All language subtitles for Homestead.Rescue.S12E05.1080p.WEB.h264-FREQUENCY[EZTVx.to]_[English] (SUBRIP)

[Marty] When you look out
the window of an airplane
at 30,000 feet,

you're looking at this
right here.

You're looking at farms,
rectangles, and squares.

There is a common thread
running through that
patchwork.

They all recognize
the value of family

and a good work ethic.

Iowa in winter is a frozen,
windswept, barren landscape.

-It's brutal.
-[Marty] Hundreds of holes
in the roof.

I don't know how to fix it.

They don't have a proper barn
to put the animals in.

Since my husband died,
everything just kind of sat.

We failed at everything
that we have done.

Something has to change
drastically.

We need to show them
how to thrive out here.

[opening 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.
-...and ingenuity

It's perfect. [laughs]

To save the off-grid dreams
of desperate homesteaders.

We work every second
we can trying to help

complete strangers.
That's who we are.

Iowa means... beautiful.

[Misty] All you see is farms
as far as the eye could see.

-[Marty] Boom, shakalaka.
-[Misty] But guess what?

We're in wintertime.

All of these cornfields
are dead.

[Marty] And it is windy
and cold.

Don't think for a second
that this place isn't brutal

in the dead of winter.

In the remote plains of Iowa,
the Raney's answer

a distress call from land
utilized for centuries
by farmers,

providing 10% of America's
food supply.

But the bounty of this region
doesn't come without risk.

Summers bring scorching heat
and humidity,

along with an average of 50
tornadoes per season.

And with winter comes
life-threatening sub-zero
temperatures

and winds howling up
to 45 miles per hour,

turning this fertile ground
into a barren landscape

with no respite
from Mother Nature.

Facing this windswept battle
is a second-generation

homesteading couple struggling
to keep their off-grid

birthright from the brink.

I'm Jake Anthony.

And I'm Shawn Anthony,
and we're situated here
on 10 Acres in Northwest Iowa.

[Jake] Almost 40 years ago,
my mom purchased
this property,

and it's been in our family
ever since.

Growing up, my parents
had a thriving
and flourishing property,

but since Shawn and I have
taken over the homestead,

we've been struggling.

The summer and fall season,
we survived, but...

The temperatures
in Iowa in winter get

20, 30,
40 below zero sometimes.

And the amount of snow
can go from an inch

to three feet overnight.

Everything on the homestead
is at risk when it gets
that cold.

We are in Tornado Alley.

We had a tornado come through
here last year and it caused

the damage to our property.

[Jake]
We just haven't been able
to build back from that.

Due to the extreme weather,
our barn is inadequate

to house our animals.

There's holes in it.

So we've had to relocate
the livestock all into
the shop.

There are no doors
on our shop,

so it allows very brisk
cold winds to come in
through there,

which is a big danger
to the animals.

[Jake] Our horse stables,
you can see through the walls.

You can see through
the ceiling.

The horse is exposed
to all the elements.

Horses have been
a big inspiration
in my whole entire life.

And right now we have
one horse,

but we had seven horses
and we ultimately had
to sell them

because we needed to focus
our time and energy

on other parts
of the homestead.

[Shawn] It's really tough
when you're trying to help

these animals
and you fail them.

[Jake] In the winter,
food is scarce.

Our garden is non-producing.

We've tried to do raised beds.
We've done plants and tires.

We've done strategic placement
of where our gardening is.

We've tried to patch up
our structures,

but we definitely don't have
the knowledge in building

anything that we need.

We've failed at everything
that we have done.

[Shawn] We're this close
to not being able to make it
through this winter.

Raneys, please help us.

This wind is blowing.
Batten down the hatches.

Hold on to your hats.
Zip up your coats.

-[Misty] Oh, gosh.
-[Marty] Are they inside?

-Hello.
-Hello.

-Welcome to Iowa.
-Oh, my gosh.

You guys, hello.

-Jake, nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.

-Jayme.
-Jayme.

-Jayme.
-And Shawn.

-Shawn.
-Yes.

And you are?

-I'm mom.
-To him?

-Yeah.
-Okay.

And you live here?

-I did for 37 years.
-[Misty] Oh, wow.

-Where'd you move to?
-Washington, Iowa.

-It's about 500 miles east.
-500 miles away?

-Yes.
-Because the wind is brutal,
let's cut to the chase.

Why did you call us here?

Because we're at a loss
for surviving.

We don't want to let go,
but we need so much help.

[Jake] My favorite thing
growing up on the homestead

was the freedom that we had.

My parents were big
into agriculture
and gardening,

and we had sheep,
we had hogs, we had cattle.

I grew up mostly
south of Chicago.

I knew nothing about
homesteading

and being self-sustainable.

[Jake] Throughout my life,
my dad was the backbone.

He was a hard worker
from sunup to sundown

and dedicated his life
to my mom and myself.

For six years, Jake and Shawn
lived a normal city life

in Omaha, Nebraska.

But three years ago,
life as they knew it changed.

In June of 2021,
we got a phone call
in the morning

that my dad had passed away.

Ken basically said, "Jayme,
walk me to my pickup.

I don't feel too good
this morning."

Get halfway there,
and he dropped over.

Had a massive heart attack.

[Jake]
We had just talked to him
on the phone the day before

and it seemed like everything
was fine.

So it was definitely
a shock to me.

[Jayme]
I was there for a year
after he passed away,

but it was too much for me.

[Jake] That's when Shawn
and I decided to take
the reins.

Our main goal
on this home set is to survive
self-sufficiently,

but also to pursue
my passion for horses

and rescuing them
and do some training

on the side for
supplemental income.

[Jayme]
We also were very big into
making our own products.

We make our own laundry soap,
toothpaste,

we make our own deodorants,
and we do that all from
organic materials.

I always wanted to live a life
where I could generate

an income for us selling
my own things.

[narrator] But without Jake's
father around

to teach crucial farming
and construction skills,

the homesteaders
are fish out of water.

[Shawn]
Jake knows so much
about animals,

and there's a lot that
I know about gardening,

but we just lack some
of the basic knowledge

that would make us
successful here.

[Jake]
My mom knew some things,
but there's a lot of things

that my dad did on
the homestead by himself,

and I never got
the opportunity to learn
those skills.

And without the skills
that my dad had,
we can't keep it going.

[Shawn] This has already been
in his family for almost
40 years,

and we want to carry
that generational legacy on.

There's not a plan B,
but right now we're just
over our heads.

My whole life is here
on the homestead.

Leaving this would be leaving
my dad.

If we are not able to save
our homestead,

it would break my heart.

[Marty] What's this building?

This is the barn where all
the livestock was being kept.

-My dad built this.
-How's the integrity
of the building?

I'm honestly not sure
because I don't know much.

Well, I can see
a lot of daylight.
That doesn't look good.

Shawn attempted to insulate it
to keep some chickens in here.

[Marty]
You can't insulate this.

Any kind of heat is going
to go right through.

I'm looking at probably
hundreds of holes in the roof.

If it was snowing or raining
right now,

all these holes would be just
dripping with water.

[Jake] Yeah.

10 years ago,
where would the goats be?

The goats and the cow
would have been in here.

They're all in the shop now.

-In the shop?
-Yeah.

Where the tools, the tractor,
and the mechanical?

-Where that's supposed to be.
-The shop stuff? Okay.

-And then there's
a horse as well.
-Right.

Where do you have that horse?

[Jake] There's a stable,
and we've tried to repair it

with tin sheets
and more plywood and stuff.

But even that,
due to the weather and stuff,

even that stall isn't suitable
to have the horse.

This homestead has around
50 farm animals.

And there's not anywhere
that I can see

that protects them
from the cold.

This building is pretty
much non-usable.

Yep.

And it's something that
just really sucks

because it's something
that my dad kept going

and I don't know
how to fix it.

I can use a screwdriver
and drill a board,

but I don't know how
to make the cuts or
what I need to look for.

And I feel like
that's something that

I should have learned
from him, and maybe
it's my fault

because I wasn't outside
with him a lot.

-Well, listen.
-But I don't know.

