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#Back to the Frontier
#Back to the Frontier
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00:00three families have gone back in time and swapped their 21st century lives for an 1880s homestead
00:13where are my walls last time plow in the field dug up tension this is not what i'm used to
00:22i'm hating it there's no help they're more in the way than anything they are not you
00:28and they don't have to be you and things turned frosty between the families 525 705 oh nine dollars
00:38ten dollars we just wanted to drive them all the way up there no one ever said frontier living was
00:44gonna be easy i just kind of wish the adults would make friends but i'm not so sure we're gonna get up
00:51out of here
01:02our families have been living as homesteaders for nearly a month
01:22on the frontier it's hard and just like what can i do to make this better
01:37because it's like stepping back in time becoming dirt poor and roughing it we have one room that's
01:45our kitchen our dining room our bedroom so it's very difficult
01:49hey it's gonna be a long day yeah that's why i need land is help
01:59one of the family's goals while they're here is to farm the land and harvest a crop
02:05land man you ready to put in some work come on baby
02:08which means more back-breaking field work
02:12you ready to go big man yes sir all right
02:17with the men gone stacy is in charge of running the homestead
02:24oh lord i'm not domestic like that is not a part of 21st century stacy i check emails i'm checking
02:34messages on my phone i'm getting on my social media none of that is happening
02:38this stacy is strictly homekeeper gardening and keeping animals milking cows like what in the world
02:49shoot i see how cinderella felt i'm ready for my darn horse and carers to come
02:56the hall family are losing their men for the day too
03:03that field is no joke whatever it takes you work we work we'll work all right we'll see you later
03:12i just made food for everyone and they just put their plates here like
03:21here go wash the dishes maid i don't want to be a woman anymore there's a clear gender divide at the
03:28halls but as a two dad family the hannah rigs have a decision to make i would love to go because i think
03:37we could knock it out in half the time but if i go like what does dinner look like so yeah maybe i stay
03:45we've been super frustrated by this whole situation because i've been out in the field working for hours
03:51and hours outside and jason has been relegated to the kitchen and i know he's so mad about it right
03:57now but the reality is there's so much work that we gotta split up and divide and conquer and get it done
04:03um saws you know boys are young i mean they're the youngest here and so there's certain things that
04:11they can't do and so yeah i feel like now there's a lot more pressure for me to step it up
04:16i love you husband love you too i'm now experiencing what women of 1880s had to do on any other basis
04:24oh my oh well i got some new gear here don't have a clue what this is or what it's for frontier women
04:35often work longer hours than men regularly clocking up 19 hours a day of homestead chores all right
04:43laundry once a week laundry must be done so i fill the tub with water as hot as the hand will bear
04:51put dry laundry in the tub and wash with soap
04:57we're just gonna make it happen okay y'all let me go get some water
05:02all right i hope i'm not gonna damage these clothes
05:11this water is hot
05:14i don't see how this board is getting these clothes clean i be not seeing it
05:20oh i know i know y'all are having a good time watching me
05:28i don't know what i'm doing
05:31they call this a rapid washer baby ain't nothing rapid about this
05:37so then it says
05:39rinse in another tub of cold water and ring out by hand
