Small Scale Life Podcast: Recent Episodes
Tom
Join hosts Tom as he discusses adventures in homesteading and in Nature as he develops a sustainable wellness practice, garden, homestead and backyard bird sanctuary on the banks of the Willow River in Western Wisconsin. We will build resilient mind, bodies, spirits and communities as we learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday! And THAT, my friends, is a good thing.
Can you actually Manifest Your Future? Do your dreams and goals seem to be out of reach? For many of us, we never feel like we are good enough to achieve much of anything. We sometimes feel like it takes all of our energy to get out of bed and drag ourselves to a J-O-B.
But we are meant for so much more than that. The world is a big, amazing place that is full of opportunity if we are willing to work for it, but we tell ourselves we can’t do better, we couldn’t do better and we don’t deserve better….so we don’t ever try.
Let’s try to break that pattern and stinking thinking, shall we?
This week on ANT Live, Tom and Adam are going to talk about Dreams, Goals and How to Manifest Your Future.
Manifesting your future is an exciting and empowering process that combines clarity, intention, action, and belief. While it’s often associated with visualization and the Law of Attraction, the underlying principles of manifesting your dreams and goals are more about aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions with the future you desire.
I am sure you are saying, “Sure, that sounds good and all, but how do you manifest your future?”
As I have gotten older, I realized from my own experience that it is possible to manifest your future. You can achieve those dreams and goals, but the keys are aligning your thoughts, you actions and your focused intensity over time. It is possible, especially when we understand the execute on the 9 steps for Manifesting Your Future.
I am sure Adam has a lot to say from his own experience. After all, he is manifesting his dream with each Farmer’s Market and sale!
LinksShow SponsorThis live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: Modern Frontier Farms Website
Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!
When he isn’t at a Farmer’s Market or hanging out with his wonderful wife and beautiful kids, Adam can be found at the following locations:
- Modern Frontier Farms Instagram
- Modern Frontier Farms TikTok
Other Related ShowsAdam has been a guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast a number of times. Here is a quick list of shows where he has been the guest or cohost:
- How to Find Your Passion: From Hobbies to Heartbeat- ANT Live 6
- Boredom: A Path to Mindfulness and Innovation – ANT Live 5
- Hustles and Hurdles: Side Hustles and the Gig Economy – ANT Live 4
- Mindset and Milestones: Prepping for a Life Upgrade – ANT Live 3
- The Importance of Getting Away – ANT Live 2
- Catching up with Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms – ANT Live 1
- Small Scale Life Episode 198 – Grass Fed Farm Business with Adam Rick
- Small Scale Life Episode 199 – Creating Heritage Meals and Deep Roots with Adam Rick
In Closing….From the North to the South
From the East to the West and
Everywhere in between.
May the gods, spirits and folk
Be blessed at this place.
May we heal the land and
Protect the soil, animals and plants.
May we live in strength and love.
Leading the Way
As we learn, do grow and
Be a little better everyday!
This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast. Have a great week! We’ll be back soon with another show. In the meantime, stay safe and take care everybody!
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
The post Dreams and Goals: How to Manifest Your Future appeared first on Small Scale Life.
How do you find your passion? Do you even know what your passion is? If you know what your passion is, are you doing something that taps into that internal fire that lights you up?
Many of us have a skill, a talent, knowledge, experience, ability or product that we create or do without thinking about it. We have that secret something or interest that drives us and lights us up. Some of us take it to the next step and create a hobby out of that thing. Others tell us that we are “really good at that thing and could sell it or make a business out of it.” Some of us take that step forward and create that business or follow that passion in our career.
There are others, however, that struggle with finding that thing. They don’t seem to have that bright fire for one particular skill or thing.
In this episode, Adam and I are focusing on how to find our passion. We hope to answer the following questions:
- How can you discover your passion?
- What are the benefits and drawbacks of following your passion?
- What are you willing to sacrifice for your passion?
Not everything is rose petals, rainbows and unicorns. The rose does have thorns, and there are some drawbacks of following your passion, and Adam and I will talk about those things as well.
LinksShow SponsorThis live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: Modern Frontier Farms Website
Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!
When he isn’t at a Farmer’s Market or hanging out with his wonderful wife and beautiful kids, Adam can be found at the following locations:
- Modern Frontier Farms Instagram
- Modern Frontier Farms TikTok
Other Related ShowsAdam has been a guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast a number of times. Here is a quick list of shows where he has been the guest or cohost:
- Boredom: A Path to Mindfulness and Innovation – ANT Live 5
- Hustles and Hurdles: Side Hustles and the Gig Economy – ANT Live 4
- Mindset and Milestones: Prepping for a Life Upgrade – ANT Live 3
- The Importance of Getting Away – ANT Live 2
- Catching up with Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms – ANT Live 1
- Small Scale Life Episode 198 – Grass Fed Farm Business with Adam Rick
-
Small Scale Life Episode 199 – Creating Heritage Meals and Deep Roots with Adam Rick Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
-
Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
The post How to Find Your Passion: From Hobbies to Heartbeat appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 233 Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, my good friend Adam Rick and I discuss Boredom and How it is a Path to Mindfulness and Innovation.
As we have gotten older and experienced more of our own Small Scale Lives, Adam and I realized that we are BUSY. We are running from thing to thing, event to event, obligation to obligation. When you are super busy, you don’t have time to let your mind wander and solve problems. You just don’t have capacity.
It is even worse when you are holding on for dear life in Survival Mode. Trust me, Julie and I have been there and done that for a large chunk of our married lives. It is really hard to sit still and dream when the money is running out and there are a lot of bills piling up. It is even worse when you lose a family member or dear friend. The muse does not speak, nor does the inspiration come. Boredom has a different name during these periods, and it is really, really hard to focus on anything else.
Show TopicsAdam and I will be discussing boredom in this episode. We talk about the benefits of boredom, and we discuss places and spaces where one can be bored. For Adam, it is in a tree stand in the fall. For me, it is 10,000 feet in the air in an airplane (Capricorns do love water, soil and sky – goats do climb, my friends). By the way, this photo was from a recent trip to Orange County, California. That is Mount Hood in the background. Yes, I had to go through Seattle to get to California. Talk about boredom!
Before we dive into the Boredom topic, we will discuss the results of the Halloween on Main Chili Contest in Dousman, WI. Who won? Who lost? What lessons were learned along the way?
OF COURSE, we’ll be THE BEST damn boring Livestream on YouTube you have ever seen.
Boredom, Creativity and ExperimentationHaving REGULAR downtime to dream, think and create is just what the doctor ordered. The BEST ideas occur when you stop, let go, breathe and let your mind wader. It might not come immediately, but eventually your brain will work on that issue that you are struggling with and when you are hopelssly stuck…and develop a solution.
Think about it: what WAS Sir Isaac Newton doing while sitting under that apple tree?
I bet he was bored and daydreaming. Suddenly, an apple fell from the higher branch of the tree, and the apple dropped right on his head. Unique accidents while you are having downtime creates curiousity, experimentation and discovery. In Sir Issac Newton’s case, a simple event in 1665 or 1666 drove him to discover gravity.
Here are some facts about this particular discovery:
- The “apple event” probably occurred in 1665 or 1666. This was during the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague.
- Sir Issac Newton was probably taking a minute to be outside and be clear and free of germs, death and dying happening all around him. Approxinately 30% of the people infected with the Bubonic Plague died within two weeks! Boredom in this case was a welcome friend, and it certainly was a pathway to innovation!
- Sir Isaac Newton worked on the theory of gravity for 20 years. He was testing and confirming the theory of gravity during that time.
- Sir Issac Newton published the theory of gravity in his book “Principia Mathematica” in 1687.
As an engineer, we used Newton’s Second Law daily in our calculations. After all, a Force (F) is a product of mass (m) times acceleration (a): F = m*a.
Amazing what one little apple and boredom can create, isn’t it?
What is your apple? Are you bored enough to get hit in the head with that kind of inspiration?
social medLinksShow SponsorThis live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: Modern Frontier Farms Website
Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!
When he isn’t at a Farmer’s Market or hanging out with his wonderful wife and beautiful kids, Adam can be found at the following locations:
- Modern Frontier Farms Instagram
- Modern Frontier Farms TikTok
Other Related ShowsAdam has been a guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast a number of times. Here is a quick list of shows where he has been the guest or cohost:
- Boredom: A Path to Mindfulness and Innovation – ANT Live 5
- Hustles and Hurdles: Side Hustles and the Gig Economy – ANT Live 4
- Mindset and Milestones: Prepping for a Life Upgrade – ANT Live 3
- The Importance of Getting Away – ANT Live 2
- Catching up with Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms – ANT Live 1
- Small Scale Life Episode 198 – Grass Fed Farm Business with Adam Rick
-
Small Scale Life Episode 199 – Creating Heritage Meals and Deep Roots with Adam Rick Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
-
Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
The post Boredom: A Path to Mindfulness and Innovation appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 232nd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and I are discussing Side Hustles and the Gig Economy. It seems like there is not enough money for the month at times. One way to make resources stretch is through side hustles and the gig economy.
Why is the Gig Economy a Thing?If you look at the the data and drill down to historical wages, you will see that American wages have been stagnant since 1970. Using data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can see the following:
“A startling fact is that average real wages have grown by only 0.7 percent over the half century beginning in February 1973. In February 2022 dollars, wages have grown over this period by $0.18. There is no question that an $0.18 increase over a half century is correctly interpreted as stagnant.” Source: American Enterprise Institute
While wages are stagnant, wew are also dealing with spiraling prices on literally everything: housing, transportation, food, clothing, communication, entertainment, and medical care. It has not been easy to make dollars stretch at the end of the month. Lately it seems that there is more month than dollars, and we have to get very creative to make things stretch.
While my friend Adam is correct that people have held second jobs in each generation, it seems like a lot of folks are resorting to second jobs in the gig economy to make ends meet or focus extra funds on nagging l0ng term credit card, automobile or housing debt. Whatever the reason, people are using the gig economy to survice, and some are using the gig economy to thrive.
What is the Gig Economy?The Internal Revenue Service defines the Gig Economy as the following:
“The gig economy—also called sharing economy or access economy—is activity where people earn income providing on-demand work, services or goods. Often, it’s through a digital platform like an app or website.” Source: Internal Revenue Service
In layman’s terms, it is a labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs. Yes, that means employees are typically third party freelancers or independent contractors. These free lancers and/or independent contractors do not get benefits such as medical insurance, sick leave, time off or retirement benefits. Instead, they are typically 1099 “employees,” and income is reported and taxes are paid to the Internal Revenue Service from the freelancer and/or independent contractor. The gig economy holding company (Lyft, Ubrer, Uber Eats, etc) does not withold and pay taxes for you like a regular full time or part time position. See the Internal Revenue Service for more information about the tax ramifications of the gig economy.
The Internal Revenue Service also has a list of potential gig economy work and digital platforms that fall under the gig economy. See their site for more information on those jobs and digital platforms.
LinksShow SponsorThis live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: Modern Frontier Farms Website
Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!
Modern Frontier Farms Instagram
Other Related ShowsSmall Scale Life Episode 228 – ANT Live 1: Catching up with Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms
Small Scale Life Episode 198 – Grass Fed Farm Business with Adam Rick
Small Scale Life Episode 199 – Creating Heritage Meals and Deep Roots with Adam Rick
In Closing….From the North to the South
From the East to the West and
Everywhere in between.
May the gods, spirits and folk
Be blessed at this place.
May we heal the land and
Protect the soil, animals and plants.
May we live in strength and love.
Leading the Way
As we learn, do grow and
Be a little better everyday!
This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast. Have a great week! We’ll be back soon with another show. In the meantime, stay safe and take care everybody!
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
The post Hustles and Hurdles: Side Hustles and the Gig Economy appeared first on Small Scale Life.
I stopped by Driftless Oaks Farm this week, and as I looked at the property, it hit me that it was one of a few fast fading dreams. I realized that I am turning the page and leaving the farm behind, and even though it sounds sad, this epiphany had to happen for me to move forward here at the Landing. In Episode 231, I discuss some observations, memories and epiphanies I had as I looked over the farmhouse, outbuildings and property.
Fading Dreams…There have been a Couple!It is no secret that moving to a farm/homestead was my dream. All you have to do is look back through the archive of Small Scale Life Podcast episodes, and you can see that I was working hard to move out of the city and move to Western Wisconsin. In fact, Julie and I looked at some properties in 2017 before moving from our rental house in St. Louis Park to North Minneapolis, Minnesota. The timing wasn’t right until 2020, and right as COVID hit, Julie and I found a little slice of heaven on the Apple River in Star Prairie, Wisconsin, about 7 miles from The Landing (our current home).
Eagle’s RidgeWe purchased the Eagles Ridge property with a dream to build a house, garden and pole barn there. It was a 2 acre property on the Apple River just north of New Richmond, Wisconsin. We worked hard clearing buckthorn, prickly ash and honey suckle (all invasives) from the property and clearing the top of the ridge so we could see the river. We also cleared down by the water and put in a long switchback path down the 60-foot bluff from the top of the ridge to the river.
COVID, riots, and global shortages pushed the cost of building a home to astronomical heights, and we decided to pivot and go a different direction. Early one morning, Julie and I woke up early, and she convinced me to put Eagle’s Ridge on a shelf and start to move on from that fading dream. It was not the right time to build a house.
Driftless Oaks FarmJulie’s brother in Texas was looking at homes and properties for us, and he found Driftless Oaks Farm. We took a look at the property and the price, and we fell in love with it. A major dream had been accomplished, and we couldn’t wait to move in as soon as possible!
Not all that glitters is gold, however. We were overwhelmed by the amount of work there, and we also ran into a massive roadblock: the house. We bought the farm with the intention of hosting gatherings there with our family and friends. I even started planning homesteading gatherings at the farm where folks would come and listen to great homesteaders and gardeners talk about things that they were doing on their homesteads. Think Self-Reliance Festival in Maiden Rock, Wisconsin!
The house was small, and we found out that contractors were not keen on working with and adding on to a 1900-era house. The farmhouse was small, and it would have been difficult to add on to the house with the stone foundation in the front and cellar in the back. Contractors recommended bringing in a bulldozer and starting from scratch.
Did we have fading dreams once we did some diligence? Yes, absolutely. It happened fast on the farm, especially after major life events in 2022. After Danny passed away, we decided it was time to sell and move away from the little farm. We did not see how we could improve the farmhouse economically and make it work for us, so it was time to put it on the market and move forward.
This Week’s EpiphanyWhen I stopped by the farm this week and observed it from the neighbor’s hill, it suddenly occurred to me that the young man that purchased the property made some significant changes for the better. He had the creativity, audacity, tenacity and the network to make some things happen. I realized after looking at our little farm for a while that our farm life was one of many fading dreams, and it was time for me to turn the page and move on forever.
DISCLAIMERI am not a doctor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. I am not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice. Create and live your Small Scale Life at your own risk, but do it carefully and at your own risk. All actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.
In Closing….From the North to the South
From the East to the West and
Everywhere in between.
May the gods, spirits and folk
Be blessed at this place.
May we heal the land and
Protect the soil, animals and plants.
May we live in strength and love.
Leading the Way
As we learn, do grow and
Be a little better everyday!
This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast. Have a great week! We’ll be back soon with another show. In the meantime, stay safe and take care everybody!
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
The post Fading Dreams: Leaving the Farm Behind appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Our topic this week on the Adam and Tom Live (ANT LIVE) is “Mindset and Milestones: Prepping for a Life Upgrade.”
Before you step out on that limb and begin a new venture, there needs to be a shift in your mindset as and your prep for a life upgrade. Starting a new job, new small business, a new project, going in a different direction or starting over again from scratch takes planning, preparation and execution. A Life Upgrade IS a big deal and will change who you are and where you are going. Trust me, I know!
There will be ups and downs along the way. Let me repeat that: there WILL be ups and downs along the way.
Prepping for the lows (and the highs) is very important. It can take time for things to come together and start to flow the right way. How do you get over those valleys and keep going? What can you do to soften the blows and damage from the inevitable setbacks and storms?
Adam started a small business and has been methodically building it over the past couple years. Julie and I ventured into the wild and tried our hands at homesteading on a small farm. One of us is still working on their dream; the other one pivoted and went in a different direction.
What worked? What didn’t? What did they learn along the way?
A life upgrade is typically not easy and something that just happens overnight. A lot of planning and hard work are involved. I mean, usually when change happens THAT fast, something dramtically good (winning the lottery) or dramatically bad has happened. In my experience, it tends to be the later, and I wouldn’t necessarily call that a “life upgrade.” Serious illness, bankrupcy, job loss, financial ruin and death are definitely massive life changes, and those are not life upgrades. Maybe once you walk through that dark valley and climb out on the other side, something good can happen, but again: it takes a lot of planning, hard work, help and therapy to get out of the pit.
For this discussion, we are focusing on the mindset, milestones and prepping for a POSITIVE life upgrade. We’ll descend into the valley in a future show for you cannot have light without the dark, and that discussion is very important as well. This is all part of the inward journey of our Small Scale Life. Do not fear the darkness because it reminds us of how good the light can be and feel.
Take a listen! We will be livestreaming on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on October 14, 2024.
As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better every day. And that, my friends, is a good thing!
~Tom
LinksShow SponsorThis live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: Modern Frontier Farms Website
Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!
Modern Frontier Farms Instagram
Other Related ShowsSmall Scale Life Episode 229 – ANT Live 2: The Importance of Getting Away
Small Scale Life Episode 228 – ANT Live 1: Catching up with Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms
Small Scale Life Episode 198 – Grass Fed Farm Business with Adam Rick
Small Scale Life Episode 199 – Creating Heritage Meals and Deep Roots with Adam Rick
DISCLAIMERI am not a doctor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. I am not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice. Create and live your Small Scale Life at your own risk, but do it carefully and at your own risk. All actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.
In Closing….From the North to the South
From the East to the West and
Everywhere in between.
May the gods, spirits and folk
Be blessed at this place.
May we heal the land and
Protect the soil, animals and plants.
May we live in strength and love.
Leading the Way
As we learn, do grow and
Be a little better everyday!
This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast. Have a great week! We’ll be back soon with another show. In the meantime, stay safe and take care everybody!
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
The post Mindset and Milestones: Prepping for a Life Upgrade appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In Episode 229 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, my friend Adam Rick joins me as we discuss the importance of getting away on a short vacation or short trip. As we discuss, it can be for a few hours, a day trip or a much long trip that spans several days, week or month(s).
Both Adam and I went away this weekend. One of us had a get-away with his spouse; the other had a get-away with his son and friends (and their sons) on a fishing trip.
There are a lot of benefits to getting away for the weekend. We’ll talk about those, and maybe we’ll have some funny stories along the way. We’ll also talk about Adam’s livestock, my garden, maybe pass a recipe and discuss new things, skills or efforts we are trying this week.
As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!
~ Tom
LinksShow SponsorThis live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: Modern Frontier Farms Website
Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!
Modern Frontier Farms Instagram
Other Related ShowsSmall Scale Life Episode 228 – ANT Live 1: Catching up with Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms
Small Scale Life Episode 198 – Grass Fed Farm Business with Adam Rick
Small Scale Life Episode 199 – Creating Heritage Meals and Deep Roots with Adam Rick
DISCLAIMERI am not a doctor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. I am not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice. Create and live your Small Scale Life at your own risk, but do it carefully and at your own risk. All actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.
In Closing….From the North to the South
From the East to the West and
Everywhere in between.
May the gods, spirits and folk
Be blessed at this place.
May we heal the land and
Protect the soil, animals and plants.
May we live in strength and love.
Leading the Way
As we learn, do grow and
Be a little better everyday!
This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast. Have a great week! We’ll be back soon with another show. In the meantime, stay safe and take care everybody!
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
The post The Importance of Getting Away appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In Episode 228 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I had a chance to launch a new effort and Live Stream with Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel. I had interviewed and published a podcast episode back in January and February 2022. We had a chance to learn about Adam and his Grass Fed Farm Business that focuses on Regenerative Agriculture principles and protocols.
Adam and his partners are building soil in old over-fertilized farm fields in Central Wisconsin one animal (cow, pig, chicken and sheep) at a time. Now, Adam isn’t raising all of this livestock on his 5-acre homestead in Dousman, Wisconsin. Adam is working with a local cooperative of Amish farmers, Wautoma Family of Farms, along with other regional producers. Their goal is to produce animals that are raised the way nature intended to raise fantastic tasting food.
Links for this Live StreamLive Stream: Catching up with Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms
Modern Frontier Farms Website
Modern Frontier Farms Instagram
Grass Fed Farm Business with Adam Rick
Creating Heritage Meals and Deep Roots with Adam Rick
Small Scale Life YouTube Channel
Why a Small Scale Life Live Stream?Some of my audience is probably asking this question and wondering if the Small Scale Life Podcast is going away?
Those are great questions, and I want to explain what and why I am starting to Live Stream.
I talked about my last live stream with Adam, and that was way back in December 28, 2021. At that time, I published a live stream called “Monetizing a Homestead with Brian Aleksivich.” We were living at Driftless Oaks Farm, and I was struggling with the internet at that time. Since then, life has been busy and I have just not come back around to live streaming. Frankly, at times it was hard enough to keep up with the blog, podcast, social media, my real job and life!
In July, August and September, I did a lot of traveling for work. It’s been busy, and like the plants drying out in the Small Scale Garden when I was in St. Louis two weeks ago, content on Small Scale Life dried up. I want to change that pattern and become very reliable and consistent. I want to stop the wild swings back and forth of abundance and dearth (content wise).
I have been thinking about how I can make subtle changes to the Small Scale Life Podcast and the Small Scale Life Blog, so I can be consistent and bring value to the audience. I want to be more consistent and have a regularly scheduled show. Fortunately I have a friend who had an idea and wanted to have more conversations. That friend is Adam Rick, and we decided that we would have a regularly scheduled live stream show on Mondays on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel.
Looking AheadGoing forward, I will be hosting a live stream show with Adam on Mondays at 7:30 PM (for now, the time might change in the future depending on how this goes). I will be capturing the audio and posting an episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, so it will be available on all podcast streaming platforms.
As far as a name for this show, we’ll have to think about it. That is putting the cart before the horse at this point, but we’ll think of something.
I am excited about this new endeavor. There are other changes underway, and it might be a little more work for me initially, but the changes will help the audience find the right content at the right time. More on that very soon!
Ready or not, here we go. Let’s learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!
~ Tom
The post Live Stream: Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 227th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Tom discusses 9 Types of Garden Fertilizers and How to Use Them. Tom has tried different methods to improve plant growth in his gardens over the years, and he shares his experience and “recipes” with you.
This is intended to be a high level discussion of different fertilizers including Miracle Grow, Mittleider Method Micro-Nutrients, Used Coffee Ground Tea, Epsom Salt Tea, Comfrey Tea, Stinging Nettle Tea, Compost Tea, Worm Casting Tea and Fish Emulsion Tea.
Obviously this is just scratching the surface on garden fertilizers, and there are other products and methods that folks have used to successfully grow healthy plants and have excellent harvests. Feel free to add your methods to the conversation by providing a comment on this article, sending a comment to him at the Contact Us Page or sending an email to him at realsmallscalelife@gmail.com.
Garden Fertilizer Recipes The following section will have “Garden Fertilizer Recipes” that you can use and try in your own garden. For all of these “teas,” you should use non-chlorinated water. If you use water from the tap or hose, make sure you let the water stand for about 24 hours to off gas the chlorine in the tap water. Yes, friends, our municipal water supply does have chlorine in it, and you don’t want to add chlorine to your soil and your plants.
For those of you with access to well water, rain water or pond/lake/river water, you can skip this off gassing “waiting period.” Mother Nature does not add chlorine to your water, and that is really a benefit of having a rain barrel or a well.
I have been using my rain barrel here at The Landing where I can, and I used well water at Driftless Oaks Farm.
REMEMBER: for all of these methods, I put the “tea” around the base of the plant. I do not spray the leaves of any of the plants. Keep it “low and slow” to minimize any viruses or blight. Wet leaves can equal blight, and we do not want that in our Small Scale Gardens.
Miracle Gro Garden Fertilizer
For the first time ever, I use Miracle Gro Garden Fertilizer in one of my gardens. This is truly one of the dark arts of gardening.
For my gardens, I followed the instructions on the side of the container. I put 1-1/4 Tablespoon of the Miracle Gro granules per gallon of water.
Mittleider Grow Method Mirco Nutrients and Garden Fertilizer
LinksLearn more about my Small Scale Garden and Gardening here at the The Landing on the Banks of the Willow River:
My 4 Garden Failures in 2024
Garden Chat: Building a Gardening and Homesteading Advice
3 Critical Elements of Vegetable Garden Layout Design and Planning
Intro to Rain Gutter Grow Systems
Introduction: How Build Vertical Garden Planters
Small Scale Life Wellness Facebook Group
Small Scale Life Podcast Facebook Group
Small Scale Life YouTube Channel – Garden Tours
Whole30 Challenge Register Here!This Whole 30 Challenge Starts Septembrer 3 and is FREE for all.To join us, simply fill out the form to the right. We will send you the 24 Hour Plan Worksheet, a link to the Small Scale Life Wellness Club on Facebook and other resources to start your Whole30 Challenge. You will also be subscribed to the Small Scale Life E-Newsletter called "Food 4 Thought."
For more information, go to Small Scale Life Wellness Page by clicking this text!
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Watch This Episode!Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
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- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
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To download and listen to this episode about Garden Fertilizers, click this text.Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
The post 9 Types of Garden Fertilizers and How to Use Them appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 226th episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast I discuss my four garden failures in the 2024 Season, why I suspects these plants are failing and how I plans to change things up to make more productive self-watering garden beds.
Yes….I know. I just built the garden in June 2024, and I am already thinking about making big changes (ahem improvements) to the garden and how I am going to grow plants in the future.
What’s the Issue?First off, let me say that I am super thankful to have a garden and to be able to “do it” again after being a nomad for 4 years. I tore up my garden in North Minneapolis when we moved in 2020, and I have not had a serious garden since. Yes, I planted some great comfrey that Brian and Kori Aleksivich brought to Eagles Ridge, and I planted rhubarb, comfrey, potatoes and some hapless tomaotes at Driftless Oaks Farm, but I did not have a garden that I have here at The Landing. I did not have something that I could really dig into (pun intended) and grow some great vegetables.
And that is where the frustration begins.
In the last episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discussed the problems I was having with certain plants that start with a p and end with an s. This particular plant has become my kryponite, my Voldemort and my mission impossible this year. I shall NOT write their names in this entry today….well, I might have to because of the title. But yes, this plant has just been stubborn, stuck in nuetral and dying out in my hybrid rain gutter grow system.
I usually have issues with getting peppers to germinate. They take a little more time and need heating pads before they start growing. With some heat, light, water and some good potting soil (coir and worm castings for the win this year), I can get them growing and growing. Even this year, that wasn’t a problem. I was pretty pleased with my pepper germination and initial growth.
The issue came after we transplanted all of the seedlings. They all slowed down: peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, squash (yes, I had planted some), dill, rosemary and other plants just had a hard time this year. It was really strange, and I think that seedling stage got a little out of whack after I kept moving them in and out of the garage. They needed solid and steady light to really get a good base and grow well initially. They didn’t get that consistency, and they got stuck in nuetral.
Couple that with how they were handled during transplanting, and it was a recipe for disaster.
As I reflect on the peppers, herbs, cherry tomato plants and squash, I can see how those issues impacted their initial growth. They had a tough time as seedlings, and I will be adjusting how much I grow and my process for the 2024 winter growing season and the 2025 garden season. I have learned my lessons, and I do not want to repeat those same mistakes!
That said, there was something else afoot. Something else was causing my plants to stop growing and denied them from thriving.
What could that be?
Taking Shortcuts leads to 4 Garden FailuresAt the end of July, I decided to punt with the peppers. They were not growing, and the ones that did start to grow were dug up by very active squirrels. It was a struggle, and I was not happy with how things were turning out. I was really looking forward to growing my own jalapenos and Beaver Dam Peppers this year; I had big plans for both in salsa and other dishes (hello, cowboy candy).
Alas! It was not to be.
I decided to remove the peppers from several of the grow bags and replant them with pole green beans and cucumbers. I figured I could shake the bad karma from the peppers and grow some cucumbers (to make pickles) and green beans (to make spicy dilly beans). So, I went ahead and planted some of my older saved green bean seeds in the western grow bags. In the eastern grow bags, I planted two varieties of cucumbers: a hybrid cucumber seed from Burpee and seeds from Maria the Inuitive Energy Healer.
According to plan, the seeds germinated nicely. I was excited by how fast plants were popping up, and I figured I had shaken the bad karma. Things were getting on track, and I was pretty pleased. Let’s freaking go!
Sadly, I began to realize that the cucumbers and green beans were getting stuck like the pepper seedlings. Something stopped their growth. They sprouted the first leaves and just sat there. How could this be? They had all of the basic elements needed to grow plants: light, water and nutrients.
Or so I thought!
As I look at those basic elements and really evaluated what was happening, I realized that I had made a serious tactical error in my haste to get the garden planted. I had purchased some lower cost soil from a big box store, and I used that soil in Julie’s Wicking Bed in the front near the garage and in my grow bags. The cherry tomatoes, peppers, green beans, squash, cucumbers, yellow pear tomato plant and rosemary all had a burst of growth and then got stuck in neutral while the big Wicking Beds and ginger were seeing really good growth!
What was going on?
In the big Wicking Beds and in the Ginger Wicking Bed, I used different soil. In one of the grow bags, I had used different soil. In these garden beds, plants were thriving and producing! In the grow bags using the lower cost soil, nothing was happening and plants were dying. Clearly these things were not like the other!
The real moment of truth came when I purchased and used some Miracle Grow fertilizer on the grow bags. I decided to throw a Hail Mary pass and see if the foul beast (Miracle Grow) would make a difference. So, following the instructions, I filled a five gallon bucket with rain water and added Miracle Grow to the water. I stirred it up, applied it to the grow bags and waited.
I didn’t have to wait long. Suddenly the cucumbers started sprouting new leaves, the green beans started to sprout tendrils and green leaves, and the cherry tomatoes grew inches taller and put out the first blossoms.
The problem was the cheap soil.
It literally is like desert sand with a dark color. I really don’t think it has many nutrients for the plants to use for growth. So…the plants get stuck or start to die because there is nothing for them to eat.
Adding the fertilizer gave the plants some much needed food, and they responded in kind. So, I had isolated the problem, and I will need to keep adding fertilizer until this season is over. Then, I can remove ALL of that soil and put it into the compost pile so I can rework it and add leaf mold, compost and other matter to it. The soil will be better someday, but not right now. It has little value in its current state.
My 4 garden failures really is 1 garden failure: taking a shortcut with cheap soil to get everything planted. I didn’t take the time and effort to do it right in my haste to get everything going, and it cost me time and frustration this summer. What should be a great time in the garden turned into a exercise in frustration.
The Epiphany after My 4 Garden FailuresAs I was drivng home from Appleton, Wisconsin, this week, I started to think more and more about the styles of Wicking Beds and Self-Watering Planters. I thought about how I was growing plants and how I wanted to grow plants in the future. I thought about the Rain Gutter Grow System I had seen during my Bronx Neighborhood Garden Tour and the trouble my brother and mother have had with blight using grow bags and other homemade small self-watering planters. I thought about my own experience in North Minneapolis: about what worked and what didn’t.
I had to ask myself: how do you REALLY want to grow plants in the future?
Somewhere around Chippewa Falls/Eau Claire, I had made a decision about how I wanted to grow plants in the future. I decided that my best gardens had been when I was planting in a bigger soil block, and that is how I should garden going forward. That’s when I decided to record this podcast episode.
For those of you who do not know what a soil block is, I want you to picture a big chunk, a big block, of soil. In that block, you can have worms, leaf mold, some sticks, microorganism and other organic matter. It is its own micro environment, and that soil block can be incredibly rich, diverse and productive. A great example of this right now is the big Wicking Beds in my metal watering troughs. The soil is incredibly rich as it was made from diverse sources of compost and leaf mold mixed with peat moss and vermiculite. The plants are responding quite well, and I see that I am going to have a great tomato, zucchini, basil and bush bean harvest from those Wicking Beds. The Wicking Beds are essentially a 2 foot wide by 2 foot high by 7 foot long soil block. Plants, or rather roots, interact with one another and share water and nutrients.
The Wicking Beds are great examples of big, productive soil blocks. The Grow Bags on the Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow Systems are the exact opposite of that, however. Most of the grow bags are 3 gallon grow bags; that means they are 9 inches in diameter and (maybe) 9 inches tall. The tomatoes are in 5 gallon grow bags; that means they are 12 inches in diamere and (maybe) 12 inches tall. There is no interaction between plantes other than the water they share in the self watering system.
Why does that matter?
Plants are on their own island, and there is no benefit from companion planting. In the Wicking Beds, I planted bush beans in the middle of the planter. These beans are providing nutrients to the tomato plants. In the grow bags, the green beans are by themselves, and the cherry tomatoes get no benefit from the green beans planted next to them. Soil is not shared, and there is no interaction between the plants.
As I think about HOW I want to garden going forward, I want to have bigger soil blocks. Plants seem to grow better, and I will have less mirco environments to manage. With the Wicking Beds, I have just 2 micro environments to manage. With the grow bags, I have 32 micro environments to manage.
That’s a lot of small soil blocks to manage!
Companion planting, fertilizing, and managing these micro environments is difficult, and who wants to develop and manage complicated systems?
Next Steps for the 2025 Garden SeasonMy 4 Garden Failures (peppers, cumcumbers, beans and tomaotes in grow bags) has taught me a valuable lesson and set me on a new path. I am going to reduce the number of grow bags I use in the future, and I am going to make bigger soil blocks for my plants to grow in. To do that, I am going to replace the Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow Systems with Wicking Bed Planters.
That doesn’t mean I am running out and buying new watering troughs!
I am going to repurpose my two Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow Systems and use them for herbs and peppers or cucumbers. I am going to take the wooden frames and add half barrels from 55 gallon plastic drums. I have been mulling over this concept for almost 3 years, and I didn’t quite have the correct vision at Driftless Oaks Farm.
Now I do.
In that video from Driftless Oaks Farm, I see that I had some ideas about how to use plastic gallon drums, but I wasn’t using them quite right. Admittedly, I wasn’t taking care of those wicking beds like I would today. I was pretty cavalier in that garden walk video, but in reality I was oversteched and overwhelmed. When you have an old farmhouse, outbuildings, overgrown everything, rotting structures, an orchard and 10 acres of land, you have a lot going on. Still, I am proud of what I accomplished at Driftless Oaks Farm; I worked hard there because it was my labor of love and dream.
Now I have a new dream and a better proof of concept, and I will build everything out as soon as the 2024 garden season comes to a close. To prove that this wasn’t just hot air and gums flapping, I actually went out and bought some 55 gallon drums tonight. I am not messing around and dreaming; I am doing it. I have the barrels here at The Landing, and I am going to cut them and clean them this weekend.
Game on! It’s time to stop whining and complaining. It’s time to make a decision, pivot and move forward.
After all, I am all about learning, doing, growing and being a little better everyday!
And that, my friends, is a GOOD thing.
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps: Fireside.fm * iTunes * Spotify * Stitcher * Google Play * Podbean * iHeartRadio*
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Learn How to Start Plants from Seed!Do you know how to grow plants from seed successfully?
Growing plants, particularly vegetables and herbs, is a fundament piece of building a resilient life. There is nothing like growing healthy plants and harvesting produce and herbs in the late summer and autumn. With supply chains tightening across the globe, it is a great time to start growing some of your own food!
Many folks don't know where to start or feel they have a "black thumb." Well, you CAN grow plants from seeds. All you need to provide are four elements: light, nutrients, water and heat!
This FREE Guide will walk you through my process for growing vegetables and herbs from seed successfully. You do not need expensive equipment!
My goal is to get this information out there, so please print the copies and give these to your family, friends and neighbors. We want people to START their journey towards becoming more resilient, and gardening is a great first step!
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The post My 4 Garden Failures in 2024 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 223rd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discuss the Whole30 Reintroduction Phase. This is a critical part of the Challenge, and I have 8 Tips for a successful Whole30 Reintroduction Phase. Remember: this part of the Challenge is incredibly important, so please take this phase slow and don’t rush through it.
So let’s talk about it.
Your Whole30 Experience – First 30 DaysWe are on Day 30 of our April 2024 Whole30 Challenge! We have arrived! Congratulations on making it to Day 30.
This is an amazing accomplishment (this is a hard challenge), and I am very proud of you. I am thrilled you made it this far. Even if you had a day or two where you went off plan and the rails, you made it to this point. Well done! Good job. You are AWESOME!
For the last 30 days, you have essentially been detoxing and resetting your body and metabolism. You have taken the time and effort to focus on you and your health.
How did you do that?
You cut out the foods and stuff that inflames your body including:
- Processed sugar (real or artificial) or honey. Remember: fruit is just fine and good for you
- Alcohol (drinking it or using it in cooking)
- Diet soda (since it is full of artificial sweeteners) and regular soda
- Grains including wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, sprouted grains, and all gluten-free pseudo-cereals like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat. You are focusing on eliminating gluten from your diet with this category of foods.
- Legumes including beans (black, red, pinto, navy, garbanzo/chickpeas, white, kidney, lima, fava, cannellini, lentils, adzuki, mung, cranberry, and black-eyes peas); peanuts (including peanut butter or peanut oil); and all forms of soy (soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy protein, soy milk, or soy lecithin).
- Dairy including cow’s-milk, goat’s-milk, or sheep’s-milk products like milk, cream, cheese, kefir, yogurt, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sour cream. The only exceptions are clarified butter or ghee.
- Heavily processed foods (pre-made meals, deli meats, ham, bacon, etc)
- Recreating baked goods,”treats”, or junk food with approved ingredients. Some folks have gone out of their way to recreate baked goods using approved ingredients, and while this is probably better than eating the real thing, it is still not Whole30 approved.
- Measuring or weighing yourself during the 30 day Whole30 Challenge. You followed through with this, right?.
At times, it seemed like a real struggle, especially in the early days. Old habits and patterns are really hard to break. Meals take planning and preparation, and you just can’t walk in and make a quick sandwich and eat some carrots. You have to plan and execute daily.
At the same time, literally almost every food has sugar in it (high fructose corn syrup or just plain old sugar). Just read the labels of your favorite food; it’s there! Trust me.
At this point, you are probably sick of eggs, chicken, potatoes and sweet potatoes by now. We are really sick of rotisserie chicken and potatoes here, especially after going through back-to-back Whole30 Challenges.
You are ready to start fresh and new on Day 31…but hold your horses!
The Whole30 Reintroduction PhaseI am sorry, but it is not time to celebrate the end of the Whole30 Challenge with pizza and beer. Julie and I did that in our very first Whole30 Challenge, and we missed a critical part of this process.
The fact is that your Whole30 Challenge is not done yet. It is time for the most important part of this process: the Whole30 Reintroduction.
This is the part of the challenge where you actually slowly and methodically add those off limits foods back into your diet and life and see how your body reacts. When you add those things back into your meals, pay attention to how you feel. After you reintroduce these foods, you might:
- Have an allergic reaction
- Have stomach/digestive issues (gas, bloating, frequent bathroom use or constipated)
- Get a headache or feel that brain fog
- Feel “off” or spacy
- Feel just fine
Go slow. Don’t introduce it all at once (ie, kowabunga with pizza and beer). You want to see how these things affect you, so introduce one type of food at a time.
The Big Why for the Whole30 ReintroductionReintroduction is so important because you are gathering data and information about your body as you introduce these foods. You are in control of Experiment You, and you have a golden opportunity to figure out what makes Project You work (and doesn’t work).
At the end of the Whole30 Reintroduction Phase, you will know what foods really trigger you, and what foods don’t. It puts the power in your hands. You can then decide:
- Which foods are “ok” to eat. They might not be the greatest choices, but eating them is ok and has no adverse side effects to your body, digestion or mental capacity.
- Which foods you can eat “occasionally.” There might be some limited or minor side effects, but eating these foods occasionally is not going to have severe impacts.
- Which foods are “hell no” foods. These foods trigger frequent trips to the bathroom, allergic reaction, brain fog, or bloating/gas/cramps. Eating these foods has consequences, and you need to weigh the consequences versus the satisfaction of eating those foods. You have to ask yourself honestly: is the juice (how I feel afterward) worth the squeeze?
From my last Whole30 Reintroduction experience, I have found that dairy triggers me. It has become a “hell no” food for me, and that is hard. After all, I live in Wisconsin which is the Dairy State and home to the Packers, brats, beer and lots of glorious cheese.
Cheese is sacred here, but I cannot eat it in large quantities lest things get messy. That is a sad reality for me because I grew up on cheese and ice cream, but I was paying close attention and learned a lot in my March 2024 Whole30 Challenge. This is the reality of how my body reacts to these foods now, and I need to plan meals and eat accordingly.
