Join me for the December first Tuesday chat with John Willis and Jack Spirko.

Today, I am joined by the Tactical Redneck to talk about Holler Thanksgiving, the stubbornest Ewe and more!

Featured Event: Dec 20 LFTN Christmas Reception - LivingFreeinTennessee.com

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Sponsor 2: The Wealthsteading Podcast: InvestableWealth.com

Featured Event: Oct 24 50s Show: Mastersingersinc.com

Sponsors:
The Wealthsteading Podcast

Today, I will share what a day looked like for me at the beginning of this podcast compared with a day now, after just about 1000 episodes. We will also cover all our usual segments.

LFTN Spring Workshop Tickets: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/product/2025-lftn-spring-workshop/

Featured Event: Seed Exchange and Potluck at the Holler Homestead, Feb 15 at 12pm-3pm https://www.facebook.com/share/1BN558PR4i/

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/lftn

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon Code: LFTN

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Holler Neighbor Potroast
• Pantry Challenge Update
• Seed Sorting Project
• Working 1 hour at a time for the win

Weekly Shopping Report: None today

Frugality Tip: None today

• Community Note: Follow Kiri's Youtube channel, Thunder Hill Farms: https://www.youtube.com/@ThunderHillFarm38 

Operation Independence

• Relationships are important and not in order to get what you want. 
• Basecamp is rented because of relationships
• Pasture adjustments and new bnbs coming to the Holler

Main topic of the Show: 

May 20, 2016, Living Free in Tennessee had its first episode - https://traffic.libsyn.com/nicolesauce/NicoleSauce_Podcast_May_20_2016_-_52016_6.52_PM.mp3

…what started as a desperate need to release creative energy because my job was suffocating has become a community of doers, my source of inspiration, and something that is achieving what I tried for 14 years to do in the free market public policy realm.

And it all started with that one, poorly executed episode. A single decision. A ton of feedback from yall. And encouragement when things got tennous.

Episode 1000 is tomorrow and I am excited to share it with Jack Spirko fo the Survival Podcast and John Willis of Special Operations Equipment.

But today, I'd like to share with you what my life was like in May of 2016.

• I was founder and president of a half million to  million dollar nonprofit with a mission to equip free market economists in the public policy world with better story telling skills and marketing departments (TALK ABOUT NICHE)
• I had been homesteading for 9 years and was selling my extra vegetables and craft roasted coffee at the farmers market on saturdays
• I flew for work so much that I had earned a companion pass on Southwest - look that up
• I had 1 rental property in Nashville
• I was deeply unhappy, finding myself in a role where my time was not my own, my primary job was to raise money so that I could pay people to train other people who were not as good of trainers as I was. I was also HR manager, and operations vp, and cfo in function which meant …. Paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork.
• After a trip, you could not get me out of the soil if you tried
• I drank too much

A typical day on the homestead started early with some work outside and a cup of coffee. I would then transition into computer work and meetings, frantically tossing in a load of laundry or pulling something out of the freezer for dinner as I went. If there was a crisis, I was able to flew, but then would be looking at a late night of catch up for work. There were no days off. Not ever. The role I was in required that I be constantly available to respond to emails and text messages. It was so bad then when I started turning off my phone from 7-9pm on Mondays, one of the people who interacted with me actually had the gall to explain that because she was on the west coast and her day was not yet done, it was unreasonable for me to not be available from 7-9pm. And she was supported in this from the people who were responsible for about half to ¾ of my budget.

The segment operation independence? That stemmed from this situation. Because my area of Focus from my personal life strategic plan was to "Have enough local, ongoing revenue to support my life." It has been adjusted to regenerative ongoing revenue nine years later, but you get the point. I was solving for being too dependent on one source of income so that I could NOT say no even though I was running my own organization.

I became soured on the whole nonprofit world as well as the public policy one because I saw the inherent flaw in trying to fix the system from within the system and over the next few years became convinced that the only way for freedom to grow was through individual action. Starting with myself.

In 2017 - I broke out of the system. A typical day was to work for the nonprofit, unpaid so that the people there could use me for creating value so that they could continue it on. They failed at that. A sign the nonprofit should never have existed really.

The day:
1) Work frenetically on the Center Hill Sun

2) Sell a few coffee orders

3) Weekly podcast

4) More time for homesteading

5) Contract work for corporate facilitations

>>>>Tell the rest of the story

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

• Membership Sign Up

• Holler Roast Coffee

• Harvest Right Affiliate Link

What do you put in your content plan? We will talk about that today. Also, we will hear from Shawn from Hack My Solar as he reviews his first power bill after changing jobs and moving to a house that is on the grid. And finally, in one of those things that happens where y'all are thinking the same thing at the same time, I will give thoughts on how to get your own podcast going. Nice that the question on that came in the same week as we are discussing content creation, right?

Spring Workshop Session Announcement: Beyond Razor Sharp Knives and Tool Sharpening, Patrick Roehrman

Direct Download

Will be opening workshop registration February 9 at 9am Central to members first!

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Dehydrated mushrooms and how to use them
• Cushaw squash update – last serving is in the fridge
• Trying a new shopping method

Stump the Sauce

• Cooking a Deer Heart (with David from Cider Hollow Farm)
• Plant garlic question

Tales from the Booze Whisperer

• Cider Hollow got this segment from the booze Whisperer

Operation Independence

• The grocery game and downsizing stuff

Content Planning, Energy Use and More

What is a content plan and why would you need one? Promoting an idea, project or product takes communication. If people don't hear about what you are up to, they won't "buy in." And by "Buy in" I mean not only purchase something, but also things like download your podcast, read your blog post, spread the word about you, etc. If they do not know you or your product or service exist, things stagnate.

So, after you have set your marketing goals, know who you want to target and have an idea about the big picture message of a project, know where these folks are and what they are interested in, you need a content plan. This is even more important if the product you sell is CONTENT.

• What is a content plan?
• What do you need to make one?
• Then what do you do next?

Listener Question (Victoria):
How to start a podcast on the cheap.
1. Use a podcast host like Libsyn but link to your own blog page not theirs

2. Equipment: Built in mic to see if you like it

• Podcasting mic I have not used with good reviews $57: https://amzn.to/2CVKMGX
• What I did: Scarlett Solo Box $119: https://amzn.to/2HcsiGD
• What I wish I had done for $40 more $159: https://amzn.to/2VBfGvG
• Mic: Rhode NT1a: https://amzn.to/2VyMjtY

3. Editing software: Garage Band

4. Use Auphonic to compress the crap out of the file

5. Just get going!

Make it a great week.

Song: Suicide, by Sauce

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer

The Tactical Redneck

Chef Brett

Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up
• LFTN Coffee Break Group

Today, I kick off a new daily show concept: Thought of the Walk. You see, going for a walk clears your head and often allows you to see things that you once thought were complex into a simpler light. So tune in today for my first "Thought of the Walk." Wonder what it will be about....

It's the first episode of 2019 and we had a wonderful week off. Today, I will talk through processing deer as well as share recipes along the way that we use.

My independence fund got a huge boost last week in the form of venison. 40 pounds to be more specific. Processing it cost me $38 in supplies, of which I only used ¼, so that works out to $.23 cents a pound spent for $120 in meat (conservatively). Add to that the 6-8 quarts of deer stock I will be canning and it was a pretty big score!

