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Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce

Homesteading, food, freedom and fun!
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Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce
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Now displaying: Category: Homesteading
Mar 15, 2024

Today we talk about things catching on fire that should not be on fire, a surprise home invasion, a rabbit update, and more!

Featured Event: Seed Exchange and Potluck, Tomorrow 1-3pm

Sponsor 1: Senior Chief Electric: https://bit.ly/3MKKbuu 

Sponsor 2: SRF Webinar: https://selfreliancefestival.com/webinar/

Listener Feedback

Just listened to your podcast talking about your troubles with the dishwasher and oven. Don’t have any words of wisdom for the dishwasher, but the oven, if the igniter is glowing and the gas is not coming on, the issue still could be with the igniter. If it’s glowing more of a red orange then a white orange, it might be cracked or just not getting hot enough for the controller to bring on the gas. I don’t know if there’s a way to diagnose it other than just by the color or replacing it, but had that issue a number of years ago on my parents oven and replacing the igniter fixed it.

Hope that can be of help,

Andy

From D

I am listening to a rather new episode. 

So this is my pantry porn, it is sooooo bad. You know those Crates for traveling with cats on a plane? Well, when you unscrew them each half takes about 12 mason jars. And they fit under the couch. Lovely. I use screw top bottles - I am not in the States to use the lovely Ball jars, but am able to safely and efficiently pressure can with a canner I had to order in! 

These jars are a pint or a pint and a bit (720gr-ish).

The other photo is about managing stock. It is not 100% effective but does work. 

I got a template from somewhere and adapted it for us. The table has lines for the items, like tomato or cucumber or meat or whatever, and little empty jars. 

When I canned something it gets one line through. When it has been used, a cross. 

So this is my inventory (spelling?!) for what my husband and I use in a year (I started it in July last year, so I recorded what I still had. This year will be my second season using a pressure canner, so the volumes I can do at a time is already much higher than a silly 4 jars at a time in my small stock pot... Whoo hoo. 

Hope this may be useful. The pictures are horrible, like good pantry porn should be. 

 

Forage

  • Wild Mustard Flowers are here!
  • Watercress is still beat back from the flooding
  • Same early spring greens as last week

Livestock

  • Rabbit ear mite update
  • 3 am home invasion
  • Moving sheep
  • Still on lamb watch
  • Eggapalooza is on
  • Something’s on fire

Grow

  • Seeds germinated!
  • Still need to plant potatoes
  • Swiss chard and parsley
  • Murdering fire ants

 

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Big boost from the Eversoles
  • Reupping the monthly homesteader meetups

Infrastructure

  • Fencing

Finances

  • No update

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

 

Mar 13, 2024

Episode 880: Build Your Future with The Canny Couple

Join me at 2pm CT for a live interview with the Canny Couple. We will talk about their move into building a life they want to live on their terms, freedom, homesteading and more!y to it all.

Featured Event: March 17-21, 2024, Self Reliance Voices: Lessons from Legends
https://selfreliancefestival.com/webinar/?aff=nicolesauce

Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com
Sponsor 2: HollerRoast.com

Show Resources
About Aaron and Julia
We are a small homestead family that has been slowly building our homestead for many years, merging homesteading and frugality. We work everyday on being more self-reliant on a budget. We have officially became 100% debt free, which has lead to some amazing changes for our homestead.

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/thecannycouple

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRspWFevoyYcUuEsr9Mjgvg?sub_confirmation=1

TikTok - http://tiktok.com/@thecannycouple?lang=en

Podcast - https://fountain.fm/show/aW3kvtrG84EW2iluwcmQ

Make it a great week

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.

Community
Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b

 

Mar 8, 2024

Today we talk about fencing decisions, the training center, a seed exchange next week and more with the Tactical Redneck.

Featured Event: March 16 seed exchange and potluck: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/seed-exchange-and-potluck/ 

Sponsor 1: https://bit.ly/3MBBELx, Coupon Code LFTN

Sponsor 2: Harvest Right Freeze Dryers: https://affiliates.harvestright.com/1095.html 

Forage

  • Lots of chickweed and deadnettle
  • Watercress has been wiped out by flooding (But it will be back)
  • Dandelion flower and greens (Bitterness)
  • Plantain is up
  • Violet greens (A word on stems)

Livestock

  • Rabbit ear mites and ivermectin
  • Baby lambs are due so we keep expecting to see some
  • Duck coop daily hoe
  • 1 dozen chicken eggs for sale - just one 
  • Eggs are back at enough volume for T’s second dinner
  • Sheep look skinnier than we would like - increased their pellet
  • Goats looking for a new home

Grow

  • Seedlings are in
  • 15 minute homestead: Microswale 1 is fully prepped for mulch application and half way mulched
  • Round 2 of seedlings will happen this weekend/early next week
  • Longevity Spinach is putting off shoots for planting

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Steve helping with the ac foundation
  • Shooting day and holler neighbor dinner

Infrastructure

  • Pond fencing
  • AC Foundation
  • Rabbit coop

Finances

  • We finally have eggs for sale which means I need to make a sign
  • Time to launch to processing class

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

 

Mar 5, 2024

Join me for a group discussion with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and Jack Spirko about building the life you choose, current events, building a durable life, community development, business, getting started, health and more. 