In fact, that is why I chose this episode’s cover photo: I took this picture of Jules eating a “Blizzard” from the world famous Ellsworth Creamery in Ellsworth, Wisconsin. We took this picture to taunt our family in Plover, Wisconsin, because they love the ice cream, curds and pizza from the Creamery (as do we). I actually passed on ice cream that day because of the March 2024 Whole30 Reintroduction, but Jules got a little snack for the road. The roles have reveresed where I would be the ice cream hound and she would have passed! Now, Jules likes her Butterfinger Blizzard, and I need to avoid ice cream like the plague. Sad…but true.
Such is life as our bodies change with age and time.
It Starts with a PlanHow do you navigate this Whole30 Reintroduction Phase successfully?
You will need to take some time and come up with a plan for Reintroduction. To help you plan, remember these tips:
- Keep eating clean on the Whole30 plan during this period.
- Add just one of those things you cut out per day.
- Pay close attention to how you feel.
- Keep a journal and write down how you feel.
- Continue to eat the Whole30 way until the Reintroduction Phase is over. It’s your baseline during this next phase.
- If something makes your body react, note it, write it in your journal, and back off that food or try something else. You have your answer about that particular food.
It is critically important to continue eating “Whole30 clean” during this Reintroduction period and slowly introduce these foods. Rushing it does you no good and “corrupts” the data you are collecting.
What do I mean?
Imagine eating a piece of pizza (or three) and drinking a beer to celebrate the end of the Whole30 Challenge. A couple hours later, your stomach is rumbling, and it’s time to go to the bathroom.
As you try to figure out what triggered your stomach and bowels, you literally have no clue. Was it the crust, the cheese, the pepperoni or sausage (or whatever), the marinara sauce or the beer?
You don’t know. You can’t know because you literally overloaded your reset and detoxed system with an avalanche of processed foods and sugars. Essentially you have just blown your Reintroduction Phase by doing this.
Don’t do that! Don’t be like Tom and Julie Whole30 Reintroduction 1.0.
I mean, nothing is permanent and over. You can recover and start the Whole30 Reintroduction Phase over again, but you lost some important information about what triggers your body and digestive system in one moment of weakness.
Don’t do that! Be better; do better!
You have 30 days of clean eating under your belt; take the time to plan out your meals and prepare meals. You can make it for another 10, 15, 20 or 30 days as you work through this Reintroduction Phase.
Trust me! The hard work has been done; you just need to go a little further and a little longer.
Keep Going!Remember: keep going. Don’t stop now; you are almost there.
The Reintroduction Phase is an incredibly important part of the Whole30 Challenge. You will be using the results of this phase to develop a plan for living the rest of your life. Don’t rush through this step; take your time.
Remember these 8 Tips for the Reintroduction Phase:
1. Keep eating clean on the Whole30 plan during this period.
2. Add just one of those things you cut out per day.
3. Pay close attention to how you feel.
4. Keep a journal and write down how you feel.
5. Continue to eat the Whole30 way until the Reintroduction Phase is over. It’s your baseline during this next phase.
6. If something makes your body react, note it, write it in your journal, and back off that food or try something else. You have your answer about that particular food.
7. Develop your list of “ok” foods, “occasional” foods and “hell no” foods. Eat accordingly; this is your new lifestyle. Remember: this is not a diet!
8. Live your life empowered after this Whole30 Reintroduction Phase is complete.
We are moving right along and almost finished. Stay focused. Keep going! It does get easier and better!
What’s Next?As the Whole30 Challenge winds down, I am beginning to pivot to late spring and summer activities. We have completed and are working on A LOT of landscaping projects here at The Landing (our homestead here on the Willow River in Western Wisconsin).
The biggest of these projects that I need to complete is building my new garden! I am so excited about this project because I have not had a serious garden since we left North Minneapolis in 2020. I am more than ready to get my Wicking Bed Gardens and Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow System Garden Beds operational. The time is now, and I am going to be getting a lot of exercise getting everything set.
You might be wondering how the Whole30 Challenge corresponds to gardening and homesteading? That is a good question, and my answer is this:
We can control our food and what is put on or into our food by growing it ourselves on our property, foraging it in the wild or buying/bartering for it from local farmers and homesteaders.
This is a realization I came to back in 2008, and this is why Small Scale Life focuses on gardening and homesteading. We can improve the quality of our health and lives by growing food ourselves and shopping locally in our local community. This is the essence of Small Scale Life, and this will be a topic of future posts.
In the meantime, please send your questions and comments to realsmallscalelife@gmail.com or comment at smallscalelife.com.
Depending on interest, we might facilitate another Whole30 Challenge in the Fall of 2024 (improving on this experience based on feedback), and we will have a new book to work with at that point. Until then, please continue to follow us at Small Scale Life as we garden, homestead, build a backyard bird sanctuary and connect with people from the banks of the Willow River in Western Wisconsin.
As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday.
And that, my friends, is a good thing!
~ Tom
In Closing….As we close this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, remember to keep going. It might seem like an impossible thing to achieve your goals (like starting a small business, losing stubborn weight, tackling your debt or becoming that person you always wanted to become), but it is achievable.
You can do it!
You need to put one step in front of the other, but you have to begin that journey by making a decision and taking that step forward.
So….Start. Take that step. You can do it! We are here to help.
This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast reminding you to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. We’ll be back real soon; take care, everybody!
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
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- iTunes
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Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
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The post 8 Tips for a Successful Whole30 Reintroduction appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Happy Spring, everyone! In this 222nd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to discuss attending my first Beekeeper Conference called Beek Meet 2024 and 5 Lessons Learned from Beekeepers last weekend.
While I am not a beekeeper, I found the conference incredibly interesting, educational and entertaining. I also met some really great folks at the conference, and I had a chance to connect with some really good friends from Ohio.
What is the Beek Meet 2024?Beek Meet is the largest beekeeping conference in Central Wisconsin. It was a partnership between the Central Wisconsin Beekeepers Association and North Central Technical College in Wausau, Wisconsin. I have never been to a beekeeper conference before. Why did I go to Beek Meet 2024?
The simple answer is: I went to go see my friends Greg and Susan Burns.
I have been friends with Greg and Susan Burns since 2017. Greg has been on the Small Scale Life Podcast a couple of times (including our second most listened to episode Homesteading 101). Greg has been to our house a number of times, and each time we get together, we talk about some deep subjects. Greg is one of those deep thinkers that I really love talking to. In fact, we planned to record a podcast the last time he was at our apartment, but we ended up talking for three hours straight. It was an awesome evening, and I will always cherish those conversations.
When Greg posted on Facebook that he was going to be at Beek Meet 2024 in Wausau, Wisconsin, I immediately began to plot and plan how I could get over and see him and listen to his presentation. Wausau is only two and a half hours east of us, so if Greg and Susan can drive eight hours, I can get over there and see them!
At the same time, I could get to meet Brian from Castle Hives from Ohio and Bruce from Bruce’s Bees in Alabama. Greg, Brian and Bruce make up The Stream Team (pictured above), which is a live streaming collaboration that focuses on topics, people, products and issues in the beekeeping world. It was pretty cool to meet them in person and give them a Small Scale Life coffee mug.
Fortunately, things worked out well where I could go to the conference while Julie visited our nieces in Stevens Point at the same time. We could then get back together and enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day dinner of corn beef and potatoes with my brother and his family.
Am I Getting Bees?Since going to Beek Meet 2024, a few folks (family and friends) have asked me if I am getting bees. That is a great question, and a lot of folks know how interested I am in bees. In fact, I was planning on getting bees if we stayed at Driftless Oaks Farm, but that plan was for the farm where we had 10 acres and pollinator gardens and orchards on our property and on the neighbor’s properties.
Over the years, I have interviewed beekeepers like Michael Jordan, Adam Napier, Doneil Freeman and Greg Burns on the Small Scale Life Podcast. We had some very interesting conversations about beekeeping and the business of bees and honey.
Since starting my blogs in 2014, I have visited some apiaries over the years as well. One of my first trips was going to an apiary south of the Twin Cities with our friend Rick. I also went with him to pick up bees that were fresh off the truck from California. I also watched Michael Jordan split one of Doneil Freeman’s hives at his homestead near Colorado Springs.
It is fascinating to see the bees work and do their thing in Nature, and I enjoy learning about bees. I even found some of the research done about bees fascinating, but as much as I like bees, I do not have that plan to add bees here at The Landing.
For now.
Don’t tell Jules that.
5 Lessons Learned from the Beek Meet 2024As I reflect on the presentations I attended at Beek Meet 2024, I boiled down the information down into the following are the five lessons learned:
Lesson 1: Beekeepers come from all walks of lifeAs I shared some of my photos of the packed classrooms, vendor areas and auditorium with my family and friends, they all said the same thing:
“Wow! There are a lot of different people at that conference. Beekeepers aren’t just old men!”
Yes ,indeed, there were a lot of folks at Beek Meet 2024. I don’t know what the final numbers were, but I bet it was around 200 people or so. The main auditorium was full, and break out sessions were at capacity (about 30 people in each session). People are interested in bees and beekeeping, and they showed up!
At the same time, I am not sure where the “beekeepers are old men” stereotype originated. Perhaps it is because older beekeepers are the face of the industry and hobby or because the stereotype that young people are “too busy” or live too fast to work with bees?
I am not sure.
I can honestly say that beekeepers come from all walks of life. Yes, there are a number of old guys working with bees and running the conference, but there are a bunch of young beekeepers and homesteaders (men and women) that are very interested in getting back to the land and living a more holistic life. There are others who want to make meads from honey on their own properties, and still others that want to start a small business from income generated from honey, comb, creamed honey or other products that come from the bees or support the beekeeping industry.
Lesson 2: Bees communicate to each other; so should weThe first session I attended was titled “Collective Intelligence in Honey Bees and Honey Bee Dance Language” by David Peck, Ph.D. While the thought of sitting through a “boring lecture by an old professor” crossed my mind (I mean, a doctor working at Cornell University fit the old man stereotype, to be honest).
I braced myself for boredom and actually had my computer in my backpack.
To my surprise, Dr. Peck is not old at all; I think he is younger than me! He is a very good speaker and had a very entertaining and informative presentation about how bees communicate with each other.
As foragers leave the hive, they find pollen sources near the hive. They evaluate each of the pollen sources and come back to the hive. By “waggling” or dancing, the foragers tell other bees about the direction, distance and quality of the pollen sources.
At the same time, the forager bees use a solar compass to locate pollen sources and dance to communicate that information to the hive. It all comes down to how they dance when they return to the hive. It was fascinating to find out that bees have a better grasp of directions and wayfinding than most people without GPS on their cellphones!
Bees are communicating to each other about the location and the quality of food sources. They are sharing information with an abundance mindset. In fact, the survival of their hive depends on it.
So what is the take-away for us?
Sometimes we get caught up in the ebb and flow of life, especially this time of year when we all hibernate in our homes. Perhaps people are dealing with difficult life issues right now, kids’ activities, or just don’t want to go outside when the air typically hurts our faces. We sometimes trudge on alone, like monks or hermits working and meditating in a remote mountain monastery.
As the weather improves, we need to leave the safety of the hive and brave the outside world in order to connect. In our case, we need to connect with others around us and build our community right here.
This spring, we will be connecting with and gathering the neighbors here. We are going to invite them to dinner and break bread with them. We aren’t the newest in the neighborhood, but we are still new here. Julie and I have the space, and we have the motivation to do it. We want to know the people living in this small town around us, so it will all start with food (my love language, frankly) and with us taking the first step.
Now…I just need to work on my “pollen waggle” to communicate with the neighbors. I think that will be a hit, especially in a yellow and black speedo! Don’t you think?
Lesson 3: There are many paths and methods out there; find one that works for youOne of the presentations was all about Wintering Bees in Wisconsin. The presenter was talking about using Reflectix insulation board to enclose their hives and keep the bees alive in our harsh winter months. They had seen great results using this method.
During the question and answer portion of the session, it was clear that other beekeepers have their favorite methods. One particular beekeeper stated that he had lost all but one hive using the method the presenter was showcasing. The hives literally had iced up inside, killing all the bees. They preferred the tried and true tar paper method (enclosing the hives in black tar paper).
The presenter made a good point: his method worked for his operation in his apiary. Not all methods work the same everywhere. It really depends on the layout, location, and direction of the apiary. The wind and snow can play a huge factor in the survival of the bees using this or any method.
As a homesteader and gardener, I know this to be true as well. My friends Doneil Freeman and Jason Grey often talked about using the Polyface Farm Chicken Tractors in Colorado, only to have the high winds pick up the tractors (with the chickens inside) and fling them down the pasture a hundred yards away. What works for Joe Salatin in Virginia didn’t work in Colorado (where Mother Nature really hates people there and seems to change her mind every couple minutes).
I have seen this in gardening too. We plant all the things, thinking that everything can just grow in our backyard garden, but environmental conditions (light, soil, water and temperature/growing season) might not support those plants. In addition, the variety of plant might not be ideal for that zone or that environment.
I had this experience with blueberries and rhubarb at Driftless Oaks Farm. I figured both should grow well in that magical loamy-clay soil. I planted four blueberry plants and four rhubarb plants. I kept the weeds back, watered them and fenced off the blueberries so the deer wouldn’t eat them down before they got big enough.
After a growing season, I had lost all four blueberry plants and two of the four rhubarb plants. I had a hard time figuring that out, especially as the asparagus, comfrey and potatoes thrived a few feet away in their own rows.
Maybe it was the soil? Maybe it was the slope? Maybe it was the pests? Maybe it was the variety of the plants?
I am not sure, but the bottom line is that what works for one person, homestead, garden or plant might not work universally. We need to figure that out for ourselves, and while we can report what is working (and what isn’t), we cannot be so rigid and dogmatic as to say THIS IS THE WAY; THERE ARE NO OTHER WAYS.
My friend Amy Dingmann from A Farmish Kind of Life talked about this topic in her podcast episode titled “Maybe You’re Not a Homesteader” that also touches this topic. You should go take a listen!
Lesson 4: Figure out your business and startLet me say that not all of us are gifted entrepreneurs and business folk. The same can be said in the beekeeping community. John Hill from HillCo gave an inspiring presentation about how they started his beekeeping supply company, and he summarized some of the lessons learned along the way.
For those of us who do not know, HillCo started small and experienced incredible growth since John started the company in January 2020. I was so impressed with his presentation that I tracked him down, introduced myself and told him that I appreciate his story and message. He was a really nice guy (and a good talker too). I invited him on the show, and I’ll see if I can get that busy man on the show in the future to talk about starting a small business.
Some of the key points from the presentation included the following:
- Identify your strengths (and weaknesses)
- Think outside the box
- Be flexible (learn from mistakes, correct, pivot, adjust)
- Embrace customer service (really, really poor in current American society, am I right?)
- Focus on branding and run with it (get a business name, secure a domain for a website, get a website and an email)
- And a bunch more tips…worth a separate post, actually
I had to laugh as I listened to the branding portion of the presentation. I had just given a homesteader from the Wausau area my name, website, phone number and email address on the back of my business card. I have been doing this Small Scale Life thing since 2015, and in nine years, I have never ordered business cards.
What the heck?
How many people have I come across and talked to about Small Scale Life and never gave them a business card to remind them of who I am and what I do? I can honestly say…a lot!
Well, that changed today as I created a new business card for Small Scale Life!
Lesson 5: Be weird!During the expert panel at the end of the Beek Meet 2024 Conference, there was a particular quote that stuck with me, and I have been thinking about it all week:
“It isn’t going to be easy.
We didn’t get into beekeeping because it was easy.
We didn’t get into beekeeping to get rich.
We got into beekeeping because we are WEIRDOS!”
~ David Peck, Ph.D.
This was an amazing quote that drew a lot of laughter because it is absolutely, unequivocally true.
For me, you can replace beekeeping with homesteading, gardening, canning, seedsaving, kombucha brewing, standing barefoot in the snow, plunging in freezing water, birding (feeding, watching, building feeders, taking photos of and talking to the birds) and podcasting.
We are all unique. We are all different. We all approach our Small Scale Life a little differently. Let’s face it:
We are all weird.
I got interested in Homesteading and Gardening during the Crash of 2008. It was a massive wake up call and tipping point for me, and I decided right then and there that I would embrace my “weirdness” and do something different, something meaningful and something that would change my and my family’s world. Later, I knew that I could inspire people to try:
- Growing food in a small but incredibly productive garden
- Canning and preserving food they grew
- Starting a small business
- Standing barefoot in the snow
- Taking a crazy cold plunge in the dead of winter
- Figuring out what triggers or inflames their bodies by cutting out the processed food, dairy, sugars and legumes.
I have started and stopped several times since 2020 because life knocked us down and kicked us in the stomach. It hasn’t been easy. It was hard to just survive and get through the day at times. We have held onto each other for dear life, and here we are. We are still here and coming back to life.
Life isn’t easy. It isn’t always Instagram or Facebook ready or beautiful. It isn’t easy like a tv show or movie. It is gritty; it is cruel. It can be frustrating; it can be horrible. It is what we do with our time and against all odds that makes it inspirational, beautiful and meaningful to others. We are a broken vessels, constantly shattered by circumstance, choices, and time. But we are also a beautiful mosaic, showing the cracks and battle scars in our own unique and beautiful way. It is up to us to decide and become what that mosaic is at the end of our days.
I am weird. I am a funky looking, unusual mosaic patched together with glue, duct tape and a little spit polish. I have embraced that fact and will continue to push forward being weird. The best is yet to come; you’ll see.
If you are weird, you are in the right spot. Let’s be weird together, shall we?
Putting Lessons Learned into ActionAfter hanging out in the beekeeping community, listening to presentations at Beek Meet 2024 and mulling over the 5 Lessons Learned all week, my brain got churning. I always think better when I am traveling, and I had a long drive home on Sunday and another work trip this week that gave me a lot of time to think, plot and plan.
Of course, this ALWAYS makes Julie nervous because deep thinking like this always results in some big shift or epiphanies. Well, this time was no exception.
I really mulled over the conversations with the young homesteader from Wausau, John Hill’s “Starting a Business” Presentation and Greg Burns “Beekeeping on a Small Homestead” Presentation. Each conversation and presentation had made an impression on me, and somewhere between New Richmond and Ladysmith, Wisconsin, it’s like someone literally forced my hand open and pushed a master key into it. I was able to open a rusted and stubborn lock and push open the stuck door in my brain.
It is no secret that I have been grieving about selling Driftless Oaks Farm and essentially leaving homesteading. I felt like a failure in the homesteading community: it didn’t work out right. Even though we escaped the chaos and crime of the big city and moved to a remote farm (finally) with 10 acres, somehow my dreams for a homesteading and gardening business did not work out at all. It all blew up in my face! The rusted lock would not open; the door wouldn’t budge.
The reason was because it wasn’t the right place or time for those things to work.
We needed to make a change, pivot and find a new place to live, and when we made that decision, my dream and life as a homesteader seemed to be over and die. I started to distance myself from homesteading stuff and things.
Somewhere along the way, I forgot the basic principle that Harold Thornbro talked about all the time on The Modern Homesteading Podcast:
“You can create a homestead right where you are. You do not need 10 acres or even one acre to homestead!”
People get into homesteading for a variety of reasons, but if you stand back and look at it, people get into homesteading to be a little more independent, a little more resilient, and a little more self-reliant. Homesteading is so many things to so many people, and it generally is about
- Growing, raising and/or making your own nutritious real food
- Being in and working with nature
- Creating things and systems that make your life easier or able to resist scarcity
- Being ready for when times get tough (or even when they don’t)
- Building community of like-minded folks
- Using skills or a surplus to start a small business or trade for other goods and services
As I talked to the young homesteader from Wausau, we talked about his orchard and how he was going to grow lots of fruit and vegetables while making mead from the honey from his bees. We also talked about his neighbor who had pigs and the other neighbor who had beef and eggs and how he could barter and trade for those things.
I thought about John Hill and the explosive growth his company (HillCo) had experienced since 2022. It was exciting to hear his story, and his words of advice were spot on and resonated with me. I have been holding back, waiting for the perfect moment to launch something (like a true Capricorn). You have to see the need and just take that first step (like I have talked about at the end of the last two episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast). Sometimes you just need to take that leap of faith and START.
Then I thought about the cool homesteading stuff Greg Burns tried on his little farmstead in Ohio. While I am not going to have the bees and animals (pigs, goats, cows, chickens or ducks) that Greg and Susan had, I can experiment and create systems that will make our property work with and for us.
Let me say that again: I am going to experiment and create systems that will make our property work with and for us.
Taking the Next Steps ForwardOn my drive on Monday, I got really excited. I got so excited that my therapist said that I was “glowing” on our call on Tuesday. She said that I am usually a nice and upbeat guy, but I was literally glowing on the call. I had to laugh, but I know it’s true. I had to laugh some more because I have the most unusual therapy sessions: we talk about healthy eating, gardening and homesteading as much as we talk about the mental and emotional stuff and things. I truly do have the BEST therapist in the world!
Suddenly, the rusted lock popped open and that stuck door creaked open. I have ideas and thoughts about what comes next. I am so excited to build my garden and create some really cool and productive spaces on this half acre lot.
The raw elements are here, and now we have the time and capacity to implement change and create something beautiful and productive on this property. It is already beautiful on the shores of the Willow River, but we are going to take it to the next level!
For what comes next, you’ll have to stay tuned to the Small Scale Life Podcast. I have some weird shit to do, so I will have to take a pause and get those things done before writing and recording more. Don’t worry; we are going to be back really soon with more good homesteading, gardening and wellness stuff and information!
In Closing….As we close this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, remember to keep going. It might seem like an impossible thing to achieve your goals (like starting a small business, losing stubborn weight, tackling your debt or becoming that person you always wanted to become), but it is achievable.
You can do it!
You need to put one step in front of the other, but you have to begin that journey by making a decision and taking that step forward.
So….Start. Take that step. You can do it! We are here to help.
This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast reminding you to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. We’ll be back real soon; take care, everybody!
LinksIn the Links section this week, I am sharing episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast with Greg Burns:
Homesteading for Beginners: Start with Why – Part 1
Homesteading for Beginners: Definition of Homesteading – Part 2
Greg Burns on Tribe and Homesteading – S2E2
Our Simply Complicated Life
Hogtoberfest and Tribe – HELP 6
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
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- iTunes
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To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Reviews on iTunesWe love reviews! It helps us grow the show. To leave a review of the Small Scale Life Podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:
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You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. I will be reading reviews out on future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast!
The post 5 Lessons Learned from Beekeepers at Beek Meet 2024 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 221st Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to look back at our experiences with the Whole30 Challenge in 2019, 2020 and 2024. I will discuss some of the lessons learned and “non-scale wins,” and I will finish by talking about Next Steps including a new Whole30 Challenge on April 1, 2024!
Our First Whole30 Challenge Where did this all begin? How did we learn about the Whole30 Challenge?
Julie and I “discovered” the Whole30 way back in September 2019 before we embarked on our 25th Anniversary Trip to Hawaii. At that time, Julie did the Whole30 Challenge, while I tried a doctor-supervised liquid-only diet called Optifast. While I lost close to 25 pounds on the liquid-only diet, Julie lost about 10 pounds. The differences in our diets were pretty stark:
- I was drinking soups and eating bars for meals, and I was not allowed to eat any solid food off the plan. That meant no protein, carbs, veggies or fruit, and I was limited to expensive soup packets and bars purchased from the hospital nutritionist. I was always hungry and started to cheat towards the end of my participation on the diet. In addition, the soup and bars had a lot of soy in them, and it didn’t sit well with my stomach. By the way, soy is a legume, and that is something that I need to remember in the Reintroduction Phase of the Whole30 Challenge. More on that later!
- Julie, on the other hand, was eating nourishing and delicious food, fruits and vegetables and thriving.
At the end of the day, we both lost weight, but the side effects of both were a lot different. I reacted poorly to the soy-based soups and bars (note to self for my own reintroduction process), but I won’t go into details about my bathroom visits. At the same time, I was constantly hungry, and I did not learn anything about what triggered or inflammed my body. It was a “follow these rules and drink this” type prescription.
Julie, on the other hand, did well once she got through the paleo/keto/Whole30 flu (yes, that is a thing). She was able to eat as much nourishing and delicious food as long as it followed the Whole30 rules.
My Optifast liquid diet and her Whole30 ended right before our 25th Anniversary Trip to the Big Island in Hawaii.
Trying the Whole30 in 2020When we got back from Hawaii, I wanted to continue with my weight loss journey, but we felt that the Optifast experiment had come to an end. I decided to try Whole30 and documented it here on Small Scale Life and the Small Scale Life YouTube Channels here:
- What is Whole30?
- Whole30 Challenge Results and Thoughts
- Whole30 Challenge 2020 – YouTube Playlist
At the end of this Whole30 in 2020, I had the following results (as summarized in the Whole30 Challenge Results and Thoughts episode and blog post:
- My overall weight loss = 13 pounds
- I do not have the cravings I used to have before the Whole30 Challenge
- My mind is clear and not foggy
- I am walking better (smoother gait and further distances) even with my arthritic knees
- Clothes are fitting better
- I have more energy
- I am looking better (more thin)
I did a second round of Whole30 in March 2020, but I did not take very good notes about it and didn’t record an episode for the Small Scale Life Podcast. That is unfortunate! I don’t remember what the results were from this Whole30 Challenge.
Life was a series of disasters and moves from 2020 to 2023, and it finally calmed down in January 2024.
Fast Forward to 2024I had stuffed a lot of emotion down deep after Danny passed away, and it was not good for my health. Coming out of a year and a half of stress eating and grief eating and drinking, I had packed on a lot of weight. Physically, my knees and back were always sore, and I would get tired really easily. I needed to take frequent breaks during tasks, and I just didn’t have the energy to get big projects done quickly.
I needed to reset my mind, body and soul. I needed to change and stick to it, otherwise my health could have made a serious turn for the worse (pre-diabetes, heart issues, etc). In early January 2024, I got together with a therapist and started working on me. I also visited the doctor and talked a lot about the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet. I needed to make changes. The first change happened at the end of January and start of February 2024.
Yoga Retreat in Costa RicaJulie and I decided to go on a Yoga Retreat in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. It was a retreat through Inspiring Actions, a yoga studio in Hudson and River Falls, Wisconsin. Julie teaches classes at the Hudson location, and we have had the owner over to our house for dinner a few times. We tied this yoga retreat to our 30th Anniversary (an early trip and gift to both of us). It was a great way to get away from the normal and mundane grind of life.
Julie and I had a serious talk before we went to Costa Rica. My doctor had prescribed Wygovie to manage my weight. If you haven’t heard about Wygovie, it is a “miracle” drug used to manage weight for people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30. People taking Wygovie can lose significant amounts of their body weight (up to 10 percent of their body weight or more).
Sounds like a magic pill doesn’t it?
I met with and talked to the pharmacist about the drug, and apparently the problem is that once you start taking Wygovie, you are on it for a long time. Your body needs that drug, and if you stop taking it, you will most likely gain the weight back. One of the reasons you will gain weight back is that you have not learned about how your body reacts to certain foods, and chances are you still have those old habits that got you to this point in the first place. At the same time, there are other side effects (as there are with most drugs out there), and no one knows what the long term effects of drugs like Wygovie truly are since it is a new drug.
The drug was on backorder, and that gave me time to think about it. The drug finally came in from backorder, and I had to make a decision: take Wygovie or try something else.
Julie and I had a long talk before we left for Costa Rica. Rather than going on a pharmaceutical route, we decided that the best course of action was to focus, get intentional, fix our relationship with food and get more movement. We would start by conducting a Whole30 Challenge once we got back from our trip. It was a process we knew and could use to jump start a healthy lifestyle and learn about food that would trigger our bodies. We would figure out next steps after we got through this first Whole30 Challenge.
In late January and early February 2024, Julie and I went on a Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica. It was a magical trip, and I was doing Yoga practices two times a day. While it was hard at the first part of the week, movement got a lot better towards the end. It was working, and I was able to keep up (even though it was not easy).
One thing about Costa Rica is that it was a good jumpstart on a reset. We had private chefs making breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was homemade food using fresh ingredients, and it was fantastic! We had:
- Rice or rice and beans at every meal
- Fresh fruit
- Homemade tortillas
- Eggs and meat for protein
- Salad
- Fresh mozzarella slices (this one will be important to note later during reintroduction)
Coming back from Costa Rica, Julie and I agreed that we needed to reset. It was WAY too easy to start eating stuff that was all too common in American diets: sugar and heavily processed foods. It was impacting us, especially me, after coming back home.
Our 2024 Whole30 ChallengeAfter vacation, Julie and I got moving on the Whole30. I listened to Melissa Urban’s book “It Starts with Food” on Audible, and I began to pull resources to help us stock our refrigerator and pantry with Whole30 approved foods. We planned our menu for the week, and on February 12, 2024, Julie and I started our Whole30 Challenge.
Over the past 30 days, we have stayed on target and on plan for most of the Challenge. Sure, there were a couple times when sugar got into the mix (who knew Craisens had sugar on them…seriously) or when we had some meat and balsamic dressing from restaurants. Fortunately we didn’t struggle with the Whole30 Flu and had some great new meals along the way.
As we approach the end of the Whole30 Challenge, I feel pretty good about the experience. Here are some overall thoughts about the experience and some “non-scale wins”:
- Clothes, particularly shirts, fit better
- I am looking better; my face isn’t as puffy
- I kicked my Diet Dew habit again
- I am not drinking coffee creamer with my morning coffee (replaced with Nut Pods and/or coconut milk)
- My knees feel better and it’s easier to walk
- My lower back feels better
- We are eating whole, nourishing foods and have not felt like we “were missing” or lacking with our meals
- We are planning our menus and prepping meals in advance
- We are trying some new delicious dishes and “spicing up” our normal diets
I have to emphasize that the Whole30 Challenge is not a weight loss diet. It is not a diet at all. It is a challenge because you are eliminating certain foods that can cause inflammation, and you are reintroducing them after 30 days to see how your body reacts.
While I did experience some weight loss by doing this challenge, it was not the primary goal of this challenge. Yes, I know how much I lost (it is Day 31 after all), but I will save that for a future show with Jules. You’ll have to wait to hear about my weight loss!
Next StepsNow that it is Day 31 and the Whole30 Challenge portion is at an end, Julie and I worked out our Reintroduction Plan. This is a critical step where you test different foods that have been eliminated by reintroducing them.
Believe it or not, we have never intentionally done the Reintroduction portion of the Whole30 Challenge before, so this will be an experience. For this next phase, we are going to slowly introduce those eliminated foods over the next 20 days or so.That is much slower than what is suggested in “It Starts with Food,” but we figured that it would be good to take it slow and really conduct the experiment on our bodies.
For me, I already know one of the eliminated foods that triggers me these days. That food is dairy, and that is really unfortunate for a guy living in Wisconsin, the Dairy State. In the past few years, I realize I don’t do well with ice cream, pizza, cheese and other dairy products. Larger “doses” of dairy products make my stomach churn, and it isn’t pleasant. I am curious if other foods will trigger me as well.
Armed with the results of this Reintroduction Phase, we can develop a solid plan going forward for potentially the rest of our lives. Some foods might be fine; some foods might be eaten occasionally; and some foods might be off limits. We will finish this portion of the Reintroduction Phase of the Whole30 Challenge right before April 1, 2024.
April 1, 2024, is an important date!
We are planning to lead another Whole30 Challenge on April 1, 2024. If you want to join us, let us know by emailing realsmallscalelife@gmail.com or use the contact us page at smallscalelife.com.
In Closing….As we close this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, remember to keep going. It might seem like an impossible thing to achieve your goals (like starting a small business, losing stubborn weight, tackling your debt or becoming that person you always wanted to become), but it is achievable.
You can do it!
You need to put one step in front of the other, but you have to begin that journey by making a decision and taking that step forward.
So….Start. Take that step. You can do it! We are here to help.
This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast reminding you to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. We’ll be back real soon; take care, everybody!
Links:Please see the following links to other shows about the Whole30 Challenge:
- What is Whole30? https://www.smallscalelife.com/what-is-whole30/
- Whole30 Challenge Results and Thoughts https://www.smallscalelife.com/whole30-challenge-results-and-thoughts
- Whole30 Challenge 2020 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnEKVpY8h1RxpFC3kt9ZM4-Dzglt1Dw46
- What is Whole30? Reset Your Body and Relationship with Food https://www.smallscalelife.com/what-is-whole30-reset-your-body-and-relationship-with-food/
-
YouTube Channel – 2020 Whole30 Challenge Videos https://youtu.be/iuXjCMSUpYI?si=MO8NlTIOd3Z5p64L Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
-
Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Reviews on iTunesWe love reviews! It helps us grow the show. To leave a review of the Small Scale Life Podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars.
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)!
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. I will be reading reviews out on future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast!
The post Our Experience with the Whole30 Challenge appeared first on Small Scale Life.
For the past two weeks, Julie and I have been doing the Whole30 Challenge. For those of you who might not know what the Whole30 is, this article and Small Scale Life Podcast episode is for you.
In this article and episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to introduce the Whole30 Challenge and the basic rules of the Whole30 Challenge.
What is Whole30?The Whole30 is a 30-day elimination challenge that was developed quite by accident by Melissa Urban and Dallas Hartwig in 2009. By experimenting on themselves, they discovered that eliminating certain foods:
- Reduced their inflammation
- Curbed their cravings and bad habits
- Boosted their metabolism
- Healed their digestive tracts, and
- Calmed their immune system.
Does it sound too good to be true?
Well, the truth is, our food IS medicine. We don’t see it that way, but it is. Why do you think pharmaceutical giant Bayer purchased seed company Monsanto in 2021?
Food should be used to nourish our bodies and give us that necessary fuel to live; however, modern processed foods are engineered to keep you craving and purchasing them. You are literally swimming in a sea of hyper-palatable processed foods, sugar, sweeteners, legumes, dairy products, alcohol and carbohydrates. Our bodies and minds get addicted to such things because they are engineered by very smart and dedicated people to taste great (but are nutritionally poor)! That’s why you eat a whole sleeve of Thin Mints or eat a whole bag of Cheetos!
The more of these foods we eat, the more pounds we pack on our bodies. Given that we are chained to desks or chairs at school, work and/or home, we are not getting the movement our ancestors did, and we cannot burn enough calories to offset what we are consuming.
Whole30 allows you and your body to calm down and reset by eliminating those processed foods or foods that cause inflammation for over 30 days. After this elimination period is over, you slowly reintroduce those foods over 10 days or so. During that reintroduction period, you are testing your body to see what it reacts to.
It is important to know that Whole30 is a great experiment on your body, and this is not a long term diet. In 45 days, it is all over, and you can restart with another Whole30 or adopt another diet to keep the ball rolling. The difference is: you have knowledge about what triggers or inflames your body. You know what to limit or stay away from as you move forward.
Whole30 RulesWith any diet or elimination diet, there are going to be things you can do, and there are things you can’t. Whole30 is no different, of course! After all, having success is all about knowing the rules and following them!
Do This List!EAT REAL FOOD! You can and should eat meat, seafood, eggs, fruits, vegetables, natural fats, herbs, spices and seasonings. Kombucha is also on the list (which is great since I have a new batch brewing away). As they say on the Whole30 website, “Eat foods with a simple or recognizable list of ingredients, or no ingredients at all because they’re whole and unprocessed.” https://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/
As easy as this sounds, it can actually be difficult when you are traveling, or in a store or at a restaurant. It can be done, but you have to be creative and intentional.
Don’t Do This ListThese are the things that you should not eat for 30 day challenge:
- No sugar (real or artificial) or honey
- No alcohol (drinking it or using it in cooking)
- No diet soda (since it is full of artificial sweeteners)
- No grains including wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, sprouted grains, and all gluten-free pseudo-cereals like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat.
- No legumes including beans (black, red, pinto, navy, garbanzo/chickpeas, white, kidney, lima, fava, cannellini, lentils, adzuki, mung, cranberry, and black-eyes peas); peanuts (including peanut butter or peanut oil); and all forms of soy (soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy protein, soy milk, or soy lecithin).
- No dairy including cow’s-milk, goat’s-milk, or sheep’s-milk products like milk, cream, cheese, kefir, yogurt, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sour cream. The only exceptions are clarified butter or ghee.
- No processed food or beverage with carrageenan or sulfites. Carrageenan is a product made from red seaweed and used to thicken foods and drinks. It has no nutritional value but can “cause inflammation, digestive problems, such as bloating and irritable bowel disease (IBD), and even colon cancer” according to an article in Medical News Today. As always: read your labels. If you cannot pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t eat it!
- No recreating baked goods,”treats”, or junk food with approved ingredients. Some folks have gone out of their way to recreate baked goods using approved ingredients, and while this is probably better than eating the real thing, it is still not Whole30 approved.
- No measuring or weighing yourself during the 30 day Whole30 Challenge.
Remember: we are experimenting to see what triggers our bodies and to see what happens when we remove some of these foods from our lives.
For More InformationFor more on Whole30, there are a lot of recipes and information out there on the Whole30 website and on Pinterest.
A lot of folks have created some really savory and delicious meals for the Whole30 Challenge and Paleo Diets. I am going to start gathering more recipes, trying them out and posting them on my Pinterest page. One example of this is a dish I made last night called “Egg Roll in a Bowl” that can work for the Whole30 Challenge and Paleo Diets. It was really good, and I have gotten good feedback from members of the Small Scale Life Wellness Club about that particular recipe.
Depending on feedback like this, we might put them back on smallscalelife.com. Yes, I do have some recipes on our website, but we have not promoted them. I think it is time to pull them back up and post them on the landing page of the website. People will need resources as they begin this journey, and having shopping lists and meal ideas helps!
By the way, this is a good time to remind you all that the Small Scale Life Wellness Club on Facebook is open to you. Find us on Facebook and sign up! It’s a good place to get content not shared on the Small Scale Life Instagram or Facebook Page and interact with others who are on this mind, body and soul journey. A link is in the show notes at smallscalelife.com, or just search on Facebook for the Small Scale Life Wellness Club.
Remember this….As we close this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, remember to keep going. It might seem like an impossible thing to achieve your goals (like starting a business or losing stubborn weight or becoming that person you always wanted to become), but it is achievable. You can do it! Put one step in front of the other, but you have to take this first hesitant step. Start. You can do it! We are here to help.
This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast reminding you to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. We’ll be back real soon; take care, everybody!
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Reviews on iTunesWe love reviews! It helps us grow the show. To leave a review of the Small Scale Life Podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars.
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)!
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. I will be reading reviews out on future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast!
