Helping you live the live you life you choose on your terms. Living Free in Tennessee chronicles how we build our homestead, develop independence, plan and manage time and grow and preserve food sustainably - from a woman's point of view.
Site
RSS
Apple
Data updated on 06/11/2026
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Dare to Leave Society's Programming Behind - EP 1171
Season 4 · Episode 1171
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 • Duration 01:13:48
Let's talk Programming. Society has programmed us to believe that college, a good job, a mortgage and retirement are the path to happiness. But what happens when that path isn't right for you? Today, we're going old-school LFTN and talking about recognizing society's programming, leaving fear behind and building the life you actually want.
THE INTERVIEW - Home to Homestead From Sept 22 - EP 1166
Season 4 · Episode 1166
Monday, October 19, 2026 • Duration 58:56
Today we're changing things up a bit and putting Tactical on the spot. If you were handed Basecamp Lodge and told to turn it into a functioning homestead, where would you start? We dig into infrastructure, food production, livestock, and why figuring out what you want your property to DO should come before piling on projects. We also take a side trip into Tactical's decision to quit smoking and what happens when an addiction becomes part of your identity.
Why we're changing up the weekly Homestead Happenings format
What we learned about homestead living when the world stopped in 2020
Local networks, seasonal eating, and becoming less dependent on the grocery store
Introducing Christopher — AKA Tactical Redneck
What would Tactical do if Basecamp Lodge were his homestead?
Why Basecamp isn't really a blank slate
Assessing what is already there, what works, and what needs to go
Three generations of water systems on the property
Stabilizing existing infrastructure before adding new systems
Finishing one major system before moving to the next
Starting with functions instead of jumping straight into projects
Sheep, poultry, and rabbits
Easy-to-maintain food production
Why Tactical would install an aquaponics system
Growing meat and vegetables
Supporting overnight guests, camping, classes, and small events
Getting Tactical out of tactics and into strategy
Why Am I Unsettled? Home to Homestead - EP 1170
Season 4 · Episode 1170
Friday, October 16, 2026 • Duration 01:02:52
Home to Homestead: Why Am I Unsettled?
I've been feeling unsettled lately, and it has led to some pretty big changes here at the Holler. What started with an unexpected move to Basecamp Lodge has turned into a much bigger conversation about the house, the homestead, the stuff we hang on to, and what we really want our lives to look like. Today, Tactical joins me to talk about what we're changing, what we might do next, and why sometimes you need to let go of the old before you can figure out what's coming.
Featured Event
Homesteader Meetup at Basecamp Lodge — Sunday, October 18, 3–6 PM
Potluck — bring something to share if you can
Brad Bleasdale from Orchard House Creamery shares how he turned his homestead from losing money into a profitable operation
The dream that prompted my unexpected move to Basecamp Lodge
Discovering that water intrusion and mold were still problems in my house
Changes in my energy and singing voice since moving
Dealing with the emotional side of losing possessions
Why we're considering remediating and selling the house
Loving the land but never really loving the house
Nineteen years of living in a house that doesn't quite fit
The importance of Zone Zero and what happens when you put it off
First Tuesday Coffee With Jack Spirko and John Willis
Season 4 · Episode 1169
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 • Duration 01:58:42
We're a week late for First Tuesday Coffee, but Jack Spirko from The Survival Podcast, John Willis from Special Operations Equipment, and I are back for another round of conversation. This month we dig into what small business owners can do when sales slow down, why learning new things matters at every age, and how experience turns knowledge into wisdom. We also get into Starlink, government surveillance, raising capable kids, and a few rabbit trails along the way.
Learn to use a microscope to understand what's living in your soil and how to improve it. The class is $465, with a $200 deposit to reserve your spot. We will choose the date together once ten people have signed up.
LivingFreeinTennessee.com
Today's Topics
The mysterious morning rocket launch that had people wondering about aliens
What to do when your business is down and the economy looks ugly
John's approach to identifying and serving his best customers
Using sales data, customer feedback, and social media to guide product development
Why you should focus on what already works before chasing new ideas
Finding opportunities in a changing economy instead of waiting for better times
Testing new products before investing heavily in production
Pricing your products to account for labor, materials, equipment, and overhead
Amanda's soap business, subscription sales, and building a premium product
Using your existing relationships and distribution channels to grow a business
Business lessons from Henry Ford's My Life and Work
Forced to Delegate — Homestead Happenings for September 4, 2026 - EP 1163
Season 4 · Episode 1163
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 • Duration 56:08
Sometimes the homestead decides what the priority is for you. This week, Tactical is down hard, which means we are getting a crash course in cross-training, delegation and figuring out how to keep the important things moving when one of your key people simply cannot do what they usually do. We'll also talk about managing the brutal heat, the latest Home to Homestead projects, homemade laundry detergent, giant squash and an egg that literally cooked itself.
