty] Uh, guess what?

We've also seen
at least 100 elk.

-[Shannon] Yeah.
-And 20 deer.

-[Shannon] Oh, absolutely.
-And cougar, bear,
bobcat, porcupine.

-You know what I mean?
-Yeah.

They're all pooping
in the woods, right?

Day in, day out
I'm focused on flood waters.

And then Misty comes
and gets me and I discover,

they're drinking
out of the river,

something I would never do.

[Jake] We do run it
through a filter

and we do run it
through a UV filter,

so we haven't gotten
sick from it

but still there is
that concern.

We're well aware of what's
above us in the drainage,

-so there's also
a farmland up there.
-[both] Yeah.

So what are they using
for fertilizer?

-We don't know.
-Exactly.

I'm glad that this happened
'cause I've been thinking
about flooding every second

I've been here and now I think

we've got to start
thinking about water.

[upbeat music playing]

[Marty shouting]

[narrator] While Marty ponders

drinking water solutions,
he gets back to work

on the primary problem
on the homestead,

flood control.

How do you feel about

cutting the grade
back towards me?

We'll take that material
and stack it on logs,

stack it on logs and create
a very skookum berm.

[Jake] Yeah. Perfect.

[narrator] A natural berm
is typically composed of soil,

gravel, rocks
or other organic materials

that prevent floodwaters
from entering a vulnerable,
low lying area.

If constructed properly,

its integrity will stand
the test of time

and protect property
and lives stock
from destruction.

[Jake] We fill these trees
to create some rebar
to hold this berm together,

it looks great,

and I think at this point
we're ready
to start pushing dirt over it.

[Jake] That's it.
That's money.

[narrator] With work
nearly complete on the
elevated pig platform...

[Matt] Okey dokey.

[narrator]
...Matt and the Hult brothers
are ready to extend

the pig's new home outside.

[Matt] We have
a nice high spot.

[Jessip] Oh, absolutely.

[Matt] All fenced off,
all ready to go.

I mean, we have
a lot of work done.

The grate is fixed.

We've got a berm in here.

But we need to build a place
for the pigs

where they're gonna spend
most of their time.

I'd like to see it
close to here,

because then
it would be easier

to get them up
out of the flood

instead of having
to wrangle them up
from over there

and push them
all the way over here.

I can just show you.
I have a video

of us dragging the pig
up there.

-You do?
-Yeah.

Show me.

[Jessip] I mean, there's me,
there's our neighbor,
Jory and Jonah,

and we got
that big lasso, and...

-and you can see,
-[Matt] Oh, my gosh.

[Matt] Whoa.

[Jessip] very stressful
on the animal.

That water is all the way up.

I mean,
it's going up the driveway.

[Jessip] Yeah,
that's at the front
of the property.

[Matt] That's crazy.

The pigs will be
a lot easier to rescue
if they're right close,

and you only have
to move them
a few feet up a ramp

and they'll be safe.

So I think we just start
building a pen right here,
out in front.

[Jessip] I think
it's a good idea.

[Matt] Let's do it.

Put a screw in right here.

-And don't bury it.
-[Jonah] All right.

Bringing pigs back
o the homestead
as soon as possible

is what the homestead needs.

But really, it's what keeps

Jonah's homesteading journey
going forward.

What do you think about that?

I think that's good.

So, we'll get this thing
pounded in
with the excavator,

and that way our corners
will be really solid.

And then we'll do T-posts
in between

each of our main post corners,
okay?

[Matt] It's a thing
that he's into.

He's only 16 years old,

If we have pigs here,
he's already comfortable
with that livestock,

it's gonna keep him
more invested
into this lifestyle.

and he has a real skill
to be able to feed his family

and contribute
to the homestead.

[Matt] Stab that in there.

[Matt] That's perfect.

Now the fencing
will go up against this side
of the T-post.

If you put your T-post,
with the fencing
on the outside,

it's really easy
for animals like pigs

to push that fencing
away from the T-post.

But if you flip it
on the inside,

the fencing is stopped
by the post.

That's gonna stop the fence
from being pushed outward,
okay?

Now pound this post in.

I enjoy working with Matt.

[Matt] Keep it straight.

[Jonah] Before
the Raneys came here,

it was really overwhelming

because there were
so many problems
that had to be solved,

and we just didn't know
how to solve some of them.