Listen.

We can't do anything about
the past, right?

Yeah.

And if you're sincere
about wanting to carry on

your dad's dream of everything
this homespan,
this 10 acres meant,

that's all you really need
to focus on.

But it takes work
to get it done.

The weather is brutal.

The buildings are
in terrible condition.

We're probably going
to tear stuff down.

And the question is,
what are we going to build?

Something has to change
drastically if he wants

to carry on the legacy
of his father.

[Matt] Okay, what is going on
in here?

[Shawn] Well,
this was originally,
like, our workshop.

Is it a shop or is it a barn?

Yeah.

[Matt] There's 20 chickens
in here, four goats.

-[Shawn] And a steer.
-A steer.

This was set up where
we would keep all
of our tools.

At one point, we had a tractor
in here that was old.

But unfortunately, this winter
was so brutal that it damaged

a lot of our structures
that we kept our animals in.

So we haven't really been able
to utilize this space

the way that we really
would have hoped to.

-It's a shop. It's a barn.
It's both.
-Yeah.

[Matt] This is not
a great place for a barn.

I know that you put some stuff
down on the floor,

-but, I mean,
this is a concrete slab.
-Yes.

There needs to be a door
on this thing, you know?

That door doesn't even look
like it can close.

[Shawn] Right.

The other barn is a shanty
about ready to collapse,

and they don't have
a proper barn to put
the animals in,

and it looks
really unsanitary.

So, I mean, how badly
do you need a shop though?

Like we really need a shop.

You know, our dream
and our goal here is to be

not only self-sufficient
for ourselves,

but we want to provide
an income for ourselves

so we can work
from the homestead.

Yeah.

I'm going to try to figure out
a way to get the animals

in a safe space
where they can keep warm,

but also have a nice shop
where they can work on

their mechanical stuff
for their business.

I think that this is totally
a very useful space.

Yeah.

[Matt] We just need
to make it safer.

[Misty] What are these guys
doing for gardening?

They put their garden
down here.

-Oh, under the trees?
-Under the trees.

For shade?

I don't know. And I go, why?

This seems like a pretty
small garden,
but there is one.

-Did you have a garden here?
-Yeah.

-And it seemed like
it was working for you.
-Yeah.

So what's happening
with these guys?

Since my husband died,
everything just kind of sat
since then.

When it comes to just
growing food,
there's a lot of work to do.

-I would love to be able
to resurrect...
-Yeah, exactly.

...this, but look at
this crazy weather.

-It's like dead of winter
in Iowa.
-Yeah.

No plant is going
to survive in this wind

-and in these temperatures.
-No.

-No.
-So step one, figuring out

how you can grow
in this climate.

-And it's not going to be
underneath a tree.
-No.

I have Jayme at my side.

We're here for the same goal,
which is to help Jake

to make sure that his dream
of being here can come true,

because it's not going to
happen like this.

We definitely have
some work to do.

[Misty]
Jake moved back with Shawn,
and he's here to stay.

I know he's serious,
but he can't do it on his own.

The barn has reached
a point of no return.

There's not one structure here
that provides refuge

from these winds.
How's that shop look?

The shop is being used
as a barn and gets too cold

and dilapidated
to keep animals safe

from all the wind
and the snow.

That shop space needs
to be a shop space,

but the animals need to have
their own spot as well.

You think this wind is brutal
with the animals?

It's brutal when you try
and grow anything.

If this was being used
to its fullest potential,

this would be like
a moneymaker.

So we need to show them
how to not just survive,

but thrive out here during
these brutal Iowa winters.

You've got a warm house,
and the animals have
no place to go.

So Matt and I,
we're going to focus on

new housing, new structures
for the animals.

-Definitely.
-Absolutely.

It's simple enough.
Do you want to grow
your own food?

-[all] Absolutely.
-Yes.

This wind, not only is it
super hard on the animals,

it's going to be really hard
to garden in.

What we have going for us
is the amount of structures

that are here.

I think you could easily
repurpose one of them.

-Absolutely.
-Definitely.

We're dealing with below zero
chill factor.

But guess what?
We're from Alaska,
and we don't care.

Because you're going to see
that the talking stops

tomorrow morning,
and the working starts.

Let's get out of the wind.

-See you then.
-Great.

-Take care.
-All right.

Shawn and I were training
horses for a while for people.

And then the weeds just
overgrown everything.

-You're a bronc buster.
-Yeah, I grew up doing
mutton busting

and roping with my mom.

[Marty]
We need to go beyond
just building a structure.

Let's go!

[narrator] As dawn breaks on
the Anthony family's
10-acre Iowa farmstead...

-[Misty] It snowed.
-It snowed.

[narrator]
Misty presents Jayme
with a plan to give Jake

and Shawn's gardening
infrastructure a second wind.

Wintertime in Iowa,
trying to grow food.

I know Iowa has this amazing
growing season,

but how do we take advantage
of it right now
in this moment?

So I would love to talk
to you about a few things.

-Come on in here.
-Yes?

There are a lot
of structures here

that you and your husband
built pretty much all of them,
right?

And they all had a purpose
at one time.

But now, not so much, right?

Now they're just
kind of random,

filled with random things.

When I look at
this Quonset Hut,
I see the potential.

So I would love to do
something with this structure.

Is this structure up
for grabs?

-If we can empty it.
-[both laugh]

[narrator] A Quonset hut
is an all-purpose,

prefabricated structure
created for the US Navy
during World War II.

Commonly made of corrugated
galvanized steel,

the US military sold
their surplus huts

to civilian buyers.

And today, Quonset huts
are often constructed

for use as outbuildings,
businesses, and homes.

I would love to turn
this Quonset hut
into a greenhouse.

Do you think we're going
to be able to do that?

-If we can do it, let's do it.
-Okay.

[narrator]
Misty and Jayme will replace
a portion of steel paneling

with translucent roofing
to transform the 50 by 25 foot
Quonset hut

into an insulated
south facing greenhouse

with shelves for crops
that will sustain

Jake and Shawn during
the frigid Iowa winter.

This seems light.

Why don't you grab that,
and I'll grab this.

We are in the dead of winter
in Iowa,

and if you want to maximize
your potential to grow

as much food
as you possibly can,

the only way to do that
is with a greenhouse.

But to transform
the Quonset hut into
a greenhouse,

the first thing I want to do
is move it so it's facing
south.

Okay, there you go.
Okay, it goes right inside.

It's going to fit right
inside as a block.

Down.

We're gonna put in
these massive
stabilizing logs,

a little bit of bracing,
and that's gonna hold
the structure in place

and keep it stable
when it's moving.

Okay, we're gonna call
that good?

Okay.

[dramatic music playing]

All the little things matter,
especially when it comes
to gardening.

Little things
like just pivoting a structure

to be able to collect
southern exposure is something

you're going to want
to spend time doing.

Look for damage.
Look for damage.

Looking good.

Obviously, extra care
needs to be taken because

this is something Kenny built.

So I'm trying to be
really careful.

We're taking it nice and slow.

I hear damage.

This Quonset hut is not heavy,
but it's rickety.

And even with the bracing,
there's potential for us

to totally collapse
the whole thing.

-Come this way a little bit.
-Okay.

This is just a little bit
harder than I thought it'd be.

Yes!

-All right, Jayme, good job.
So look at this.
-Yes, perfect.

If you were a plant,
would you be happy?

I'm happy not being
a flight attendant.

I've missed the moving stuff,
rebuilding,

putting stuff together,
fixing stuff.

Working with her reminded me
of working with my husband,
Kenny.

It just brought back so many
memories of working with him.

[Misty] First things first,
we got to pop off the middle.

How are you with
an impact or a drill?

-Piece of cake.
-Piece of cake.

-Here we go.
-Let's go.

[country music playing]

[Matt] Hey, Shawn.
How's it going?

Another day in Iowa with snow.

[narrator]
Over at the shop turned barn,
Matt and Shawn begin

the critical task of keeping
the homestead's livestock safe

from howling winds
and sub-zero temperatures.

[Matt] My main goal is
to make sure these animals
are safe in the winter.