Concepts

• Skinning and gutting (How I learned to field dress)-- do not pierce the gallbladder!
• Quartering
• Tools & Knives
• Some Cuts
• Storage and Rigor

Make it a great week.

Advisory Board

• The Booze Whisperer
• The Tactical Redneck
• Chef Brett
• Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• MT Knives
• Meat Tenderizing Tool
• Consumer grade vacuum sealer
• Cryovac Machine (Way cooler - also way more expensive)
• Meat Grinder
• Meat Grinding Attachment for Kitchenaid
• Membership Sign Up

Closing out the series, we bring you two versions of The Night Before Christmas. One from an intellectual fellow and one set to music. Enjoy!

Rest, regeneration, rejuvenation and reflection are the topic of today's show. The season has changed, we are officially in winter - and have been weather-wise for a bit. And the hardest days are likely ahead. But right now, in this moment, if we are following the natural flow of seasons. We finally have time to get some rest. Today, I also wanted to discuss the spirit of the season - no matter your religious leaning, and to think through ways to make the most of the season of regeneration.

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Zello Meetup Drunk Snacks
• Ham ideas: Ham sauerkraut stew, red eye gravy, pasta with cream sauce and broccoli, ham salad sandwiches (or hors d'oeuvres)
• Spring is coming: Seed catalogs and seedling growing station

Stump the Sauce

• Making Mayo: The process and how to not get it to taste like olive oil
• Canning Lid fail

Operation Independence

• 2018 Finance Review is Done and we kept the house! (New tracking spreadsheet for 2019)

Main topic of the show: Season of Regeneration

Merry Christmas everyone -  and make it a great week.

Song:

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer

The Tactical Redneck

Chef Brett

Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

This year on the podcast, we started hearing more often from a certain redneck. Sometimes as a segment, sometimes on an interview and a time or two on Youtube. So when he offered (ok was voluntold) to read a redneck version of The Night Before Christmas, how could we say no. Don't worry though, there are no bad words if your kids want to listen. :D

A friend from down under recorded this version of the poem for us with a few adjustments made for her local environment. Thank you AussieRo.

NOTE: I TALK ABOUT WHO SANTA IS IN THIS...

Join us in the series in the first in a series for 2018 of poems read from throughout the world. This version of The Night Before Christmas comes from our friend "Jaggy Little Thistle" who listens from Scotland. Thanks for the recording Jaggy!

Today, I want to take on another country kitchen topic but from a bit of a different angle over last week: Modern Cooking in the country kitchen with a sous vide machine. Yup, this year, I got my hands on a sous vide machine and started experimenting with it. At first I was a bit skeptical about if it would really make a difference, but I also knew of other uses for it outside of cooking and thought it would be handy to have around. Then I got the thing and ended up LOVING it - like as in loving it more than my crockpot. So today, we will talk about what sous vide is, why I have started using it here at the Holler Homestead and even talk through some recipes.

Direct Download

First Aid Episode Feedback

Announce Holler Hat Wednesday

Modern Cooking with Sous Vide

Nicole's Lessons Learned on Soux vide

1. It really shines with meat 
2. Large numbers of eggs work well
3. Pre-spice your meats then freeze….
4. Defrost with it, or go from frozen to cooked without the defrost phase
5. Awesome when you need to time things just right

Cons

• Sometimes you just want a slow cooked stew
• Haven't found many vegetable sides I like cooked this way
• It is one more kitchen gadget

Questions:

• Does it make tough meat more tender?
• What if you do not have a vacuum sealer?
• How do you boil eggs with it?
• What if you cook something too long?

Finally, the add-on use: Hand and dish washing stations: heat the water and hold it there

Story: Pig processing at 17 degrees on an off grid farm

Booze Whisperer: Gin and Juice

Make it a great week.

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer

The Tactical Redneck

Chef Brett

Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Anova Sous Vide
• NPR Article on Sous Vide
• Egg Calculator
• Membership Sign Up

Today, we talk about five areas of first aid that you should think about both on your homestead and, well, pretty much anywhere.

Spring Workshop Session: Developing Your Positive Community in the Modern World, from the Tactical Redneck

Direct Download

Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Turkey for the weekend reception
Smoked Leg of Marty
Cushaw Squash, roasted, in soup, with feta as a salad
Retort Pouch Canning: Video

Stump the Sauce
Preparing Eggplant from the Store

Operation Independence
Really Cool Thank You Gifts for our Premium Supporters

Main topic of the show: Learning First Aid for the Homestead

#My3things
Teresa - managed to do a move with a sprained ankle - go girl!

A note on #my3things for the week:
Update from last week: the surprise is ready to ship
Paperwork
Domestic decluttering
Prepare week 1 jan 2019

Advisory Board

• The Booze Whisperer
• The Tactical Redneck
• Chef Brett
• Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

Today, we update you on the new lambs on the Holler Homestead, the new feed source we found, importance of community and more!

Featured event: 9 am. Tomorrow (Saturday). Workshop Tickets go on sale!

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Celebrate! Got first round of seedlings ready (Yesterday's episode)

Bottle Lamb Updates

Awesome Kitchen Vent Hood

Pasture Brat Pack

Normalized Paddock Rotation again

Operation Eyesore

New Feed Source for TN

Processor connections

Update on managing while Nicole was away

Forage: Time to be on the lookout for wild garlic and early spring greens

Concrete project sound fun this weekend?

Invoicing the lambs we sold this weekend - and why I waited so long.

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

• Membership Sign Up

• Holler Roast Coffee
• Harvest Right Affiliate Link

I haven't talked much about homesteading or domestic arts lately. We've focused more on building the life you want to live. So today, I thought, why not surprise them with something that goes back to our roots of homesteading?

Cooking has changed

• Eating out culture
• Processed/prepared foods
• Dietary changes and fancified meals
• Plated and other mail order meal services

But the country kitchen goes through cycles. One thing feeds another - or gets in the way. So today, I thought I would run you through a not so atypical morning here at the Holler Homestead….

It all starts with coffee and 30 minutes of peaceful reflection…….Then we dive in.

There is something quite satisfying about the levels of production that you can attain if you let one thing feed the next in your kitchen. Next thing you know you have homemade broth in the pantry, lard going in the crockpot, home smoked meat, and easy plan for dinner, and a load of laundry hung out by the fire.

So why not learn a new "old" skill this winter and begin developing your own cycles in the kitchen?

Make it a great week!

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer

The Tactical Redneck

Chef Brett

Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

Living on a homestead is like having a variety show in your life: Something unexpected happens almost every day. Just today, I walked out to the roasting camper and saw 2 goats in my yard. If you look at the show's photo today, you will understand why I was baffled by this. They should have been shut in the barn. And sometimes we get so mad when things go off plan, but when has anything ever really stayed on plan? Today, I will walk through several topics that impact homesteaders and those of you who are starting or have started your own business. From honey bees to healthcare, today is like a fireside chat.

Spring Workshop Session: Chef Brett Corrieri - Charcuterie. 