And so now that they're here,
it's a big relief,

and it's gonna
help us out a lot.

[Matt]
All right, that looks tight.

[upbeat music playing]

[narrator] Meanwhile...

[Misty] This is gonna
be so cool.

[narrator]
...Misty and Shannon aimed
to add some homestead history

to the new greenhouse

by incorporating windows
from the original
schoolhouse structures.

[Misty] The thing
about repurposing,

reusing anything old
or antique,

-you cannot buy it
at the store.
-No.

And it doesn't have
the same look or feel.

And it's still
the history here.

-[Misty] It's the history.
-I love that.

They're in perfect shape,
the old logs,

and the wood,
they're in really good shape.

Yay!

This is always
the most exciting part,

is when you actually
get to piece together
old windows,

it always kind
of surprises you like,
"Oh, that looks so good."

It's gonna be a good day.

Okay, I think we have enough.

It's always about recycling
and reusing things.

But for Shannon,
being able to use
all of these old windows

from all
of these old structures
that date back to the 1800s,

and just to repurpose
and keep that history alive

is like, it's a really
special thing.

So obviously, they replaced
all these single pane windows
for these structures

because they needed
a double paint
or triple paint,

a window
with a little more insulation.

But for the green house,
the single pane windows
are gonna be perfect.

The temperatures
are pretty moderate

this part of Oregon,
40-70 degrees.

So the fact
that we can put them
to use is really exciting.

[Misty] All right.
The structure is taking shape.

We've got to a place
where we're gonna
throw a window in.

So no pressure.

I kind of like, get nervous
handling these windows

because you can't
really replace them.

[Shannon laughs]

It'll take a little moment
right here.

This hole
should be kind of big,

so we're gonna block it
and then trim it.

But let's just set it.

Let's go down one.

[Misty] It's gonna be tight.

-Are you ready for how cool
this greenhouse is gonna be?
-[Shannon] Oh, my gosh.

[Shannon] I'm not ready.

Putting in that first window
with Misty
was pretty special to me.

It's just another way
of using history
with those windows,

and seeing them
repurposed back again
is pretty amazing.

That is awesome.

-[Misty] Good?
-Yeah.

Okay. So you have
enough windows
to do top to bottom.

[Shannon] That's amazing.

I was in 13 schools
before I was
in the seventh grade,

and we just always carved out
what we could
when we moved around,

and having a homestead
is a real gift.

And to be able
to show our kids

that if you go out
and you work hard

and you get
what you put into it.

And I think that the way
that everything's set up now,

we are well on our way
to that.

I think this is gonna be
one of the coolest greenhouses
in Oregon.

[Shannon] I love it.

[upbeat music playing]

We've really done something
here with the berm.

[narrator] The Raneys
have two days left

on the Hult homestead
in Oregon,

and Marty has a plan
to solidify his newly built

flood prevention barrier.

When the floodwaters come,
it's gonna put that berm
to the test.

Would have loved to build it
out of more rock,
didn't have it.

Built it out of trees.
That's good.

The trees are gonna
be there forever,

but some of this dirt
could get washed away.

We need more.

So we're gonna plant
at least six trees
here on the crux,

which is this part of the berm
that is arched out.

Nothing happens
while you're talking, so.

[Marty] So, Clint,
the day is gonna come

when they're gonna
grow into each other.

These trees are huge.

But more importantly,
this root system
is just gonna go in here

and tie in with the logs
and the craziness
and the berm,

and serve as rebar
at the same time
as it does produce fruit.

Just like that day
that we poured concrete,

it's pretty good,

but it's better
if you had rebar.

And just like the berm
that we built out of dirt
is pretty good,

but it's better
if you add tree roots.

-[Marty] I can dig it.
-Okay.

[Marty] If these roots
are growing,

there'll be 12 trees
growing quickly,
rapidly and strongly

as their roots
search for water
at the top of that berm,

go down both sides,

and literally
will protect life
and property.

Last, but not least,
this protects from those guys.

All right, sir.
Only four more to go.

Meet me down here, please.

All right,
what do you think, boys?

I think that's a hole.

-[Matt chuckles] I think
that hole's deep enough.
-[chuckles]

[narrator] With
the pig pen complete,

Matt, Jessip and Jonah
returned to the hole

they dug in the goat pen
for their next building.