05:45they they really okay
05:49this is crazy
05:56this is a huge task i mean i have a washing machine at home put in your detergent clothes
06:04it does it all for you
06:06and to think these same hands gotta cook dinner tonight
06:11and i think i might have stretched somebody's socks
06:15i ain't built for this life
06:17don't worry stacy only 17 hours to go
06:23oh honey
06:25crazy
06:26and if you think this is tough wait until you hear about your next goal
06:33prepping a winter pantry
06:35frontier winters were long and cold
06:40temperatures could drop as low as minus 50
06:44so it was vital to be prepared
06:47something modern homesteader melissa knows all about
06:52hi
06:53come on in gosh you're bringing goodies i'm bringing goodies
06:57i'm here to make sure the families are stocking up their pantries which is one of their key goals while they're here
07:03they need to be preserving they need to be setting food aside
07:06there is no time to waste
07:08each family is expected to fill their winter pantry
07:12melissa
07:14hi
07:15so they'll need to set aside almost half a ton of food
07:20what goes in there like i don't know anything
07:23we want to have a lot of variety
07:25so some of the key things they need to think about is
07:28do we have enough fat
07:30do we have enough protein
07:32do we have salt
07:33do we have vegetables
07:34you've got everything you need in here for pickling
07:37you can pickle almost any vegetable
07:39but it's just as simple as creating your brine
07:42so brine is the vinegar
07:43and water
07:44and water okay
07:45so how many months in advance should i start like
07:48now okay
07:49yeah start now
07:51for me this is so foreign i don't store food
07:55i've never pickled i've never created jams or anything like that
08:00and i'm a little scared
08:01lena seemed very overwhelmed
08:05so she's really just going to have to embrace it
08:09and just start moving forward
08:12pickling
08:16this is all new to me
08:18lena's not the only one panicking about the pantry
08:21i'll teach you
08:23you've got a tutor right here
08:25i mean i do
08:25but i don't have my mother-in-law for that much longer here
08:28when she leaves
08:29i'm here by myself
08:31child
08:32i don't know what's going to happen
08:33they leave me here by myself
08:35i can't wait to see everything
08:37all right
08:38bye
08:38bye
08:39it's like double or triple the work
08:44that has to be done
08:45now that i gotta have my winter pantry
08:47stacked
08:49how do i make sure that my garden is good
08:52with my mother-in-law gone
08:53i barely know how to get the door open
08:56with shirley loper leaving soon
08:59it's time for stacy to step up
09:02i gotta get onions
09:04i gotta look for tomatoes
09:05there are no tomatoes here
09:09i think stacy will be sad to see me go
09:11child that ain't nothing
09:13that little onion
09:16what in the world
09:18she might struggle a little bit
09:20this just ain't it
09:23these onions have really
09:25worked my nerve with their little bitty cells
09:28mama
09:32these vegetables look sick
09:34i do feel like i used her as a crutch
09:37i mean i'll just be honest
09:39there's some things i didn't want to do
09:41so it's like hey
09:42i'll just pass it on to her
09:43are these ready to strain
09:44can we just poke them a little bit
09:46oh what's this mama
09:49that's i'm gonna keep
09:50some flour salt
09:51and a little cayenne pepper
09:53i don't think
09:55i would have survived
09:56as long as i have
09:58without my mother-in-law
09:59i like that sizzle on that
10:03it's looking good
10:06in the fields
10:14the men are hard at work
10:16harrowing the land
10:21every inch of their fields must be broken up by hand
10:27if not done properly
10:31the seeds won't grow
10:33in this field
10:35digging rolls
10:36in this field digging what?