But I also want Jake and Shawn
to learn the skills

and the tools,
not just to survive
this winter,

but the winters to come.

To make things a lot easier,
I don't want to spread out

their shop and their barn.

I want to make things
manageable

and bring everything
all together in one spot.

I want to look around
for materials that are on
the homestead.

-For sure.
-Anything that we can source
right here

from the homestead is going
to speed things up.

So let's get this thing
weathered in.

[narrator]
Matt and Shawn will build
a one-stop barn shop,

constructing three separate
weatherproof rooms,

a chicken coop,
a pen for larger livestock,

and a workshop,
all under one roof.

This will keep
the farm animals safe and dry

while providing Jake and Shawn
with plenty of room

to store equipment
and work on critical
homestead projects.

There might be life left
in some of these logs

I'm seeing on the ground here.

And I mean,
there's a four by six
right here.

[Shawn] I'm excited to learn
a lot of things from Matt

and super excited about moving
forward with these projects.

It looks like
it's 16 feet long.

We're definitely going
to take that.
This is good.

We're finding really good
materials here.

I mean, look at this.
Are these the barn doors
right here?

Um, I would assume so.

[Jake] I wonder,
do you think that Jake

would mind if we took
these barn doors?

I think he would be thrilled
because then it would be

repurposing something that
his dad was wanting to use.

And so that'd be really
touching to Jake.

I think it's really amazing
that Jake and Shawn
have chosen

to try to keep this legacy
of the homestead alive.

And if we all work together,
we can get this place

back to what it was.

Let's bring all our materials
over and we'll start restoring

-the shop.
-Perfect.

[upbeat music playing]

-So we had
a little blizzard last night?
-[Shawn] Yeah.

[narrator]
100 feet away from the future
one-stop barn shop...

All right, let's talk about
this place.

Marty and Jake seek
to safeguard the largest
animal on the homestead.

[Jake] There was stables here.

Shawn and I were training
horses for a while for people.

-Really?
-And then the weeds
just overgrown everything.

Well, so was there any money
in training horses?

Yeah, we'd get the horses
like from like a kill pen

or something and then train
them or make sure

they were broke right enough
and then sell them for more.

-So we would make money.
-You're a bronc buster.

Yeah, I grew up doing
mutton busting and roping
with my mom and yeah.

-Are you serious?
-Yeah.

Wow.

So do we want to do something
on this footprint right here?

I think this is our best.
It's a good foundation.

-Access to this.
-And access to, yeah.

Okay. Let's walk out
to this field.

After finding out about Jake's
passion and history
with horses,

we need to go beyond just
building a structure.

This is very valuable land
that this...

very invasive, aggressive
plant has overtaken.

-Right.
-So do we want
to get rid of this?

-That would be the best thing.
-Okay.

[narrator]
Marty and Jake will construct
a 50 by 25 foot

weatherproof stable
that opens up

to a 250 by 100 foot
wide pasture,

providing Jake with the means
to train horses

for additional income.

We made it in.

Okay, let's do it.

The key to unlock
this homestead's potential
is this,

horses.

Jake's dream
is to rescue horses,

bring them here,
care for them,

and then sell them to a family
that wants a horse.

That could be a way
to generate income.

So they can improve it,
expand it,

and make this homestead
even better.

But there's no way
it's going to happen

unless that kid breaks
a sweat.

Let's go!

[rooster crowing]

[narrator]
In the wind-chilled heartland
of Iowa, an overnight increase

in temperature has melted
the snow.

[Marty] We got a barn
to build. Let's go!

[narrator] And across
the homestead, an essential
lumber delivery arrives.

-What's your name?
-My name is John.

John, Marty Raney.
This is what we do.

We make dreams happen.

[narrator]
Providing Marty with
the necessary materials

to teach Jake valuable
building skills

as they construct
a new winterized
horse stable

to house the homestead's
burgeoning horse training
operation.

So now think of this space
as two horse stalls.

-That sounds great.
-They'll be 12 by 12.

Whatever it's going
to take here, one step

at a time, basics.

This homestead has
a sad excuse
for a horse stall.

No protection from
this incessant wind.

So we're building
a two horse stall barn

to help them make money
on this homestead.

We're going to build
a straight cut wall,

and our studs
are going to be...

this long, we're gonna
need a lot of them.

Nothing would make me happier
in the world if you could cut

all these studs
while I'm figuring out
the wall.

Yeah.

I never got the opportunity
to learn from my dad

and so I'm really looking
forward to working with Marty

and learning how
to make structures sturdy

and show him that
I can actually do it
by myself.

Ah.

Hey, this is not a big deal.

So what you're doing is,
come here, let me show you.

Your hand over here
is holding it up
and pinching it.

-I just gotta let it.
-Yeah, just let it go.

Let it go.

That was perfect.
That's all I had to see here.

Good man.

I need about,
I probably need 50 of them.

-Carry on, please.
-Cool.

Thank you.

I feel like a carpenter.

If my dad was here,
he would be taking a step back

and shaking his head up
and down and saying,
"There you go."

If you put your mind
to something,
then you can do it.

That has really been like
a motivation for me.

[Marty]
Where's my next one?

-Ready.
-Good answer.

Ready?

Yep.

Thank you.

I love it.

I'd love for you to make
what is called a header.

It's the head of the top
of a door or a window.

So it's usually a bigger board
or sometimes a beam.

So we're going to put headers
over our barn doors

that are going to open
so they're strong.

Let's put this header
and trimmers in there.

You want to do it?

Why? Is it wrong?

Wow.

Three and half inches,
wrong side of a line.

That's a mistake.

Big time. Who made it?

Exactly.

No one's made more mistakes
out here than me.

But I didn't have mentors.

You learn anything?

-How about that?
-Yes, sir.

Make a mistake, who cares?

-Right.
-You'll fix it.

The good news is
I can help others.

It happens, right?

To learn the skills involved
with homesteading.

If they're ready to learn.

-How's my people skills?
-Good.

You remind me of my dad,
so it's a good thing.

-[Misty] You ready to pop some
of these sheets off?
-[Jayme] Sure.

[narrator] On the other side
of the homestead,

Misty and Jayme convert
the old Quonset hut

into a winterproof greenhouse.

I'm so excited.

This is like we're going
to transform this thing.

[Jayme]
I'm starting to see it.
I'm starting to see it.

Obviously, in a place
like Iowa,

you need insulation to keep
your structure warm.

-Can you catch the metal
when it comes down?
-I'm holding it.

[Misty] But guess what?

That fiberglass insulation
is 99.9% air.

Those double-paned
insulated windows,
guess what's in there?

-Air.
-Two down, a million to go.

-Ready?
-Let's do this.

So after we take off the metal
on the south-facing wall,

using two sheets of poly
and a thin air gap,

I want to create insulation
for this greenhouse
using just air.

Oh, yeah. You're doing it.

Oh!

Super sketchy.

I'm trying to put roofing
on in a windstorm.

We have this corrugated poly.

I just lost a piece
that just flew in the air,

became a massive sail.

You're not going to get cut.
You're not going to get
knocked out.

But you're going to damage
one of these panels.

So I'm just trying to get them
on little by little,

tacked on, so when
the next gust comes,
they don't blow away.

Okay. Tack them in.

[Jayme] The greenhouse
is coming along well.

I think we get
the working knowledge on

how to start a garden,
but to keep it going

and keep it thriving
and keep it maintained

is what we need some
more education on.

[Misty] Okay, last screw.

-Yeah, okay.
-Yes.

What do you think
of the old homestead hack,
insulation using air?

-Would have never thought
about it.
-You like it?

I didn't know it worked
like that.

-Makes sense, though, right?
-It does make sense.

-It's like a double-paned
window.
-Yeah.

[Misty] Okay.
We're going to hang
the thermometer.

Boom.

We'll check back
in a little bit
and see where we're at.

But I feel like
if I were a little plant,

I would love this space.

[Misty laughs]

[Jayme] I can't wait to see it
with the shelves.

[Misty] Yeah, me too.

[upbeat music playing]

Well, Marty?