Okay, now I want to build
a goat tower
out of the logs that we have

so that the goats have a place

where they could
get up off the ground
to stay out of the flood.

[Jessip] That sounds exciting.

[Matt] Building the goat tower
has two purposes.

It gets the goats up
out of the floodwaters,

but livestock need enrichment,
hey need to be able
to play, exercise,

and the tower
that I have planned

is the perfect playpen
for any goat.

These logs are pretty heavy,

so you're gonna
be my log manipulator,

and we're gonna stab them
into the ground vertically,

and once we have enough logs

where I feel
like we have
a nice little platform,

I'll just start
trimming things up
with the chainsaw.

We'll backfill it,

and the goats
will have a nice, safe place
to get away from the flood.

[Jessip] I like it.

Just a second, right there.

[Matt] Yeah!

[Jessip] We are very excited
about what's about
to come next.

Lift it and put it
right here in this corner.

[Jessip] The goats
having something to do,

it's kind of one
of those things
that we didn't really notice

because the problems
that we've been having

once Matt kind of
pointed it out
right in front of us,

I think it's a great idea
as far as getting the animals
up out of the water,

and I think the goats
are really gonna enjoy it,

having something
to fill their time with,

rather than just
beat on each other.

That stuff is hard and heavy.

[Jessip] I see it now.

[Matt] Just stay the course.

Just grab onto it
and lift it up.

[Matt] We're on the coast
of Oregon,

and I wanted to design
this entire goat tower
to kind of resemble a dock.

[Jessip] I can't see.

[Jessip] No, no, no, no.

[Jessip] Not cooperating.

[Matt] These myrtle wood logs
are insanely heavy.

They are hardwood,
they're filled with water,

and you've got some peers
that go way down
on the ground.

and no matter
what water rushes through,

those big, heavy logs
are not gonna move.

Whoa!

Yeah.

It's amazing.

-Okay, backfill.
-What?

We're using a cross log straps
to hold everything into place
so we can backfill.

And the backfill
really acts like concrete,
especially with these trees.

There's so much friction.

Once that log in the ground
and the weight
of all that dirt

compacted around those logs
is good as any concrete

for what we need
to use these for.

[Matt] Yeah, just like that.

[Matt] That's good.

[Misty] So let's talk about
how we're gonna

prevent this garden
from flooding,

and how we're gonna
prevent this fence
from washing away.

[narrator] As
the schoolhouse greenhouse
nears completion...

[Misty] I'm gonna drop this
because it is not white.

Misty and Shannon
set their sights
on an innovative idea

to create
a ground level garden space
and flood prevention barrier

all rolled into one.

[Misty] So I have this idea,
that is, I think
it would be really cool.

It's one thing
to build a greenhouse,

elevate it and get it
out of the floodplain.
We're doing that.

It's a whole other thing
to put a garden
right on the ground,

and a floodplain,

try and grow a bunch of food,

and figure out
how you're gonna protect it.

How do you take
a problem like flooding,

and how do you actually grow
right here on the ground?

So my dad
has been working really hard
on the berm,

-and this is me not saying
I don't have faith in him
-Right.

or what he's doing,

this is me saying

-I've seen what Mother Nature
is capable of,
-Mm-hmm.

and let's just make sure
we can secure food.

So I want to create
these burrito berms,

-where we literally
wrap a bunch of debris
-Mm-hmm.

inside of this long fabric,

and take it one step further,

where we actually
take the burrito berm
and we grow right into it.

Really?

[narrator] To extend
and protect the Hult family's
growing space,

Misty will first lay down
a perforated
landscaping fabric,

fill it with organic materials
and soil.

Then she will wrap the filling
with the remainder
of the fabric,

creating a type of sandbag
while protecting
the filling from erosion.

Lastly, she will cover
the entire structure
with fertilized mulch.

and plant directly
into the burrito berm surface.

In this part of Oregon
on the Oregon coast,

we need
to be protecting this garden
from floods, right?

But at the same time,
we are creating garden beds.

So we're getting
a two for one.

You take that greenhouse
and you combine it

with the burrito berm bed
Shannon's growing year round.

All right, Shannon.
First ingredient.

Scrap wood from the mill.

[Shannon] Yeah.

So this obviously,
like, look at this guy.

-[Shannon] Yeah.
-He's not good
for anything, right?

Wrong. He's good
for the burrito bed.

