Today we have our first Tuesday Coffee Chat with John Willis of SOE Tactical Gear and Nicole Sauce of Living Free in Tennessee. These discussions are always a wildcard and can go anywhere. We usually hit on some current events of course. We also tend to talk about things like entrepreneurship, homesteading and a ton more. In general we try to inspire you a bit, make you laugh a few times, entertain you and teach you a thing or two along the way.
Sponsors Today:
Wealthsteading.com
DiscountMylarBags.com
Today we talk about how to stop feeding fear, survive beginner discomfort, and build confidence through action. We’ll also cover our usual Monday segments.
Sponsors
Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com, small-batch coffee roasted in a Tennessee holler for people who get things done.
Sponsor 2: StrongRootsResources.com
Practical preparedness gear for uncertain times.
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
* Spring Workshop wrapped up strong
* Lots of hands-on learning in the kitchen
* Reminder that skill comes from repetition, not podcasts
* Homestead season is now fully underway
* Time to plant, preserve, repair, and move
Operation Independence
Every real skill you build gives you more options.
Cooking from scratch. Growing food. Preserving harvests. Fixing gear. Building side income. Leading community.
Main Topic of the Day: Less Talking, More Doing
This Is Not About Sauerkraut
Today, I am joined by the Tactical Redneck for a discussion of life on a homestead.
Sponsor 1: StrongRootsResources.com
Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN
Today, I am joined by Sandy Eplett to to talk about setting up systems that fit the season of your life to create your generational homestead.
Featured event: The Homestead Event - April 24 & 25 in the Knoxville area.
Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast
Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com
Today, we discuss those cool, simple garden planning memes and why they don't actually work - and what to do about it.
Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com
Sponsor 2: The Wealthsteading Podcast, InvestableWealth.com
Today, I am joined by multiple folks in the holler for a discussion of life on a homestead.
Sponsor 1: StrongRootsResources.com
Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN
Today we have our first Tuesday Coffee Chat with John Willis of SOE Tactical Gear and Nicole Sauce of Living Free in Tennessee. These discussions are always a wildcard and can go anywhere. We usually hit on some current events of course. We also tend to talk about things like entrepreneurship, homesteading and a ton more. In general we try to inspire you a bit, make you laugh a few times, entertain you and teach you a thing or two along the way.
Sponsors Today:
Wealthsteading.com
DiscountMylarBags.com
Today, I am joined by the Tactical Redneck for a discussion of life on a homestead.
Sponsor 1: StrongRootsResources.com
Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN
Today, we discuss story and how in strongly influences our success or failure.
Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com
Sponsor 2: The Wealthsteading Podcast, InvestableWealth.com
Join us for an update on the sheep, all the sheep, milking sheep, bottle babies, sleep deprivation.
Featured Event: Foraging on the Farm at Blueberry Hill Farm in Knoxville, March 22
Sponsor 1: Wealthsteading.com
Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN
Today, we talk about lessons learned after four (or five?) seasons of birthing lambs at the Holler Homestead. We will also cover all our usual Tuesday segments like Tales from the Prepper Pantry, Seasonal Forage and more.
Featured Event: Refuge Ruckus is this weekend! ONLY 50 TICKETS LEFT! https://www.refugeruckus.com/
Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN
Sponsor 2: AbovePhone.com: https://abovephone.com/?above=104 Coupon Code LiveFreeTN
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Used up beef from the been canning webinar of 2022 (Beef stew)
Will be harvesting the first lettuces soon from the outside gardens
Giving all storage here a big facelift with the help of Opalyn
Cutting up 3 Eyes of Round
RIP Claire the Fridge (The freezer/fridge combo)
Frugality Tip From Nicole
Freeze dried meals with a thermos, OR lunch pail thermos
Operation Independence
3 Beef Rounds for the workshop
Main topic: Lessons learned from 5 birthing seasons
Make a management decision
>rotation vs single pasture and medications
>Interventions vs survival of the fittest
>Hair vs wool
Finding strong Stock
Pasture Birthing Bag
>gloves
>Lube
>thermometer
>towels
>Alcohol or other sterilizer
(Basiic first aid is already at the pasture)
Home Lamb Support Kit
>Colostrum
>Bottles
>Milk Replacer
>Pee pads from Sam’s club
>Dog crate
>Diapers if you will go this route
>Lamb-dedicated towels
>Hair dryer or heat lamp
>Temperature probes
>Heating box
>Sous Vide
>Mason jars
>Funnel
>thermometer
>more gloves
>lamb probiotics
Things to prepare for in birthing
>Stuck lamb
>Breach Lamb
>Sideways lamb
>Cold Lamb
>Dopey lamb
>Low milk production from mom
>Lamb not breathing
>prolapse
Great resources
>All Creatures Great and Small, etc
>Laura Lawson Lamb Problems another references
>get a sheep mentor
BACON CLASS
Today, I am joined by The Tactical Redneck to discuss updates from the Holler Homestead: Looking for lamb births, getting rapid forward progress on the homestead, and more. Featured Event: March 14 Makin' Bacon from 10am-12pm - LivingFreeinTennessee.com
Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com
Sponsor 2: TheWealthsteadingPodcast.com
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Want to come to the Holler Homestead and learn to make bacon? Makin' Bacon is March 14th at 10 am and space is limited.