Tactical is down and the rest of us are learning his systems
Cross-training BEFORE you need it
Moving sheep and learning to set up fencing in concrete-hard ground
Calling in the Holler neighbors when the work still has to happen
Getting water to livestock when your usual system depends on somebody who suddenly cannot carry it
Working early and late to get through 100+ degree days
How the gardens and animals are handling the heat
The egg that cooked itself
A broody duck and the possibility of baby Muscovies
Egg production and molting season
The gigantic Cushaw squash destined for the Farm-to-Table Dinner
Turning Basecamp Lodge from a home into a homestead
Why I want a real wood stove instead of a fireplace insert
Figuring out the chimney liner, chimney cap and masonry repairs
The Hearthstone Manchester versus a used Hearthstone Heritage
Prioritizing infrastructure without putting it on a credit card
Crowdsourcing Better Homestead Systems - EP 1165
Season 4 · Episode 1165
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 • Duration 01:08:25
Today, we will discuss the Home to Homestead project I have started at the Basecamp Lodge and how a single email from a friend has changed everything. We will also cover our usual segments Tales From The Prepper Pantry, Operation Independence and More.
Thoughts on food shortages and creating your food and supplies "bank account
Jerusalem Artichokes - what to do with them at this time of year
Operation Independence
Holler Roast Update
From Mickey
As to installing your chimney liner, sometimes there will be mortar clumps hanging inside that it can get caught on. The best method I've used for this is to duct tape a clothesline to end of liner with about 6" of rope sticking up, then loop that back down and put on another layer of duct tape to help keep rope from pulling off. On other end of rope drill a hole through a tennis ball and insert rope through it then tie knot on other end. This gives the rope enough weight to go down chimney while the ball is soft enough to not damage chimney crock. Then one person on roof guiding liner down, while another person inside guides liner with the rope to keep it from hanging up. Often a mirror from underneath helps in guiding liner down so you don't have to try to get your head in chimney.
For the hard water, it's already filled with minerals and therefore raises specific gravity. Since water does have a saturation point relative to its specific gravity you can dissolve your soap in a jar of warm water. Shake well or stir. Allow it to settle for about 10 minutes then pour through a sieve, or gently pour out without spilling settled solids. Once you discover the actual amount of soap your water will completely dissolve you'll then know how much to safely add to a load, based on how much dissolves in a known quantity and multiply it out to how much water your machine adds per load. That's the hard part, is figuring out how much water is in a load for your machine.
Live Interviews from MWPP - EP 1164
Season 4 · Episode 1164
Monday, September 14, 2026 • Duration 57:21
Today I'm coming to you live from the Midwest Preparedness Project Fall Festival with a few of the people who make events like this worth showing up for. We talk about building a life on your own terms, knowing when to reset, raising capable kids, testing your gear before you need it, and why the conversations around the campfire may matter more than anything happening on stage.
Featured Event
Midwest Preparedness Project Fall Festival
Sponsors
Midwest Preparedness Project
Red Flyer Media
Today's Guests & Topics
Dawn Gorham of The Gorham Homestead
Going from working in the court system to running her own dairy
How Self-Reliance Festival and community helped her make the leap
Why sometimes the first thing you try is the wrong thing — and that is still progress
Goats, milk cows, and learning what livestock can teach you the hard way
Building confidence by doing the thing
Realizing the skills from your old life may transfer directly into the new one
Knowing when you have reached maximum capacity
Creating margin instead of trying to keep every plate spinning
Getting back to your purpose when it is time for a reset
Growing up homeschooled and around preparedness before calling it preparedness
Mission work, including time in Africa, and how that changed her perspective
Why your mission may be much closer to home than you think
Helping people identify what is holding them back from their mission or purpose
What makes preparedness events different
Why the people around you are often the most valuable part of an event
Getting out of your comfort zone and actually talking to people
Testing your gear before you need it
Camping as a practical way to build confidence
Some Takeaways
First Tuesday Coffee With John Willis And Jack Spirko - EP 1162
Season 4 · Episode 1161
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 • Duration 01:06:11
Today we have our First Tuesday Coffee with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment, Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast, and Nicole Sauce of Living Free in Tennessee. As usual, we wander through business, preparedness, current events, building your life, and whatever else comes up over coffee.
