If you love your after-dinner espresso and your Black or White Russian, try this derivative – made with great coffee, of course. Read more
Featured posts
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!
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
- Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
- Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
- Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
Advisory Board
- The Booze Whisperer
- The Tactical Redneck
- Chef Brett
- Samantha the Savings Ninja
Resources
Direct Download
Today I am joined by John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and Sonny Puzikas from the Gospel of Violence Podcast to talk about what societal collapse AND RECOVERY looks like. Because most who frame these topics have never been through one, but Sonny has.
Each Tuesday, we welcome a different guest to tell their story, as well as take your questions live.
Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com
Sponsors:
- The Self Reliance Festival: SelfRelianceFestival.com
- Homestead Apprentice: HomesteadApprentice.com
Show Resources
Main content of the show
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
- FreeSteading Group: https://freesteading.com/groups/living-free-in-tennessee/
- Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
- Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
- Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
- Twitter: @nicolesauce
- IG: @nicolesauce
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingFreeInTN
Resources
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://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
- Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
- Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
- Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
Advisory Board
- The Booze Whisperer
- The Tactical Redneck
- Chef Brett
- Samantha the Savings Ninja
Resources
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, 2×6, 2×8, 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′ 1×4 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
- Squashes and cucumbers less good but ok
- 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.
Lighting – and what to do if you dont have any
- Proper, full spectrum lighting uncomfortably close to the plants for 12-16 hours
- 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
- The mats
- Stability
- My greenhouse story and why we germinate indoors
- Top of the fridge or other warm corner
Seedling mats
$13
3) Consistent moisture, not overwatering. Dampening off and failure to thrive despite good lighting is generally due to overwatering.
Watertable method – redneck style
Plant tray:
Pots
Trays
- Deep pots (3-4 inches)
- Start either directly in pots or in germinating trays and how to do each
- Cups work and are cheap
- A word on watering
- A word on the peat pucks – they can work
- A word on peat pots – they suck balls
4) Potting mix. Find one you get good results with and stick to it. You want good moisture holding capacity but also a light enough texture that pricking out and potting up is easy.
Potting Mix
Soil mix
- Dont make your own soil – and a hack here
- Buy a good one from the store – miracle grow makes one, walmart has an organic one – get the stuff made for seedlings or get potting soil that is “small” and not filled with barkdust.
- Don’t make your own soil, dont make your own soil, dont make your own soil
- Unless your working with mike vertrees or otherwise ensuring success through testing dont make your own soil
- Next year, feel free to try your own soil but even then go halvsies on it to test before your commit
- Know that story I told you about the failed tomatoes – she made her own soil!
Some first year advice: choose 1 or 2 things and just try them out. And dont be sad if you end up buying seedlings – try again next year. It will work at some point.
Borrow from a friend
Visit nurseries for their extras – we ended up with 100 tray carrier things that way.
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
- Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv
- Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
- Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
- Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
Resources
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
- Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
- Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
- Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
Advisory Board
- The Booze Whisperer
- The Tactical Redneck
- Chef Brett
- Samantha the Savings Ninja
Resources
Nicole Sauce’s grandfather was a cook from the time he served in the military until his death, a span of 70 years or so. For several decades, he owned and did the bulk of the cooking for a nifty small restaurant in a scenic small town not too far from Portland, Oregon. One of his sons, Nicole’s dad, worked during his teen years as a short-order cook at Darby’s and went on to a career in food science.
Let’s celebrate with a breakfast sausage the entire extended family clamored for – well over 100 people during Nicole’s childhood – when relatives joined for meals. This recipe came directly from Darby, makes just a taster’s worth of sausage (so you know he scaled it down for household use), and bears the name he gave it. Read more
Join me for a lively discussion with Julie Wentz about preserving your freedom to choose your health care.
Featured Event: Sequatchie School Trapping Class Feb 24 – Join me there. $125. Email: Sequatchieschool@gmail.com
Sponsors:
- DiscountMylarBags.com
- AgoristTaxAdvice.com
Show Resources
Bio: Julie Wentz is the Founder/Trustee of Freedom Healthcare. Julie has an extensive background in marketing and management in big box retail management, senior living communities and technology start-ups, along with decades of event management. She received her bachelor’s at Oregon State University and spent six months in Vienna Austria at the University of Vienna obtaining her International Business degree. She was a respite Foster Parent for the west valley in Arizona and has recently moved to Tennessee to further expand Freedom Healthcare. The goal is to create the NEW healthcare system for the future of America’s real foundational health. It is time to create the New Standard of Health for humanity.
www.freedom-healthcare.us
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076849533990
Instagram –https://www.instagram.com/frhealthcare/
Gab – https://gab.com/FreedomHealthcareAZ
Truth Social – https://truthsocial.com/FreedomHealthcare
Twitter – https://twitter.com/FreedomHealthAZ
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freedom-healthcare-us/
Telegram: https://telegram.org/FreedomHealthcare
Clout Hub https://clouthub.com/c/przbwbnd @FreedomHealthcare
Main content of the show
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
- FreeSteading Group: https://freesteading.com/groups/living-free-in-tennessee/
- Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
- Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
- Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
- Twitter: @nicolesauce
- IG: @nicolesauce
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingFreeInTN
Resources
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:
- The Self Reliance Festival: SelfRelianceFestival.com
- Homestead Apprentice: HomesteadApprentice.com
Show Resources
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
- FreeSteading Group: https://freesteading.com/groups/living-free-in-tennessee/
- Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
- Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
- Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
- Twitter: @nicolesauce
- IG: @nicolesauce
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingFreeInTN
Resources
Join me at 2pm Central for a live recording of the Monday podcast. Today’s topic is how to stay motivated when you just aren’t feeling it. We will also cover our usual segments: Weekly livestream schedule, Tales From the Prepper Pantry, Weekly Shopping Report, Frugality Tip (if there is one), Operation Independence.