[narrator] At the site of
the new horse stables...

-Got you some help.
-Jake calls in some
helping hands.

-Hi.
-These are some friends
of mine and our nephew.

-Val.
-Val?

-Yep.
-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.
-Julian.

Julian, nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.
-Ryan.

Ryan, man.
Ryan's a big dude.

-Heck yeah.
-So I've got to stand a wall.

Let's do that first.
Come on in.

[Jake] Marty and I have been
working on the horse stables

behind the shop.

The walls are all
getting framed,

so hopefully we can get
as much done in the short

amount of time that we have
the nice weather,

because there's colder
weather coming.

These are 12-foot stalls,
so we're just going to stand
this wall,

and that'll be the one wall
for the tack room, dry room,

right here.

Lift that wall up.
Don't pinch your fingers.

Everybody has to do it
at the same time. Ready?

-One.
-What?

-[all laughing]
-Three.

-Were you going to do
one, two, three?
-Yes.

Okay, that's what I do.
You tell us.

-Tell us how we're going
to do it.
-Okay.

Ready?

One, two, three.

All right, now we're going
to slide it back, everyone.

Come on, keep coming.
Right there.

Push it to the wall, please.

Nice.

-Okay.
-Why is there a space?

That's a good question.

If I would have framed it
on the ground and stood it up,

it won't fit because
this building
is actually leaning.

Okay.

So what I did is built
this short,

and then we'll piecemeal
this together hard on this

and probably hopefully keep it
from keep leaning, yeah?

-Cool.
-Good answer, right?

Yeah.

-Better question.
-Thank you.

You're welcome.
Now we're going
to stand this one.

This is a horse-stall divider,
guys.

The more and more I work
with Jake,

the more impressed I become.

He is growing in confidence,
learning, asking questions,

constantly thinking about
the future here.

-Val?
-One, two, three.

All right. Okay.

[Jake] Really appreciate
how much he's taught me.

And now I know how
to build a wall.

Done.

It's something that's
really going to be beneficial

to Shawn and I in the future.

Tall enough for these
two horses to go,
hey, how's it going?

-Good morning, good evening.
-Heck yeah.

Hey, what are you eating?

Let's get the roof on.

[upbeat music playing]

[narrator]
Inside the one-stop barn shop,
Matt teaches Shawn

how to make critical
infrastructure upgrades.

You can literally see that
where these boards meet,

this whole thing is sagging.

And so we need to fix this.

My plan is to turn
this old building

into a multi-purpose space
that is the one-stop
barn shop.

But there's the little thing
this all hinges on

that it doesn't collapse on
our heads halfway through.

We can't start
and do anything

-until we jack this up.
-Okay.

[Matt]
But the number one thing
that needs to happen

on this homestead
is to train Shawn

in the ways of homesteading
so that he can actually claim

this land for his own.

So now that this is on there,

we will slap in some wood
and get it braced
with some posts.

Okay.

-All right, grab that thing.
You got a drill in your hand?
-Yes.

Okay.

[upbeat music playing]

Okay.

Now we're going up.

Let me know when this is flush
with this side of the brake.

-Okay.
-Yeah, we're calling
that thing

in the middle the brake.

Okay. All right.
We're touching this joist
and that one now.

Okay. Let's screw it.

All right. One more issue.

It's really easy to attach
wood to wood.

But where are the posts going
to go in the concrete?

-That I don't know.
-Joining concrete
and lumber is easy,

but you have to have
the right hardware.

I've never seen it done,
and it's a skill I would love
to learn.

I would absolutely say
that I am learning a lot
from Matt.

What you want to do
is you want to go,

go, go, go, go,
and then pull it out.

Go, go, go, go, go,
and pull it out.

-Just try to get that dust
to come down.
-Okay.

He explained things
in a way that I understood
them very well.

I would definitely say
it gave me some
more confidence.

We'll be able to utilize
that moving forward.

[Matt] Just, hey,
pound it. Yeah.

You just anchored a wood post
in the concrete.

High five.

-I mean,
this is pretty cool, huh?
-Yeah.

Yeah, I've never done
that before.

[upbeat music playing]

[drilling]

[Misty] All right, Jayme,
come on over, Rover.

[narrator]
Across the homestead,
Misty and Jayme start work

on the Quonset hut
greenhouse interior

that will allow Jake and Shawn
to grow vital crops

through all extremes
of the Iowa seasons.

I want to use these pig crate
panels as shelves.

I just want to turn them
into shelving,

and the idea is they'll last
a long time.

Obviously, when you water
from the top,

-it trickles down
to the plant below.
-Perfect.

-That's why they're here.
-Yeah, good job.

-Let's do it.
-Let's do it.

We're putting these shelves
together for free

and creating a space
where you can actually grow

a significant amount
of plants in here.

And they look like something
you would buy from the store.

And every shelf can get some.

-Let's start putting them
together.
-Okay.

[upbeat music playing]

The greenhouse is amazing.

[whooping]

[Jayme]
I think it will help Jake
and Shawn

start the first steps
in the process

of what they need
to do to keep things going

under the homestead.

And that means a lot to me.

-[Misty] Pretty good?
-[Jayme] It is.

[upbeat music playing]

[narrator]
With only 72 hours left
in the rescue...

We can do this door over here.

[narrator] Marty and Jake race
to complete the new
horse stable's

weatherproof interior,
a crucial project

to generate income
and help ensure

the homestead's
long-term success.

All right, this has seen
better days, right?

-For sure.
-I think so.

We'll make a new door,
but I think these are usable.

-What do you think?
-Yeah, they look good.

Top and bottom.
Let's get them, please, quick.

We're homesteaders.

Homesteaders repurpose.

Homesteaders upcycle.

And those materials
go right back into the barn.

How you doing on the hinges?

-Good. Got them.
-Good man.

And it's a win-win.

You know what to do.

Thank you for saving
those hinges.

I love it.

-[laughs]
-I'll be.

I take a break when I can,
but I never like being caught.

Get it down.
Do not tell anybody.

I wasn't sitting down.

We got two more.
Let's go.

-Come on, everyone.
-Okay.

So we're in the process
of making doors.

And why not access...

these horse stalls
from the barn where
it's dry and not windy.

You can feed them,
you can water them.

You don't have to come outside
and access this

and fight these doors
in the wind.

However, we're not done.

[upbeat music playing]

Here's Marty!

Whoo!

All right.

Enough room
to get through there.

This is going
to be a tack room.

Some saddles, some grain,
most likely.

I mean, there's not
any building on
this homestead.

And there's 14 buildings.

There's nothing like this
that's efficient.

Everything looks good.

We had a little reprieve
with the wind.

Got the metal on.

So what we have done
is state-of-the-art roof

with enough screws to keep it
on here in any winds

and it will also protect
those animals,

those horses,
from the elements,
from the rain.

[upbeat music playing]

[Matt]
Let's just kind of get it
over here in this corner.

[narrator]
At the one-stop barn shop,
Matt and Shawn build

livestock partitions
that'll keep the animals safe

and warm throughout
the winter.

I'm thinking build a wall
and seal off this entire side

-of the shop.
-Okay.

So we can have the goats
on this end,

that'll also be closed
off to the shop,

and then build
a separating wall,

and then this entire area
would be used for chickens.

And guess where
the chicken run is?

-I have no idea,
I was gonna ask.
-It's outside.

Free-ranging.

Yeah, you're gonna still
free-range the chickens.

That fridge has to move,
and the temporary fence.

-Let's get ready to work.
-Sure.

Pull it out of the way.

We want to separate
the chickens from the goats

and other animals because
if you build

a big enough space
and they have separate areas

that they're comfortable with
going into when they go
to sleep,

they can totally cohabitate
and be just fine.

You just have to make sure
that they have a place

where they can kind of
separate and just be
their own entities.

Okay, push the top.

And if we build a wall,
Jake and Shawn will have

a nice, sanitary place
where they can process food

and meat and products.

Whoa.

We got to turn.

Okay. Well, let's set
it down gently.

Okay.

So we have a two-inch
difference between

this end of the wall
and this end of the wall.