10:39rolls
10:39i think my dad really needs to relax from the military vibes and you know just take a chill pill
10:45all right come on let's get to it
10:49my parenting style is a little rough
10:53sometimes i i hesitate to allow my kids to grow up
10:57allow them to learn from their decisions and just be there for them
11:01use the edge of it dude come on now
11:04remember using the edge of it
11:05well they don't call it harrowing for nothing
11:10another 8,000 strokes and we'll be done ken
11:14but while jeremy and joaquin have a little help
11:18joe is working solo
11:23oh man
11:24i'm completely on my own doing this
11:27it's a ton of work
11:29i've got the physical job but
11:34jason has his hands full too
11:36it's a whole different kind of work
11:37with the boys being 10
11:38don't throw that
11:40lucas do not throw rocks
11:43in the 21st century we always know
11:47where the boys are and what they're doing
11:49and we know that there's no potential risk
11:51lucas please don't slip
11:53please don't slip
11:54jason will admit sometimes he's got pretty tight reins
11:57is kind of a nice way to say it
11:59sometimes a bit of a helicopter parent
12:00now you start on one end
12:03no start on the end
12:04no wait no you have to ring out that side too
12:07wait no wait wait wait wait wait
12:09not there not there not there
12:10don't push it please don't push it
12:14i've been in there for an hour
12:15stop pushing it please
12:16he really wants to have his hands
12:18in everything that the boys do
12:20so sometimes that's a little tough for jason
12:22i'm not laughing thank you
12:24but i am
12:25jason may have his hands full
12:30i've got to get dinner ready
12:32but at least he can lean on his old friend the almanac
12:35so i've got oat cakes that i'm preparing
12:38um i've never made oat cakes
12:41uh i don't even really know what an oat cake is
12:43four tablespoons of lard
12:45in the 21st century like
12:49i don't even think i've seen lard
12:51i assume this has trans fats as well
12:54like it's just
12:54it's just it's just kind of gross
12:57you know what i'd rather err on the side of less lard
13:03i'm i'm a little stressed
13:05i still have a pot full of dirty dishes that i haven't cleaned yet
13:08and i'm trying to keep the house together
13:10so it's it's a bit overwhelming but
13:13yeah it's a it's a bit much
13:15i gotta cook and clean
13:21so i have to keep checking this fire
13:24this is my daily routine
13:26and now i gotta sweep them up
13:30why would i use dirty water to clean a dirty floor
13:41it's all it's gonna do is get it dirty again
13:43i feel like everything falls on a woman's shoulder in the 1880s
13:48stacy you have a family that's dependent on you
13:53and it's meaningful household domestic work
14:00and it has a purpose
14:03can i please sit down for a minute
14:11i can't sweep a floor go get mop water mop a floor and tend to a fire and all of that chaos
14:29i just don't have that patience right now
14:32eventually it will become a routine
14:36it gets easier
14:37and to know that my family coming home to a hot meal to a clean house is all predicated on me
14:48this is hard
14:52this is hard
14:54back in the field
15:05with the loper's land harrowed
15:09the seeds can finally be sown
15:11we did it
15:13boy
15:14i am happy
15:15who ain't
15:17this is something the hardest work i've ever done in my life
15:21the hardest work i've ever done in my life was a math quiz
15:25so you want to take a math quiz and do this
15:27yeah sure would
15:28we got it all done man high five
15:33way to go
15:35good job way to work it out here
15:37the halls and lopers will have wheat to harvest later down the line
15:42but one man banjo has a long way to go
15:49this is ridiculous
15:51it's five miles of dirt to break up
15:53and then i have to sew it
15:55i doubt i can finish it today
15:57as the men come home to rest
16:09the women are still working
16:11hey ladies
16:15wow look at that
16:20it's gonna make my belly warm
16:22my belly warm
16:24my belly warm
16:26i like a warm belly you know
16:28you like it
16:29yes i love it
16:31i wonder if any of the other families are cooking as good as us
16:33i don't know
16:34because this is pretty good
16:36stacy doesn't cook so i'm sure it's a little rough
16:38but she's got grandma in there
16:39yeah but grandma's not here forever
16:41yeah she's leaving soon
16:43and what about the hannah eggs
