06x08 - Idaho Death Trap

[bunniefuu]

I don't want to spend
the weekend dead!

Angela: if we had to live in
the cabin during the winter,

We would freeze to death.

I've got a little
over 100 chickens.



We've got a buffet
out here.

The coyotes here, they're bad.
They completely surround us.

He got bit.
That's pretty wild.

Aaaah!

We're gonna try to resurrect
a cabin on its last leg.

This is insane.

I've never done this
to a building before, ever.

We want to get you to a place
where you are

Processing meat birds.

There we go.

Oh, my god,
I can't. I can't.

Matt: you become the alpha
predator on the homestead.

[ g*nsh*t ]

Your whole floor
is resting on that.

Jeromy: I pretty much almost
k*lled my family.

Marty: this is the opportunity
and challenge

To change someone's life...
Forever.

--Captions by vitac --
www.vitac.com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

Welcome to idaho.

What's idaho known for?
Obvious.

-Potatoes.
-Good.

Idaho means
land of many waters.

It's got cold winters.
It's got lots of snow.

It's got forest fires.

Idaho is a tough place
to homestead.

Narrator: the raneys are in the
rugged forests of northern idaho

To answer a homestead s.o.s.

Steep, jagged terrain
and expansive lakes and rivers

Make the region,
known as the panhandle,

One of the least
populated in the country.

The area's home
to a variety of predators.

And the long, harsh winters put
a premium on suitable shelter,

Leaving the jacksons
in desperate need of assistance.

I'm jeromy.

I'm angela.

We're the jacksons.

Winter is brutal up here
in the idaho panhandle,

And we're not ready.
The cabin's not livable.

I'm scared.
I'm terrified, really.

[ Chuckles nervously ]

We need help, raneys.
Please help us here.

We don't know what to do.

[ Horn honks ]

-Marty raney.
-Marty.

It's a pleasure to meet you.
Thank you.

-What's your name?
-Angela.

-Angela.
-I'm jeromy, sir.

-Jeromy, nice to meet you.
-I'm bailey.

Bailey. Nice to meet you guys.
Why are we here?

I don't like asking for help,
ever. I'm a pretty strong guy.

I like to do things myself.
And there comes a point

Where you just can't
tough it out anymore.

I have to tap out.
[ Sighs ]

Angela: jeromy's always
been outdoorsy --

Camping, hunting, fishing.

And me, I've always
been a city girl.

We both worked a lot.
I mean a lot.

I was on call all the time.
She worked two, three jobs.

My dad,
he's got some property.

And I was sitting
on his front porch

And I just realized I was,
for the first time

In I don't know how long,
I was at peace.

And made me realize

I don't want to live
in the city anymore.

I want this.

Narrator:
they purchased a 10-acre plot

With a small 500-square-foot
hunting cabin

In the remote foothills
of bonner county,

Hoping to one day make it
their family's homestead.

This was like a diamond
in the rough that came our way.

[ Chicken clucks ]

There's still more in there.
Yup.

Narrator:
living off-grid allowed angela

To explore a passion.

There you are.
Hello. Come here.

I love my chickens,
love the chickens.

We had six in the city.

That was all
we were allowed to have.

We got out here
and I wanted more chickens.

So the 20 I got,
they made me happy.

I thought, you know,


She has an addiction.

Chickens are
a gateway drug.

[ Laughter ]
there they go.

In my humble opinion,
that is way too many chickens.

[ Chickens clucking ]

Jeromy: when we first got here,
we were confident.

We figured we'd be good.

So when we were tearing
the roof off the cabin,

I hurt my back, and I knew
I was just out of luck.

They had to do
a back fusion for me.

I've got six bolts in my back
and two metal plates.

The company I worked for,


I was let go.

The cabin got put
on the back burner.

We don't have
any running water in it.

We don't have
a toilet in it.

My son, bailey's,
got to go pump water

From our neighbor's well.