We're going to build
two different walls,

and we're going to
make our wall

shorter than
the shortest measurement.

-Okay?
-Okay.

Now we want to put a stud
in every two feet.

Teaching Shawn how
to pull layout and build
a wall is one thing.

Showing him how to put that
into an old building

is homesteading.

Shawn is learning above
and beyond what he would learn

at your typical
carpentry school,

because everything that
we're doing here

can be applied to all
the many old structures

that they're going to have
to repair and add onto
in the future.

Pull the trigger.

Look at the nail,
'cause it could shoot at
the little thing.

Okay, we're doing
the other side.

[Shawn] It's been a good
learning process.

It just all makes more sense.
It's all centrally located.

It's just 30 feet
from our front door.

No more chugging water
all over the property.

Lord, I hope it fits.

The animals can all be
in one place

but separate
and have hay there
to feed them very easily.

It's all coming together.

It's all starting
to make sense.

And we're just excited
to see where it's going to be

in the next few days.

All right, we got this thing
secured into a nice spot.

And now we're going
to really tie it all together

-when we put the next wall in.
-Yeah.

And we'll square up
this whole thing,

make sure it's plump,
get some sheathing on here,

and then we'll start
turning this into a barn.

[Shawn] Sounds good.

[upbeat music playing]

[Jayme speaking]

Come here.

You're not, though.

It's something that you
and Dad made,

and this is something that
you're helping me continue

-by making it better.
-[sighs]

It's a lot of years
of memories.

It is.

This is something
that's going to create

-even more years of memories.
-I know.

-I mean, that's... I'm sorry.
-Are you guys okay?

Are you doing okay?

[Jayme] I'm having a moment.

-What's wrong?
-I just see all
the great changes

going on, but it's...
It's like I'm almost, like,

losing my husband again
because a lot of the stuff

that we did over the years,
and it's like

he's being taken away again,
but it's being replaced by

all this stuff that
is so amazing.

-Aw.
-So it's...

-Great emotions.
-Bittersweet.

Bittersweet.

This is, like,
why you ended up
leaving, right?

Because of the memories.

-Yeah. There's too much.
-There's too much.

-And now you're back,
and it's, like, too much.
-Yeah.

It was just all of a sudden
overwhelming today

when I saw it all.
It's like...

Wow.

-It's all good.
-You're kind of seeing
the farm, like,

-come back to life.
-Yeah, I know that.

I know that in my heart.

-It's hard, but it's great.
-Yeah.

[Misty] To see any homesteader
in tears is hard.

Jayme is having a rough day,
which is understandable.

These are memories
that she spent with

her husband for 30 plus years.

That's a big deal.

To me, like seeing
this is something

that they built together.

And for me, it's a memory
that I'll have
that's actually...

-keeping us on the homestead.
-I know that.

I really felt that.

[Misty] You know
what's fascinating about
the two of you?

It's very different, okay?
You have, like, a spouse,

it was like,
this is too heavy,
this is too loaded,

-I have to move away because
of all these memories.
-Yeah.

Then you have a son
that's like,
I got to move back

because I need these memories.

They are who I am.
I really miss my dad.

I love my dad.

And I want to be here for
my dad and with my dad.

-So I'm moving back
so I can be with my dad.
-Yeah.

But she left.
No, I know.

It really is.

Where is your dad buried?

-In the front yard.
-Really?

There's a tree,
like a tractor tire.

If you don't mind,
I would love to see
where your father's buried.

Yeah, for sure.

-Let's go.
-Let's go.

I mean, all I ever hear about
is Kenny.

I want to meet the guy.

People react differently
to change.

Some people love it,
and some people hate it.

Jayme lives in the past
when it comes
to this homestead.

This farm is a huge reminder
of Kenny.

All she can see when
she sees the farm is Kenny.

But Jake is all about
the future and all about
the change,

and that's good.

That's what we want.

We want to pick up
where Kenny left off

and take the homestead
to the next level.

-This is Kenny.
-Yeah.

He always said he wanted
to be out at the farm.

I love you.

-Okay, thank you.
-I appreciate that.

Thank you
for bringing me here.

-What's that about?
-This is too heavy.

-Yeah.
-He's out of here.

Yeah.

He'll come out here and sit
sometimes and talk to his dad.

-By himself.
-Yeah, by himself.

-It's personal and private.
-Exactly.

It's like his...

a place where he can go
and talk to his dad
and not be bothered.

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

[Misty]
Just hearing that this is
where Kenny is buried,

this is where his ashes are
spread, this is heavy duty.

This is, like,
really heavy, right?

You can't just, like,
hear this information

and not be affected by it.

I don't even know the guy.

And everywhere you look,
you can see Kenny.

So I get it why Jake is like
here to stay no matter what.

Everything we do for you,
we do for Jake and we do
for Kenny, right?

-It's all for him too.
-Yeah. Yeah.

So I'm going to leave you
to it so I don't cry.

[both laugh]

That's it. No more.
No more. Okay.

-I'm going to get back
to work and when you're ready,
-Oh, perfect.

-you know where to find me.
-Thank you.

[exhales]

[upbeat music playing]

[narrator]
With the Raneys deep
into a winter-steady

master class on their first
ever Iowa rescue,

Matt, Shawn,
and local build help install

livestock pens inside
the one-stop barn shop.

You didn't see it coming,
but I'm back.

[indistinct chatter]

With my dad rebuilding
the barn on the backside
of the shop,

I actually think
it's a good idea to make a
little area for the goats

close to the backside
of the interior of the shop,

and then keep the chickens
to the front side.

The chickens will literally
just go in a rectangle room

that's a little bit bigger.

And they will be able to exit
the shop from the front side

so that they can continue
free ranging and getting

all those tasty bugs.

All right.
I think we're ready to start
putting the sheathing on.

[upbeat music playing]

I got one nail in it.

Now I want you to lift
the board up.

-Down.
-Down.

Down a little bit.

Right there, sir.

I've learned how to frame
some walls and do plumbing up

wood and stuff like that.

-Is that level?
-Pretty much, yeah.

With all the new knowledge
that we're learning

and all these new builds,
after the Raneys leave,

we're going to be able
to take that knowledge
and grow and expand

and really make this homestead
a place that we love
to call home.

Jake and I actually
met online,

and the first time
we hung out,

Jake actually told me,
I'm gonna marry you someday,

and I thought it was funny.

Um, I was like,
you don't even know me,

I don't know you,
and you're 10 years
younger than me,

and here we are
nine years later,

and we're married,
and we're on his
family homestead.

I am a little bit intimidated,
but I'm excited as well.

[laughs]

All right, let's get more
sheat on the wall.

I want to consolidate all
the egg laying that

the chickens are going to do
from now on

in nesting boxes.

We could just wall
that whole side off.

These animals are going
to be safe and comfortable

no matter what the weather
is like.

And we have plenty of room
left over to park a tractor,

do all the shop needs.

This building is going
to be bomb.

So we're moving right along
with our Quonset hut.

It's not officially
a greenhouse yet,

but in the next couple
of days it will be.

So obviously plants
won't live in there full time,
year round.

You grab the end of this tape,
only a 25 foot long tape

and head towards that post
down there.

We're off to a good start
with the greenhouse,

but this is farming country.

Okay?

And this homestead needs
an outdoor garden.

I don't have a ton of time
to spend on this outdoor
garden space,

and that's okay
because it's forcing me
to get creative.

I have this idea where
I want to put in this

rainbow fence,
the shape of the Quonset hut
high tunnel,

and that way we don't have
to put in one corner post.

We'll save ourselves
a ton of time,

a ton of material,
and in the next hour or so,

we'll have an amazing
outdoor garden area.

So this is how
we're getting the radius.

-Now let's figure out...
-How big.

-How big.
-How big is too big?

Well, we don't want
to encroach.

-Right.
-Correct me if I'm wrong,
this is a run for the animals.

-Right.
-Okay, so let's not get
too greedy,

so let's walk out this way.

I feel like this is enough
for pumpkins and squash.

Okay, now go eight steps
that way.

Here we go.

-Yeah.
-Boom, go that way.