16:45i wonder who the cook is in that family
16:48i probably needed a little bit more lar to stick together
16:55um so it's a miserable fail is what it is for today
16:59hi boys
17:03hi husband
17:04my back is killing me
17:06how are you
17:07let there be oats
17:11disgusting
17:18come on give me a little credit
17:21like i've been in here like
17:22some tough customers
17:24you know welcome to the 1880s
17:26it's been a long day
17:35but i know you've had a long day too
17:37i feel like the responsibilities are stacking up
17:40oh yeah
17:42all right
17:47searching for guidance on their struggles
17:51joe and jason turned to the almanac
17:54an opportunity to live your own life
17:56uh homesteading required hard work
17:59so two men living together
18:00wouldn't have been unusual
18:01it was referred to as batching
18:04interesting
18:05from the 1880s homosexuality was
18:09illegal society regarded as wrong
18:11but there is no doubt
18:13the homestead community contained same-sex couples
18:16the remote rural nature of many homesteads
18:19made it easier for gay men
18:20to live their lives and run a successful homestead together
18:23for all of its hardships
18:25homesteading was a way to be free
18:27that's funny
18:32these guys in their overalls
18:34crazy 1880s hair or whatever
18:36the way
18:37these two guys look at each other
18:39yeah
18:39it's like
18:41you recognize the look of people in love
18:44and it's
18:46it's so apparent in these pictures
18:48i don't know why i was just so emotional
18:53i think a lot of it is
18:55i guess we're stepping into their shoes basically
18:58the challenges we faced
19:01were probably nothing compared to
19:03the 1880s
19:06it's a reality check
19:09our family today in the 21st century
19:12would not have been an option
19:14back in the 1880s
19:15i have a lot to be thankful for
19:17maybe i just need to let go a little bit
19:19and just enjoy the experience
19:22and start applying it to joe and the boys
19:24we've got some great kids
19:27we've got some good boys
19:30they
19:30they push us
19:32they push our envelopes
19:35probably mine more so than yours
19:39i love your husband
19:48love me too
19:49i love her family
19:51oh yeah
20:03good old almanac
20:05i think all it did today was provide me with more work
20:08every time you open it
20:10woman's work on the homestead
20:13a man may work from son to son
20:15but a woman's work is never done
20:17that is so true
20:20like that's what i experienced today
20:23is that my work is never done
20:25it keeps coming and coming and coming
20:2810 to 15 kids was not uncommon
20:31oh my god
20:32can you imagine
20:33that's crazy
20:34i thought cooking for five was bad
20:36like on that tiny stove too
20:37oh my gosh
20:41this is what i was doing today
20:44and them washing clothes
20:46you see all that
20:47yeah
20:48that's what i was doing
20:52oh yeah that's the big tub huh
20:54i don't believe this gets easier
20:59i couldn't be more far removed from my life
21:05right now
21:06like i'm in this experience
21:08like i am the 1880s woman
21:12does it feel good
21:14absolutely not
21:16it doesn't
21:17it's a new day on the homesteads
21:31but before the families can have breakfast
21:34they'll need to source the ingredients
21:36i'm coming up in here girl
21:38by hand
21:40this is not my favorite part of the day
21:43this is like
21:44a part of the day
21:46that i wish
21:47i didn't have to do
21:48got the chives
21:53you got the chives
21:54only we had a microwave
21:56ew
21:57ew
21:57who does that
22:00in like the early 90s
22:01we were cooking everything in microwaves
22:04we're cooking bacon
22:05that's nasty
22:06which chicken you think gave us the most eggs
22:12hopefully margaret because i like margaret
22:14i'm so happy that we got chickens
22:18it's only 9 a.m but stacy's been at it since dawn
22:24and she's still got the winter pantry to work on
22:27i'm prepping my fruits for my preserves
22:31after milking the cow
22:34and checking the chickens
22:35and
22:35i've been doing it all
22:39it's like
22:39it never stops
22:40to help stacy harness her inner homesteader
22:48family historian bernice bennett
22:50has come to visit
22:51hello
22:55hello
22:56hello
22:56i just love your
22:59cabin
22:59thank you
23:01okay
23:03first of all
23:04have you even thought about the
23:06significance of
23:07what's going on right now
23:09and
23:10what it was like
23:12for african americans
