Original subtitles

[Marty] Homesteading is all about work and survival,

and that's hard when family is depending on you.

In fact, it's harder when it comes to loss

because this family has suffered.

But then, I see a butterfly.

And I remind myself a butterfly can fly...

with 75% of its wing missing.

You have to keep going when the going gets tough.

You still can fly.

Even though you're not 100%.

This homesteading dream is clearly a nightmare.

Six kids, by herself.

[Misty] There's no food.

I don't know how much longer we can survive here.

[Marty] She's on the verge of breaking.

[Misty] We're gonna change that today.

I think it's time that you do learn.

Their lives are gonna change for the better,

and we're gonna make this easy.

[Misty] Whoo-hoo!

[Marty] One, two, three!

[groaning]

[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 knowhow...

-Let's find some power! -[woman] Yes!

[narrator] ...and ingenuity...

-[Marty] It's perfect! -[man] Yes! [exclaims]

[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.

The three M's have just arrived in the three P state.

What are the three P's of Georgia?

-[Misty] Peaches. -[Marty] Peaches, very good.

-Peanuts. -[Marty] Peanuts, very good.

And pecans, believe it or not.

Georgia is beautiful.

There's trees everywhere.

[Matt] It's actually the number one state for logging.

But it can have its challenges, for sure.

The ground is solid clay,

and when it comes to gardening,

it's really hard to grow anything.

There's a lot of copperheads in this part of Georgia.

-Ah! -[shrieks]

[Misty laughs]

Since you just did that, there are four P's.

[Misty] And the fourth P is running down your leg.

[narrator] The Raneys have answered an SOS

from a family at the base of the Appalachian Mountains

in northeast Georgia.

Founded at the turn of the century,

the area played a role in American progress,

with the railroad and newspaper industry

connecting millions.

Well, today, the region's rich farmland

provides bounties of produce and poultry for the country.

But blistering heat and summer storms

wreak havoc on the unprepared, causing hardship for animals

and a daunting challenge for those tending the land.

Facing no respite

is a homesteader lacking the skills

to keep her family's dreams...

from fading away.

[Chanda] I'm Chanda Odom.

I'm here in northeast Georgia,

and I live here on our homestead

with my six children.

My husband and I, we always knew

we wanted to teach our children

how to live off the land,

how to be more self-sufficient.

We really had everything going on.

Um, my husband had a successful pig operation.

We had a booming peacock business,

chickens, cows, goats.

We had a flourishing garden, you name it.

And then, in 2021,

Travis, my husband, had a head-on collision with a concrete truck

and passed away.

When we lost Travis, we also lost

most of the knowledge and the know-how to do everything here.

Because I was working as a nurse,

I was not able to really focus

on learning how to do these things on my own.

When Travis died, we lost our main farm income,

which we worked so hard to get.

And my husband had been homeschooling our kids,

so I had to put them back in public school

so that I could maintain a job to afford to keep the place.

But it didn't take long for the small problems

to turn into really big problems.

Over the last three years,

I had to get rid of Trav's pigs,

which were one of our main sources of income.

We have a small barn

which houses 17 goats and eight cows.

-Good morning! -[bleats]

[Chanda] Where the barn is placed,

that also made things difficult.

Our well is about 700 yards away from the barn.

We're having to haul 5-gallon buckets to the barn.

I've struggled getting water to the garden,

so our gardens haven't been successful.

Since the accident happened,

the roof blew off of the greenhouse.

There's now a tree growing through it.

And now I'm not able to grow our own food.

It's just been really rough.

When Travis was alive

peacocks were one of our bigger moneymakers.

But last year, I was not able to sell any chicks.

I've been managing the best I can,

and I just can't fathom the thought

of letting my husband down.

But I don't know how much longer we can survive here.

Raneys, we need your help.

[peacocks squawking]

[chicken clucking]

[Misty] Hello.

-Hey. -Hey.

Does this chicken bite?

[Chanda] No, but she's nosy.

-Marty Raney. -[Chanda] Chanda Odom.

-Chanda? -Chanda.

-[Josh] Josh Taylor. -Josh?

-[Josh] Yes, sir. -[Marty] And?

-Shenda. -Shenda?

-Yes. -[Chanda] I live here

with my six kids.

Wow, you're busy.

Very.

-How many acres? -I have 33 acres.

Thirty-three?

And you guys live here, or where do you live?

We're friends of Chanda's.

I live nearby.

And I live in Cleveland, about an hour away.

I come three or four times a year

to help her when she needs a day's worth of work.

And I come and do her chores if she's away or can't.

So, you called us here, why?

My husband passed in August of 2021.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

I need to get it back to functioning like it should.

But I... I just got to ask, why, um...

why not just sell the place?

My husband and I dreamed of raising our kids

to be self-sufficient and give them the lifestyle

that we didn't get to grow up having.

And I can't let him down.

We always knew we wanted to homestead

and raise our kids to live off the land.

But my husband had cancer at the age of 19,

he beat that.

And then, in 2017, he had a relapse.

So, we moved up from Florida.

We knew that we needed to be growing our own food

and raising our animals ourselves.

When we found this property, it was just beautiful.

We knew immediately that this is where we were supposed to be.

But after Travis passed,

everything has really just fallen apart.

I realized just how much he did.

He worked so hard and just did it

without thinking, you know, that he needed to teach me,

so I... I never really got to learn.

I don't know how to build things like Travis did.

I don't know how to use the tools.

He worked hard.

He took care of everybody that he loved.

He loved us well.

Especially our kids.

The kids help feed animals.

They rode on the tractor with him.

I mean, they spent all their time with their dad.

Our intentions were always to one day pass this homestead

onto our children.

And there is nothing that I want more

than to keep this homestead going

and to raise my kids

how Travis would have wanted me need to raise 'em.

[Misty] Where are we heading?

[Chanda] So, this is our raised beds.

[Misty] How are you watering everything?

With buckets of water.

-You're watering everything by hand? -[Chanda] Yes.

This was not our main garden.

-Mm-hmm, I have the garden area over here. -[Misty] Okay.

What did you plant here?

[Chanda] Um, we had corn, we had beans,

we had tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini.

-It died. It wasn't successful. -[Misty] It's too far?

It was too far to get the water out here.

Is there any food growing here?

-No. -[Misty] There's no food?

No.

[Misty] Who did most of the gardening?

-You or your husband? -[Chanda] My husband did.

I started the seeds, I was good at that.

How were you starting them?

[Chanda] I started 'em in my greenhouse.

Can you show me that?

-I can. -Okay.

Whoa! This definitely has seen better days.

[Chanda] So, the last time that I used this

was the summer before the Trav passed.

The following October, um, a storm came,

and it blew the pieces of the roof off.

Since then, we've had the tree grow.

[Misty] Okay.

And how did he pass, if you don't mind me asking?

Um, he was actually in a head-on collision.

Oh, wow. I'm sorry.

And how has that past three years been?

Hard. It's been near impossible.

You know, he had cancer twice,

and he always told me,

he was like, "I'm scared to death

if anything ever happens to me, that you'll give up."

[voice shaking] I just hope that he's proud I didn't give up.

Because I realized...

[sniffles] after I lost him,

how dependent I really was on him.

You know, he did everything for us.

You don't find 'em like that anymore.

[Misty] It's really tough to put yourself

into Chanda's shoes.

And she's got a lot of kids to take care of,

and there is no food anywhere.

There's just so much pressure that it's just breaking her.

But if this is her dream,

we have no other choice

but to get on board and get to work.

This week, we're just gonna make Travis proud.

[Marty] Hold on, just stop right here.

Where's this water coming from?

This is the main water source for all the livestock.

-She has to tote water to it. -[Marty] What? Like, where?

[Josh] Anything that she had out here in the barn,

she had to run hoses the whole distance.

-This is the barn? -That's the barn. Yes, sir.

-[Marty] That's too far away. -Yes, sir.

[Marty] I have to look at it.

[Josh] Hold on, hold on.

-Go on, boy. -[mooing]

[Josh] Go, go! [sucks lips]

So, so far, one, two,

three, four, five, six, seven, eight

-animals have come out of this barn. -[Josh] Eight cows.