The post What is Whole30? Reset Your Body and Relationship with Food appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Welcome to 2024; a new cycle has begins again!Even though you might not know me or heard from me for a while, we have gone another time around the sun together, and holidays have come and gone once again. I hope you had a great time with your community, family and friends (hopefully they are all one in the same or at least get along together). We had a great Christmas, Happy New Year. At the same time, I had a great birthday on January 2nd. Yes, ALL of the holidays are smashed together in one big orgy of celebrations. I mean, not literally an orgy, but you get what I am trying to say here. For me, all the holidays are all smashed together during the quiet and dark winter months.Here at our new home in New Richmond (called The Landing), we are certainly starting a new cycle with this New Year. This winter, Julie, Ryan and I are taking a much needed breath after an incredibly busy year since this time last year. I have not recorded or published a Small Scale Life Podcast since April 26, 2023, (nine months ago). So much has happened, and I feel the need to bring you all up to speed! This will also serve as a starting point for new listeners to the show and provide some background information about us.Where shall we begin? Let’s go back to April 2023. The Dream of Driftless Oaks Farm…is Over First things first: we no longer live on the little farm in Maiden Rock, Wisconsin. After a lot of soul searching, a lot of conversations and a lot of cursing after pumping out the flooded scary cellar about five times last spring, we decided that our time at Driftless Oaks Farm was over. We were not farmers after all! Go figure! It was for the best: Julie was slowly going crazy there, Ryan needed to be closer to friends in the Twin Cities and my Ford plow truck literally died.The Universe was telling us that we needed to change and had a new plan for us. We decided it was time, and in April we selected the best offer and sold the farm. Of course, that triggered an avalanche of activities of getting packed up and ready for the move. At the same time, I realized that the “homesteading dream on a little farm” had been a failure and was over. In our brief period as “farmers,” we had no domestic animals (no chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, horses, or dogs), and we didn’t even have a serious garden. Admitting our homestead and (my) farm dream was a failure literally put my brain into a tailspin about the future of Small Scale Life. More on that shortly.Welcome to The Landing!With some wonderful help, we found a great house on the Willow River in New Richmond, Wisconsin. We moved to the new house in June, and we haven’t looked back since. In fact, we didn’t have time! We got busy working and hired contractors to complete the following projects:* New landscaping projects and weeding * Painting the first floor * Painting the basement bathroom walls * Putting new flooring in the basement * Renovating the master bath (restoring and installing Julie’s vintage claw foot tub) * Putting in a radon mitigation system * Putting in two new patios * Getting a hot tub * Putting in a new rock pad and building a garden shed * Running gas into the house * Getting a new gas furnace and gas water heater * Putting in a new service door on the garage * Getting a new roof on the house (in mid December 2023, thank you mild winter) * Getting a new cold plunge tank for Christmas
We are ready to slow down, put down deep roots and explore this wonderful community. I know, I laughed too. You know I am full of it (since we have more work to do on the first floor).Breathing, Moving and Healing with Willow River YogaIf you have been following us on social media, you know Julie launched her Willow River Yoga business after getting her Yoga Instructor Certification on September 10th, 2023. It was a wonderful day before we had a really hard day, but there are no such things as coincidences. Yoga is the right path for Julie. It is opening so many doors, and she is building incredible relationships with wonderful people. She is teaching at Inspiring Actions Yoga Studio, teaching online classes from home and planned and facilitated a wonderful retreat with our friend Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer in January 2024 (part of a four-retreat series that will run in 2024). On my birthday, Julie started work at the Healing Roots Wellness Center in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it is only going to immerse her in the yoga and wellness community in River Falls. She will also be teaching yoga classes there as well! Talk about an opportunity and chance to build an incredible network and community. I had a chance to attend a yoga class there this week, and that place has some really GREAT energy and has some wonderful owners. I am so thankful that she has started this journey, and it is a lot of fun to be part of it.Our Son Ryan’s UpdateRyan is doing well. He had a tough 2022 and start of 2023, but he is ending this year on several high notes. His trip to Spain and Portugal with friends in September were just what he needed. He also got promoted to a Manager position at his work. Ryan and I had a great time in the woods hunting turkeys in the spring and deer in the fall, and he has been playing basketball with friends in leagues in the Twin Cities. It is fun hearing stories of Shaqfu on the court once again! Ryan is also my weight lifting accountability partner at the local community center, so we need to make sure we get back to the gym together. I would love to bring Ryan on and talk about some things, and I am going to make that happen in 2024.The Running Hummingbird UpdateI cannot close out 2023 without talking about our Running Hummingbird Danny. While he is not here in physical form, he was with us as 50 friends and family participated in the Twin Cities 5K or other events across the country. This 5K race was part of the the Twin Cities Half Marathon and Twin Cities Marathon, which is a Boston Marathon qualifying race. Both the Half Marathon and Marathon were “black flagged” (cancelled) this year due to the heat and humidity.It was amazing to see that many people wearing Running Hummingbird shirts in Danny’s honor all over the country, but especially at the Twin Cities 5K! It was so cool and so humbling that so many came out to support us and remember our Running Hummingbird; we hope to do more in 2024! At the same time, we ran a very successful GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to keep this thing going. We raised money for Kratom Danger Awareness organization and for an event in 2024. Ryan, Jules and I have so much appreciation for everyone who contributed to the GoFundMe and showed support since September 11, 2022. It is amazing who shows up, who provides love and support and helps when tragedies happen. Our journey with The Running Hummingbird is not over; in fact it is just beginning and will be part of future efforts here at Small Scale Life. I have already reached out to the St. Croix Running Company to begin discussions on how we can help them along (volunteering at races and other things). Danny’s community will now be our community too. Why not?There are and will be more Running Hummingbird stories to talk about in this new cycle. My New Cycle at Small Scale LifeGiven my workload at home and real job, I stopped the Small Scale Life Podcast in April 2023. I just didn’t have capacity and bandwidth to do extra recording and editing videos and podcast episodes. This pause allowed me to think about this platform, the mission of Small Scale Life and my big why. As my friend Amy Dingmann from A Farmish Kind of Life and Julie know, I have been all over the board about the future of Small Scale Life. At times I was going to start over from scratch on a new platform, and at other times I was going to go forward. Back and forth; forth and back. By leaving Driftless Oaks Farm behind, something about focusing on homesteading just wasn’t quite making sense. For me, a cycle had ended as that small farm dream died, and I wasn’t sure where the river would take me on this journey. It’s like I had paddled to a fork in the river, and there were a bunch of ways forward. I just had to choose and push forward towards that new section of river. For me, that was hard to do. Right before Christmas, Julie ran a Gratitude Challenge as part of her Willow River Yoga Practice. It was a 10-day challenge, and for those of you who have ever created something like that, it can be difficult to come up with content as the challenge goes forward. Fortunately, I am a guy who thinks deep stuff at times and can write. I helped write a couple of the posts, and I realized that I needed to do more than JUST gardening. I have something to say based on the hard times and hard stuff we have been through. I might never monetize anything, but I have knowledge from the school of Hard Knocks that I can share with people. I can be the light in the distance for someone and hopefully help them, inspire them, entertain them or show them a way forward. On December 21, 2023, I was driving back the The Landing from Green Bay, Wisconsin. I was in deep thought about things, and something just clicked. It was like a little bird (a hummingbird, perhaps?) landed on my shoulder and laid it all out for me. Things suddenly aligned and made sense after not making sense for a long time. That little hummingbird made me realize that “learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday” is actually “improving mind, body and soul.” Of course! How did I miss that? Now, a whole new cycle has begun, and I am really excited about this stretch of river ahead. If you have been paying attention on Small Scale Life YouTube Channel, TikTok Channel, Instagram and Facebook, you have seen the subtle shift in December and January. In some ways, I feel like I am getting back to a place where I was a few years ago: canning, grounding (walking in snow), using the 24 Hour Plan, recording the sound of rivers, focusing on getting healthy and gardening. Yes, for the first time since 2020, I WILL have a garden on this property! It is all connected. As part of this shift, I have opened a new Facebook Group called the Small Scale Life Wellness Club. It is really a support and accountability group for those of us working on improving our mind, body and soul. Feel free to use this link to come and be part of the Club. What do you have to lose?2023 is Over. Happy New Year! A New Cycle Begins….In closing, this year has been a whirlwind for us all. It has had its ups and downs, but people have been there for us and shown us so much love and compassion in our darkest hours. We have so much gratitude for you and for all of your support. We can’t wait to see what the new cycle in 2024 is going to bring. January is off to a wild start with Julie’s Yoga Retreat, the new Small Scale Life Wellness Club, my cold plunges and our Trip to Costa Rica for our 30th Wedding Anniversary!Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Reviews on iTunesWe love reviews! It helps us grow the show. To leave a review of the Small Scale Life Podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars.
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)!
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. I will be reading reviews out on future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast!
The post Happy New Year! A New Cycle Begins…. appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Are we really selling Driftless Oaks Farm? Julie and I just bought and moved to the farm almost two years ago and got everything we ever wanted…or did we?
Tune in to Episode 218 of the Small Scale Life Podcast to find out who, what, when, where and why!
Watch the podcast episode here on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel.
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Reviews on iTunesWe love reviews! It helps us grow the show. To leave a review of the Small Scale Life Podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars.
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)!
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. I will be reading reviews out on future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast!
The post Are We Really Selling Driftless Oaks Farm? appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 218th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I talk about Tipping Points and Getting Back to Basics.
Welcome to March. In case you have been hiding under a rock: banks are crashing. War is brewing across the globe. Businesses are laying people off. We are talking about invading Mexico to eliminate cartels.
Have we been transported to 2008?
No, it’s 2023, and the news from the day trigger long repressed feelings of despair, anxiousness and anger from 2008. How could we go down this path AGAIN? Greed. Easy money. Low interest rates. Lack of honest regulation. These are the factors that got us to today.
I have to tell you: the bank closures and bank runs remind me so much of the Lehman Brothers collapse of 2008. It made me pause as it reminded me of the anger, despair and hopelessness of the time. Fortunately, this time is different. I recognized 2008 for what it was: a major life changing event that forever changed my mindset and direction of my life. That collapse set me on a course to where we are today: our jobs, our home in Western Wisconsin and even how I grow vegetables in my garden. Events in 2008 changed me forever, but there have been a lot of Tipping Points along the way. There isn’t just a “one and done.”
Change is constant, and life keeps changing. As I took about it, there have been a number of Tipping Points since 2008:
- 2008 – Recession and Crash of US Housing Market
- 2009 – Death of my Grandmother
- 2012 – Leaving Illinois and the private sector
- 2014 – Danny in Afghanistan
- 2015 – Operation Bring Danny Home
- 2017 – Flight of the Hummingbird
- 2020 – Destruction and violence in Minneapolis
- 2021 – COVID
- 2022 – Almost losing Ryan and losing Danny
- 2023 – Banking collapse
As you can see, there have been a number of Tipping Points along the way. It isn’t just ONE EVENT; there are multiple. You tack and adjust as these Tipping Points occur. Ideally, you emerge stronger and wiser from these events. But I can tell you from experience….you get physical, emotional and spiritual battle scars along the way. It’s hard. Life can be hard.
I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know everything. I might be wrong. But I keep learning, doing, growing and trying to be a little better everyday. Life is hard, and it’s time to settle down, get back to basics and build our immediate tribe. There is no other fancy solution; it’s time to get really intentional and really deliberate. Let’s grow some together.
By the way….the cover image for this podcast and video is a replica of Laura Ingall’s house in the Little House in the Big Woods. It is about 5 miles from Driftless Oaks Farm, and somehow…..somehow…..we are hear, close to this place after hearing about Ma and Pa Ingalls in 2008.
We are here for a reason; I am podcasting for a reason. We’ll find it together.
Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Reviews on iTunesWe love reviews! It helps us grow the show. To leave a review of the Small Scale Life Podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars.
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)!
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. I will be reading reviews out on future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast!
The post Tipping Points and Getting Back to Basics appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 216th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I continue the conversation with my friend Adam Rapier from Colorado. We are going to discuss Starting a Beekeeping Business. Now, I know many of you are not beekeepers and will never be beekeepers, but I hope you hold on and stay tuned to this episode. Like walking through a garden, each small business story can inspire you to start something of your own or teach you something new. After all, every gardener or homesteader might have an abundance of tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, eggs or milk that you can give the surplus away or sell to a local customer base.
Who is Adam Rapier?Adam and I met in 2018 at Doneil Freeman’s ranch in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We spent a couple days together observing bees, checking out wicking bed gardens, riding ATVs and hanging out. Adam and I have been friends ever since, and I am happy to have him on the show.This is the actual third and final episode of the “Adam Files.” As a reminder, I have talked with Adam about the following topics:Episode 214 – Adam and I discussed his and his family’s journey from urban living in Denver to their homestead in rural Colorado. Episode 215 – Adam and I talked gardening and homesteadingEpisode 216 – Adam and I discuss Starting a Beekeeping BusinessI really appreciate Adam being on the show and spending time with me and all of you. Thank you again, Adam. We’ll do it again in the future!Starting a Beekeeping Business with Adam RapierIn this episode, Adam and I discuss the following Starting a Beekeeping Business topics:IntroductionSelling Excess on the HomesteadNiche MarketsBee Clubs – Good, Bad and UglyCommercial BeekeepersNetworkingSpraying and DiseasesProductsTax Incentives of Homesteading and a Beekeeping BusinessProjects and Next Steps on the HomesteadListen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Reviews on iTunesWe love reviews! It helps us grow the show. To leave a review of the Small Scale Life Podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars.
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)!
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. I will be reading reviews out on future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast!
The post Building a Beekeeping Business appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 215th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I continue the conversation with my friend Adam Rapier from Colorado. We are going to dive into gardening and beekeeping in this episode. We discuss some fantastic garden beds they built at Adam’s parent’s house, and we discuss the start of their beekeeping journey.
Who is Adam Rapier?Adam and I met in 2018 at Doneil Freeman’s ranch in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We spent a couple days together observing bees, checking out wicking bed gardens, riding ATVs and hanging out. Adam and I have been friends ever since, and I am happy to have him on the show.In Episode 214 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and I discussed his and his family’s journey from urban living in Denver to their homestead in rural Colorado. Adam and his wonderful bride Kathleen wanted to provide a different way, a different path, for their boys to grow up. At the same time, they wanted to be closer to aging parents and discover the freedom of living in the country and doing things their way. I do have one correction from Episode 214: Adam’s homestead is called “The Rapier Ranch,” and their bustling beekeeping and honey business is called “High Desert Hives.” I made that mistake in my haste to the get the episode posted, and I apologize for that. We don’t have many corrections at Small Scale Life, but when I am wrong, I will tell you and make that known. Fortunately, if you want to find them, links to their social media and website are in the show notes at smallscalelife.com. We will have one more episode with Adam where we dive into Beekeeping as a Business, and I hope you stay tuned to listen to their journey. It is amazing what happens when you have a surplus of a good or product like bees and honey! If you are a gardener, you might have an abundance of tomatoes, green beans or zucchini, and you can give the surplus away or sell it.Such is life when you are gardening and beekeeping!Topics for Gardening and Beekeeping with Adam RapierIn this episode, we discuss the following Gardening and Beekeeping topics:
“Wellness Ducks”
- Beating the System
- Beekeeping Ordinances
Castle Farm Massive Gardening Project
- 6 Raised Bed Gardens
- Dimensions:
- 5 planters are 3 feet high, 4 feet wide, 28 feet long!
- 1 planter is 3 feet high, 4 feet wide and 18 feet long
- Cheap block from the site
- Soil from a local supply and lots of rabbit poop
Busy Homestead: bees, chickens, ducks, rabbits quail and gardens
- Pandemic Lessons Learned
- Hiding food in the landscaping
- Apartment Homesteading
- Importance of networking with neighbors – The Exchange
Rapier Ranch – “Projects Are Us”
- Property line fence
- Lambs
- Infrastructure – Adding one thing at a time and scaling
Beekeeping Journey
- Learning from The Bee Whisperer Michael Jordan
-
9 Hives Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
-
Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Reviews on iTunesWe love reviews! It helps us grow the show. To leave a review of the Small Scale Life Podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars.
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)!
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. I will be reading reviews out on future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast!
The post Beekeeping and Gardening with Adam Rapier appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In Small Scale Life Podcast Episode 214, I talk with my friend Adam about his family’s journey to starting High Desert Hives and Homestead in Colorado. How does a successful guy decide to walk away from the hustle and bustle of city life and a fast paced corporate job and move to the country to start a garden, grow a thriving beekeeping business and raise boys in a world of freedom and wonder?
This is Adam and Kathleen Rapier’s story about making the decision to leave the chaos and embrace the quiet country life. They decided to provide their boys with a different way, a different path, to grow up. At the same time, they wanted to be closer to aging parents and discover the freedom of living in the country and doing things their way.
In 2021, Adam and his wonderful bride Kathleen made some big choices and changes. They turned their back on the hustle and bustle of the Front Range (Denver for all us flatlanders) and corporate jobs. They took their time by living with Adam’s parents, and they finally found their 3 acre homestead in rural Colorado.
I met Adam at Doneil Freeman’s homestead way back in 2018. I didn’t know Adam from…well, Adam, but we connected and stayed up almost all night with The Bee Whisperer Michael Jordan talking about bees, homesteading, politics, literature, religion and life. It is amazing what a little mead, some moonshine and the stars can forge, isn’t it?
My Thoughts: High Desert Hives and HomesteadAs I edit this audio, I feel that excitement and promise of the Homesteading life. Homesteading is optimism: optimism for the future, for your family and for your tribe. Homesteading can be hard, but when you have good people around you and find that place that speaks to you, the universe begins to move in your favor. Not everything is unicorn farts and rainbows, but with some good bones, hard work and love from friends and neighbors, you can build an amazing place that will stand the test of time and provide a platform, a solid foundation, for your family and friends.
I am excited that Adam is on the Small Scale Life Podcast. This is Part 1 of a 2 part series talking about his journey to find his homestead and building a thriving beekeeping and homesteading business. There is good energy here, and remember, dear friends, the path to building this kind of life is tomatoes and zucchini!
Topics Discussed – Starting High Desert Hives and HomesteadAdam and I discussed the following topics during the interview:
- Introductions – Who are Rapiers?
- Moving to the Country; Escape from the Front Range Urban Zone
- The Homestead Roadtrip (MO, TN)
- Family First: Helping Aging Parents
- How did Adam get into Homesteading?
- Gardening is the Gateway: Tomatoes and Zucchini
- Progression from Tomatoes to Bees
- Adam’s Big Why for Homesteading in the Country
- The Search: Finding High Desert Hives and Homestead
- Old Farmhouses and Manufactered Homes
-
Getting Down to Business: Homesteading Projects Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
-
Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Reviews on iTunesWe love reviews! It helps us grow the show. To leave a review of the Small Scale Life Podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars.
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)!
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. I will be reading reviews out on future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast!
The post Starting High Desert Hives and Homestead – Part 1 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
The last Small Scale Life Podcast Episode was posted on September 9, 2022. This was two days before Danny passed away, and after a long road, we are back to say Merry Christmas and begin to shine our light like the sun once again.
In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, your host Tom talks about the past three months including losing Danny and the long road since September 11, 2022. Tom reads a beautiful Christmas letter written by Julie. At the end of the episode, Tom discusses future episodes and closes with the Small Scale Life offering.
Shine Our Light: Christmas Letter 2022To start to come out of this hole and shine our light, Julie wrote the following Christmas letter. We sent it to our friends and family this week.
Merry Christmas!
I am sitting here this morning trying to remember the last time I sent out Christmas cards. Honestly it was probably at least five years ago. Somehow the constant “connection” of technology has taken the place of some of the old traditions. But if this year has taught us anything, it has taught us that one of the greatest gifts we are given is true connection with those we love. And I have realized there really is something special about receiving a card in the mail, the good old-fashioned way.
So let me start by saying “THANK YOU.” From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. For every card, gift, meal, message, phone call and hug – we have received them all and our gratitude is beyond measure. The amount of love and support that we have been shown this year is nothing short of unbelievable. We always knew we were surrounded by amazing people, and we are reminded of that fact every single day.
And the big question is, how are we doing? That is a question that we are asked often, and the answer really depends on the day, on the hour that you ask us. Our lives will forever be divided into two parts: life with Danny, and life without. We are learning to move forward and navigate this world with a big piece of our hearts missing. As I wrote in my journal the other day, our lives feel like a piece of pottery that has been dropped on the ground and broken into a thousand pieces. We have realized that we are never going to be able to glue that piece of pottery back together the way it once was because one of the pieces has been forever lost. Now it is up to us to turn that shattered mess into a beautiful piece of mosaic art. That missing piece will forever have changed that pottery into something different, yet it can still be unique and beautiful. We just have to take the time to allow the vision to develop and then put it together, one piece at a time. It’s going to be a long process. But we have faith, and we know our sweet boy is running forever free in heaven with his Grandpa Tom, Grandma Barb, Cousin Colin, and all of our other lost loved ones.
Although this year has been one of the worst that I hope we will ever survive, it has also brought some amazing gifts to our family. The little smiling peanut in the picture on our card is Mr. Declan Todd, who was born to my brother David and his sweet wife Jenny on October 9th. His little face brings us so much joy, and we are beyond excited to go down to Austin, TX to meet him in person over the holidays! Jenny and Dave send us our “Daily Dose of Declan” texts that brighten up our lives every single day. And I’m sure Jenny is very happy to not be asked when they are going to start a family anymore! LOL. (Although, when do we get to start asking when Declan will get a little brother or sister??? HMMMMM… probably too soon. )
So, to answer the question of how we are doing, we are OK. We are surviving. We will learn to thrive again, in time. But mainly, we are blessed. Blessed by our loving God, and blessed by each and every one of you in our lives. If I can offer any advice this holiday season, it’s that you forego the “stress” that comes with it, release those little annoyances, and try to be completely present in each and every moment. And always, ALWAYS, remember to tell everyone how much you love them!
With love and light,
Julie, Tom and Ryan
Our Road AheadThe road ahead isn’t easy. There will always be questions, anger, grief and conversations about what happened and how to proceed. We know that this photo can never be recreated again, but there are a lot of faces here that remind us that life goes on, life goes forward. Julie and I are going to work that much harder to connect with our family and friends and create that beautiful mosiac. It is possible; we will do it. There is no other way forward for us.
As we have learned over five years of Danny’s sobriety, three years of Julie’s sobriety, and almost a year of Ryan’s sobriety:
The opposite of addiction is connection.
We will connect, and we will create. We will shine our light into the darkness, and show the world a way forward as we learn do grow and be a little better everyday.
This is our path. This is how we will shine our light for others to see.
Merry Christmas, Small Scale Life Community. We are blessed to have you part of our tribe, and we will be back really soon.
Tom
In Closing….Listen to this Episode!Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
- Fireside.fm
- iTunes
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Podbean
- iHeartRadio
To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
Special ThanksFor Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
Reviews on iTunesWe love reviews! It helps us grow the show. To leave a review of the Small Scale Life Podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars.
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)!
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. I will be reading reviews out on future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast!
The post Merry Christmas: Time to Shine Our Light appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Host Tommy Cakes provides a garden and homestead update here at Driftless Oaks Farm in this 210th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast. During the show, Tommy talks about the following topics: Change is in the Air - Fall and Winter are Coming! The Orchard - Criss Cross Apple Sauce The Land Provides - Sweet Corn and Wild Grapes Canning * Four Tips for Successful Canning * Corn Relish and Cowboy Candy Relish How does my Garden Grow? Project Updates * The BIG To Do List * Operation WW - Drainage Project, Front Gardens, Planting Grass * Removing Fence, Moving the Woodpile and Moving Poop Mountain #1 * Push before the Rains Fall and Snow Flies! Gatherings - Family and Friends at the Farm Connect to the Land - Animal Updates * Flying Young Eagle * Running Skunk * Watching and Counting Down - Oriole and Hummingbird Departures Future Shows and What's Coming Up Next! For show notes, links and photos, go to https://smallscalelife.com!
In this 210th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Host Tommy Cakes provide a garden and homestead update here at Driftless Oaks Farm.
The post Garden and Homestead Update – August 2022 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 209th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, your Wandering Gardener Host Tom talks with his friend Mr. Tactical Jay about the modern back to the land movement, setting big goals and creating a Jay's massive garden on the side of a mountain. This is Part 2 of an earlier conversation about the Modern Day Back to the Land Movement that has been happening in the United States as society seems to be unwinding due to the global pandemic, increasing crime in urban area and unwraveling social structures in the United States. These issues coupled with shortages (fuel, food and other goods and services) and incredible inflation are pushing people Back to the Land and to start developing skills like growing food, preserving the harvest and having animals and livestock. For Part 1 of this conversation, you have to go back to Small Scale Life Podcast Episode 204 titled "Modern Day Back to the Land Movement" which you can listen to by clicking this link. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/modern-day-back-to-the-land-movement-with-mr-tactical-jay/) Join the Back to the Land Movement in the country, the suburbs or the urban space. How you start this journey is up to you, and you can start right where you are. How can you do this? Grow some vegetables in your space Preserve foraged, grown or purchased vegetables or fruits Build community of like-minded souls As Jay and I discuss, you don't need 3, 5, 10 or 100 acres. You can start right where you are!
In this 208th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am looking back in time to June 2022 where I was talking about projects and efforts at our Driftless Oaks Farm. The projects featured in this episode are: Removing Fence from the Blue and White Pens Cutting Box Elder Trees Building Wicking Beds out of 55 Gallon Food Grade Barrels Working on Operation WW Prepping to Plant Potatoes My Farm Journal posts, videos and podcast episodes document our progress and our observations of life at our little Driftless Oaks Farm. For more links and show notes, please head over to smallscalelife.com! (https://smallscalelife.com)
In this 208th episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I introduce the Drifting to Driftless Series by focusing on my recent Adventure in Cedar Rapids, Mount Vernon and Decorah, IA. The Drifting to Driftless Series is where I share my adventures and wandering. It will be a regular feature on Small Scale Life. For pictures, videos and links from this "Drift," head on over to smallscalelife.com. (https://smallscalelife.com)
In this 206th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am introducing two efforts here at Driftless Oaks Farm: the My Farm Journal Series and Operation WW
The post My Farm Journal: What is Operation WW? appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this 206th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am introducing two new efforts here at our Driftless Oaks Farm and on the Small Scale Life Podcast: My Farm Journal Operation WW My Farm Journal posts, videos and podcast episodes will document our progress and our observations of life at our little Driftless Oaks Farm. Operation WW is focused on cleaning up the Weeds and Woods at Driftless Oaks Farm, starting with the overgrown flower gardens that surround our Little Farmhouse in the Big Woods. For more links and show notes, please head over to smallscalelife.com! (https://smallscalelife.com)
Mr. Tactical Jay is back on the show to talk about the Modern Day Back to the Land Movement including gardening and homesteading.
The post Modern Day Back to the Land Movement with Mr. Tactical Jay appeared first on Small Scale Life.
After a long hiatus this Spring, Host Tom Restarts Our Small Scale Life. He reintroduces himself, the Small Scale Life Podcast and Driftless Oaks Farm
The post Restarting Our Small Scale Life appeared first on Small Scale Life.
After a long hiatus this Spring, Host Tom resturns to Restart Our Small Scale Life. This is a 10 minute episode that covers the following topics: Host Tom introduces himself to the audience Where the Small Scale Life Podcast has been over the past 6 years and where it is going in the future Driftless Oaks Farm's projects and opportunities For links and show notes, head over to smallscalelife.com (https://smallscalelife.com)!
In this 203rd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I have a Chicken Chat with my good friend Amy Dingmann. Julie and I wanted to learn from someone who has done all things chicken!
The post Chicken Chat with Amy Dingmann appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Julie and Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer are back on the Small Scale Life Podcast to talk about How to Start a Small Business.
The post How to Start a Small Business appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this episode, Julie and I talk with Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer about the Full Moon Energies and our 2022 Guiding Words.
The post Full Moon Energies and 2022 Guiding Words appeared first on Small Scale Life.
For our 200th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I talk about the Top 10 Surprises Moving to the Country
The post Top 10 Surprises Moving to the Country appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Adam Rick and I talk about Creating Heritage Meals and Deep Roots in Central Wisconsin. This episode is "All Roads Lead to Oxford, Wisconsin"
The post Creating Heritage Meals and Deep Roots with Adam Rick appeared first on Small Scale Life.
I talk with Adam Rick about his Grass Fed Farm Business in Wisconsin. Adam is a partner in and salesman for a Regen Ag Amish Co-op.
The post Grass Fed Farm Business with Adam Rick appeared first on Small Scale Life.
This week I am talking with Brian Aleksivich about monetizing your homestead. Brian has started a lot of ventures in 7 years, What worked?
The post Monetizing Your Homestead with Brian Aleksivich appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Julie and I discuss our journey to Driftless Oaks Farm including Eagles Ridge, looking for property again and finding Driftless Oaks Farm.
The post Our Journey to Driftless Oaks Farm appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Happy Thanksgiving! We are in a season of gratitude and thankfulness. Here's how we can improve ourselves by improving our daily gratitude practice.
The post Revisiting Gratitude: Putting It into Action appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Happy Thanksgiving! This is the season of thankfulness and gratitude. Here is how we can improve our attitude and spirit with a daily gratitude practice.
The post Gratitude Practice: How to Start Expressing Gratitude appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Happy Halloween, Lifers! In this episode on a spooky Halloween night, I break my silence and restart the Small Scale Life Podcast. I talk about our new farm in Western Wisconsin and starting to live at our farm. Specific topics include the following:
- Happy Halloween and Introduction
- Gratitude Practice – Shout Outs and Thank Yous
- Driftless Oaks Farm
a. Outbuildings
b. Fruit Trees, Berries, Grapes and Perenials
c. Pens/Paddocks
d. The Blue Barn
e. The Chicken Coop - Small Scale Life Podcast
- “Harvest” by Osi and the Jupiter
- Final Remarks – Happy Halloween!
For more information and to subscribe to the Small Scale Life Newsletter, click this link on smallscalelife.com! Yes, I am planning to restart that engine as well.
“Harvest” from Osi and the Jupiter As part of the show and part of a great Halloween treat, I play a song called “Harvest.” Special thanks to Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for writing and recording the song at the end of the podcast episode.
You can find Osi and the Jupiter at the following places using the links below:
- YouTube
- Bandcamp
I really enjoy Sean’s Appalachian/Norse/Folk style. He was a pleasure to work with on this song (he made it exclusively for use on the Small Scale Life Podcast, which totally cool)!
Boy, wouldn’t it be awesome to have him perform at Drifless Oaks Farm? That would be totally cool. The Blue Pen behind our Blue Barn might be a cold place, but I would have to get enough power down the hill. It would almost serve as an amplitheater with folks sitting on the hill overlooking Sean. Interesting thought!
Realistically, it would be on the back deck. It would be sweet to see Sean playing under the Big Chief, our 225 year old Burr Oak that watches over our backyard, the house and The Landing (the Small Scale Life Podcast Studio). That would be totally cool!
Happy Halloween! It was a great first Halloween at Driftless Oaks Farm. While we didn’t have any trick-or-treaters, it was a beautful night. I enoyed podcasting and livestreaming, even through the internet was a little gamey when it broadcasted the video.
I am going to have to evaluate that going forward, especially since interviews and collaboration projects are on the table and on the agenda. More on that….later.
I hope you had a great and happy Halloween. I’ll be back soon with more content. Stay tuned!
Listen to this Episode!
Listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on any of the following apps:
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To download and listen to this episode, click this text.
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The post Halloween Livestream: Breaking the Silence appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I talk about “going with the flow” and how Julie and I are developing a 10 step plan to navigate life’s rapids, waterfalls and log jams.
To begin, how many have you have heard this famous line from one of my favorite movies?
“Just go with the Flow….like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream.” ~ Steve Martin and John Candy in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”
I used this line when I gave my Best Man’s speech at my brother’s wedding many years ago because there is a lot of meaning in that phrase. In this post and episode, we are going to talk about foing with the flow and how we need to navigate down the river of life.
Hall of Heroes – Gratitude
“It’s hard to have a bad day when you START your day with gratitude.”
As part of intentionally Practicing Gratitude, I am starting this podcast episode by recognizing some folks who have been active on Small Scale Life.
These folks have reached the Hall of Heroes for this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast:
- Amy Dingmann from A Farmish Kind of Life
- Terrance Layhew from the Suit Up Philosophy Podcast
- Greg Burns from The Contrary Beekeepers Podast
- Hannah and AJ fromThe Wisconsin Homestead Podcast
- A special thank you to some very cool people in my life that have good and positive energy including Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer, Tim, Trish, and Bert who are part of the Driftless Clan
- Sarah Deziel for all of her hard work
- Most of all, thank all of you for listening to this podcast episode, and if you want a shout out in our next Hall of Heroes, get active and participate on Small Scale Life.
What are you grateful for? Maybe you should tell that person or that organization (or favorite podcaster). Give it a try!
Definition of Flow
We use the word “flow” a lot in our everyday lives:
- Water and other liquids, especially creeks, streams or rivers
- Electricity and power
- Traffic and traffic jams
- Beer, wine and liquor at a party
- Conversations with others
- Inspiration and creative endeavors
- Deep thinking and meditation
- Describing our lives
For a simple, four letter word, “flow” takes on a lot of meanings and uses in the English language. It’s no wonder people get frustrated learning this language!
What does Flow REALLY Mean?
Words used often are often overlooked and never examined. This is especially true with this little four letter word. Looking up the word “flow,” here is what I found for a definition:
Flow
The verb form means to move along steadily and continuously in a current or stream.
The noun form means a steady, continuous stream of something.
Sure, as a civil engineer, I learned about laminar and turbulent flow in my hydraulics class. Like much of school, it was one of those things you suffer through and don’t think much about. I was pushing through that class towards a diploma.
When I worked at the Traffic Management Center as a student worker and on traffic models as a new traffic engineer, we did talk about traffic in terms of water flowing through a pipe. You could see how the flow of traffic would get impeded by obstacles (accidents, construction, police action, etc). Obstacles slowed traffic down, and there was a ripple effect as a crash or incident created a traffic jam.
After leaving school, the Traffic Management Center and traffic modeling, I didn’t really think much about the word “flow” until I started recording creeks, streams and rivers. You start to notice things: rocks, log jams, rapids, drops other obstructions that impede flow and create turbulence. That turbulence creates interesting sounds: rocks and logs create soft and soothing gurgling sounds; rapids, drops and waterfalls create high energy rushing sounds that can almost sound like static on a radio or television (back in the day, no so much in this modern age).
While all of those obstacles can create great sounds for an ASMR-type recording, the fact that they cause commotion and turbulence in the quiet flow of a creek, stream or river. There is a lot of energy around these obstacles, and it is the same in our own lives as well.
Work with the Flow, Not Against It
What creates commotion and turbulence in our own lives?
Literally everything.
Money/income (not having it or having too much of it), school, work, activities, family, friends, church, taxes, credit cards, news, our current culture, attitudes, belief systems, though processes, lack of gratitude….literally everything can cause rapids, a drop in our energy, waterfalls or a dam to occur (just using water terms).
These obstacles and blockages can significantly impact our attitudes, gratitude and interactions with others in significant ways. Here are just a few examples:
- Making hasty or poor decisions (for your career, business, relationships and life)
- Trying to force things and events to happen (pushing a square peg in a round hole)
- Having poor communication, interactions relationships with family and friends
At times in your life, you can feel like you are swimming upstream or against the tides. Not only are you pulling your weight through the water, but the river and current are working against you. You are working WAY too hard; nothing seems to be going right. Nothing is easy; everything is a challenge. It is exhausting, and you can check out, burnout and tire easily.
While fighting the current sounds like a brave endeavor, this is how people drown in rivers or when they are pulled out to sea in a riptide. They fight the current, eventually getting exhausted and slipping under the water. Instead, when you are caught in a riptide or are floating downstream in a strong current, we need to work with the current and slowly work our way to shore down the beach or downstream of where we started. Once we are on solid ground, we can walk back to safety and our family and friends.
Sometimes we create our own rivers with a strong current that can bog us down and pull us under. We get excited, make some decisions and starting swimming. It is a way “to get things started.” Later, we realize our mistake and need to stop swimming against our own man-made current immediately. True story; it just happened us!
Commotion, turbulence and chaos happen in our life everyday. While we would prefer to have calm and still waters in our life, the fact is the winds of change blow and the water starts to flow.
Planning, Planning and More Planning
We have to have a plan for working with the flow. Like the riptide or current in a river, we need to work with the flow and get to solid ground. What’s your plan? What will you do to work with the situation you find yourself in?
Truth be told, there isn’t a one size fits all solution to life’s turbulence and commotion. Try as we might, we cannot control other people, other things, policies, laws and life.
We do know that certain things can and will happen that significantly impact those calm waters, however. We know that jobs get outsourced, businesses close, cars break down, your house will need repairs, it is going to rain or snow some day, pets and livestock will get sick and die, and people will get sick and die.
What’s our plan for that kind of turbulence?
Julie and I talked about financial freedom, minimalism and resilience over the past couple years. Adopting a Resilient Mindset is critically important, especially when we continue to see empty shelves for all kinds of goods and costs are getting more expensive. We need to know what we have, what resources we have around us and how we can acquire what we need when Murphy comes knocking at our front door. Having your financial ducks in a row, low debt and an emergency fund in place will help you when times get tough.
Can I Borrow a Cup of Sugar?
Do you remember the good old days when your mom would send you out to the neighbor’s house to borrow a cup of sugar? You would trot next door in the snow and knock on the door and ask to borrow a cup of sugar. The neighbor would laugh or smile and gladly come back with a cup or two, and they would happily tell you that it wasn’t a problem at all.
This is how I grew up.
When was the last time someone came and asked you for a cup of sugar? Sadly, in this day and age, it doesn’t happen much. We don’t know our neighbors, and we don’t even bake anything anymore.
Keep in mind that this is not about mining and extracting resources. We believe in a “gift for a gift” exchange. Sometimes you might be or have the solution for someone that needs help in your network. Sometimes you might need help. Sometimes those gifts in return come at a later date. This is the ebb and flow of life that we believe is healthy and normal neighborhood and community.
The bottom line is that not all resilience is financially based. We should understand what resources are in our immediate area of influence (property, neighborhood, community, town and county) and how to get them if we need them. We should also develop a community and network of people that we can lean on when times get tough for you, your family or their family.
Our 10 Step Plan for Difficult Times
I know what some of your are probably thinking….
“Well, that all sounds REAL great, but so what?”
Before I get into that, I want to address the folks who might be struggling with a significant crisis in their life right now. Please reach out to someone if you are having a crisis.
THOSE IN A CRISIS RIGHT NOW If you are living through a crisis right now, then you are concentrated on getting through that crisis and are living in extreme survival mode. There is nothing beyond that crisis, and you need to focus all of your resources on getting through that right now. That is what you should and need to focus on right now.
Julie and I have been in survival mode for most of our lives, and we have had multiple crises going on at once. It isn’t fun, and it is really hard on you mentally, spiritually and physically. Do that first and come back to this 10 Step Plan once the crisis is over.
OTHERS WHO ARE THRIVING For many of us, we are not working through a crisis. We are thriving, and that means we have the gift of time right now. We can take the time to plan and locate and save up resources.
Where could you start?
If you don’t know where to start, perhaps you should start here. I developed a series of core principles and themes for Small Scale Life, and I haven’t discussed this directly for a long time. After a year of lockdowns, scarcity, fear and other chaos, it is time to get back to basics. Change is coming, and Julie and I are going with the flow of that change.
Our 10 Step Plan (and core principles listed in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group) are designed to slow your life down and focus on what is important.
OUR 10 STEP PLAN 1) Learn skills, practice those skills, and grow by teaching others (learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday)
2) Develop highly productive and easy to maintain gardens (Wicking Beds, Rain Gutter Grow Systems, Container Gardens and/or Raised Beds)
3) Lower the cost of one’s lifestyle (Minimalism – minimizing your footprint and getting rid of excess stuff that is not needed or used)
4) Become debt free through budgeting and by eliminating out-of-control spending
5) Locate, control and conserve resources (particularly water, energy, transportation)
6) Build your community (family, neighbors, and friends) around you and help it thrive
7) Be useful to others
8) Lead by example (Be the Lighthouse – which is one of my 2021 Guiding Words)
9) Return to the Land
10) Soak up Nature and become one with it
Feel free to download or save this image if you want a copy for yourself. I will have a PDF for FREE for folks who sign up and become an E-Peep (Small Scale Life Email Newsletter).
Again, I will have a PDF for FREE for folks who sign up and become an E-Peep (Small Scale Life Email Newsletter).
Final Thoughts: Our Challenge
We can spend a lifetime chasing dollars and cents, yet we don’t have the sense to take care of these basic 10 Step Plan. We have become addicted to consumerism, screens, and Modern Western Culture that pumps out garbage at an incredible rate. That is where we get into trouble: too much debt, not enough savings, few prospects, no connection to Nature or people, and living life on the hamster wheel fulfilling someone else’s dreams.
Are you sick of that yet?
Reviewing Our 10 Step Plan over, I can see how we need to ramp up and execute them as Julie and I start our new homestead in a rural place where we don’t know many people. It is going to be challenge for us, but I think all of the work we have done is going to pay off. We are starting to see results already, and we have just barely gotten started. Just wait!
Change is coming. We need to go with the flow like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream.
However….
We will use our paddle (our 10 Step Plan) to guide us around life’s commotion, chaos and rocks to keep moving forward.
Are you ready to join us on this adventure?
There will be twists and turns, some rapids and drops, so hold on tight. Put on that life preserver.
It’s time for the river to take us where it takes us.
Push off; let’s go!
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This week I waded in the cold and cleansing waters of Lake Gitche Gumee. While I didn’t go swimming in this Great Lake, I did wade in the shallows as the waves rolled in. Let me tell you, Lake Gitche Gumee is cold as hell, but it was worth every minute of it!
For those of you who are not familiar with the name of the big lake, Lake Gitche Gumee is a play on the Ojibwa words “gichi-gami, gitchi-gami or kitchi-gami for Lake Superior. Loosely, it does indeed mean “Big Sea” or “Huge Water.” Source: https://www.lakesuperior.com/the-lake/lake-superior/281almanac/
Lake Superior, or Lake Gitche Gumee, is the largest Great Lake. According to Wikipedia, it is 31,700 square miles and has average depth of 483 feet. At its deepest point, it is 1333 feet deep! Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes
Given its size, volume, depth and location in the Northern Hemisphere, there is no question that this water would be cold!
Some of you might be wondering how cold Lake Superior is this time of year. Well, I grabbed some data for you, and you can see the current temperatures using the NOAA website: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/glcfs.php?lake=s&ext=swt&type=N&hr=45
To break the suspense: it was probably around 38 degrees Fahrenheit where I was wading!
For more information on Lake Superior’s Temperatures, check out the following links (including a surf report….in Lake Superior….really):
- https://www.watertemperature.net/united-states/lake-superior-water-temperature.html
- https://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Keweenaw-Peninsula/seatemp
Getting Grounded
Some of you know that I have been doing almost daily (now M-W-F) videos on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel called Getting Grounded. It is a chance for me to take a break, go outside and get in touch with Nature. I started it on New Years Eve 2021, and I have a bunch of videos where I am standing barefoot in snow at the Third Floor Castle in the Sky, while I’m on the road or when I am at Eagles Ridge (haven’t been barefoot there yet, actually).