23:13back in 1880
23:15to do what you're doing now
23:17there's this saying that
23:20you're on the shoulders of your ancestors
23:22yeah
23:22so just take a look at this
23:24this is your family tree
23:26wow
23:29look at this family
23:32tell us what you're seeing here
23:36george youngblood
23:37sylvia gibbs
23:39those are my great great grandparents
23:43this is the 1880 census
23:47let's see what we can find out about george
23:51and sylvia
23:53what year was george born
23:561844
23:58and what about sylvia
24:001854
24:03okay so what do you know about that period in american history
24:08slavery
24:09slavery
24:09slavery
24:10they were born
24:12enslaved
24:14but in 1880s with the census
24:19they are free
24:20to be a slave
24:25and then all of a sudden have an opportunity to live free
24:29we also had
24:33a homestead act
24:35in 1862
24:37so african americans
24:39who were formerly enslaved
24:41were able to apply for
24:43up to 160 acres of land
24:45so this was the opportunity
24:48that people have been waiting for
24:50i have spent
24:51my life
24:53forming
24:54somebody else's land
24:55and don't have anything to show for it
24:57that's right
24:58but i have the skills
24:59yes
25:00they were out there forming
25:02they were out there building
25:03why not do it on my own land
25:06because this is freedom
25:09man
25:10i see what we're walking through
25:12seeing the pride in that man
25:14this is what
25:16owning land means
25:18it's amazing
25:20so by 1880
25:23your great-great-grandfather
25:25was free
25:26but he did not own his land
25:29at this time
25:30but this is the mississippi census
25:34in 1930
25:35and tell me what do you see here
25:38yeah i see my great-grandfather
25:40alfred wright
25:41and my great-grandmother
25:43willy youngblood
25:45so here it says
25:47own or rent it
25:50and what do you see joaquin
25:52it says on the land
25:54no
25:55wow
26:01one generation
26:03yeah
26:04while african americans
26:10continued to live in a world
26:11marred by injustice
26:13owning land
26:15offered some black families
26:17the chance to redefine their future
26:19by the time
26:21joaquin's great-grandfather
26:23acquired his property
26:2412 million acres of farmland
26:27was owned by african americans
26:30we have a family that was born into slavery
26:33but it took one generation
26:35to come out of that
26:37to own
26:39her own land
26:40it meant freedom
26:42it meant legacy
26:43it meant
26:44establishing something for their family
26:47to look forward to
26:48for generations to come
26:49keep doing what you're doing
26:52because you got it in you
26:54resilience
26:55yeah
26:56determination
26:58because they put it in you
27:01we're just going to channel the spirits of your ancestors
27:07yes i am definitely challenging them honey
27:10i'm like channel honey come through
27:12because um i need it for these next few weeks that i got them
27:15as a family we needed this
27:20this really did make me realize how african americans shaped the frontier
27:27coming out of slavery
27:29having an opportunity to own my own land
27:32after
27:33after i've had to form somebody else's land for them
27:37after i've maybe had to keep somebody else's house for them
27:40i now get the opportunity to do all of that for me and my family
27:44on the frontier
27:45so failing was not an option
27:48the work
27:50the heart
27:51the tears
27:53the blood that went into that
27:54it stood for something so much more
27:58this inspires me to truly put my head down and get the work done
28:02it changed everything
28:05the families are now halfway through their time on the frontier
28:15and it seems the 1880s are rubbing off on everyone
28:19look at that
28:21perfect
28:22i feel like being here we need a different approach for the kids
28:28i feel like we need to back off a little bit more and
28:31i say we
28:32i say me
28:33give them a little bit more of a leash
28:35and how long are you prepared to let that leash go
28:38that i don't know
28:40i mean what's the most danger a goat can bring
28:42a head
28:43a head butt
28:44maybe a finger bitten
28:45i don't know
28:46i think it's as they earn more and more trust
28:50letting that leash go a little bit more
28:52yeah
28:53that makes sense
28:54for me to let go
28:57and let the boys
28:59be boys
29:01that's my next challenge in parenting
29:04ultimately what i want for ethan lucas is to be happy
