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Episode 864 – Collapse & Recovery with Sonny Puzikas and John Willis

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:

Show Resources

SonnyPuzikas.com

Special Operations Equipment

Living Free in Tennessee

NicoleSauce.com

HollerRoast.com 

Main content of the show

Make it a great week!

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

Community

Resources

 

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Episode 863 – Water Treatment and Septic with Jonathan Kitzen

Direct Download

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

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

Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast: 

Sponsor 2: EMP Shield, Coupon Code LFTN

Show Resources

https://waterplantir.com/ 

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

Main content of the show

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

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

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

Interview

Make it a great week

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

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

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Episode 862: Seed Starting For Beginners

Direct Download

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

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

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

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

$59-89

Lighting – and what to do if you dont have any

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

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

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

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

Seedling mats

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

$13

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

Watertable method – redneck style

Plant tray:

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

Pots

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

Trays

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

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

Potting Mix

Soil mix

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

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

Borrow from a friend

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

Make it a great week!

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

Community

Resources

 

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Episode 861 – Homestead Happenings for February 9, 2024

Direct Download

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

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

Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com

Sponsor 2: Freesteading.com

Fence Charger Woes – Is it the battery?

Forage

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

Livestock

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

Grow

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

Homegrown Meals

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

Holler Neighbors/Community

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

Infrastructure

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

Finances

  • Need the eggs to start happening

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

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Darby Remembered and Appreciated

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

Sequatchie School Trapping Class

Join me there.

$125

Email: Sequatchieschool@gmail.com

Law and Property Rights with Alexis

Building Community Resilience in Strawberry Plains, TN
Law and Property Rights with Alexis
February 24th from 10am-12:30pm.
Time to barter and sell after the workshop!
RSVP helpful, but not required unless you’d like table space to barter. Contact Kim 865-640-4307

Homestead Gathering & Swap Meet

Howdy Friends! We’re looking forward to seeing you at the next Social Gathering and Swap Meet!

Details: Sunday, March 3rd, 12:00pm until 4:00pm
Cost: $10 suggested donation or a groovy barter item
Location: Bluebird Hill Homestead, 9528 Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, TN 37931
Directions: East bound on Middlebrook Pike, turn at the first driveway on your right after Countryside Center Way. At the red gate press any key to open the gate and turn LEFT up the gravel drive. There will be signage to catch your eye. We’ll direct to you to parking from there.

Please, NO DOGS. Well supervised, well-behaved children are welcome. We suggest bringing seeds, cuttings, plants, homemade goods, ferments or such if you’d like to try your hand at bartering! We also regularly see folks barter for skill swaps, teaching, education and more. Bartering is by no means required; we just offer a location to do so! As our gatherings continue to grow, I’m adding some structure to better coordinate the day.

We’ll hold a tour of the homestead to show the garden systems, energy systems, the sheep (and more!) between 12:30 and 2:30. From 2:30 to 4:00 folks can enjoy some refreshments, sit around the campfire and barter, exchange information and otherwise do the networking thing.

I’m also going to share some preliminary information about the education center that’s in the work here on the property. Feel free to bring anyone you feel would benefit from a gathering of local folks interested in homesteading, preparedness, exchange of value and building community.

If you need more information, I can be reached at strongrootsresources@gmail.com Thanks and see you soon! Kerry 

RV Solar Install Workshop

On February 25th I will host an RV solar off grid install workshop in Westmoreland, TN, just an hour from Nashville and 35 minutes north of Lebanon, TN. Shawn Mills will manage the build and answer your questions. Shawn is an off grid systems designer who has lived off grid for most of the last 12 years and designed systems all over TN. He is an expert in solar pv, solar thermal, rainwater catchment, grey and blackwater management. He has a beard so you know he knows that you know he knows his stuff! This is a hands on workshop where you will install a solar photovoltaic system with battery backup. You will learn: -The difference between parallel and series wiring strategies -how to select a battery backup system. -How to select and install an inverter. -How to calculate solar generation and battery capacities and align those calculations with your needs. Bring your work gloves and your list of questions about off grid or grid tied solar systems. I will provide lunch and delicious hot teas and pour over coffee. Show up at 9 AM and expect to wrap up around 3 PM. The registration fee is $50 to reserve your spot. There are only 10 spots available so sign up soon! 

Member Webinar: Marketing for Success with Sue Zoldak

Sue Zoldak, TheZoldakAgency.com, knows a thing or two about marketing and branding.

In her podcast episode with me at Living Free in Tennessee, she sparked many folks to get going on new projects. Hear the episode here: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/2023/11/09/marketing-for-success/

This webinar will be based on your questions. Don’t miss this opportunity to tap into an expert on marketing and branding.

 

Share your questions here: Marketing for Success Webinar Questions – Living Free in Tennessee – Podcast