About Deanna Talerico
Deanna Talerico, also known as “DeannaCat” or @deannacat3, is the CEO and creator of Homestead and Chill. She is a garden educator with an MA in Environmental Studies, over 15 years of experience in organic gardening and food preservation, and 10 years experience raising backyard chickens.
Hi, I'm Deanna!
I’m the main person behind Homestead and Chill (it’s just my husband Aaron and I running things here). My goal is to help teach and inspire others to live more healthy, sustainable lives by sharing easy-to-follow, well-researched and experience-based gardening tips, recipes, and homesteading resources.
I am a passionate gardener, writer, crafter, and love to cook and fuel my body with organic homegrown food. I care deeply about the environment, clean toxin-free living, animals, and wildlife. I’m also a bit of a research nerd, have enjoyed photography since I was a little girl, and seem to have a natural knack for teaching. So, I started this website in 2019 to share those passions with the world!
You can learn more about my background, education, personal gardening journey, and other fun facts below, or learn more about Homestead and Chill here.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
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Fun Facts
- Aaron and I are happily child-free by choice.
- We currently have 5 cats, 4 mini donkeys, and a dozen chickens. I’ve been a crazy cat lady my whole life, hence the “DeannaCat” moniker.
- We live on the Central Coast of California in San Luis Obispo County. I’m originally from Santa Cruz CA (yes, I say “stoked” and “gnarly”) but also spent several years of my childhood in the greater Seattle area. Aaron is originally from Chico, where we met working at a natural food store together in college.
- I’ve had Type 1 Diabetes for over 22 years, and have been vegetarian for 17.
- We just started weighing and keeping track of how much food we grow, and we harvested 1,297 pounds of homegrown produce in 2023! And that’s only counting what made it inside.
- Beyond gardening, I love to read, do yoga, puzzles, play cribbage and board games (we love Wingspan), birdwatch, hike, and walk on the beach. I also love a good Netflix binge.
- Music is a HUGE part of our lives. It’s something Aaron and I bonded over right when we met, and going to concerts is still our main excuse for a “date night” now. See our playlists here.
My Gardening Journey
My mom had a garden while I was growing up, and while I don’t remember being particularly involved, I DO remember being enamored with the juicy homegrown melons, peaches, cherries and grapes! Fast forward to young adulthood: I started my very first garden in 2007. I was 21, had just lost my Dad to kidney cancer, and was struggling to find my path in college (more on that below). I grew just a couple tomato plants, zucchini, and honeydew melon, but the garden gave me a sense of purpose and hope! Aaron and I were dating at the time.
After college, we moved into a rental house and immediately asked the landlord if we could add a couple raised beds to the small backyard. Thankfully, they said yes… “as long as we returned it to same condition we found it”. So when we moved into our very first home the next year, we packed up the soil and bed frames and brought them with us! Lol.
In 2013, we bought our first home. During the house hunt, having a decent little yard and space for chickens was our top priority, even if that meant getting a smaller outdated home for our budget! We ended up with a 9000 square foot lot, and spent the next 8 years slowly DIY-ing and transforming every inch of it. We removed both the front and back lawns to put in raised garden beds, pollinator flowers, and fruit trees. We tucked a chicken coop, rainwater system and greenhouse in one side yard, and compost systems and tool sheds on the other. (You can see the before-and-after photos here.) There, we did and learned pretty much everything we’re doing at our larger property now, just on a smaller scale!
My Background & Education
You don’t need a degree related to gardening or agriculture to dig in, have fun, and be successful! However, my background certainly played a pivotal role in my journey to get here – both in gardening, and to start this business.
I graduated with my B.S. in Sustainability and Natural Resources from California State University, Chico in 2010. I spent 6 years in undergrad, bouncing around between nursing, physical therapy, and nutrition at first. I started to realize (and become increasingly frustrated with) the disconnect between traditional health sciences, natural health, and the environment. Then in 2007, I also lost my dad to kidney cancer. As a “daddy’s girl”, I was shattered. But it also changed the course of my life forever for the better. Sparked with a new healthy fear of toxins and passion for clean, natural living, I totally switched gears that year: I changed my major, started a job as a Sustainability Coordinator with the university, opened a farmer’s market booth to sell recycled crafts and art, and started my very first garden.