Bailey: my time could definitely
be better spent

Working on the homestead

Instead of worrying
about the water.

If we had to live in the cabin
during the winter,

As it sits right now,
we would freeze to death.

It's rough.

[ Coyotes howling ]

Narrator:
but bracing for a long winter

Isn't their only concern.

The coyotes are so close
all the time. It's crazy.

It's so eerie.
They completely surround us.

Our fencing's not secure.

I'm scared to death

That they could wipe out
my chickens.

If we don't get help,
I don't know.

I don't know.

[ Growling, clucking ]

Something's going on
with one of my animals.

I'm sorry.
We'll be right back.

Getting up on that roof
just kills me.

And that's what's
holding us up.

Marty: well, I say we look
at it right this second.

-Absolutely.
-Fair enough?

-I want to look at the chickens.
-Lead me to the cabin.

Yes, sir.

I can already see some things
that are red flags to me.

So it looks like we're
leaning in to this point,

And from this point
to the peak of the roof,

We're leaning out
like a hinge.

Kind of like my arm
right now.

-Yup.
-What's it look like inside?

Let me show you.

Jeromy: so here it is.

Alright, so there's
a loft up there.

Right up here.

This'll be mine
and my wife's bedroom.

[ Sighs ] okay.

I'm looking at a building
right there that's doing this.

That part of the building's
doing this,

And this whole loft
has somehow done this.

Yeah. Shifted up.

It's fairly daunting.

What is it you'd like
to see happen?

I would like to move my wife
in here.

For her, it's been tough.
It's wearing on her, bad.

And I feel like less of a man
because I can't --

I promised her
I'd have this cabin for her.

Once we bought the stuff
and we started moving here,

"We got this.
I can do this.

Once my back starts healing,
we'll be good."

So how is your back
right now?

It's not good.
It's not good at all.

At about 50 yards you say,
"that's an amazing cabin."

At 25 yards, you're like,
"this thing needs work."

When you open
the front door,

You want to light a match
and toss it in there.

Fact.

Narrator:
over at the chicken coop,

Angela introduces misty
to her sprawling flock.

Whoa. Oh, there's like
a lot of birds.

Yeah. I've got a little
over 100 chickens.



Misty:
she's gotten to this place

Where she has so many birds,

And you can kind of
see them playing catch-up

Instead of advancing.

Do you have any of the original
chickens from seattle?

The city chickens?

We have three left.
There's one over here.

This is lucky,
and she's a little feral.

-This one's girlfriend.
-City bird.

I feel like angela,
this is her passion bordering

Maybe these are pets
and not livestock.

So where do they
go at night?

How are they
staying alive? Here?

-Yeah. We need to...
-Insulate it?

Insulate better.
Yes.

Because it gets
how cold here?

It dipped below freezing
a few times.

You're halfway there.
Have you lost birds?

We have lost some birds.

We found one dead yesterday.
Something big got her.

This is an absolute disservice.

If you have animals that are
being picked off one by one,

I mean, you're not
benefiting yourself or them.

She has a great potential
to bring in food for the family,

To make income, but we've got
to show her how to do that.

Have you seen any animals
around here or in here?

We've seen some coyotes.
They're all over.

Yeah.

Narrator: across the homestead,

Matt learns about
a recent predator attack.

Just the other day we found
a chicken dead

Just outside of the fence.

Matt: I'm gonna
take a look at it.

So it got bit
from over here.

There's definitely
a little bit of blood.

Matt: if you're having predation
problems with your livestock,

To figure out what's going on
can be like a m*rder mystery.

There's always a victim.
You always follow clues.

That predator is still at large,

And we have to do
something about it.

It could be coyotes.

I hear them. They sound
closer every night.

Yeah, it's pretty eerie.

Tell me about the transition

From being from seattle
and then moving out here.

After I graduated,
I came out here

To try to help my dad

As he tried to work
through the back pain.

I absolutely love living
on this homestead.

I would not trade it
for anything.

My goal here
is to learn more skills.