Join us for a First Tuesday Coffee with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment, Nicole Sauce of The Living Free in Tennessee Podcast, and Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast.
Connect with us!
We are going to talk today about what happens when your project, your homestead, your business — whatever you are building — hits the point where it can’t grow unless you step into leadership. Not louder. Not bossier. Just clearer.
And what it costs when you avoid that moment.
We’ll also cover our usual Monday segments.
Featured Event
Monthly Meetup at Basecamp Lodge
Saturday, 12pm–3pm
Potluck + Seed Exchange (bring seeds if you’ve got them)
RSVP here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1246004124202741
Bring a dish. Bring seeds. Bring yourself.
Sponsors
Sponsor 1: StrongRootsResources.com
Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Forage Update
Everything is waking up.
Frugality Tip
Buying at the right time of year makes a big difference.
Before the Super Bowl: buy a TV on sale.
After the Super Bowl: buy the returned open-box TVs on clearance.
Last year we snagged a small smart TV originally priced at $125 for $37. Brand new. Open box.
Check your local clearance sections for open-box returns. Often brand new.
Happy savings, y’all.
Operation Independence
Turkey Tail season is upon us.
There may be real opportunity there. We’re going to find out.
Main Topic of the Day
From Personality-Driven to Framework-Driven
Yesterday I sat down and drilled into every project and business I run.
Income-generating.
Money-costing.
Even things like helping when someone in the community is ill — and yes, we should mention the Jeffrey Dheeres fundraiser.
Everything fit into three buckets:
The outliers go on the chopping block first.
But the bigger realization was this:
I have been avoiding a leadership vacuum.
I kept waiting for consensus.
Waiting for another leader to step forward.
Waiting for clarity to magically appear.
And while I waited, I tried to just do more myself.
That cost me peace.
It led to burnout.
It stalled momentum.
Here’s the lesson:
If I don’t accept my role as leader — meaning I walk in front instead of pushing from behind — we stay in one place.
Not because people aren’t good. Not because they don’t care.
Because without structure, everything becomes personality-driven.
And personality-driven systems stall when the personality gets tired.
What we’re building now at Holler Homestead is a framework.
Long-term vision:
Expanded land.
Commons effort.
Cabins for temporary stays.
People coming to experience regenerative community, food, skill-building, and reset.
Membership options for non-residents.
Not a massive intentional community.
An example.
Something that can be learned from and replicated elsewhere.
And here’s the key:
Structure allows generosity.
When more people in the community have needs, chaos doesn’t scale — structure does.
If you don’t build framework, your generosity burns you out.
If you build framework, your generosity becomes sustainable.
So here’s the question for you:
Where are you avoiding stepping into leadership?
Where are you burning out because you won’t build structure?
Is your project personality-driven when it needs to become framework-driven?
Sometimes growth doesn’t require more effort.
It requires clarity.
And someone willing to walk in front.
Today, we will explore the concept of building community, but not from a pure numbers standpoint. Many people measure community in numbers, not quality. We will discuss a better way to create community around you that makes the whole network mightier.