Let's go this way
and do the same thing
that way.

Are we starting to look
like a rainbow?

Rainbow fence for the gays.
Do you have a pounder?

-Yeah.
-Okay, let's drive
the T-post in,

stretch some fence,
and it's done.

-Sounds good.
-Okay, let's do it.

It's really nice to get
a chance to work with Jake

and create this garden space
together.

Done.

We're just staying with
the theme of round

and creating
this rainbow fence line

and pulling off
of this pre-existing fence.

We're using
a pre-existing gate.

Next.

-Tired yet?
-No.

-Let's go.
-I like you.

Get her done.

Reminds me of
the good old days.

[Misty] Work with your dad?
[laughs] That's nice.
Good job.

Let's stretch it.

So let's start at
this amazing corner post

that's already in,
that your dad probably
put in, right?

-Yeah.
-And we'll go to the outside
of that post.

Let me get this stapled down,
and then we'll start
stretching it, okay?

Heck, yeah.

[Misty] What's really cool
about this farm

is you could see, like,
his projects.

-He was going to, but...
-He was going to,

-where he just didn't get
to them.
-Yeah.

Life gets in the way,
and losing him, like, yeah.

It's crazy, like,
his dreams are coming
to reality.

-My dad, so...
-Yeah!

That's really awesome.
That's so good!

Here we are all together
trying to pick up

where Kenny left off, right?

We don't want the farm
to pass away along with Kenny.

We want to do Kenny proud.

That's like in the forefront
of my mind.

Every day I'm like,
Okay, I got you, Kenny.

Jake's going to be fine.

Let's just get him
to that place.

Okay, what do you think?

-Looks good.
-Looks good, right?

-Yeah.
-It took like no time at all.

I feel like about an hour.
We put in a fence.

And you're standing
in your new garden.

Sometimes when it comes
to these immediate needs,

you don't need to spend
a ton of time.

-You don't need to spend
a ton of materials, right?
-Right.

-And that's the idea
behind this.
-Yeah.

Just kind of use what
you have on hand.
Make it work.

-Right.
-Right?

-Easy.
-Yeah. Quick, easy.

-Done.
-Okay.

I'm sure my dad could use
your help.

And I still have some work
to do over there.

-Sounds good.
-Good job?

Heck yeah.

[Jake] Woo-hoo!

[narrator]
Across the homestead,
as critical fencing upgrades

are made to enclose
the equestrian pasture...

I think it's great.

[narrator]
Marty seeks a way to utilize
the newly cleared out area

beyond the enclosure.

I've been looking at this area
ever since we got here

because now they not only
have an arena,

but this is
a beautiful pasture.

The horse, horses, goats,
the cow, whatever,

they'll love coming back here,
but we've got a problem.

We don't have time
to build a fence.

There's nothing here
but the post.

So I have an idea.

Hand me that rope.
Please.

There's an old country song
called "Don't Fence Me In."

But sometimes you got
to fence in the horse,

or you may never
find it again.

We're going to find out
if that horse can be contained

with one single strand
of rope.

We'll use the existing
fence post,

and we'll go fence post
to fence post about
four feet high or so.

This is an old cowboy hack.

They can build
a game fence later.

But for now, she's going
to get the job done.

Sure enough, it worked.

And I hope it works equally
as well here.

Oh, Maverick, this is going
to be a good day for you.

I want that rope off of him.

And we're going
to leave it up to Maverick
to play by the rules.

Come on, Mav.
Come on, Mav.

-Oh, gosh.
-Okay, he's heading
for the rope.

[Jake] Look at that.

[Marty] He did it.

That's a smart horse.

This is awesome.

Right up against the rope.

I never thought that
just using one string
would be.

But I get it. I get it.

There's just one rope across
the top of some fence posts,

and it's actually keeping
the horse in.

So that, to me,
really surprised me.

He showed me something that
I can pass on to someone else.

[Marty] When's the last time
you ever had a horse
back here?

When I was a kid, probably.
Look at how beautiful he is.

He's really happy, I can tell.

Look at him.

He got an amazing arena
and a bonus pasture.

-However, we're not done.
-Heck, yeah.

[upbeat music playing]

[narrator]
With less than 48 hours
until the Raneys leave,

Misty, Jayme, and Shawn
fill the greenhouse

with the first batch
of what will become

a vital supply
of wintertime crops.

Okay, so what do you think?

-This is amazing.
-Isn't it nice?

-Yes.
-Okay, there's no door.

There's no windows.

So I don't think we move
shelves or anything.

I literally think we just set
the plants

wherever you can find room.
We'll go grab more.

Sounds good.

Let's put these guys,
like, right here.

Move the screws.

The idea with having
this greenhouse is being able

to start whatever
you want to start.

And then in the springtime,
getting the plant to a place

where it can actually
be moved outside and survive,

so that way Shawn and Jake
will actually be able
to grow food.

-Okay, it's official.
We went from Quonset hut to...
-[both] Greenhouse.

'Cause now there's a plant.

Just missing a door
and a couple windows.

Full steam ahead.
We're going to make it happen.

Good job.

[upbeat music playing]

[narrator]
Later that morning...

I think the most important
measurement we need

to get is the width
of the door.

[narrator] Matt and Shawn put
the final touches on

the weatherproof
one-stop barn shop.

All right, let's grab
that other door,

slide it over here,
and get it cut.

-Now this one might be heavy.
-I was like this looks
a little...

a little solid.

We're at the point now
where we need to put a door on
this shop.

The height of our door opening
is 90 inches,

but we don't want to cut
our door 90 inches high

'cause when we try
to put it in there,
it won't fit.

So, mark this.

89 and a quarter.

Straight up.

It's the only thing
that's going to keep this shop
weatherized

and buttoning up
all the air gaps

in that building is really
the thing that's gonna keep

those chickens warm,
and they'll be able

to just go in that coop,
huddle all together

when it's cold,
and they're gonna be just fine
from here on out.

[Shawn]
I didn't have the opportunity
like Jake did to grow up

on a homestead.

So it was really hard
to figure out my place here

and seeing things
come together.

Let's bring it over
to the shop.

It's going to be the perfect
space for me to delve
right into

helping animals
and making products.

The things I'm most passionate
about,

I just know with every ounce
of my soul that

we're going to succeed
together as a couple.

Just the edge.

These old barn doors
are amazing.

They've been sitting here
for a long time.

They've had many uses
in the past

and they're the perfect doors
to really tie

this whole barn together
with the shop

so that their livestock
will survive.

Okay, slide it over.

And provide a much needed way

to keep out bad weather.

Okay, open it up.

Are they easy to open?

-Yeah.
-We've secured
your shop barn,

and it looks like an amazing
barn door.

-What do you think?
-I love it.

The major need here
was for the animals.

Having a nice area
that's an enclosed structure

without any drafts,
it's a whole new world
in there.

You know, we're excited
to utilize that space.

Yeah, I like that we really
repurposed these doors.

It's probably
my favorite part.

That's my favorite part too.
I was saving the best
for last.

-Right.
-[laughing]

We just have a couple
more pieces of hardware,

get a latch on this thing,
trim it out,

and this shop barn is done.

You are doing phenomenal,

but the projects
aren't over yet.

[upbeat music playing]

Hey, Jake, come on over.

[narrator]
With work on the horse stable
nearly complete,

one crucial equestrian project
still hangs in the balance

as time ticks away.

So when I first met you,
you talked about

how you had a dream
to save horses,

-put some time on them,
and maybe sell them.
-Yeah.

I got a question for you.
What's the next step?

Having a round pen
out here somewhere.

A round pen makes it
so much easier

when you're getting
a two-year-old
or a three-year-old

to create that bond,
because you want

to create a bond in
a closed environment,

but still give them the space
that they have
their independence, so...

-Where would you put
the round pen?
-I don't know.

Realistically,
it'd be out there.

[Marty]
Can I reveal something to you?

Sure.

I have all the panels here
brand new for a round pen.

Really?

-No way.
-Yeah.

-[chuckles] Really?
-Yes, sir.

I don't know what to say.