Next, I went on to pursue a MA in Environmental Studies at Brown University. Living on the East Coast for a couple years was a really neat life experience! We were living in an apartment in Providence, Rhode Island when I first read Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” and I was like THIS is what I want. To eat with the seasons, to raise backyard chickens, to trade in the excess for the cherished essentials, to keep it local… Even though we didn’t have a garden at the time, we started stocking up on fresh produce from the farmer’s market and practicing different preserving methods. And, we formulated a goal for the future.
Reader Favorites
Starting Homestead and Chill
After grad school, we moved back to California and I got a job as an Environmental Health Specialist with the county. I started out as a restaurant “health inspector” (oof, the stories I could share!) and quickly worked my way up to Senior specialist in the water systems and land use programs. Parts of that gig were fun and rewarding, but as the years went by and older folks retired, they piled more work on my desk rather than filling replacement positions. I was out in the field less and less, and could feel the burnout creeping in fast. I needed an exit strategy.
By 2018, I’d already been really active on Instagram for over 5 years. Sharing gardening tips, DIY projects, and backyard chicken shenanigans online had become my outlet from the grind of my job – especially since I didn’t have many “real life” friends with similar shared interests. Then a good friend gave me a hard shake and was like: “Helllloooo Deanna, you should start a blog!” At that time, I honestly had no idea how a blog could generate income – let alone become both our full-time jobs!
So with zero website experience, I started building this site in late 2018 and launched with just handful of articles in January 2019. The next few years were arguably the most intense and difficult of my life, but also some of the most rewarding! Between my “real job” and the blog, I worked like a crazy person, pulling 12-15 hour days 7 days a week for over 2.5 years. As the site grew, Aaron came on to help with more and more tasks too. Finally by the summer of 2021, we were able to both go full-time with Homestead and Chill! We were also able to move to our new larger homestead at that time. Now, we’re busy as ever and still work 7 days a week (ha!) but at least it’s for something we both love and take great pride in.
All in all, we are totally honored (and a bit mind-blown) that this little “side gig” of a website has evolved into what it is today – and that wouldn’t be possible without YOU, our valued readers and subscriber community. So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being here and tuning in! Keep on growing. ✌️
Made with homegrown and certified organic ingredients, we offer a variety of natural skincare products including nourishing face oil, calendula and lavender salve, natural insect repellent, herbal bath salts and more! Browse our shop here.
173 Comments
Yvonne
So glad to hear about worm beds, Can you give me an address for worms for sale: Eisenia fetida close to Missouri?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Yvonne, check out for a list of companies that sell worms in Missouri. Hope that helps and good luck with your worm adventure!
Judi
I love your helpful blog and videos — especially on vermicomposting. Quick question: I followed your instructions on setting up a bin and bought 2000 red composting worms from Uncle Jims about a month ago. No matter what I try, MANY of them try to escape each day. Any idea why this would keep happening? Bedding is not too wet, I keep the bin in my basement where temp is almost 60, they’re well fed, bedding is coconut coir, soil, shredded newspaper (and other paper), leaves, some sand. Not sure what I’m doing wrong 🙁 I’d really appreciate your advice!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Judy, those pesky worms can be quite the handful! It looks like you are doing everything right, maybe try layering a couple sheets of newspaper or brown paper on top of your bin and bedding material as that seems to work for us. Even if some escape, they do a surprisingly good job of repopulating themselves so hopefully you will still have a healthy population even after the mass exodus is over. Hope that helps and thank you for your support!
Star
I found Homestead & Chill last spring when I got quite into gardening. I love this website and all of your helpful, lovely videos. This is my favorite gardening site. Your homestead is charming, beautiful and impressive, I have always felt a connection to plants and kept several about. I know a lot about the various properties of certain plants as a master herbalist of two decades. I am keeping to less plants/far less gardening for the foreseeable future, however, since it was just too much work on my own with a family not into gardening. I’m thankful for the knowledge I’ve gathered along the way – much of which came from you.