Just... just the cows.

[Marty] So, this is the barn for all the cows...

[Josh] This is--

-[Marty] ...and all the goats? -[Josh] Yes.

So, this is basically just a carport

for a vehicle... vehicle,

-or an old tractor or something. -Yes.

-Mm-hmm, they used what they had. Yes, sir. -Right.

[Josh] Some of the boards are breaking,

which, of course, lets more moisture in,

like that over there.

It's still in okay shape,

but just not suitable for the milking

and all the animals to have somewhere to go for shelter.

Plus, they bring in all the mud and nastiness with them,

they come in here wet.

This is the only building that the animals use.

[sighs]

I've been on this homestead for half an hour now

and discovered Chanda can't manage the animals.

They don't have proper access to water

or safe structures.

This homesteader is indeed overwhelmed.

What's back here? Looks like there's quite a bit of forest.

[Josh] They've got a lot of unused property right there.

[Marty] Well, hold on.

-And what's happening here? -[cheeping]

These guys look like they're all shivering.

Yeah, they've all gotten drenched out in the weather.

-They need to be warmed up. -[cheeping]

We have any straw or hay here?

[Josh] Uh, she should.

[Marty] I'm gonna run up there and grab that.

-That duck's gonna die. -[Josh] Yeah, they are.

[Marty] Let's see if we can save 'em.

I take a walk on the property and discovered

a dozen or so ducklings

wandering around out here in the cold rain.

They don't have adequate housing.

[cheeping]

[Josh] We need to put just a little bit of those shavings

in here to freshen these up.

Okay, little fellas, come here.

[Marty] It does tell me how difficult the challenge is.

Here we go. Here we go.

If she wants to raise animals, and survive, and thrive,

she needs a nice new barn in a nice new location.

Let's keep an eye on 'em.

-Thanks for your help, Josh. -[Josh] Yes, sir.

[peacocks squawking]

[Shenda] These are the peacocks.

[Matt] There's so many peacocks here, it's crazy.

I'm gonna do something a little bit different here.

I wanna see where they house these peacocks,

because this was a primary source of income,

and if you can make money from your homestead,

that right there is the holy grail

that we definitely wanna pursue.

We have eight different caged off areas,

and that alone sounds like a lot of work.

[Shenda] Yeah, there's a lot.

So, peacocks lay eggs during the spring,

-and they bring a lot of money for the peachicks. -[Matt] Okay.

The problem is, because these enclosures have not been moved,

they've been sitting here for...

since Travis died, really.

Now, they have been in this mud

so long that the mud is, like, risen up around them,

so they're, like, stuck.

And they're laying eggs in this mud,

and the eggs have something on them

called the bloom when they're laid,

which is, like, a protective outside layer.

And when that is compromised by, like, being laid in mud

or moisture of any sort,

it massively compromises the fertility of the egg.

[Matt] So, that's probably a lesson she learned pretty hard.

[Shenda] Yeah.

[squawking]

[Matt] This homestead is raising 27 peacocks.

That really took care of all the feed bill

on the homestead,

but they aren't productive in any way.

So, they need a better setup that is manageable

for where the homesteaders are right now.

How in the world has Chanda kept this up this long?

[squawking]

[mooing]

[clucking]

[Marty] What do you say

about a homesteader with six kids

on her 33 acres, basically, by herself?

The entire thing is so overwhelming,

I think she's on the verge of breaking.

First things first,

there's no food, nothing.

She's watering the gardens by herself with 5-gallon buckets.

I think this is the perfect time

for some of these kids to step up to the plate.

There might be 100 animals on this 33 acres.

So, that's the barn for everything.

We need to keep 'em out of the hot sun in Georgia,

and it's really muddy, and it's really crowded.

I look around and see 27 peacocks.

Last laying season,

they had almost zero peachicks to sell.

If Chanda wants to keep all these animals,

we've got to do something about their health and safety.

I think that's one big way

we can help manage this homesteading dream,

which is clearly a nightmare at this point.

This was the dream you had as a family,

you and your husband, Travis.

We wanna do what we can to fulfill

the dream of this homestead.

I don't wanna add any more to your plate,

so anything I do,

I want it to be something

that your kids can do on their own.

I would love to see some peachicks

actually make it this next laying season.

[Marty] Okay, here's the deal, guys.

We'll hit the ground running in the morning.

Fair enough?

-Great. -Sounds good to me.

All right, let's go.

[narrator] It's day two on the Odoms' homestead in northeast Georgia.

Think these ducks survived the night?

[Chanda] I sure hope so.

[narrator] But before work begins,

Marty and Chanda check on the ducks

they rescued the day before.

-After you. -[Chanda] Okay.

They're all doing good.

Oh, my gosh.

They look a lot different than yesterday.

Alive.

We saved ten lives.

-[Chanda] Yes, we did. -Cool. Thanks to you,

you had all the right equipment right there, handy.

[squawking]

[Marty] One of the things that's painfully obvious

is you've got too many animals

for the amount of housing that you have here, right?

[Chanda] Right.

[Marty] So, we got 29 goats...

and we've got eight cows.

And back in the day, how many pigs?

Oh, at any given time, we had 30 to 40 pigs, including piglets.

[Marty] The livestock on this property

should sustain this family with a lot of food.

But Chanda has her hands full.

So, what can we do to truly help her

take the load off of her shoulders?

How do you get feed and water out here?

-We bring buckets. -How far?

-All the way-- -Behind those trees?

[Chanda] Yes.

-[Marty] That's a long ways. -[Chanda] That's a long ways.

I don't think that out here in the middle of the field

-is the best place for this barn. -I agree.

[Marty] So, I'm thinking, if you have 33 acres,

-we can build a barn that's closer to the house. -[Chanda] Okay.

And we take advantage of all that shade.

-Look at it. -[Chanda] That would be great.

But it's gonna mean we have to cut a few trees down.

-Let's do it. -How do you feel about that?

-Let's do it. -You sure?

-I'm sure. -Okay.

[narrator] Marty will first establish

a mud-free footprint to build on,

before constructing a 20-by-20-foot pole bar

utilizing the downed trees.

Then, he'll relocate the current barn

and connect the two, creating a structure

big enough to safely house

all of the homestead's cows and goats.

[whirring]

-[creaking] -[thuds]

[Marty] Let's go!

[cow mooing]

[Misty] All right, we need to talk.

[narrator] Over by the family's unused greenhouse...

[Misty] The greenhouse, it's so far,

so I think we figure out a garden space closer to home.

I'm good with that.

-[Misty] Let's go. -Okay.

[narrator] ...Misty pulls Chanda to tackle

the homestead's inability to grow food.

This is a pretty big homestead to run on your own

with six kids.

So, I wanna make this homestead

a little more manageable, a little more doable.

So, let's get rid of the greenhouse,

move on to a different plan,

and feed the family.

There's a lot of pasture land, a lot of animals,

but as far as, like, open, flat space on the homestead,

you're pretty limited.

-[Chanda] Right. -Okay. That's your house.

-[Chanda] Mm-hmm. -[Misty] Okay.

So, I would like to create a garden space

-in this area. -Okay.

And I think we do something that I don't traditionally do,

which is, let's figure out irrigation and water...

before we plant one thing

so that we can ensure that it'll actually live.

I'm excited about it.

[narrator] Misty will create an innovative

self-watering garden bed by digging out six trenches

to act as holding tanks for the water.

She'll lay in logs found from the homestead,

and surround each bed with up cycled metal,

creating garden bed perimeters

before filling the beds with dirt.

Finally, she'll dig a water line

from the property's well to the beds,

ensuring a never ending supply

where the plants are watered from below.

What I know about Georgia is there's a lot of clay.

There's a little bit of topsoil

and then a million feet of this.

So I'm gonna take this problem

and turn it into the solution.

I was up all night thinking about the five gallon buckets.

That's 40 pounds each bucket,

times three, 120 pounds that Chanda is pulling by hand.

That is definitely not a chore that kids can do

and we're gonna change that today.

So time to test.

I cannot move to the next step

until I know that these hold water.