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• A cow and 2 pigs fit in the freezer and the process dictated our menu this week: Pork chops, ribs, chicken dumpling soup, and I am making lard.
• Winter budget tightening means a focus on living off the pantry stores: Borscht - beets, broth and a blender and spices. Served with Sour Cream.
• Wish I could solve the dairy problem

Stump the Sauce

• Faith and Sarah: Broth, Bone Broth, Stock

Operation Independence

• Roasted all the coffee. ALL OF IT. (And I love this)

Main topic of the show: Take Each Day as it is on the Homestead

Make it a great week!

Song: Cilly Song by Sauce

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer

The Tactical Redneck

Chef Brett

Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

Easy ways to find ideas for homemade gifts and firing the toxic people in your life, today on LFTN!

Direct Download

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Early cold has = better cold storage
• Drying Mushrooms for vitamin D
• Harvesting and using or drying root things like Sassafras (which I have not done)
• Canning all the stock

Stump the Sauce

• Q1: Why does my gravy taste like flour?
• Q2: What should I stuff in my bird (first time roasting)?
• Q3: What should I roast a turkey IN?
• Q4: What if I forgot to defrost the turkey?
• COOK TIME - TEMP
• No fat for the gravy, now what?
• Q5: What if I left the turkey out overnight on accident?
• Q6: What is Your pumpkin pie recipe? (2.25 c pumpkin pulp, 1 8 oz can condensed sweetened milk, 2 eggs, 1 tsp salt, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, 1 tbsp brown sugar. 425 for 25, reduce to 350 until done.

Operation Independence

• THE GREAT FINANCE REVIEW OF 2018...not yet finished but it is unearthing some waste and some good stuff too
• We ate ALL our thanksgiving leftovers. ALL OF THEM.

Main Topic of the Day: Handmade Homey Gifts and Firing Toxic People

Song: Burned by Sauce

Advisory Board

• The Booze Whisperer
• The Tactical Redneck
• Chef Brett
• Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

Today, I have two topics for you. The first is a simple walk through our simple weekend of doing odd, quaint things. Someone pointed out to me that what I think of as a stress free Thanksgiving is filled with tons of basic homemaking skills that no one does anymore….and we will talk about a deeper idea: Mourning loss as an adult and also mourning loss for the first time, and ways to navigate sadness when you lose someone close to you. I know, I know. This may seem like a depressing topic, but it won't be, I promise.

Workshop Session Highlight: Dori Mulder - Side Hustle Mentality: Gleaning Value From What You Have.

Get Founders Tickets here.

Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Catfood Incident
Early Cold has been good on the root vegetables
Freezer filled with Pork, sorting last year's beef (and selling some) in preparation for the next cow (Cow story)
A word on stability and cashflow.

What Mother Nature is providing
Oysters have appeared, finally (Turkey mushroom gravy)
Lemon balm is still giving us leaves
Same as last week: things below the ground are ready. Like Sassafrass root and jerusalem artichoke.

Stump the Sauce
Last minute buttercream frosting in an urgent situation

Operation Independence
Lardo for the charcuterie session
Duplex is the prime focus until it is done

Main topic: What is Normal Has Become Odd

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer

The Tactical Redneck

Chef Brett

Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

Today, we will talk about a basic homesteading activity: Processing Pigs for winter -- and a deeper topic: Processing Life. The last 10 days, many people I know and ones I just recently got to know in the LFTN community have been facing hard life lessons. So we will look at lessons learned from processing pigs next to lessons learned from life. And they are not all that different.

Direct Download

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Reviewing the root vegetables (Cat got into the pantry)
• Care of cheese
• Thanksgiving from stored foods

What Mother Nature is providing

• Down to nuts and mushrooms
• Jerusalem artichokes are ready to dig

Stump the Sauce

• Salad Dressing

Operation Independence

• Porchetta for the workshop
• New coffee launching this week - should be a good one!

Processing pigs - processing life.

#My3things

• Highlight: Cindy and her 54 birds - many hand make light work

Make it a great week!

Song: Every Way by Sauce

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer

The Tactical Redneck

Chef Brett

Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up
• Founder's Tickets for the Spring 2019 Workshop

Today, I run through three key lessons from the #TSP18 workshop that happened over the weekend at Jack Spirko's place in Texas. There were many more than three lessons to learn, but when it comes to living your life rather than have someone else live it for you, this event was a great motivator.

Today, we talk about what steps I will take to prepare the aquaponics system for winter, as well as go over what you can do now to get your garden beds ready for a great spring!

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Phase 1 has been completed 
• Final canning events of the year (after Jack's)
• Drying Mushrooms
• November: Meat rotation in the freezer
• Time to extract honey, or package it in tinfoil to avoid freezer burn
• Gluehwein season is here

What Mother Nature is providing

• Ap: Swiss chard and not much else at the moment
• Time to winterize. More on that later
• Winterize the bees
• Mushrooms are exploding
• Firewood

Stump the Sauce

• Oxtail: Part 2 with BRETTChef
• Elderberry Syrup Stability with John Moody of (http://abbyselderberry.com/)

Operation Independence

• Tile, Tile, Tile, Tile on the rental that has taken forever. Tiling on a wavy wall (operation independence)
• One annoying thing season

Main topic of the show: Winterizing the Aquaponics System and garden beds

Four things to to to the ap:

• Stock tank heater
• Bed hoops
• Insulation on the feeder hoses
• Bring in the frost sensitive plants

How to prepare your beds for winter

• Clean them out
• Layers: manure, compost, forest dirt, leaves, straw or wood chips or another mulch. (My thoughts on local wood chips)
• What to do if you interplant like I do

A Final Winter checklist

• Waters ready to be ice-free?
• Bees?
• Animal bedding sufficient?
• Goat hay needed
• Pump house filters changed
• Bring in the banana trees
• Try to overwinter a rosemary plant and the tabasco peppers

Make it a great week.

Song: Strange Child by Sauce

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer

The Tactical Redneck

Chef Brett

Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

Today is that moment you have all been waiting for: A debrief of our visit to see Dori at her place, 40 Acres and a Cave. We will have a short debrief of what happened for the visit and a run down of some things we can all learn from what she is doing out there with that fantastic property.

Direct Download

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Harvested my sweet potatoes and got about ¾ of a bushel for the prepper pantry.
• Curing Sweet potato
• Last green bean harvest of the season
• Blueberry oatmeal
• Still have not done the big move-in for Winter 2018
• The great lasagna and the mandolin zucchini noodles

What Mother Nature is providing

• Ap: Swiss chard is coming on
• First Oyster mushrooms - planning to put up a ton
• Last of the sage
• Lemon balm - last call
• Almost time for horseradish
• Parsley

Stump the Sauce

• Oxtail: Paired with jerk or curry - http://coopcancook.com/braised-oxtails/
• What Sauce would do: sear then do a roemertopf with smoked paprika, rosemary, garlic, salt, peppers, carrots, onion, salt - served over sauteed mushroom or rice with a broth made from the rendered juices of the roemertopf and a bit of stock - because there is always stock.

Operation Independence

• The great plumbing repair: $150
• Taxes really did get sent - next up: more taxes
• The gas dryer story
• Coffee of the month is starting to sell

A debrief of 40 Acres and a Cave

Make it a great week!