I do have a question as to bacterial blight. I suspect my most treasured geranium – a two foot-tall, two year-old, crimson-bloomed wonder (and that I’ve overwintered for two consecutive years) has come down with it. I am devastated. Last year, it overcame edema (a common issue in this damp, cool, northern climate) and bounced back beautifully – now this which I’m worried there will be no bouncing back from. Most of what I’ve read said when it comes to bacterial blight, it’s ultimately fatal for the plant. Still, I thought I would pick the brains of the team behind Homestead & Chill. Would either neem oil or hydrogen peroxide help (as I’d heard they might)? How about grapefruit seed extract (my own idea)? Please and thank you.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hello Star, thank you so much for sharing your story and your support of Homestead and Chill! I don’t believe we have much for blight issues here but most of what I’ve read, the outcome isn’t great. It seems that the main recommended preventative treatment are copper based fungicides but once the disease is present, it is almost impossible to treat. I’m sorry that the life of your beautiful plant may be coming to an end, something you can do in the future is take cuttings of favorite plants as to always have additional plants in case you lose an especially interesting or beautiful one. Hope that helps and good luck in the future, hopefully we will still see you around even if you cut back on gardening somewhat.
Christa Jennings
Hi Deanna, just found you through a link from Jill at Whispering Willow. What part of the Central Coast are you on? I live in Aromas and work at DIG Aptos. I wonder if we have run across each other without realizing it? We live on four acres, and besides the veggie garden and fruits, raise dairy goats and chickens. We have been homesteading for more than 20 years.
Christa
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Christa, Deanna has been there a time or two for a few specific items and they are great! We typically go to Cherry Lane nursery which is close to our house and I think the two nurseries are affiliated? Anyway, we live in the Five Cities area and it’s great to hear you have such a bustling homestead in a great part of California. Anyway, thanks for stopping by and hope all is well.
Bridget
You really have inspired me! I’m in humid Northern Virginia and wish I could have a lot of the plants you have outside! =) your place looks fantastic and I have learned so much from you. Maybe I have to go to CA one day so I can have everything I want outdoors. haha
My biggest takeaways so far have been the importance of worm castings (though I had to buy straight up castings and not use vermicompost), and your tricks with aloe vera.
I had just a zz plant when I started, but now have a sweetbay magnolia on my deck, a variegated pink lemon that goes in and out depending on temperature, tons of aloe now, and the list goes on.
My biggest issues so far have been aphids on the magnolia and powdery white fungus on a cloth pot of watermelons. I don’t know if you would try neem oil, but I’m going to go that direction and fingers crossed.
Anyway, keep up the great work! You’re so committed and it’s quite impressive. The house looks FABULOUS.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Bridget, thank you so much for the kind words and we’re happy to hear that you found the “joy” of plants! Routine applications of neem oil will take care of the aphids on the magnolia and prevent them from returning in the future. Thanks for your support and we look forward to hearing from you in the future.
Shari
Hey guys. Fellow central coaster here! I’ve been following your blog/Instagram for awhile and it’s been so helpful-even with a mom who has been gardening/homesteading nearby since the 70s.
However, we now need to re-home a rooster. I hate to send him away but we can’t have roos where we are. Any guidance? or any chance you are looking for a man about the coop in the new larger homestead?
Thanks either way!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Shari, thank you so much for following along as we appreciate the support. I would look into the animal sanctuaries on the Central Coast and see if any of them will accept roosters. I thought there used to be a rooster sanctuary but I can’t seem to find anything about it now. I would reach out to Craigslist or even use the Next Door app to reach out to people in your area that may want to adopt a rooster or know where one can go about rehoming one. Hope that helps and good luck!
Sharon Lewis
DeannaCat,
Simply energizing! I too, am so connected to nature, I just clicked on your blog and can relate. Thank you for the joy. LOVE your garden.
I would love to know the name of the veggie on the side of house that is growing with a huge stalk and looks like a palm tree it’s the photo with you and adorable chickens.
Thank you for sharing your journey into gardening , hoping more people will enjoy nature that is all around us.
I’ll be sure to read your book recommendation as sounds interesting.
Love your homestead, cats, chickens, veggie, plants. All that keeps me moving each day.
Thank you and look forward to more ideas of plants, gardening etc.
Stay curious in nature!