So I'm gonna fill them up with a couple of inches of water.

If there's free standing water and I've actually turned

these trenches into little mini ponds,

we're moving to the next step.

[Marty] Ready! Quick, quick, quick!

[narrator] Back near the Odom's home...

[Marty] Okay. Come my way.

Tell him.

[Josh] Come this way.

[narrator] ...with the ground freshly graded,

Marty and Josh begin erecting the frame

of a new pole barn.

[Marty] Towards you.

You're pushing it away, let it come towards it.

-[man] Okay. -[Marty] Okay.

Got it. Done.

Let him come down on it.

[man] All right, come down the rest of the way.

[Marty] This homestead...

is 33 acres big.

But it doesn't mean you go to all four corners,

build a building and then afterwards

think how you're gonna get water out there.

Done. Go, go, go!

Let's make it easier on Chanda and the kids.

We're building a new barn, bigger and better

and much closer

to make it much easier.

[sighs] Okay.

That's in there for eternity.

Who are those guys? Is that the kids?

-What's your name? -Travis.

Nice to meet you.

-What's your name? -Taylin.

Taylin.

-What's your name? -Tavin.

-Wait a minute. Does everybody start with a T? -[Travis] Yes.

-Ugh. I would never do that with my children. -[Travis chuckles]

Marty, Misty,

Matt, Melanee, Miles.

When you're working on a homestead

and the mom tells you, "I've got six kids

under the age of 11, you want to meet 'em?"

Your mom told me she couldn't be on this farm

if she didn't have the help of the kids.

What are some of your chores?

Feeding,

doing the trash,

watering those goats when they're back there.

That is one of the most amazing

things I've ever heard on a homestead ever.

You know who really wants to meet you guys? Misty and Matt.

So this is how I get ahold of 'em.

Misty!

Matt!

[Misty] Hi, everybody.

Nice to meet you guys.

-How's it going? -[Travis] Good.

Does everybody like to eat?

[all] Yeah.

Okay. I'm growing fruit.

And we can grow whatever you wanna grow.

So think about a list of veggies, a list of fruits,

strawberries, something yummy.

We'll plant it.

We've got somebody who just raised their hand

-and wants to work with you. -I see. Yeah. You wanna go?

Let's go.

I got the Dream Team!

[Marty] We have a project that's ominous.

Okay, you ready?

[woman] Maybe it's for the best.

[Marty] One.

Two.

Three.

[Misty] All right, Chanda.

Maybe you're wondering why it looks like a bomb went off.

-I am. -[Misty chuckles]

And why there's trenches with water in them.

-Right. -[Misty laughs]

I wanted to test something

before I even brought you over here.

So we filled it up last night, came this morning

there's still water in this one

and this is a water bed.

I'm taking, like, a bunch of different gardening techniques

-to create the self-watering systems. -Okay.

The water will travel up through the soil

and the roots reach down,

watering themselves

and deciding how much water they want.

And it's a work in progress.

But I promise you,

when it comes to watering,

it's gonna be the easiest chore on the homestead.

I'm so excited.

[Misty] So first thing we're gonna do...

is there's all this metal all over the homestead.

-Mmm-hmm. -[Misty] There's this steel pipe,

metal roofing, there's fencing...

Is all of that up for grabs?

-Do what you need to. -[Misty] Okay.

Yes. We're here for the pipe. Here we go.

[chuckles]

These are the posts that are holding up

walls for the beds

and this field is the last thing it waters.

Whoo!

I love seeing Travis's things be used.

I've kind of worried since he's passed that.

I would almost be letting him down

by letting his things go to waste.

Next.

[Misty] All these things, he saved,

we might need them one day, you know?

And they meant something to him

but now I'm gonna get to see 'em

be used rather than sit

and... And rot away.

So I'm... I'm super excited about that.

Okay, how'd you do?

I did it.

Okay. So obviously the corner post

and the T post are structural,

kind of, holding the metal in.

But what's fascinating about these beds

is it's raining, right? [chuckles]

And they're holding water.

-Right. -We see it working in real time,

which I'm getting really excited about.

So our next step is figuring out

how we're not soaking these plants

like we don't want root rot.

We don't want these plants

just sitting in free standing water.

-Okay. -So we need a little bit of elevation

to get the bed up.

So I think we just throw some logs in there

and create, like, a log raft.

And then throw the soil on top and call it a day.

Misty's idea is incredible.

Um, it's beyond what I would have ever imagined.

I've lost a lot of confidence

in my ability to maintain the homestead.

I want my kids to be proud of me

and I want them to know that I did everything

in my power to get back to a place

to where we're stable,

living off of this homestead.

Over the T post.

The kids are the only thing that keeps me going.

It's the reason I wake up every morning.

One, two, three.

[splash]

Why are you dry? [laughs]

I think you got a little more than me.

[giggling]

[Matt] How you doing?

Good. How are you? I'm doing so good.

[narrator] Later that morning

at the peacock cages...

What's the best peacock setup?

Like, what does that look like?

Does it look like this?

-[peacock squeals] -[Chanda] No, no, not at all.

They have to be close to each other

instead of all the way across the field.

And stay dry when it's raining.

In a perfect world,

how many eggs are we talking about here

that actually don't make it?

During our best...

season of hatching, I think we're up to, like, a 92% hatch rate.

That's amazing. I mean, what do you sell a peachick?

Um, depending on color and stuff,

it can go from like $60 to $75 a piece.

-What? -[Chanda] Yeah.

-That's insane. -[Chanda] It is.

[narrator] The peahen breeding season

only occurs for a few months each year.

Requiring careful monitoring

for a hen to yield an average

of four to eight eggs per laying attempt

and upwards of 40 eggs a season.

Each egg produces pea checks,

which can be sold for at least $50,

while standard adult peacock prices

go for around $200.

For the Odoms,

it's a resource that used to be the lifeblood of the homestead,

earning them upwards of $60,000 per year.

[Matt] I mean, if you hit that 92%

again this season,

I wouldn't have to work so much to pay for everybody's feed.

It would...

They'll be managing themselves financially,

but it just has to be easier

-for you and your six kids. -Yes. Yes.

Chanda had a successful peacock operation with Travis.

Now that he's not here,

I have to make things as manageable as possible

and give this homestead

a fighting chance to get back up to step,

so that these peacocks can start producing money.

I think we're agreed that we definitely

need to consolidate everything into one space, that's try.

But I don't know anything about raising peacocks.

This is a brand new learning experience for me.

I wanna go talk to a local peacock expert

because the system is broken

and we need to figure out what's gonna work.

Sounds perfect.

All right. I'm gonna get to work.

[narrator] Before work continues on the new barn...

[Marty] Well, it's a beautiful day.

[narrator] ...Marty evaluates the contribution

the oldest Odom boys make with their chores.

[Marty] Let's have a day in the life of Travis and Tavin.

So you wake up in the morning

and what happens?

[Travis] Feed the animals.

[Marty] Let's do that. Follow you.

It's very important to me

to live a day in the life of Tavin

and his younger brother, Travis.

-Are you getting the ducks? -[Travis] Mmm-hmm.

-[Marty] How are they doing? -[Travis] We need to give 'em water.

How far away is the water?

-Right down there. -Here you go.

How far do you gotta go?

[Travis] Right there.

What I'm noticing already

is that you guys are going a long ways for water.

When Chanda tells me that her two boys

are doing the bulk of this feeding and watering

of all these animals,

it's no joke.

They're carrying a lot of food and water,

a significant distance

and they've gotta be workers.

I've gotta be honest with you.

I cannot believe how long this takes.

I gotta tell you, Tavin, you've got a good brother there.

That kid is strong, I'm telling you.

I'm moved watching these two boys

uncomplainingly

and willingly

doing all this work.

But when it comes to the new barn,

we're working on shelter and food.

But this homestead needs access to water.

I know their lives,

are gonna change for the better,

and we're gonna make this workload easier.

I really like your work ethic a lot.

-Thanks. -It's impressive.

And you, you have a good attitude.

I mean, not every 8-year-old brother's gonna...

do this much work.

So I'm really impressed by both of you.