-Can I help you put them up?
-Yes.

Yes.
Yes, you can.

-Let's go.
-Let's do it.

-Are you happy?
-Yeah.

I can't tell.

Let's get started.

Okay.

When the Raneys first arrived,
my skill level was very low,

like maybe a three out of 10.

And now that I've taken
the time to soak in

all the knowledge,

my skill level is probably
more around an eight or nine.

And I feel like
if I just keep on doing

and staying confident
in myself that with everything
that they've shown us,

I know that I'll be able

to do anything in the future
and it's something that

I'm really looking forward to.

-This is legit.
-Is that where
you want your post?

-Yes.
-We figured out
where the center was,

and we put a post
in the center.

Right there.
Yeah, that's perfect.

That will be a great tool
for us.

Perfect.

[Marty] Get in there.
Is it firm enough?

It ain't going anywhere.

It's a place for us that
we can start new horses

if they're just learning
on how to saddle.

-All right,
is that going to work?
-Yes, sir.

That's almost
a 60-foot round pen.

-That's what
the professionals use.
-It's perfect.

And you're a professional.

Come on in.

[Jake] Since all this new
construction with
the horse stable

and the arena,
it's exciting,

and it'll just keep on
going up from there.

[Shawn] Now that we have
the knowledge,

we can make this place
whatever we want.

Right here, another stable.
Ha-ha!

-There you go.
-Thank you.

Don't thank me yet.

We get a horse in here,
two-year-old or younger,

where you guys
are putting time on her

with that beautiful view
in this Iowa paradise,

then you can thank me
after I'm long gone.

[upbeat music playing]

[Matt] So what is this
over here?

[narrator] With the one-stop
barn shop complete...

[Shawn] It was a smoker
at one point,

and that's what Jake's dad
was using it for,

but it eventually became
a tool shed.

[narrator]
Matt tests Shawn's carpentry
skills and his ability

to complete off-grid tasks
without help.

-I think this thing is way
too cool to be a shed.
-Yeah.

And so I've been
thinking about something

you said earlier in the week
about how you were making

your own products.

And I want to know
like where you've been

making them and kind of
what is needed for a space

where you could have basically
call your own.

We make our own laundry soap.
We make our own deodorant.

We make our own body scrubs
that we sell.

We just don't have
an adequate space

to do that because I'm doing
it out of our kitchen.

Would you want to turn
this space into

your own workshop
to make your products?

Yeah. I love the structure,
so does Jake,

and it's still in pretty
good shape.

I mean,
I've been working with you,

-and we've done a lot of work.
-Right.

But I'm trying to be
as hands off

as I can so you can get
experience.

So it's time to put
those skills to the test.

-Right.
-Let's start moving out
some stuff.

Okay.

And then we'll go in there,
get some measurements,

and figure out how
we can turn it into

your dream workshop.

-Sounds good.
-All right.

All right, here you go.

[Shawn] I'm ready to do it
without the help from Matt.

One of the needs I needed
was to have an area

where I could do my work
because that's a source

of income for us
to be able to stay home

and make our dreams here
a reality.

There's going to be
a workstation in there

and proper shelving
for storage,

and it's going to be
the perfect space for me

to make money to put towards
the homestead.

Finish that station,
and then we'll get
the paint on.

[Shawn] Overall, I'm starting
to see a different change
in myself,

and I just feel so, so happy.

What do you think
of your new space?

I'm pretty impressed
because in the beginning

I was a little skeptical
because it was so dark

and looked so small
with all those old tools
in here.

I'm glad we actually finished
this space for you

so you can do the work that
you've been missing out on.

I love it.

And by you doing all this
for me, like,

you know, you're bringing
my dream back.

[Matt] I'm confident that
you have all the skills

to just keep
this ball rolling.

And I'm really excited
for you.

-And your work has just begun.
-Right.

[narrator]
Across the homestead...

[Misty] Shawn and Jayme.

[narrator] Shawn joins Misty
and Jayme to inspect

the new Quonset hut
greenhouse.

-Should we go inside?
-Yes.

And get out of the wind?

-Yes.
-Okay, let's go.

So what's amazing about
this little structure

is how warm it is
and how not windy it is.

It's wintertime in Iowa,
and this structure

is 70 degrees during
the day and warmer.

Also, this whole hoop house
is sitting on this
concrete slab.

That'll hold on
to that heat

and kind of release it
at night.

We have the air gap,
that insulated air gap

that I think is really cool.

And just the size alone.
Like, look at this.

Look at how much room
there is.

[Shawn]
What shocks me is that
we planted almost 300 plants,

and it doesn't even take up
a quarter of the space.

[Misty] Yeah.

There's a lot of seeds
over here, too.

Like, you have some
serious potential,
and I'm just excited.

You guys will have such
a jump start.

-Like, every farmer around
has to wait for spring.
-Yeah, absolutely.

-[Shawn]Yeah.
-Not you guys.

[Misty]
It's a really big deal.

[narrator] One week ago,
Jake and Shawn's

poorly placed garden
was overrun with debris,

and they had no way to grow
essential crops

during the frigid and windy
Iowa winters.

Now they have
a windproof Quonset hut

greenhouse
for all seasons growing.

You guys gave us a great solid
foundation to grow from.

You know, I think
we can only go up from here.

I feel that we have been
pulled out of

a very dark place that
we had been in for a while

and where we felt like
we had no hope.

And I see sunshine
in the near future.

And what I love about
this place is...

Kenny's still here,
Jake's dad,

'cause me and him built
this Quonset by hand...

-Yeah.
-...when he was little.

-Yeah.
-And it's still half
of what Kenny did.

Yeah, I love that too.

I think Kenny would be proud.
Wouldn't you agree?

-Oh, absolutely.
-Oh, yes.

Yeah.

[Misty] I'm super happy
in this moment.

And I think for Shawn,
you know,

just really not only
getting him to a place

where he can grow
everything he wants to grow,

but just giving him
the knowledge

and the little tricks
of the trade,

like it's gonna go
a long ways.

With gardening,
there's trial and error.

That's like what gardening is.

You cannot control
mother nature, but guess what?

You can adapt to it.

I appreciate everything.

-Yeah.
-We all do.

Yeah, no problem.

-But the work
is just beginning.
-Beginning.

[upbeat music playing]

I suppose no better time
than now.

[narrator]
As the rescue approaches
its final day,

Marty spots another
critical piece

of the homestead's history
that could prove to be useful

for its future.

This is the tractor
that's been on the farm
for how long?

As long as my parents
have been here.

-40 years?
-Yeah, at least 40 years.

40 years.

And it's been running
the entire 40 years until?

Until my dad passed away.

When I was younger,
growing up,

obviously my dad would cut hay
every year

and we'd take hay rack rides
with the family and stuff,

so it's really something
that I've lived with
my whole life.

For me to be able to use
that again is something

that's really going
to continue my dad's memory
and his legacy.

Have you ever driven
this tractor?

-I have not ever driven
this one.
-Okay.

-Um, do you want to?
-I would love to.

-Yeah.
-Okay.

-It would be like my dad
was here driving it with me.
-Okay.

How mechanically inclined
are you?

-Not very.
-That's okay.

It doesn't matter
if it's a chainsaw,

a generator,
or a 65-year-old tractor.

-Right.
-It needs spark
and it needs fuel, okay?

-You ready?
-I'm ready.

It's hard to believe that Jake
has never driven the tractor.

If you own a tractor on a farm
in Iowa

and you don't know
how to drive it
and run it and work it?

You don't belong
on a farm in Iowa.

But if we can get it
running again,

Jake is going to be in
that driver's seat.

You know where the gas tank
is on this thing?

It's one of those top ones.

Come here.

Would it be right there?
This is your tractor.

You're going to get familiar
with it.
What's it say?

-Buy clean fuel.
-Well, let me go get
some clean fuel

for you and see if that
will come off.

[Jake] I don't know
if there's words to describe
working with Marty.

It's a memory of my dad
and it's

something that's motivating me
to work harder

and I'm trying to soak up
everything that Marty
can teach me.

[Marty] I like your style.

Good job.