I want to be able to help out.

And I want my dad
to be able to rely on me,

As well as start
my own family here.

I'm following you.
Yep.

Matt: winter's
right around the corner,

And that's gonna mean

Less of a natural food source
for these coyotes.

'Cause if you have coyotes
that close to your livestock,

They can be taking food
off your table

And money out
of your pocketbook.

[ Clucks ]

You're not gonna believe
the condition of that cabin.

It's got four sides.
Right?

And then every one of them is
leaning a different direction,

If that's possible.
It might defy all physics.

Once it's structurally
safe,

We will put a metal roof
on it in seven days.

Which by the way, would be
a modern-day miracle.

A chicken died
two days ago.

We have a predator problem
with the coyotes.

As far as those chickens
are concerned,

They're not counting them,
and they have a bunch.

So they might be losing
chickens

And not even know it.

They could be picked off.

Misty: I feel like we could
get angela to a place

To raise meat chickens.

But it doesn't look like she's
doing anything but raising...

Pets.
Yeah.

We should harvest some birds
when we're here,

And we need to get her
to a place

Where this is actually
bringing in income and food.

Let's whip that chicken coop
into shape. Boom.

Alright, so let's go
talk to these homesteaders.

Narrator: marty will attempt
to save the cabin

By repairing
the buckling structure

And prepping it
for the looming idaho winter.

To launch a poultry business

And bring an income stream
to the homestead,

Misty will build an insulated
predator-proof coop

To protect the chickens,
and matt will teach bailey

How to defend the homestead
from predators,

As well as fashion
a chicken processing station

From salvaged materials for
the new poultry business.

Okay, guys. There's a lot of
things that have to happen here.

And you're going into winter.
-Yes.

You have a lot of birds.

It would be amazing to just
revamp that whole situation.

And it's just bringing
in some income,

Which I think is doable.

I'm gonna really make sure
that it's really hard for those

Animals to disappear.

So I'm gonna show bailey
some skills

To help him
protect a homestead.

And it'd be really good to sort
of do like a circle of life --

Getting meat chickens out here,
processing those animals,

And then making a place
where you can actually do that.

We're gonna try to resurrect
a cabin on its last leg.

If I can pull this off, it'll be
the ultimate homestead hack.

We're going to do
a never-been-done-before fix

With the structural.

It's gonna look crazy,
and it's gonna get crazy.

This old, rickety, shaky cabin

Is like a house of cards,

And the deck
is stacked against me.

♪♪

Narrator: in idaho,
the raneys arrived

To find a family of homesteaders

With a cabin
on the verge of collapse...

That's concerning.

...a giant brood
of pet chickens...

Angela: a little over


...and nearby predators
threatening to rule the roost.

We've got a buffet
out here for them.

They have just six days

To get the jacksons back
on their feet

Before another idaho winter
knocks them down for good.

Looking at that cabin,
the quickest, fastest way

That I think we can
put integrity and structure

Back into that building

Is drop down
through the roof

Two logs
on each end of the gable.

To save the buckling cabin,

Marty's plan is to cut holes
in the roof

And drop in two huge 16-foot,


On either side of the structure,

And then join them with
a massive 8x12 crossbeam.

This will create the lateral
and vertical strength necessary

To straighten the walls
and support the second story.

♪♪

Bailey: there it goes.
Timber.

♪♪

So we've cut down
massive fir trees.

We're about to mill those trees
into 12x12 beams,

Which we'll air-mail in from
above and use them structurally.

This is exactly in the center
of the roofline,

And that's where I want
to put the logs

That are being milled
into 12x12 beams.

Put one beam exactly
in this location,

Which means this has to go.

And do the same thing

On that end of the ridge
over there. Okay?

Okay.

Marty:
jeromy had a good idea.

The second story
gives this family more room.

But the problem is,
this cabin wasn't designed

Structurally to support
a second floor.

So we're in a bind.

This is totally crazy.