On a phone call, my friend Mr. Tactical Jay said that he had never seen the Great Lakes. He lived in the Pacific Northwest, Arizona (experienced Sedona – that lucky dog), and now lives in the mountains of Virginia. He has only visited Minnesota to experience a frigid Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings Playoff Game. Yes, he got to witness the Vikings lose to Seattle when Blair Walsh’s winning field goal hooked left and missed completely. So sad….(snicker).
Since I was in Duluth, I decided to drive up the North Shore to get some video and photos to show my friend Mr. Tactical. It was a really nice day, and I had just gotten my work done. I had my cameras and a recorder, so I decided to head north to a little wayside rest north of town. I parked, walked down the rocks and found a nice spot that was out of the southern winds. This video is the result of that experience.
Given that I am a stubborn Pole-Czech-Dane, I wanted to connect with the lake and wade in it. I have been standing in snow all winter, so I thought it would be no big deal.
So I thought!
I stood in the shallow waters for a bit while I filmed my Getting Grounded Video and afterward. I am not going to lie: it was COLD! This is the video I took for Mr. Tactical and the rest of the Small Scale Life Tribe:
While it was cold, I love to be in water. Even though Capricorn is an earth sign, I find solace and comfort in water. I grew up in the water (lakes and pools), and I am excited that our Eagles Ridge property is on the Apple River. I will be forever connected to the water and let the river take me where it takes me!
For more Getting Grounded Videos, check out the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel:
Lake Gitche Gumee…Sacred Places
Local Native American tribes have long understood the dangerous nature of Lake Gitche Gumee. There is a sacred tree called Manidoo-giizhikens, or Little Cedar Spirit Tree, by the Ojibwe First Nation. Settlers called it the “Witch Tree,” but I like the Little Cedar Spirit Tree.
Ojibwe people would make offerings of tobacco to ensure their safety navigating the dangerous waters, and has been a sacred place long before the French explorers wrote about it in 1731. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_Tree
CBS did a story about the Little Cedar Spirit Tree in 2015. I really liked what John Morrin, a historian with the Grand Portage Reservation Tribal Council, had to say about the tree in the article:
“It’s hard to walk that road, that straight road,” Morrin said. “And I think that’s what it’s trying to tell us, that it’s going to be very hard. You’ve really got to hold on to your sacred ways.”
Source: https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/10/25/finding-minnesota-north-shores-witch-tree/
This is so true and very wise words!
Because this is a sacred site, you cannot visit the site without a member of the native Ojibwe people of Grand Portage as a guide. It used to be open to the public, but some people just are dreadful and vandalize anything and everything (sacred, historic or not nailed down). It really is disgusting what some people do sometimes.
Gitche Gumee….in Song
One classic song about the Big Lake is “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot. This song is about an iron ore ship that sank in a wicked storm on November 24, 1975. The ship took on water and sank to the bottom, taking all 29 men to the bottom with it.
All hands were lost.
There are many theories about how and why the big freighter sank, and many in the maritime community have argued about these theories for years. One thing is clear: the sinking of this massive freighter caused changes and new rules for the Great Lakes shipping industry.
One of the biggest changes was in the mindset of the captains and crews: captains no longer were so cavalier about sailing heavy seas and big storms. One of the biggest freighters went down with all hands lost; they now understand the power and dangerous nature of Lake Gitche Gumee, especially when the Gales of November come calling.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Lyrics and Song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc
Source: LyricFind
Source: https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/456351/Gordon+Lightfoot/The+Wreck+of+the+Edmund+Fitzgerald
Songwriters: Gordon Lightfoot
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship’s bell rang
Could it be the north wind they’d been feelin’?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too
T’was the witch of November come stealin’
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin’
When afternoon came it was freezin’ rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin’
“Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya”
At seven PM, a main hatchway caved in, he said
“Fellas, it’s been good to know ya”
The captain wired in he had water comin’ in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay
If they’d put fifteen more miles behind her
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the maritime sailors’ cathedral
The church bell chimed ’til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early
Do You have a Side Hustle or Business?
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Share your story by being on the Small Scale Life Podcast!
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Send a message to me using the Contact Us page on smallscalelife.com. This is your chance to teach us as we continue to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!
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Are you in a hole in your life (career, tasks, relationships, money, credit cards, debt)? You should stop digging right now!
We learn a lot through trial and error, and as I have said on many, many times here on the Small Scale Life Podcast, we learn more through catastrophic failures than wild successes. Julie and I have a great example of this from our failed stair project at Eagles Ridge.
In this Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I talk about 5 Lessons Learned from Our Stair Project Failure that can be applied to our lives: relationships, jobs, money, tasks, DIY projects and even social media. The key lesson learned in all of this is if you are in a hole, stop digging! You will have less of a mess to correct if you stop digging that hole deeper and deeper.
Ask me how I know….
Not all is doom and gloom, dear friends. We have had some great times and great successes out at Eagles Ridge, and you will hear about them as I provide an Eagles Ridge Update: Community, House Project and Stair Project. Two exciting updates are that I planted the first homestead plants on the property AND the Old Trapper caught the first fish from our shores this weekend (a smallmouth bass)!
April has come and gone, and we had a lot going on gearing up for constructing our Eagles Ridge Barndominium. The machine is MOSTLY in place, and the weather had cooperated; however, we hit a delay. We are in a holding pattering until some things get sorted out, and that gives us time to do other things.
Some things…go better than others!
You’ll see what I mean in this post and podcast episode. I mean, what were you expecting? All unicorns and rainbow farts? Life doesn’t work like that, my friends.
What is Eagles Ridge?
Before we go far with this podcast, video and post, we need to define what Eagles Ridge is for all the new folks.
Eagles Ridge is our 1.8-acre homestead in Western Wisconsin on the banks fo the Apple River. Close to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, it is far enough away to be in a different world! We have the convenience of the Big City (which is great for newbie country mice like us) and the quiet of the rural life. It really is the best of both worlds.
Julie and I are creating a new home, a new garden, a new community and a new Small Scale Life in Western Wisconsin. We discuss finding Eagles Ridge on a recent Small Scale Life Podcast here. You can listen to the episode by clicking this text.
Even though the prices of lumber are spiraling out of control, Julie and I are working hard to construct a new house and pole shed (maybe) and move into this magical place in 2021! Stay tuned for more of that story in future Small Scale Life Podcast Episodes, YouTube Videos and Odysee Videos.
Eagles Ridge Stair Project
In November of 2020, we started the Stair Project to provide a safe way for people to access the Apple River from the top of Eagles Ridge, which is about 50-60 feet above the river. By using a widened deer path we call “Billy Goat’s Gruff,” we get about half way down the Ridge. We just needed a way to get from the middle of the Ridge to the river!
As seen above, we decided the best approach was using 4″x4″x8′ green treated posts. The Old Trapper had the facilities and equipment, so he cut the posts down and created steps. Using lots of lag bolts, he created “U” shaped stairs that we would dig into the hill and secure with 24″ rebar and other long lag bolts. These stairs are all connected together and incredibly sturdy.
Things were going well last Fall, but we ran into some serious issues, especially in the past two weeks. The main problem is seen in the photo with most of the 4″x4″ U steps in place. We could only climb 7″ with each “U” step, and the ground is steep. We couldn’t get high enough fast enough: we were losing to the slope.
I did come up with a design to turn the 4″x4″ U steps across the face of the slope. That would allow us to get up to ground level while not losing more ground due to the severe slope. We would turn twice and get to the top of Billy Goat’s Gruff.
Stair Stringer Big Dig
Two weeks ago, we decided to make some drastic changes with the stairs. As a shortcut (less work, so we thought), we decided to use manufactured steps from a Big Box Store. We would attach these stair stringers to the highest 4″x4″ U step and build a platform or landing to secure the top.
It seemed reasonable.
We just had to remove “a little soil” to make that happen. To get the stair stringers to work, we would need to remove a soil from a 60″x40″x24″ block. Using simple volume calculations, that translated into removing about 1.1 cubic yards of soil, roots, and rock. In the end, that was not insignificant amount of material (especially when we had to replace it)!
The main problem with this method of stair construction was the disturbance of the natural soil. The roots and rock held the native soil in place. Removing the rock and, more importantly, the roots weakened the soil. When soil like sand is free to move, it will move when a force is applied. I watched in horror as the soil and rock fell from the undermined Billy Goat’s Gruff and as Julie and her dad worked the area we were digging out. With rain on the way, we left Eagles Ridge on April 25th very concerned. I was sure we would have a massive landslide on our hands.
Fortunately, the soil held with the rains and animals walking over the trail. The picture above shows the scar on April 28, 2021, after the rains. It is hard to see from this angle, but the trail on the upper left side of the stairs was starting to collapse and would have fallen in that day.
Based on the safety issue and potential erosion issue we just created, we decided to reverse course on this project. We were in a hole in a bad way, and we decided to stop digging and repair the hill.
Stop Digging: Healing the Land
I started restoring the hill by shoring up Billy Goat’s Gruff with 3 4×4’s and a 2×6 stacked on each other. We had underminded the trail by that much material! I secured everything with stakes and screwed everything together. The trail seemed to stabilize and not be on the verge of collapse.
Next, I essentially built three walls and two Hugel Munds on the hill (see the photo above). I wanted to resist water running through the repaired scar and washing the soil away. To do that, I built three walls, “baffles,” using 2″x6″x3′ boards. Each baffle is staked into the ground and is screwed together with 3″ deck screws.
The Old Trapper and I filled the voids with timber and rock before adding sand, natural soil and topsoil. We tamped down the sand and natural soil before adding topsoil.
Once everything was in place, Julie and I spread grass seed, topsoil and erosion blanket over the scar. We staked down the erosion blanket, burned some sage and prayed for steady but gentle rains to soak the seeds and help with germination.
Time will tell if our repairs took and held the soil.
My fingers are crossed.
Learn, Do, Grow and Be a Little Better Everyday As I sit here in Superior, Wisconsin, and think about this overall project and how we could have done things differently, I came up with 5 Lessons Learned from Our Stair Project. Now, these lessons can apply to all aspects of your life because we often find ourselves in a rut, a ditch or a hole because of our decisions and actions.
So many times we look up and realize how deep we are into trouble because of a decision or what we did, and we think we can muscle through the situation, doubling down on the mistake and creating an even bigger disaster.
Ever find yourself in that situation before? Here are some examples:
- One little white lie turns into a series of white lies or even a bigger lie, and eventually the truth comes out as your House of Cards collapses around you.
- Spending compulsively depletes your savings and checking account, but you continue to spend without regard to your budget. Then, Murphy comes knocking: your car breaks down, you job gets outsourced, some unforeseen tax bill hits or you have a health issue that racks up debt. It can be a horrendous spiral.
- Dealing with a toxic friend or family member can rub off on your and infect your mindset, language, and actions. You can alienate good friends and family members with your toxicity.
- Taking shortcuts at your job can help you get the project done fast, but eventually the shortcut will fail. You will have to do costly and time consuming rework to fix the problems and do the project right.
I have done all four of these things at different points in my life, and it has cost me.
5 Lessons Learned from Our Stair Project
Upon reflection, I developed these Five Lessons Learned from Our Stair Project are so important. Here are the Lessons Learned:
- Don’t let the momentum of the situation or event take you along for the ride. You have to engage and guide your way through the situation. Just going along to get along might not be the best option for you.
- When you are digging a hole, rut or ditch, STOP and ASSESS the situation often.
- It is ok to stop and start over. Pay the “Stupid Tax” (time, money and/or effort) and move on a new path.
- Reassess the plan and the situation and ask “why.” Continue forward if it seems reasonable, otherwise pivot and follow #3 above.
- Trust your intuition. If it doesn’t look right, feel right, sound right or smell right, it probably isn’t right. Trust your logic, reason and intuition.
While these Lessons Learned will not prevent you from making mistakes or following the wrong path, at least you have a recipe for taking stock of your project, decisions and actions and adjust.
Remember: it is ok to stop digging. In fact, you might save yourself a lot of work and heartache in the process!
Watch the Stair Project Progress This isn’t the first glitch we had with the stair project. I documented the evolution of the stair project on a Small Scale Life YouTube Playlist.
You can watch the videos below. There are 8 videos.
Watch this Episode on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel You can watch this Episode on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel:
Hall of Heroes – Gratitude
“It’s hard to have a bad day when you START your day with gratitude.”
As part of intentionally Practicing Gratitude, I am starting this podcast episode by recognizing some folks who have been active on Small Scale Life.
These folks have reached the Hall of Heroes for this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast:
- Brian and Kori from Happy Hills Homestead and Baby Walter Company for coming from Onamia, MN, to visit us at Eagles Ridge! They brought comfrey, compost and rabbit poop. Now that is what I call a gift! We now have a comfrey patch growing at Eagles Ridge, which is really exciting.
- Sue and her dog Otis for visiting us last weekend. She made the drive from the Minneapolis’ Far Western Suburbs and joined the conversation and fun last weekend.
- My son Danny and his girlfriend for visitng last Saturday. I might have barely lost in bags, but we will have a rematch.
- Old Trapper Dan and Sue for helping and being there most weekends. Special shout out to Dan for his help on the Stair Project, especially for the in a hole and stop digging portion!
- Finally, a special thank you to all of you for listening to this podcast episode, and if you want a shout out in our next Hall of Heroes, get active and participate on Small Scale Life.
What are you grateful for? Maybe you should tell that person or that organization (or favorite podcaster). Give it a try!
Listen to this Episode!
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The post In a Hole? Stop Digging! 5 Lessons Learned from Failure appeared first on Small Scale Life.
In this post, YouTube video and Small Scale Life Podcast Episode, I am going to talk about Raised Bed Garden Ideas to Improve Your Garden. This is part of our Introduction: How to Start Gardening Series here on Small Scale Life where we are doing some deep dives into gardening techniques that are used to successfully grow vegetable and herbs.
Recently Julie and I were at Eagles Ridge, getting ready to burn a pile of brush. I noticed that Julie had disappeared, but then I realized she was talking with our new neighbor about her garden. I have featured that garden several times on the Small Scale Life Instagram Feed, and it was obvious to me that our neighbors hadn’t planted in 2020 (or even 2019); it had been overrun with some serious weeds. The neighbor said she “was going to rip everything out and have her husband install raised bed gardens to help with weed control.”
To that, Julie replied that someone, SOMEONE like your humble Greenman correspondent, knows “all about raised bed gardens and has a lot of ideas about how to improve gardens with them.”
She is absolutely right about that!
The truth of the matter is that I have experimented with a lot of different gardening techniques over the years. I have dabbled in a lot of different systems (as you can see in this post) because I wanted to find productive growing systems for small spaces. I don’t want to grow weeds or green bushy plants (unless it is salad greens like lettuce, kale, spinach, etc.)! If you are going to spend your time, blood, sweat, tears and other resources, you want productive gardens.
I have found raised bed gardens to be very productive, require low maintenance and can actually be made into self-watering systems.
The good thing is that I am happy to share information because I have learned a lot through the School of Hard Knocks: stuff I have tried and either succeeded at or failed at over the years. I am happy to share my experiences to save you some time, money and frustration!
Let’s talk about some different types of gardening methods and raised bed garden ideas that are incredibly productive, even in small spaces. As I write and talk about these, I realize that I am going to need to do deeper dives into each method in future articles, videos and podcast episodes.
That is why I am writing this How to Start Gardening Series, and this is timely as I will be designing my new garden for Eagles Ridge!
Traditional Gardening Method: Tilling Up Your Yard
I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of folks started gardens in 2020 when the shelves were going bare by tilling up a patch of grass in their yard.
While this is the way our great grandparents, grandparents and parents started to gardening, new gardeners found out the hard way what more seasoned and grizzled gardening veterans already know: this is a sure fire way to get overrun with weeds! Sure, that soil looks great at first, you new gardeners plant all kinds of vegetable and herbal goodness in the soil, but then a curious thing happens: small plants spring up fast!
See, Mother Nature is a shy goddess. She doesn’t like to be naked, and Mother Nature will pull out a green dress as fast as she possibly can to cover up and stay warm!
The truth is that there are dormant seeds in the soil, and tilling that soil activates those dormant seeds. Like your flowers, vegetables and herbs, weeds will be activated by sun, water and nutrients too. By removing that grass canopy, you have provided that last element those weeds need to start growing: sun.
I have seen this time and time again on our family land in Central Wisconsin. We have towering red pines and oaks growing on the property that shade the forest floor below. New growth is held in check because sunlight rarely hits that forest floor.
When you cut trees and open the canopy of mature red pines or oaks (as you can see above), it allows the sun to shine on that forest floor and warm the soil. That’s when you will see seedlings start to push through the pine needle carpet and begin to grow. Soon we will have thick patch of blackberry bushes, raspberry bushes, young oak or red pine trees growing. Of course, sometimes invasive species (buckthorn, prickly ash and honeysuckle) and poison ivy begins to grow too!
Believe it or not, the same process happens in that patch of yard you just tilled up and exposed to the sun!
For my new garden at Eagles Ridge, I am anticipating using this method (believe it or not). I heard a collective gasp from those who have followed me for years! Believe it or not, I have and do use the traditional method of growing for certain plants: rhubarb, comfrey, grapes and asparagus.
Yes, the traditional method of gardening will be great method for annual plants that come back year after year after year. The key will be keeping these plants watered and somewhat protected from deer and groundhogs until they are established.
The other good thing about this traditional method of growing is that I can start some of these plants this year (in 2021) without significant investment in new fencing and equipment.
Raised Bed Garden Ideas
Fortunately, there are other gardening methods and techniques that help have developed new methods and techniques for gardening. The glorious thing is that these new methods and techniques can make a small space, a small yard or even a patio or deck shine!
Since I tinkered and experimented with various techniques and methods over the years, I will show you some common examples of Raised Bed Garden Ideas including the following:
- Container Gardens
- Square Foot Gardens
- Mittleider Gardens
- Table Top Gardens
- Vertical Gardens
- Rain Gutter Grow Systems
- Wicking Beds
I have tried all of these Raised Bed Garden Ideas before with varying degrees of success. That is the benefit of gardening in different places and spaces since 2008 or so. We have been landowners and renters, and there are times when I have had to build and grow plants using fairly mobile and non-intrusive methods.
Of course, as I think about these various Raised Bed Garden Ideas and Systems, I have to smile: these are all worthy of their own deep dives in the future. There is so much to say about each one, and often creative folks blend, mix and match between these methods. Testing, mixing and mashing up methods get the cranky purist gardener’s underwear in a twist, believe it or not.
Guilty. As. Charged.
That is what I love about gardening: you can grow in almost anything and anywhere as long as you provide the three basic elements: light, nutrients and water!
Who is with me on that?
Container Gardening
There are a myriad of container gardens out there! In 2020, we had a patio herb and flower garden that consisted of a variety of galvanized metal buckets, a 1’x4’ planter and two Wicking Buckets. This was Julie’s Kitchen Garden, and she maintained and watered these flowers and herbs.
Container gardens are incredibly flexible, and they are perfect for small spaces including decks, patios and porches. We will have a larger herb and flower garden at Eagles Ridge, but I will be experimenting with a very small Self-Watering Buckets/Container Gardens here at our Third Floor Castle in the Sky in 2021. You can grow a lot in a small space with container gardens!
If you want to learn more about the Self-Watering Buckets, check out my article here on Small Scale Gardening.
Container Gardens were discussed in the Small Scale Life Podcast Episode titled Modern Victory Gardens in 2020. You can listen to that Podcast Episode by clicking on this text.
Square Foot Gardens
As an adult, my re-introduction and re-entry into gardening was Square Foot Gardening. Mel Bartholomew’s straightforward and organized gardening method and style appealed to my desire to learn some new skills and grow some food and Julie’s desire to have it look nice and be organized! Square Foot Gardening met all of those goals.
The key with Square Foot Gardens is the raised bed, which is typically made out of wood. You can divide that raised bed into one foot squares, and you plant your seeds or seedlings into that one foot square.
Another innovation from Square Foot Gardening Method is the soil mix used in the raised bed gardens. Mel recommended a 1/3-1/3-1/3 soil mix:
- 1/3 Compost (mix of 5 different types of compost is best)
- 1/3 Peat Moss or Coco Coir
- 1/3 Coarse Vermiculite or Perlite
This is very close to the soil mix that I recommend and use to this day, and it has worked out very well for me! For those who are wondering, I won’t use 5 different compost mixes in my raised beds, but I will use at least two and use natural supplements (used coffee ground teas, compost teas and worm castings) and worms in my raised beds.
Mel and others developed planting guides for different varieties of plants and herbs for those one foot squares. For instance, you can plant 4 bush bean plants in one square, 2 Swiss Chard plants in another, 1 pepper in another square and 1 tomato in the fourth square.
Square Foot Gardening is near and dear to my heart. It was my “gateway” back into gardening, and I still use elements of Square Foot Gardening to this day. In fact, one can say that Rain Gutter Grow Systems use principles and planting guides for these systems as well.
Mittleider Method Raised Bed Gardens
Mittleider Method is a gardening system developed and tested by Dr. Jacob Mittleider over a 55-year period. Dr. Mittleider has an interesting background and history that shows that dedication, perseverance and intense focused study and experimentation can yield excellent results. Dr. Mittlieder developed his method of gardening that has been used to feed people all over the globe.
The Mittleider Method Gardens are basic wooden raised beds. In the Mittleider Method, you can use Grow Beds (earth beds for planting) or Grow Boxes (wooden raised beds). There are two types of Grow Beds and Grow Boxes: 18” wide or 4’ wide. The Grow Beds or Grow Boxes are as long as you wish, but they a maximum of 30 feet long!
The picture above is an 18″ wide grow box. I made my own trellis system which didn’t meet the “Mittleider Method Garden Standards,” but sometimes you have to bend “the rules” when something works WELL, am I right?
Soil mix, trellises, watering and regular fertilizer use are all parts of Mittleider Method, and the nuances of this method are worthy of a deeper dive. We won’t cover them in this introductory article, but in a future Deep Dive.
I have experimented with Mittlieder Method of Gardening a bit, and I have had good results. I can also admit to you, friends, that I have been kicked out and blocked from the Mittlieder Method Facebook Group before because my methods and advocacy of experimentation were outside the strict boundaries of the group.
How many of you can say you have been banned from a Gardening Group?
Well, friends, if you are listening to this or reading this, you just met one. Welcome to my one tomato trellis revolution!
Table Top Gardens
When we moved from Illinois to Minnesota in 2012, I purchased some lumber to create a model train table. I built two 2’x4’ sections and mounted legs on them. As Julie set up her wedding flower design studio in the basement, I realized that model trains were not happening in that small house!
I switched gears and turned the “train tables” into Table Top Gardens. I added a 2’x4’ frame around the top of the table and then drilled drainage holes in the ½” plywood. Then, I added compost and great plants!
After two seasons, I determined that plywood was not a great solution. I knew that the wood was rotting fast (wet soil has a tendency to do that to wood). I replaced the wood with landscape fabric and coated chicken wire. I essentially created a big root pouch and set it in the Table Top Garden.
My mom is still using the Table Top Gardens at her house in Northern Wisconsin. One has been converted into a Wicking Bed, and the other is still functioning as a Table Top Garden. She has replaced the landscape fabric with a liner, and I will be strengthening both frames in 2021. I see no reason why these to veteran Raised Bed Gardens shouldn’t last for many years to come!
These small Table Top Gardens look great on decks, patios and porches. You can grow peppers, greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, bush beans and onions in them, and they are very manageable. I am going to build one and get it in place for the Third Floor Castle in the Sky for this summer.
Vertical Gardens
As a renter, I was looking for ways and methods to grow food and herbs while not adding more raised beds gardens in “the wild area” of the rental house. After all, I am pretty sure the gardening I was doing was against the lease! I was looking for a method to add space for gardening without building a wooden raised bed gardens. I was out of real estate on the driveway and the “wild area.”
Somehow I discovered The Plant Charmer Khaled Majouji on Instagram and was fascinated with his Vertical Gardens using rain gutters and wood A-Frames. Khaled was operating a productive urban farm in his backyard in Montreal, Canada, and he had designs on bigger operations. I interviewed him and posted two episodes of that conversation:
Vertical Gardening with the Plant Charmer Part 1
Vertical Gardening with the Plant Charmer Part 2
Using his Instagram feed as inspiration, I created a vertical garden using rain gutters at the rental house in St. Louis Park using two 2’x4’ Table Gardens (see the picture above). When we moved to North Minneapolis, I built two vertical gardens using some 2’x4’s and a chain link fence. I wrote about thoser Vertical Garden projects here:
How to Build Vertical Gardens – Minneapolis Build on a Chain Link Fence
How to Build Vertical Gardens – St. Louis Park Build on a Table Garden
Introduction to Vertical Gardens
All in all, Vertical Gardens are a viable alternative raised bed garden idea, especially for folks with limited space. The key with this kind of gardening is to keep the soil moist; it dries out in the gutters and the compost will turn rock hard if you are not careful! This is speaking from experience!
Rain Gutter Grow Systems
Larry developed his Rain Gutter Grow Systems quite by accident. He stumbled upon this concept by growing his own tobacco in Minnesota. He wanted to cut his costs after taxes and fees made the price of tobacco skyrocket. Larry tore up his garden and planted organic tobacco, which grew very well in the rich soil in his garden in northern Minnesota.
Larry started to test self-watering systems using 5 gallon buckets with 3″ net cups set in vinyl rain gutters in 2011. Larry built a platform for the gutters by using 10′-2×4 boards, and he would set the rain gutters and 5 gallon buckets on level ground.
Larry worked with some folks to design and build a float system that could be connected to a rain barrel or a hose. As the water level goes down, the float moves and allows water to flow into the gutter until it is full of water. With the water in the gutter and the net cup in the water, the water wicks up into the soil in the net cup and into the 5 gallon bucket which completes the watering process.
There are variations on the original theme, of course. I have tested two types of Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow Systems, and my mom and brother tried the Kiddie Pool Systems. I have had excellent success with my Rain Gutter Grow Systems, and I will be working with them more in the future here at the apartment and at Eagles Ridge.
While there is a whole book of experience and information that must be written on this system, I will say that Rain Gutter Grow Systems are incredibly flexible and productive. I will set up some small systems here this year and show you just what I mean!
For my previous articles and videos on Rain Gutter Grow Systems, check out the following articles:
- Rain Gutter Grow Systems 101
- Rain Gutter Grow System…Meets Alaska
- Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow System Update 9/11/15
A whole book needs to be written by someone, and that someone is me. I am going to be working on this book and will offer it to you when it is complete. You will probably see drafts on Small Scale Life in the future.
Wicking Beds
Wicking Beds are another special raised bed garden that allows gardeners to “plant, water and forget it.” After the initial cost of construction and soil, these are self-contained systems that reduce water loss due to evaporation and are relatively low or no maintenance.
Like Rain Gutter Grow Systems, the beauty of Wicking Beds is that there is a water reservoir in the bottom of the raised garden bed. You add water to that lower water reservoir through the fill pipe OR from top watering (you can do both and should use both during the season), and the water wicks up into the soil to the plant roots through capillary action/
Wicking Beds come in all shapes and sizes. From totes to grow boxes to wooden beds to large plastic or metal watering troughs, plants love Wicking Beds! I consider these all raised bed gardens; they are just variations on a theme.
I have had excellent production from my Wicking Beds including tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, peppers, green beans, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, lettuces, onions and even potatoes. I was even getting ginger to grow in my Wicking Bed in 2020, but my move out of Minneapolis ended that experiment prematurely.
I will be writing about the experimenting more with Wicking Beds in the future. I am sold on this Raised Bed Gardening Idea and want to experiment more with the system! Did you hear that Michael Bell?
For more on Wicking Beds, check out my interview with Doneil Freeman from the Colorado Springs area in Colorado. He has an extensive Wicking Bed Garden area featured repurposed and restored second-hand metal watering troughs that are all raised bed gardens.
- Doneil Freeman: Wicking Beds and Regenerative Dads
- This method was discussed in the Small Scale Life Podcast Episode titled Modern Victory Gardens in 2020. You can listen to that Podcast Episode by clicking on this text.
How About You?
I have covered a lot of Raised Bed Garden Ideas to Improve Your Garden and your gardening experience in this article. While I intended it to be a brief overview, you can see that I have a lot to say and write about in future articles about each of these styles and methods. The fact is:
I have had a “wandering eye” and experimented with a lot of methods to find something that worked for me as a renter and a landowner.
I wanted to have beautiful and productive gardens, and that continues to be my goal!
How about you?
What system are you using?
What is working?
What isn’t?
Let me know in the comments.
Remember, we are here to help gardeners grow. Maybe there is something we can tweak or adjust to make your garden shine.
If you have a problem, I might be able to help!
Until next time, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better every day!
Hall of Heroes – Gratitude
“It’s hard to have a bad day when you START your day with gratitude.”
As part of intentionally Practicing Gratitude, I am starting this podcast episode by recognizing some folks who have been active on Small Scale Life.
These folks have reached the Hall of Heroes for this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast:
- Lettie Loo, Maria the Energy Healer and Hannah for being guests on the Small Scale Life Podcast. It was great chatting with you all!
- Michael Bell for collaborating with me on a future post and podcast episode.
- Brian from Happy Hills Homestead that gave me some great SCOBY last year. It is a strong SCOBY and is generating some awesome Dombucha. It is hard to keep up with Happy the SCOBY!
- Craig Caskey for being a great member of my Small Scale Gardening Groups. He is going to be promoted to Moderator of the MeWe and Facebook Groups.
- The Pine Hill Cottage, Travis Schulert, Mary at Red Dragon Herbs and Teas, Hannah at The Wisconsin Homestead Podcast, Brian at The Garden Voyeur, Jacob at the Wisdom of Odin and Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer for being so active on Instagram. It has been a lot of fun there!
- Finally, a special thank you to you for listening to this podcast episode, and if you want a shout out in our next Hall of Heroes, get active and participate on Small Scale Life.
What are you grateful for? Maybe you should tell that person or that organization (or favorite podcaster). Give it a try!
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The post Raised Bed Garden Ideas to Improve Your Garden appeared first on Small Scale Life.
On this 189th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am talking homestead hunting, Roberts Rules, grounding and gardening with Letti Loo from the Liberty All Day Blog, Podcast and Vlog. Letti is a busy person! She is married and has a busy little boy, and along with her own platform, she is a co-host on the 80’s Mom Podcast and has her own virtual assistant company called Parli Pro Consulting as well. Like Julie and I, Letti and her family are escaping Chicago and returning to the land. They want to get back to a place and a life that makes sense. They want the liberty and freedom to become who they want to be, grow their own food, have some animals, build a community and do something simply magnificent in a beautiful place. They are on the path that so many urbanites and suburbanites are on right now: escaping the large cities, the rules and the chaos. The land rush is on, and prices are climbing and property is scarce. Homestead hunting has been really tough and intense because potential places are sold sight unseen and as-is for premium prices. Will Letti and her family find that oasis in the sea of confusion? I know they will! Remember, dear Letti, good things are coming. It will work out and you will get the right place for you. Keep your chin up as your keep homestead hunting. Speak it; claim it; believe it!
Have you ever felt overwhelmed as you think about how to start gardening or kicking off a new garden season? There are so many questions, options and methods; it can feel like you are lost in a lush jungle of options and questions: • Do I start seeds or buy them from a store or a greenhouse? • Should I till up your yard and plant in native soil or build raised beds? • Should I use Square Foot Gardens, Rain Gutter Grow Systems, Wicking Beds or Root Pouches? • How should I orient my beds (north-south vs. east-west)? • Can I put a garden in a shaded spot? • What soil mix should I use for my raised beds? • Am I going to have an organic garden by using compost or use fertilizers or both? • How far do I space my garden beds from each other? • How close should I put the plants in my garden beds? • What are these pests (bugs, birds or four-legged animals) and how do I stop them eating my plants? • How can I reduce weeding and the work involved in gardening? • Why bother? I never remember to water my plants and kill everything I touch! If you feel this way, this new How to Start Gardening Series is for you. I am designing this series for people starting from scratch and with a clean canvas. My goal is to reduce the confusion and help you successfully grow plants and vegetables.
In the Frozen Tundra of America's northland, we seem to have turned a corner on the weather last week. Something is in the air. The birds are showing us that something is up: from the pairs of eagles flying over Eagles Ridge and near the Third Floor Castle in the Sky to the cardinals popping up everywhere. We are entering a Season of Change! On this 187th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discuss about how Our Time is Finite as we enter a Season of Change here at Small Scale Life. Spring 2021 is coming, and there will be a lot happening on Eagles Ridge, Small Scale Gardening, Small Scale Life and in our lives. Time is finite. There is only so much time in a day, and it really comes down to how we use that one essential limiting resource: time. It is time of new beginnings, and we can still be the lighthouse even though things look differently. If you remember, these are my Guiding Words for 2021. Things may change, but not all change is a bad thing. After all, gardeners and homesteaders know that as old, unproductive growth is removed, new plants can sprout and grow. Head over to smallscalelife.com (https://smallscalelife.com) to get all the show notes and links.
This episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast is all about How to Raise You Vibes with Maria the Energy Healer. As with many interviews, we had a plan and scripted questions for Maria, but we swerved into some really important topics that will serve as way stones for what Small Scale Life is becoming. For all of our knowledge and understanding, there are things in this world that humans don’t know or have forgotten during our evolution. The fact of the matter is that there are energies and vibrations at work all around us. In our crazy Western Civilization, modern men and woman are on the go and don’t often stop to contemplate WHY things happen or WHAT they can do to change how they feel, think and act. Instead, they chalk it up to bad luck or blame someone else for their misfortune. Feelings, thoughts and actions are all tied together. When we have stinking thinking, it is usually the result of problems with our internal energies, our chakras, conditioning and mindset. We have been programmed from a young age to be on the go and move through the normal, chaotic progression of birth, school, college, job, relationships, perhaps kids, rearing children, career, retirement and death. The only constants are death, taxes and never-ending consumption. Stop, breathe and think for a minute. Turn the lense on yourself and your path. Ask yourself: • What if you could understand the deeper meaning of our pain, stinking thinking and relationship problems? • What if we could tap into that energy power deep inside us and begin to work with it rather than against it? • Do you work with Source, Nature and deep energy to heal your mind, body and soul? • Do you know how to do that? • Do you even know what I am talking about? If you are like me six months ago, I wouldn’t have known what this is all about. I would have thought this was woo woo voodoo and looked at you funny as I hit “block” on my phone. Oh have times, and I, changed! Our guest this week is a Reike Master and Intuitive Energy Healer Maria Voorhees-Reincke. Julie and I discuss the following topics: • What is Energy Healing? • What is the Difference between Healing Touch and Reike? • Is this just woo-woo or voodoo? • What is grounding? • What are sessions like? We talk about these and a host of other topics on this 186th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast! For liinks and show notes, head over to smallscalelife.com!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Lifers. I hope you have a good holiday with your significant other. How is it going? How are you feeling? Are you making it through these tough times and cold weather? It can be hard this time of year. It feels like Spring is never going to get here, and we have a long stretch of sea before us before we get to a warmer seas and safe ports. On our course, there a rocks, reefs and sandbars that can snag our sailing ship. We can get stuck and hung up there, and that can be dangerous in foggy or stormy seas. You didn’t know you tuned in to a sailing podcast, did you? This is all a metaphor for life right now. Many of us are struggling with issues and problems, and sometimes we get stuck. We stop moving and get bashed and battered, much like a ship stuck on a rock, reef, or sandbar. Captains use charts, buoys and Lighthouses to safely navigate rivers, seas and oceans. We need the same in our lives as we deal with problems, issues and hang-ups. On this 185th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, let’s put on our Captain’s hat, hoist the sails and grab the charts and a glass. After all, its time to discuss When the Struggle is Real, Find Your Lighthouse to skirt the rocks and find better seas or a safe harbor. We can even say “Yarrrrrr” as we do it, maties! Now bring me that horizon…Yo ho! For show notes and links, head over to smallscalelife.com!
Julie and I had a great conversation about wellness, homesteading and grounding with Hannah from The Wisconsin Homestead Podcast. Topics include clean eating (Keto and Whole30), grounding, spirituality (energy and the Drum Wash) and of course The Wisconsin Homestead Podcast. What is Grounding? For those who may not know what “grounding” is, grounding is a practice where you walk barefoot, sit, or work outside to contact with the Earth's surface. By grounding, you are actually connecting your body to the earth’s energy, and at the same time, you are transferring the earth’s energy from the ground into your body. It really helps you to feel connected to the earth and more at peace. If you don’t believe it, you should give grounding a try! Why am I talking about this? Well, you’ll see really soon in this podcast episode, and this is part of our Wellness practice on Small Scale Life where we are healing and strengthening our bodies, minds and spirit. We will be talking more about this in future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast. Now, without further adieu, here is Wellness and Grounding with Hannah from The Wisconsin Homestead Podcast. For show notes, check out the post titled "Grounding with Hannah from The Wisconsin Homestead Podcast" on smallscalelife.com.
Pressing forward into 2021, we are starting the New Year off right! In this 183rd Podcast Episode, we are talking about gardening, urban homesteading and future homesteading plans with Hannah from The Wisconsin Homestead Podcast. Hannah and her husband AJ are fellow travelers in the Homesteading space. Like us, Hannah and AJ are living close to their parents in an urban area. In an effort to live healthier lives and break patterns of the American consumption lifestyle, they started gardening, growing fruit trees and making things from scratch. They have branched off to document their story on The Wisconsin Homestead Podcast and Instagram. Of course, this has lead to some interesting adventures and entanglements along the way. For example, you might not be a true urban homesteader until the police come to your house to investigate your yard….. For all of us that long to have a little more land and a lot more freedom, this podcast episode should bring a smile to your face and inspire you to try. It is not too late to start breaking free, and you will hear how tomatoes are indeed the gateway to gardening and freedom! If you want to start developing your vision for your future, take a listen to our podcast episode titled “How to Dream Big, Set Goals and Take Steps to Achieve Them” on Small Scale Life.com https://www.smallscalelife.com/how-to-dream-big-set-goals/ As always, show notes and links are found at smallscalelife.com
As we say goodbye and good riddance to 2020 and usher in the New Year, I am excited to kick off 2021 and set the tone. Relax and Meditate to Water Sounds from Quarderer Creek in Barron, Wisconsin. This is a Small Scale Life Podcast and YouTube video. Quaderer Creek is a stream that flows from just north of a small town named Hillsdale towards Barron, Wisconsin. It connects to the Yellow River in downtown Barron. Before it connects to the Yellow River, Quarderer Creek flows through a Waterfowl Management Project. This is a pond created by a earth and boulder dam near the intersections of 12th Avenue and 13th Street (JUST southwest of Barron, Wisconsin). The water flows through the dam, and it created an interesting sound. As I always say, each body of water (creek, stream, river and even a lake) has its own song and its own voice, and sometimes that changes depending on the season, flow and part of the body of water you record. As we step firmly into 2021, take a few minutes to relax and think where you want to go this year and in the future. We have a clean slate, an open book, a clear canvas and open waters ahead. We choose our path forward. Think about it, and move forward with confidence in 2021. Of course, you can think deeply about these subjects with one of our Water Sounds Meditation episodes on the Small Scale Life Podcast or Water Sounds Meditation Videos on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel. And now, Relax and Meditate to Water Sounds from Quaderer Creek in Barron, Wisconsin here is the first Small Scale Life Podcast and YouTube Video. Happy New Year!