Each Tuesday, we welcome a different guest to tell their story, as well as take your questions live. 

Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsors:

Show Resources

TheSurvivalPodcast.com

Special Operations Equipment

Living Free in Tennessee

NicoleSauce.com

HollerRoast.com 

Main content of the sho

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Mar 5, 2024

Today we talk about how to prepare for, plant and cultivate garlic because a listener sent a note in saying that she had struggled with this. We will also cover our usual Monday segments. And I have something to say about disappointing people and the word no.

Featured Event: March 16 Seed Exchange and Potluck, 1pm-3pm, FREE, https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/seed-exchange-and-potluck/ 

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/webinar

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

LFTN Live on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@lftn/streams

🎙️ Monday, 2pm, How to Plant and Cultivate Garlic

🎙️ Tuesday, 9:30am, First Tuesday Coffee Chat with Jack Spirko, The Survival Podcast, and John Willis, Special Operations Equipment

🎙️ Wednesday, 2:00pm, Interview with Jessica Kraft

🎙️ Thursday, 7:00pm, SRF Live

🎙️ Friday, 9:30am CT: Homestead Happenings with the Tactical Redneck

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

  • Ky Sustainable Living Expo Presentation: Power Pantry Method
  • Phases of homestead pantry management: Beginning | Intermediate | Advanced | Pro
  • Curing Pork Bellies into bacon - see videos
  • Basturma update
  • Freezer Update

Weekly Shopping Report 2/26

We took our usual trip on Saturday, skipping Home Depot again. We really need our Santa Fe back from the shop to carry large or long loads, like 8' wood, 10' PVC, or a half dozen bags of garden soil in addition to our groceries.

The Dollar Tree drink coolers were in much better shape. Will they stay that way? Cue the theme from Jeopardy; they have not been consistent. Other aisles looked good; Sonia found a couple of minor things in there, the typical craft stuff or organizing accessories.

Although we did not go in, the online price of a 2x4x8 at Home Depot is still $3.38.

Aldi has larger crowds than previously, but still not too bad. There was plenty of Masaca, and more of the chocolate I like than I've been seeing. Staple prices were: eggs: $2.78; whole milk: $2.93; heavy cream: $5.19 (+50c); OJ: $3.29; butter: $3.69; bacon: $4.25; potatoes: $3.99; sugar: $3.09; flour: $2.29; and 80% lean ground beef: $3.99. The egg price is correct; same as last week, a full dollar higher than the week before.

Untainted regular gasoline is still $3.699/gallon.

Frugality Tip from Justin

I don't normally think of it in saving money, more about using it all up. Which ends up being very similar in the end.

This tip is for the bars of soap some people use for the shower or at the sink. When the little piece is getting so slim it is getting hard to hold on to it, I don't throw them away.

I use the technique of scoring from pottery to attach the little piece to a new bar of soap. It will stay there and wear down completely without breaking off and being wasted if done properly.

I get both the new bar and the small sliver nice and wet and soapy (perhaps use them in the shower). Then I use a comb to put scratch marks in both pieces where they will press together. Anything hard and pointy enough to make marks in the soap will probably work for this.

Next I press them together very firmly. I try to use my palms to press them together with no gaps. I also try to not let them slide around at this point, I want them to start welding together. After they have bonded a bit, I will add some more score marks around the seams of the two pieces. 

Once the pieces have been scored and pressed together I set them down on the soap dish to dry. The next day they are bonded as if they were made that way at the factory and the different colored piece of the last bar will simply wear down until nothing remains but the new bar. And the new bar will be welded onto the next ad infinitum.

Community Highlight: 

What to do when you disappoint people.

Sunshine Prepper

https://www.youtube.com/@SunshinePrepperTN 

Operation Independence: Let things go when you need to

Rams and goats oh my.

Main topic of the Show: Planting and Cultivating Garlic

Why we are doing this

How to choose your garlic: Hardneck vs soft neck

Sourcing Seed Garlic: Baker’s Creek, Seed Savers, RareSeeds

Example: https://www.rareseeds.com/garlic-music-1-2-lb

  • Seed versus bulbs

Preparing your planting area

When to plant

Mulching practices

Watering needs

When Are they Ready to harvest?

Processing Garlic After Harvest

Storing fresh garlic

Other ways to store garlic

Choosing garlic for replanting

A garlic business idea

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Mar 1, 2024

Today we talk about changing our approach to sheep, mindset in assessing homestead finances, egg influx, the power of community and more.

Featured event: Last change for early bird pricing: https://selfreliancefestival.com/?aff=nicolesauce 

Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com

Sponsor 2: Mastersingers of Cookeville Unity in the Community Concert Sunday at 3pm, https://mastersingersinc.com/product/unity-in-the-community-viii/ 

Forage

  • Stinging nettle
  • Dandelion
  • No mushrooms this week but morel season is upon us

Livestock

  • The priority talk
  • The ram decision
  • Catching the baby ram
  • 5 eggs a day on the ducks and 4 a day on the chickens
  • Time to reset the coop

Grow

  • Seedling shelves are in - seedlings are not
  • Peas have not yet germinated
  • Swiss chard is starting to come on
  • IMO week

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Chasing sheep as a neighborhood activity
  • Community connections through MAGS
  • 1 Million Satoshi give Away

Infrastructure

  • Fence Posts and Fencing
  • Pond fencing
  • Failed dishwasher and repairing vs replacing

Finances

  • Currently measuring in terms of not needing to buy food rather than generation profit

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

 

Feb 26, 2024

Today we talk about what you can do now to get your garden beds ready for spring planting, even though you procrastinated til late winter on setting them up. We will also cover Tales From The Prepper Pantry, The Weekly Shopping Report, A Frugality Tip, Operation Independence.