When I'm pounding on this,
this whole house is moving.

I thought the roof was the only
problem I had at this point.

I thought we just throw some
metal on here and we'd be good.

Not so much.

♪♪

Narrator:
across the homestead...

Okay. The new
new chicken coop.

Where is it
gonna go?

...misty and angela get started
on a new shelter

For the homestead's future
poultry operation.

Let's go close to your house,
because I'm a big fan

Of putting livestock
close to the house.

That would actually be easy
to get to them

During the snow.

Chickens are commercially bred
for meat and eggs

At a rate
of 50 billion a year.

Birds raised for meat
are referred to as broilers

And often reach slaughter size
after six weeks.

While hens are egg-laying birds

Who can produce more
than 300 eggs per year.

Egg production for most hens
lasts four years.

And when egg
production decreases,

They often become candidates
for slaughter.

Foundations could be

The most expensive part
of your build.

So I have this idea
where I want to use tree trunks

As foundation posts.

That's awesome.

Angela is the chicken lady.
She has a ton of birds.

And there is a community
of people

That are interested
in free-range, organic food.

Okay, so, I mean,
this looks pretty amazing.

This isn't just a chicken coop.

It's gonna be
a place of business.

Narrator: misty will use tree
stumps as foundation posts

For a 12x16-foot structure

Built with lumber harvested
from the homestead

And insulated with upcycled
materials sourced

From the property.

Misty:
we're cutting down trees,

But also the more trees
we leave in, the better.

Chickens are a pretty
susceptible livestock,

So anything we can do
to keep them safe,

Especially with the hawks
and the eagles,

Is gonna be good.

Okay. Trees are down.

This is your new foundation
for the chicken coop.

Hopefully this new idea
and this new plan

Is exactly
what angela needed.

Let's keep this momentum

And start building
the structure.

Right on.

Narrator: misty enlists the help
of a nearby lumberyard to mill

And set the beams
for the foundation.

And down.

Angela: I really think
this is going to help

Just getting my area
more organized

And clean and professional,

Where I can actually
bring people in to buy chickens

Without being embarrassed
how it looks.

That's huge for me.

Just as close as you can.
It looks good.

♪♪

So the coyotes,
just like the old dog

And the fire hydrant,
they mark their territory.

We can interrupt it
by using ammonia on some rags

And make
our own marked areas.

Bailey: I like
the sound of that.

It goes down the tree.

Matt:
ammonia rags are step one

In controlling
the predator problem.

Now that we've secured
the perimeter around the coop,

I'm gonna show bailey how to
patrol the rest of the property.

These rags are smelly.

Narrator: at the cabin,
marty prepares to lower

The 1,000-pound post
through the roof.

You watching that boom?!
Yes, sir!

I don't want to spend
the weekend dead!

This is insane.
This is insane.

I never expected this.

We lined up, marty?

Yeah, we're in the hole.
We're in the hole.

Bailey: alright.

♪♪

One down. One to go.

[ Whistles ]
boom down a little bit.

Holy cow.

Yep.

[ Whistles ] slack.

Yep. It's coming.

Bring it down.

Is it sitting on the brick?

Man: you're sitting right down
on those bricks perfect.

Got it in there.

He's there. Money.

Marty: alright.
This is full-blown insanity.

I've never done this
to a building before, ever.

Watch your house now.
Watch your house.

Okay, so are you happy
we put this in, yes or no?


Yes.

So what the next step's
gonna be, guys,

We're going to try to make
this gable end

And this wall
as straight as this cut.

At that point, we'll put a beam
from here to the other one

Making this massive
log "h,"

And "h" is for?

Homestead.

Bailey: okay.

Hey, buddy,
you understand

That just pushing on
that beam inside there

We moved the whole house?
Oh, geez.

Remember.
Yeah.

So it's not gonna take much
with a truck

To do something
terribly wrong.

Okay.

So creep, creep, nudge,
nudge...

I'll be on the brake
the whole time.