All right, put that wagon away.

We'll talk later.

[Misty] All right, last load.

[narrator] Over by the new garden beds,

while Misty finishes unloading soil

and wooden logs needed for the self-watering garden...

[man] Who-hoo!

[narrator] A few miles down the road...

[peacock squeals]

[Matt] I hear peacocks.

This place is awesome.

[narrator] ... Matt and Shenda visit a peacock expert

to get a crash course on building a safer enclosure.

[Curtis] Hello. How are you?

How are you doing, sir?

My name's Curtis Steading.

[Matt] How long have you been taking care of peacocks?

I've been doing peacocks for over 20 years.

We are not peacock experts.

[laughs] And that's why we're here.

I wanna see what a successful

peacock farm looks like.

And the first thing I see

is this pen looks really clean.

[Curtis] I try to keep my pens clean.

At the end of every breeding season,

the male loses every feather in his tail

and that really makes a mess.

And then the sand...

is for when the peafowl normally,

drop their eggs from the roost.

And they drop 'em and the sand

just keeps 'em from breaking when they hit the ground.

It's a little more cushion for them.

-[Shenda] Ohh. -[Matt] Yeah.

So they lay from the roost.

[Curtis] Lay from the roost.

[Shenda] The eggs, they're fine? They're fine in the sand?

-[Curtis] Mmm-hmm -[Shenda] Wow.

You've built, like, a blind between each one.

Yeah, because when the males see males,

and it's breeding season, they want to fight each other.

[chuckles] Okay.

[narrator] During most of the year,

peacocks need large spaces

to roam around in to avoid cage stress

or damage to their bodies.

However, mating season,

which runs from April through August,

causes natural competition between males.

These fights can lead to injuries that severely impact mating

requiring the separation of males in large enclosures.

Your ratio is, like, two females to one male.

That's the perfect ideal thing.

They're animals, right?

So it all depends. Like, some are better,

some are worse and you're kind of...

Some are better breeders than others.

So you just try to...

find the right combination through trial and error.

-Mmm-hmm. -Okay.

[Matt] Shenda and I are learning

so much about how to raise peafowl correctly.

I have a really good grasp on what we need to build

and we're gonna take Chanda's peacock venture

and make it profitable once again.

After talking with you, I feel like I... I...

I definitely know now...

how to build the perfect peacock enclosure.

-Thanks a lot. -Thank you for coming.

Thank you for showing us everything.

Holy moly. That's lumber.

[narrator] Back on the Odom's homestead...

Welcome.

[narrator] ...Marty welcomes a delivery of vital supplies

donated to help with the new builds.

This lumber is gonna go to a barn

and then something that we've rarely worked on.

-And that starts with a P. Not pigs. -Peacock?

Yeah. How'd you know?

I heard one.

[laughter]

-[Marty] Really? -[Daniel] Yeah.

We're standing over there and we hear... [squeals]

[peacock squeals]

[Marty] On day one, we realized

we're gonna have to build some structures

and this family named Harbin,

they've made it possible now for us to proceed

and start cutting boards

and hammering nails.

The main reason I'm building a barn

is to get

the food and water

and animals closer to the house.

And we'll be able to have all this space if we need it,

making it easier on those two boys,

because this homestead will see a significant

transformation, but not without friends and family.

[Matt] So here's the thing,

half of these cages are still usable.

[narrator] Over by the old peacock cages...

So this is actually an amazing enclosure.

[narrator] ...Matt meets with Chanda and Shenda

to propose a quicker way

to build the new peacock enclosure.

But the only reason why I bring it up is because we might

put some of these on the side.

-[Chanda] Okay. -And save 'em for, like, over flow.

-Okay. -[Matt] Okay?

So, like this one, I would say, is perfect.

These peacocks can lay an egg at any moment.

And some of Chanda's cages are big enough.

And so anytime there's an existing structure,

I'm gonna try to upcycle it and use it.

These pens are definitely too small.

This one too small.

But I'm gonna be really happy

and I know you're gonna be happy...

Thrilled, once we have pens that are all big enough

for every peacock and peahen.

I'm super excited.

[Matt] Let's keep looking.

So you have two more pens over here, right?

[Shenda] Hey, there's an egg over here.

There's an egg over here.

-[Matt] There's an egg? -[Shenda] Peacock egg.

[chuckles]

I've never seen a peacock egg before.

These peacock cages haven't been moved in years.

So we need to move all the peacocks onto fresh grass

and get them away from

that bacteria-ridden mud,

so they can survive.

-How much money do I have in my hands right now? -[Chanda] Erm...

Just the eggs are going for, like, 60 bucks,

plus, now, depending on color and opal's rare.

They will lay every other day,

usually, like, 30 or 40 eggs,

a season per bird.

They're a little bit early and now it's a race.

We gotta get these pens totally done

so we can have all these peacocks in their nice new home.

And then they could just be productive all summer long.

-All right, let's get back to work. -[Chanda] Sounds good.

[Marty] Something really eye opening...

[narrator] It's halfway through the rescue

on the Odom's homestead...

[Marty] ...and sad happened.

[narrator] ...and this morning, the Raneys update

one another on their projects.

I lived a day in the life with the boys,

watching them feed the ducks,

the chickens, the goats, the dogs,

the cows and the peacocks. 27 of them.

We're talking about an 11-year-old

and an an 8-year-old

and the way they're doing, it couldn't be more difficult.

We're talking about two five gallon buckets

full of feed or water and going a long distance.

The barn's too far away, the pens are too far away...

Things have to change

to make the lives of those two boys easier.

I'm super excited about the garden.

It's coming together, but they're called water beds

and we don't have water.

They're massive and there's six of them for all six kids.

The problem is, I don't want them

hauling a five gallon bucket.

It's gonna take some time.

To run the water line and then branch it like a tree

to run and fill each one of these beds.

Mr. Curt said that a peacock needs a lot of space

to move around and spread out.

So they can have their plumage

that can be almost eight feet wide.

And so I'm building a massive structure.

So we've come to a time on this homestead

where we gotta figure out how we're gonna get water to the garden

and water all the way to the new peacock pens,

not to mention the new barn.

Whatever we do, we have to make it easier.

When you look at the scope of the work that's going on here,

it's a lot of construction to do in a short period of time,

so I'm at that stage right now, I'm getting a little nervous

about the size of the builds

the amount of work

and the time left to do it.

[narrator] Later that day,

deep in the countryside...

[Travis] Where are we going?

[Misty] Let's come down.

Hey, friends!

[announcer] ...Misty and the Odom kids

visit a local farmer.

You found me.

[announcer] ...who's mastered the art of growing food

in the region's terrain.

[Misty] Misty.

-Ali. Good to meet you. -Nice to meet you.

-Hey, guys. -[Misty] These are the Homestead kids.

Today I have a surprise for the kids.

I have this field trip planned.

We're gonna get off the homestead, take a little break,

go to a place that's educational but fun.

We're putting in a garden

and there's six garden beds for each of the kids,

and they're gonna plant whatever they wanna plant.

So that's the most important question,

is what do you like?

-[Travis] Watermelon. -Watermelon?

Did you know that Georgia

grows amazing watermelons?

-Blueberries. -Blueberries?

Did you know that Georgia is the number one state

in the whole country for blueberries?

-[Tavin] Pineapple. -Strawberry.

For pineapples, you're gonna have to move to the beach, brother.

-[Travis] Peach. -Peaches.

We can do peaches but it takes five years

for a peach tree to get ready to give fruit.

[Misty] That's okay. They got time.

We know the varieties that do well here.

We have a wonderful, long growing season,

and so outside of tropicals, there's really not much

that we can't grow here 'cause we get all the seasons.

How about we go talk about some seeds

that I have down there that I'm gonna share with you,

and then I'll give you a basket,

and we can come back and pick?

-How's that sound? -[Misty] That sound so fun.

-Good. -Okay, brother, you lead the way.

There's always something fresh to eat in Georgia.

-What is that? -[Ali] This...

What do you think?

-Guess. -Squash.

It is a squash.

And so this was made especially for North Georgia.