Song: Anonymous by Sauce

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer
The Tactical Redneck
Chef Brett
Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up
• Bourbon Smoked Paprika

So, this episode will focus on a man I have long admired in our area: Billy Kaufman of Short Mountain Distillery. Billy moved to Tennessee with a vision. What he started doing morphed into where he is today and we had a great talk about his distillery, the Haunted Woods event, and his journey from arrival to where he is today. There is so much to learn from how he has flexed and adjusted as he develops his farm into something beautiful. And while the what of he is doing has changed, his vision remains largely unchanged. It is a great example of how sticking to a vision over a tactic can help you launch the lifestyle you want.

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• The weather went from the low 90s to 60s in 24 hours and it is time
• Hen of the woods while at Dori's place
• Tomatoes are finally on the agenda
• Getting Ready to extract honey

What Mother Nature is providing

• Ap: Green beans, greens
• Harvesting a round of spices to dry for winter use
• Mushrooms
• Watercress 
• Chestnuts 

Operation Independence

• Did a property walk and homestead plan with 40 Acres and a Cave which is giving me the data I need to offer more of these in the coming year - and it was so much fun I am dying to tell you about it.
• Paid off a card in the game of finance with a check that was very very very late in arriving.
• Launched Coffee of the Month

Main topic of the show: Haunted Woods, Moonshine, and the Power of Vision with Billy Kaufmann

• Short Mountain Distillery
• Facebook

Question: How are you surrounding yourself with doers or takers?

Make it a great week!

Song: Learning What Leaving Is, by Sauce

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer
The Tactical Redneck
Chef Brett
Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign Up
• CAC Team: cacteam.com

Today, we will talk about something a bit different: why we end each episode with make it a great week. We will also take a look at what that means for so many, and tell some stories along the way.

Direct Download

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• It's been a light week in the pantry with all the other projects underway
• Incoming visit from the Knifemaker (Get Patrick to check in). He showed me how to sharpen my awesome chef's knife
• Hot as blazes so boxes are STILL in my office

What Mother Nature is providing

• Green Beans
• Time to harvest sweet potatoes
• Chestnuts

Stump the Sauce

• Meatloaf experiment and leftover scramble

Tales from the Booze Whisperer

• A missive from over the pond

Operation Independence

• Coffee of the month beans arrive TOMORROW!!
  • Soft Launch is Wednesday
• Headed to 40 acres and a farm

Main Topic: New tagline - Helping you to live the life you choose on your terms

Song: Suicide by Sauce

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer
The Tactical Redneck
Chef Brett
Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign U: http://amishwisdom.com/amish-coffee-soup-kathleen-fuller/
• CAC Team: cacteam.com

Join me for a discussion on starting your seeds and out usual "Monday Segments."

Spring Workshop, April 24-26:P https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/spring-workshop-2025/

Sponsor 1: InvestibleWealth.com

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon code LFTN

LFTN Spring Workshop Tickets go on Sale Saturday at 9am Central. 

• Alan Booker, 2 deep sessions on permaculture topics
• Jack Spirko, Building Bioreactor Compost and Biochar
• Nicole Sauce, Lessons Learned from 3 Years Raising Regenerative Sheep
• Emily Skyles Zanotti: Urban Homesteading
• Dawn Gorham, Building A Homestead Business 
• Tactical Redneck - A tour of erosion remediation projects at the Holler Homestead. 
• Joel Ryals, Problem Solving and Planning for Success
• Roundtable Discussion. Function stacking: Holler Homestead Greenhouse Design with Nicole Sauce
• Harry Albright - Hands on - Building Cages
• Knitting - Lani Johnson
• Jenni Hill - Somatic Movement and Breath Work
• Barter Blanket
• John Pugliano - Permaculture Your Wealth
• Kerry Brown- Planning Your Off Grid Home
• Patrick Roehrman - Accomplishing Anything How I transformed raw land into a family HQ

Updated Links for Equipment:

• Lighting: Burrina Full-Spectrum LED
• Seed Heat Mat: Updated options on Amazon

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Double and triple cooking paid off for Mom's knee replacement
• Looking to skim coat the concrete this weekend or next week so that we can move utilities and do the final sweep in there
• Refining what I store to LESS

Frugality Tip - send one in

Operation Independence

Picked up the processed lambs today, Lambs for sale!

Main Topic: Seed Starting

4 Keys to Successful Seedlings

1. Light, Light, Light
   • A window isn't going to cut it—this is the #1 reason for failure.
   • Use proper, full-spectrum grow lights (like Burrina lights) positioned uncomfortably close to seedlings.
   • Keep lights on 12-16 hours per day for strong, stocky plants.
   • If you don't have grow lights, be prepared for leggy seedlings.
2. Soil Temperature Matters
   • Too cold? Bad germination and weak seedlings.
   • Ideal temp: 65-85 for many plants
   • Use a seed heat mat (updated links below) or place trays in a warm spot like on top of the fridge.
3. Consistent Moisture—Not Overwatering
   • Keep soil evenly moist, not soggy.
   • Bottom watering is best—use trays with no holes to create a DIY water table.
   • Overwatering leads to weak roots and damping off. Underwatering even once can stunt growth for the life of the plant
4. Potting Mix & Soil Biology
   • If you're new, just buy a good quality seed-starting mix. Look for fine-textured, bark-free soil.
   • Pro tip: Add a quart of soil from a well-run local garden to introduce beneficial microbes and integrate local soil biology.
   • Advanced growers: Make your own with compost, biochar, worm castings, and indigenous microorganisms (IMO).
   • Compost tea made from local soil is a fantastic boost.

Soil Mix

• Don't mix your own unless you know what you're doing (WRONG ADVICE)
  • Experiment while setting yourself up for success—but start with a 50/50 blend before committing fully.
  • Learn from my mistakes

Trays & Containers

• Deep pots (3-4 inches) = Stronger roots
• Plastic trays with no drainage holes work great for bottom watering.
• Solo cups are cheap and effective (poke a few drainage holes).
• Peat pucks: Can work, but I don't use them.
• Peat pots: Just don't.

Choosing Seeds: Heirloom vs. Hybrid

• It's all okay! Pick what works for your system.
• Good seedling choices: Tomatoes, peppers, kale, chard, broccoli, lettuce, loofahs.
• Less ideal: Squash, cucumbers (direct sow if possible).
• Don't start indoors: Peas, beans, carrots, and most root crops.

First Year: Choose 1-2 things, experiment, and don't stress if you buy starts. Keep going!

Troubleshooting Germination: The Paper Towel Trick

• Use damp paper towels in a plastic bag to check seed viability before planting.

Keeping Costs Down (While Buying Quality Equipment)

• Source second-hand greenhouse supplies from local growers.
• Attend local seed swaps (like the one here in February) for high-quality, adapted seeds.
• Consider bulk seed buys as a community.

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

• Membership Sign Up

• Holler Roast Coffee

• Harvest Right Affiliate Link

Today, I want to talk about progress and the fall. Winter is coming, but right now, we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor. More about that in the main show topic.