...this much at a time.
Right?

Okay.
Okay, let's go.

Moving forward.

♪♪

Whoa!

Have him come out
and look at this.

It came a long ways.
Yeah, it did.

If you guys sign off on it,
it's over.

I love it, marty.


It doesn't get more homestead
than it did today.

A major problem.

We figured out
how to fix it with trees

From your own property.

This is a good day
for you guys.

This is a good day
for this family.

Narrator: three days ago,

The raneys arrived
in northern idaho

To discover the jacksons

On the outside of their home,
looking in.

I have to tap out.
I can't do this.

While marty works to shield
the family from winter's wrath,

Misty races to create a safe and
professional poultry operation

Before time runs out.

♪♪

There!

Jeromy:
that is beautiful stuff.

I don't really like
using plywood.

It kind of disintegrates
when you have a lot

Of extra waste
from livestock.

So we're bringing in
something real sturdy

That's gonna last forever,

Which is all this one-by
from the mill.

Let's get the screw g*ns.

An outside contractor
would probably bid this job

For around $15,000,
but that's not homesteading.

Right now, we're sourcing most
of the materials right here

And doing it
for a fraction of the cost.

So we want to get you to a place

Where you are
processing meat birds.

We want to do
a processing station

And get you to the place
where you're harvesting

Your birds,
feeding your family.

Having all these birds
and raising them as pets

Or whatever the goal
has been in the past,

That's got to be over,
because that's not homesteading

And that's just a waste
of time and effort, okay?

So don't name those birds.

♪♪

Narrator:
across the homestead...

Alright. There's a lot
of stuff around here.

Narrator: ...matt surveys
the materials on hand.

What I'm looking for
is building materials

And things I can source here
to make an area

Where I can process chickens.

Hey, bailey.
Come on over here, man.

What's up?

Hey, man, is this
what I think it is?

This is our well.

It doesn't look like it's been
developed or anything.

No. Initially when my parents
started digging,

They had money set aside

To actually have access
to our water,

But they had to go
just a little bit deeper,

I believe 20 more feet
than they expected,

And that ate
into our piping budget.

Now we basically just
have a $10,000 hole

In the ground with no way
to access to water down there.

I don't know what we can do
in the short amount

Of time that we're here,
but this is really important.

And this is probably
the most promising thing

I've seen so far
on the homestead.

We have a lot of projects
going on in this homestead,

But getting water is the most
important thing to me,

And a working well
will free bailey up

From his water-boy duties,

So he can continue to learn

And grow
into a successful homesteader.

It's got to happen
while we're here.

♪♪

One, two, three.

Hold on.
Yee-haw.

Okay, let's drive.

-Ah, look at this.
-Going in.

-Easy now. Easy.
-Front wheel.

Narrator: marty's plan
to save the jacksons' cabin

Enters its next phase,

Installing
an 800-pound crossbeam.

We're gonna lift this up.

You're gonna put
this ladder right here.

Right there.

And the beams are gonna be
that high

And I'm gonna set it down.
Here we go.

This cabin will not be safe

Until we've tied
those vertical beams

Together with a crossbeam.

Once that's all secured,
that's the cure-all.

This is going in that notch,
and it's tight.

-Jeromy, you're on the jack.
-You're on the jack.

Jeromy: oh, okay.

I don't know why
you're lifting anything.

Because I don't want
to stand around.

Marty is very adamant that he
doesn't want me to hurt myself

And he's telling me
to sit down and slow down.

It's hard to do when you see
someone like him,

Out-working you,
and I'm half his age.

Marty: one, two, three.

Okay.
It is heavy.

He wasn't joking.

Hold on.

Okay. I'm in a slot.

-There's no way. That's...
-Whoa.

Aah! No, my finger!

-Okay.
-Back up. Back up.

Matt: it's not gonna fit.

Can you get it
in the slot?

I mean,
if I had a sledge.

Misty, you did it.

I'm going. Yes.