And this pumpkin was actually grown

by the indigenous people who lived here

long before my family or your family was here.

It's sweeter than a sweet potato,

and it doesn't mind the humidity,

and it doesn't mind the bugs

because it's been here for thousands of years.

We can plant this now,

and it takes 100 days.

May, June, July,

then we can eat these in August.

Does anybody like pumpkin pie?

-I do. -[gasps]

That's what you can grow to make your own pumpkin pie.

So, I'm gonna send you with some of those seeds

so that you can use that, okay?

I love Ali Merk.

Each one of these seeds will grow a pumpkin vine.

Obviously, she works with kids a lot,

and she's here to make gardening fun.

All right, my sugar lumps.

Y'all about ready to go pick some strawberries?

Yeah!

The redder, the better.

[Misty] Let's see if we can find a super red one.

Ooh, look at this one.

-[Taylin] Me! -[Misty] Ooh! You've gotta get in there.

Oh, my goodness, that one's gonna be so sour,

it's gonna turn your lips inside out.

-[Misty] Try it! -Try it and see.

[Misty] You gotta try it if you're gonna keep picking 'em.

Is it sour?

Ooh! You're a tough man.

I picked one that looks really weird, but it's still good.

-[Misty laughs] -[Ali] Yes.

I'm so happy we came here.

Everybody has their own little basket full of strawberries.

They have their seeds from Ali.

They have the inspiration and the knowledge,

and they're ready to start their own garden.

And that's the whole point.

So, you guys are right on time for a perfect summer garden.

-What do we say? -[Tavin] Thank you.

-Thank you. -You are so welcome.

'Cause as farm kids, we gotta stick together.

-Right? -[Misty laughs]

Thank you so much.

It's my tremendous privilege.

[Misty] Let's pick on our way out.

[Matt] Okay, so 10' by 5'.

[narrator] Back on the homestead...

[Matt] Okay, so that's 10 feet.

Shenda and I got a crash course

in how to raise peafowl

from visiting Curt's peacock farm.

Okay, that's a lot.

Some of Chanda's cages

are big enough for these peacocks,

but half of them aren't.

So, I'm gonna build something totally new from scratch.

And one thing that's really important

is we need more space

for each individual peacock cage.

You would start kind of right here,

-you'd have peacocks. -[Shenda] Yeah.

[mimics peacock squawking]

And then right here,

it's not fitting with these trees.

We'll just build around it.

So, we're gonna have two peacock structures.

And we'll start pounding posts in

-and get it all mapped out. -Awesome.

-All right. -Let's do it.

[Shenda] What we learned from Mr. Curt

is really helping us to know

what to build for these peacocks.

Because neither of us are peacock experts,

we didn't know essentially what they needed.

And now we can give them, like, the best life.

[Matt] It's right on the money!

-[Shenda] Awesome. -That's looking really good.

[narrator] Matt will build a 20-by-40-foot peacock motel out of donated lumber...

complete with 10 rooms to keep males separated.

Next, he'll build roosts high enough

where their tails won't touch the ground

and low enough for their eggs to drop safely.

Finally, he'll cover the structure

with partial roofing to provide shade

and ensure Georgia's weather doesn't create a muddy ground,

enabling the Odoms to have productive birds

and sell eggs once again.

[Matt] I'm really glad that we're at this point where we can start actually

getting our hands dirty and building this stuff

because the peacocks

are literally about to drop eggs.

The time is now.

We don't have any time to waste.

-Let's just keep framing up each of the partitions. -[Shenda] Mm-hmm.

And we'll just go from framing to fencing,

and then we'll trick out everything with the roost

that's high enough, put some sand down.

And, uh, you know, slap a door in the front,

-we'll be good to go. -Awesome.

[Matt] All right, let's keep working.

[Shenda] Let's do it.

[narrator] Across the property in the farm's pasture...

[Marty] I've been here for a few days,

and I've never seen you drive that tractor.

[narrator] ...Marty preps Chanda to expand her skill set on the homestead.

Tell me why.

My husband liked to do everything for me.

I wanted to learn to weed eat,

and he told me, "Pretty girls don't weed eat,

I'll do that."

I have to be honest with you,

I think it's... I think it's time that...

you do learn.

It's beyond time.

You ready?

-[Chanda] I'm ready. -[Marty] All right.

You can't have 33 acres, 100 animals

and not know how to drive the tractor.

Chanda is gonna have to learn

a lot more skills to maintain this homestead.

-[engine whirring] -So, you've already turned the key.

-Okay. -It's running.

Now, those two pedals are your brakes.

-So, put your foot on there. -[Chanda] Both?

[Marty] Yep.

-What do you think that's for? -[Chanda] Low.

-Good. -Going forward?

-High? -Very good.

So, slow and fast, kinda?

-[Marty] Yeah, yeah. -Okay.

-Which one are we gonna start out in? -Low. [laughs]

-Good idea. -[Chanda] Yeah.

Now, this is your bucket.

[Chanda] The tractor has been one of those things

I've been scared

to learn how to drive.

Um, it's intimidating.

You know, I... I could mess stuff up.

But I just need to start taking over things.

Up and down. Whoa!

-[cow mooing] -Whoo!

That's fine, but what did you learn?

-Slow. -Slow.

-Smooth. -Okay.

[Marty] So, go up, please.

That was nice and smooth, I like it.

Before we go anywhere, what's your number one job?

[Chanda] Not to hit Pepper.

Don't hit the cow.

On that note, pay attention,

because you're driving a tractor.

Okay. Letting off the clutch.

All the way out.

-Oh, okay. Not like a car. -There you go.

Okay.

-Just go? -Go anywhere you want.

-Okay. [chuckles] -Don't hit the cow.

I'm not hitting the cow.

When Travis and I got together,

I was very independent.

We had animals before we had kids.

And I helped a lot, but as our relationship grew,

and especially after I had started getting pregnant...

he did more and more and more.

He took such good care of us.

But now, without him,

it has been difficult,

you know, to learn those things.

Think you can pick up that log?

'Cause I need it over there at the barn build.

I can try it.

[Marty] That's a real nice touch.

Okay, bring that to the barn.

-I'll get the gate. -Okay.

I love it!

Gonna fit?

Yep.

Now, I'm gonna be able to move my own things.

Me and the boys are gonna be able

to get a lot more done,

um, and I'm excited to keep learning.

[Marty] Perfect!

You're a rock star!

[goat bleating]

[Misty] Okay, Chanda.

Last bed!

-Nice and even. -Yes.

[narrator] With the six new garden beds completed...

-What do you think? -[Chanda] I love it.

-Do you like it? -Love it.

[narrator] ...Misty and Chanda turned their attention

to the most important element to their build.

The one thing we're missing in our waterbed is water.

Awesome.

[Misty] Today, my focus is water.

I'm gonna dig all these trenches,

run all these water lines,

go from a place where you're watering

with a 5-gallon bucket

to watering with a flip of a switch.

These kids will never be watering by hand again.

Okay, so I'm gonna jump in the excavator.

I'm gonna start digging this trench

that branches like a tree

so that all these underground water lines

can feed each one of the water beds.

Awesome.

Yoo-hoo!

So, I'm about to dig a bunch of water lines,

and I look over,

and Matt's a stone's throw away.

And I realized, like, I should probably check in with Matt

and see what his plan is when it comes to water.

Yoo-hoo! [mimicking squawking]

I have a question.

Okay.

I'm putting in water beds, which need water.

-Yeah. -[Misty] So, I'm digging water lines.

Okay.

And you're pretty close to me,

so am I digging a water line to the peacock pen?

I just need the water supply to get right close to that.

So, I'm gonna start digging

kind of like where that ladder is.

-[Matt] Awesome. -Okay.

[Matt] Thank you.

Right there is perfect.

Misty is building a water line trench as we speak.

-Whoo! -Boom!

And if we have a water line

where you can literally just get water

directly to where the peacocks live

without having to haul that water

two or three football fields from the house,

then you've saved everyone a ton of time and a lot of effort.

[Misty] All right.

We're taking this water line,

running it through the center of the garden,

branching it to all six beds like a tree.