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Reorganization Needed
• Did the last round of root cellar orders: 2 bags of onions, 2 boxes of potatoes, 1 sweet potato, 2 cushaw squash, a pumpkin for fun. Total cost: $80
• Pantry coaching is a thing - it's not frantic prepping, it is just smart.
  • Document what you eat
  • Try some seasonal bulk purchases - maybe just 1 thing
  • See if you use it up
  • USE IT UP

What Mother Nature is providing

• Harvested and set out to dry Goldenrod
• Chestnuts
• Turkey and Deer season is upon us 

Stump the Sauce

• Using an abundance of peppers
• Getting home from vacation when the store is not a viable option

Tales from the Booze Whisperer

• How to use Holler Roast Coffee Bitters

Operation Independence

• Holler Roast Coffee of the Month Update
• Budget Discipline

Main topic of the show: Progress.

Go out, and make it a great week!

Song: Wolf by Sauce (Also referred to as Desire)

Advisory Board

The Booze Whisperer
The Tactical Redneck
Chef Brett
Samantha the Savings Ninja

Resources

• Membership Sign U: http://amishwisdom.com/amish-coffee-soup-kathleen-fuller/
• CAC Team: cacteam.com

Today, we talk through a roundup of questions I have gotten over the past two weeks related to fall homesteading activities. From canning to heating, y'all have been busy trying to figure stuff out. Of course, some of these questions have been addressed over on the LFTN Coffee Break group on Facebook, but I just figured if one of you has a question, many of you have the same question.

Direct Download

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Still need to do the consult
• Pantry yielded many benefits this week
• More in the full content of today's show

What Mother Nature is providing

• Goldrod's last week
• Fall plants are coming up well in other people's gardens - but not mine.

Stump the Sauce

• What to do when you can't make your food hot enough.

Operation Independence
Food for friends: Ad trade, canned foods from the pantry = low expense to be a helpful member of the community.

Main topic of the show: A Fall Roundup on Homesteading

Q1: How do I figure out how many pounds of tomatoes to use to yield a certain number of jars?

Q2: Tattler lids - can you reuse the rubber gasket?

Q3: What is it like to heat with a wood stove only?

Q4: How do you integrate a new rooster to your flock?

Q5: I just got a ton of persimmons that are not completely ripe, what do I do with them? I hate to throw them away…

Q6: What kind of garlic grows well in Tennessee?

Q7: Is it ok to raid my bees for honey now?

Q8: Should I store my canned goods with the ring on or the ring off the jar?

Q9: How do I store my potatoes and squash?

Q10: How much firewood is enough?

Q11: What about garden bed preparation?

Q12: What should I plant now for spring?

Q:13: What else can you do to prepare your home for winter?

Resources

• Garlic Chili Paste
• Ghost peppers
• Tiny Thai Hot Peppers 
• Music Seed Garlic from Territorial
• Chesnok Red Garlic Seed at Seedsavers
• Links to thermal thermometers
• Imaging Camera
• CAC Team: cacteam.com

Advisory Board

• The Booze Whisperer
• The Tactical Redneck
• Chef Brett
• Samantha the Savings Ninja

Today, we explore how following the basic concepts put forth through developing your life strategic plan, continually moving your big picture goals forward, and remembering that we are here to live our lives, not have them lived for us. Or something like that...

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Raiding the prepper pantry under times of durres
• Wonderful pork roast with green chilies

Stump the Sauce

• Too many eggs from Andy in Chattanooga
• Using and Storing an Abundance of Eggs
• Pickling Beets

What Mother Nature is Providing

• Basic veggies for the daily sautee
• The dog egg story
• Late season mint, jewel weed
• Paw Paw update

Independence Fund Update

• Boat repair
• Goat repair
• Deck repair
• Keep Nicole Sane Repair

Resources

• Tactical Redneck Equipment

Today, we have a special guest in the house: Shawn Mills. Remember way back when almost a year and a half ago when I had someone come look at my home to help me understand better what it might take to go off grid? Well, that was Shawn. Today we are going to talk about his off-grid lifestyle, as well as focus on things all of us can do to move that direction without committing to a 10k solar panel installation.

Direct Download

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• I did not can tomato sauce because of a HUGE web project I am focused on. (The sauce trick)
• OMG THERE IS SO MUCH STUFF IN THERE IT IS OVERWHELMING
• That venison loin we cooked

What Mother Nature is providing

• Persimmons
• Paw paws are about done
• Watercress
• Still have late summer medicinals: jewelweed, goldenrod, etc…

Stump the Sauce

• Lemongrass

Operation Independence

• Traded for a kayak - stoked about it!
• Put in 6 hours on taxes. Still. not. Done.
• Landed a new deal for digital coaching that should be great for our ongoing stability and can be done from here.

Main topic of the show: Off-Grid Mentality Can Improve Your Homestead with Shawn Mills

Make it a great week!

Song: The Flood by Sauce

###

Resources

• Hack My Solar: Hackmysolar.com
• Tomato Sauce Making Cone
• Self Reliance Ministries
  • Green Curry
  • Tom Yum Soup
• Membership Sign Up
• CAC Team

Today, we will take a walk through the benefits of simply living. Simply living - as in simply living your life, not letting others live it for you. Why Simply living and not simple living? You gotta listen to find out!

Tales from the Prepper Pantry
38 jars of salsa are canned
Putting up tomato sauce this week
Need to do an shelving overhaul in there
The mud room is mostly full of jars, but some will go to our chili loving friends who put in on the chillies this year

What Mother Nature is providing
Goldenrod
Beans beans beans and funny beans
Damn the electrical company for spraying on my land
PAW PAWS ARE READY -

Stump the Sauce
Rattle Snake Recipe

Operation Independence
Put up 39 pints of salsa for winter
August was a record month for the airbnb
Sticking to my guns on the weekly finance review
Need to get taxes done

The Bounty of Simply Living .... not having your life lived for you.

Song: Strange Child, by Sauce

###

Resources

• • Membership Sign Up
  • The Keychain CPR Masks
  • Change Your Narrative, Change Your Life

Today we talk about preparing for winter, Christmas gift ideas, decision making with emotions, green chilipalooza and more!

Direct Download

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Tomato canning
• Drying red runners
• Green chili weekend is this weekend: Salsa, canning chilies, roasting chilies, eating chilies

What Mother Nature is providing

• A word on the fall garden
• Okra okra okra
• Jerusalem Artichokes are blooming -
• Lotsa tomatoes
• A final mullein, mint, lemon balm and comfrey sweep
• Jewelweed

Stump the Sauce

• Coffee in soup

Tales from the Booze Whisperer

• Using all the tomato water when canning

Operation Independence

• Put up 26.5 quarts of tomatoes - $2 a quart including propane and lids (but not my time).
• Fridge win for the duplex

Christmas is coming - gift ideas

1. 1. Custom bitters
   2. Coffee air freshener
   3. Jams and jellies
   4. Rustic Walking stick
   5. Elderberry Syrup kit: dried elderberries, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, honey 

The newly adopted family that visited and an update on Airbnb

Making decisions by emotion

Fall on the homestead = prepare for winter

Song: Feed My Hunger by Sauce

###

Resources

• Membership Sign Up
• Amish Coffee Soup
• 2016 Christmas Gift Ideas
• 2017 Christmas Gift Ideas
• 5 ways to prepare hatch chilies

And today, I have a fun interview to share with you. I talked to a friend, John Moody who boasts a background at the Farm to Table legal defense fund, has built a high tunnel on his land, and approaches homesteading with the simple idea that: don't make it harder than it has to be. He is about to release his book, the frugal homestead, and is an all-around fun guy to talk with!