-Good job.
-You're almost there.

Nice.
Grab a screw, somebody.

I got it.

♪♪

Good.

You guys like it?
-I like it.

Marty: yes. We could have torn
the place down,

But I think
the first structural thing

That we've all done together

With the trees
off your property

Is basically artful.

This is so phenomenal.

With the raneys coming here,

This has been
life-changing for us.

Things are -- they're looking up
and I can focus more

On my chickens and my business.

That's huge.

Absolutely love it.

♪♪

♪♪

Alright.

Narrator:
with less than 48 hours,

Matt puts the finishing touches

On the chicken
processing station.

It's like a rite of passage
for any homesteader

When they make
their first harvest,

Their first butcher
of their animals

And they turn
their livestock into food.

Right now, no one
on this homestead's done that.

And today is the day for angela
to take that pivotal step.

Alright.
What do you think?

It's a processing area.

You ever held a chicken
on its back?

Yeah.

Right. It's like...

It's the best way to get them
to calm down.

Yeah, it is.

So the first step
would be to get a chicken

On its back, docile.

And then just gently
bring it over here

And then getting it up here

And putting it in
upside down.

I'm sure there's gonna be
a little bit of a struggle,

But the quicker you do it,
the better,

Because once
they're upside down,

It really makes the blood
rush to their head,

And it pretty much
just puts him out.

So when their head
comes out the bottom, boom.

Don't waste any time
and just get it over with.

But we can't do anything
unless we get a chicken.

So let's go pick
out a chicken.

I've got one in mind.
Okay, cool.

Angela: I'm such a softy
when it comes to the animals,

Especially the chickens.

I spend so much time with them.

It's farm life.
It's a necessity.

I can't have 102 pet
chickens, unfortunately.

This big boy right here.

[ Chicken clucking ]

Calm down. Calm down.

Calm down, big boy.

Calm down.

Alright, we got the chicken.
Let's go.

You know, this is
the hardest step for me.

But I feel good knowing that
I'll be able to do all this

From beginning to end.

Here we go. You ready?

♪♪

There.

There we go.

Grab the head and pull
the neck down

And give it a cut.

♪♪

Go for it.

I -- oh, my god.
I can't. I can't.

Narrator: in idaho, the raneys
are racing to make sure

The jacksons aren't left out
in the cold

During the coming winter.

Good job!

Marty is resurrecting
a crumbling cabin.

You guys like it?
I love it.

And misty continues her mission

To create a sustainable business
for angela in just seven days.

Misty: we're bringing in
something real sturdy.

Narrator: now matt helps angela
take the final step

To ensure their financial
sustainability.

Go for it.

I -- oh, my god,
I can't. I can't.

That's good.
That's good.

That was really brave.

That was amazing.
I'm really proud of you.

I've never dispatched
anything in my life.

I mean, I know
it's farm life.

It's something
I've got to do.

You're having this release,
this emotional release,

And it's totally normal,

But there is
that definite line

Where these animals
aren't pets.

You're raising them
for food.

I mean,
this is for survival.

That's why you got these animals
in the first place.

It is. It is.

That's homesteading.
That was awesome.

Good work.

I feel -- I feel your pain.
I do. I do.

Narrator:
across the homestead,

Misty and matt put the finishing
touches on the chicken coop.

So jeromy scored this
random pile of scraps

From insulated exterior doors,
so we're gonna repurpose this

And use it for installation
inside the chicken coop.

Man, that looks
really good.

How sturdy is that?

This isn't just
a chicken coop,

It's gonna be
a place of business.

It needs to look professional,
it needs to look successful.

So, in order to achieve that,

You're not gonna build
a little box

And throw some straw in it,
that just won't do.

Whew.

Come on in, angela.

Okay.
So, what do you think?

I'm blown away.
It's beautiful.

And it's solid.

You won't have
a problem with predators.

No, nothing's getting in.
It's insulated.

You've got nesting boxes
all off to one side

And it looks like
a professional business.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome.
You're the best.