From the Weekly Mail. Livestream Schedule https://www.youtube.com/@lftn/streams

🎙️ Monday, 2pm, Late Winter Garden Preparation

🎙️ Tuesday, 12:30pm, Tuesday Live with Wazoo Gear Company, and John Willis, Special Operations Equipment

🎙️ Wednesday, 2:00pm, Accelerator for Ken Eash!

🎙️ Thursday, 7:00pm, Three Sisters Live

🎙️ Friday, 9:30am CT: Homestead Happenings with the Tactical Redneck

Featured Event: Early Bird Is Almost Over for The Self Reliance Festival! SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com

Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/Webinar

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

  • Fresh sprouts in four or five days 
  • Refining what I store since the dietary needs have changed in the household
  • Planning the garden for 2024
  • Seed Starts
  • Investigating the ability to update the prepper pantry (Not sure if we CAN hang melamine)
  • Basturma

Weekly Shopping Report from Joe

Dollar Tree was first. Some of the drink coolers are again completely empty. I think they may still just be trying to assemble their defecation in there, because there are plenty of drinks on shelves. The food coolers are well-stocked, and other aisles look to be in good shape too. Don't overlook Dollar Tree for cleaning supplies; that area has always been well-stocked. They have a lot of the Awesome branded products, which we really like. Lysol, Ajax, and other name brands are all represented in this section. A buck and a quarter (plus extortion) beats the tar out of typical grocery store prices on these products.

Although we did not go into Home Depot, the online price of a 2x4x8 has gone up, to $3.38, a 13-cent increase.Aldi has had slightly larger crowds the past few weeks. Other than the hiatus with the Masa, they have not had difficulty maintaining stock, and we found everything we wanted. Staple prices were: eggs: $2.78 (+); whole milk: $2.93; heavy cream: $4.69; OJ: $3.29; butter: $3.69; bacon: $4.25; potatoes: $3.99; sugar: $3.09; flour: $2.29; and 80% lean ground beef: $3.99 (+). That egg price is a full dollar higher; if not hand-written, I'd think it was a typo. We didn't buy eggs this week, so I can't confirm on our receipt. Although I had heard egg prices might be going higher again, I'll keep an eye on this one, as that's a huge jump.

Untainted regular gasoline was $3.699/gallon last week. That's slightly higher, but could also be a station difference.

Frugality Tip from Margo with an oCool weather, means outside projects. For me one was a painting project. I did some house touch up, and I painted the driveway. My frugality tip is NEVER buy the Cheapest paint roller.  Save yourself paint and energy expended by buying a good roller!!! Ask me how I know. 

Operation Independence

  • Making an egg for sale sign this weekend to FINALLY start the egg business after almost a year of getting ready, starting with the building of the Holler Roost.
  • Sheep Math

Main topic of the Show:  Late Winter Garden bed Preparation

Intentions can help us move toward our best goals and build the life we want to live, rather than continuing to live a life that was developed for us, by someone else. We talk about this a bunch here because the systems in our society increasingly lead toward a life lived in service to the system rather than to ourselves and our chosen communities.

It can be so hard to get people who have been programmed by the system to see the system as the only option on how to break out. Yet when the system fails people, they get scared and start looking for options. And when they start looking for options, if we can be mentors and connectors, a small percentage of those looking for a better life will start to make the changes it takes to get here.

Many of you have heard my story of transitioning from a socialist leaning toward communist to libertarian overnight. <Tell the story>

And that change seems like it just happened and I became the Nicole Sauce you know today, but that is not at all how it happened. I still had habits and programming to bust through. Heck, despite being a thought leader in the world of agorism, I still find programming that I MUST deprogram.

But the Intention to move myself toward true freedom and opt out of the system as much as I can is how I have moved from an urban chick completely unprepared to take care of myself through anything, to a prepared, badd-assed homesteader not afraid to share failures alongside successes because the INSTAGRAM homesteading community often only shows the good side of homesteading and, gorsdurnit, homesteading is heartbreaking, hard, messy, gross and one fo the most rewarding parts of the life I have built for myself.

What does all this have to do with garden prep you ask?

Well, I HAD intentions to get my garden beds put away for the fall, but what really happened is I spoke at a bunch of events and handled a major repair to my home. And it is time for spring planting in Tennessee though we are not in spring for another 3 weeks.

So today I talk about getting your garden ready for spring planting.

