Kim and Josh’s Homestead Rescue Lawsuit: Allegations and Outcome

The Kim and Josh Homestead Rescue lawsuit was filed by Virginia homesteaders Kimberly and Joshua Zabec against the Discovery Channel series after their Season 1 appearance, alleging producers recruited them as successful farmers and then edited the episode to portray them as struggling and incompetent. The outcome of the case has never been made public.¹²

Who the Zabecs Are

The Zabecs own Revolutionary Roots Farm, a 20-acre homestead in Kinsale, Virginia, that Josh has held since February 2015. They raise roughly 40 free-ranging hogs along with chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, Guinea fowl, geese, and goats. In November 2015, the farm won a Modern Farmer contest recognizing working farmers, and the couple built a public following on Instagram and Facebook well before the show came calling.³¹ That track record matters because it sits at the center of what they later alleged in court.

They appeared in Season 1, Episode 2 of Homestead Rescue, titled “Under Siege,” which aired on October 8, 2016. The broadcast showed the Raney family arriving at Revolutionary Roots Farm to help the couple after pigs had reportedly damaged part of the property, with the Zabecs presented as uncertain about how to manage their land.¹

What the Zabecs Alleged

Their complaint rested on three connected claims.

They said producers recruited them under false pretenses. According to the couple, the pitch described a program about accomplished off-grid homesteaders, and they agreed to appear on the understanding that the show would showcase what they had built.¹²

They alleged the final cut deliberately misrepresented their competence. The pig damage the episode framed as a homestead emergency was, in their telling, a minor issue that did not reflect their overall situation or abilities.²

And they argued the show omitted evidence of their success, cutting footage and information about Revolutionary Roots Farm’s established infrastructure and operations that would have shown viewers they were capable homesteaders.¹

The Legal Theories

The lawsuit centered on misrepresentation and breach of what the Zabecs described as an oral or implied agreement, meaning the promises producers made during casting that were not reflected in the broadcast. They also argued the misleading portrayal caused reputational harm to them and to their farm. Kim Zabec said publicly that the show was “nowhere close to being real.”²

How the Case Was Resolved

The resolution has never been made public. No court ruling is available on the record, and the Zabecs have not discussed the case publicly since filing it. Whether it was settled privately, dismissed, or resolved some other way is unknown.¹ Reality TV contracts commonly grant producers broad editorial discretion and frequently include mandatory arbitration clauses that push disputes out of public courtrooms, which helps explain why cases like this one are difficult to track.

Not the Only Complaint About the Show

Other Homestead Rescue participants have reportedly filed lawsuits or raised complaints alleging that the series is fabricated and exaggerated for dramatic effect.¹ A different couple, Wren and Ini, who appeared in a December 2017 episode, gave a more mixed account: they called the Raneys “genuine people” and said the assistance was largely authentic, but acknowledged “hype and drama on screen” and that hours of filming were compressed into episodes under 45 minutes, leaving much unseen.⁴

Where the Zabecs Are Now

The Zabecs still operate Revolutionary Roots Farm in Kinsale and post about their animals and off-grid lifestyle, primarily on Facebook. Their YouTube channel has not been updated in several years, and the couple generally keeps their personal and family life private. Josh has also served as CEO of a Virginia company called The Window Hospital Inc. since September 2018 and works as a motivational and sales speaker.¹

1
Tuko. What Happened to Kim and Josh Zabec From Homestead Rescue
2
Distractify. Kim and Josh Homestead Rescue Lawsuit
3
Modern Farmer. Revolutionary Roots Farm Q&A
4
Ozark County Times. Local Homestead Rescue Couple Talks About Roles on Discovery Channel Show