In this Small Scale Life YouTube video and Podcast Episode, I am having Tea Time with Red Dragon Herbs and Teas. We are going to be talking about backyard homesteading and starting a small business from home. Who knows? Maybe Ryan’s story will motivate you to try that small side hustle that brings in extra income for you and your family. You never know! Red Dragon Herbs and Teas is a small tea business from Des Moines, Iowa. Ryan and Mary Lewellin started Red Dragon Herb and Teas in 2015, and they have grown the business through word of mouth and at local (and sometimes not so local) farmer’s markets. This is their story of international travel and tea tasting, humble beginnings, government regulations and overcoming. It’s tea time! Grab your favorite cup of tea, put on your headphones and enjoy the show! For more information, links and a special DISCOUNT CODE for Red Dragon Herbs and Teas, go to Small Scale Life and find the article titled "Tea Time with Red Dragon Herbs and Teas" (or just click this text to take you there directly). (https://www.smallscalelife.com/tea-time-with-red-dragon-herbs-and-teas/)
In our historic 180th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I talk about Discovering our Homestead that we have named Eagle's Ridge! We tell the story and walk you through the following topics: Hall of Heroes - Gratitude Chaos in the Time of COVID Consolidation and Remote Working Homeschooling Our Crazy 2020 Discovering Star Prairie, Wisconsin "I blame Jules" Each river has its own tune and song Finding and Buying Eagle's Ridge The Universe is Talking to Us and.... "I blame Jules" Our Vision for Eagle's Ridge "Let the River take Ya where it takes Ya!" Ending with Gratitude How about You? Julie asked a question at the end of the show: if you have built a home or homestead from scratch like we are, we would love to hear from your and hear your story! We would love to hear your Lessons Learned, tips, tricks and advice as we begin this journey and build Eagle's Ridge Homestead! For more links and information, head over to Small Scale Life and click on the "Eagles Ridge: Discovering Our Homestead" post or the Eagles Ridge Homestead Tab! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/eagles-ridge-homestead/)
In this Small Scale Life YouTube video and Podcast Episode, I publishing Meditation: Tree of Life. My hope is that this will help you during the chaotic holidays. With new restrictions and rules stressing families at the holidays, I thought this was the right time to say “thank you” to our great audience and give you something that will soothe nerves and allow you to relax. What is the Tree of Life? For those of you unfamiliar with the Tree of Life concept and icon, it is a symbol in many world religions. For a quick definition: • The Tree of Life, connects all forms of creation • The Tree of Knowledge connects heaven and the underworld Both forms of the world tree or cosmic tree and are portrayed in various religions and philosophies as the same tree. The Tree of Life is a symbol in many world religions including: Germanic, Norse and Slavic Religions Native American Religions Central and South American Religions Christianity Judaism Islam Hinduism Buddhism Church of Latter Day Saints Other Ancient Middle Eastern Religions in Iraq and Turkey While we all might have different beliefs and deities, we all seem to agree on one thing: the Tree of Life is incredibly important. As I explored Northwestern Wisconsin this fall, I discovered a little island in the middle of the St. Croix River. A tree was growing on the island, and this place seemed really special. The sight of this tree gracefully swaying in the wind and the sound of the clear St. Croix River that surrounded it just spoke to me. As I think about the Tree of Life, its meaning and its significance, I know some have examples from around the globe. I have seen massive trees in Hawaii, and I know there are huge redwoods in the Pacific Northwest, massive banyan trees in the tropics, towering trees in the rainforest and even sacred trees on the African Plain. For me, this tree on the island had a lot of meaning. It wasn’t the biggest tree in the woods; it wasn’t the tallest. It has many trunks that split off in many different directions. However, the birds are attracted to it, and if a person or animal wanted to get to this tree on the island, they would have to make a sacrifice to get there. They would have to wade into the cold waters, step over the stones and sand, and climb the bank to get to the tree. Much like Odin, Christ and other gods, a sacrifice must be made to reach that Tree of Life: it does not come easy or free. At some point, we hope to get what we put into our efforts and relationships, and hopefully you will feel some of that love come back to you for your efforts, hard work and sacrifices this holiday season. I hope you enjoy this Meditation Podcast Episode and Video titled “Tree of Life,” and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving holiday.
Helping people: that's what drives so many entrepreneurs. These brave folks have talents, skills, ideas and most importantly the gumption to get up and address needs in their communities. Hey, everyone, this is Tom your host of the Small Scale Life Podcast. I am glad you are here! In this Escape Velocity Series Podcast and Video on Small Scale Life, I have the honor of interviewing Kris Geissler. Kris saw a need to provide driver’s education in her community, and she started the Northfield Area School of Driving to help teach students how to drive safely. Who is Kris Geissler? Kris is a single mom and has a background in special education. She went from the St. Peter Security Hospital to teaching. She wanted to help students who were struggling in school in an effort to prevent them from going down a dark path. Kris has a passion to help these students succeed in school and life. Northfield is a community south of the Twin Cities and home to St. Olaf College, Carleton Collage and Malt-O-Meal. It is far enough from the Twin Cities that it is beautiful bedroom community with small town charm, but it is big enough that there are needs for students and people that go unfulfilled. One of those needs was driver’s education. There were no driver’s education classes available to local students. Kris saw that need and started her school to address that need in the Northfield area, especially when Community Education said "no." Do You See a Need? Do you see a need for a product or service? Maybe this podcast episode is just what you need to hear to make you START. That is the most difficult thing: overcoming your fear and starting. It is my goal to inspire you to take that step forward and begin. Escape Velocity is achieved after you get some momentum and small successes. The key, however, is to start! What's holding you back? Think about it as you listen to Kris Geissler’s story about her Amazing Driver’s Education in Northfield, Minnesota!
Have you ever wondered how to start and build a podcast? This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast, and even though I have been podcasting for five years, I am naturally curious how people start their online podcast business. My friend Mr. Tactical Jay and I had a chance to pick the brain of author and podcaster Glen Tate, and in this podcast episode, we are going to discuss How to Start and Build a Podcast Business with Glen Tate. In case you don’t know who these esteemed guests are, let me introduce them to you. • Glen Tate is a lawyer, the author of the 299 Days book series and co-host of the Prepping 2.0 Podcast and syndicated radio show. • Mr. Tactical Jay is my good friend and frequent guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast. He hails from somewhere on the East Coast where he is involved in healthcare and a firefighter. We recorded this podcast live on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel on the day after the election. While this is part of a longer hour and a half Live Stream on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel, I ran into some file size limitations with Fireside, which is my podcast hosting service. This was an interesting discussion, and given the interest that some folks that I have been talking to lately, I figured this would be a timely discussion. You can find the first part of our conversation with Glen Tate and Shelby Gallagher titled “How to Become a Gray Man or Woman” on smallscalelife.com (https://www.smallscalelife.com/how-to-become-the-gray-man-or-woman), the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel and podcast apps everywhere! You can find the links for this show and the 6 (plus one bonus) Key Points to consider when starting a business on smallscalelife.com, so head over there to get more information including notes and links.
In this 176th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, we discuss Becoming the Gray Man or Woman with Glen Tate, Shelby Gallagher and Mr. Tactical Jay. In case you don’t know who these guests are, let me introduce them to you. Glen Tate is a lawyer, the author of the 299 Days book series and co-host of the Prepping 2.0 Podcast and syndicated radio show. Shelby Gallagher is author of the Great State book series and co-host of the Prepping 2.0 Podcast and syndicated radio show. Mr. Tactical Jay is my good friend and frequent guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast. He hails from somewhere on the East Coast where he is involved in healthcare and a firefighter. Becoming the Gray Man or Woman We live in incredibly uncertain times, and there are threats all around us: in our community, online and on the road. As we look at the current events and what has happened in 2020 to date, it is quite clear that we are entering a new era in the United States. It isn’t getting easier for people. I define “Being Resilient” as being able to withstand incredible challenges and adversity while we keep moving towards our goals. Being cancelled or erased clearly is a catastrophic event for many people, so the question is: How do you become a gray man or woman in uncertain times and in this increasingly technocratic and surveillance-heavy world? For links and show notes, please see the article titled Becoming a Gray Man or Woman with Glen Tate and Shelby Gallagher on smallscalelife.com.
In this 175th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to be talking about Escape Velocity: Blogging is Art with Atlantis Gazette. What is Atlantis Gazette? The Atlantis Gazette is an art, business and lifestyle blogging and podcast project started by my friend Cal Massey from California. As he describes in this episode, Atlantis is a mythical and fictional city that disappeared under the ocean. The Atlantis Gazette, however, is a newspaper dedicated to people doing cool things in the world. Cal Massey is just starting out and outlining his plans for this platform. What is Escape Velocity? This is part of a new project here on Small Scale Life called “Escape Velocity.” Many people have ideas, dreams or even goals for starting a side hustle or business; however, they never act and never start. Some launch and fail. Others launch and get enough momentum to escape the gravitational pull of an ordinary life, job or career and start a new side hustle and business. Through the Escape Velocity Podcasts, I am hoping to document lessons learned as people push forward on their side hustles or small businesses. For more information and links, please see the article and podcast episode posted on the article titled Escape Velocity: Blogging is Art with Atlantis Gazette on smallscalelife.com.
In this Small Scale Life Podcast episode, I am going to be talking about Gardening Tips and Advice with the Texas Tornadoes Drew Demler and Michael Bell. In case you don’t know who Drew Demler and Michael Bell are, here is a quick introduction: • Drew Demler is the Director of Horticulture at Big Tex Urban Farms at the State Fair of Texas. While Big Tex is a big hydroponic operation, Drew also grows vegetables at his house along his driveway. • Michael Bell is the owner and operator of Dallas Half Acre Farms. When not planting thousands of salad greens plugs at 5:00 in the morning, he enjoys scooping rabbit poop in his backyard. Both gentlemen give some great Gardening Tips and Advice that we can all use to improve our gardens and quality of our plants. To find out more, check out the post titled "Gardening Tips and Advice with Demler and Bell" on Small Scale Life by clicking on this text for a direct link. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/gardening-tips-and-advice-with-demler-and-bell/)
In this 5 Year Anniversary of Small Scale Life Podcast episode, I am going to be talking about Practicing Gratitude for the Good, Bad and the Ugly. There is so much to be thankful for after starting this project 5 years ago. I recently posted the following quote on the Small Scale Life Instagram feed: “It’s hard to have a bad day when you START your day with gratitude.” Truth be told, I didn’t just develop this quote out of thin air. Julie says it around the house (now around the apartment) a lot, and it is true. Practicing gratitude and being thankful really does change our outlook on life and results in helping us lead happier lives. In this episode, I will be discussing 9 steps for practing gratitude in your own life. I am not an expert in this yet, but I am trying these steps out in my own life. For more information, please see the article titled "Practicing Gratitude for the Good, Bad and the Ugly" on smallscalelife.com! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/practicing-gratitude/)
This is Tom from Small Scale Life. I am glad you are here today listening to this podcast episode or watching this YouTube video! This is another member appreciation video and podcast episode where I am going to do just a little talking at the start and let you relax or meditate to wonderfully calming Wind Chimes, wind and birds in Minnesota. For those of you who want these chimes (like I do), these are Woodstock Chimes' "Chimes of Neptune." Special thanks to Small Scale Life member Danielle for her video and her windchimes. They are a true blessing and mean a lot to her and her family. It is a special honor to share these with you, so thank you, Danielle. The world seems to be a crazy and upside down, and I know a lot of us are sheltering-in-place and hunkering down in the Time of Corona. To help with that, I believe we need to get back the land and nature to unwind and become more resilient. If you want to see other Running Water, Creek and River Videos and Podcasts, check out the following: Spring Birds and a Bubbling Stream Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMxpAnoLm6E&t=446s Stream of Meditation – Relax to a Bubbling Creek: https://www.smallscalelife.com/stream-of-meditation/ I hope you enjoy this video and podcast episode, and I hope that it helps you relax, and I will be creating more relaxing videos in the future.
Have you ever started a project, loved every minute of it, and then had to start over from scratch in less than optimal conditions? That is the exact challenge my friend Michael Bell faced with his Dallas Half Acre Farms. In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, we are going to discuss how Michael Bell is Starting an Urban Farm from Scratch. The last time we had Michael on the show, I talked with Michael about the Soup Gardening Concept that I used to plan my garden in 2019 (https://www.smallscalelife.com/soup-gardening/). My goal, at the time, was to grow vegetables and herbs needed that would make a hearty vegetable soup. Michael Bell and I came up with the concept, and it was a lot of fun growing those vegetables! My how times changed since the Spring of 2019! Since that episode, Michael Bell changed jobs, sold his old house, moved to a new house, sold his old half acre farm and found new farming properties. These new farming properties have provided new challenges and opportunities, and there are some clear take-aways from this conversation if you are starting your own garden or urban farm. Remember: it always comes back to the three basic elements to grow plants: light, nutrients and water. If you have the right balance of these three elements, you can grow plants anywhere! If you are out of balance, then you have to adapt, adjust and overcome to get back into balance. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/adapting-adjusting-and-overcoming-obstacles/) Get ready! It’s time for another exciting gardening podcast from Small Scale Life! *For the show notes and links to articles and podcast episode, see the article titled "Starting an Urban Farm with Michael Bell" on smallscalelife.com. Click this text for a direct link to that article. *
Happy Easter! As a gift to you, dear listener, this podcast episode is simply a way for you to decompress while listening to a relaxing stream of meditation near Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota. In many religions and practices, the folk would go to a stream, river or lake in order to meditate and pray to their gods. Water is life, and chants and prayers seem to resonate in the forest and along the shores of streams, rivers or lakes. In these uncertain times, I wanted to provide a way for people trapped in quarantines or under shelter-in-place orders in urban landscapes to have a way to connect with nature. You might not be able to be by this stream physically, but I am providing a method to connect virtually. I firmly believe that we need to by physically, mentally and spiritually fit as we come through these dark times and begin to rebuild our homes, neighborhoods and communities. Being in touch with nature and connecting with our spiritual selves will help give us strength in the days to come. I hope you enjoy this recording. I plan to capture more of these places and spaces and provide them to this audience. My goal is to trigger something deep inside you as you meditate in order for you to become the best you. As I always say at the end of my videos and podcasts: Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. Take care, everybody!
In this podcast episode, I talk about the frustrations and pressure that seems to be mounting in this State of Quarantine and how adapting, adjusting and overcoming obstacles is the path forward. Can we do things better once this over? As things are changing, now is the time to do some thinking and introspection. We need to come up with new ways to do things. Going back to “normal” might not be an option. We need to come up with new ideas to do things: education, business, socializing, finance, etc. For more on this topic, check out the show notes and links in the article titled Adapting, Adjusting and Overcoming on smallscalelife.com. Click this text to get a direct link to that article. (https://smallscalelife.com/adapting-adjusting-and-overcoming-obstacles)
What is a Modern Victory Garden in 2020? For this special episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast and Small Scale Gardening Podcast, I have assembled a panel of gardeners, farmers and homesteaders who have grown food for a living and to prepare for tough times. Our panel hails from California, Colorado, Wyoming and Minnesota, and through our combined experience, we provide some thoughts and information for folks who might be starting their gardening journey in 2020. History of Victory Gardens Looking at history, one thing is clear: when times get tough, people get gardening! During World War I and World War II, people in America and around the world started victory gardens in their yards and in their communities to provide food for their families, neighbors and armed forces. A new foe is here, and people are once again faced with rationing and shortages “on the home front.” What is the response from Americans and people around the world? Return to the Land! Return to the Garden! Many of you are starting your garden for the first time. There are a lot of things to think about before you start growing plants. While it does not have to be complicated, there are proven methods and techniques we can use to successfully grow food. This is particularly true if you are trying to grow food in small spaces: on your balconies, on your patio, or even on your driveway in your apartment, condominium, townhome, rental home or own property. You CAN grow food; we are here to help you start! Show Notes and Links For more information, show notes and links, please go to the article titled "Modern Victory Gardens for 2020" on smallscalelife.com! While you are there, make sure to subscribe to the Small Scale Life Newsletter Email and received your FREE Seed Starting Guide. I walk you through my tried-and-true process for growing plants (vegetables and herbs) from seed. This Seed Starting Guide also gives you "must have" and "nice to have" shopping lists of materials needed to grow plants from seed. As a bonus, you also get the Ideas and Inspiration Guide that shows you examples of seed starting set-ups from members of the Small Scale Life Facebook Group. Click on this link and get your FREE Seed Starting Guide today! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/garden/free-seed-starting-guide/)
This is our 167th episode of the show, and for this one, I ask the question: What is Resilience? As we watch the country’s systems (financial systems, banking, supply chains, health care system, education and entire industries) grind to a halt with this global pandemic, it begs the question: how fragile is our system? The answer seems to be: very! Although I don’t act like it at times, I am an engineer. I look at problems and issues and look for solutions. Our country’s systems are impossibly complicated. It is almost too big for one person or a small group of people to impact one way or another. While we cannot take on and change these massive systems, we can take on and change how we live our lives. For those of you who have been following Small Scale Life for a few years have seen this platform change and shift. We have gone down some rabbit holes, and at times it might have seemed that we were flailing and blowing in the wind. I have to admit, I have felt the same way! Two recent events have changed the way I look at Small Scale Life: A visit by my friend Greg Burns and Contrary Farmstead Podcast about this platform and our story The global pandemic and complete train wreck of our systems I have been doing a lot of thinking and brainstorming. The result is this podcast episode. I was driving home and recorded this as I was driving in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. It was raining, and you will come along with me on this platform-defining journey where I answer the question: What is Resilience?
I completed the Whole30 Challenge on March 2, 2020. How did it go? In this post and podcast episode, I discuss Whole30 Challenge results a week after completing the challenge and answer the next question: "Whats next?" By the way, if you want to try the Whole30 Challenge, we are just starting Round 2! You can join Team Rhino and get this done! It is not too late. Nothing stands in the way of a rhino! To join Team Rhino, get the Small Scale Life 24 Hour Plan or see the show notes, please see the article titled "Whole30 Challenge Results and Thoughts" on smallscalelife.com! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/whole30-challenge-results-and-thoughts/)
Today’s Small Scale Gardening Podcast episode is a real treat. When I started Small Scale Life Podcast, my good friend Mr. Tactical Jay was my initial cohost on the show. We have remained friends for a few years, and he is our guest on the Small Scale Gardening Podcast! In this episode, Mr. Tactical Jay and I discuss growing mushrooms and gardening in Virginia. Even though the homestead appears to have a lot of space, the property is on the side of a mountain and slopes away from the house. Mr. Tactical is looking at different approaches to growing food on his 2 acre homestead. Some of these method include growing mushrooms, microgreens and a ton of food in his 3 wicking beds. It's all about wellness and sustainability, and Mr. Tactical Jay is looking to improve his skills while using everything his property has to offer: from berries to gardens to mushrooms. My hope is to inspire you to look at your location to find ways to use your resources effectively and grow food. This was part of a 2 hour interview, and I am breaking it down into bite-sized chunks. We discuss a lot of different topics, books and blogs, so check out the show notes for this podcast on the article titled "Growing Mushrooms and Gardening in Virginia" on smallscalegardening.com! (https://www.smallscalegardening.com/gardening-and-growing-mushrooms-in-virginia/)
What is Whole30? Julie and I have been talking a lot about it recently in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group and on Instgram. For many of you, our focus on Whole30 came out of the blue, and you are scrambling to figure out what we are up to this month! Don’t worry, friends! In this post and podcast episode, I discuss developing a healthy lifestyle at Small Scale Life, what is Whole30, what we are doing here at Small Scale Life this month and provide resources for Whole30. You might feel that you have blown your health and fitness resolutions and goals for 2020, but we can always rise and start again. It is what you have been waiting for: Welcome to the Health and Fitness Renew You Part 2! For show notes and important links, please click on this link to go to the article titled "What is Whole30? How to Reset Your Body and Mind" on smallscalelife.com! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/what-is-whole30)
It is that time of year again: it is time to make My 2020 Garden Plan! I have been looking at my snow-covered garden and getting the itch to grow something, taste something fresh and make some delicious pickles, relish or salsa. Who is with me? This long slog from January to April in the northland really gives a gardener cabin-fever, but it is these quiet, cold nights where we come up with new ideas and our garden plans for the new season. It is also almost time to start growing those seedlings! If you are new to gardening, you might feel overwhelmed. Maybe you want to grow everything in that shiny seed catalog! Maybe you just don’t know where to start. For veteran gardeners, you are probably so used to growing the same stuff that you don’t think about it too much. You might be curious how other gardeners “DO IT,” and by that I mean creating a 2020 Garden Plan. You can get your mind out of the rain gutter now! In this podcast episode and post, and I am going to talk about the following: • Looking Back at 2019 • My 2020 Garden Plan Step 1: My Ultimate Garden List • Step 2: Reality Check: Reducing the List • What is Whole30? • Step 3: Finalizing My 2020 Garden Plan (List of Vegetables and Herbs) • Next Steps For show notes, pictures and links, head over to Small Scale Gardening site for more information! (https://www.smallscalegardening.com/my-2020-garden-plan/)
The one year anniversary of the record-setting Government Shutdown happened on January 25th, 2020. The anniversary came and went without fanfare by most, but for those of us who were impacted by that particular Shutdown, we remember it all too well. Last year, Julie and I breathed a sign of relief as the Shutdown ended and we realized that we had enough money in our Emergency Fund to survive. This weekend, I toasted Julie as we took a few moments to remember where we were and how far we have come in a year! We have a fully funded Emergency Fund with 6 months of expenses, and Julie and I got there even after going on a trip of a lifetime to Hawaii (which was all paid in cash). Of course, we didn’t start out that way. No, dear Lifers, we did not. We were horrible with money, and Julie and I were in survival mode and living on the edge. It was not the way to operate a household budget and certainly injected a lot of stress and uncertainty in our lives. It took a lot of time, but we finally came to our senses and started following Dave Ramsey’s babysteps. I have to give Julie a lot of credit for getting us going and getting us to where we are today. Good job, Jules! You might be asking: “That’s great, but how do you start your $1000 Emergency Fund?” Well, dear Lifers, you are in luck. We are talking about The Saving Problem, defining an Emergency Fund, discussing our experience and giving you 9 Tips to Start Your $1000 Emergency Fund. For more information and show notes, go to the article titled "9 Tips to Start Your $1000 Emergency Fund" on smallscalelife.com. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/9-tips-to-start-your-1000-emergency-fund/) *Also make sure to download the FREE Budgeting Bundle on smallscalelife.com as well! Start your journey to becoming financially free today! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/free-budgeting-bundle/) *
Welcome to the Small Scale Gardening Podcast on the Small Scale Life Network! Why is Small Scale Gardening important? You might be new to gardening, a grizzled veteran of many summers or new to this Small Scale Gardening platform, and you might be asking that very question. After all, what can you really do with a small garden? Can you grow anything in a small garden? What is the point? After all, bigger is ALWAYS better! Au contraire, my friends! In this post and episode, I am defining Small Scale Gardening, and I discuss why it could be a game-changer for new gardeners; veteran gardeners; older or physically challenged gardeners; and renters. This post and podcast episode will serve as a framework for future gardening projects, articles, podcast episodes and videos. Let’s begin! For more on this topic and to see the show notes, please go to the corresponding article on Small Scale Life titled "Why Small Scale Gardening?" (https://www.smallscalelife.com/what-is-small-scale-gardening)
It is New Year’s Resolution time. Everyone makes them; most people break them. We discussed New Year’s Resolutions last year about this time, and you can read or listen to my article titled Four Tips for Keeping Resolutions here (https://www.smallscalelife.com/four-tips-new-years-resolutions/). What if you took a different approach to your 2020 New Year’s Resolutions? What if you focused on your mindset and approach to life rather than diet, healthy lifestyle, finances, or some other resolution? What is if you adopted some or all of 12 Unique New Year’s Resolutions from a Caldera in Hawaii? You might be asking: what is a Caldera and what can I learn from it? You might be wondering if old Tommy Cakes drank too much or smoked something funny over in Hawaii. Trust me, my friends, I am completely sober and drug-free, and I will explain everything if you stick with me. In this 160th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to briefly discuss our wonderful trip to Hawaii, define a Caldera, discuss the 12 Unique New Year’s Resolutions from a Caldera, and walk through a practical application of these Resolutions in your own life. For show notes and other links, please see the post titled Unique New Year's Resolutions from a Caldera by clicking on this text. (simple living, minimalism, homesteading,)
Happy New Year, Lifers! 2019 is now in the rearview mirror, and I have to say it was an interesting year here at Small Scale Life. I am writing this 2019 Year in Review to wrap up the year and close this chapter in the history of the blog and podcast. I have to say: what a year it was! In this post and podcast, I am going to talk about three major topics of Small Scale Life in 2019: Health and Fitness Renew You, Financial Freedom and Gardening. I will also share 2019 Year in Review: Top 10 Podcast Episodes and Top 10 Blog Posts of 2019. I will finish this post by talking about what is on tap for 2020. For more links to the podcast episodes and articles on Small Scale Life, check out the show notes on Small Scale Life by clicking this text! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/2019-year-in-review/)
There is nothing like putting together or receiving Do It Yourself (DIY) Christmas Gifts. This is a special gift that someone made with you in mind. At the same time, if you create a DIY gift, you are using your resources (time, skills and materials) to create something special for friends or family. It can be a great experience when it all turns out! Yes, I am not including Pinterest fails here! If you want to buy something from a company or vendor, time IS running out, friends! If you have been following Small Scale Life, you know I recently posted an article titled Holiday Gift Ideas from the Small Scale Life Community. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/holiday-gift-ideas-from-the-small-scale-life-community/) This was an opportunity to provide links to folks who we have met through Small Scale Life, and it felt good to give folks from our community the exposure. So what happens if you miss the shipping cutoff (which is around December 18th or so)? Well, wait no longer! It is time to pull out one or more of these 11 DIY Christmas Gifts for family and friends on your list! We also included 4 Bonus DIY Christmas Gifts that would be excellent, but they take some more time, planning and materials that might not be available with 8 days before the big day. For the show notes, please go to the article titled "11 DIY Christmas Gifts" at Small Scale Life. Please click the text to go to the show notes.
In this podcast, I am going to talk about my November travels, and then we are going to talk about the future of Small Scale Life. As a Life Alchemist, I am mixing together equal parts of my own content, content from people in our community, content I find interesting and some good old fashioned fun. For more information and the show notes, check out smallscalelife.com. SMALL SCALE LIFE SHOW NOTES: https://www.smallscalelife.com/giving-thanks SMALL SCALE LIFE COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallscalelifepodcast
As we close in on our 100,000th download of the Small Scale Life Podcast on our current host Fireside, I wanted to get some bonus material out to our Lifer Community. This is one of those pieces of content. I took a great kombucha class on Saturday from a gentleman who's great tasting kombucha got me interested in making the drink back in late October 2018. Taking the class highlighted the need and importance of mentoring. Often we start projects or efforts and get lost in the complexity and minutia. What if we got a mentor in our area that experienced some of these same challenges? What if we learned from and perhaps improve on that experience? We might save ourselves a lot of money, energy and time by connecting with a mentor, listening to their advice and executing on that advice. That mentor could be a young person or an old person. Whomever it is, they have been there and done that, and they probably know the right way to do it for your local conditions. They might know a shortcut or two and what pitfalls to avoid. As you make those connections in your area, make sure you stop talking and listen. The mentor with the knowledge and the experience is there to help you, but you need to be still and hear what they have to say. There is a lot of noise in this world, and chances are we have bumped into a mentor or two in our daily travels. Stop, look and listen means more than just being cautious around railroad tracks, Lifers! Also part of this podcast, I talk about the most current News from Around the Bend article (https://www.smallscalelife.com/happy-halloween-2019/) and some of our picks in that article. I also talk about the most recent posts on Small Scale Life (https://www.smallscalelife.com/happy-halloween-2019/), the Simply Canning School with Sharon Peterson (https://simplycanning.mykajabi.com/simply-canning-school?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsimplycanning.mykajabi.com%2Fa%2F10455%2FBGATJCbF) and of course our FREE buget bundle (https://www.smallscalelife.com/free-budgeting-bundle/). Get them while they are hot at smallscalelife.com (smallscalelife.com)!
Life for all of us gets crazy and out of control. We are on the run and go, and it can feel like we are getting out of control and stressed out. It is when we are out of control that we find ourselves making snap decisions that can cost us in the long run. Our Lifer Community on Facebook has been providing some great tips and ideas for saving money all year. In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to discuss 10 Kitchen Thrifty Thursday Tips from our members, and hopefully you can use some of these tips to take back control of your life and budget while saving some money in the process. Topics in this podcast episode include the following: Introduction Thank you for Ratings and November Lifer of the Month 10 Kitchen Thrifty Thursday Tips Next Steps Your Turn: Challenge Yourself For more information and links, check the show notes in the article titled: https://smallscalelife.com/10-kitchen-thrifty-thursday-tips.
Welcome to the Small Scale Life Podcast! I like to call it the “Half Hour Happy Hour,” and today is no different! I am usually selling Good Vibes to the audience, and I hope this episode inspires you to make a difference in your neighborhood and community. After all, our time on this earth is limited. It’s your life; do something positive with it! I am going to talk about some people doing positive things in their community, and I am going to talk about a new project and direction for the Small Scale Gardening project. Topics in this podcast episode include the following: Introduction Thank you, Lifers, and Member of the Month It’s Your Life: Do Something Positive Examples of People Doing Good Things Small Scale Gardening: Growing Skills, Growing People Next Steps Your Turn: Challenge Yourself For more information and links, check the show notes in the article titled: smallscalelife.com/do-something-positive.
As promised earlier this week, I am following up on my last podcast episode covering How to Extend My Garden Season. If you can tell from the title of this episode, I had some big failures and learned some valuable gardening lessons last Friday night and Saturday morning. In this episode, I am going to talk about the 6 Lessons Learned from the End of My 2019 Garden Season, and hopefully you will pick up a thing or two that you can use in your own garden! You can find out more at smallscalelife.com (https://smallscalelife.com) including show notes, pictures, infographics and my previous post titled "Frost is Coming: How to Extend My Garden Season" that is effectively Part 1 of this episode! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/how-to-extend-my-garden-season/)
Well, my gardening friends, they say "all good things must come to an end." My question is: do they have to come to an end this early? Frost is coming this weekend, and I don’t want the party to end. I am wondering how to extend my garden season? Should I try to push the limits and test my luck a bit longer? I know what you hardened and veteran gardeners are saying: “Don’t stop now; keep growing!” I know exactly how you feel! I am feeling that way too! The problem comes into how I set up the garden this year with vine crops on trellis systems. Is the juice worth the squeeze for keeping these plants going? Frost is coming, folks! You can’t stop it; you can just prepare. I know others are wondering how to extend my garden season, so let’s dig into how we can do just that. For about methods to extend your gardening season, check out the post on smallscalelife.com!
Successful events and failed events do not just happen. The success or complete failure is set in motion long before the actual event. This past weekend, my family, Julie and I experienced both. I am going to tell a tale of those two events and give you 10 Tips to Successfully Plan and Host an Event. By following these tips, I think you will be well equipped to successfully plan and host your own event! For show notes, links and the 10 Tips for How to Successfully Plan and Host an Event InfoGraphic, please go to the Small Scale Life article titled "10 Tips to Successfully Plan and Host an Event." (https://www.smallscalelife.com/how-to-successfully-plan-and-host-an-event)
In this episode, I discuss a great Fall Equinox weekend including: Danny and David's Toughest Mudder Race in Dallas, TX; Exploring River Falls, WI; Canning and preserving the harvest from my garden; A very special and powerful lantern lighting ceremony at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN; Celebrating the Fall Equinox with a "Domres Special" Dinner; Happy Half Hour - Being Positive and Inspiring you to Learn, Do, Grow and Be a Little Better Everyday; Canning and Preservation Links on Small Scale Life; What's coming next on Small Scale Life! For all the links and show notes for this podcast, please go to Small Scale Life and see the article posted Happy Fall Equinox 2019 posted there. (https://www.smallscalelife.com)
How does a company grow 1 million meals in a place with incredibly high temperatures in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter? On top of that, this company has no tillable soil, no heavy farm equipment (i.e., traditional tractors or combines) and only asphalt and concrete to grow food. In addition, this company needs to move garden beds for new attractions and exhibits, so these raised beds need to be mobile. Impossible, you say? It is not only possible, it is happening right now in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In fact, it is happening at the State Fair of Texas while the fair is happening! In this episode, I sit down with Drew Demler from Big Tex Urban Farms and discuss various aquaponic systems and mobile garden beds used to grow 1 million meals for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We cover a lot of topics including who Drew Demler is, what kind of aquaponic systems are used, pests, fertilizers, wicking beds and small aquaponic systems you can set up at your own home. Big Tex Urban Farms has a focused mission: to "connect like-minded agriculture entities and provides fresh produce to organizations focused on hunger and healthy lifestyle programs." With people like Drew Demler leading the way, there is no doubt in my mind that Big Tex Urban Farms will continue to push the envelope and provide nutritous meals to those in need for a long time to come. For more information, links and show notes, please head to the article titled "SSG: How to Grow 1 Million Meals with Drew Demler " on https://smallscalegardening.com!
In last week's News from Around the Bend on smallscalelife.com (https://www.smallscalelife.com/news-from-around-the-bend-back-to-school-edition/), I opened the article by talking about kids going back to school. In some cases, our friends are taking their young adults to college for the first time. Julie and I have been there and done that. After all, both of our boys left our house and went to the US Army (Danny) or college (Ryan). We just took Ryan back to Winona, Minnesota, for the next phase of his college career. Whether you are taking your young adult to college for the first time, to kindergarten for the first time or sending your child to school for another round, we all have feelings of excitement, nervousness and doubt. Why do we feel this way and what can you do about it? In this podcast, I am mainly going to focus on young adults going back to school or heading off to college for the first time. A friend is feeling that sense of loss and depression after sending his son to college several states away. He was feeling pretty bad, and I wanted to respond to some of his questions in this podcast. The bottom line is that you have to let these young adults launch and start to explore their world. We are going to have to give up some control; these young adults are out of sight and out of "reach" (so to speak). You don't have control, and you need to let them learn. On the other hand, there are some things we can do to prepare for this phase of life. We need to have a plan in case things go awry. Life happens, and it can catch you by surprise if you don't have a plan. At the same time, there are some things we need to do to think about the next phase of OUR LIVES. Yes, the kids are going to leave the nest, so what comes next? Remember: failing to plan is planning to fail. We want you to be the best you, so start to put that thinking cap on, make some plans and execute! For more information and links in the show notes, check out the article titled "Preparing for the Next Phase of Life" on smallscalelife.com!
In this episode, I am trying something new! This is the pilot episode of the new Small Scale Gardening Podcast. In this podcast, I am focusing on gardening and food preservation, which are my passions. As I learned from my good friend Greg Burns, I need to "Start with the Why" as I begin this effort. I talk about the following topics in this podcast including: Why I started blogging, podcasting and vlogging in the first place Our elders and their knowledge and experience Important Questions: Why start this podcast? Why split it out from Small Scale Life? What do you hope to accomplish? Check yourself before you wreck yourself.... Goals and objectives The future: interviews and garden tours; livestreaming on YouTube Call to Action This podcast will be hosted on Small Scale Life, and I will also provide links on Small Scale Gardening. Let's learn, do, and grow together! Special thanks to Hyde Free Instrumentals for the Acoustic Folk Instrumental. For more information, please see the following: Acoustic/Folk Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals https://soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/acoustic-folk-instrume... Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/YKdXVnaHfo8
July was a great month full of time spent with family and friends. We need to be part of our community and strengthening existing relationships while making new ones. It isn't always about the money; it's about building social capital! This is a Just Tom Show while I am on the road from Duluth, MN, to Minneapolis, MN. As I worked on the shores of the great Lake Giche Gume (Lake Superior for everyone not in Minnesota), I had time to reflect on July. We had a great time with family at our house and on the road in Stevens Point, Kimball and northern Wisconsin. It helped that we have a lot of July birthdays; that translates into family celebrations! Family can be hard to love at times, but as my dad said, "Blood is thicker than water." We have been working hard to build up those family relationships. At the same time, July has been a month of friendship. We are thankful to spend time with our good friends and make some new friends along the way! Friends have invited us over, and we have opened our house to them as well. A great example is this weekend: we are heading north (after I just got home) to our friends' cabin near Hayward, WI. It is going to be a weekend of fun and shenanigans, but that is what it is all about, right? We have to open ourselves up and take the time to connect with others, even those folks in our neighborhood. For more on this podcast (and the show notes), head over to this article on Small Scale Life!
In this podcast, Julie and I talk about How to Budget Your Way to Financial Freedom. We unpack the 9 Steps to Creating Your First Budget (with an additional bonus step at the end). This is the podcast you have been waiting for! After recording this podcast, Julie and I realized that there was a lot to this topic. Budgeting so important to your future success, but creating your first budget can be overwhelming and stressful. Julie and I have done a lot of thinking about how to present this material and share our process with you. To help you with successfully creating your first budget, Julie and I decided to create and release a Quickie Monthly Budget rather than a complicated spreadsheet. We want you to try this method of budgeting in a simple and easy to follow format. As part of Creating Your First Budget Week, Julie and I will be releasing a Quickie Monthly Budget with instructions on Wednesday this week at smallscalelife.com. We will have a special page dedicated to this Quickie Monthly Budget, and we will include a link in the show notes once the budget has been posted. In the meantime, head over to smallscalelife.com to find more information and get the show notes on this podcast!
"Your goal is your destination; your budget is your roadmap." - Julie Domres Do you have dreams and goals? Are you making progress towards achieving those goals? For some people, it is difficult to dream. Others have big plans and goals, but they do not execute and take steps towards making those dreams a future reality. In this podcast, Julie and I discuss How to Dream Big, Set Goals and Take Steps to Achieve Them. Dreaming big and setting those goals are the "Secret Sauce" behind budgeting. You are developing powerful "whys" for those times when you are tempted to engage in retail therapy, splurge on meals or rack up massive credit card debt to impress people you don't particularly like! As we discuss in this podcast, you need to start with your powerful why. Before you begin budgeting, you need to do some deep thinking and dreaming about what you want your life to look like in 10 years, 3 years and 1 year. Once you have this vision set, you can focus on developing your budget that will set you up to achieve your dreams! We'll share with you how to dream big, set goals and take the steps to achieve them in this podcast. How do we know they work? Because we are using this to achieve our goals too! For more information on this post including getting the show notes, head to the article titled "How to Dream Big, Set Goals and Take Steps to Achieve Them" on Small Scale Life (https://smallscalelife.com)
Have you ever thought you were climbing a mountain? Huge obstacles in life take on different forms and shapes. They can be finances, health issues, clutter, relationships, work or just life in general! Those obstacles have a tendency to start as molehills and become mountains. Many times, we do not put those mountains in our lives on purpose; they just seem to happen. What happens when we do put those mountains in front of us on purpose? Last weekend, Julie, Savannah, the Old Trapper and I got to witness what happens when 110 souls put running up and then down a mountain that they put in their life on purpose. We witnessed these 110 runners competing in the Last Runner Standing Ultramarathon where these athletes truly began climbing mountains with mindset, heart and dedication! In this post and podcast, I will discuss the following topics: What is an Ultramarathon? What is the Last Runner Standing Ultramarathon? The Ultramarathon Community Winners Running the Last Runner Standing Ultramarathon – In their Own Words For more information, please head over to the article titled "Last Runner Standing Ultramarathon" on smallscalelife.com!
Last week, the gardening world and I got some sad news that made me think about leaving a legacy. Larry Hall passed away. For those of you who do not know who Larry Hall is, he is the creator of the Rain Gutter Grow System that I have experimented with in the past (and will be experimenting with this year). Larry was from Brainerd, Minnesota, and he created a low-cost way for people to successfully grow food no matter where they lived. We are all going to die someday. It might be today, tomorrow or years in the future. We don’t know when, where or how. We can’t stop it, and it is part of the life cycle. Knowing this, the question is: how are you leaving a legacy for those who come behind you (future generations of your children and grandchildren)? For the transcript of the article and lots of links, see the show notes in the article titled "Leaving a Legacy - A Tribute to Larry Hall" on smallscalelife.com. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/leaving-a-legacy-tribute-to-larry-hall/)
In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I discuss taking the first steps towards Financial Freedom. To do this, you need to start by Taking Inventory and Tracking Expenses. In previous episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I have told our story about making mistakes and doing stupid with zeros on it. In order to break out of the box and go from Survive to Thrive, we needed to change our habits and our mindset. To start down this path, you need to get a clear picture of what your net worth looks like. Are you in the red or in the black? Do you know? Julie and I have prepared an inventory worksheet for you, and it is available on the Small Scale Life Resources Page. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/resources/) Once you complete this exercise, you can begin tracking ALL of your expenses. You can do this by writing it down in a notebook or using apps like mint.com (https://www.mint.com/). For show notes and more information, head on over to the article titled Financial Freedom: Start by Taking Inventory and Tracking Expenses at Small Scale Life.
In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discuss a great Mother's Day Weekend with a full house. There was a lot of family and community building last week, and there is a big garden update as well. It's another action-packed episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast! I discuss the following topics in this episode: Happy Mother's Day 2019! Great Mother's Day Meal About Last Week....Community Building Social Events Garden Update....World War III Lesson of the Week For more information, check out the post titled "Happy Mother's Day 2019" at https://smallscalelife.com!
When a day starts out wrong and poorly, you might need to call in the experts to help out! In this Bonus Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I talk about how my Friday started off wrong and went sideways in a hurry. When your YouTube University experience turns out to be a Pinterest Fail, you need to call in the experts to put it all back together again. It almost set the tone for the whole weekend, but I was able to recover while completing one of my favorite inspection tours on a gorgeous day! It's Western Wisconsin; it's sunny; it was awesome! At the same time, it was a great week at Small Scale Life. We got a great podcast posted, a newsletter (two actually) sent out and News from Around the Bend posted. What more could you want? Actually, it was even better than that....Julie and I are up to something good, and you will have to listen to find out what is happening! For more Small Scale Life, head over to the website for the following articles and links: Sign up for the Small Scale Life Newsletter (https://www.smallscalelife.com/resources/) Our Journey Rowards Finacial Freedom - Small Scale Life Podcast (https://www.smallscalelife.com/our-journey-towards-financial-freedom/) News from Around the Bend - Earth Day Edition (https://www.smallscalelife.com/make-earth-day-everyday/)
Julie and I are on vacation and podcasting on location! In this episode, Julie and I discuss our journey towards financial freedom. We talk about the good, the bad and the ugly, and we hope to inspire you as you begin or continue on your own journey! For show notes and more resources, check out the article titled Our Journey towards Financial Freedom on Small Scale Life!
