The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

1KHO 674: There's a Big Difference Between Food and Nutrition

Guest: Ruthann Zimmerman, author of The Heart of the Homestead
Host: Ginny Yurich
Date: January 9, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features homesteader, author, and Old Order Mennonite-raised Ruthann Zimmerman. She and host Ginny Yurich dive into the difference between food and nutrition, the value of homesteading skills, building family through chores and shared work, reclaiming lost traditions, and why these old ways are more relevant in today’s world than ever. Ruthann shares from her rich personal history, blending down-to-earth wisdom with encouragement for families to “start small” and reconnect with meaningful home and nutrition practices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Ruthann’s Background and Homestead Transition

• Raised Old Order Mennonite: horse-and-buggy living, gardens, chores, self-sufficiency (05:41)
• Left the community 18 years ago, discovering faith in a new way and navigating excommunication—restored relationships with immediate family ([07:04])
• Ruthann’s “join[ing] the modern world” was an eye-opener: she didn’t realize her lifestyle skills were uncommon ([11:13])

Quote:

“I honestly did not know that everybody didn’t know the things that I knew.” – Ruthann ([11:13])

Homesteading vs. Modern Living

• A culture shock realizing others saw her daily skills as exotic “homesteading”
• Skills like bread-baking, laundry-drying, animal keeping were everyday life to her, yet mysteries to many modern families ([11:13]–[13:28])
• She was encouraged to start sharing her knowledge after discovering the #homesteading movement online

The Learning Curve of Homesteading

• Ginny: “There’s so many things that you might not know.” Example: chickens instinctively roost ([13:28])
• Ruthann emphasizes that practical skills become second-nature only through repeated practice—cheesemaking, canning, baking, etc. ([15:34])

Quote:

“You have to do it so often that you can do it while you’re parenting ... at first it’s going to feel that way, but eventually you’ll get to the point where you can do it while you’re parenting, or chatting with a friend.” – Ruthann ([15:34])

The Food vs. Nutrition Paradigm

• Ruthann’s critical insight: “There’s a huge difference between food and nutrition.” ([22:13])
• Many foods available are calorie-rich but nutrition-poor, often grown in depleted soils with synthetic inputs and covered in pesticides ([23:26])
• She advocates for whole foods, even accessible versions: “At the very least, choose to buy potatoes, rather than instant potato flakes.” ([25:05])

Notable Quote:

“It’s our skills as homemakers that puts nutrition on the table for our families. It’s not money, because there’s a difference.” – Ruthann ([22:13])

Cooking from Scratch: The Most Accessible Step

• Cooking from scratch is a “place anyone can start,” regardless of garden or livestock access ([28:04])
• Ruthann’s goal: pass on the knowledge so her children could feed themselves from basic ingredients if needed

Quote:

“Cooking from scratch is one of my favorite ways to inspire people to be more in control of the food their family is consuming. It’s a beautiful way to take a little bit of control back.” – Ruthann ([28:04])

Processed Foods vs. Traditional Meals

• Ruthann recalls her children’s first experiences with processed “rich people food” after attending modern schools ([30:16])
• Practical story: Her home-canned lentil soup was healthy but unwelcome at school due to appearance ([30:55])

Quote:

“It’s food, yes, but it’s not nutrition. It doesn’t do anything except put some calories in your stomach.” – Ruthann ([30:55])

Seeking Control in Unstable Times

• Ruthann analogizes the current homestead movement to foster kids seeking control: adults sense insecurity and gravitate to controlling their food source ([32:47])

Quote:

“We are just like children and we want to control something, and in this case ... I 100% support anybody wanting to control their food source.” – Ruthann ([32:47])

Skill Growth Shrinks the Grocery List

• The more homesteading and cooking skills you gain, the less you need to depend on long supply chains and packaged foods ([35:29])

Gardening Realities and Generational Legacy

• Ruthann’s 8,000 sq ft northern garden: seasonal challenges, bulk preservation ([37:06])
• Skills in growing animal feed and bartering expand as needs shift
• Ginny admits her own struggles: “You would be mortified to see our garden... but you can start with cooking from scratch” ([28:04])
• The garden’s real value: legacy, intangible skills, shared family experience ([41:03])

Quote:

“If you stick with it, one thing your garden can produce that cannot be measured ... is the legacy of skills you are teaching and values you are instilling in your children and your grandchildren.” – Ruthann (read by Ginny) ([42:29])

Patience: Homesteading is Not Instant

• Years of gardening may not seem “worth it” right away, but the slow, cyclical approach creates lasting benefit ([43:18])

Family, Chores, and Relationships

• Chores teach kids resilience (“I can do hard things I don’t feel like doing” ([48:18]))
• Big work days and daily chores are less about the task and more about bonding and character development ([46:52])
• Free time is sweeter when earned; positive family memories are built through shared work, not necessarily entertainment ([48:18]–[50:01])

Quote:

“If your children are whining and complaining about chores, it’s simply the sound of their character being developed.” – Ruthann ([48:18])

Dopamine, Boredom, and Screens

• Chores provide natural dopamine “high” from real accomplishment compared to the artificial spike from screens ([51:25])
• The danger of screens is undermining kids’—and adults’—intrinsic motivation for life skills and real-world capability ([53:35])

Quote:

“The dopamine high of a job well done is what we want our children to tap into...” ([51:25])

Practical Homestead Skills & Family Culture

• Covered in Ruthann’s book: bulk purchasing, supply chain shortening, canning, thrifting, knitting, animal care, recipe-making from scratch ([54:59])
• Homesteading is as much about family culture and resilience as nutrition

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There’s a huge difference between food and nutrition.” – Ruthann ([22:13])
• “You have to do it so often that you can do it while you’re parenting...” – Ruthann ([15:34])
• “If your children are whining and complaining about chores, it’s simply the sound of their character being developed.” – Ruthann ([48:18])
• “Every time a child satisfies their neurological need for a reward using artificial highs of video games and screen time, they undermine the natural curiosity...” – Ginny quoting Ruthann ([53:35])

Important Timestamps & Segments

• Background & departure from Old Order Mennonite life: [05:41]–[10:03]
• Homesteading and culture shock: [11:13]–[13:28]
• Learning curve for new skills: [13:28]–[18:07]
• Food vs. nutrition discussion: [22:13]–[26:11]
• Starting practical home nutrition with scratch-cooking: [28:04]
• Cultural shock of processed foods: [30:16]–[32:35]
• Controlling food as agency in uncertain times: [32:47]–[34:48]
• Legacy and value of gardening: [41:03]–[43:24]
• Chores, family bonding, and developing grit: [46:52]–[50:47]
• Dopamine rewards and screen time danger: [51:25]–[53:35]
• Skills, thrifting, and knitting as passed-down legacy: [54:59]
• Childhood outdoor memory: [56:24]

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is warm, anecdotal, and inviting—encouraging listeners that the path to more nourishing, skilled family life is practical, attainable, and valuable, no matter how small the first step. Ruthann embodies gentle confidence in “old ways that work,” making the case that reclaiming food, home, and hands-on tradition is how we redeem family culture, child resilience, and community in a convenience-obsessed world.

Final Thought:
Start small. Cook from scratch. Celebrate effort, not just results. Use chores, gardens, and meals as relationship-builders. And most of all:

“Homesteading forces us to slow down...and I personally, I love it.” – Ruthann ([42:29])

Get Connected

• Ruthann’s book: The Heart of the Homestead
• Social: YouTube, Instagram (links in show notes)
• Cookbook coming 2027

Host closing advice:
Share the episode with someone who needs encouragement to reclaim simple, family-centered living.