Each one of these water beds

is being watered from the ground up.

We created those underground reservoirs with the clay.

And so, essentially, we're stubbing in underground,

and they're watering from underground up.

Once we run all these water lines back to that well,

the gardens and the peacocks will have

an endless supply of water.

This looks pretty good.

[saw whirring]

[Matt] Okay.

[narrator] At the site of the new peacock motel...

[Matt] These are the partitions between each peacock,

so you don't need one on the end.

[narrator] ...Matt rejoins Shenda

to find ways to make the peacocks more comfortable.

[Matt] We'd probably need one, two,

three, four, five, six.

-So, three more sheets. -[Shenda] All righty.

Every single one of these bays is like a chicken coop.

Because every peacock with their two or three peahens

-has to have their own space. -[squawking]

And, uh, when we get done here,

we're gonna have the perfect place for all these peacocks,

and it is like the biggest fowl structure I've ever made.

Welcome to peacock motel.

Now, those peacocks need a roost.

We gotta make sure that we're 4 feet off the ground.

Okay.

-We gotta measure how far that egg is gonna fall, right? -[Shenda] Right.

Curt showed us how the roosts need to be

off the ground about 4 feet

so that the peacock's tails don't drag in the dirt.

And then we're-- we're screwing the roost to this?

Yeah, screw it right into that thing.

Their tails are really how they show off and attract a mate.

And he showed us how he puts sand underneath the roost

to catch the eggs that drop so that they don't break.

It's gonna make such a huge difference for the peacocks.

We'll just put a 2' by 4'

-right in between these. -Yeah.

And then they'll have a perfect height for a roost.

[Shenda] Awesome.

[narrator] Roosts are raised areas like branches,

where birds or bats rest out of reach of predators.

And while the specific height varies between species,

for peacocks, the ideal constructed height is 4 feet

in order to protect their tail feathers

for mating purposes

and keep them away from predators

like mongoose or wild dogs.

Peacocks instinctively look for roosts at night,

so it's vital to keep peahens from roosting in trees or other high places,

which would put laid eggs at risk of breaking.

[Matt] Boom!

Eventually, one after the other,

we'll knock out everything we need

for seven different pens on this side,

and then we'll see how much materials

we have left over for the other side.

-Awesome. -[Matt] What do you think?

-Sounds good. -[Matt] All right, let's go.

-Keep working. -All right.

-[Matt] We've got a lot of work to do, right? -[Chanda] Right.

Thank you for working.

[narrator] Later that day...

We welcome any help we can get.

[narrator] ...the Raneys have gathered Chanda and Shenda

to help with a massive project

that will benefit the homestead.

Thanks to Josh, we have a little more help than usual.

[Josh] Hey, so I brought some help with me today.

-[Misty laughs] -Oh, my goodness!

Wow.

So, all these guys and gals

are from White County Public Safety,

our search and rescue, fire department.

We sent out for some help,

and they all decided they wanted to come help you today.

I'm just in awe, you know.

Thank y'all. It means a lot.

[Marty] This homestead now has a brand-new barn,

but the old barn's out in the middle of the field,

exposed to the elements.

Why don't we bring it over here in the shade,

next to the new barn,

so that it would be easier on the boys

to take care of the animals on this homestead.

We have a project that is ominous,

but if we're ever gonna do it,

it's today, with this much help.

So, if you actually did come here to work,

please get in this truck.

[Josh] So, I brought a crew with me today.

They're all CERT members, firefighters,

EMTs, uh, community members that love to serve.

When they found out that we were doing this,

and Chanda was in trouble, and needed a little help,

they all came and volunteered their time.

All right, everyone.

Who thinks that this team can lift up that building

and move it over there where that excavator

just cleared out a pad?

-Who thinks we can do it? -Yeah!

-[woman 1] Let's do it! -[woman 2] Yeah.

Here's the idea, we're gonna take this board,

we're gonna drill through the metal frame...

and into the wood, both directions.

One 2' by 6' this way,

one this way on every corner.

We're all gonna take a little weight,

and we're all gonna share the load.

That said, let's go!

Never ceases to amaze me

how homesteaders get support from the neighborhood.

Okay, so let's pin this.

[whirring]

[Marty] Thank goodness,

Chanda's friend, Josh, reached out to his community

because I'm running out of time.

And when I saw a dozen people show up,

I thought, "It's now or never."

[Chanda crying]

[sniffles]

I'm excited, but it just... [sniffles]

You know, I remember sitting out here

-while he built it, you know. -Hmm.

[sniffles and sighs]

I think what makes me emotional about seeing

the building be moved is the change, you know.

It's just one reminder that he's gone,

but we're keeping him alive in a different way.

[sighs] Thank you.

We sat in that barn, every morning while he milked.

So, that's, like, my little safe haven, you know,

that I can go and remember him in.

Maybe it's for the best.

[drilling]

[Marty] Just know this,

we couldn't do this if you-- if the firefighters hadn't shown up,

so thank you.

Where we're headed is that red patch

that's cleared that Clint just made for it.

Okay, you ready?

One, two, three.

[squawking]

[Marty] I think it's gonna go.

Okay, you ready?

One, two...

three.

We realized that Travis' barn still functions,

so we decided to relocate it next to the new barn,

making more room for the animals.

If we can pull that off,

I feel like Travis lives on.

[Misty] Are we supposed to avoid the ant hills?

[Matt] Uh, just walk fast.

You guys call it if you want a break.

[Clint] We're going a little fast.

-Whoa! -[Misty] It's getting heavy!

-[Clint] Break! -[Marty] Break!

[Matt] You guys call it.

That was him saying we should take a break.

Pepper, she knows no chill.

Go! [sucks lips] Go!

[moos]

[Marty] The cow's a part of it.

You're taking his house.

We're gonna go a little slower.

Thank goodness that Josh has so many strong friends.

If you have 20 or 30 able-bodied human beings,

you can lift up a building...

[Marty] Spinning!

[Matt] ...you can move a mountain,

and you can get that barn at its final resting place

a lot quicker and a lot easier

than using any heavy equipment.

Slow for the rock wall.

Slow, slow.

Three feet, two feet, stop! Down!

[all cheering and applauding]

[Marty] Everyone, come here, come here.

I'll be honest with you, when I first grabbed it,

I didn't think we were gonna be able to do it.

-It was heavy. -[woman] Oh, man.

But, uh, there's no way, as you know,

that we could have done it without you.

Thank y'all.

-Chanda, so how do you feel? What do you-- -Thank you.

How do you feel, though?

Um, I'm excited.

It-- It's gonna help so much.

It was emotional seeing, you know,

something that I watched him build be moved.

[voice shaking] But it's awesome being right here

and that y'all are keeping it.

[in normal voice] I'm excited about the barn

being so much closer to the house.

The chores will be easier.

It's just gonna make life easier for all of us.

[Marty] Does this help you?

-It does. A lot. -[Marty] Is it good?

Does it help your two boys?

-Even more than me, yes. -[all chuckling]

That's all I needed to hear.

I've just counted up the materials

that we have left over...

[narrator] The next morning...

...and we can only make three more rooms

in our peacock motel.

[narrator] ...Matt and Shenda set about adding

additional lodging to the peacock motel.

-Chanda's got 10 productive mating peacocks. -[squawking]

[Matt] We only need really ten spaces.

We have seven already, so that is perfect.

We have a tree here

that's acting as really good shade

in the morning time.

We're just gonna leave a space for the tree,

and we're gonna fit three extra rooms

in our peacock motel right here.

I think that's a great plan.

-So, let's get building. -All right.

[Matt] Shenda and I, we're running out of time,

we're running out of materials.

So, we're gonna build three more spaces,

keeping it to the 10 male peacocks that she has.

That's gonna be more than enough

for this homestead right now.

Go.

All right, see our little braces?

-Yes. -[Matt] Now see if it falls.

-[Shenda] Cool. -[Matt] Doesn't fall.

Let's build our back wall.

[Shenda] Cool.

I think for the last couple of years,

it's just been such a slog for Chanda

that it hasn't been fun or enjoyable.

This is a great opportunity for her

to bring back income to the farm

and make this homestead sustainable.