I think the garden burritos
are genius.

We're putting a whole bunch
of different layers
of organic material

and covering them
and creating berms
inside of the garden

in order
to mitigate the flooding

that could happen
into the garden.

And it's also giving me more
planting space on those berms.

[Misty] How's
the burrito smelling? Good?

Actually, it smells
like the dirt. [laugh]

We've put in
so many things
into those burritos.

There's garden clippings,
pig manure,

manure from compost piles
that I've had laying around.

All kinds of ingredients

[Misty] You liking
the burrito berms?

-I'm seeing the vision.
-Yes?

Yeah, I think it's great.

[Misty] It's gonna
be really good.

Yeah, I really do.

I really think so.

Yeah. We're gonna
definitely do
a U shaped berm, right?

And be parallel
with this other berm
and this trench,

and really keep the water out,

and just truly secure the food

and give you
that much more room
to grow in.

[Shannon] I love it.

[Marty] Hello, family.

[Marty] Come here.
Gather around.

[Marty] You can't have
that much fun pouring concrete
and not be thinking,

"Hey, I think
I want to sign my name."

So grab a nail,

and there is your palette.

-[Jake] Sounds great.
-[Shannon] I like it.

[Marty] Oh, yeah.

[Jake] With those
concrete slabs,

you know,
I think it was really cool

that we personalized them
and put our names in them.

[Marty] That's amazing.

That's actually really cool.

I remember as a kid
we did the same thing
in my grandparent's property,

and we poured a concrete patio
under his picnic table.

You know,
that property meant a lot
to my grandparents,

and we want the same thing
to be a source of stability

for our kids and their kids
and you know,
generations of Hults.

It's really cool.

[Shannon] Can I get a corner
with my foot?

-[Shannon] I'm kidding.
-[Jake] Okay,
let's see that.

Oh, yeah.

Whoo!

Yeah, that's cool.

It is set in stone, guys.

Thanks a lot
for your help today.

Let's get back to work.

[Marty] A needle
in a haystack.

Allegedly some type of spring
is here on top of that cliff.

Does the spring actually
exist up there or not?

[Marty] So I'm standing
on the road,

with a homestead on one side,

and a cliff on the other side.

[narrator] The Raneys
have less than 48 hours
remaining in southern Oregon,

and Marty turns his attention
to a new critical mission,

bringing the family
clean drinking water.

In my hand is a map
that said somebody applied
for a permit

to use the water

for this property.

and it's allegedly
some type of spring.

And allegedly that water
is right here.

X marks the spot,

because if there's one thing
that's gonna bother me
the rest of my life,

is leaving these homesteaders
with that river

for drinking water.

All right, so...

a needle in a haystack.

Let's go.

[Marty] I've been working hard

at trying to protect
this homestead
from flood waters.

All the while wondering

why this homestead
doesn't have
clean drinking water.

[groans]

It doesn't matter
what homestead I'm on,

if I'm looking for water.

I roam around
on that property
and I look for

ferns, right?

Because usually
where there's ferns,
there's moisture.

There's water.

But my theory

doesn't really work in Oregon,

because just look
at the cliff here above me.

It's a sea of ferns.

So that little homestead trick
does not apply in Oregon.

There's ferns everywhere
because it's wet everywhere
on the surface.

[grunts]

Can you hear that?

[exhales]

[Marty] That's water.

Oh, yeah.

All right, this is it.

We have water here.

That's a lot of water.

It's deep in the crack
and it's going
straight down this mountain,

which is good
because there's homesteads
at the bottom.

[Marty] I'd bet my life
that if you dig down
on that property,

you'll find this. Water.

[Marty] Boom. Done.

Whoo!

[narrator] In the back
of the homestead,

Let's just set it right here.

[narrator] Matt and Jonah push
to complete
the new goat tower.

[Matt] Let's finish
this thing.

[Jonah] The goat tower
that we're building

is an amazing addition
to the goat pen,

because now the goats
have somewhere

to go out of the rain
and out of the floodwaters.

Perfect.

[Jonah] Goats have an instinct
to climb things,

so I think it's gonna
really help them out a lot.

Now we've got
a little overhang
on both sides.

The water will drip down
and it won't go inside
that building.

-All right,
let's get the old one on.
-All right.

So we can't finish this roof
unless we get this board
up here, right?