In today's podcast, I talk about a number of subjects including the following: Wishing listeners and the Lifer community a Happy Easter! Weekend 3 Things on the Small Scale Life Facebook Group Working through our busy week Gardening and Demo Day of the old raised beds Starting to build community online and in person! Remember: * Start small where you are and start with a couple people. * Over time, develop 5 close friends that have your back, and you have theirs. * Develop and Abundance Mindset. For more information, check out the article titled "Starting to Build Community" at smallscalelife.com.
Even with the snow falling and wind howling today, it is Gardening Season! What did the story at the start of the podcast have to do with today's topic? Well, in today's podcast, I am circling back around to a discussion I had with Michael Bell about a new garden planting concept that some of us are experimenting with this year. We call Soup Gardening! What is Soup Gardening? That is the topic of today's show, so stay tuned! For a lot more information on this podcast, check out the article titled "Soup Gardening with Michael Bell" on Small Scale Life! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/soup-gardening/)
In this 136th voyage of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I hit the road and record a podcast. We are kicking off the Quarter 2 Renew You: Introction to Financial Freedom! Money is a tool, and having enough money can help you develop that life you love. Not having that enough money tends to lead to poor decisions, stress and relationship problems with your significant other. Americans have had a love affair with debt: we take loans for our houses, our cars, our cell phones, and buy lots of stuff using credit cards. We live in a country that borrows from future generations to build and repair roads, pay for benefits, conquer nations and protect the world. It is amazing that our money says "In God We Trust," yet we put all of our trust in banks and credit card companies. Getting a hold of our finances and debt is a critical first step in taking control of our lives and starting to develop a life we love. This is a huge realization we had this year, especially with a record-setting Government Shutdown. As Seth Godin says, “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” ― Dave Ramsey, EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches. We completely agree and Julie says this exact words in the podcast (which leads us off the Introduction to Financial Freedom Podcast). For more information on this podcast, check out the article titled "Renew You: Introduction to Financial Freedom." (https://www.smallscalelife.com/introduction-financial-freedom/) Also, sign up for the Small Scale Life Newsletter on the Resources page! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/resources/)
As a content creator, there are times when we are on a crazy race to put up the next piece of content for our friend, followers and fans. We are in a mad dash to keep the dopamine hits coming and the fans liking our photos, blog posts, podcasts, videos, tweets and pins. At times, we are doing things to just DO things, and we are completely missing out on what is happening around us. Terrance Layhew from the Intellectual Agrarian Blog and Podcast and I had a chance to sit down and talk about this very subject. Terrance called it "living in the analog," and this whole discussion left me with a lot to think about. In fact, based on this conversation, I re-evaluated some of the things I was posting on Instgram and actually scaled back on some of the content there. I discontinued the Black-and-White Photo Challenge as I thought long and hard about the purpose of this effort and once again thinking about the WHY behind it. As you will hear in the podcast, Terrance is a fellow people collector, and he has used his networking, communicating and writing skills to become an organic inspector, podcaster, writer and intellectual agrarian. Terrance and I have a great discussion about his journey from inquisitive teenager to organic inspector, living in the analog, some trends happening in the organic farming world and his Intellectual Agrarian Podcast. Feel free to grab your favorite mug filled with coffee or tea and tune in to Living in the Analog with my friend Terrance Leyhew. As always, for links to the Intellectual Agrarian, head to smallscalelife.com and find all the links and notes for this podcast.
Welcome to Spring, friends! Hallelujah and pass the Dombucha Kombucha; the snow is melting! We have a great podcast lined up for you today, and we are kicking off Spring right by talking urban farming and gardening. I had a chance to talk with my good friend Michael Bell from Dallas Half Acre Farms about what is happening on the farm. While he has been very busy selling and buying a house, moving, teaching and of course being a dad and husband, things are really busy on the farm as well. Michael has made several improvements to the farm including installing new tunnels, increasing the number of seedlings he needs, improving his seedling growing processes and growing easy with GrowOyas! You might be asking: what is an GrowOya? GrowOyas are a method for watering your gardens using a clay pot that looks like a gourd. The water seeps into your soil and the plants get what they need. It is another method to water your garden without timers, hoses, drip tape or other methods. Michael is lining a tunnel with GrowOyas and experimenting with tomatoes this season, and it is another self-watering system that could be used on any size garden! To find out more about GrowOyas, check out the links at smallscalelife.com! When you buy some, tell them Michael Bell from Dallas sent you! For more information, check out the article titled "Growing Easy with GrowOya at Dallas Half Acre Farms" at smallscalelife.com (https://www.smallscalelife.com/growoya/)
For this 133rd Small Scale Life podcast, Julie and I talked about the Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart with Karen Mangieri. Karen is Julie's sister living in Georgia. For those of you not in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group, Karen was our most active member during the Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart. In fact, Karen had the title of "Uncrustable Queen" prior to the kickstart, and she has made considerable progress on planning her meals, prepping food and staying consistent using the 24 Hour Plans! We have talked about Karen on previous Small Scale Life Podcasts, so in this podcast, we decided to interview her. We talked about the Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart, what she learned, what she is doing and give us some feedback about the Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart. For more on this topic, go to the article titled "Health and Fitness Renew You with Karen Mangieri" at smallscalelife.com! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/health-and-fitness-renew-you/) To join the Small Scale Life Health and Fitness Renew You in 2019 Kickstart, head over to the dedicated page and sign up today! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/) The Kickstart is free!
In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, we are talking about Tipping Points with Nicole Sauce. I had an opportunity to catch up with Nicole and talk about her journey from leaving the city in the Pacific Northwest to rural living. At the same time, we talk about breaking free of the corporate cube world to starting small businesses and becoming self-sufficient. What were the tipping points that triggered those journeys and what lessons were learned along the way? For more information, check out the article titled "Tipping Points with Nicole Sauce" on Small Scale Life.
Are you keeping your New Year's Resolutions? Remember those? How are you doing on them? If you are like many Americans that make New Year's Resolutions, the answer is probably a resounding "no." Statistically speaking, research has shown the following: By the end of January, approximately 64 percent of us have dropped our New Years Resolutions. By March 1st, more than 80 percent of us have dropped those New Year’s Resolutions and goals. Anecdotally, you know it's true because you can see this at the gyms: the crowds that created standing room only and long wait times for equipment have eased up or evaporated completely. The pool is empty, and there is room (once again) for you to roll out your yoga mat (don't worry, grunty-farty guy is still there with you). So, I'll ask you again: Are you keeping your New Year's Resolutions? Are you still following the steps outlined in our Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart? For more information, please go to the article titled "Four Tips for Keeping New Year's Resolutions" at Small Scale Life. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/four-tips-new-years-resolutions/) Sign up for the 2019 Health and Fitness Renew You at Small Scale Life as well! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)
Old Man Winter has struck back at us meddling kids in the north country with a vengeance. All across the Upper Midwest of the United States, temperatures have dropped below zero, and the wind chills are approaching -50 degrees Fahrenheit. The extreme cold is life threatening, especially to those caught outside unprepared. In this article, I will discuss How to Prepare for the Polar Vortex. While it isn't necessarily part of our Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart, how to prepare for the polar vortex is first and foremost on everyone's mind in the Upper Midwest. After all, being prepared might just save your life in these conditions! For more information on this podcast, please see the following posts: How to Prepare for the Polar Vortex (https://www.smallscalelife.com/prepare-for-the-polar-vortex/) Winter Driving and Survival Tips – S1E21 (https://www.smallscalelife.com/season-1-episode-21-winter-driving-survival-tips/) * Winter Tips (https://www.smallscalelife.com/season-1-episode-20-winter-tips/)
Today's topic is one near and dear to my heart because I have struggled with it over and over and over again. One of our Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart participants asked the Small Scale Life Facebook Community how to overcome self-sabotage. I have to confess, I have blown up my "dieting" efforts time and time again due to self-sabotage. After all, I have started and failed with 14 different diet programs. You could say I am an expert with self-sabotage because I have done it so much! I had to do some digging on the interwebs to gather some information. I also talked with my son, Danny Domres, about this subject. Danny is a marathoner, ultra-marathoner and is going to school to become a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. He has done a lot of studying about addictions and self-sabotage, especially to overcome that inner voice that wants him to stop training or running. For more information, including 7 tips for overcoming self-sabotage and food addiction, head over to Small Scale Life for the show notes and more information! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/overcome-self-sabotage/)
What a week it's been! Julie and I have been so excited to bring you the Renew You Kickstart, and now that we are rolling down the tracks with the basics, it is time to talk about Leveling Up and Next Steps on this journey. Julie & I discuss tips and ways to continue to improve as you get stronger physically & mentally. For more information on this topic, please go to the article titled Leveling Up and Next Steps at Small Scale Life (https://www.smallscalelife.com/leveling-up-and-next-steps/). You can also join the free 7 day Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart at Small Scale Life. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)
Hey, Lifers! Do you want to know a little secret Tom and I have figured out that is absolutely KEY to setting us up for success to meet our health and fitness goals??? Actually, beyond the 24 Hour Plan and sticking to the basics of drinking enough water, getting enough sleep and doing some kind of daily intentional movement, this is THE most important thing you can do. Yup, you guessed it (really smart of you, based on the title of the post!)....It's Meal Planning and Food Prepping! To get useful tips and information for your Health and Fitness Journey, check out the following articles on Small Scale Life: Day 6: Meal Planning for Success (https://www.smallscalelife.com/day-6-meal-planning-for-success/) Day 6: Food Prepping for Success (https://www.smallscalelife.com/food-prepping/) Feel free to join the Health and Fitness Renew You Campaign on Small Scale Life by clicking the link! Go get em, Lifers! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)
It's Day 3 of the Renew You Kickstart (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/), and today's topic is Basic Nutrition. Michael Bell returns to walk us through this topic, and he gives some great advice for folks starting on their journey with the Renew You Kickstart (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/). As Julie and I have been saying over and over in previous podcasts and articles: this is about starting where you are. Some of us have been medicating ourselves with cheeseburgers, fries and beer (or Diet Coke) for many, many years. As we start to pay closer attention to what we are eating, we will find that there are some benefits to eating "what God made," or in other words: "real food." This food is delicious, especially when it is not buried under three gallons of dressing and cheese! For more information, please see the show notes from the article titled "Basic Nutrition with Michael Bell" on Small Scale Life. For the more on the Renew You Kickstart, please see the page on Small Scale Life for this campaign. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)
It's Day 2 of the Renew You Kickstart, and today's topic is Basic Movement. As Julie and I have been saying over and over: this is about starting where you are. Some of us live in cube farms and are keyboard warriors; we are not ready for triathalons marathons or lifting heavy weights. To help discuss this topic, I brought in my friend Michael Bell to discuss Basic Movement. Michael is a husband, dad, urban farmer, PE teacher, competitive bodybuilder and a fitness coach. Michael has coached more than 300 people over 20 years, and he spent some time with us to discuss starting a fitness and exercise journey. For more information on Basic Fitness, please see the post at Small Scale Life titled Day 2: Basic Movement with Michael Bell. There is more information on smallscalelife.com In addition, if you would like to participate in the Renew You Kickstart, please click on this link! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)
In this episode, Julie and Tom are here to provide you with realistic and doable steps to kickstart your year and set you up to finally achieve your health and fitness goals this year. And it all starts with the 24 Hour Plan. The plan is a one-page document that allows you to plan out: What you are going to eat How you will exercise 3 mediation/prayers 3 things you are grateful for 3 things you want to get done during that day. We complete a sheet before the day begins (night before or morning of), and we will be intentional about all of these items. On the bottom of the plan, there is a section where you can review your day and write what worked, what didn't and what you can improve on tomorrow. Remember: don't beat yourself up! Learn from deviations from the plan and recognize patterns and trends. You will be surprised what you will find out the longer you plan and document deviations. To get the 24 Hour Plan, go to Small Scale Life and download it before listening to this podcast (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/). You can also follow along with the post titled "Day 1: The 24 Hour Plan - Part 1" on Small Scale Life. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/day-1-24-hour-daily-plan/)
Welcome to 2019! It's time to Renew You! In this 122nd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I discuss the holidays (including my birthday), the rebranding of Small Scale Life, rebuilding the website and the Renew You Kickstart (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/). Topics Discussed Julie and I discussed the following topics during this podcast: Holiday Update Rebranding and the Website Upgrade Renew You Kickstart (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/) More Information To get more in-depth information, please see the post titled "Welcome to 2019: Time to Renew You" on Small Scale Life. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/welcome-to-2019-time-to-renew-you/) Also, sign up for the Renew You in 2019 Kickstart on Small Scale Life. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)
In this 121st episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I are announcing the Renew You in 2019 Kickstart! This is a FREE 7-day event that will provide tools, tips and a community that will help get us improving our mindset, nutrition and movement in 2019. Julie and I want want you, the Small Scale Life Community and others, to join us in starting 2019 off on the right foot. With this Kickstart, we are developing a foundation for success to be the best you (and the best us) in 2019. We are really focusing being intentional for three key aspects of our lives: Mindset Movement Nutrition Julie and I will be rolling out a way to join and get access to these tools and tips in the near future. We will have more information soon! Stay tuned to smallscalelife.com for more information!!! (http://smallscalelife.com)
In this 120th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am had a great conversation with my friend Michael Bell about changes at Dallas Half Acre Farms. Michael has been very busy since our last interview, and we will discuss how he is changing his business from a CSA model (weekly box of a variety of products) to growing salanova salad empires in Dallas, Texas. As we discussed recently with Drew Sample, new opportunities and reality can force change, and you have to be ready to adjust accordingly! (http://www.smallscalelife.com/pivoting-business-strategies/) Are your ready to change? For TONS of more information and links, check out the show notes for this episode at Small Scale Life. Click the link for the post titled "Bellcast: Growing Salanova Salad Empire in Dallas, Texas." (http://www.smallscalelife.com/growing-salanova/)
This is the 119th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, and in this podcast, we are going to talk with Drew Sample about how he is pivoting business strategies at his urban farm Capital City Greens, the Sample Hour Podcast and his other interests/opportunities. Whether it’s your dreams, your business, your football team or your Army, you need to be ready to change and adapt as the “battlefield” changes in front of you. Some opportunities present themselves, others fade. Are you ready to take advantage of those opportunities? This is critical for our businesses. We have to start pivoting business strategies to make sure we take advantage of those opportunities. For more information, please see the post and podcast titled "Pivoting Business Strategies in 614" on Small Scale Life. (http://www.smallscalelife.com/?p=4022)
Happy Thanksgiving, Lifers! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving planned. If you have been to Small Scale Life this week, you know Julie and I have been busy trying to get recipes posted up on the website to help you with your Thanksgiving preparations. Check out the blog at smallscalelife.com for the following recipes: A super quick/super good cheesy au gratin potatoes recipe (http://www.smallscalelife.com/pressure-cooker-cheesy-au-gratin-potatoes/), How to cook a turkey (http://www.smallscalelife.com/how-to-cook-a-turkey/) and How to cook a ham Thanksgiving should be a lot of fun and bring people together, so we are helping you get ready and get the dinner on the table. It doesn't have to be overwhelming; we are here to help! As you finish up your prep and cooking, I also give a little advice on how to facilitate your family, friends and other guests who arrive at your house. It's life lessons we have learned from experience. I have been there, done that and gotten the t-shirt with some of this! For more tips and photos, check out the post titled "Happy Thanksgiving from Small Scale Life" using the link! Happy Thanksgiving, all! Bon appetit!
Do you feel stressed out? Does it seem that there is too much noise and information out there? How do you sort through what is important and what is not? In today’s fast paced world, there are incredible demands on our most precious resources: our time, our energy and our money. How do you prioritize your time commitments and focus on what is real and what is important? In this episode, Julie and I discuss how to minimize time commitments while maximizing life. We talk about the following topics: Move-Ember Upcoming Small Scale Life Health Challenge Reviewing the 5 Steps to Building a Simple and Intentional Life (http://www.smallscalelife.com/5-steps-developing-simple-and-intentional-life/) Time Committments - Introduction Dealing with Family Obligations 4 Steps to Minimizing Time Committments and Maximizing Life Slow down and enjoy the eagles; have your eagle moment The photo that is the cover for this episode was taken on County Highway A in Burnett County, Wisconsin. We rounded the curve and there they were: a dozen eagles taking flight right in front of us. If we had not taken the time and been in a hurry, we would have never appreciated the eagles and the moment. For more information and pictures associated with this podcast, go over to the the article titled "Minimizing Time Commitments while Maximizing Life" at Small Scale Life. (http://www.smallscalelife.com/minimizing-time-commitments/)
Do you feel stressed out? Does it seem that there is too much noise and information out there? How do you sort through what is important and what is not? In today’s fast paced world, there are incredible demands on our most precious resources: our time, our energy and our money. As we go through life, we seem to collect more and more stuff. We have closets, basements, garages and storage lockers full of stuff! Do we need it all? How can you decide what to keep and what to give away? In this episode of Small Scale Life, Julie and I work through a number of Decluttering Questions and Answers from our own experience in the trenches of our garage, basement, kitchens and utility drawers. Got junk? Well, its time to embrace that chaos and make some decisions! This podcast will help you on your own path to living a simple and intentional life. For more information and tips on HOW to declutter, please see the corresponding article on Small Scale Life titled "Minimalism: Decluttering Questions and Answers."
Happy Halloween 2018! There is nothing like Halloween: the cool weather, the decorations, the pumpkins, the costumes and all the fun associated with this holiday. We have had a lot of fun on Halloween over the years, especially when the boys were younger and when we participated in some haunted houses in Illinois. For the 115th episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to talk about some favorite memories from years gone by and give some tips to creating a cool Halloween scene or haunted house. For more on this episode and some pictures from this year's pumpkin carving and some pictures of us in haunted house costumes, check out the post titled "Happy Halloween 2018: Memories and Stories" on Small Scale Life!
Welcome to Fall 2018 where the snow flies and water freezes before the leaves drop! Such is life here in the north country this year. Last week was a tough week: I was physically and mentally exhausted. Adding to the exhaustion was disappointment after my plans to head to Hogtoberfest 2018 fell apart on Tuesday. I needed a change or pace and a change of environment. In this podcast, I talk about my October doldrums, how I spent the week recuperating and retooling on a number of fronts and overcoming October blues. For more on this story and to see pictures from this podcast, check out the article titles Overcoming October Blues on Small Scale Life! (http://www.smallscalelife.com/overcoming-october-blues/)
Fall is here! October is here! Where did the time go? While I love this time of year, it is time to say goodbye to my plants and old, tired garden beds. Like summer hitting early before Memorial Day this year, winter seems to be bearing down on Minnesota and Wisconsin (some areas of Minnesota got a snow already)! In this podcast, I am going to talk about how the First Frost was the End of My 2018 Garden Season. For more about the first frost, pictures and a video, check out the blog post on Small Scale Life titled "First Frost: End of My 2018 Garden Season." (http://www.smallscalelife.com/first-frost-end-of-my-2018-garden-season/)
Have you ever had a Hell Week where everything just was a disaster? You are under pressure with deadlines looming and little time to regroup and attack the next project or issue. How did you handle it? Last week was my own version of Hell Week. I can summarize last week with one simple word: Exhausting Last week, a lot happened at work and in the basement that took me away from Small Scale Life. I simply did not have the time or energy to post podcasts, videos or blog posts. Now that I have put some distance between today and Hell Week, I can develop some thoughts about how I will deal with future projects, obligations and events. In retrospect, it was a good reminder that I need to continue to focus on develop methods and systems to help me live a simple life. For more on my Hell Week and some suggestions to deal with deadlines and obligations, check out the article posted on Small Scale Life! (http://www.smallscalelife.com/hell-week/)
As I have stated on several occasions on the Small Scale Life Podcast, there are a whole universe of other platforms, media and social media out there for us. Occasionally when you speak to the vast universe, it speaks back to you! In this case, that part of the universe was Terrance Layhew from The Intellectual Agrarian. In January, Terrance interviewed Scott Hebert, and somehow he found me. He reached out to me, and after working out our schedules in a busy July, we found a way to connect and complete the interview. In our interview, Terrance and I discussed what lead me to start my small scale life journey, gardening tips and ideas, how and why communities are important and so much more. For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Starting Small Scale Life - The Intellectual Agrarian Podcast on Small Scale Life! (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-V0)
This is a [late] podcast and post about Minnesota Traditions on Labor Day 2018. These traditions include the Exodus to Lake County and the Minnesota State Fair. I had the opportunity to spend four days at the State Fair in a booth, so I had a different experience than many who went as spectators. I will also talk about my Weekend 3 Things and give you an update on Operation Outreach as well. Stay tuned, there is a lot to talk about as I head south in the Mobil Small Scale Life Podcast Studio! For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Minnesota Traditions - Labor Day 2018 on Small Scale Life! (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-UD) Special Note: I have to apologize to all the listeners out there: I did not intend to publish this podcast and post without any content! Yikes! As an aside, it is interesting that some folks shared this without any content….hmmm….Anyway, thank you for your patience!
As we roll into September, I have to ask: how is your garden doing? It has been a while since our last tour of the Small Scale Life Garden, so I figured it was time to post a Late August Garden Update and discuss my Fall Planting strategy. With cooler temperatures this week, it is a constant reminder that winter is coming, and I need to get my rear end moving to take advantage of the remaining garden season. For more information, pictures, links and a whole lot more on the Weekend Three Things, Garden Update, and Fall Planting Strategy, please see the article at Small Scale Life (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-Ue)!
This week, Greg Burns, my friend Jay and I finish Homesteading for Beginners by discussing the Definition of Homesteading. This is the last part of a 2-1/2 hour conversation that focused on the start of our own individual homesteading journeys. This is a philosophical discussion about the definition of homesteading, how to build experiences and how to cultivate people while building community. If you are new to Small Scale Life or missed Part 1 of the Homesteading for Beginners podcast (http://www.smallscalelife.com/homesteading-for-beginners/), I recommend that you take a listen. In that podcast, Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns, my friend Jay and I discuss starting our own Homesteading journeys by asking why. For more links, photos and extensive show notes, please go to Small Scale Life to get more information (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-TY)!
This truly is a verbal potpourri episode, so grab a cocktail or your coffee, settle in and enjoy the ride. This is a comfy little podcast full of stories and tales. The point of this podcast is to stay grounded using the Weekend Three Things threads, have some adventures on the weekend and of course learn, do and grow! In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am discussing the new weekly post in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group called my "weekend three things." I also include a summary of the Zac Brown Band Concert in Minneapolis, Julie's first triathlon and much, much more! For more information, pictures and the awesome show notes, head over to Small Scale Life for more on this podcast! (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-TC)
As I drove through southern Minnesota this week, I saw a lot of great farms and homesteads on my journey. Some of these folks lived on Century Farms (100-year old family farms) while others were just starting to homestead. My friend Jay and I can relate to those new homesteaders: we both purchased properties in 2018. We want to create new homesteads on our respective properties, and we figured it would be great to talk with someone who actually had a homestead and was further down the rabbit hole on this journey. Fortunately, I know a few people who do some great things due to this little podcast and blog! I called on my friend Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns, and he agreed to bring his contrarian perspective (and jar full of fermented goodness) to the discussion. For more information, show notes and links to other podcasts and information, check out the post on Small Scale Life! (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-Tm)
In this episode, I am on the road and talking about building community. Humans are social creatures. We are not meant to live in this world alone. Sometimes we do need to “have a little help from our friends.” My questions to you are: Do you have some friends that have your back? Have you spent some time building community around you? Unfortunately in modern Western Civilization, the answer is probably no. I have to admit: I need to work on this as well. We are going to make some changes to Small Scale Life to help you build community around you, where ever you are. For more on that, please head over to Small Scale Life (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-T0) to read the post that has more thoughts, information and links.
Canning is a method of saving that nutritious food for later seasons. You fill your own jars and know what exactly you are eating. That is so critical these days where we seem to have a food advisory, recall notice or flat out parasite infestation (hello McDonald's, Trader Joe’s, Krogers and Walgreens) almost daily. By growing and preserving your own food, you will have the satisfaction of knowing just what hands have handled your food and what is in your jars. To learn more about canning, go to Small Scale Life (www.smallscalelife.com) for more.
Today’s podcast, post and YouTube videos are particularly timely. In the Small Scale Life Facebook Group, our friend and new gardener Alex has a great question: “My tomatoes are so out of control and are completely shading my peppers. I have at least 10 peppers that have stopped growing and those are my favorite. Can I cut back the tomatoes? Can I attempt transplanting the peppers? At this rate the peppers are not going to grow so these are my only two options besides just pulling them.” – Alex from Illinois. There is no need to pull the peppers! I think we can figure out a way to aggressively prune tomatoes and get more sunlight to those peppers. Be advised: by aggressively pruning, you will get more tomatoes from your plants! I think you can handle it though. For more information about How to Prune Tomatoes, head over to Small Scale Life (smallscalelife.com (www.smallscalelife.com)) for the post, videos, pictures and more!
It has been a while since I have been on the Small Scale Life Podcast. I have been a busy boy doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that, traveling around the country taking care of business. I look forward to staying home and getting some of my own projects done. I want to have a level of success getting those projects done too! One thing that I have been finding is that a lot of us (myself included) can get bogged down and struggle to get things done. It can just be overwhelming at times with a long to do list. I don’t know about you, but when my list gets too long, none of it gets done. I punt on the whole list and just shut down, and then nothing gets done. This creates conflict with others including your boss, your partner, your spouse and all the other people who depend on you? How do you get through that shut down mindset, get things done and achieve some level of success? To read more, please go to the article on Small Scale Life (www.smallscalelife.com) titled Midweek Motivation Lesson – 3P’s of Success (http://www.smallscalelife.com/midweek-motivation-3ps-of-success/)
We have hit Mid-July, and we are well beyond that old farm saying “knee high by the 4th of July” for corn. We are on the back half of Stage 2 of the 2018 Garden Season, and it is time for another Garden Update. There is a lot happening in the garden, and I can really see a difference in my plants due to soil treatments and plants I grew in 2017. There is a lot to see in this Mid-July Garden Update including a discussion about the main garden, new fence, vertical garden, the patio herb garden, and perennial plants. Keep in mind that August is just around the corner, and it is going to get very busy as we start preserving our harvest! For more on this podcast and lots of pictures and videos of the garden, head over the Small Scale Life (www.smallscalelife.com) and see more!
I find myself traveling more and more these days for work and for life. As I travel, I see things that capture my eye and interest as I roll over the back roads and explore towns of all shapes and sizes. In an effort to capture some of my thoughts, observations and adventures on the road, I am going to start recording and posting "On the Road" podcasts. This podcast is focused on my observations and thoughts as I explored in the areas around Tomah, Wisconsin. Recently, I went to Tomah, Wisconsin, and spent a few days in the area. I had the opportunity to explore a number of towns in Monroe County. I had such a great trip to that part of Wisconsin that just recharged my batteries and took me back to my roots. Driving home, I had time to reflect about the trip, our house in Minneapolis and the future. For pictures and thougths about my trip to Tomah, please go to the article at Small Scale Life (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-PA)!
Last week during the garden update, I discussed my new vertical garden planters made from two vinyl gutters. After I posted the article and podcast, I realized that it had been a while since I discussed this topic, and I have never discussed how to build vertical gardens on fences before. In this post and episode, I will discuss the following topics: What is a vertical garden? Benefits and challenges of a vertical garden planters Materials needed to build a vertical garden planters Step-by-step guide for building vertical garden planters What is a Vertical Garden? Vertical gardens are growing techniques that take advantage of unused vertical space to grow vegetables, herbs or flowers. There are several types of vertical gardening techniques that can be used effectively in any garden: Trellises - Making use of trellises for certain plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, sugar snap peas, grapes, squashes and gourds, etc. Hanging Planters – Using elevated planters that put plants in the air and specifically grow in used vertical space. I have used both techniques effectively over the years. I am a huge fan of trellis gardening, and I use trellises exclusively for a number of plants in my garden. I will have another article that discusses my trellis and technique. Hanging planters are another way to let plants grow in the air and maximize unused space. I discussed vertical gardens before in the following articles and podcasts here on Small Scale Life (www.smallscalelife.com): Vertical Garden 101: Introduction to Vertical Gardening (http://www.smallscalelife.com/vertical-garden-101/) Vertical Garden 102: How to Build a Vertical Garden (http://www.smallscalelife.com/how-to-build-a-vertical-garden/) Vertical Gardening with the Plant Charmer Part 1 (http://www.smallscalelife.com/season-1-episode-15-vertical-gardening-plant-charmer-part-1/) Vertical Gardening with the Plant Charmer Part 2 (http://www.smallscalelife.com/season-1-episode-16-vertical-gardening-with-the-plant-charmer-part-2/)_ There has been a lot of change since those articles and podcasts! The Plant Charmer has expanded his farming operation using vertical gardening techniques exclusively, and I have relocated from St. Louis Park to the current homestead in Minneapolis. For more about How to Build Vertical Garden Planters on Fences including a step-by-step guide and material list for building a vertical garden, check out Small Scale Life! (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-Q1)
We are rapidly rolling through June, and by now your plants should be really starting to grow. In this episode, it is time for another Garden Update, and while our gardens might be growing, our plants are under siege from common garden pests of all shapes and sizes. I am dealing with some common garden pests here in my small raised beds, and I wanted to give you a head’s up about some common, and one unusual, pest before too many of you lose productive plants. In addition, I expanded my garden space by adding two vinyl gutters two weeks ago! I have discussed these kind of gardens before in the Vertical Garden 101: Introduction to Vertical Gardening (http://www.smallscalelife.com/vertical-garden-101/) and Vertical Garden 102: How to Build a Vertical Garden (http://www.smallscalelife.com/how-to-build-a-vertical-garden/) posts. I provide some thoughts about these type of gardens in this podcast in this environment. Introduction: Common Garden Pests How are your plants doing so far this season? We are moving into a point of no return for the 2018 season. What do I mean? With us getting into late June, there is a point where plants like tomatoes, peppers, squash or zucchini cannot be replaced and still generate a decent harvest this season. The bottom line is that if you lose a plant any later in the season, it will be difficult to replace it. This is why pests are so difficult when they show up in the garden. I am sure pests have their place in the world; however, they do not have a place in my gardens where I have been working hard to create healthy and happy plants and produce to feed my family. Without much ado, I am going to discuss how the garden is doing and some of the common garden pests I am dealing with this season. Some of these pests have been more destructive than others, but regardless, you have to check your garden daily and make sure that you address and dispatch each pest quickly. For more information, please see the article on Small Scale Life (http://www.smallscalelife.com/common-garden-pests/).
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This week, Tommy is on the road in Central Wisconsin and up to his neck in cranberry bogs. In this episode, Tommy discusses his busy life on the road and how he is trying to adjust to it. For more information about this episode, please read more on Small Scale Life (www.smallscalelife.com).
June is moving right along, and I hope you are doing well! A while back, I had a great conversation about Homesteading in Ohio with Daniel Bokros. Daniel is one of the Ohio Get Stuff Done Crew, and he has his own homestead called the Red Dog Ranch. In this podcast, we discuss his journey from the Marine Corps to the homestead in the Ohio countryside including real community, land, Joel Salatin, building soil, bees, pressure canning, chicken pigs and cows. That is a lot to pack into an hour! Check out more and get more detail on Small Scale Life (www.smallscalelife.com)e!
In this episode of Small Scale Life (smallscalelife.com), Michael Bell (http://www.smallscalelife.com/urban-farming-in-dallas-with-michael-bell-s2e24/) and Scott Hebert (http://www.smallscalelife.com/stoic-farming-and-tribalism-with-scott-hebert-s3e2/) return to discuss urban farming advice and best practices. Topics discussed during this podcast includes their farms, their markets, typical yields, watering crops, harvesting product, successfully marketing products and potentially expanding their operations. For those of you don’t know who these gentlemen are, Scott Hebert owns and operates Flavourful Farm in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Michael Bell owns and operates Half Acre Farm in Dallas, Texas. Both have uniquely different operations, but they are facing some of the same issues. Both have been great guests on Small Scale Life, and I am thrilled to have them back on the show. If you are currently an urban farmer or are considering starting a small business, you might want to grab a drink, a pad of paper and a writing utensil. There is a lot of good information and advice in this podcast. Michael and Scott have tried a lot of things and found out what does and does not work on their farms and in their markets. As part of the discussion, Michael Bell, Scott Hebert and I provided some thoughts about a new type of urban farming and marketing recently discussed on Larry Hall's YouTube Channel. Each of us had some comments (pros and cons) about this kind of small business, and there are some logistical and price point questions that will need to be explored. As Michael Bell puts it, "It hasn't been done like this before, so why not give it a try?" You can view the video and get all the show notes on Small Scale Life (smallscalelife.com)
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This week, Tommy is back and broadcasting outside a lounge somewhere in the Minneapolis, Minnesota. In this episode, Tommy discusses feeling overwhelmed and how to eat an elephant. In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes. Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life (http://smallscalelife.com). Introduction – Feeling Overwhelmed As many of you know, I have been on the road a lot recently. When you are gone from your home and family, things start to pile up. Sure, you might be meeting excellent people and doing great things on the road, but life feels out of control. Things break, the lawn grows, and business needs attention. These things start to weigh on your mind and bog you down. Returning home, you suddenly have a lot to do before you reload and head out again. As that to do list grows and the tasks get more complex, so does that feeling of panic and dread (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-Hi). You can easily feel overwhelmed by the demands of family, work and life. That feeling can wash over you, and if you are not careful, you will get nothing done because you feel paralyzed by the amount of work on your plate. That is how I am feeling as we roll into this weekend. How are you doing? To read more about how to Remedy Feeling Overwhelmed, head on over to read the rest of the story on Small Scale Life! (http://smallscalelife.com)
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This week, Tommy is on the road and is broadcasting from somewhere near the Front Range in Colorado. In this episode, Tommy is going to discuss how you should always stop distractions and focus on the people and places around you. Consider this a little public service/community service on Tommy Cakes' part, if you know what I mean! In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes. Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast (http://smallscalelife.com), it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life (http://smallscalelife.com). Story Time If you look at modern Western Civilization today, and we have never been more distracted in our lives. Don’t believe me? Look around you: there are people who are tuning out of reality around them and completely tuning into the computer in their hands. A great example of our distracted lives plays out every day on our nation’s roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,450 people died in 2016 due to distracted driving. 391,000 were injured in motor vehicles crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015. Many of those injuries and deaths are from talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, or fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system. On a given day during daylight hours, the NHTSA states that more than 481,000 people are using their cell phones while driving. You have seen these people, haven’t you? They weave and bob in their lanes, correcting radically when they realize they are drifting into other lanes. The sad reality is: at 55 mph, texting on your cell phone for 5 seconds is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed. That is alarming! Midweek Motivation Lesson - Stop Distractions: Focus! Compared to our parents and grandparents, we live our lives at an incredibly hectic pace. We are constantly on the go between work, school, activities, and kids’ activities (especially 24/7/365 sports). Western Civilization has embraced and promoted multitasking and “on-the-go” hectic lifestyles in this modern age. We push the limits to find one extra minute to send a text or make a phone call. How often are you eating a meal in the car “on-the-go” to another event or obligation? What are we really accomplishing and are we really happy with this lifestyle? There is no reason we need to live like this. We can take some time, feel the sunshine, walk in the hills and mountains and breathe some fresh air. Stop distractions by slowing down and focusing on the people and things in your surroundings. Make the time by taking the time. You cannot change Western Civilization, but you can change how you act and behave in it! Source Sources for today’s Midweek Motivation include: Statistics and cover photo courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast. You two ARE the wind beneath my wings! Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Badda boom, badda bing! Dat's how we do it!
This past month has been ridiculously busy, but Julie and I took some time last week to work in the garden. This podcast is all about starting my 2018 vegetable gardening season, and if you think that everything is rainbows and unicorns, you are wrong. I had immediate trouble including rotting raised beds, dead plants and rabbits. Can anyone relate to this? Even when there are troubles and challenges, there is no place I would rather be. Digging in the dirt and planting new seedlings is therapeutic and relaxing, and these small setbacks are easily overcome. A rabbit eating a zucchini and some peppers are easily replaced with new seedlings or geraniums, and fences and raised beds can and will be replaced. To read more, please see smallscalelife.com.
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is all about taking a break by turning off social media and getting away from the noise. Gary Vee recently said that the cell phone is the remote control of today’s society, and your activity on Social Media is nothing more than the reality shows of our current year. Why not turn off social media, put the cell phone away and enjoy people and nature instead? Please go to Small Scale Life (http://smallscalelife.com) for links, more information and the text of the podcast,
Welcome to Spring 2018, everyone! I hope your plants are growing and things are greening up in your neck of the woods. It is almost time to get into the garden! Before we start talking about that, I want to revisit Earth Day 2018, which occurred on April 22, 2018. That seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it? During the week leading up to Earth Day, students hear a lot about recycling and green technology and love for the planet. A few years ago, I started going to schools to teach students about plants and gardening during Earth Day Week and Arbor Day Week. I wanted students to see gardening in a different light and get excited about growing their own plants! This podcast is quite a bit different than other podcasts because you get to be part of the crowd of kindergarten students as I teach them about gardening! As part of Earth Day Week, I wanted to make a real impact on students' lives. A few years ago, I decided the best thing to do is to teach gardening and let students get their hands dirty and grow some plants. This year, I went to a local elementary school and presented about the three basic elements needed for gardening: light, water and soil. For those of you who want to make a difference in a student’s life while helping the planet, my Earth Day Tip: Teach Gardening. To find out more or get a copy of the presentation, please visit Small Scale Life (http://www.smallscalelife.com/earth-day-tip-teach-gardening/).
Are you stressed out about money? On a given Sunday night, do you dread going into the work the next day? If you are, you are not alone. A recent study created by mobile-banking company Varo Money reported that out of 1000 Americans polled, “a whopping 85 percent say they "sometimes" feel stressed about money, and a full 30 percent say they're "constantly" stressed about their finances.” That is really amazing! What can you do about this? How about generating some additional income through a lifestyle business online? It is May Day, and in a celebration of capitalism, I am thrilled to have Kevin Geary as my guest today for a second time on Small Scale Life. This time, Kevin Geary and I discuss how to start a lifestyle business that allows you to put some of that stress at ease by earning extra income while charting your own destiny from almost anywhere on this planet. Kevin has started various online businesses over the years, and he has learned some critical techniques to target your niche audience and ultimately sell more of your products and/or services. For more information, links and the show notes, please see Small Scale Life (http://smallscalelife.com) Kevin Geary can be found at Six Figure Grind (https://sixfiguregrind.com/) and Rebooted Body (http://https://rebootedbody.com/) If you would like to join the Make It Stick Master Class and support Small Scale Life, please use the following link: https://academy.rebootedbody.com/makeitstick/?affiliate=smallscalelife (https://academy.rebootedbody.com/makeitstick/?affiliate=smallscalelife)
This morning I received a message on Instagram from Scott Hebert asking me when Michael Bell from Half Acre Farm was going to be back on the podcast. It has been a while since the first BellCast (Season 3 Episode 5) in January, and a lot has happened! Fortunately for all of us, Micheal Bell returns to the Small Scale Life Podcast to discuss progress at his urban farm in Dallas, Texas. Michael and I discuss a number of topics including the great weather in Texas right now (and the crappy weather in Minnesota), what he has planted and some of his profitable urban farming strategies. Michael is using some really interesting and simple marketing techniques to develop business opportunities and increase his urban farming operation. As you will hear, he is employing techniques with great success! Michael feels that there are a lot of growth opportunities for profitable urban farming in the future, and he provides some positive encouragement to those who might be considering an urban farm as a side business. Topics Discussed on the BellCast: Profitable Urban Farming Micheal Bell and I discussed the following topics in this podcast: Welcome Back to the Show Texas weather Minnesota weather What’s Growing on the Farm? Tomato varieties Peppers Squash and zucchini Greens Onions Radish Beets Tomato Tips Septoria Leaf Spot Pruning Tomatoes Watering - low and slow Marketing and Customers for Profitable Urban Farming Instagram Strategy Telling the story How to sell a superior product Vegan Body Builder - YouTube Video Try to get restaurants for the Summer Start Profitable Urban Farming: 100 families = $100,000 Community Building Other farms are starting in the area, but there is a big market Rose Creek Farm Singing Frogs Farm Scott Hebert at Flavourful Farms Opportunities to collaborate and work together Diego Footer's Farm Small; Farm Smart Podcast Connect with Michael Bell on Instagram Putting It All Together As Michael stated, you can start profitable urban farming using simple techniques: connecting with people who are looking for great tasting, fresh produce in your area using Instagram. By starting small, you can focus on your client’s needs and share you story as you sell your produce. As Curtis Stone has said on many occasions, your customers want to share your story with others, and once you sell your produce, customers will share their experience with others. Michael experienced that very thing with the ladies who spent time at the farm and essentially sold his product to the whole office! You can do this, and there are people out there that can help! We will continue to explore these topics with Michael in future BellCasts!