Sharon Lewis,
Yardley, PA
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hello Sharon, thank you so much for the kind words. It’s really great to hear your excitement and know that it helps reenergize us as well. The plant you are referring to is lacinato (or dino, tuscan etc.) kale, the plant is probably 6 to 8 months old so as the leaves are harvested it continues to grow and produce leaves from the top crown of the plant. After a season or two of harvesting the same plant, it really shows how much food can come off of just one plant! Thanks for being a part of the community and we look forward to hearing from you in the future!
Jo
Hi Deanna and Aaron,
Thank you for your amazing posts. We are complete amateurs here in London with a very sterile garden but inspired here to do something lovely with what we have! We’ve been reading every detail your post on how to build planters on concrete and have everything on order to construct a really big one (6m x 1.2m) ourselves. It will be open bottom, but complete with the galvanised wire and landscape fabric base that you recommend.
One question we have: we were planning to build the planter on top of the astroturf which is laid directly on to concrete. Would you recommend that we take up the astroturf first, so the planter (the landscape fabric etc) lies directly on the concrete, or could the astroturf provide a useful extra drainage layer?
We assume a layer of gravel will not be useful either way?
Thank you so much,
Jo
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Jo, drainage shouldn’t be an issue with a raised bed placed on a hard surface if the bed doesn’t contain a bottom so there is no need for gravel. Placing the raised bed on astroturf could help with keeping the water runoff less messy although it may stain the area of turf surrounding the raised bed and of course the turf below the raised bed would be subjected to even more runoff which may “ruin” (as far as looks go) that portion of turf. Good luck with your new garden and enjoy it!
jo scott-nicholls
Hi Aaron, thank you so much – perfect! Jo
Nadia
hi Deanna,
I follow you because I like your energy. I haven’t been on your blog until this morning and I enjoyed get to know you, your purpose and what drives you to do what you do. I live in a big city and wish I lived in a small one surrounded with Nature, I will allow time to create what I dream off. I love the picture of your property before and the one after, you and your husband did amazing!!! Thank you for your kindness.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Thank you so much Nadia! Hope you are able to find a special place in the city that will fulfill your need for nature until you get to where you want to end up. Good luck!
Ken Purcell
I am thinking about converting my whole back yard to what you did. A beautiful Garden full of plants and food. I have a smallish backyard. 25 by 30 feet. Any suggestions or things to think about… before I start digging up my ugly lawn?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
That’s great to hear Ken! The main thing we think about when working in a small space is to leave 2 to 3 feet between beds or installations so you can easily fit a wheelbarrow through when working as things can get tight in a hurry. We always sketch out a drawing of what we want our space to look like which helps us visualize the space before we begin working. Check out our How To Start A Garden: 101 article for a little more insight and let us know if you have any other questions. Hope that helps and good luck with your transformation, let us know how it turns out.
Mark
That was a great piece on worm bins and composting today. I mentioned it on the Grasscity forum. You write some great information.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Thanks so much Mark!
Matt
I found some seeds in the bottom of my dispensary oz. they around 6-7 weeks old. Can you tell what sex they are? I’m not able to add a picture to this
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hello Matt, usually the plants will show what sex they are around this stage. Check out Sexing Cannabis: How to Tell the Difference Between Young Male vs Female Cannabis Plants to help you out along the way. Good luck!
Kay Hollon
Hi DeannaCat,
I just wanted to let you know how I love what you are doing and I don’t do Facebook or Instagram and all that, but keep up with enough just from emails.
I had ordered your Sourdough Starter last year and just got it started and baked my first bread this morning. It was delicious and will make more….probably like you do, once a week or two. Would love to show you my pictures of it….but don’t see any way to on this email. I’m SO proud of it, with your help! Thank You So much!
Kay Hollon
Stanton, Ky
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Kay, thank you for your support and for being a subscriber to the weekly emails! Glad to hear you finally got your starter going and congrats on baking your first loaf! It is really a gratifying hobby that provides delicious and wholesome food. We would love to see a picture of your first loaf or of any of your future loaves as you continue your baking journey. Unfortunately our comments section doesn’t allow for images but you can always email us through our “Contact Us” section. Thanks again for your support and we look forward to hearing from you in the future.