And it's kind of hard
to reach.

-[Jonah] Yeah.
-Right?

How the heck
would we get it up there,

hold it,

screw it together

on both sides by ourselves?

I have no clue.

Check this out.

Put this in here.

Screw it.

Just put two screws.

Now flip it over.

Now do this side.

Now climb up there.

Flush it.

-You feel that?
-[Jonah] Yep.

[Matt] Okay.

You were able
to hold the board up there

by putting just
two temporary straps of wood
on each end.

Now you'll easily be able
to screw it.

Can you handle it?

Yep.

Good. All right.
Take that block off.

I think it was really cool
how Matt taught me

how to do
a two person job by myself.

Jess isn't always here
to help me out
with building stuff.

So sometimes I'm here alone.

I'm really happy
that he taught me
'cause now I can use it.

How easy was that?

It was really easy.
It's pretty cool.

Homestead home school.
Now I'm gonna show you
how to spin straw into gold.

Tar paper. That's pretty old
school homestead right there.

Bubbles are bad. [bleating]

-[goat bleats]
-[Matt and Jonah laugh]

We're moving fast now.

[Misty] All right!

[narrator] At the front
of the homestead...

So let's just pull these up,
and some of these bigger ones

I can cut if we need to.

It smells really good.

[narrator] Misty and Shannon,
add more layers

to the new
flood-stopping burrito berms.

Okay! Last,
but not least, topsoil.

We're just gonna
pile it over the top
and wrap the burrito tight.

Let's go.

Hi. How's it going?

Does the truck driver
look familiar?

-My son!
-[all laughing]

We have pigs, Jessip. And this
is from your company, right?

-Yes.
-Yeah. Cool.

[Shannon] Yoo-hoo! I mean,
this is the best present
a kid could ever bring me.

-May I point out,
you guys are twinning.
-Oh, yeah.

-Oh, yeah.
-Oh, wow!

These burrito berm beds
have turned into
something so spectacular.

By taking what was on
the homestead, wrapping it up
in some landscaping fabric,

and creating a berm
that keeps water out.

Look at that. Yoo-hoo!

And for the first time
since the late 1800s,

this place can
actually secure food,

and grow food
that isn't gonna wash away
the next time it floods,

is really, really exciting.

Oh! It's hard to get in there.
Lots of stuff.

I'm super excited.

The burrito berms
are gonna keep the water,
hopefully out of the garden,

and allow us to have
a good growing season.

Okay, so this is
actually pretty cool.

Let's see if we can stitch
these burritos. Okay.

How'd we do? Ooh, yeah.

[Shannon] It's very important
for Jake and I to know
where our food comes from.

When I was young, I lived
in different parts of Alaska.

We were off-grid often,
and we were able
to grow our food.

And as I grew up, that was
always in the back of my mind.

And it's just
always been a goal.

Do we make it? Does
the tortilla make the wrap?

-Barely.
-Barely.

-I love it.
-I think it's great.

The goal is to cut some holes
in the top of the burritos

and plant things in them
throughout the year.

So I love the fact
that it's not just this flat.

The garden bed
is actually the mound

you're going up
one side across the berm
and then down the other.

Which is pretty epic.

This isn't something I
would have ever thought of.

These burritos
are gonna be very handy.

We'll get them
kind of fine-tuned.
We'll figure out how we

keep them together
and all that stuff.

Um, but for now,
let's wrap these burritos,

-finish off with the topsoil
and move on to the next one.
-All right.

[upbeat music playing]

[Marty] Okay. Here we go.

[narrator]
On the Hult homestead
in Southern Oregon...

The little bucket
is gonna take a while
to get down there,

but we need a digging bucket.
Whatever it takes.

It seems like water is
the epicenter of the problems
on this homestead.

Too much water
is flooding from the river.

And the homesteaders
are drinking water
out of the river.

They need good,
safe drinking water.

There is a spring running down
the side of the mountain,

that supplied
all the needs for a school.

What happened?
You find that water,
you've just found gold.

[chainsaw buzzes]

Once I got the logs
into the ground
and supported the deck,

I realized that
my goat platform
was pretty far off the ground.

And to keep with the same look
and the same style of build,

building a staircase
out of a log, the same logs
that are in the ground,

it just is gonna be
way too cool.

Whoo.

[Misty] All right, Shannon!