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. Here is a question for you to ponder: would you be ready to drop everything and go if opportunity knocks? If you are, you might have an opportunity of a lifetime. This episode is all about the lessons learned from a local accountant turned Superman for the Chicago Blackhawks. Those lessons are the following: Learn as much as you can. Get busy working on your passions. Grow your skills. Connect with others. Always be ready to jump on opportunities. When you get your shot, perform like you mean it and have some fun to get it done! In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes. Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life. Sorry for last week; I was called out on business and had to get some things done. The good thing is: we have a great story this week that should inspire you and push you forward. Before we begin, here is a question for you to ponder: Would you be ready to drop everything and go if opportunity knocks? Story Time – Be Ready Player One Somewhere in Middle America, an ordinary guy found himself under the lights of a big game in front of thousands of fans and the press. The pressure was on: the game seemed to be in hand since the home team was ahead by four points. However, the backup to the starting player had just developed cramps and had the leave the game. It was up to our hero to finish the game and help his time to a win. The hero of this story is an accountant by day; he is not a professional player at all. In fact, years ago he played college hockey, and now he plays as goalie in a recreation league at night. Like some other local backup goalies, our hero usually sat near the press box, eating free food and waiting “on-call” as an emergency backup in case the professionals couldn’t finish a game. It was unlikely that the accountant would be called in to play. It was an easy gig: eat food, watch the game, root for his home team. What’s not to love? As he was a block away from the arena, our hero was alerted that he might have to be ready to play. If something happened, it was up to our everyday accounting hero to come off the bench, put on his helmet and finish the game. On this night, however, the starts, sun and moon aligned. The starting goalie was out with an injury, and the backup left the game with cramps. The head coach leaned over and told accountant Scott Foster, “Put your helmet on; you’re in.” The accountant Scott Foster played fourteen and a half minutes as a Blackhawk goalie against the Jets. He blocked shots, and he won the love of Blackhawks fans. At the end of the game, he helped secure the victory, was celebrated by fan and player alike, and entered his name into the storied Chicago Blackhawk history and lore. Midweek Motivation Lesson: Be Ready Player One Life takes unforeseen twists and turns sometimes. If you aren’t ready, you can miss opportunities when they present yourself. Always remember: Learn as much as you can. Get busy working on your passions. Grow your skills. Connect with others. Always be ready to jump on opportunities. When you get your shot, perform like you mean it and have some fun to get it done! After all, you never know when someone will turn to you and say, “Ready Player One? Put on your helmet; you’re in!” Always be ready! That’s all I got this week. This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week! Bada boom, bada bing! Sources The source of this story was theathletic.com and the source of the cover art Dennis Wierzbiki and USA Today Sports. Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast. You two ARE the wind beneath my wings! Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Badda boom, badda bing! Dat's how we do it!
In Season 3, Episode 14, we had a very special guest for our 80th episode: my wife Julie. We had a great discussion about the 5 Steps to Developing a Simple and Intentional Life, and you, the listeners, responded! We had 1000 downloads of this podcast, and we had a lot of engagement from the audience. Julie wanted to come back to build on that podcast, and in this episode, we are coming back to discuss one of the 5 steps in more detail. We are going to discuss how to declutter to make a simple and intentional life. Topics Discussed on this Episode Julie and I discussed the following topics on this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast. Julie is back on the show! - 5 Steps to Developing a Simple and Intentional Life - Hey Mom and Dad, we don’t want your stuff - Four generations are practicing Minimalism in the current year: Greatest Generation, Boomers, GenX and Millennials - “Right-Sizing,” Trendies and Millennial Nomads Dave Ramsey and the 2008 Collapse - “Working very hard to earn money to pay for houses we can’t afford and impress people we don’t like” - Expectations, time preference and delayed satisfaction - Learning from the Crash of 2008 Julie’s Work to Declutter the Basement - Declutter the basement over the weekend - Clear it out and start fresh before you begin more projects 5 Steps to Declutter 1. Determine your timeline and formulate your strategy 2. Create 4 bins to sort items as you purge 3. For items in the “Give” bin, take them immediately to your car 4. For items in the “Keep” bin, ask yourself two questions - Does it serve a purpose? - Does it bring you joy? 5. For items in your “Undecided” bin, keep 1 month and revisit the bin. - Make sure you keep the bin visible for the entire time. IF you haven’t used or thought of the items in the bin, get rid of it! Once Decluttering is Complete.... - Restock the shelves and drawers in an organized manner. Julie’s tip; “USE LABELS!” Question from the Audience - "What was the biggest benefit you saw from the Minimalist Lifestyle Change?" - Jay Dolan - Members of the Small Scale Life Facebook Group had a number of great questions, but they came in after the show was recorded. We will record a new show where we answer these questions, so if you have questions, please add them to the thread in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group or add them as a comment to this show on smallscalelife.com. Friends of Small Scale Life Aussie Flame Weeders – My friend Mick at Aussie Flame Weeders is offering flame weeders to reduce your non-revenue producing workload. If you want to eliminate weeds from your garden beds, a flame weeder is an efficient way to do it. I mean, who doesn’t want to burn pesky weeds with fire? Mick’s flame weeders are perfect for 30 inch (80 cm) garden beds and feature five stainless steel burners, 16” wheels and an ergonomic design that carries a propane tank so you don’t have to. Even if you don’t purchase a flame weeder, sign up on the Aussie Flame Weeder e-mail list to get access to videos and information. Gnarled Knot Design - From the Land of Illinois, our good friends Phil and Jen love to create furniture and home décor items to make your house feel like a cozy home. Since they were running out of space in their own home, they decided to share our items with others. So, if you are looking for customized and personalized furniture, signs or other items, connect with Phil and Jen at Gnarled Knot Design on Facebook, Instragram or Etsy. Connect with Phil and Jen today!
Houston, we have a problem! We have spindly, weak leggy seedlings that are barely strong enough to hold themselves up! This will result in fragile plants that are susceptible to disease. Luckily, Houston Control has a simple solution. The cure for leggy seedlings is direct, long and low light, and the best way to achieve those conditions are introducing grow lights for indoor plants. This week I have been fielding some questions in various Facebook Groups about Starting Seeds Indoors, and some folks are having some trouble with leggy seedlings and wondering how to fix the problem. In this post, video and podcast, I will discuss how I set up grow lights for indoor plants and starting seeds indoors. The stand that supports my grow lights is simple, very stable and costs under $15. What are Leggy Seedlings? The picture above was from a failed experiment that I conducted in 2016. I germinated this group of tomato seedlings by putting a black tray on top of the tray with the soil, and after four days added light. While I had good initial germination, you can see how "leggy" these seedlings were on Day 4. Is is a problem because long, spindly ("leggy") seedlings are more fragile than their stocky counterparts. The do not hold up in windy conditions, and if you let them grow too tall, they will flop over under the weight of their own leaves. Leggy seedlings are created by a lack of light. The plants accelerate growth in order to reach the light, any light, in their growing area. This can occur when a gardener plants seedlings and sets the container near a window or if the container is too crowded, and the seedlings are competing for light. This is a common problem for gardeners who are trying to start seeds indoors. You can correct this problem by adding an oscillating fan (tricking the plant by simulating wind) or adding grow lights for indoors plants. Grow Lights for Indoor Plants I recommend gardeners use grow lights for indoor plants unless you have a greenhouse that gets fantastic sun for 14-16 hours a day (which is one of my goals)! As I mentioned in other articles, I use inexpensive grow lights from Menards. In Menards-speak, they call these T12's "aquarium lights," but technically they are Sylvania 40-watt T12 Gro-Lux Fluorescent Light Bulbs, and you can find them in the Electrical Department. The lights cost around $10 per bulb, and I put them in inexpensive shop lights (the lowest cost ones I can find). All in all, two bulbs and one shop light will cost you around $30, and that will be more than enough for two plug trays (or 188 plants if you use the plug trays I am using this year). Grow Light Stand In the past I used the brackets of the shelving units to hang the grow lights for indoor plants. Moving to the wider workbench eliminated that possibility. While I have used PVC pipes and fittings to build grow light stands in the past, I found that unless you cemented them together, they fell apart. It is not ideal when your grow lights crash down on your tender seedlings! I decided to use lessons learned from gardening in St. Louis Park when I hung the grow lights from the shelves. I fabricated brackets that plugged into the pre-drilled holes in the shelving units, and then used PVC pipes with eye hooks to hang the lights over the seedlings with chains. That simple system allowed me to adjust the height of the lights as the plants grew taller. I knew I had some wood in the garage, so I went foraging. I found the 1" PVC pipes with the eye hook holes from St. Louis Park (yay for not throwing these away)! That was a win. I also found a 4' long 2x4 and a 2' long 1x3. I decided to make the base out of these boards. Using these pieces of wood, I made the following parts using a skill saw and my trusty drill: 2 - 12" base boards made out of 1x3's 2 - 18" vertical boards made out of 2x4's 2 - 14" horizontal boards made out of 2x4's Using screws I had on had, I put the two "sideways goalposts" together. I added a "L" bracket to the 12" base to give the stand more stability. As you can see in the video, the grow light stand is very stable. I added the two PVC pipes to the stand by using metal strapping typically used in plumbing projects. I cut 4 6" pieces and screwed them to the top of the stand. Sliding the PVC pipes in, the whole stand got that much more stable. The beauty of this system is that it is easy to construct, is inexpensive and can easily be moved if we have a project that requires using the workbench. Putting It All Together - Grow Lights for Indoor Plants The final stand - March 2018Gardeners get excited to start planting seeds in the Spring, especially after a long winter. Sometimes we get ahead of ourselves and plant the seeds before we are ready. This can result in seeds popping through the soil and growing before we have adequate light for them. The result are leggy seedlings that could collapse under their own weight! To avoid leggy seedlings, you must do the following: Add an oscillating fan to simulate wind and trigger the plants to thinken their stems Add grow lights for indoor plants to provide direct, long and low light to your tender seedlings. I have successfully used inexpensive Sylvania 40-watt T12 Gro-Lux Fluorescent Light Bulbs from Menards and have had excellent results. I will have to try LED Grow Lights some day when I have some extra dollars in the budget, but this is working for me now. To support the grow lights and shop light housing I constructed a simple stand consisting of PVC pipes, scrap wood, straps, some screws, eye hooks and two L brackets. The grow light stand is stable, inexpensive and mobile. If you are looking for a solution for your leggy seedlings, forage in your garage and head on over to a nearby big box store. You can get very creative and provide ample light for indoors plants! If you want to see a video of this stand and the seedlings, go to the smallscalelife.com for pictures or see the video at the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel for more information. Let me know what you design and build. I am really curious what designs you develop for your plants! Thank You That’s about all for this post and podcast. I hope you found that reviewing top seed sources was useful and helpful. If you have comments or questions, please leave them as a comment to this post on Small Scale Life, use the Contact Us page, or send me an e-mail at realsmallscalelife at gmail dot com. Thank you again for listening to the Small Scale Life Podcast and visiting smallscalelife.com. We appreciate you and your time. Our wish for you is that you remove some of that stress in your life and live simply this week. This is Tom from Small Scale Life, and we’ll see you next time! Take care, everyone!
Welcome to Spring 2018! Believe it or not considering it was snowing on the first day of Spring. It is only a matter of time before we can get into the yard and get into the garden. Before you can do that, you need to plant seeds and grow some seedlings! In this post and episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to discuss setting up an indoor gardening area and starting seeds indoors for spring gardens. Have you planted seeds yet? I did on St. Patrick’s Day, and I have some great news to share with you about that! Introduction – How to Start Seeds Indoors for Spring Gardens If you have been following along over the past few weeks, we have been going through the general process for preparing for the 2018 Gardening Season. We have done the following steps so far: Developed a garden plan – Developed a list of plants we want to grow) Ordered your seeds – Selected a reputable seed vendor and purchased seeds for our garden. While there are many seed vendors out there, I focused on four big vendors that members of the Small Scale Life Facebook Group and MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Group use most often. Finally! It is the moment of truth! It is time to stop thinking and start doing! I grabbed my seeds and some soil and got ready to get down to business…. Not so fast! Before I could start planting seeds, I had to some additional planning and prep work. Setting up the Indoor Growing Area Part of my planning and preparation work was to select an area in the house to grow seedlings. In our previous house in St. Louis Park, I grew seedlings on two shelves in a cold and dark basement. I discussed how I started seeds and some lessons learned after have some failures over the past few years in the following articles (on smallscalelife.com): How to Garden Indoores 8 Steps to Starting Plants Indoors Lessons Learned from Growing Indoors Four Lessons Learned from Starting Seeds For the 2018 Gardening Season, I had to find a new space to plant seeds and grow seedlings. While I knew I would be regulated to the basement, it was a much different situation in this house in Minneapolis. The basement is not as warm as the upper level, but it isn’t as brutally cold and dark as the St. Louis Park house. I attribute that to the fact that half of the basement is insulated and finished, and that does help retain the heat! Having more heat retained in the basement should help with germination, and I am hoping that having a warmer basement reduces the potential for damping off disease! I had to select my indoor growing area, and it really came down to three choices: the built-in near the television, the bar area or the workbench near the furnace. I would not be able to use a shelf in this house simply because we have gear and things on all of our shelves. We just do not have the extra shelf space! The biggest concern I had as I was evaluating each location was the availability of power (for grow lights, heating pads and a timer) and the impact on other basement users (like my son and wife Julie). Each spot had power, so really it came down to finding a spot that would be out of the way and not bother anyone. The best spot was the workbench near the furnace. While losing the workbench for potential projects is not ideal, it is important to remember that I would only need part of the workbench until mid-May. What could possibly go wrong? Besides, if we needed to use the workbench, everything can be moved quickly. Of course, that might mean that the trays go on top of the freezer, but I would only use it temporarily (I promise, Jules). The workbench is 27 inches wide, and that easily beats the narrow 18-1/2 inches on the St. Louis Park shelves. In case you are wondering: yes, in this case, size does matter! The extra width easily accommodates both seed trays in a side-by-side configuration on the workbench. On the shelves, I had to use scrap pieces of plywood to get over the lip of the shelf to get the trays to sit side-by-side. This is much, much better! Equipment Needed Part of getting your equipment might include buying soil and seeds - March 2018 With seeds in my hand and a growing area selected, it was time to get my “equipment” out of storage in order to start seeds indoors. My equipment consistec of the following: Seed trays 9x9 plug flats (or cells, as I like to call them) 5 gallon bucket or kitty litter bin (to hold the soil) Pro-Mix soil Heating pads Grow lights Timer Surge Protector Jumbo popsicle sticks or other labels for your seeds Most of these materials had been in storage for the winter. I had to rummage around the garage to find what I needed, and then I realized that I had thrown away my 9x9 plug flats last season! I had used these plug flats for a three seasons, and they were showing some age, wear and literal tears. I wanted to get new plug flats, so I got rid of them. I went to the big box store and found that they did not have the 9x9 plug flats anymore. I decided to pick up two McKenzie Pro-Hex Plug Flats instead. They were relatively inexpensive: $5 per kit included a plug flat (72 plugs, tray and acrylic dome). I would later throw away both of the domes (I feel they encourage damping off disease). On the same trip, I also picked up the Pro-Mix soil. While I did pick up a package of Coir for the 2018 Soil Challenge, I wanted to have a more controlled experiment using smaller plug flats. I also wanted the 2018 Soil Challenge to focus on the best soil for growing greens. More on my thoughts and how I am going to conduct the 2018 Soil Challenge in a separate post! Armed with all of this gear and the seeds, NOW it was time to plant! Start Seeds Indoors: Time to Plant! Plug trays are loaded! St. Patrick's Day 2018 As I discussed in my Garden Plan, I want to plant at four distinct times this year. I called these times “Stages.” The first stage is early spring, right when the soil is starting to warm up. There are plants that do well in those conditions, and I want to have a crop ready to put in the beds to take advantage of the season. Plants that do well in the Early Spring Stage (when there are some cold nights) are: lettuce, spinach, Swiss Chard and green onions. I added one more to my Early Season Stage: broccoli. Most of these plants are quick-growing, and I decided to hold off from planting them on St. Patrick’s Day because I wanted to get the Late Spring Stage plants started. The Late Spring Stage plants are the vegetables and herbs that will be in the ground in mid-May and grow until late August. These are the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, green beans, zucchini, squash and herbs that are listed on my plan. Because some of these plants take 80 days or more to for fruit to be ready, I wanted to get them started as soon as possible. For other plants such as zucchini, squash, potatoes, green beans and cucumbers on the list, I will sow them directly into the beds or planters in May. The real critical ones are the tomatoes, peppers and herbs, so that is where I wanted to begin. On a beautiful St. Patrick’s Day, I poured a drink, put on some music and started planting seeds in my new plug flats. I had so much fun getting my hands in the dirt and planting over 144 vegetables and herbs on my potting table outside! It was fantastic! All in all, I planted the following: Cherry Tomatoes (2 rows) – planted with seed I saved San Marzano Tomatoes (3 rows) Opalka Roma Tomatoes (2 rows) Jalapenos (2 rows) – planted with seed I saved Red Bell Pepper (2 rows) – planted with seed I saved Pepperoncini (1 row) Banana Peppers (2 rows) Sweet Bell Peppers (1 row) Yellow Bell Peppers (2 rows) – planted with seed I saved Orange Bell Peppers (2 rows) – planted with seed I saved Dill (1 row) – seed I saved Basil (1 row) Oregano (1 row) Rosemary (1 row) Broccoli (1 row) I made sure to label the rows with jumbo popsicle sticks. With three different varieties of tomatoes and seven different varieties of peppers planted, I did not want to make a mistake this year! Finally, I brought the trays inside, put them on the heating pads and added water to the trays. I figured I had 7 days before I had to hook up the grow lights, so I started working on a system to support the lights when needed. Again, it does not need to be expensive, sophisticated or fancy; it just needs to work! I have something almost ready for prime time, but I figured I wouldn’t need the lights for a few more days, right? Putting It All Together It is time to get planting those seeds for your 2018 garden! You don’t have to have the most sophisticated equipment or a greenhouse start seeds indoors. If you are overwhelmed with this whole process, you can buy plants from the big box store, from a greenhouse, or from a friend, but it isn’t that hard if you break it down into the following steps: Developed a garden plan Purchase Seeds from a Reputable Vendor Purchase Some Equipment (i.e., soil, grow lights, timer, heating pads and trays) Put the soil in the tray and put the seeds in the soil Label everything Add water to the tray Put the trays under the grow lights and on the heating pads Wait! Now, you see Number 8 above? Tom Petty was correct when he sang, “The waiting is the hardest part.” However, if you do all of these steps right, you DO NOT have to wait long…. I went downstairs after dinner and looked at the seedlings. I was shocked: After 4 days, I have seedlings! Tomatoes, basil and broccoli have punched through the soil. I guess there is something to this starting seeds indoor thing! This is great! Of course, I need to finish the light system as soon as possible (which is now complete and operational), but I am very excited for this season. It should be a great year!
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This week however, I will be completing the Midweek Motivation due to the seriousness of the topic and story. In case you are new to Small Scale Life, I am your normal host of the Small Scale Life Podcast: Tom Domres. I am doing this episode by request from Daniel from Ohio. He is a Marine with time in Afghanistan under his belt. Thank you for your service, Daniel. He asked me to read this story for Midweek Motivation, and after reading the article, I wanted to move forward with it. In this day and age, we see a lot of people who are elevated to “hero status” for strange reasons and to fulfill agendas and narratives. What does real sacrifice look like? Two Marines who gave all in defense of their Band of Brothers in Iraq in 2008 show us what real sacrifice is, even in this modern era. While you might not make the ultimate sacrifice for others, what can you do to help your family, neighbors and community around you? Story Time Daniel sent me a link to a story written by Geoffrey Ingersoll from the Business Insider in 2013. The title for this piece is “Everybody should read General John Kelly’s Speech about Two Marines in the Path of a Truck Bomb.” As a dad to a combat veteran, this story hits home. My son could have been one of these young men when he was deployed to Afghanistan. I am going to read selected portions of this story for you, and I will provide a link to the original story in the show notes. The link to the original story is here: http://www.businessinsider.com/john-kellys-speech-about-marines-in-ramadi-2013-6 Midweek Motivation Lesson: Sacrifice for Others Many of us will never find ourselves in a similar situation as Corporal Jonathon Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter. These men gave the ultimate sacrifice for men they knew, and some they did not know. How can you apply this story to your own life? We live in a fast-paced and isolated world. We are connected by apps and screens, but we really don’t know each other. It is time to stop connecting on screens and start connecting in real life. Reach out, meet face-to-face and develop those relationships. Help your friends and neighbors with a project, or invite them over to your house for dinner. Lend them some support and give them encouragement. Sometimes some folks just need a smile and some time to talk. While you might not make the ultimate sacrifice to stop a truck bomb for your family, neighbors and friends, you might be able to help them when times are tough, or even when they aren’t (to quote Jack Spirko). Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast. You two ARE the wind beneath my wings! Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Badda boom, badda bing! Dat's how we do it!
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is all about adding fun to get stuff done (fun to done). Many of us set goals and resolutions, only to fall apart or abandon them on Day 2. Why is that? Maybe the problem is that you relate your goals to dreadful toil and bloodletting instead of enjoying the process and having some fun! In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes. Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life Introduction – Fun to Done This is a Late Week Motivation this week. What can I say? Business has been good and keeping Tommy Cakes on the run. This is a good thing: it means more stuff is happening and Tommy is getting paid! Fortunately, I have some time to relax before I go to the lounge, so I am going to get this done for you! Many of us set lofty goals and resolutions with the best intentions. We dream big and then make grand announcements to all of our family and friends. We say things like, “This time is different; I am ready. This is my chance to change! My goal is X!” We see this all the time at the start of a new year. As we talked about in Episode 13, we concoct all kinds of goals and resolutions, and by the end of January, 64% of us have stopped trying. By March 1st, 80% of us have dropped off. Haven’t you noticed it at the gym, pool or in the sauna recently? There are a lot less waiting for a machine, a lane or bench space for the gun show to begin. Why is that? Goals and Resolutions Don’t Work We have the best intentions when we start with our big goal and resolutions. We don’t intend to fail. We want change, but then something happens. Psychologically, we associate goals and resolutions with pain, misery and drudgery. Who wants to be miserable eating kale when you can have some fantastic lasagna, red wine and cannoli? We see this with people trying to lose weight. They set a goal, and then they think the quickest way to get to done is to start running, yet they can hardly walk around the block. After two days of jogging, they are so sore they can’t even move! This destroys motivation, and then the poor person gives up. Kevin Geary talked about this in an interview here on Small Scale Life. Michael Bell also talked about this during his discussion about fitness and weight lifting in Season 2, Episode 25. Midweek Motivation: Fun to Done Instead of pushing a massive bolder up a steep hill, we all need to rethink our goals and resolutions and inject the fun to done mentality into our everyday lives. Why not? The project or work needs to get done somehow! Instead of hating to eating kale or broccoli, why not add a little butter to it? Instead of running or jogging, why not go for a hike in a beautiful place or walk with your spouse or the dog? Notice I did not equate the two! Instead of swimming laps in a pool, why not swim with your kids or in a lake? Instead of working out in a stale, sweaty gym, why not work in the garden or yard? Inject the fun to done mentality into your goals and resolutions. Make it an adventure or a journey. Stop making it a miserable marathon of sweat, blood and tears. Identify something you like to do and incorporate your goals into that activity. You might find that you get things done AND have some fun while doing it. After all, how do you think Tommy Cakes got on the air in the first place? That’s all I got this week. Add some fun into your lives! This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week! Bada boom, bada bing! “Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done” This episode was inspired by author Jon Acuff in his book “Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done.” As a person who has “squirrel syndrome,” which is a trait of ENFP personality types, I have found that adding some fun into my work and my goals has helped me accomplish so many more things. Why? Because those fun things are so much more enjoyable to do and complete! Not everything is going to be fun. Taxes are boring, painting a room is tedious and filing reports is downright dull. However, you can overcome that and get things done. In the book (particularly Chapter 4), Jon Acuff has some great techniques for getting projects done and goals achieved. I recommend you listen or read his book today! It is actually a fun read! Get after it, and add fun to done to your life! Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast. You two ARE the wind beneath my wings! Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Badda boom, badda bing! Dat's how we do it!
This is our 80th Episode! Whoo hooo! For this episode, we are shifting gears a bit on this episode, and you are going to get to learn a lot more about our story. My guest and I (and other celebrities who stop by) are going to talk about going from high paying, fast-paced lifestyles to slower-paced, more simple lives with less stuff. How does one achieve that? Where does one begin? My guest and I have some ideas, and in this episode, we are going to discuss the 5 Steps to Developing a Simple and Intentional Life. In this episode, my wife Julie Domres is my special guest, and we discuss some of Before we get to that, let me ask you a couple questions: does your stuff stress you out? Do all the materials, goods, and things in you house and garage give you a sense of dread or anxiety? My guest and I are going to take you on a journey. Show Notes for 5 Steps to Developing a Simple and Intentional Life In this podcast, Julie and I discussed the following topics and links: Friends of Small Scale Life (see below) Gnarled Knot Design Nature's Image Farms Introductions Who is Julie? What has been happening the past couple weeks? Weekend to Remember Marriage Retreat - Family Life Moving Our Stuff Home Our Story Moving Out and Storing Stuff Planting Our Flag in North Minneapolis Schemes and Ideas Decision Process and Finalizing "The Plan" Our Journey to Develop a Simple and Intentional and Life Survival Mode and Chasing Dollars Jobs, Kids and Life Minimalism - Learn, Do and Grow in Motion How did we find Minimalism? Tom - Local Author and Blogger Aaron Clarey - Captain Capitalism Website Julie - The Minimalism Documentary Going to see the Minimalists in Minneapolis (link to podcast of the event) Other Minimalists Josh Becker - Becoming Minimalist Colin Write - Exile Lifestyle Patrick Rhone - Minneapolis Author of "Enough" What does it mean to us? 5 Steps to Developing a Simple and Intentional Life Eliminating Clutter Reducing Time Commitments Reducing and Eliminating Debt Replacing Screens with Reality and People Defining What's Truly Important in Your Life Putting It All Together Key Topics, Thank You's and What's Coming Up
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. How many of you set your New Year’s Resolutions and gave it up already? You need to keep going. Results are not guaranteed, but you will be better off in the long run for trying. In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes. Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life Introduction A lot of us get to the end of the year and we are excited to get a new slate and a new chance to do things different. Many of us want to change something in our lives: Lose weight Get healthy Stop drinking Stop smoking Travel more Get ride of clutter Get organized Start a new business Others - yada yada yada How many of us set goals and resolutions for the New Year? How many of us have already dropped by the wayside and punted on those goals? Statistically speaking, research has shown that 31 days after the first of the year, 64 percent of you have dropped your New Years Resolutions. By March 1st, more than 80 percent of you have dropped those New Year’s Resolutions and goals. You can see this at the gyms: the crowds that created standing room only and long wait times for equipment has eased up or evaporated completely. How many of you are like that? Does one of these questions describe your state of mind: Do you get frustrated with your progress and results? Did you fall back into your same old patterns? Do you lack the time to put into this resolution? Do you lack a game plan for success? Did you forget the reason why you started? There are ways to break the chains of failure and defeat. You can accomplish your goal successfully! 4 Tips to Keep Going It is tough to keep going, especially when times are tough. Here are some ideas on how to keep motivated and making progress: Get a coach or accountability partner – Working with someone can help push and motivate you when you lose motivation. A good coach or accountability partner has your back and will keep you on task, even when times are hard. After all, you don’t want to let that coach or accountability partner down! Start small; go low and slow – Too many of us go all out after we haven’t been doing something for a long time. Then we get really, really frustrated when change doesn’t happen or when you are sore. Go low and slow, but do it consistently. It will help with your recovery and motivation. Make it part of your daily routine – Block off some time every day to devote to your goal. Focus on that doing activities that get you closer to that goal during that time. Do not get distracted by people or screens! Track your progress – Take notes and document your progress. It might not seem like you are moving a mountain initially, but when you look back after a month or a year, you will see how far you have come! Midweek Motivation Lesson: Keep Going Change is hard. We are impatient creatures, and when results aren’t immediately seen, we throw up our hands and stop doing what we are doing. Keep going. Keep pushing yourself. You might be on the verge of a breakthrough, but you will never know if you give up. Do the following things to keep going: Get a coach or accountability partner Start small; go low and slow Make it part of your daily routine Track your progress That’s all I got this week. This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week! Bada boom, bada bing! Sources Sources for today’s Midweek Motivation include: New Study Reveals How Long New Year’s Resolutions Usually Last 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February — here's how to keep yours How long do people keep their New Year resolutions? Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast. You two ARE the wind beneath my wings! Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Badda boom, badda bing! Dat's how we do it!
Now that you developed your garden plan, it is time to start planting seeds for our gardens! Yes! It is time! Before you plant, you need to buy your seeds (unless you saved some from last season), and there are a lot of options out there. It can be confusing and overwhelming. In this post and episode, I am reviewing top seed sources for your 2018 garden. The best part about this: I am using feedback from the Small Scale Life Facebook Group and Minnesota-Wisconsin Regenerative Agriculture Group about seed vendors you use! You, my dear friends, your story are part of the show! In case you are new to our podcast and blog, Small Scale Life is all about removing stress from our lives by living simply through: • Gardening, • Healthy living, and • Having adventures along the way We are thrilled you are here and listening to our show or reading our blog. That means a lot to us, and frankly we wouldn’t do this if you weren’t part of our Small Scale Life. Thank you so much! Before we begin this episode, let’s hear from some friends of Small Scale Life: Friends of Small Scale Life • Aussie Flame Weeders – My friend Mick at Aussie Flame Weeders is offering flame weeders to reduce your non-revenue producing workload. If you want to eliminate weeds from your garden beds, a flame weeder is an efficient way to do it. I mean, who doesn’t want to burn pesky weeds with fire? Mick’s flame weeders are perfect for 30 inch (80 cm) garden beds and feature five stainless steel burners, 16” wheels and an ergonomic design that carries a propane tank so you don’t have to. Even if you don’t purchase a flame weeder, sign up on the Aussie Flame Weeder e-mail list to get access to videos and information. • Tommy Cakes – Midweek Mindset and the Small Scale Life Facebook Group Thank you to our friends of Small Scale Life. Remember: if you have a product or a service that you would like to be discussed on Small Scale Life, contact me at realsmallscalelife at gmail dot com or use the contact us page on smallscalelife.com. Introduction – Seed Vendors As we roll through February, it is time to get planting seeds and getting our seedlings started. As you have been finishing up your Garden Plans, I am sure you are finding that you need some seeds! If you type “seed vendors” into Google, you will be overwhelmed with companies and vendors selling all kinds of heirloom and genetically modified seeds. Where do you buy your seeds? This was the exact question I asked the two groups I manage on Facebook: • Small Scale Life Facebook Group • MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Facebook Group I wanted to get the perspectives of urban farmers, homesteaders and gardeners. The great thing is that this is input from across the country (Small Scale Life Group) and locally in Minnesota and Wisconsin (MN-WI Group). I wanted to see if there might be differences in how small scale gardeners buy their seeds versus more commercial operations like Michael Bell’s Half Acre Farms or Scott Hebert’s Flavourful Farms. The results in each group are summarized below and will serve as the basis for reviewing top seed sources. Small Scale Life Facebook Group We had some good participation from group members, and I appreciate your thoughts and feedback in the poll and on my direct messages. Here is what the results are telling us: • Johnny Seeds is the clear leader for growers in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group. • Baker Creek is in second place with Seed Savers in a distant third place. • A few of our Small Scale Life members were very interested in saving their own seeds. Homesteader Greg Burns told me that his goal is to plant using saved seeds and not purchase any. New to gardening, Jacob Heinberg is starting his garden this year, and he is very interested in seed saving. While I won’t get into specifics in this post, I will have some posts about it in the near future. MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Group The MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Facebook Group is a smaller group composed of farmers, homesteaders and gardeners in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I wanted to set up a local network of people to replicate the Ohio Get Stuff Done Group, and there is a great group of people there. I plan to start meeting people in this group, but that is for another time. From the people that participated in this poll, we have the following results: • Seed Savers Exchange was the leader. • Burpee is second. • Saving your own seeds is in third place. Top Seed Vendors In order to help reviewing top seed sources, your humble correspondent went a little above and beyond and ordered seed catalogs from Johnny Selected Seeds, Baker Seed Company, Seed Saver Exchange and Burpee. I wanted to briefly review top seed sources from our polls and show the differences between their seed catalogs. While you can get a lot of information off each vendor’s website, seed catalogs provide a wealth of information about the seeds, produce or herbs, time to maturity, yield and some history about the origin of that particular plant or herb. One seed catalog provides specific information about resistance to certain blight (and that might be one of the reasons they are a leader). Johnny’s Selected Seeds Started in 1973, Johnny Selected Seeds is based in Maine and is 100% employee owned. They offer a variety of vegetable, herb, fruit and flower seeds. Johnny Seeds also offers a variety of tools and supplies for gardeners, market farmers and farmers. I am impressed by the information that Johnny Seeds has compiled beyond the description, days to maturity, what to expect at harvest and price options. The disease resistance information and germination guides are great! They also have some suggested planting program information for market farmers to follow during the “Stages” of the growing season. There is a lot to like about Johnny Seeds. What about cost? Johnny Seeds seems to be more expensive than other seed vendors; however, they offer seed packages for commercial producers (i.e., farmers). Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company printed its first seed catalog in 1998 when the owner was 17 years old. Baker Creek has three stores: Petaluma, CA; Mansfield, MO; Wethersfield, CT. They offer a variety of heirloom vegetable, herb, flower and fruit seeds, and if you are interested, they host events at their stores. Looking at their seed catalog, it is a straight-forward affair: history of the particular item, description of what to expect at maturity, days to maturity, amount in the packet (selected items) and price. Unlike Johnny’s, Baker Creek does not seem to have larger packages for commercial producers (i.e., farmers). What about cost? Baker Creek seems to be less expensive than Johnny’s Seeds and seems to be in the same range as Seed Savers Exchange and Burpee (depending on the item). Seed Savers Exchange Seed Saver Exchange started in 1975 and is based in Decorah, Iowa. They offer a variety of heirloom vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit. They promote their seed saving community and seed saving movement. Their seed catalog includes history of the particular item, description of what to expect at maturity, days to maturity, amount of seed in each option (all items) and price per seed option. Unlike Baker Creek, Seed Savers does offer some larger packages for more commercial operations. What about cost? Seed Savers seems to be less expensive than Johnny’s Seeds and seems to be in the same range as Baker Creek and Burpee (depending on the item). Burpee Burpee is big, and it is everywhere: Menards, Walmart, Home Depot, grocery stores, etc. Started in 1876, they are headquartered in Warminister, PA. They have vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit, gardening supplies, seed starting supplies and lots of other items. Their seed catalog includes days to maturity, description of what to expect at maturity, amount of seed in each option (all items) and price per seed option. Burpee does not seem to have larger packages for commercial producers (i.e., farmers). It is a one-size-fits-all approach, and you can easily purchase their products at big box stores near you. What about cost? Burpee seems to be less expensive than Johnny’s Seeds and seems to be in the same range as Baker Creek and Seed Savers (depending on the item). What About Saving Your Own? Perhaps you don’t have the funds to spend on all these vendors. Times are tough for some, and there are ways to get gardening without breaking your bank. Seed saving is a great way to get your own seed collection started on the cheap. While I am not going to go into detail in this post about saving seeds, it is as easy as saving those pepper seeds in your bell peppers or jalapenos. Instead of composting them (and maybe growing vegetables and herbs in your compost pile), save the seeds from peppers, squash, cucumbers and other vegetables on a plate and let them dry out. Just make sure you label them or it could get messy! Saving tomato seeds is a little trickier. Tomatoes have a gelatinous membrane around the seeds, and you need to break that down by “fermenting” the seeds for a couple days. It isn’t hard, but I am planning to write a post about that. Of course, if you have a tomato you like, you can take a slice with seeds in it and plant it in soil. You will generate tomato seedlings! We will cover seed saving in another post. Other Seed Sources Be on the lookout for other sources of seeds. Some groups and organizations have seed exchanges and offer seeds. These can be great sources as well. The only potential drawback is that you might not get the particular variety you want, but you might get something unexpected! Putting It All Together After developing your Garden Plan for this year, it is time to purchase seeds. There are a lot of vendors out there, and it can be overwhelming to sort through all of them. The key is to use your Garden Plan to identify the seeds you need, and purchase your seed according to availability and price. Maybe you want to get your seed from one vendor that has them all? Perhaps you want to try a couple different vendors? Keep in mind that I only listed the big four from our poll. There are other vendors out there. You can save seeds from vegetables from the store or from your garden. That will save money and get you going this year, but you might not get the variety of tomato, pepper, bean or other vegetable you want. The benefits to saving your own are gaining that experience and saving money. Be on the lookout for seed exchanges or offers for free seeds. These can be ways to add to your collection. There is no right or wrong answer. The key is to get moving and collect your seeds because it is time to plant! That is next week’s topic! Thank You That’s about all for this post and podcast. I hope you found that reviewing top seed sources was useful and helpful. If you have comments or questions, please leave them as a comment to this post on Small Scale Life, use the Contact Us page, or send me an e-mail at realsmallscalelife at gmail dot com. Thank you again for listening to the Small Scale Life Podcast and visiting smallscalelife.com. We appreciate you and your time. Our wish for you is that you remove some of that stress in your life and live simply this week. This is Tom from Small Scale Life, and we’ll see you next time! Take care, everyone!
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is all about the lessons learned from the life of PT Barnum and the movie “The Greatest Showman.” There are some great lessons learned about friends, creativity and unstoppable drive from the life of PT Barnum, and Tommy Cakes tells you some of those lessons in his own unique way. In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes. Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life Introduction – The Greatest Showman In case you haven’t noticed, Midweek Motivation is a little different than your typical Small Scale Life post. We get into some social and cultural commentary while I try to motivate you with some of that knowledge. In this show, we are going to focus on a movie that everyone is talking about. The movie is good entertainment with some life lessons buried inside it. As you know, movies have depicted some interesting and uplifting characters that have done some truly remarkable things beyond wearing fancy clothes and impressive hats! Story Time The hero of this story started from humble beginnings as the son of a son of innkeeper, tailor and store-keeper. Our hero was excellent at math but didn’t like physical work! From his first job as a shopkeeper, he moved up and eventually purchased a museum. He added new attractions and transformed it to include: A lighthouse lamp that shown light down Broadway A strolling garden on the roof with a view of the city Giant animal paintings from the windows and Hot-air balloon rides that launched from the showplace daily. Over time and by adding exotic acts to his show, our hero met with the Queen of England, Czar of Russia and royalty across Europe. In just a few years, he owned several museums and had a draw of 400,000 people a year! Our hero lost his wealth in some bad business and real estate deals, and he spent four long years in litigation and public humiliation. His friends stood by his side and supported him, and eventually he gained momentum and created the US’ first aquarium and met with the President of the United States. Even after his museums burned down, our hero once again connected with friends and started a circus in Delevan, Wisconsin. He had the first circus to move from town to town and across the country by train (and the first circus to own a train). It was billed as the Greatest Show on Earth! After leaving the circus, our hero wrote books and became a politician, serving as a State Representative for four terms and later served the mayor of his town. Midweek Motivation Lesson: Friends, Creativity and Drive So what is the point of all this? Life is hard, and it knocks you down. Things happen that don’t seem fair, and the odds can be stacked against you. We can learn from Phineas Taylor Barnum, the hero of our story and a distant relative of Julie Taylor Domres. When times were tough, PT Barnum's friends supported and helped him. Even when the chips were down, PT Barnum used his creativity and relentless drive to push himself to new limits and new successes. What’s holding you back? Get started making good friends and using your creativity and drive today. We are waiting to help you, friend. Reach out and take my hand. That’s all I got this week. This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week! Bada boom, bada bing! "The Greatest Showman" Recently Hollywood released a movie about PT Barnum called “The Greatest Showman.” While there are a lot of things that are Hollywood fiction and narratives, it is an uplifting movie. Tommy Cakes gives it two thumbs up, so go see it. After all, it takes an Upcoming Showman to know the Greatest Showman! For a taste of the energy of this movie, watch this pre-production video from "The Greatest Showman." Throughout the movie and this clip, I kept waiting for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine moment, but we got something completely different and inspiring! I have to give my wife Julie credit, it was a good movie and had great energy (even though it did not match historical accounts). By the way, my wife Julie IS a distant relative of PT Barnum (that is true), so you can see why she puts up with an amateur showman like yours truly. Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast. You two ARE the wind beneath my wings! Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Badda boom, badda bing! Dat's how we do it!