Direct Download

What Mother Nature is providing

• Watercress is starting to come back
• Creek Mint
• Lots of veggies
• Fall Garden Time is Now

What we are preserving this week

• Beans and corn.
• Lesson learned from canning sauerkraut

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Scored another bushel of corn and canned it
• Need to insulate the exterior wall in the prepper pantry to see if temperature regulates better

Ideas from the Booze Whisperer

• Hickory Smoked Bourbon and Lavender Simple Syrup

Operation Independence

• We relaxed with friends this weekend and what started as a quiet visit expanded into a fun gathering
• What do do when you have people to feed and not enough eggs (Crepes)
• Conquered paper mountain!!! (Taxes are almost done because of this)

Interview with John Moody, Author of Frugal Homesteading 

Song: Learning What Leaving Is, Sauce

Resources

• Pre-order form for the frugal homesteader: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFqfumN4cWkjv3RMuuBuHZLivLgaFYJJRdPkuNjvUsxNSvCw/viewform
• Homesteader Handbook: https://homesteaderhandbook.com/
• Booze Whisperer: BiltongForBreakfast.com
• Membership Sign Up: https://livingfreeintennessee.com/iump-subscription-plan/

Today, we will take a look at what it means to change your narrative into something that helps move you where you want to go.

Resources

Membership Sign Up

What Mother Nature is providing

Hot weather AND rain - perfect for fall garden if you can keep things going
Tomatoes, beans and okra
Swiss chard is ramping up
Dill weed and other herbs
More elderberries - still seeking 1 gallon
Early season apples

What we are preserving this week

Canning tomatoes
Sauerkraut canning

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

Canned jars are stacking up
Garlic is ready to be stored - so it is inside
It's hot in there - still haven't defrosted the freezer

Tales from the booze whisperer

What to do with canned peaches

Operation Independence

Change Your Narrative, Change Your Life

1. Learn about frame or perspective: This is what those annoying people who love lemonade do.
2. Define what is really important to your success and frame your personal narrative toward that.
3. Learn how your behavior impacts those around you - and use that.

Make it a great week.

Song: Feed My Hunger, by Nicole Sauce

Today, I talk through the two types of canning and the 8 projects you can do to slowly build up your canning skills. 

Direct Download

Resources:

• Resource for canning times and recipes
• Negroni Cocktail
• Brine recipe
• Carey Pressure Canner (It is $140 today -- keep your eye out for a sale)
• Membership Sign Up

Make it a great week!

Song: Mr Clammy by Sauce

Today, we will do a Holler Homestead roundup review and look into fall. That's right, it has been a few months since we took a look at my homestead here, how it is doing, and where we are going as we move into fall. Right now is when you should be readying your fall beds. Now is when you should be at least half wat finished canning your winter stores. Now is when you should be thinking – Christmas is coming, what will I make for gifts? And now is a great time for the quarterly assessment of your lifestyle goals.

Direct Download

Membership Sign Up: https://livingfreeintennessee.com/iump-subscription-plan/

What Mother Nature is Providing

This is where we talk about what is coming off the land around us to enrich our lives.

• Passion flower: Goats have unearthed passionflower which will turn into passion fruit this fall
• Elderberries are coming on fast and I will miss harvesting some due to my business trip this week. 
• All the vegetables: squash, beans, corn, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, swiss chard
• Sweet potato greens: Recipe and processing and the sifference from potatoes
• A tale of the megadill plants at Cider Hollow Farm

What we are preserving this week

This is where we talk about what we preserve, when we preserve it, and how we process it.

• Drying herbs
• On the road
• A word on recovering from Pneumonia and the relative level of activity a person can sustain (It's like altitude sickness)

An aquaponics update

• A word on pests
• Balancing the system and what we did to fix it
• Funky germination
• Volume of food and what I will do differently next year
  • Trellising
  • Prune and layer things differently
  • More purposeful layering
  • More beds and not all the things in all the beds

Tales from the prepper pantry

• Bee update: Wax moths and the related cleanup
• It's official, we are 1/3 ready for winter. 1 room is full of jars.
• Still pushing slowly forward on the reset for fall storage

Operation Independence

• Three new ducks and a chicken
• Campground expansion in process
• #my3things is growing
• Headed to Houston for the week to earn money

Summer at the Holler Homestead.

Song: Every Way, by Sauce

Today I am joined by the Tactical Redneck and perhaps Knighthawk for the latest news from the Holler Homestead. Babies, extreme cold, planning the gardens and more

Featured event: LFTN Spring Workshop

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon Code LFTN

Email feedback to nicole@livingfreeintennessee.com

Forage

• Wheat is ready to harvest
• Iding herbals/wilds that we do not want the sheep to eat
• Day Lillies are blooming 
• Garden: Cover crop sautees
• Inside cherry tomatoes

Livestock

• Rabbit ear mites
• No ducklings yet
• Eating things faster than we thought so we are moving them each day until cleared (overseeding pasture mix)
• Muscovies incoming tomorrow thanks to Kerrry and Lisa
• 4 eggs a day - summer slump
• Sheep story

Grow

Holler Neighbors/Community

Infrastructure

Finances

Membership Plug

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

• Membership Sign Up

• Holler Roast Coffee
• Harvest Right Affiliate Link

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

• 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

• Membership Sign Up

• Holler Roast Coffee
• Harvest Right Affiliate Link

Today, we have an exploration topic: Navigating tough communications and interpersonal relationships. What does that have to do with homesteading or independence? Well it turns out it has a lot to do with both those things.

What Mother Nature is providing

• Squash bugs and vine borers have won yet again - the early heat wave.
• Tomatoes, green beans, okra, corn
• Elderberry, sumac berries, lemon balm
• Mimosa flowers are still going strong
• Still haven't seen blueberries
• Confession on garlic: You can't dig when you have pneumonia

What we are preserving this week

• Buch update
• Drying sage, lemonbalm and peppermint
• Canning corn and beans

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• From last week: It's about time to re-organize all the canned goods and take an assessment
• Operation prepper pantry fury as Brian would say
• Defrosting the chest freezer will happen soon - as soon as I am well

Listener Feedback

• Phone consultation question
• Listening twice

Operation Independence

• Refined focus has helped despite losing weeks to illness.
• Increased the debt payoff allocation (emergency fund is back in place, had a good month with our Airbnb, paper sold the most ads ever this edition)
• Taxes are getting closer

Topic: Navigating Tough Communication

Song: Cilly Song

Today, we have a chat with the Tactical Redneck about the MBTI personality types and how he has learned from this way of categorizing people to improve his interpersonal skills at work. It is a fast interview paired with an update from Samantha the Savings Ninja.

Today, I want to talk about how focusing on a few things can help you get many things done. That's right. We have touched on this concept in other episodes, but today, I thought we could dive a little deeper. And what sparked this idea? Well, it is the new Facebook group, Living Free in Tennessee Coffee Break. This is where lots of listeners are starting to post up to 3 do or die items that they will get done that day to move themselves forward toward their long-term goals. Some of the things are small, like taking a walk every morning. Some are big: like put up 6 bushels of corn — or some crazy amount — that took that person three days, but she got it done. And people are posting pictures of their progress and sharing ideas. But why three? Why now? We will talk about that after our segments.