Jake is a quick learner.

He knows how to build.

He's about to learn
how to drive a tractor.

His confidence is growing
and he can do anything.

That's your clutch.
Put your foot on it
all the way down.

Here's your throttle.
Reach up there and grab it.

Okay?
Feel free to hit that starter.

Okay, you got nothing.
We're gonna have to jump it.

Clint.

We're not gonna give up.

We might be driving
this tractor before the sun
goes down.

Look at the lights! Whoo!
Now that's park.

Push on that starter.

[engine sputtering]

Stop!

One more trick.

Where's that starting fluid,
Clint?

You can get it
in that carburetor.

Hit it.

[engine sputtering]

Stop! I don't like it.

We got issues in there
because that should be firing.

It's a solid tractor.
It's solid.

And we will get it started.

Hey, Dad, can you help me
with something?

Marty, I would like you
to meet Marty.

Really?

-A scarecrow?
-[Misty laughs]

I get it. Misty's trying
to be cool, clever, cute.

Makes a scarecrow that
looks like me, allegedly.

[laughs]

This thing scares me
a little bit

What's with the black eyebrows
and gray mustache?

It might just be me,
but it does seem like

that ever since Misty
put up that scarecrow,

everyone's working
a little bit harder.

I'm just glad
there's nobody out there

in the real world
that resembles that.

[upbeat music playing]

Okay.

[narrator] As the sun rises
on the final day

at the Anthony family's
frigid Iowa homestead...

Hey, buddy, come on in here.
I'm gonna show you
a few things.

[narrator]
...a new morning brings
a breakthrough.

So you remember when
we checked it for spark

-and we said, yeah,
we have spark?
-Yeah.

Well, I've been working on
this all morning
and figured out

that spark plug wire
was arcing to the ground.

So we had broken spark plugs.

So I've got four new ones
in there, and now...

I know we got spark
all the way to where
it has to go.

[Jake] I haven't seen
the tractor run in
almost four years.

It's not only a piece
of equipment for us,

but it's a piece of a memory.

Choke it, please.

Okay.

Fire in the hole.

[engine sputters]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Stop.

Okay, it fired,
I like that a lot.

[tapping]

Uh, take that choke off.

Okay, fire it up, please.

[engine starts]

Let off, let off.

There's your throttle.

Right there, let it idle
for a while.

Whoo! You like it?

Good job, good job.

It's the life changer that
the tractor's running again.

It's something that
my dad used every day,

so for me to be in
the driver's seat

is something that's
really special.

How's she running?

-Good.
-You like it?

Yeah.

Sounds good.

That's amazing.

That thing started better
than most of my trucks.

I think you're the proud owner
of a 1957

International Harvester
Farmall tractor.

-Sounds good.
-Is it cool?

-Yes, sir.
-You look good behind
the wheel.

[Jake] It's pretty special to
hear it running,

and we'll definitely be using
the tractor for the arena

and moving snow
and just building whatever

we can with it now that
we have access to

a bigger piece of equipment.

[Marty] That's gold, buddy.
That's gold.

Heck yeah.

[Marty] Whoo, look at that.

[Matt] I mean,
before we go into
the shop,

-we have to talk about these
amazing barn doors.
-[Shawn] Right.

I think Jacob
is really excited

that he was able
to repurpose doors

that his dad originally wanted
to use in the barn, so...

Yeah, man, these doors
are awesome.

All right, open it up.

I mean, come on.
This is the ultimate shop.

-It's crazy.
-First of all, we replaced

-the post that wasn't
even existing.
-Yeah.

We made this more
structurally sound,

and then we beefed up
the overhead beams

so that you can actually
pull that tractor

all the way in as far
as you need.

And we didn't sacrifice
too much space

-adding all the livestock.
-Yeah.

[narrator] Seven days ago,
the Anthony homestead

had a dilapidated barn
that offered its livestock

no protection from
the chilling elements

and no safe place for Jake
and Shawn to work.

Now, they have a weatherproof
one-stop barn shop

that comfortably houses
livestock,

a workplace big enough
to fit a tractor,

along with a revamped shed
where Shawn can generate
income

for the homestead by producing
organic products.

I'm really happy with
the way this turned out.

-Absolutely.
-And the goats are going
to love it.

Yeah.

[Matt laughs]

[Marty]
So the day is going to come
soon when Maverick,

the only horse
on this homestead,
realizes this is all for him.

Right.

And when he does,
you're going to have
to introduce him to?

His palace.

-Pretty cool?
-Heck yeah.

[Marty] That wall right there
was left short

so that just
the one light bulb
in the tack room

can broadcast light
across the whole barn.

Heck yeah.

[Marty] Rubber mats.

They're comfortable
on the feet.

And they do provide some
insulation from cold concrete.

And of course,
they're easier to clean.

You got another room over here
for another horse?

-Heck yeah.
-A tall enough wall, sir,
that...

they can interact
and have fun.

It's possible right now
to make an income

on this homestead.

And we've got them set up
because they've learned
how to build.

How long have you been
dreaming about having a place

-to save horses
and raise horses?
-My whole life.

Okay.
What made it come true?

The hard work
and determination.

Yeah, there you go.

[narrator] One week ago,
Jake's horse,
Maverick,

lived in a dilapidated stable
that was susceptible

to the elements,
and Jake lacked
the off-grid skills

needed to keep his family's
homestead alive.

Now, he and Marty have built
a stable, arena,

and training pen,

giving Jake the space
to fulfill his dream

of rescuing horses
and the skills to keep

his parents' legacy alive,

all while providing

a future income stream
that should make it
much easier

to live off this land.

[Jake] I feel like Marty
has started a fire under us

to keep the motivation going
and for me to have an area

where I can show
my expertise
and use my expertise

is really something
that's going to motivate us

to not only keep going,
but to keep going
even further.

It's all new.

I want to hold true
to honoring
my family's legacy,

and I really want to make
my dad proud and want him

to be able to look down on
something that he can say,

"Wow, I started that,
and Jake and Shawn
continued that."

[Marty]
Iowa did not disappoint.

Yup.

Obviously, we're sad that
we never got to meet Kenny,

but after a week,
it feels like we've gotten
to know him a little bit.

Absolutely.

I feel like we're a part
of Kenny's legacy here

on this homestead.

[Misty] He's in everything
that you guys have built,

and he's going to be here
for the future because
that's what Jake's all about.

I see a lot of confidence
and I see a lot of courage

-going into the future.
-We doubted ourselves a lot.

You guys gave that confidence
back to us

to not doubt ourselves anymore
and to just go for it.

I think that Jake and Shawn
will be able to make

massive steps forward now.

I have a feeling that
tomorrow morning

when the sun comes up,
you're all three going

to go right to work.

We appreciate everything.
We really do.

-Thank you.
-I have confidence.

I can do stuff.

Thank you.

[tractor engine starts]

[Marty]
We're going on a hayride.

-Let's go.
-Climb on there.

We invited some
of your neighbors.

We'll see what this tractor's
got in her.

Let's go.

It's a 1957 tractor
that Jake worked on.

Listen to it.
Runs like a sewing machine.

These people are smart,
they're hardworking,

and they have values.

I've seen them working hard
every day,

making a dream come true.

So when I listen to Jake
and Shawn and Jayme

talk about how
they're gonna start
tomorrow morning,

pick up where we left off,
and make this a thriving
homestead,

I know this family
will get it done.

-Two, three, and...
-[playing harmonica]

[all clapping]

[all singing indistinctly]

-Whoo!
-[all laughing]

[Jake] Since the Raneys left,
we're getting a lot done.

[Shawn]
Everything in the greenhouse
has been doing rather well.

And Jake is over here
now planting our cabbage.

[Jake]
Here in the next month or so,

we'll be able
to actually harvest that
and enjoy the food

that we've been able
to grow ourselves.

I'm training horses now,
and we're boarding now.

[Shawn]
And I used the skills
that Matt taught me

to add on another stable here.

It turned out pretty well.

My dad's up there definitely
just saying,

keep it going,
and he would be proud.

[Shawn] Thank you, Raneys.