Last but not least,
is the mulch over the top
for the burrito berms.

Mulch was just delivered,
and it's not just
average mulch,

it is fertilized mulch.

It has some manure mixed in.

Burrito! [laughs]

[Misty]
We're gonna dump it on top.

Thankfully,
Mother Nature
cooperated this week.

It was pouring,
but then stopped,

long enough for us to deal
with the flood control.

This structure
is coming together, but
we're running out of time.

Whatever it takes, I'll do it.

And I'm so excited for Shannon
because these berms
are massive.

You can't have a burrito
without the salsa.

[upbeat music playing]

[bird squawks]

Check this out.

-We've got the stairs in.
-It's looking good.

I've got one last touch
to this goat pen

that I think the goats
are really gonna like.

It has to do with this broom.
Times four.
It goes right here.

The goat rubs up against it,
and you've got yourself
a nice little goat spa.

A goat is going to find a way
to scratch themselves.

No matter
what you have in their pen.

-See if it works.
-[Jessip laughs]

Oh, yeah. Nice.

Why not give them a place
where they can
groom themselves,

get off the itches
and the, you know, the bugs

and look good afterwards?

Oh my goodness,
I think it's gonna
help the goats out a ton.

-Look at them go.
-Yeah.

Look! Not only do we have
a great place for the goats

to get up out of the flooding
waters,

but it's a place
where they can play.

-And let's not forget
our really awesome goat spa.
-Yeah.

Our little goat brushing
station. It's got it all,
come on.

You know what's really funny,
is like, we started
this whole thing

just trying to help
the pigs out,

-and we kind of went above
and beyond for the goats.
-Yeah.

[narrator] Over at the barn...

-[Jonah] There's
pigs in there.
-[Matt laughs]

[narrator] ...Pigs have
arrived on the homestead,

and Matt has
one more surprise.

Here's something
that's really exciting.

Both of these pigs
are pregnant.

-[Jessip] Oh, my goodness.
-[Matt laughs] Yeah.

-That's a lot of pigs.
-Yeah.

There's piglets on the way.

And piglets didn't survive
the last big flood.

Okay? I brought the pigs
here because I know

that they're gonna be safe,

because of the area
we've built over here,
that leads to high ground.

[narrator] Seven days ago,
the Hult family was reeling

from the loss of livestock,

and paralyzed
by the fear of losing more.

Now, with the introduction
of safe, high ground
for the pig pens,

and a climbing tower,
allowing the goats

to escape floods and disease,

the Hult family's animals
will be happier

than pigs in slop.

I think the pigs are ready to
weather any flood,

or anything really
that's gonna come our way.

I think we can overcome
just about anything.

I feel good about
what we did here, guys.

[Jessip] It's great
to hear pig noises
back out on the homestead.

[upbeat music playing]

[Misty] Come on in your
new greenhouse.

-[Misty squeals]
What d'ya think?
-Oh, it smells good.

-I haven't been in here
I'm gonna cry.
-[laughing] Oh, no!

Obviously, Shannon is really
excited to have a greenhouse
for the first time.

There's a lot going on here.
We have the old windows
from the schoolhouse.

We have
all of this myrtle hardwood,
that last really long time.

I'm just, like, so excited
that all this material

was on the homestead
and it was just
waiting to be used.

Do you think you're safe?
Do you think you have
food security?

Absolutely. I feel very safe.

-Yeah?
-Yeah.

-And like, no more
homestead dream on hold?
-No. Full steam ahead.

Okay, it's a little slick.

-I'm gonna fall!
-We gotta put
the tread on this.

-We gotta put
the tread on there.
-[both laugh]

[Misty] Good job.

[Misty] I'm in love
with this garden.

You have these
burrito berm beds.

Not only are they keeping out
any potential flooding,

but the amount of grow room,
there's method to the madness,

all those layers breaking down
over time, giving you like,

perfect topsoil,
perfect compost.

The size
and just food security,

like all-in-one
is really exciting.

I really think
those burrito berms
are going to really give me

a lot of planting space,
and also if the flood does
come in the yard,

I don't think it's gonna
come in my garden.

I'm super excited about that.

I'm, I'm stoked. I love it.

[narrator] A week ago,
the Hult family's dreams

of living wholly off the land
were on hold indefinitely.

