Clara Hayes
Homesteading.com Lead Editorial Consultant & Master Food Preserver
Teaching practical homesteading skills, safe food preservation, and backyard gardening for everyday families.
As the Lead Editorial Consultant for Homesteading.com, Clara is the voice of calm, practical self-sufficiency behind our content. She didn’t grow up on a sprawling farm, and she doesn’t believe you need 50 acres to take control of your food. Instead, she’s spent the last decade mastering everyday homesteading skills: safely canning the summer harvest, baking from-scratch sourdough, building soil from kitchen scraps, and relying on generational wisdom instead of fleeting internet trends.
Expertise & Experience
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Lead Editorial Consultant, Homesteading.com (2022 – Present): Directs the homesteading.com content strategy, ensuring all food preservation, infrastructure, and gardening guides meet rigorous safety standards and are accessible to everyday families.
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Certified Master Food Preserver & Educator (2018 – Present): Teaches local workshops on safety protocols for pressure canning, water-bath canning, and traditional fermentation. Specializes in strict adherence to National Center for Home Food Preservation guidelines to eliminate the risk of foodborne illness.
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Peri-Urban Homesteader (2015 – Present): Transitioned a standard residential property into a closed-loop, high-yield household prioritizing scratch-cooking, intensive-spacing garden beds, and practical self-sufficiency.
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Certifications: * Certified Master Food Preserver (University Extension Program)
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Certified Master Gardener
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My Posts
At a Glance: Modern Women’s Self-Reliance Homestead Gathering How can
At a Glance: Toledo Homesteaders Network Seed Starting How can
At a Glance: First Year Homesteading Action Plan Your first
At a Glance: How to Freeze Dry Food I hear
The biggest mistake beginners make is trying to do everything
At a Glance: Canning Charcuterie Wine Jelly and Other Savory
At a Glance: Farmers Market Shopping Guide for Homesteaders Welcome
At a Glance: How to Keep Backyard Chickens Healthy This
At a Glance: Affordable Solar Panels for Your Homestead RELATED:
At a Glance: Keep Backyard Chickens Cool in Summer “I
At a Glance: Pressure Canning for Beginners Pressure canning is
At a Glance: Pressure Canning Meat Want to build a