Narrator: six days ago, angela's
chicken flock was in chaos

And vulnerable to predators
and generating no income.

Now, in addition to comfortably
housing all of her birds,

She can sell organic eggs

And live chickens
from a spacious showroom

Made entirely of free
and upcycled materials.

But lookit, I don't know
how to spell chicken.

It's cute, it's great.

We're gonna be able to take
our farm to the next level,

And we're gonna concentrate now
on making money from home,

And that means everything to us.

♪♪

Narrator:
on the edge of the property,

Matt works to turn bailey

Into the protector
of the homestead.

So, check this out.

It's a bolt-action
.22 r*fle with a scope.

Firearms on a homestead
are very useful tools,

But you have to know
how to use them.

Bailey is a homesteader now.

These days
his only job is fetching water.

Soon the chickens
will become an income source,

So bailey needs to become
the security guard,

Keeping predators from running
off with potential profits.

I'm gonna help you
with your technique here.

Try to choke
that g*n up higher

And don't be afraid
to put your cheek right there

On the butt of this r*fle.

You can get it high.

You want to get this
kind of up.

Straighten out your back.

Do you want to try
for that white target?

Bailey: sure.

[ g*nsh*t ]

Sweet. Right on, man.
Feels good, right?

Mm-hmm.
That's awesome.

Bailey: it's exciting
to go out with matt.

I feel like my responsibility
on the homestead

Could come down to me
needing to help protect it.

Okay. There we go.

Okay,
so if I was you,

I'd make sure that I have

A good sh**ting lane
through there

And using this mound
to your advantage.

What really matters to me

Is that you take this
another step further

Where you become the alpha
predator on the homestead,

The person that is
saving the livestock

And warding off any of
these predatory animals

That are coming on
to your property.

I think this is gonna be
relatively easy to set up,

And I can probably work this
into my routine

At the end of the day.

Matt: first meeting bailey,
he seemed a little bit

Green out here
on this property,

But the more I get to know him,
he's just capable.

He's a good shot and he's really
got his head in the right place

To be a person
that's super valuable

In the way
of protecting this homestead.

♪♪

Narrator:
across the homestead...

Marty: first we addressed

The structural integrity
of this cabin.

Started to look at the floor,
rip up some planks.

What's under there?
Rotten joists.

What a joy.

Marty: these boards
are rotten here,

So we're gonna probably
have to cut all this out.

This is 12 alarm,
bad news.

We've got to stop every
single thing we're doing

And fix this.

Your whole floor...
Is resting on that.

Rip it out.

I'm serious,
everything's got to go.

Angela:
the floor was rotten.

We could have been
upstairs sleeping,

Had our kids
downstairs sleeping.

The whole place could have
collapsed, we could have died.

And I was gonna move
my family in here.

[ Sniffles ]

This is insane.

I should've just knocked
this whole thing down.

I pretty much
almost k*lled my family.

This is just
one more thing.

Marty:
this is terrible news.

We can whine about it,
we can cuss,

We can pick up wood
and throw it

And a lot of people would.

That's why you asked me
to come here.

♪♪

♪♪

Just can't.

I need a minute.

[Bleep]

Narrator:
the raneys arrived in idaho

To find the jacksons
with a cabin

On the verge of collapse in
the face of the looming winter.

Marty: this very likely
will be one

Of the most challenging
things we've ever tackled.

After one week, they've
stabilized the family's home...

This is so phenomenal.

Narrator:
...and built a massive coop

To house
the homestead's chicken flock.

I'm gonna do this,
I'm gonna be successful.

But a recent discovery
has marty scrambling

To put the family
back on solid ground.

Thank you.

Marty recruits
the jacksons' neighbors

To help fix the rotted floor.

When I pull down the driveway
of a homestead,

I'm expecting the unknown.

Grab a board, honey.

We're basically out of time

To fix the things
that we didn't plan for,

But if the cabin isn't finished
in the next 24 hours,

This family's not going to
make it through one more winter.