I think she's gonna continue on,

and I know the joy that's gonna bring her

'cause I know that joy myself.

Perimeter done for our three extra rooms

in the peacock motel.

-Awesome. -[Matt chuckles]

This is gonna work really well.

Whoo!

[Marty whistles]

Here we go!

[narrator] Over by the new dual barn set up...

[Marty] Pay attention.

[narrator] ...Marty continues framing up the pole barn

before turning his attention to another crucial homestead need.

[Marty] Even though there's a well on this property,

that's too far away.

So, my thinking is, let's make it easier

on everybody and not pack water

a significant distance to the barn.

[horn tooting]

[Marty] We're going to solve that problem now.

-[Randy] How you doing? -[Marty] Really good.

-What's your name? -Randy.

-I'm Leslie Kauk. Nice to meet you. -Leslie Kauk.

Leslie, nice to meet you both.

Yeah, so tell me what we got right here.

Okay, so they're two 800-gallon rainwater collection systems.

[Leslie] It has the floating extractors

and the calming inlet already installed for it.

And the pumps are back here and all the accouterments.

[Marty] This homesteader has been truly struggling

for the last two years.

-Can't believe it. -Let's fix it.

Let's fix it.

All right, bring it down.

We're gonna fill this, so it's gonna be 800 gallons of water.

Push it off the truck, darling.

Thank you.

More importantly, it will be not halfway across the property,

not carried in 5-gallon buckets, but right here.

[Leslie] You got it.

[Misty] Ow!

It's like a rat's nest of vines.

Oh, and not just normal vines,

like, mean vines.

All right, it's time to start to put together

our little seed station for the kids.

So, I'm gonna take this first cedar down right here.

It's already dead.

So, that makes me feel good.

Plus, it will last a really long time

and prevent the structure from blowing away.

[narrator] Misty will build an 8-by-8-foot seed station.

First, she'll use dead cedar trees for load-bearing posts

and drive those 3 feet into the ground,

ensuring the build will withstand Georgia's weather.

Next, she'll upcycle found materials

on the property for walls.

Finally, she'll tap into the water line she trenched,

enabling easy watering for the kids to grow starts

for their individual garden beds.

These cedar posts, we're gonna drive them in 3 feet,

and then the posts will be sticking out of the ground 8 feet.

That will be the support for our walls.

I love this seed station so much.

It's come together.

I think it's the perfect size for six kids.

You just need a place where you can plant,

get out of the sun.

But now we need to figure out the walls,

and I have an idea,

thanks to Travis, on what my next move is gonna be.

Travis worked for the state,

and they were just dumping all this leftover material,

so he ended up with a bunch of different signs.

And I think for the siding on the structure itself,

it would just be perfect, and it's here, and it's free.

This is gonna be, like, the cutest little seed station ever.

We're gonna tack these bad boys up.

Like that.

Creating the seed station

is just getting the kids involved,

and that's something Travis definitely would be doing.

So, I think drawing the kids into this space

to learn, to grow, to plant,

it's all about that.

Man, those signs look so good.

[Marty] We're leaving this homestead

and things are getting hectic.

Chanda is gonna have to step up to the plate.

Can you get that tractor for us?

I can.

[engine starts]

[Misty exclaiming]

-[Travis] Misty! -[children exclaiming]

[narrator] It's the final day on the Odom homestead...

-How's everybody doing good? -[children] Good.

[narrator] ...and this morning,

Misty and the kids get their hands dirty

with the garden's new seed station.

[Misty] This is the moment you've been waiting for.

[mimics drum roll]

This is the moment we get plant.

Welcome to the seed station.

It was so important that I spend time

this week for the kids,

and creating their seed station

is just giving them a workplace all for that.

And I think that's really important.

Not only is it telling them

that this is their role on the homestead,

but it's... it's getting them involved.

So, this is all for you guys.

It's a little work space,

it's a gardening space, and it's all yours.

You wanna plant some seeds?

-Yes! -Okay.

So, remember when we went to the Merk Farm

and she gifted us all... all these seeds?

So, it's really easy. You just dip your finger in,

and then bury your seed,

and then gently put some soil over it,

then you spray it.

You put the seed in, you put it,

you cover it with soil,

and then you spray it just a little bit.

That's it.

[exclaiming]

[all laughing]

Creating a manageable garden for the kids was the goal.

You're officially growing your own food.

So, good job. Let's go check the garden out.

We have some donated plants.

Is everybody at their beds?

-[Taylin] Yes, ma'am. -[Misty] I'm gonna visit you one by one.

Over there?

That's perfect.

Giving them this underground watering system

with the water beds, planting low-maintenance veggies,

giving them their own workspace

with the seed station is the perfect recipe

for success.

Okay, so you tell me where everything goes.

Okay, I want one right here.

-[Misty] I like this spot. That was a good spot. -[Taylin] Mm-hmm.

[Misty] Let's put our first one right there.

-First plant, how does it feel? -Good.

-You're growing food for yourself and your family? -Yeah.

-Pretty easy? -Mm-hmm.

-Fun? -Mm-hmm.

[Misty] The more the kids are involved,

the less Chanda has to do.

-Okay, is the hole big enough? -Not yet.

[Misty] Once they're involved, once you hook them, that's it,

and I feel like we've done that,

and they can grow this garden

into whatever they want it to be.

Put the plant in the hole, babe.

Good job.

[peacock squawking]

[Matt] Okay, here we go.

-[Shenda] Yeah, okay. -[Matt] We don't wanna lose any peacock.

[narrator] At the site of the new peacock motel...

All right, we got our first customers at the peacock motel.

[narrator] ...Matt gathers Tavin and Travis

to demonstrate how much easier their chores will be.

[Matt] The first thing I'm gonna show you

is how to water each one of these peacock cages

as easy as I could possibly make it.

-[squawking] -[Matt] The way that the children

were feeding these peacocks before

was just so much time

that it was pretty much discouraging the children.

And now we've made it a piece of cake.

You're the big brother, so I... I'm gonna do you the honors.

You pull this lever up.

Okay.

You wanna fill that up, throw that lever.

-Is that easy? -[Travis] Yes.

What about this one, you wanna fill that one up?

-Go fill some up. -[Travis] Easy.

-Turn. -[Matt] You could fill,

like, two or three at the same time.

You just made my water chores so easy.

[laughs]

I love this.

-You love it? -Yes.

[Matt] Let's feed these things.

-Open up that lid. -[Travis] Mm-hmm.

[Matt] We're leaving this homestead

with a family that is excited to raise all the livestock

and be really successful.

-And boom. -Right...

[Matt] That's it.

[narrator] One week ago...

the Odom family's peacocks

lived in multiple cramped dog kennels

and laid their eggs in filth and mud,

compromising their survival and rendering them worthless.

Today, they live in a 20-by-40-foot peacock motel,

complete with spacious rooms,

roof coverings to keep the ground dry,

and a simple watering and feeding system,

allowing the kids to easily tend to the animals

so the family can raise productive birds

and make money once again.

[Travis] Let's go!

[Chanda] Travis would be so proud, especially for our kids.

They're so excited.

And just to see how happy they are,

I think he would be blown away.

[Travis] It's a food waterfall!

[Marty] Running out of time, I'm not happy!

Stand back. Quick, Clint, right here!

[narrator] Back at the site of the dual barn...

[Marty] Clint, drive it in, please.

[narrator] ...Marty and Chanda rush to add

fence posts for the livestock's new grazing pad.

All right, let's not get killed.

At sundown, we're leaving this homestead.

Line me up with that post.

The pole barn's almost done, but we need to put up a fence.

[Chanda] A little bit this way. There we go.

[Marty] Chanda's worried about it,

she's nervous about it,

and things are getting, frankly, a little hectic.

Tell me when.

That is good.

-You sure? -Yeah.

[Marty] Meaning I need help,

and Chanda is gonna have to step up to the plate.

Boom!

Sorry about the craziness.

-Yeah. -[Marty] There's a lot to be done.

So, we gotta get it done.

-[Chanda] Right. -And while we're talking,

-you ready for this? -[Chanda] I am.