Never had a garden there before:

  1. Til vs no til
  2. Raised bed vs in ground
  3. Sod removal
  4. Solarizing or smothering
  5. The role of mulch
  6. What I would do if faced with a grass bed in late February north vs south

Existing garden

  1. Cover crop vs no cover crop over the winter
  2. What you could have done with tarps or cardboard but you did not do
  3. Germination and mulch
  4. Planning what you will plant with your current reality
  5. What I would do now to get ready for spring planting
  6. Biochar, IMF, Lactobacillus, fungi from the woods, synthetic fertilizers, etc

Stephen Raisner: https://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/naturalframing-ai

All in all it is not too late to get your beds ready but you will not do as well as you would have done. However, you can make a HUGE difference this year by simply making some IMF, which you still have time to do, for example. And if you do a bit each weekend between now and planting, you should be in good shape anyway.

So get out there and grow some food guys!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Feb 23, 2024

Today we talk about rabbit poos systems, a sheep hay sled, more on electric fences, building community and more.

Featured Event:

LFTN Events Calendar: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/events/

Self Reliance Through Permaculture: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/self-reliance-through-permaculture/

Marc 2 in Crossville, $25

Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com

Sponsor 2: SelfRelianceFestival.com

Listener Feedback

I GOT STARTED! 

I've been a listener for a couple years now and between you and Tim I finally started a business.  Still getting things moving but I used Joshua at getahostnow and he was great at getting me off the ground with a website (still building it now).  Thank you for being an inspiration for those that want to be free! Jesse

Tattooing Rabbits

You probably know this already, but I thought I would share my experience tattooing rabbits.

If you can get tattoo paste (black is best, in my opinion) that works so much better than other options So here is what did: 

-clean left ear

-use a towel over the head (to prevent bites/scratches)...a lot easier with two people..but otherwise, hold in your arm with rabbit head in your elbow

-Clamp

-wipe any blood

-smear and press tattoo paste into the holes 

-wipe off excess with a slightly damp cloth, check to make sure color in every hole

With characters-we would put the number of the year as last character (so 2024, 4 at the end), and first digit of which doe it came from (so, doe "Aphrodite," all her descendents started with A) 

And I'd HIGHLY recommend starting pedigree so you can avoid too much incest . The does will become too dumb to take care of babies, or become vicious, or do other dumb things. 

Hope this helps! Also, did you get my email about recirc pump to help with frozen pipes in your house? 

Take care, Kelsey

Parallel fence and power lines especially can interfere with your circuit.

https://hackaday.com/2024/01/27/harvesting-electricity-from-high-voltage-transmission-lines-using-fences/

It might be possible, in an Edge Case situation like that, that the grounding rods and salt could combine to form cupric oxide diodes around the ground rods, which will rectify the voltage into the ground (passing DC voltage in one direction and passing it in the other).

Disclaimer: I am not an electrical engineer. I'm a liberal arts grad and math is a distant second language.

Sorry about the sheep. That is rough. Something to "look forward to" (not) at the time we get animals on our place. Best, packradt packradt

Forage

  • Dandelion
  • Chick weed
  • Dead nettle
  • Wild garlic

Livestock

  • No lambs yet - technically due March 1-20
  • Duck jail
  • Duck litter process - do the work of the chickens
  • Duck feeder update
  • LGDs prefer chicken over rabbit but rabbits are easier to raise
  • Wing clipping
  • Laying in the listeria contaminated place

Grow

  • Peas are in
  • Beds are in
  • More wood chips needed
  • ¾ of food forest is pruned
  • Want a wood chipper
  • Seedlings not started but seeds chosen
  • Time to re-up the AP system

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Seeking homestead sitter
  • Getting a homestead intern in April
  • Homestead Alliance Meeting Second Sat in March: potluck and seed exchange 1pm-3pm

Infrastructure

  • Rabbitery update
  • Sheep Hay sled
  • Solar update

Finances

  • Eggs should be for sale shortly, rabbit poop idea

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

 

Feb 16, 2024

Today we talk about tragedy on the Homestead, the return of eggs, two people projects and more with theTactical Redneck.

Featured Event: Kentucky Sustainable Living Expo

Sponsor 1: Agorist Tax Advice- FREE webinar! AgoristTaxAdvice.com/Webinar 

Sponsor 2: Freesteading.com

THE LIST

Forage

  • Dead nettle
  • Wild garlic is up
  • Stinging nettle

Livestock

  • Listeria Problem and what we learned
  • Rabbit Mistake
  • Rooster Reduction
  • Duck Feeder
  • EGGS!
  • Lambing should happen in the next 4 weeks
  • Time to process Cloudy

Grow

  • Half the trees trimmed
  • Fertility on the swales
  • Wood Chip Mecca
  • Still have not done seedlings

Harvest meals

  • Crockpot lamb ribs

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Tuesday Crepe Day
  • Neighborhood response to sick sheep

Infrastructure

  • Fence update
  • Rabbitery

Finances

  • Losing a ram hurts both the heart and the pocketbook

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

 

Feb 15, 2024

Today I am joined by John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and Sonny Puzikas from the Gospel of Violence Podcast to talk about what societal collapse AND RECOVERY looks like. Because most who frame these topics have never been through one, but Sonny has.

Each Tuesday, we welcome a different guest to tell their story, as well as take your questions live. 

Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsors:

Show Resources

SonnyPuzikas.com

Special Operations Equipment

Living Free in Tennessee

NicoleSauce.com

HollerRoast.com 

Main content of the show

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Feb 14, 2024

Today I am joined by Jonathan Kitzen, https://waterplantir.com/, to talk about water treatment and septic systems

Featured Event: Webinar Tomorrow at 2pm with Sue Zoldak, https://nicolesauce.podia.com/view/courses/marketing-for-success-q-a 

Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast: 

Sponsor 2: EMP Shield, Coupon Code LFTN

Show Resources

https://waterplantir.com/ 

https://www.demizinetechnology.com/projects-2 

Main content of the show

Jonathan is a serial entrepreneur having started more than 10 companies in nearly 3 decades that have focused on manufacturing, hardware, visual sciences, entertainment and commercial real estate. He has run companies in the USA, Canada, UK, Russian Federation, Dominica, Colombia. His past achievements include developing a digital 3D camera system which won the prestigious Mario Prize at the National Association of Broadcasters convention, founder of MKA Inc the only company making a profit manufacturing in the FSU according to the US state department in the early 1990’s, Founder of BHW of the UK (2002) which was early on sustainability and forestry, and has worked as professional cat herder trying to get engineers to do various tricks for over 30 years.

Jonathan is a big promoter of the decentralized movement - that more smaller redundant and local systems create more robust and sustainable response to climate change. He guided Demizine into the alternative housing market: mobile, emergency, rapid living solutions. He recognized that the market is bottle necked on the need for water and septic solutions. A house without running water and septic is a glorified tent – and formed WUB to change the way we think about and deal with water and septic.

His creative work includes multiple IMAX films, Co-Producing the academy award winning Lady in Number 6, co-author of an upcoming novel with Phillip K. Dick (Blade Runner) and Ron Schusett (Alien)

Interview

Make it a great week

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Feb 12, 2024

Today, we talk about starting your garden plants from seed. We will take this from a beginners perspective and sprinkle in "Innovations" for those of you who are old hands at it. We will also cover our usual Monday Segments: Tales From the Prepper Pantry, Weekly Shopping Report from Joe, Frugality Tip, Operation Independence.

Featured Event: Feb 25 RV Solar Installation Workshop, $50, Westmoorland, TN, https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/rv-solar-install-workshop/ 

Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com

Sponsor 2: HollerRoast.com

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

  • Mason Jar Storage Challenges
  • Refining the apothecary
  • All The Meat
  • Fat Tuesday Crepes
  • THE EGG

Weekly Shopping Report

Frugality Tip from Red Fyer Media (Rebecca)

For your DIY Construction projects

Get free lumber, hardware, plumbing PEX, Electrical supplies & even tools! 

Building contractors, especially smaller ones who build 1-5 houses at a time, have to pay clean up crews to haul off the excess lumber & they rent the dumpsters & sometimes have to pay extra by weight & to be emptied.

If you see a house is being built, stop by and talk to the contractor about dumpster diving or collecting left overs. They will usually say ok, as long as you promise to go by after the crew is done for the day and they also want you to guarantee you are not going to sue them if you hurt yourself.  

Every contractor I have talked to is THANKFUL that I am taking stuff away and they don't have to pay to haul off. 

Here''s a short list of what I have gotten for free that way:

1/2 pex - appx 150 ft because crews don't like to mess with the last 20-30 ft of the roll stuck in the plastic.

3 strand wire (at least 150' from 4 different houses. They are short runs, maybe 2' - 7', but most DIY homestead projects use a lot of short runs and a few long ones.  Super heavy duty wire like for 220 - enough for any DIY project.

Lumber! 2x4s, 2x6, 2x8, trim pieces for both indoor and outdoor - most NEW lumber that was extra at the end of a house build. Right now I have 20 20' 1x4 cedar boards that were left overs for ONE house.

Other items:

Insulation, pipe insulation.

Door hardware, cabinet hardware, plumbing hardware, electrical boxes (like on power poles) All NEW!

Operation Independence

  • Thoughts on building yourself and your health into your schedule

Main topic of the Show: Starting Seeds for Beginners

First: Why try?

  • Cheaper than buying them (But be prepared to buy plants)
  • Increases self reliance - if you can start the seedlings, you can save the seeds and be relatively confident that you will be able to use them
  • It’s fun

Next: What can go wrong

  • You might fail and not end up growing exactly what you want that year
  • Pests can wipe them out
  • You spend tons of money on equipment and fail and walk away - so dont do that

About failure:

  • Failure happens - prepare for it
  • Have a backup plan

<Story: extra tomatoes and holey hoses>

Things to cover

Seeds: Heirloom, vs hybrid and its all okay

What to grow via seedlings: Tomatoes, peppers, kale, swiss chard, broccoli, lettuce, loofahs

  1. Squashes and cucumbers less good but ok
  2. Dont do peas, beans, carrots and other root veggies

1) Light, light, light. Generally a window isn't going to have strong enough light. By far, this is most common pitfall.