Now, with the introduction
of the schoolhouse greenhouse

and the newly protected garden
with plantable burrito berms,

Shannon and her family
have room to safely grow

enough produce
for generations to come.

You know, we've worked
our whole lives, and we've
done it all ourselves.

I'm just gonna
look away. [laughs]

We're all super excited
to get back to work

and dig into this homestead
again and make it exactly

what we planned on
when we bought it.

It's a dream come true.

[Marty] Let's do it!

[narrator]
At the front of the homestead,
Marty is out of time.

But the dig for a freshwater
underground spring

is essential to the viability
of the Hult
family's homesteading dream.

[Marty]
That's what I'm looking for.

It's gonna happen.
That water is gonna be
riding on top of this clay.

Whoo!

Unbelievable.

That's a gusher.

Oh, my lord.
Look at it running in.

This is some of the most water
we've ever found.

We've got to get
the homeowners over here.

This water source
is a huge victory.

I know their lives are gonna
change for the better.

Okay, look down here.

Look at that. There's water
running into that hole.

That is as much water as we've
ever hit on a homestead, ever.
We've been to hundreds.

-[Jessip] Oh, my goodness.
-[Jake] Really?

-And look how clean it is
and look how pure it is.
-[Jake] Yeah.

I'm super excited.
In my mind, it has to be
a good water source.

-But the bad news is
it's gonna get dark.
-Yeah.

And we're supposed
to be in that truck
in about an hour.

We're never gonna make it.
Well, we're gonna work
all the way to dark.

We're gonna develop this thing
the best we can.

But there's no doubt
in my mind if we develop this,

that you guys won't
figure out how to get it.

-Absolutely.
-We can get it everywhere.

Just make a vow
that you'll never drink water
of that river again.

-We won't.
-Nope, never again.

Is that really you?

-It's me?
-How many years?
How many years?

Fifty two.

Every once in a while
you get a blast from the past.

One of my old school chums
named Daryl Grew,

he found out we were working
down here and surprised me

with some pictures
from high school.

-There's me and...
-There's my wife.
There's Molly.

-[Marty chuckles]
-[Daryl] Oh!

And a jersey that he wore
when we played basketball.

That's why we're here.
Inside the gymnasium.

Daryl and I are gonna step
back in time to glory days,

and we're gonna play
some basketball.

[all cheering]

That's it! I can pivot.
It's coming.

[all laughing and yelling]

-Here we go.
-Oh, he's my old dad!

Next basket wins.

-Oh, quick!
-[all] Aw!

-Marty, we lost again.
-Argh!

Man, it just looks so clean,
I wish I could get down there
and taste it.

I can't believe it.
Talk about the last second.

[narrator]
With clean spring water
finally discovered...

We're gonna roll it out back!

[narrator]
Marty and the Homesteaders
race to tap into it,

before the Raney's
leave for good.

That'll work. We're gonna
drop this in vertically.

We have to sort this water.

We dug the hole,
you set the culvert in there.

-Is that going that far down?
-Yeah.

And now, fill around
that culvert up to
the water table with gravel.

Oh, that's awesome.

What an amazing find.

[Marty]
And then backfill. That will
allow all of the water

to seep through
the cracks of the ground,

through the rock,
and make its way
inside the well casing.

Scrape it in, scrape it in.

Perfect.

Hey, Marty,
I don't know if I've
introduced you to my dad.

This is Dale.
He's down from Portland.

-Big guy. Big guy.
-Nice to meet you.

Things are happening.
Don't get
too close to the edge.

Have you ever seen water
in this homestead before?

Uh, not right here.
That's great.
Look at all that.

I grew up in this area,
and not only did
I grow up in this area,

generations of Hults,
my grandfather lived here,
my dad lived here,

and it's getting more
and more rare

that families live in one
specific area like this,

and it's a tradition
that we want to continue.

Whoo!

You know, we've actually got
an extra line already going
over to that pump house.

-Yeah.
-We can tie this spring
into that pump house,

and everything could just
be centralized.

-Yeah.
-Water, water house, you know.

It definitely feels like it's
gonna be continued up here.

-Which way has it got to go?
-Towards you.

[upbeat music playing]

I'll let you be the first one.
Any water in there?

Heck, yeah, there's water
in there. Check that out.

Did you ever think
this would happen?

-It's a lot of water.
-Yeah.

It's more than enough
to run this homestead.