SOE Party – October 10 Free to attend and free to vend. RSVP so John knows how much food and how many porta potties to get. https://SOETacticalGear.com
The Survival Podcast Fall Workshop – November Registration opens September 19 at 9 AM Central and usually sells out FAST. https://TheSurvivalPodcast.com
Topics Covered
Remembering Dolly Parton and the difference between genuine people and fake media
Tight budgets, layoffs and making yourself useful
Stop underpricing your work
Entrepreneurship, employment and preparing for a changing job market
Housing costs, building codes and why modern houses suck
Mold, drywall and healthier building
Beef imports, wild horses and doing the math on internet conspiracies
Government overreach, census takers, game wardens and learning to say no
Build something instead of letting doom invade your life
Family, kids and personal responsibility
Generators, fuel, critical-load solar and actually testing your preps
Connect With Today's Hosts Community
Homestead Happenings For August 28, 2026
Saturday, August 29, 2026 • Duration 53:28
Homestead happenings
Today I am joined by the Tactical Redneck to discuss the latest from the Holler Homestead: It''s HEEERE, Sheep Hammock, Preparing for SRF, more.
Good News About Duplex Foundation - I side will be for rent Starting Sept 1
Farm To Table Small Group
Make it a great week!
From Home To Homestead - the beginning - EP 1160
Season 4 · Episode 1160
Thursday, August 27, 2026 • Duration 01:11:02
Today we're talking about what it really looks like to go from a home to a homestead, and I get to answer a question I've been asked for years in real time: If I had it all to do over again, what would I do differently?
LFTN Stocking Exchange
Reminder that the LFTN Stocking Exchange is coming up. Get it on your radar!
Featured Event: Soil Microscopy Class
Soil and Microscopy Intensive
Learn to look at what is actually happening in your soil and better understand the biology that makes healthy soil work.
LivingFreeInTennessee.com
Sponsors
Above Phone
AbovePhone.com
Strong Roots Resources
StrongRootsResources.com
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Building new shelves
Consolidating freezer fat
Meatloaf is the big project of the week
Processed all peppers for salsa futures
Frugality Tip: 100% Cotton Throws
Buy a cotton blanket at Aldi for $15
Sew it in half and you get two throws for the price of one
No unnatural plastic yuck in your throws
Operation Independence
Related Shows Based on Content Similarities
Discover shows related to Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
The skills younger generations aren't learning and what we can do about it
Learning new technology through experimentation, including AI and NotebookLM
Why challenging yourself and surrounding yourself with capable people matters
Knowledge versus wisdom: Why experience and failure are necessary
Open-ended toys, outdoor play, and teaching kids to solve problems
Learning to say no
Starlink internet, mobile connectivity, and the coming changes to cell service
Interest rates, savings, Bitcoin, and the difference between price and market value
Why your website needs to work for mobile customers
Flock cameras, surveillance, and tracking publicly funded vehicles
Safety regulations, personal responsibility, and unintended consequences
Gen X childhood, bicycle ramps, trampolines, and learning from mistakes
Resources
The Survival Podcast — Jack Spirko
Jack Spirko's Laws of Life, Books 1 and 2
My Life and Work — Henry Ford
Special Operations Equipment — John Willis
Living Free in Tennessee — Soil Microscopy Intensive with Alan Booker
Holler Roast Coffee — Start your day with a great cup of coffee
Make it a Great Week!
Facebook Marketplace strikes again: a $1,200+ precision oven for $150
Why the crappy electric stove just moved farther down the priority list
Experimenting with a new chore rotation between the two houses
Building flexibility into the chore schedule when somebody ends up at urgent care
My new morning routine for getting garden and homestead work done
Revisiting homemade laundry detergent after the old recipe clogged the pipes
Washing soda + laundry bar without the borax
Getting better results with hard water
Moving toward locally made laundry soap
Getting the trucks and gear ready for Self Reliance Festival in Kansas
Holler Roast Coffee: HollerRoast.com
Make it a Great Week!