29:08i realize that by relinquishing of control
29:12that's an important thing for the boys to continue to grow and evolve
29:16and to become independent
29:17so today i have to sew the field
29:24so i feel like we can
29:26we can divide this up
29:27lucas wanted to go to the field the other day
29:29yeah
29:29i think maybe we divide up that way
29:31ethan stays with you and then lucas goes with me
29:33we can be working on the pantry while you guys are going
29:36okay
29:36let's do that
29:38in our frontier life
29:40we absolutely need our kids to step up
29:42it's the little things that they can be doing and should be doing
29:46it's about pushing them to grow into these mature 10 year olds
29:50lucas's newfound freedom comes in the form of a day of hard labor
29:58so you've not been to the field yet
30:00no
30:01this is all the plowing
30:03there's still a lot more to your field
30:07this part i've already done
30:09you get it
30:11and pull
30:13so we need to break it up
30:15so some of this takes a lot of force
30:18really good
30:20yep anything you see
30:23let's break it up
30:25i've got so much more to do
30:27it's hard work
30:28this is more work probably than he's ever really seen
30:31so i think it's going to be eye-opening for him to understand
30:33how much work it took to get to this point
30:36and then the work we have to put in today
30:38to get this done
30:40can you imagine doing this
30:42day in and day out
30:44in the 1880s
30:46i don't want to show you open this up for me
30:59i got so much to do mom
31:04today is shirley loper's last day on the homestead
31:10this is probably the most important dinner on the frontier for my family
31:15my mother-in-law is leaving a great farewell would be an amazing appreciation token to her
31:22these are turnips
31:23he's really ready to cook
31:25i've enjoyed passing down my knowledge of living off the land
31:32but now
31:33it's time for me to leave
31:35and time for them to spread their wings
31:37and grow
31:38cabbage tonight for dinner
31:43what else
31:44think fast
31:46fried chicken
31:48i've been thinking about fried chicken
31:51i've been dreaming about it
31:53i'm serious
31:55i love crispy chicken
31:57so when you bite into it and hear that crunch
31:58that's
31:59that's satisfying
32:00i miss it a lot
32:01how we gonna get chicken now baby
32:03how we gonna get chicken
32:04we have chicken
32:05you really would consider
32:08killing one of the chicken
32:10be honest with you
32:12after the auction
32:13i was counting down the days
32:14hey
32:15one of these chicken
32:16turkey
32:17something's going on this stove
32:18i'm just waiting
32:20i think it's a conversation that we need to have with maddox
32:23what did i ask them for
32:24do you see how much maddox spends time out there with them
32:29i mean we've made them
32:32hey margaret
32:33you're my favorite but you better not get out
32:35you're gonna take one of them and go slaughter them
32:38you know what the kids may not like it
32:40but i promise you they'll appreciate their food on the table
32:43none of the families have had any fresh meat since they got here
32:48so margaret's time may be up
32:51maddox landing
32:52y'all want some fried chicken
32:53how we gonna get the chicken
32:59we have the chickens
33:01those
33:04i know you feel bad because you done named them
33:09you feed them
33:10those are your little friends right now
33:12aren't they
33:13i want chicken tonight
33:19the thought of my dad trying to eat one of my chickens
33:24it made me like really mad and sad at the same time
33:28how you feel landy i mean i want some chicken but i mean you do what you gotta do so
33:34all right tell me what you're jigging
33:39all right come on
33:40come on
33:44now i'll go talk to daddy
33:47i'll go talk to daddy
33:58Come here, come here, come here, come here, come here.
34:02What, what, what?
34:03I'll go talk to Daddy.
34:05I'll go talk to Daddy.
34:06You're fine.
34:11Look at you.
34:13You know, this is what I do, baby.
34:15Catch a chicken.
34:21But I promise you tonight, it's going to be worth it.
34:23Mm-hmm.
34:25Chicken, fried chicken.
34:28Cabbage, potato, corn.
34:33Can you not do it today, Daddy?
34:35Huh?
34:37Well, if it's not now, when?
34:41Never.
34:43In the 1980s, this is how they provided for their family, Maddox.
34:48You okay?
34:49Soon.
34:53Come on, talk to me.
34:55You don't want me to take it?
34:57Yes, sir.
35:10All right, Maddox.