I think there's enough water
there to run a homestead
with goats, with pigs,

a big family, visitors,
a barn full of neighbors
having a hoedown.

-[chuckling] Yeah.
-Whatever happens here,

uh, I think you've got
enough water to do it.

And speaking of water,
do you think
that those flood waters

are gonna stay on that side?

I have no doubt
that the flood waters
are gonna stay on that side.

This looks great.
Gives me a lot of confidence.

I think that a bulldozer
could hit the back side
of that wall

-and probably
not knock it over.
-There you go.

Just walking around
the property now
and seeing all the changes

that have been made
just instilled
a level of confidence.

Knowing that now maybe
we can complete the things

that we originally wanted to
with this property

that it is absolutely
a working homestead
at this point.

We cut the gray down
to get the water wicking away
from all your buildings,

took that material
and mounted it up here.

We've got trees
running horizontally,

the stumps, hopefully acting
as rebar in an earth dam.

To stave off that.

[narrator]
Seven days ago, the Hults
were drowning in water worries

with extreme flooding,
wiping away
hard-earned progress.

And a lack of safe
drinking water, jeopardizing
their personal health.

Now, with the introduction of
a 60-foot long retaining wall

and a 200-yard
protective berm,

the entire perimeter
is shielded from flooding.

While a newly found
underground spring

will provide fresh mountain
water for years to come.

I am blown away that we didn't
have to truck in any material,

that this was all
sitting right here.

Often on a homestead like this
you've got a problem for sure,

-but the solution
is right there,
-Hmm-hmm.

right there on the
property as well.

[sniffs] Thank you.

You're welcome, sir.

You're welcome.

We gotta go.

We gotta go.
It's getting dark.

You said something
the other day,

about when you
bought the property,

you said you put all
your money in, every penny.

And you got here and you
experienced that first flood.

We got into something
over our head, and I don't
feel like that anymore.

Just the projects
that have been done
this week are so impressive.

All of it has to do
with flooding in mind,

more food in mind, being able
to keep our animals safe.

You're actually gonna be able
to homestead without worrying.

Even if you did have
a flood come through here,

the livestock
is gonna be fine.

It's kind of like
starting over, you know,
the property that we,

started with two years ago.

It's like
we're starting again.

Our goal was,
when we bought this place,

to continue sort of
our family's dreams,
of my family's dream,

of having that
family homestead
where generations grow up.

We didn't know
in the beginning
if that was possible.

But what we've done
up here has made it

to where our kids
will enjoy this property.

Our grandkids
will enjoy this property,

and probably so on
and so forth,
through the generations.

What do you think
about what's happened
here for your parents?

I am just so impressed
with all the things
that have changed around here.

Just seeing everybody working
and constantly working is...

It's good to see.

I'm glad that they're
not gonna have to worry
about flooding now.

I'm so happy that
for the first time, you guys,
get to start living

the homestead dream,
and now it's official,
it's no longer on hold.

Thank you so much
for the sweat,

the hard work, uh, the ideas.

A close family really makes

for a successful homestead,

It really does.

We enjoyed Oregon, thanks
for working alongside us.

[Marty] When the homesteaders
tell you that around 1870

the first homesteaders
flooded out,

you know you're in trouble.

But the course of history
can be changed with hard work.

So now a new chapter
has been written down.

For the first time since 1870,

this property,
these buildings,
these homesteaders,

are high and dry,

and that's a good thing.

[Shannon] Since
the Raney's have left,
it has been full steam ahead.

We've been super busy
building off the foundation
that they left us with.

[Shannon]
The garden has taken off,
we actually harvested

a few things
out of there already.

[Jake] We used all
the concrete form boards.

We repurposed them
to build raised beds.

[Shannon] Jake's been
working on getting
our water system out there,

and the greenhouse is growing
tomatoes and peppers.

We had some
really significant storms that
put everything to the test.

Marty built that wall
high enough that all the flood
prevention measures

that we put in
are holding up great.

The goats
are loving that port.

They are literally like
kids playing around
in a tree house.

Loves the belly scratches.

[Jake]
We expect piglets any day.

I see this as the beginning
of a long history
on the Hult homestead.

That's been our goal
from the beginning

to make this a property that
passes on through generations.

It's always been a school,
but now it's also
the Hult property,

and I think that it's
pretty exciting to see where
we're gonna go from here.