This is how our family chose the “road less traveled” by opting out of mainstream food, screens, and rushed living, and opting into a full homesteading lifestyle that makes abstaining from harmful things almost automatic. I’ll share stories from our farm, including extended fasting and other times I’ve abstained even from “good” things, and then give simple, practical tips for how anyone can start replacing old habits with a new, value-driven lifestyle so you don’t just change what you do, you change who you are.

Justin Rhodes is an entrepreneur, author, film producer, and educator known for making sustainable living practical and accessible for everyday families. He lives with his wife and children on a 75-acre farm in North Carolina, where he documents real-world homesteading through hands-on food production, regenerative agriculture, and animal husbandry. What began as a personal search for healthier food and a more grounded life grew into a global platform that has helped hundreds of thousands rethink how they grow, raise, and source what they eat.

Trained in permaculture design under Geoff Lawton and influenced by mentors across regenerative agriculture and natural livestock management, Justin blends traditional wisdom with modern problem-solving. He is the creator of Abundant Permaculture and the founder of Abundance Plus, a streaming platform dedicated to sustainable living, homesteading education, and community-driven learning. His educational films, including Permaculture Chickens and The Great American Farm Tour, reflect his commitment to teaching by doing and sharing both successes and setbacks with honesty.

Through books, online courses, documentaries, and more than a decade of video storytelling, Justin has become a trusted voice in the modern homesteading movement. His work focuses on resilience, stewardship of the land, and building systems that support families and communities over the long term. As a featured speaker, Justin brings practical insight, lived experience, and a grounded message that challenges people to reconnect with their food, their land, and their capacity to live with purpose and abundance.