35:13Your feelings do matter as well.
35:16We'll put it back.
35:17Okay?
35:18Yes, sir.
35:19But just know I ain't happy because I want chicken.
35:21Yes, sir.
35:22Are you happy, Stacy?
35:24Love you.
35:25Mean it.
35:26This chicken better lay some eggs.
35:30I've seen Joaquin show a greater appreciation for his family.
35:36Yeah.
35:37Yeah.
35:38And that was one of the reasons why we took this experience is so that Joaquin can understand
35:43his relationship with his sons.
35:46Yeah.
35:47You happy?
35:48Yes, sir.
35:49I'd rather be a good father than have my desires of having the chicken taste so good in my mouth.
35:57Love you.
35:58Love you, too.
35:59Love you, too.
36:01Love you, Chris?
36:04Over at the henna rigs.
36:06Ethan, you wanna grab some wood?
36:08Jason has lengthened the leash, and it's paying off.
36:15Holy cow.
36:17Mads a lot, dude.
36:19All right, we got our cucumbers.
36:22We could go and cut up the beets.
36:24Do you want to pickle these?
36:26Sure.
36:27Here, do you want to cut off the edges, cut off the end roots, and make sure your fingers
36:31are out of the way.
36:36Perfect.
36:38And with Lucas' help, Joe has finally finished Harold.
36:42Ready?
36:43Let's see.
36:44This last little chunk here.
36:47Are we good?
36:51Thank you, Lucas.
36:52You're welcome.
36:56Their last job is to sow the seeds.
36:59All right, you ready?
37:00We really need to have these seeds in the ground fairly quickly.
37:04That way we can get this crop going, set us up for success.
37:07Yep.
37:08So, remember the wrist action?
37:11Good.
37:12You can go a little heavier.
37:13That's good.
37:14This is fun.
37:15I know.
37:16It's a lot more fun.
37:17I know.
37:18It's a lot more fun.
37:19I know.
37:20I know.
37:21It's a lot more fun.
37:23One, two, three.
37:26And we did it.
37:31We did it.
37:34All right.
37:36Having plowed, harrowed, and sown their fields,
37:40all three families will have a crop to harvest later down the line.
37:44Thank you so much for all your help out here, Lucas.
37:47You're welcome.
37:48I'm so proud of you.
37:49This is really hard work, and you took a good whack at it, right?
37:53Yeah, a good whack.
37:54With no chicken to chow down on,
38:03Stacey's in need of supplies for Shirley's farewell meal.
38:07Coming to the general store, as small as it may be,
38:10is just the light of my week.
38:13Hello.
38:15How are you?
38:16Fantastic.
38:17We've got a few new items in today.
38:19Fresh ginger snaps and lemon cake.
38:21I don't know if that's your fancy or anything.
38:25A whole lemon cake is $0.25, Maddox.
38:29I mean, we're celebrating Nana's departure.
38:32We'll definitely take the cake if you want to wrap it up for us.
38:35You have your cake, so that will take us to $2.12, my friends.
38:41All right.
38:41That's great.
38:42Thank you so much.
38:42Our pleasure.
38:45You know, he can't have chicken, so we'll get him some cake, right?
38:48Yeah.
38:53Hello.
38:54Hi.
38:55Hi.
38:56How are y'all?
38:57Look at all this.
38:58How's it feel?
38:59So we did harrowing, and then what else did we do, Lucas?
39:01Sowing.
39:02Sowing.
39:03It's actually where you throw seeds everywhere.
39:06You walk and spread the seed,
39:08and then it became the realization of,
39:10why just walk when you can dance?
39:12Ooh.
39:12You guys look like you guys have been really busy.
39:16It's been great.
39:17Like, Ethan's been super helpful.
39:18We've got a nice vegetable soup going.
39:21What a productive day.
39:22Super productive.
39:23A group hug.
39:25Sweaty hug.
39:26Sweaty hug.
39:27Come here, dude.