Narrator:
with the floor addressed,

Marty has one last task

To make the cabin
livable for the jacksons.

Marty: whether we're in america,
canada, or alaska,

When I show up on a homestead
and see a lot of trees,

I'm thinking, "staircase,
railing, fencing, maybe lumber."

Well, it's time to test it.
You're first.

Oh, yeah.
How's it feel?

Perfect.
Solid?

That thing is solid.

On day one when marty said

He was gonna do
unconventional things,

He was not lying.

Unconventional isn't even
an inappropriate word

To describe what he does.

I mean, the staircase alone,
oh, my god.

♪♪

Narrator: with time running out
on the rescue,

Matt has one last surprise
for the jacksons.

Matt: having water
on a homestead,

It's a really big deal

Because we're talking about
watering gardens,

Watering animals, and keeping
the homesteaders alive.

You can't live without water.

We have a lot of the pieces
to this puzzle.

We have the pump,
which is expensive,

And we even have 40 foot of pipe

Given to us by a local
homesteader.

Amazing.

Jackson family,
come over here.

Turn the generator on.

[ Generator motor starts ]

Hold that, bailey.

♪♪

-Oh, yes!
-Yeah!

Jeromy: that's our water.

I don't have to drive quad
anywhere anymore.

Look at you!

This will be able
to pump water into your house.

Taking showers and not have to
worry about the pump

Getting frozen,
the hoses getting frozen.

We have running water, and
it's absolutely life-changing.

Narrator: one week ago, the
jacksons had an untapped well

And their dream
of bringing water

Directly into their home
had dried up.

Now, with a new pump and instant
access to drinkable water,

The future is flush
with possibilities,

All for less than $2,000.

Bring it in, guys.
Come on, this is sweet.

After a week of grueling work,

Marty and jeromy put the
finishing touches on the cabin.

Marty:
okay, hopefully it fits.

As soon as you hook up
the hot and the cold,

You guys have water
in your kitchen.

Jeromy: to be able to actually
have running water,

Most people take that
for granted.

I do not take that
for granted at all.

These walls are insulated.

This rake roof
is insulated,

There's a bunch of insulation
on top of that plastic,

So this has maintained the heat
all day up here.

It's pretty cool.
It is nice and warm.

It's good to hear.

Narrator: seven days ago,

The jacksons' cabin
was on the verge of collapse

And their homesteading dreams
with it.

Now a sturdy structure,
indoor plumbing and insulation

Have reinforced their hopes
for a warm and safe winter

For just $500.

Wow, I can't believe
we did it.

[ Chuckles ]
it's amazing, it's done.

Thank you so much
for teaching me so much.

Angela: I didn't think this was
gonna be possible

And certainly not in seven days.

At the beginning, I thought that
this should be abandoned,

Maybe even torn down.

And in seven days,

It has become your future.

You've got a long winter
ahead of you. Enjoy your cabin.

Jeromy: thanks, you guys.

To say it's life-changing
doesn't even do it justice.

I mean, we were living in rvs

And have a port-a-potty
for months and months on end.

We get to stay in our cabin
tonight from here on forward.

-Bye, raneys. Thank you.
-Bye, raneys.

Jeromy: yee-haw!

Marty: seven days ago, jeromy,
angela and bailey told me,

"We want to live in that cabin."

It needs everything and seven
days later, it happened.

How?
I'll give you one good reason.

Let's make it two.

Jeromy: winter hit us hard,
but the raneys set us up.

They helped so much
getting us into this cabin,

We've got the flooring in
and kitchen is set.

And we are warm!

Warm, we're able to cook
in our house.

That's hot water.

I have chicken sales lined up
for the spring.

I have a waiting list.

People that want
to buy chicks for me.

We have not had a problem
with the coyotes

Since the raneys have left.

This has been
an amazing adventure.

Thank you guys so much.
So grateful, thank you.