• Lots of tomatoes, cukes, squashes, onions, cabbage, greenbeans
• Mullein flowers have arrive and it is time to harvest
• Mimosa flowers are here – tincture
• Someone put a goat roast in my freezer and we are having a curry from that
• Potatoes are here but I hope to put off getting any until October because my storage area is not well enough insulated to keep those puppies cool
• Peaches arrived this week but I have not seen any blueberries. I fear the frost killed those

• Dried our runner beans so we can hull them (what happened last year)
• Should be canning corn, but I am sick and taking another week off – maybe 2. It's totally freaking me out
• Drying mullein flowers
• Bee balm would be coming on had I not killed it
• Making komboucha Karley / continuous style (see member portal for her fermentation video)
• Should be making pickles but again – sick

• It's about time to re-organize all the canned goods and take an assessment
• Operation prepper pantry fury as Brian would say
• Defrosting the chest freezer will happen soon – as soon as I am well

• Updating the duplex: New deadline – end of August, and a trade
• Airbnb has been jammin

• Membership Sign Up
• Holler Roast Coffee
• LFTN Coffee Break

Today we talk about five uses for an abundance of cucumbers. Everyone else around me who got their gardens started on time are drowning in cucumbers! I even got a text from a long time friend asking me how to make pickles this week. And SHE doesn't do canning ---- yet. So if I am drowning in cucumbers without even having mine even begin to develop yet, then other people who were more responsible about planting this year must be covered up in these tasty veggies.

NEW Membership Portal Discount! MT Knives.

Resources
MT Knives: MtKnives.net
The MTK Talon
Membership Sign Up
Cucumbers as beauty supplies
Canning in 8 Projects Episode: Pickles
Tomato Cucumber Soup

What Mother Nature is providing
Lots of tomatoes
Overwhelming numbers of cucumbers
Sweet potato greens
Early onions
Cabbage - sauerkraut
Watercress and salad are done

Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Hashbrowns on pizza - buy sharpies
Dealing with smelly/mildew clothes in the south at this time of year
Dishwasher soap experiment

Listener feedback
New Facebook Group: Living Free in Tennessee Coffee Break
Mewe Group

Ideas from the Booze Whisperer
Cucumber Cocktail

Operation Independence
Updating the duplex:
$800 for roughing in three fixtures in a duplex remodel with a friend. (Numbers derived from national average installation pricing)
Managed to keep my commitment to myself and keep the dishes and laundry caught up in the past week of busy

And now for the main topic of our show: 5 uses for an abundance of cucumbers.

If you are new to this show, or new to homesteading, etc., do feel free to reach out and suggest topics for me to cover. Just shoot an email to nicole@livingfreeintennessee.com.

Make it a great week.

Song: Tripped Out by Sauce

I have a special one for you today. Remember the lady who bought the acreage in the Ozarks with multiple dilapidated cabins and a cave with a restaurant built into it? That's right, I had a chance to catch up with Dori a few weeks ago and find out how her winter went, where she has made progress and what her past 9 months or so have been like. Yes, today you get to hear about her walk toward independence, one year later. 

Resources

• Awesome Soap: SimplyCleansing.com
• Dori's Project - 40 Acres and a Cave
• Membership Sign Up

What Mother Nature is providing

• The first tomato! (and New tomato transplants in the aquaponics system)
• Everything - we are getting just about everything right now minus Okra.
• Summer salads
  • Creamy cucumber with dill
  • German style potato salad (shhhh Lynn)
  • Coleslaw
  • Tart Pasta Salad

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• CANNING SEASON

Advice from the Cocktail Whisperer
(See more from David over at Biltong for Breakfast)

• Icy Smooth Bourbon Beverage 

Operation Independence

• $500 for grey water repair which is FINALLY done
• $1 a load for not drying the laundry with propane

Homestead Design One Year Later - An interview with Dori

Make it a great week.

Song: Wolf by Sauce (At Dori's request)

Photos from 40 Acres and a Cave

I had an inspiration, a breakthrough. It was really just a simple thought, but that doesn't sound as cool as a breakthrough. And it came to me at the oddest time. It came at a time when all was quiet, I wasn't thinking about grey water, or canning, or growing Holler Roast Coffee, or the paper or anything else. It came to me in a moment of silence, when I was kicking back observing the world around me, just walking along the road with my dogs. And it got me to thinking. What do we need to have in place to have breakthroughs? What can we do to help ourselves grow and change? We will talk about that later in the show.

Two Year anniversary: Membership sale for one week!

Membership Sign Up
Five Elements of Homemade Salad Dressing

What Mother Nature is providing
Elderflowers are still going strong
Wineberries
Basil
Cabbage
Raspberries for about another week
Green Garlic: Cream of garlic soup
Green tomatoes
First Jalapeno pepper from the Aquaponics system

Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Drying last year's garlic - yes is stored that long with no problems
Honey Harvest: 8 mediums (!!!) Borrowing a centrifuge from our friend Ricky

Learning Aquaponics
Trellising in 15 minutes - a story
Rooting things in the ebb and flow bed

Operation Independence
Hit the paper hard and it yielded two big clients! 

Breakthroughs Come when you least expect them.....some thoughts.

Make it a great week!

Song: The Flood by Sauce

Today we will talk to Vin Armani about declaring independence. What struck me about his talk at Liberty Forum was that it was not a tired lecture on the the historical relevance of our Declaration of Independence here, it was an evaluation of what sparks people to choose to be free, and what character elements one needs to have to do it. We also have a crypto tip from our friend Kurt.

Show Resources

• Find Vin Armani Online
• Membership Sign Up
• Episode 8: Five Uses for Summer Squash
• Purse.io

What Mother Nature is providing

• Poke Weed, Tiger lillies - Lilium lancifolium, Basil
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Yellow squash begins
• Raspberries are ripe
• Garlic is coming out of the ground this week
• And we've still got elderberry blooms to fritter up, as well as red clover flowers to harvest and dry for tea

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• We got our first round of beets to pickle

Harvest Bounty

• Letting Tomato Suckers get about 6-8 inches long them putting them in the ebb and flow bed to root for future transplant
• Starting to plan which plants will leave the system and go to Kurt's where the Middle TN GSD crew is planning to do an aquaponics installation this weekend

Questions from Listeners

From Amy on FB: "I've been enjoying your podcasts for quite a while. I enjoy them bc I'm homesteading not far in N. Alabama and our climates are very similar. I'm wondering if you or your TN audience would like to share what counties in TN you think are great for finding good homesteading land for a good price. I'm planning to look for some land on the other side of the state line. Also any reasons TN is so awesome in general to homestead in?"

Operation Independence

• Something has been added to the Independence fund - we just don't know what
• Community and self reliance
• Thanks Knighthawk
• Kurt's segment on Purse.io

Declaring Independence with Vin Armani

• A conversation about Satyagraha, crypto, declaring independence for yourself, what is none of your business, self ownership and more.