39:28Everybody's sweaty after a busy, fun day.
39:31Oh, you guys did an amazing job.
39:34And now it's time for cake.
39:41Unlike the chickens,
39:43Shirley's time on the frontier has come to an end.
39:47It smells so good.
39:48Yeah.
39:48A toast.
39:50To Nana.
39:52To the wisest woman in the room.
39:57Gosh, get in there, baby.
39:58Is it good as mine?
39:59Mm, it is so good.
40:01You want to know it would have been real good
40:03before we had this?
40:04Chicken.
40:05You already know.
40:08As the lopers say goodbye to their secret weapon,
40:13the Hannah Riggs are thinking of calling for backup.
40:16Everything would be so much easier if we had more help.
40:22We're the smallest family with the youngest kids.
40:25The boys are helpful,
40:25but there's only so much they can do.
40:27Yeah.
40:29Have you seen this in the almanac before?
40:33Why not try boosting?
40:36The average family in the 1880s was two adults
40:38and five children.
40:40I thought it would never happen for us.
40:42Homesteaders with smaller families soon worked out
40:44that more people met, more work could be done.
40:47So they wrote home to ask brothers, sisters, cousins,
40:50anyone they could think of to help.
40:51It was known as boosting.
40:53And the trick was to paint a rosy picture
40:55of life on the homestead.
40:58That's funny.
40:59Everything's amazing.
41:00Oh, everything's just glorious.
41:02I didn't realize that boosting
41:03was an actual practice in the 1880s,
41:06but it makes total sense
41:08because the more people you have out here
41:10in your homestead that are able to work,
41:13it just makes everyone's lives easier.
41:15So if we invite another guy,
41:18it doesn't really help me.
41:20It would help you.
41:22And I need help.
41:24My sister does have five kids,
41:26oldest being Mackenzie.
41:27She's 13.
41:29How do you think Mackenzie and Alicia would do?
41:31I feel like both Alicia and Mackenzie
41:34are pretty tough.
41:35Yeah.
41:36My sister Alicia, I think, is the right choice.
41:40She's got a 13-year-old daughter,
41:41our niece Mackenzie.
41:43They're both very strong, intelligent women,
41:45and I think they'd be a huge help to us out here.
41:49They could be a good fit.
41:51It's not a bad idea.
41:53It's a fantastic idea.
41:55Just go write the letter to your sister.
41:58She'll be more helpful than you right now anyway.
42:00What's the rosy picture that we're going to make
42:06for Alicia and Mackenzie?
42:10Dear Alicia,
42:12we are having such a wonderful time on the frontier.
42:15We have missed you so incredibly much,
42:18and we would love to share our experience with you here.
42:21We'll leave out the stinky pigs.
42:23We'll leave out the stinky outhouse.
42:25Our airy cabin is a modern, open-concept dream
42:31with central heating.
42:33It's in the middle.
42:35So we think Mackenzie would especially love
42:39caring for our beautiful chickens and gorgeous goats.
42:43Love, Jill.
42:44Will they come?
42:46Will they do it?
42:47That is the question of the hour.
42:50I hope they're going to accept our invitation.
42:53I guess we'll see.
42:54Shirley's know-how has helped the Lopers survive their first month here.
43:13Getting to experience this life-changing journey as a family,
43:27it's just something I'll never forget.
43:33It's going to be extremely tough for the family.
43:37She's a huge anchor for us.
43:38She's a huge wealth of knowledge.
43:41All right.
43:41All right.
43:42Love you.
43:43Love you all.
43:43You later.
43:44I just lost all the help that I had.
43:47I'm alone, doing this by myself.
43:51I have to look after three men.
43:54Oh.
43:55Bye, Mama.
43:56Bye.
43:57We love you.
43:59Love you all, too.
44:00This is the moment where I choose to sink or swim.
44:12Love you all, too.
44:42Love you.
44:43Love you.
44:45Love you.
44:45Love you.
44:47Love you.
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