Burrina Grow Lights - https://www.amazon.com/Barrina-Spectrum-Daylight-Equivalent-Greenhouse/dp/B0B3CM9FYK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1CVUC8DV4MO08&keywords=burrina%2Bgrow%2Blight%2Bbar&qid=1707764491&sprefix=barrina%2Bgrow%2Blight%2Bba%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

$59-89

Lighting - and what to do if you dont have any

  1. Proper, full spectrum lighting uncomfortably close to the plants for 12-16 hours
  2. Go for it anyway and be prepared for leggy plants

2) Soil temperature. Too low, and you'll have bad germination rates and weak seedlings. 

Heating source - and what to do if you dont have any

  1. The mats
  2. Stability
  3. My greenhouse story and why we germinate indoors
  4. Top of the fridge or other warm corner

Seedling mats

https://www.amazon.com/BN-LINK-Durable-Seedling-Hydroponic-Waterproof/dp/B08BTFNTG4/ref=sr_1_6?crid=34WCO0YTLETWX&keywords=seedling%2Bmats&qid=1707764562&sprefix=seedling%2Bmat%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-6&th=1

$13

3) Consistent moisture, not overwatering. Dampening off and failure to thrive despite good lighting is generally due to overwatering.

Watertable method - redneck style

Plant tray:

https://www.amazon.com/Gardeners-Supply-Company-Planting-Large/dp/B07K5R8XN2/ref=sxin_14_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.92181fe7-c843-4c1b-b489-84c087a93895%3Aamzn1.sym.92181fe7-c843-4c1b-b489-84c087a93895&crid=UYTCVJM82FZP&cv_ct_cx=plant+tray&keywords=plant+tray&pd_rd_i=B07K5R8XN2&pd_rd_r=c560ef49-5e79-4c2a-abb8-04c469e3edab&pd_rd_w=EX36k&pd_rd_wg=dQrqP&pf_rd_p=92181fe7-c843-4c1b-b489-84c087a93895&pf_rd_r=GG1K073F254115Q2C4C1&qid=1707764631&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=plant+tray%2Caps%2C141&sr=1-3-364cf978-ce2a-480a-9bb0-bdb96faa0f61-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

Pots

https://www.amazon.com/Seedling-Starter-Trays-720-Cells/dp/B00BRQ3QWK/ref=sr_1_2?crid=VW5BPVA8IT30&keywords=dmarketline+Seedling+Starter+Trays+120+Trays%3B+6-Cells+Per+Tray+Plus+5+Plant+Labels&qid=1707764966&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=dmarketline+seedling+starter+trays+120+trays+6-cells+per+tray+plus+5+plant+labels%2Clawngarden%2C167&sr=1-2 

Trays

  1. Deep pots (3-4 inches)
  2. Start either directly in pots or in germinating trays and how to do each
  3. Cups work and are cheap
  4. A word on watering
  5. A word on the peat pucks - they can work
  6. A word on peat pots - they suck balls

4) Potting mix. Find one you get good results with and stick to it. You want good moisture holding capacity but also a light enough texture that pricking out and potting up is easy.

Potting Mix

Soil mix

  1. Dont make your own soil - and a hack here
  2. Buy a good one from the store - miracle grow makes one, walmart has an organic one - get the stuff made for seedlings or get potting soil that is “small” and not filled with barkdust.
  3. Don’t make your own soil, dont make your own soil, dont make your own soil
    1. Unless your working with mike vertrees or otherwise ensuring success through testing dont make your own soil
  4. Next year, feel free to try your own soil but even then go halvsies on it to test before your commit
  5. Know that story I told you about the failed tomatoes - she made her own soil!

Some first year advice: choose 1 or 2 things and just try them out. And dont be sad if you end up buying seedlings - try again next year. It will work at some point.

Borrow from a friend

Visit nurseries for their extras - we ended up with 100 tray carrier things that way.

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Feb 11, 2024

Today, we talk about electrical fencing woes, escaping sheep, egg issues and more with the Tactical Redneck.

Featured Event: Wild Foraging Class April 8, 2024 with Kerry Brown. https://selfreliancefestival.com/product/wild/ 

Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com

Sponsor 2: Freesteading.com

Fence Charger Woes - Is it the battery?

Forage

  • Early spring flowers are starting to grow (Tulips and daffodils)
  • Pasture is coming back
  • Watercress is still recovering from the deep freeze
  • Trees have buds

Livestock

  • Process Rabbits
  • Still need to process roosters
  • Duck Drama
  • Egg issues - we think they are hiding eggs
  • Sheep Escape
  • Signs on pregnancy in the sheep

Grow

  • Winter pollarding is done
  • There is so much to do before spring

Homegrown Meals

  • Ground Pork and Grandpa Darby’s Breakfast Sausage
  • Hiding chicken in green curry

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Getting the door installed neighbor style
  • Helped a local friend with roof related projects

Infrastructure

  • Solar upgrade
  • Glamper Planning
  • Workshop Redo Planning
  • New Front Door

Finances

  • Need the eggs to start happening

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

 

Feb 6, 2024

Join me for a group discussion with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and members of our community and beyond about building the life you choose, current events, building a durable life, community development, business, getting started, health and more. 

Each Tuesday, we welcome a different guest to tell their story, as well as take your questions live. 

Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsors:

Show Resources

Special Operations Equipment

Living Free in Tennessee

TheSurvivalPodcast.com

NicoleSauce.com

HollerRoast.com 

Main content of the show

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

Feb 2, 2024

Today I am joined by Tactical to talk about priority schizophrenia on the homestead, electrical fences, preparing for spring planting and more.

 

Featured Event: Kentucky Sustainable Living Expo: KentuckySustainableLiving.com

 

Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast, InvestableWealth.com

Sponsor 2: HollerRoast.com

 

Forage

  • Dandelion is already up 

  • Firewood update

  • Grass Update (Was looking for wild onions)

 

Livestock

  • We Need Good Hay - And it is out fault

  • Eggs are slow - may adjust feed because they really should all be laying

  • Coop management is not working 

  • Rooster slaughter is upon us

  • Time to process bunnies and breed the does

  • Retraining sheep, failing fence chargers, etc

 

Grow

  • Final day of the pantry challenge: Swiss chard

  • Time to plant peas

  • Pollarding and trimming

 

February on the Homestead: Bed preparations, Pruning, Seedlings, Operations Eyesore

 

Homestead Meals

  • Reverse searing Lambchops

 

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • The Car Schedule

 

Infrastructure

  • Fence Charger Story

  • Spare parts are great - KH was bailed out by the collection (So how do you balance that with clutter problems?)

 

Finances

  • In the midsts of a deep dive with Agorist Tax Advice and may need to make some tough decisions

  • Scheduling Chicken P

 

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

Jan 31, 2024

Join me today at 2pm Central for a discussion with Brian from The Lots Project. We will discuss the Amazon Influencer's Program and its potential role in your content creation project.

Featured Event: Fight Like a Girl with Sonny Puzika: https://selfreliancefestival.com/prod...

Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com

Sponsor 2: FreeSteading.com

Show Resources

The Lots Project

Brian's Amazon Storefront

https://amazon.com/shop/thelotsproject

Playlist of Brian's Amazon Influencer Program Videos

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhVhFByPLDZnqD7XQ82fTu2yAo6xQoK_e

Main content of the show

Make it a great week

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Jan 30, 2024

Tuesday Live With John Willis, Nicole Sauce and Agorist Tax Advice.

Join me for a group discussion with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and members of our community and beyond about building the life you choose, current events, building a durable life, community development, business, getting started, health and more. 

Each Tuesday, we welcome a different guest to tell their story, as well as take your questions live. 

Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsors:

Show Resources

Special Operations Equipment

Living Free in Tennessee

NicoleSauce.com

HollerRoast.com 

AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Main content of the show

 

Make it a great week!

 

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

 

Community

Resources

Jan 26, 2024

Join us at 9:30m Central for a live discussion of managing the homestead alone, mud season, life without the grocery store, seed starting and more.

Featured Event: Sequatchie School Trapping Class, $125

Date: February 24, 2024

Location: Spencer, TN

Sign up: sequatchieschool@gmail.com

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Careful what you pray for - Snow turns to rain turns to mud city

Update on the truck key situation

Freezer Probe Problems - 

Guest form is off until April 1, 2024

Forage

  • AP update: Plants lived and it did not freeze with a stock tank heater so we have watercress and swiss chard
  • Brussels sprouts is still alive
  • Rosemary is still alive
  • Good time to trim the fodder trees

Livestock

  • Rabbit poop problem
  • Coop Cleanout Problem
  • Miles keeps getting out - wherever there is no electric fence - floppy fence problem
  • Need hay
  • Know your animals
  • No eggs - cold 

Grow

  • Time to start brassicas, peppers, lettuce
  • Round 1 of pea seeding
  • Indoor peppers are still alive
  • Longevity spinach 

Homestead Meals

  • Hamburger pizza
  • Eating while NIcole is Away - an update

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Mini Split Installation
  • 3 Seats left for the LFTN Spring Workshop

Infrastructure

  • Operation eyesore next 2 weeks
  • Overall freeze resilience feedback

Finances

  • No trips to the store yet
  • Firewood vs electricity for heat

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

Jan 19, 2024

Tickets go on sale tomorrow and here is who got added to the speaker lineup

Sponsor 1: Discount Mylar Bags

Sponsor 2: Permies.com

Maine is colder but this sucks more because it is rare here.

Forage

  • You CAN dig down…

Livestock

  • Missing Dog In the Snow
  • Watering the chickens
  • Sheep are grazing through the snow today
  • Ducks in the pond

Grow

  • Longevity spinach and sweet potato slips

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Game night tonight
  • Using KH’s Internet

Infrastructure

  • Frozen cabin pipes (Het guns are awesome)
  • The Mud Room
  • Panic mode - rabbit waterer - still had water
  • AP update: we dropped to -4 and here is what happened
  • What it was like heating with wood in the holler 
  • Firewood for a week for this is great - and what that means you should always have it

Finances

  • Eating electricity because I took apart the rocket mass heater - needs to be redone

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

Jan 12, 2024

Today we talk about winter, Tactical’s thumb, sheep infrastructure, managing woon on the homestead and more.