-Do you wanna milk goats here? -I do.

[Marty] Do you wanna use those,

-not one, but two barns? -Yes.

Okay. I thought I saw a little goat stanchion out there somewhere.

-Uh-huh. -[Marty] Do you know anybody here

that knows how to run the... the, uh, tractor?

-Yeah. -[Marty] Who?

Me.

-Can you get that for us? -[Chanda] I can.

-Okay. And then bring it right to the barn, please. -[Chanda] Okay.

-[Marty] Thank you. -[Chanda] Uh-huh.

Clint! We gotta hit it.

Literally!

[Chanda] Oh, well...

Since Travis passed, I've been scared.

You know, I haven't healed.

But I feel like the Raneys have been

helping me to move forward with my kids.

[engine starts]

[Chanda] I know that it's gonna be hard work,

but I can do this.

Whoo!

[Marty] Clint!

Don't spill my coffee.

He's trying to pick it up and hand it to me.

I've been working with Marty for maybe 15 years now,

and I guess I am the foreman,

but more like Marty's right-hand man.

Hey, Clint. Copy?

Yeah. Got it.

Clint!

[Clint] I do think the foreman is an important job...

Clint! Punch it!

[Clint] ...and they should get paid more.

[laughing]

Let's go! Now! Move!

I've never heard Clint complain...

since I gave him a 10-cent-an-hour raise.

Coffee break's over! Back to work!

[Clint] I am excited to help out more people, but...

[Marty] Clint, Clint, Clint!

Do you hear-- I think I hear Marty calling me.

[Marty whistling]

Clint!

[Marty whistles] Quick, quick, quick!

Down.

Perfect!

They're in there. Holy crap!

I like it.

That said, where's Mom?

We are running out of time.

And I wanna make sure that Chanda is set up for success.

If she can't learn how to run a tractor on a homestead,

she'll never become a successful homesteader.

It's do or die right now.

Come on in, Mom.

[Chanda] Marty is amazing.

I mean, he's given me a different perspective

and motivated me to learn how to do things

that I don't know how to do.

This is perfect. Let her down, please.

Chanda is a natural.

Smooth, fast learner,

safe, and gets the job done.

And now I have all the confidence in the world

that this county has one more tractor operator.

-You gotta figure it out. -Yeah.

If you can do that, you can do anything.

-All right, thank you. -Thank you.

[Marty] I gotta tell you, I broke down

when I watched those two boys doing those chores.

But now this homestead has water for eternity

even if they wanna keep 100 animals here.

That's right.

Those two boys had to grow up quick and do a grown man's job.

And they've been doing the best they can at it.

-Do you think we've made it easier? -Oh, definitely.

Let's look at a couple things in here.

Let's check on the ducks.

-[cheeping] -[Marty] I'm glad that we saved them,

and got 'em under a heat lamp, and fed and watered them.

And now they have this beautiful place to be safe.

[Josh] That's right.

[Marty] When it comes to feeding cows,

when it comes to feeding goats,

check this automatic feeder out.

Pull the rope...

and then let her rip.

Pour it in.

And, of course, we have a safe, dry space

for these animals to escape to.

We've set these people up better

than even my own homestead.

[narrator] One week ago,

the Odom family's barn was too small

to house all the livestock

and was located far from the house in a muddy field,

making the daily chores time-consuming and difficult.

Today, their original barn has been relocated

to the site of their brand-new pole barn,

giving the animals a large,

dry footprint to roam around in

that's also close enough for the kids

to easily tend to the animals for years to come.

It's really comforting to know that you're here

and you've been here.

Anything her or those kids need.

Travis was a good friend,

and after this week of working with Marty,

I have seen that they wanna help

people succeed on their homesteads.

There aren't a whole lot of people left like that in this world,

and they have really made a difference

in Chanda's life.

It's hard to find this kind of a friend.

So, she's fortunate, and so are you.

I appreciate that.

[duck quacking]

-[Misty] Chanda! -[Temperance] Chanda!

[Misty] What do you think?

I love it.

-[Misty] Pretty cute, huh? -I'm pretty excited.

-Y'all are gonna grow me some vegetables? -[Taylin] Yeah!

-Should we give her a tour of the seed station? -Yeah.

-Mm-hmm. -[Misty] Let's go inside.

Come on.

Oh.

This is awesome!

-Y'all have each got your own station? -[children chattering]

[Misty] You wanna see the coolest part in the whole world?

[Chanda] Yep.

Done!

Just leave that on for a while,

and guess what's happening?

[Tavin] It's filling up the beds.

[Misty] Underground.

-[Chanda] No way. -[Misty] Yeah.

-[Tavin] Yes way. -That is awesome.

[Misty] We streamlined the homestead,

and what I've done with the kids,

it gives Chanda that, like, opportunity

to never quit, to never back down.

And I think Travis would be proud.

[narrator] One week ago, Chanda's growing efforts

suffered from inhospitable clay to grow in,

lack of easily accessible water,

and significant distance from the home.

Today, they have six garden beds

self-watered by the nearby well,

and an 8-by-8-foot seed station

providing a workplace to cultivate starter plants,

all of which are located closer to the home,

enabling the family to grow food for years to come.

We're growing food, guys.

I really feel like this week with the Raneys

has set us up to be able

for this to be the kids' homestead one day.

[children exclaiming]

Those are their garden beds,

and they are gonna grow those vegetables.

And now my kids are motivated,

they're excited.

This is gonna be our happy place again.

[laughs and exclaims]

-[Taylin] She got Mama! -[Temperance laughing]

One of the most impressive things

that really motivated me

was watching you and this guy do the chores.

You don't even know how you impacted me,

but you did.

So, thank you.

Will you go over there on the back of that tree

and grab that hat, please?

-[Tavin] Whose is this? -[Marty] It's yours.

-[Tavin] Thanks. -You're welcome.

That said, Josh, it's kind of comforting to know

that when we leave here that you're still here.

I really appreciate you as a friend of this family.

-Always. -[Matt] Oh, yeah,

don't ever let Shenda go.

[Shenda and Chanda laugh]

[Marty] She's the best helper, smart, capable.

Like, it was a pleasure to work with you.

[Shenda] It makes me so happy.

Her life just got a lot easier.

[Misty] I don't wanna say goodbye.

You have such a special family.

I wish I could have known Travis,

because kids aren't this special...

by chance.

[Taylin crying] Miss him so much.

[Chanda] Since Travis passed,

it was a fight for me and the kids to keep everything alive.

And I felt like there was still hope,

but I was losing it quickly.

Going forward, everything's gonna be different.

I'm ready to get this homestead working for us.

And I think I'm finding healing.

[voice shaking] I feel like we have a fighting chance now.

[sniffles] Um, that a mom and six babies can do it from here.

Thank y'all.

[Marty] Everything that Misty, Matt, and I designed and built

had six children in mind.

Because this is what Travis wanted.

It was like he was looking down for the last week...

overseeing this project.

And if he was, I hope that we've all gotten Travis' stamp of approval.

[Misty] I love you guys.

-I love you guys. I love you guys. -[Marty] Josh.

[Misty] It's okay.

It's okay, sweetheart. It's all right.

-Bye. -[Misty whooping]

-Aw! -[Misty] You guys miss me?

[laughs]

-Bye, you guys! -[Misty] Bye...

Bye, girls!

-[sniffles] -[horn tooting]

[Chanda] Hey, Raneys.

Everything's been going pretty well.

Come on, girls. Come on.

The new barn has been a complete game changer.

Sunshine, y'all hungry?

Feeding is easier.

Watering is easier.

The animals love the new barn, the kids love the new barn.

The garden has been great.

The kids have absolutely loved it.

It's an everyday thing.

They're really feeling more of a sense of ownership of the homestead.

And having all the peacocks

in one simple place has been a lifesaver.

They have been laying like crazy.

Next year, we'll be able to surpass

our income with the peachicks.

Now, I have the confidence,

and Travis would be over-the-moon proud.

I'll never ever be able to repay them.

The Raneys always got a place on the Odom homestead.

Thank you, Raneys. We miss y'all.