Featured Event: Paul Wheaton’s Permaculture Jamboure, July 1-12, $1850 : https://wheaton-labs.com/permaculture-tech?f=495
Sponsor 1: InvestableWealth.com
Sponsor 2: EmpShield.com, Coupon Code LFTN
Livestream Schedule:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lftn/streams
Odysee: https://odysee.com/@livingfree:b
Tuesday 9:30am CT: Live with John Willis and Jack Spirko
Wednesday 2pm CT: Interview with Julie Wentz (Healthcare Freedom)
Thursday 7pm CT: SRF Livestream
Friday 9:30am CT: Homestead Happenings w
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
- February Rsupply Bill $263 – more in operation independence
- Mystery paper package from the freezer
- 15 minute Monday: Taco Salad again
- Audit dry/herbal goods as I move back in
- Daily Bone Broth Update
Weekly Shopping Report
Dollar Tree. The drink coolers are still being neglected, with none of them any more than 3/4 full, and about half of them empty or nearly so. I noticed the mix of canned and bottled drinks on the shelf are becoming more unusual. There’s still some Monster, but it is all coffee-flavors, and a smattering of Rip-it and Rockstar, but it’s mostly stuff I don’t recall that I’ve never seen before. Other aisles look typical. The Health aisle still has a decent mix, and there are plenty of soaps and shampoos.
Home Depot was next. a 2x4x8 remains at $3.25. They have some more 4-packs of Lithium AA cells now. If you’re in need of some very light-duty tools (e.g. cordless screwdrivers, rotary brushes, a few different lights), they have more of the new Ryobi USB-charged tools in stock.
Aldi was last. We did see a few holes, but found what we wanted except for Masa, a corn flour mix. We asked again, and they get it in, but Mexicans are buying it by the case.
Staple prices were: eggs: $1.86 (+); whole milk: $2.93; heavy cream: $4.69; OJ: $3.29; butter: $3.69; bacon: $4.25 (low-sodium was back in stock); potatoes: $3.99; sugar: $3.09; flour: $2.29; 80% lean ground beef: $3.59 (-).
A gallon of untainted regular has stayed at $3.639.
Frugality Tip
Member Webinar: Marketing for Success with Sue Zoldak, Feb 15 at 2pm https://nicolesauce.podia.com/marketing-for-success-q-a
Operation Independence
- Pantry challenge and finances of homesteading and whole animals: $263 + $26 + $12 = $301
Main topic of the Show: How Do You Find Motivation?
I have watched a telegram group of people wanting to stay motivated go nuts this past few months. People get on and share successes, learn to forgive themselves for failures, and try to stay motivated.
Stay motivated – that is the key. How do you stay motivated? I get this question all the time, particularly as relates to managing a homestead and starting side hustles.
Caritalees Weekend Post
And there is the lesson – Staying motivated in business, on the homestead, on your chosen dietary path, in exercise – is the same formula every single time.
You have the good days
You have the bad days
You have the meh days
You have the temptations to waver
But has anyone ever said, after hauling their butt to the gym when they did not want to – has anyone ever said – Man I wish I hadn’t taken that spin class, or lifted those weights?
Before, and even during, you may be hating it. But when you are finished, are you ever mad you did it?
This is the thing about finding your motivation – it is the wrong question to ask. I mean sure, knowing things that get you motivated is a helpful tool. But the question you really want to know is not, how do you stay motivated, it is how to you stay dedicated or disciplined.
- Decide
- Prioritize
- Do what it takes every day
- Forgive yourself if you stumble
Ways I trick myself into doing things on bad/meh/temptation days.
- Avoid temptation – like an addict
- Trick myself into starting by saying “Ill just do x amount and then I can stop. Then I trick myself more by doing one more thing”
- Set a timer and commit to doing a set amount of time
- Play music or audio while getting at it
- Entice yourself with a reward at the end of whatever it is you must do: Bath, reading a novel for a time, playing with the dogs, calling a friend, spinning wool – find NON FOOD REWARDS
- Track progress in areas where you struggle with motivation – I document my exercise in my journal because it is important to my long term health. I worked out 30 minutes a day on average last week. Knowing that feels good.
- Build in accountability – if you are in an accountability group, it can be the push you need to do the thing so you can report you did the thing – this is why #my3things works
The bad news about staying motivated? No one does. The difference in perception between people who you think do and who you think dont is that those who look motivated all the time do the work even when they dont want to.
Do find your passion, do build the life you want, but now that sometimes, you just gotta go get started, even if youre having a bad day.
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
- Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv
- Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
- Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
- Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
Resources