DiscountMylarBags.com

LiveFree.Academy - Free Webinar on Saturday - $57

Update on Tactical’s Thumb

Morning meeting - Morning routine got disrupted, now what

Forage

  • Dandelion greens
  • Watercress

Livestock

  • Adjusted where sheep are being moved because of weather
  • New Sheep water
  • New routine for ducks delayed til after the freeze
  • Roosters need to go - causing problems
  • Bobcat Gun and other measures we are taking

Homestead meals

  • Rabbit in the roemertopf (Based on how it was processed), the creamcheese hack
  • Best salad ever from outside

Grow

  • No kill list - freeze preparations
  • Radish and arugula harvest  
  • Covering the AP before the freeze (Swiss chard)

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Thanks to the eversoled for leaf mulch

Infrastructure

  • Rushing to do all the freeze stuff like the pump house
  • Basecamp drain project - still need soil
  • Wood, woodstove, and the deep freeze (The new chimney)
  • New Rabbit hutch pine tar work is done

Finances

  • Matthew’s Segment
  • Flubbed up the one card for all Farm stuff gam

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

Jan 5, 2024

Today, we talk about midwinter on the homestead, a new segment on homestead planning 101, lots of drama in the Holler, the new financial tracking system with Tactical Redneck and Nicole Sauce.

Featured Event: Self Reliance Festival April 6-7 in Camden, Tennessee

Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com

Sponsor 2: HollerRoast.com

Mild Winter

Homestead Planning 101 - The 15 Minute Homestead

Tagline: Small Steps and Doing Less Give You More On Your Homestead

  • Why: Dealing With the VA On Your Worst Day
  • Morning Dinner = Success
  • Rabbit Watering System, Why We Did It - What We did

Forage

  • Roots
  • Stinging Nettle

Livestock

  • Taking Care of Livestock in Winter
  • Eggs Are Coming Back From Chickens
  • Sheep Jailbreak incited by deer
  • Predator in the Woods

Homegrown Cooking

  • Beef Roasts in The Crockpot
  • Woodstove Cooking Season
  • Beef Bone Broth

Grow

  • Indoor Pepper Cuttings
  • Still Have Not Planted Garlic - priorities

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Mulched Leaves
  • Almost a Fire (Fires Safety)
  • Firewood and Repairs While At The Emergency Room/Injured
  • Bowling and Fun

Finances

  • New Year, New System

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

Dec 30, 2023

It is the last week of the year and I am home, tucked into my end of year regeneration project. My goal for myself is to set a foundation in the home for a fantastic 2024. To motivate myself, I set of a five day series of motivational episodes.

Today, we hear from me right after my grandma died recapping the year and choosing to follow my dreams.

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

Dec 15, 2023

Today we talk about projects on the homestead, sheep, coyotes, squirrels, homegrown meals and more.

Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast (InvestableWealth.com)

Sponsor 2: Agorist Tax Advice (AgoristTaxAdvice.vcom/LFTN)

Winter is here — brr

Branding talk

Long term picture is coming together, repairing things all the way

Forage

  • Field Hay
  • Jerusalem Artichoke\
  • Ferns - looking into what kind (Sheep are eating it)
  • Watercress got beaten back

Livestock

  • Duck Jail has finally happened
  • Sheep need minerals - staying in again
  • Sheep eating more than expected which is great for clearing
  • Hawk Stories
  • Rabbits - Poop is adding Up
  • LGDS, Guns, and Coyotes
  • Time to process more roosters

Grow

  • Planning to get the indoor lettuce grow operation going in January
  • Still need to plant garlic

Harvest Meals

  • Taco Salad
  • Easy Pork Loin
  • Workshop Leftover Lamb Stew With Radishes

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Secret Santa
  • Holler Neighbors and DAS PROJECT
  • Squirrel Issue at the Duplex and tapping the network
  • Dan starting a welding/repair business with a friend

Infrastructure

  • Floor Update
  • One more stretch of hard fencing

Finances

  • Cow update likely for the next show
  • Spending $$ on woodworking tools to work on building things from her (Furniture, etc)

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

Dec 8, 2023

Today we talk about meat, meat finances, balancing all the things and the phrase “when we catch up on large projects on the homestead

Sponsor 1: StrongRootsResources.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Forage

  • Same as last week: tubers, roots, and winter hardy things

A word on SOCIAL

Livestock

  • Everyone has stayed in so far, sheep wise with the high volume of field hay
  • Working them through 3-4 times
  • Rabbits are doing well
  • THE HAWK

Grow

  • Confession about garlic

Harvest Meals

  • Lamb stew in the crock pot
  • Chinese and Mexican food harvested from a local restaurant

Holler Neighbors/Community

  • Trying to keep up while doing this project has gotten particularly hard
  • Christmas Concert this weekend

Infrastructure

  • Need a new fence charger and not sure which to get

Finances

  • Whole cow was $1900 (which is $158 a month)

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

Dec 5, 2023

Today we talk about reducing drama in your life, Gen X language and childhoods, The Clown Circus, and energy generation with Jack Spirko and John Willis.

Featured Event: Freedom Cell Event in Medina Ohio: https://www.yorkmeadowfarm.com/medina-freedom-cell-network-december-2023 

Sponsor 1: InvestableWealth.com  

Sponsor 2: HollerRoast.com

Show Resources

Special Operations Equipment

Living Free in Tennessee

The Survival Podcast

Main content of the show

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

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