This got me to thinking about our community and the vast amount of knowledge we have housed among us on the Facebook group and Telegram group. Sometimes I feel like I might be boring you all with some of the things we do here because we live fairly differently than most modern world things.
So let's talk crowdsourcing homestead systems...
I started out wanting to build a repository of homesteading skills. What I ended up building was a community of people who know how to do things. And that's far more useful.
So let's end with this recipe thought: The best pork chops
>Coffee, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and pepper
Sous vide at 155
But cook with what you have yo.
And really the bigger conversation to have here is this - what are YOU really good at? Have you shared it with the community?
Make It A Great Week!
Finding out the hard way that preparedness gear does eventually wear out
Sydney and Craig
How having kids changed the way they looked at the world
Parenting as an investment of time and attention
Moving away from the expectations they grew up with
Raising kids with fewer screens
Why removing something from your family culture means replacing it with something better
Being present instead of simply adding more activities
Helping kids develop creativity and independence in a rapidly changing technological world
Consumption versus creation
Why preparedness festivals create opportunities to participate instead of simply consume
Prioritizing what you actually plan to implement instead of trying to do everything
The friendships that happen when you talk to the person sitting next to you
Creating enough margin for deeper conversations
Their vision for Homeschool on Homestead, a small homeschool-style learning environment for families who cannot homeschool themselves
Talk to people. You have no idea who is sitting next to you.
Don't dismiss somebody's crazy idea before asking a few questions.
Sometimes the thing that fails is what gets you to the thing that works.
Learn how your livestock can hurt you before they demonstrate it.
When everything feels like too much, go back to your purpose.
Your local community matters.
Use your preparedness gear now, not for the first time during an emergency.
Kids need space to create, think, participate, and learn.
When you remove something from your life, replace it with something that moves you toward what you actually want.
Don't go too hard too fast. Prioritize.
Some of the best things that happen at events like this are nowhere on the schedule.
Holler Roast is up 20% since the weeks of the fair
Thanks, y'all!
Main Topic: From Home To Homestead
One of the questions I get when on panels and suck is "If you had it to do all over again, how would you build your homestead?" Or "What are the 2 or 3 biggest mistakes you made early on in building your homestead?"
As homestead advising types we tend to tell people to build things one at a time and go slowly so that you can get your systems working. Or we say get a permaculture plan in place first. Or we have more practical advice like infrastructure before livestock, get your zone 0 in place before you do anything else, etc
All these things are true and not true at the same time
What is homesteading? The eternal question, more controversial than what is off grid? (Reminds me of the how libertarian are you arguments)
Homestead Where You Are
Is land required?
Mindset change
Ongoing learning
Then came the question: If you had it all to fro over again
Holler Hub being developed for a year with Basecamp Lodge as the event center
Fighting a type one error at the Holler Homestead where I live
Acceleration of the challenges this year, remediation, health impacts, processing past grief and letting things go that hold you back (Resentment episode)
So if I had it to do all over again, how would I build my homestead differently? That is a question you can't really answer unless you are doing it
The opportunity
The reality: move, brought almost nothing with me, sourcing all new personal items as well as transforming basecamp into a homestead that can accommodate events AND serve as a live learning model for others who want an immersive experience in growing food and health living
Pros: I own the property and home
Its got good bones
I have the experience and connections to do this right
We are already set up with a basement classroom and open concept kitchen that works great for teaching
I have income streams developed
I am really good at "If I cannot do x then what CAN I do?
Cons: this is a normal house not a home set up to accommodate pantry, power outages, processing animals and food, gardening, etc. (Now fuel efficient)
I come to this without the funds to do it in my personal checking account
I am still encumbered by past messes (although fewer) that I have made for. Myself
This will be very much like when I was younger on the homestead and was just starting out, only I am not, in fact younger :D
Plastics
So how will we start? The assessment is this week. What have we got? What do we need? How will we navigate what to do first?
This may become the constant topic of the podcast or a segment - I don't really know, But it is the BUILDING of the Holler Hub in real time and I am excited to finally answer the question for real - what would you do if you had it all to do over again? I guess we will find out.
But one thing is true - the one most important part of homesteading that you can never let languish - BE FEARLESS.