Featured Event: Spence MAG Meetup: This Sunday. Contact Brad for information. sequatchieschool@protonmail.com
Sponsor One: RarePlantStore.com
Sponsor Two: https://abovephone.com/?above=104 (This is an affiliate link)
Tales From The Prepper Pantry
>11 years ago, crepe night for Fat Tuesday and we were snowed in
>Rebuilding the pantry system after working through the “stuff” this winter (Why I did this)
>Scaling from 2 to 5 - growing pains
>Audit your canning supplies
>German Food Day
Frugality Tip From Margo
I have a friend up North whose library has passes you can check out for discounted admission to museums. So check out your local library and see what they have to offer.
Operation Independence
Barrels for sale, grocery club update
Main Topic
We talk about community all the time with some of you saying there is no one around you, and others seeking to start your own community. Often, communities fail because they have the wrong goal.
How do you know your community is successful?
>number of people
>length of community
>etc
I like to think about the goals differently: How many surface relationships do we house versus inner circle trust.
>>explain this<<
Total participants is meaningless if you don’t house quality relationships.
Singular selfishness versus selfish community
Why I think we got off course (TOP DOWN COMMUNITY)
Why do I support other networks? What then should our goals be?
Does the community do what it says and say what it does?
Does the community have a high number of quality, close relationships?
Does the community refrain from bad-mouthing other similar communities AND each other?
What makes a series of small pods mighty?
So ask yourself, WHO is in my inner circle and, in the words of Brad, would I leave a car at the base of my driveway with $1000 cash in there if they asked without needing to know why?
Today, I am joined by The Tactical Redneck to discuss updates from the Holler Homestead: The season has become warmer but we are not out of the winter woods yet! Learn what we are doing to get ready for growing season.
Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN
Sponsor 2: TheWealthsteadingPodcast.com
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Today, I am joined by The Tactical Redneck to discuss updates from the Holler Homestead: Friends, spring, and what we are experimenting with on the homestead.
Featured Event: Farm Freedom Summit, February 7
Sponsor 1: StrongRootsResources.com
Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Join us for a First Tuesday Coffee with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment, Nicole Sauce of The Living Free in Tennessee Podcast, and Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast.
Connect with us!
Today, I am joined by The Tactical Redneck to discuss updates from the Holler Homestead: 10 Weird Things That Happen To Homesteaders That We Think Are Normal.
Featured Event: LFTN Spring Workshop April 23-25 - Tickets go on sale on January 31 at 9am central!
Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast: InvestableWealth.com
Sponsor 2: DisvountMylarBags.com
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Anxiety often shows up when our capability isn’t being used in the real world. Building skills, systems, and doing meaningful work creates calm, stability, and a steadier life in 2026.
Jan 31st, 9am Central, tickets go on sale for the LFTN Spring Workshop!
Sponsor: StrongRootsResources.com
Sponsor: AgoristTaxAdvice.com
Opening Thought
Who has felt anxious in the last few weeks??
Today, I am joined by The Tactical Redneck to discuss updates from the Holler Homestead: Ice preps, Squeaks updates, and more
Featured Event: LFTN Spring Workshop April 23-25 - Tickets go on sale on January 31 at 9am central!
Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast: InvestableWealth.com
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Today, I am joined by Jessica Arno, The Combat Midwife, to discuss keeping women and children alive when you can't just drive to the hospital. More that that, we will discuss how building these skills is a foundation for improving health even if you CAN drive to the hospital.
Sponsors
Resources
Today, I am joined by Kerry Brown from Strong Roots Resources to talk through the new approach we are taking with the LFTN food forest and how he is using mother nature to progress the system through to maturity one season at a time. Tapping into what we know about the soil and conditions here, native plants, what the people in our community want to eat, and working toward a system that does not require many hours to maintain. When you work with nature, you develop systems that you can help along rather than battle with constantly.
Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com
Sponsor 2: StrongRootsResources.com
Featured Event: March 7 Combat Midwife Training
Today, I am joined by The Tactical Redneck to discuss updates from the Holler Homestead: Rabbits, Domestic Day, Helpers and more!
Featured Event: PickTN Products Conference - Jan 15-17. Holler Roast featured Jan 15 in the morning. Homestead Panel at lunch on Jan 16.
Come support small food!
https://www.picktnconference.com/
Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com
Sponsor 2: The Wealthsteading Podcast: InvestableWealth.com
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Let's Get Ready For 2026
Today we discuss how to apply the SWOT method to your own life plan, cover our usual Monday segments on pantry management and financial progress, and cover a question from a listener about erosion.