Cedar Porch Homestead

Cedar Porch Homestead Family owned and operated, regenerative farm specializing in soil building and pastured proteins for your dinner table. See us in action on YouTube!

Formerly Metcalfe Family Farm, we loved our time on the farm, but in May 2018, the Big Guy led us to sell and move into town. We landed on a half-acre lot with space for our home, a shop, and our business, Metcalfe Design Co., LLC. At the time, we thought we’d left farming behind… but God had other plans. Prompted to reconnect with our roots and take control of where our food comes from, we starte

d a backyard homestead. Now, we’re raising pastured eggs, chickens, quail, rabbits, and pigs, growing a garden, and even building a 50-acre regenerative agriculture property from scratch—expanding our mission to steward land, grow healthy food, and live intentionally. Follow along for faith-led homesteading, successes, lessons learned, and a little fun along the way—because farming isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle!

06/25/2026

🐔 Every eggmobile I’ve built taught me something...

Some were too heavy.
Some weren’t predator-proof.
Some made collecting eggs a pain.

After years of trial and error, I finally built the version that checks all the boxes.

In this video, I break down the **6 essential features** every eggmobile should have to protect your flock, make daily chores easier, and fit into a regenerative grazing system.

One of the biggest lessons? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Multiple smaller eggmobiles give you flexibility, make pasture rotations easier, and reduce the risk of losing your entire flock to one mistake.

Whether you’ve got a backyard flock or you’re building a regenerative farm, I hope my mistakes save you some time, money, and frustration.

🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube, and if you find it helpful, I’d appreciate a like, comment, and subscribe!

What feature do YOU think every eggmobile needs?

06/24/2026

The farm chores will still be there tomorrow.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is step away from the never-ending project list, spend time with family, get out on the water, and enjoy the day God gave you.

Today was one of those days.

A little sunshine, a little fishing, a lot of laughs, and a reminder that building a life is just as important as building a farm.

And before anyone asks... yes, we caught fish.

Not big fish.

In fact, when I held one up, I may have said, “I’ve been told size doesn’t matter... but I think I’m gonna throw this one back.” 😂

Sometimes the catch isn’t the point anyway.

06/23/2026

Today was introduction day.

We added our newest goat to the herd and, as expected, there were plenty of inspections, suspicious stares, and a few gentle headbutts while everyone figured out where they stand.

If you’ve ever owned goats, you already know they have a unique way of welcoming newcomers. They’re cute, entertaining, and occasionally complete jerks. 😂

Thankfully, everything seems to be going smoothly so far. The older goats are establishing the pecking order, but nothing has gotten out of hand.

And after much debate, we’ve officially settled on a name...

**Skunk.**

Not because we’re particularly creative, but because she looks exactly like one.

What would you have named her?

06/23/2026

One of the best ways to make a homestead more sustainable is to stop looking at problems as problems and start looking at them as opportunities.

For years we’ve bought pine shavings for our nesting boxes, but we already have something even better growing right here on the farm—a pine forest.

Using a chipper we’ve had since our old property, we’re turning our own trees into bedding for the chicken coop. Not only does it save money, but when the hens inevitably scratch the bedding out of the nesting boxes, it falls directly onto the pasture below.

So instead of throwing away bedding, the chickens are helping distribute organic material across the pasture, feeding soil biology and building healthier ground over time.

What started as a way to save money turned into another step toward a more regenerative and self-sufficient homestead.

Sometimes the best solutions are already sitting in your backyard.

06/22/2026

If your Great Pyrenees sits next to you but faces the other direction, don’t take it personally.

They’re not ignoring you.
They’re not giving you the cold shoulder.

They’re doing exactly what generations of livestock guardian dogs were bred to do.

When a Great Pyrenees chooses to sit beside you while facing outward, they’re keeping watch. They’re scanning for anything that might threaten their flock, family, or favorite human.

It’s one of my favorite things about these dogs. Even when they’re resting, they’re working. Even when they’re sitting beside you, they’re literally watching your back.

That’s not a sign of distance.

That’s a sign of trust, loyalty, and protection.

06/20/2026

One of the biggest goals on our farm is creating systems that work even when I’m away at the fire station.

Today I was racing against an incoming rainstorm to set up multiple sheep paddocks so the girls can easily move the lambs to fresh pasture every 24 hours. By using smaller paddocks, the sheep graze more evenly, fertilize the ground naturally, and give the pasture plenty of time to recover before they return.

Everything was going smoothly... until my Great Pyrenees supervisors showed up. Apparently, standing exactly where I need to work is part of their job description. 😂

This is regenerative agriculture in action—simple systems, healthy animals, healthier soil, and a lot of lessons learned along the way.

How often do your animals “help” with chores?

06/19/2026

People spend a lot of time thinking about careers, houses, land, and money.

But the most important decision you’ll ever make is who you choose to walk through life with. ❤️

The farm, the animals, the projects, the successes, and even the setbacks have all been better because we’ve done them together.

The best thing we’ve built over the years wasn’t the homestead.

It was the life we’ve built alongside it.




06/18/2026

Here’s a tip I only know because I learned it the hard way. 😅

Temporary electric fencing is one of the best tools we use on our farm. It’s flexible, affordable, and makes rotational grazing possible.

But don’t let it give you a false sense of security.

If you’re planning to raise livestock, build your perimeter fence first.

At some point an animal is going to test a fence, jump a fence, crawl under a fence, or simply decide the rules don’t apply to them. 😂

When that day comes, you’ll be glad you have a solid perimeter fence waiting for them.

Learn from my mistakes so you don’t have to make them yourself.




06/17/2026

Just after I got done bragging about how easy St. Croix sheep are to manage... one escaped. 😂🐑

So my daughter and I headed out to see just how “docile” they really are.

We found the runaway on the other side of the fence.

It looked at us.

Thought about its life choices.

Then just laid down and surrendered. 😅

I’ve raised a lot of animals, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen one simply give up.

My daughter picked it up, put it back over the fence, and that was the end of the great escape. 😂




06/17/2026

Reason #437 to own St. Croix sheep... 🐑😂

They’re incredibly social and so docile that they’ll walk right up to the fence looking for attention.

My daughter doesn’t even have to go find them anymore.

They see their shepherdess coming and practically line up for scratches. ❤️

For animals that are supposed to be livestock, they’re awfully convinced they’re pets. 😅



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Wharton, TX
77351

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