Make it a great week! Song:

Today we talk about animals on the homestead, and more particularly training animals on the homestead. This is not the all-successful animal trainer's view of getting your animals in line telling you how to achieve impossible results with just one week of practice when they have spent a lifetime learning. This will be a discussion of the benefits of training your livestock and some ideas on how to do that, as well as stories and examples of things I have done well here at the Holler Homestead === and not so well.

Direct Download

• Poke Weed
• Tiger lilies - Lilium lancifolium
• Lettuce
• Garlic flowers
• Chard
• Dill
• Basil

• Using up non-pickled beets
• Drying last year's garlic to make garlic powder

• The 5 foot tomato was really 4 feet. NOW it is 5 feet and the blight begins
• Trellising
• Sweet potato greens are ready

• What exactly do 'you' do with dandelions. Do you roast the root, dry the leaves for tea, etc. How do you best use the 'weed'?
• What do 'you' do with mullein. Do you simply dry the leaves and then use it for hot tea?
• How do you make your comfrey salve? Do you get the bees wax from your bees or do you buy it?
• Compostable toilets--can it really be as easy as a 5 gallon bucket and sawdust? Operation

Independence

• $50 in the independence fund - rental property faucet and why basic skills are important
  The hack saw that saved the day

Topic of the day: Training Animals on the Homestead

1. Learn the animal's perspective. Observe - every day.
2. Find out what motivates them
3. Figure out what you need to train them to do, or not to do
4. Schedule your time to train them

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And with that, go out and Make it a great week!

Song: Mr. Clammy by Sauce

Today, we walk through all the endeavors here at the Holler Homestead and assess if we are in track, where to focus and how to move forward. Assessing your progress along the year is important to developing the lifestyle you want, building independence and stability and staying focused.

• Poke Weed
• Elderflower Fritters
• Watercress is done until it cools down
• Seeing unripe wild raspberries on the vines

• Corn is used up! Celebrating
• Strawberry Geranium Jam

• Lettuce and chard
• The 5 foot tall tomato
• Vining plants are ready for trellising

• $50 in on the replaced plug

Make it a great week!

Song: Mr. Clammy

• Membership Sign Up

Today, I want to circle back on community, self-reliance, and side hustles. You see, we had a great Spring Workshop here in late April, and some pretty cool relationships came from that. And not just the - oh hey I met you at a workshop kind, but some real relationships. My next door neighbor has worked two days at another participant's farm, there is another gathering coming up this weekend that has coordinated itself, and so much more. 

What Mother Nature is providing

• Hemlock is flowering
• The usuals for salad: hairy vetch, watercress, dandelion
• Garlic scapes!!
• Salad
• Sprouts are back up and running since I am home

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Farmers market update: All salads all the time - things are waaay behind this season
• Staying the course on using things up

Harvest Bounty

• We lost about 5 of the 20 fish 

Operation Independence

• Update on the new schedule: Today has been the first day I was able to really follow it.
• The AirbnB is open for the season and we are getting lots of rent

Song: Wolf by Sauce

Join me for a group discussion with 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: LFTN Spring Workshop, LivingFreeinTennessee.com

Sponsors:

• Meticulous.com
• HollerRoast.com
• AbovePhone.com: https://abovephone.com/?above=104
• Use coupon code for $50 off: LiveFreeTN

Show Resources

AbovePhone.com

HackMyHomestead.com

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

• 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

• Membership Sign Up

• Holler Roast Coffee

• Harvest Right Affiliate Link

Today, we explore why adding creative pursuits into your life helps you succeed in other areas, even if you are not the best in show in whatever creative thing you choose to learn. You may be wondering what this has to do with designing a successful and happy life, homesteading, freedom, or side hustles. Here's the thing. It's hard to justify it in a pithy soundbite. But creative pursuits result in physical, mental and emotional benefits. So hang with me on this and I hope you will find ways to reprogram yourself through creative pursuits as you design the life you love.

This episode is dedicated to Puff --- our kitty that was with us for too short a time.

What Mother Nature is providing

• Asparagus
• Goldenseal, a plant rife with medicinal uses
• Salve season is here with the comfrey and jewelweed right at perfect harvest size for this purpose.
• Aquaponics update: Another salad has resulted from the system, which is crankin out some growth. We added 20 goldfish last night and have lost one so far. And I did plant all the seeds in advance of what was supposed to be a rainy day. It's sunny. And blazing hot.

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Still getting set up to dry teas for the winter
• Hoping to see beets at the farmers market soon.

Operation Independence
13 hours in the car with Mama Sauce has helped me restructure time in a way that I think will leave more room for creative pursuits - guys - if you can't afford a consultant to help you deconstruct your choices as you build your life the way you want it, find some close friends and ask for coaching from them. The outside view is instrumental in helping you get more effective and this long talk with mama sauce really helped me adjust some priorities that were more oriented toward urgent rather than important.

Five benefits of building creative pursuits into your life.

Song: Feed My Hunger by Sauce

Make it a great week!

Today, I want to share with you a beginner's perspective on Aquaponics. At the LFTN Spring Workshop, two awesome guys installed an Aquaponics system here, so I got to witness first hand how to install something right the first time, AND we have been using it for a week now. One of the things that has kept me from doing aquaponics here has been how hard it sounds to set something up, so having this in place is a big deal. So for those of you out there thinking about aquaponics, or even those who are not sure it is a good idea, I want to let you know what it is like as a beginner to launch and learn about Aquaponics.

Direct Download

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What Mother Nature is providing

• Watercress is winding up
• Hairy vetch, chickweed and deadnettle
• Stinging nettle is blooming here and will die back until fall, unless we get rainy/cooling in the next month or so
• Asparagus
• Goldenseal, a plant rife with medicinal uses
• Tea time: lemon balm, blackberry and raspberry leaves. There should be bee balm, but I must have managed to kill my patch of it. 

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Putting up dried herbs and tea makings - both for flavor and medicinal. Creek mint is ready to harvest. 
• Beeswax
• Story: the swarming bees - when 2 hives become 4, plus 2 off site

Harvest Bounty

• Aquaponics are in and we are setting strategies for where/how we will run vines.
• Garlic should scape out in the next few weeks.

Stretching meals

• Workshop leftovers

Operation Independence

• Mama Sauce came and helped do another round of get rid of the clutter - which frees us to focus on the important rather than the urgent
• Spring Workshop ROCKED and is a foundation in our walk toward independence. 
• Taxes are back on the todo list right after carnegie hall.

Speaking of Carnegie: May 12th, 2pm meet up in New York at a pub near Carnegie Hall. The Irish Pub:  837 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019. DO check on our Facebook page and website though because if it is full, we will adjust our plans. Just look for the chick with the cowboy hat.

Why Aquaponics: Things grow too well in Tennessee - by which I mean the wrong things grow too well and with the coffee business, I wanted to have time to devote to coffee.

Project goal: Aquaponics that looks great in front of the house so Mark does not make me remove it, pays for itself or even earns money, runs itself when I am away in case Mark is out working on the paper.

Lesson 1: Aquaponic is much easier than it seems when you start learning about it.

Lesson 2: Installation can be cheap and hard work, or more expensive and quick and easy

Lesson 3: It is frightening how fast things grow

Lesson 4: You can plant things closer together - and kill things fast.

Lesson 5: It's not about the fish

Make it a great week!

Song: Special by Sauce