We have hit mid-February! It is time to get planting seeds for our 2018 garden! As many of you know, I have been starting seeds in my basement for a few years now. I learn something new each year, and last year was no different. Like everything in life, you learn the most from your failures, and I had a couple last year. I am not afraid to admit it! In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to discuss Four Lessons Learned from Starting Seeds in my basement last year. Happy Valentine's Day! Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! I hope you had a great day yesterday and had some fun. Julie and I went to a winery in Waconia, Minnesota, for some wine and jazz with our good friends. It was a lot of fun to catch up and enjoy some really good wine and food! We even made some new friends who just purchased 20 acres north of the winery and are making a really cool place out of the wetlands and woods on their land. I am taking Tommy Cakes’ advice from last week’s Midweek Motivation: enjoy local events and make real, authentic memories with friends, family and your community. Update: Developing Your 2018 Garden Plan In the last show, I discussed Developing a 2018 Garden Plan. Your garden plan will serve as your foundation for gardening success this year. I did get some feedback from folks about that show, and I wanted to add two points for narrowing down your “Pie in the Sky Plan” to a feasible, realistic plan: Climate - Consider your climate and what grows there. If you live in Minnesota like me, you do not want oranges, avocados and lemons in your plan if you don’t have special climate controlled facilities to grow them. Actual Layout - To help with planning your garden, it might help to actually plan out where everything will go using a piece of graph paper, wipe board or computer. The key is to get realistic sizes for plants and your garden (to scale). I will have another post on how to do that in the near future. Those are great suggestions, and I have added them to the show notes from the last episode. 4 Lessons Learned from Seed Starting I have been starting plants from seed in my basement for a few years now. I learn something new each year, and last year was no different. Like everything in life, you learn the most from your failures, and I had a couple last year. I am not afraid to admit it! Let's discuss four lessons learned from starting seeds in 2017. Why start seeds yourself? I started planting my own seeds in 2014 or so. Back then, I was buying plants from big box home improvements stores, but I found that I was getting frustrated with the following: Quality – Plants at the local big box home improvement stores were just not healthy. Some were wilting or had blight, others were terribly stunted and looked “bad.” I usually could nurse them back to health but it always took some work to get them growing in the right direction. Selection – Big box home improvement stores just did not seem to offer a wide enough selection of plants. Some had a couple of varieties of tomatoes, but I didn’t want to grow that particular type of cherry tomato, big beefsteak tomato or “summer salsa” tomato. I wanted something a little different. I found the same applied to peppers as well. When I started growing my own, I had control and picked the type of plant I wanted to grow. Cost – The final reason I started growing my own plants from seed was that the cost was simply too high. Typically, you are paying at least a dollar for each inch of height of seedling, and some of the more mature plants can be six to ten dollars a piece. If you have a big garden bed or several beds, gardening gets very expensive very quickly! I had a 12-foot long bed with 16 tomato plants in it, the cost for these 3-inch tall plants could be $48 (plus tax)! I decided to start growing my own seeds, and I found that the materials to start growing were fairly inexpensive. I had articles and a podcast about that last year in the following articles: How to Garden Indoors 8 Steps to Starting Seeds Indoors 9 Lessons Learned from Starting Seeds Indoors - Season 2, Episode 6 4 Lessons Learned from Seed Starting That said, I am going to need to set up a new growing area since moving to this new house. Regardless, I need to keep the following four lessons learned from last year in mind as I begin growing plants this year. 1. Label, label, label Make sure to label everything as you plant seeds and later transplant your seedlings. One of the problems I ran into last year was how I labeled seedlings when I started growing them. I was trying to be clever with the Potting Soil Challenge by using masking tape on the seed trays. It worked great initially when I had the grow lights a few inches above the soil, but as time went by and the seedlings grew, I needed to put some kind of marker/label in the seedling cell. Over the course of growing, I move cells around to check the plants, take off the first leaves and eventually transplant them. If I take out several of the cells, the cells get mixed up, and I lose track of what is what. Labels are cheap, so take the time to buy some popsickle sticks or plastic sticks to label each plant. If you don’t label plants, you garden will be like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates: “You’ll never know what you’re gonna get!” 2. Keep a Journal Life is busy, and as much as we like to THINK we are going to remember details about our growing season, things and life happens. We actually forget what happened! Keeping a simple journal will help you remember: What worked What didn’t work How you tried to fix problems and/or counteract plants and blight One thing that I have tried to track is germination rates and growth for different types of seed in the different types of soil (part of the 2017 Potting Soil Challenge). While my intentions were good, I fell behind last year and eventually abandoned the log. This was unfortunate because I could not draw solid conclusions from the 2017 Potting Soil Challenge. I will do a better job this year as part of the 2018 Potting Soil Challenge! 3. Transplant Seedlings Earlier I traditionally have planted and transplanted seedlings according to the following timeline: Late February – Plant seeds in cells and seed trays Mid-Late April – Transplant seedlings into cups Late May – Transplants seedlings into garden beds I want to change this timeline this year. While it has worked out “ok” in the past few years, I find that the seedlings’ roots become tangled messes by mid to late April. While the seedlings usually survive the transplanting process, I want to see if the seedlings will be healthier and stronger if I transplant them earlier. The last frost date in Zone 4B is typically around May 10th, and that date defines when I transplant plants into the garden without fear of a killer frost. I cannot change that date (it is due to climate), but I can change when I start planting seeds in the garden beds. Because I live in Minnesota, I need to push to get every day that I can for plant growth. By delaying to late May or early June, I have lost valuable time and produce from my plants. Getting these plants in the ground might result in a late harvest from some of these plants! 4. Using Coir…Effectively I used Burpee’s Coir product for the first time last year in the classrooms and with my own seedlings. I had never used it before, and for those of you who have never used it, coir is made from recycled coconut fibers. It comes in a small brick. Once you add water to it, the material is ready for your seeds. It is important to know that coir holds up to 150% of its weight in water and, most importantly, retains that water. For me, I was used to my traditional methods of growing seedlings: add soil to the seed tray cells or cup, plant the seeds, and water from the bottom. It never occurred to me that coir was already a saturated medium and would not wick up more water. In fact, it would start to rot in the cup (anaerobically) if it got too much water! I realized this because the coir soil began to smell horribly. Some of the seedlings growth slowed, and some seedlings died because of root rot. I used coir exclusively with my school outreach in 2017. The two classes that I worked with last year did not have this problem. In fact, their plants thrived and did quite well because they watered the plants from the top where I was watering from the bottom. I am going to try growing more seeds with coir this year and track my results as part of the 2018 Potting Soil Challenge. Putting It All Together I have found that planting seeds improves the quality of your plants, provide better selection of plants and is cost effective (especially if you have larger gardens). Over the years, I have learned a lot of lessons. Last year, I learned the following: Label everything Keep a journal Transplant seedlings and plants earlier Use coir more effectively Even if you don’t start your plant from seed this year, you can implement some of these lessons in your own homestead, garden and flower beds.
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is all about the Super Bowl Spectacular that was held here in Minnesota. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Here are some thoughts and observations from Tommy Cakes. In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes. Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life. Introduction – Super Bowl Spectacular This is a little different Midweek Motivation. In the past three episodes (which have done really well, so that tells me you like this stuff), we have talked about: Keeping Our Eyes on the Target Preparedness and Overcoming Dread This show, however, is a little different. We are going to talk about something else, ripped right from the headlines, if you will. In case you somehow missed it, the big game, the big dance, the Super Bowl was last weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is only the second time Minnesota hosted the Big Game: the first time was in the Metrodome and now it was in that fancy billion dollar stadium. People in Minnesota are just not used to having big games like this in their town. This game featured the New England Patriots against the Philadelphia Eagles. As you probably know, the Patriots have been in and won the Super Bowl a bunch of times, and the Eagles have been in the Big Game, but they have never won the actual Super Bowl. Obviously I am giving some credit to the early Eagles teams that won championships in the 1960’s before the merger. Story Time Let’s talk about what happened BEFORE the Super Bowl here in the Twin Cities. It really is a tale of two cities, and the contrast is interesting to discuss. Let me paint two pictures for you. St. Paul There is a lot happening in Minnesota even without the Big Game. This time of year, St. Paul hosts The Winter Carnival, which is a festival that includes all kinds of activities to celebrate winter. The Winter Carnival started in 1886, and this year it goes from January 25th to February 10th. There is a whole mythology and pageantry surrounding the rise of King Boreas, Queen Aurora their court and Klondike Kate. At the same time, there is a story about the rise and shenanigans of King Boreas’ arch nemesis Vulcanus Rex and his Vulcan Crew. There is a hunt for the medallion (sponsored by the St. Paul Pioneer Press), ice sculpture competition, snow slides, parades, concerts with local talent and sometimes a massive ice castle. It is quite a celebration of winter and distinctly Minnesotan! For more on that, go to this link: https://www.wintercarnival.com/ Minneapolis While the Winter Carnival is a St. Paul event, the Super Bowl is a Minneapolis show. The stadium is in Minneapolis, and a lot of the activities were focused around the US Bank Stadium and around Minneapolis. On this note, the NFL and their corporate sponsors rolled into town and set up shop. This included a whole “Minnesota Experience presented by Verizon” in downtown Minneapolis, where Nicollet Avenue (which is a transit-only roadway), that included booths for sponsors and a patch of snow for doing “winter stuff.” There were corporate events, zip line, and concerts. Oh yeah, they finally held a game and dropped some paper all over the field when it was done and over. Did I mention the celebrities that we here for the Super Bowl? Oh yes, they were all over Minneapolis in the fresh snow and cold! There was Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Pink, JLo, Bradley Cooper, Joe Biden, Stephan Curry, Alex Rodriquez, Donnie Wahlberg, Gary Vaynerchuk, JJ Watt, Floyd Mayweather in his coat, and Diddy in his bigger fur coat with his entourage. That is quite a cast of characters zipping around the Twin Cities showing up here and there, doing their celebrity things! Midweek Motivation Lesson So what is the point of all this? I know what some of you are thinking. This is sportsball and celebrity stuff, and I know a lot of you don’t really care. That’s where you are absolutely wrong, my friends. The point of this story and your Midweek Motivation is the following: In today’s crazy world, we are all looking for something in our lives that are real, have meaning and are pure. Stop looking for that in mass media, sports and Hollywood. It isn’t there. Look for that kind of authenticity and reality in local events, festivals and gatherings in your community, with your neighbors, friends and family. Events and gatherings like the Winter Carnival in St. Paul that are built on community traditions, mythology and storytelling are where authentic and real memories should be created. Don’t waste your time with the NFL, Super Bowl, Hollywood, celebrities and their shenanigans. None of it is real. All of there world is hype and a sales pitch for a corporate, plastic world. After all, once the game was over, the private and corporate jets line up and flew off, and all that was left was their trash. Let that sink in for a moment. Now, I have to get back in the lounge to spend my winnings from the Super Bowl. I won big, so it’s time for my drink, some capicola, veal parmesan and canollis! I might even buy everyone a round! This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week! Bada boom, bada bing! Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast. You two ARE the wind beneath my wings! Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Badda boom, badda bing! Dat's how we do it!
It has been an incredible two weeks. Julie and I moved all of our gear out of a storage locker and into this little house in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am glad to be back on track with a Tuesday Gardening Show, and I think I have a good show for you today. After a couple weeks of short posts and podcasts, including the introduction of a new regular show called Midweek Motivation by the Coastal Cosmopolitan Tommy Cakes, we are gearing up for Garden Season 2018! In this post and podcast episode, I am going to discuss How to Develop A 2018 Garden Plan: what I am going to grow and how I am going to grow it. I am making some adjustments to my planting strategy based on conversations with Michael Bell, Scott Hebert, Doneil Freeman, Drew Sample, Greg Burns and other market farmers. While I am not going to grow commercially, I am going to adopt some of their concepts and principles to make my garden very productive in 2018. That is the plan, anyway! In case you are new to our podcast, blog and social media platforms, Small Scale Life is all about removing stress from our lives by living simply through: Gardening, Healthy living, and Having adventures along the way We are thrilled you are here and listening to our show or reading our blog. That means a lot to us, and frankly we wouldn’t do this if you weren’t part of our Small Scale Life. Before we begin this episode, let’s hear from some friends of Small Scale Life! Friends of Small Scale Life A Bee Friendly Compamy - Michael Jordan Are you interested in bees, beekeeping, honey or mead? If you are, you need to check out A Bee Friendly Company out of Cheyenne, Wyoming! Michael Jordan, who is on The Survival Podcast Panel of experts and has been on the Small Scale Life Podcast, is an actual bee whisperer. I am constantly amazed by the work that Michael is doing to improve apiaries and communities in his backyard, at the local school and across the country. Michael is broadcasting information on Facebook Live every Wednesday at 5:00 PM Mountain (5 minutes at 5 PM), so check him out. If you are interested in bees, beekeeping, honey or mead, check out Michael Jordan’s A Bee Friendly Company on Facebook! Nature’s Image Farm – Greg Burns Great news, everyone! It is time to start planning for spring. Are you looking for comfrey, bees or trees? Greg Burns from Nature’s Image Farm has what you need. Nature’s Image Farm has Comfrey Bocking 4 and Comfrey Bocking 14 cuttings available for you today. Looking to start beekeeping and are looking for bees? Natures Image Farm has 5 frame nucs available now! Keep in mind that there is a deadline of February 10, 2018, so contact Nature’s Image Farm today. If you want to add trees to your property, Greg will also be updating tree bundles next week. Nature’s Image Farm will once again have exciting bundles availavle soon for urban homesteaders and farmsteaders including pawpaw, seaberry, rugusa rose, apple, pear, American chestnut, butternut, elderberry, mulberry, service berry and more. They have everything you need to start your own food forest or family orchard, which is pretty cool! Remember: Use code “SSL” for Small Scale Life for 10% off and free shipping, and let a real American hero Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns know that you heard about Natures Image Farms on Small Scale Life. Check out naturesimagefarm.com today! Tommy Cakes – Midweek Mindset and the Small Scale Life Facebook Group Thank you to our friends of Small Scale Life. Remember: if you have a product or a service that you would like to be discussed on Small Scale Life, contact me at realsmallscalelife at gmail dot com or use the “Contact Us” page on smallscalelife.com. News Before we begin, I want to go through some news items. First off, I am working on things behind the scenes to improve the Small Scale Life experience. It feels like we are getting momentum and starting to focus in on the message and direction of the blog and podcast. As part of that, we are going to start digging into Wicking Beds and launching Wicking Bed Nation, so stay tuned for that. Next, I get excited when I can connect groups of people. A great example of this was connecting Michael Bell with Michael Hingston from Aussie Flame Weeders, and I think these connections are happening in our Small Scale Life Community (on the blog, Facebook, and Instagram). To help connect people through Small Scale Life, a number of us are running or starting small businesses, and it is great to connect with folks and get your name out there. To help with that, I am working on developing a business directory on smallscalelife.com. We want to connect people. We want to connect our audience to your quality businesses and products. If you want to be included in our business directory, let me know. If you want to be included, contact us at realsmallscalelife at gmail dot com or use the “Contact Us” page on smallscalelife.com. Finally, I do have some exciting news! A company that makes the Coir product for Burpee heard my Potting Soil Challenge Podcast from last year, and they have reached out to me. This company would like to donate some Coir product for the school outreach I do each spring. I tried Coir bricks for the first time last year in the classroom, and the kids loved watching this brick of material turn into a growing medium. I really appreciate their interest, and I am really excited to work with this company and report on this in the future. Wow…that was a lot, but it good stuff to talk about with you. Enough of all that; let’s get back to the show! Introduction The Super Bowl is over, and we are almost to the middle of February. For gardeners, homesteaders and farmers in the northland, people are in high-gear planning and plotting for this year’s Growing Campaign. I know folks down in Texas, other southern states and our friends on the other side of the world in Australia and New Zealand are already in high gear, and I always need to keep that in mind! I am no exception. I have been planning what plants I want to grow this year and how I am going to fit everything in these limited gardens! For those of you who are new to the show, I moved last June to a relatively small urban lot in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At this new house, I inherited two four-foot by six-foot square foot gardens. These raised beds do need some love and attention because the wood is rotting, and I have a plan to replace them with Wicking Beds in the near future. Developing a Garden Plan Planning what vegetables and plants you grow feeds right into your overall gardening strategy and seed purchase. It is almost time to get those seeds ordered and started! If you are here, you fit into one of three categories: New gardeners who have never grown anything before. Somewhat experienced gardeners and really didn’t get the results we were hoping for. Seasoned veterans who have had literally tasted the success of gardening. No matter where you fall in the Gardening Spectrum, we all start at the same place at the beginning of the season: The Garden Plan. The Garden Plan is the foundation for your season’s success. It helps guide you through the seed catalogs, websites, seed kiosks and tables of live plants at the local greenhouse or big box store. Your Garden Plan is all about you. What do you want to grow? Where do you want to start? This can be overwhelming, and I have acted like a therapist talking with people who are overwhelmed by choices and options or talked with people who want to plant it all. The fact is: we can’t plant it all. We can’t grow it all. After all, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, there are 25,000 tomato varieties. Other sources say 10-15,000 varieties being actively cultivated worldwide. That is a lot of tomatoes! We can’t grow it all, so you might be asking, where do you start? Grow What You Eat When you start your 2018 Garden Plan, you really need to think about what you and your family will eat. It doesn’t make sense to grow a ton of tomatoes, eggplant or squash if no one in your family likes to eat them! Focus on what you eat and grow those things. For example: If you like salsa, you should look to grow tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cilantro. If you like dill pickles, you should look at growing cucumbers, dill, onions and maybe some jalapeno peppers (to spice it up a bit). If you like pesto, you should grow basil and maybe some parsley. Think about what goes into your favorite dishes and recipes. Grow the things that you use often or can preserve for that long march in the winter between December and April. If you have trouble thinking about vegetables and herbs you use, take a notebook and keep a food log for a couple weeks. Write down the key vegetables and herbs you use on a daily basis. That can be a starting point for not only your Garden Plan but also your plan to prepare for tough times (some folks call it prepping or modern day survival). Write Out Your Garden Plan Once you have thought about those dishes, recipes and preserved foods, you can start to write down a list of vegetables and herbs that you want to grow this year. Start big; write them all down. I am serious: write all those vegetables and herbs down on a piece of paper. We will start with a “Pie in the Sky” Garden Plan and then start to hone it down to a manageable, realistic plan. How do you do that? Look at your available space in your growing area. Remember: your space in the garden might be very limited. Some of these plants can get pretty large (i.e., squash, zucchini, pumpkins and tomato varieties). You will need to balance your “Pie in the Sky List” with spatial realities (i.e., you want to grow pumpkins but are limited to a north-facing condominium balcony). I cannot emphasize this enough: do not waste your time and very valuable space for growing things that you and your family don’t like or won’t eat. Grow what you eat; otherwise, you will be making compost out of plants, herbs and vegetables that you do not eat. If you are tight on space or want to experiment with new vegetables and herbs, I recommend buying those items at the local Farmer’s Market, buying from a local farmer or finding a local gardener or friend who will trade with you. If you like those items, maybe you will expand your garden or work those items into your plan next year. If you have an opportunity to expand your growing area and grow more, there are a lot of options. We will discuss that in future posts and podcasts as well. My 2018 Garden Plan I started planning my garden in late January 2018. I sat down with my secret Small Scale Life Notebook (it has nuclear codes in it, trust me) and started roughing out my “Pie in the Sky” Garden Plan. As I wrote everything out, I started to think about how the gardening season has gone for me over the past few years. I plant everything in one shot in mid to late May, and certain plants just don’t fare well in the hot days in late June and July. Some plants, like spinach, lettuce, sugar snap peas and other greens, actually prefer cooler weather. I decided to develop a two stage approach to my Spring Garden Plan. As you can see in the image, I am going to plant greens, green onions and sugar snap peas in the early spring (i.e., April). These plants tend to grow quickly, and I can get a harvest before the Late Spring Stage kicks off. In the Late Spring Stage, I am going to plant the bulk of the other vegetables and herbs after the first frost date (May 10 in Zone 4B – Twin Cities). I will intercrop the Late Spring Stage Plants with the Early Spring Stage Plants. That means I will plant tomato starts next to sugar snap peas, and I will use companion guides to intercrop the peppers, onions, and greens. The other thing you might notice is that I don’t have enough room for all of the Late Spring Stage Plants. I have two four by six foot raised garden beds, and while they can handle a lot of plants, I am going to need more capacity. It is time to show you my plans for constructing and operating wicking beds. It is time to launch Wicking Bed Nation! Putting It All Together Newbie or experienced gardener, we all start at the same place in the Long March of Winter. Before you get overwhelmed with the seed catalogs, websites, seed stands or plants available at the local greenhouse or big box store, do some planning! Develop that basic foundation that will set you up for success this year by following these steps: Develop your Pie in the Sky List Narrow the Pie in the Sky List down by visualizing your available growing space and what you and your family actually will eat If you want to experiment with new vegetables and herbs, plan to purchase them at the store, farmers market, local gardener or trade with someone If you can expand your growing area, go for it! We will discuss some ideas that you might want to try this year! Your Turn I am curious about your 2018 Garden Plan. How do you plan your garden? Have you completed this process yet? Have you purchased your seeds yet? Put your thoughts and experiences in the comments section of this post on smallscalelife.com or join the Small Scale Life Facebook Group and share your experiences there. What’s Next? In our next Gardening Podcast, I will be walking us through some seed catalogs and purchasing seed. It is time to move ahead with my 2018 Garden Plan and take it to the next level. I will also start discussing my Wicking Bed plans, so stay tuned for that. In addition, we are lining up some more guests for the podcast. I am going to talk about Minimalism with my wife Julie, Homesteading with Greg Burns and the Urban Farming on the February Bellcast with Michael Bell. Stay tuned, I feel that we are off to a strong start to the year and really starting to get some great momentum! Thank you again for listening to the Small Scale Life Podcast and visiting smallscalelife.com. We appreciate you and your time. Our wish for you is that you remove some of that stress in your life and live simply this week. This is Tom from Small Scale Life, and we’ll see you next time! Take care, everyone!
Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is focused on overcoming dread. Are you spending all your time and energy worrying about something? Are you afraid to tackle tasks? Perhaps you need to change your perspective and mindset, and Tommy Cakes is here to help overcome your dread. In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes. Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life. Introduction – Overcoming Dread At one time or another, everybody has that nasty feeling in the pit of your stomach. Maybe that feeling comes from one of these examples: Going into work at a job you don’t like, Talking to an authority figure after making a mistake, Meeting new people, Taking care of tasks Delivering a project or service to a client or Speaking in front of the public (like on a podcast…doh)! Over time, that nasty feeling in your stomach grows, and you feel exhausted or have little motivation to complete tasks and take care of business. You procrastinate and, in some cases, that small task mushrooms into a massive problem that takes a lot of time and energy to resolve. Have you experienced that? Story Time Let’s tell a little story outlining this. Our hero hurried and scrambled last summer as he packed up all his belongings and prepared to move from his house. His lovely wife made arrangements with a local storage facility. Our hero, his boys and a few friends loaded the belongings into the storage locker. After a couple trips with a big truck, pickup truck, SUV and other vehicles, the house was empty and the storage locker was loaded. Other belongings and furniture were taken to the new house, and our hero settled into his new place. This winter, the time came when our hero had to clear out the storage locker. Our hero started to be concerned. Who was going to help empty the storage locker and load the truck? Where was all of this stuff going to go? Could our hero even move that much material? As the date came closer, our hero’s thought about it more and more. Slowly bur surely, his concern turned into dread. It seemed that this was too big a task to handle and too much material to move to a small house and small garage. The day came, and our hero and his lovely wife picked up the moving truck and drove it to the locker. They opened the locker, and after taking a deep breath, they began to load the truck. They loaded quickly, and as they worked, the hero’s feeling of dread began to diminish. Dread slowly turned to confidence, and confidence slowly turned to euphoria. As they closed the door of the truck, the hero said triumphantly, “I have been dreading this day, and that wasn’t as bad as I thought. Let’s try to get it all loaded tonight…..!” The hero’s lovely wife reminded him that night was coming, and that the dynamic duo had extra help the next day. Midweek Motivation Lesson So what is the point of this story? The point of this story and your Midweek Motivation is the following: [tweetthis]Overcome dread by focusing your mind and completing one task at a time. Start easy tasks to get momentum! #mindset #overcomingdread[/tweetthis] [tweetthis]Stop letting your fear and imagination rule your life. #overcomingdread[/tweetthis] You don’t have a lot of time on this earth. Use your time wisely. Worrying and dreading about something is wasting your time and energy. Whatever that source of dread is, it is going to be over after you engage and finish the task, and chances are, you’ll feel a lot better once it is done. Take a deep breath, close your eyes and pull the trigger. BOOM! This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week! Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast. You two ARE the wind beneath my wings! Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Badda boom, badda bing! Dat's how we do it!
Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life. Story Time Let me tell you about the very short-lived government shutdown. Did you even know it happened? Since we don’t do the political thing on Small Scale Life, I will tell you a story instead. On Friday last week, a lone Federal employee got a phone call from his boss in a far off regional office. The boss told him that the shutdown was most likely going to happen. Since this guy was classified as a “non-essential employee,” the employee would be on furlough (unpaid leave). The boss provided instructions about what to do if the shutdown occurred and hung up. As the employee completed his work, his mind drifted to what this shutdown meant and could do to his family’s budget. No work meant no pay. This could hurt since his paycheck went to pay a lot of the bills. If this was a long shutdown, the loss of this source of income could hurt in the long run, and the rhetoric out of Washington was not good (meaning this could be a long shutdown). The employee started to think about what he had been doing over the past couple years and how he had not followed through on some ideas and plans. His side hustle was merely a hobby, and the work he had done to prepare for a major disaster was not enough. He and his family were not ready to outlast a major event, even after everything he had read and researched on the topic. The employee stewed and resolved to take care of those things once the shutdown occurred. There were a lot of details to be worked out, but it just needed his undivided attention and focus. He planned his Monday, knowing that the shutdown was inevitable. Sure enough, the politicians could not agree, and the shutdown happened. The non-essential Federal employees were on furlough, and that included the hero in our story. Our hero was ready to act. Even though this would hurt in the short run, he would begin the process to develop that side hustle into something. As he sat down at the computer to implement his plan, the phone rang. The boss called and informed him that he was no longer non-essential, and that he had to report to work (without pay)! Our hero, thrown for a loop, made some phone calls and got rolling with his regular work day. Later that day, the government re-opened for business for another couple weeks. He resolved to implement his plan and start preparing for the next disaster right away. Midweek Motivation Lesson So what is the point of all of this? The point of this Midweek Motivation is this: [tweetthis]Be vigiliant. Be ready. Be prepared. Life comes at you fast, and if you prepare, you are set up to adapt and overcome life’s challenges. [/tweetthis] How do you do get prepared? Save some money, get out of debt, store some food and water, and get healthy. Stop dreaming and researching. Start doing and executing. Prepare for the worst. Boom! If you want to learn more about HOW to prepare, stay tuned to Small Scale Life. More to come on that. This is Tommy Cakes, and I see you next week!
In this episode, Micheal Bell returns to the Small Scale Life Podcast to discuss progress at Half Acre Farm. There have been a few changes and improvements since our interview in October 2017! Michael and I discuss urban farming in cold weather and high winds, and we will discuss the effect on his crops and his plan moving forward. We discuss some future projects and building soil using Regenerative Agriculture techniques discussed in a recent seminar by Gabe Brown. We also discuss the NFL games last weekend including the Minneapolis Miracle. As a programming note, this is the first episode of the BellCast: a monthly podcast on Small Scale Life focused on the ups and downs of urban farming on Michael’s Half Acre Farm. Michael has been farming at this location since purchasing the land in 2016, and he sells produce locally to friends, colleagues and others. Topics In this podcast, Michael Bell and I discussed the following: Minneapolis Miracle and Football Games New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Patriots Super Bowl and Dynasties Introductions Who is Michael Bell? Half Acre Farm - Humble Beginnings 2000 square feet to 15,000 square 30 inch wide garden beds that are 25 feet long Urban Farming Winter Conditions: Wind Storm and Cold Weather this Year Crops: Damage and Destruction Low Tunnels: Success or Failure? Long Term Weather Outlook in Texas Bouncing Back: Planting New Crops Salinova Zucchini 5 Tomato Varieties 50 Large Cherry 25 Super Sweet 100's 10 Glacier (will blossom in 38 degree F temps) Marigolds 25 Black Cherry Tomatoes - they get big! Aggressive pruning and blight control - how to control blight Selecting crops based on vegetable and profit potential Customer Service and Sales Breaking Bad News Getting New Customers - Developing the "Waiting List" Grocery Store Clients Instagram connecting People and Customers Eating Real Food - Michael's Salad Mix creates a Unique Taste which Sells Itself Regenerative Agriculture Rebuilding Soil using Regenerative Agriculture Techniques - Gabe Brown Rancher and Soil Expert from North Dakota Regenerated Soil in 3 or 4 Years on His Ranch Five Laws to Regenerate Soil Urban Farm Backyard Gardens Micheal's West Texas Project Tom's Central Wisconsin Project Philosophy and Continuous Learning Time waits for no one Getting things figured out; having a successful life Why Michael and I REALLY do chores Farm Expansion and Logistics Greenhouse Purchased! How to transport? Future Greenhouses of Half Acre Farm Keeping the Greenhouses Warm Putting It All Together Key topics discussed and next steps
Midweek Motivation is a new weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is focused on the big lesson learned from the Viking's Minneapolis Miracle in their game against the Saints. In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes. Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it's Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly. Story Time This story is about a man named Marcus. He has been playing football all his life. Marcus did all the drills, participated in all the practices, played in all the games and finally made it to the NFL. Marcus is a rookie playing in his first big game. The game has come down to the final minutes in the fourth quarter. Marcus' team has a slim lead, and all his team has to do to win is to stop the opponent on their final drive. At this point it looks like Marcus' team will win the game. Victory is in the bag! All Marcus had to do is stop the opponent from scoring a touchdown. With ten seconds left on the clock and third and ten, the opponent's quarterback steps up to the line of scrimmage. He gets the ball and scans the field. He throws the ball downfield to a receiver, who makes an incredible jump and grabs the ball. This is Marcus' big moment. All he has to do is tackle the receiver and the game is over. However, Marcus puts his head down and completely misses the tackle. The receiver sprints to the end zone, winning the game! Marcus' team loses, and the "Minneapolis Miracle" is born. Marcus is Marcus Williams from the New Orleans Saints. A rookie who put his head down and missed an easy tackle. This play inspired this post, and it inspired a whole nation of Vikings fans who are looking forward to "bringing it home." Midweek Motivation Lesson The point of this story and your first Midweek Motivation is this: [tweetthis]Keep your head up; finish strong! Keep your eyes on the target. If you don't, you will miss every time.[/tweetthis] Stay on target and succeed!
What a GREAT weekend! We are really excited and are celebrating here in Minnesota. Of course, most of the people are celebrating the Minneapolis Miracle where the Vikings vanquished the New Orleans Saints and are heading to the NFC Championships. As a life-long Packer fan, I could grumble, but I won't. It isn't the real reason we are celebrating. The real reason we are celebrating is that we have achieved another great milestone here at Small Scale Life. As announced in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group this weekend, we are celebrating because we hit another 10,000 downloads of the Small Scale Life Podcast! That is pretty exciting news, and we wanted to say thank you for hitting 20,000 downloads since starting this podcast a couple years ago. I know some of you are new to our podcast, blog and social media platforms. In case you are new, Small Scale Life is all about living simply by focusing on: Growing, Exploring and Living healthy. That is pretty general, and we typically focus on: Gardening, Healthy living, and Having adventures along the way We are thrilled you are here and listening to our show or reading our blog. That means a lot to us, and frankly we wouldn’t do this if you weren’t part of our Small Scale Life. Thank you! Learning, Doing and Growing in 2017 I really didn’t know what to expect when blog in November 2015 and I started this podcast in January 2016, and I am truly grateful and blessed that you are spending your time with my guests and me on the podcast, on the blog, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Gab and YouTube. This has been a learning process. We are, in fact, learning, doing and growing in real time, before your eyes. What do I mean by that? Well, let’s look at the numbers from Wordpress for Small Scale Life and compare 2016 to 2017: 2016 6,590 views 3,389 visitors 75 published posts 30 podcasts 5,000 downloads 2017 10,922 views 6,862 visitors 53 published posts 35 podcasts 15,000 downloads By listening and engaging with us each week, you are pushing me to improve my processes and the quality of the blog, podcast and social media platforms. This is not an easy job, so I am calling in some support to help in this effort. I will provide more detail about that in the next post! Putting It All Together Thank you again for your time and your attention in previous years. I am looking forward to 2018! We are going to focus on developing our urban homesteads and farms, small businesses, tribes, and healthy lifestyles. At the same time, we will continue to seek and find adventures, where ever they take us. We should have a lot of fun together and hopefully bring some great content to you. My call to action for this post and podcast is to connect with us. Become part of the Small Scale Life story. Engage with us and share you comments with us. Ask questions and let us know you are out there. If you are inspired to try gardening, urban farming, getting healthy or taking the road less traveled, let us know! I am but a humble pirate. The wind is blowing at our backs, and the tide is rising. There are empires to plunder and rum to drink. Hoist the sails; man the mizzen mast! Bring me that horizon, yo ho!
Welcome to 2018, everyone! Back in 2016, one of my first interviews was with a guy who was kicking off his small market farming operation in Chilliwak, British Columbia. That guy is Scott Hebert, and his farm is called Flavourful Farms. Since that interview, Scott has been working hard on his farm, landing new clients, and starting a new podcast and Vlog! He is a busy guy. I am thrilled to Scott back on Small Scale Life to kick off the new year. In this podcast, we discuss a number of topics including farming, stoicism, his podcast Stoic Mettle, launching his Vlog, developing a tribe and growing and maintaining his beard. I had a lot of fun on this episode, even with a minor technical glitch and some background noise (on my end) that will be addressed in future shows. One cool thing that happened during this interview was that Scott announced starting a weekly Vlog on his YouTube Channel. Scott Hebert and I discussed the following topics in this interview: Who is Scott Hebert? - Flavourful Farms and Farming - Starting the Farm - Mindset - Cost of Entry for Farming - Case for Being Debt Free - Pricing and Customers - Plan for 2018 - Physical Requirements for Farming - Bees and Chickens - What would Scott do differently? Stoic Mettle, Stoicism and Tribalism - Why stoicism? How does this relate to farming? - Starting and revising the Stoic Mettle Podcast - Stoicism, Tribe, and Friend Gap - Future of Stoic Mettle Growing and Maintaining a Beard Key Take-Aways from the Interview
Happy birthday, Small Scale Life! Happy birthday to me! We made it one more time around the sun, and January 2nd was our collective birthday. Small Scale Life is two years old, and I am just a little older than that (really). The purpose of this post is to thank you all for all the love and kind word's yesterday on my and Small Scale Life's birthdays. Please note: I originally posted a much longer post about where this platform is going in 2018, but I am re-writing this post to thank you all for all the well-wishes I received yesterday. The longer article will be published in a separate post. Just in case you are new to Small Scale Life, we are living simply by growing, exploring and living healthy. To put it simply, we are focused on: • Gardening, • Healthy living, and • Having adventures along the way Happy Birthday On my and Small Scale Life’s birthday, I wanted to thank everyone for being a part of our story and being a part of our Small Scale Life. I had so many good conversations and well wishes on my birthday! It was a little overwhelming, and I really am thankful for your comments. I am totally serious: if I could throw a big party and invite you all, I would! Maybe I'll have to think about organizing something like that.... All in all, I had a very busy year at Small Scale Life and in my personal life, but through it all, I think I have gotten a little wiser and a little better at this blogging and podcasting stuff this year. I know there is a lot to learn and I am constantly improving, and I appreciate new friends who have helped me over the past year. I really want to thank all the people who were guests on the Small Scale Life Podcast this year including Greg Burns, Jay Dolan, Travis Swanson, Todd Ehrhardt, Micheal Jordan, Michael Bell, and Doneil Freeman. What a great group of people! I really do appreciate the support and your time. If you haven't listened to those shows, you are missing out. Go to the Podcast tab and start listening today (or just click the text)! Just Getting Started We will use the lessons learned this year to improve Small Scale Life, the podcast, our urban homestead and ourselves this year. We have some ambitious goals in 2018. I am working hard to put a team into place that will allow us to grow and improve this platform. We will have regular guests and a more regular schedule for posts and content. More on all that in upcoming posts and podcasts, and the proof will be the quality of our work. The bottom line is that I think we are going to have a great year! Thank you for everything in the past two years. Thank you for the engagement and taking your time to follow us. We would not be doing this if it wasn't for you. We are just getting started. 2018 is going to take your breath away, and I can't wait! Stay tuned and continue to live simply, grow, explore and be healthy with us in 2018!
Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you are spending lots of quality time with your family and friends this season. We certainly will be doing just that over the next week! In this post and podcast, I wanted to establish a tradition here on Small Scale Life by rebroadcasting my reading of the poem “Twas the Night before Christmas.” My dad used to read it to my family when we were young, so in that fine tradition, I am posting it for you and your family to enjoy. Reading this poem brought so many memories back from when I was young. This time of year was always a lot of fun for us: we would go sledding, make snow forts, have snowball fights, cross country ski and spend all day out in the snow. We would come home wet and cold, and warm up in the living room near the wood burning stove while drinking hot chocolate. Our wet boots, hats, gloves, and snow suits hanging in the basement laundry room (or wadded up in a ball near the laundry room - our boys come by it naturally). Nothing says the holidays more than some of the classic songs from bygone eras. I have added three of my favorite songs to the end of the podcast. These songs are "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Frank Sinatra and "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole. In this age of techno-modified singers, it is excellent to listen to these songs from the Golden Age of our country: when times and living were a little more simple. In this day and age when we are so caught up with shopping, presents, dinners, parties and technology like our phones and social media, it is important to take a little time to stop and enjoy the people around us and the moments we share with them. That is my hope for you this season. Show Topics During this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discuss the following topics and play the following songs: list text hereIntroduction list text hereHistory list text hereTwas the Night before Christmas Poem list text hereA Visit from St. Nicholas Wikipedia list text hereTwas the Night before Christmas – UK Carols Blog list text hereReading the Poem list text hereClosing Remarks list text hereTraditional Holiday Songs: list text here"White Christmas" by Bing Crosby list text here"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Frank Sinatra list text here"The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole list text hereClosing Song Putting It All Together From my family to you, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Always continue to strive to live simply: grow, explore and be healthy! May your 2018 surpass your expectations!
This time of year, we gather and celebrate the holidays with family and friends. For members of our family, this is a particularly meaningful Christmas: this is the first Christmas without Barb Taylor and without Mary Cicero. Two great ladies that made our world a brighter and better place. While these wonderful women left us too soon, we continue to practice Holiday and Christmas Traditions that bring family and friends together. We will build on these Christmas Traditions in the future as we celebrate each other, our lives, our history and our heritage. In this post, I will discuss Five Christmas Traditions that we practice, and if you don't have your own Christmas Traditions, maybe that will inspire you to give some of them a try! Just to be completely honest with you, I am late with this post. I originally wanted to post it earlier this week. Given the mix of emotions this year, I found that this was a particularly difficult post for me to write. I struggled with how to frame and write it as I have been working on it all week. I want to thank my sister-in-law Kelly Domres for helping me "get over the hump" on this post. As she said eloquently, "Do not dwell on the negative; you have a lot to be thankful for this year." She is absolutely correct. This post is dedicated to my sister-in-law, Kelly. 1. Decorating the Christmas Tree We moved from our house in St. Louis Park in July, and most of our stuff is still in a storage locker. This is by design because we moved into a furnished house, and we were planning to move our gear when we finally purchased our house. The drawback to this strategy, however, is that all of our holiday decorations (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) is buried deep in the storage locker somewhere. Fortunately for us, Julie's parents had an artificial tree, lights and ornaments stored in the basement of this house. Christmas was Julie's mom Barb's favorite holiday, and she always tried to make it special for the family. Using her tree, lights and decorations is comforting and special for all of us. Julie and I set up the tree and the lights, and then we all took turns adding ornaments to the tree. There are some special ornaments from the past, some that are funny and some from relatives long since passed. Inspired, I even decorated the outside of the house with lights and ornaments. Barb might not be with us in body this year, but her spirit and her memory lives on for all of us. Her decorations, lights and trees remind us of what a great and generous woman she was. 2. Favorite Christmas and Holiday Movies https://youtu.be/4fyS5CLBgyM I have really made a conscious effort to NOT watch much television and movies in 2017. Sure, I watched Taboo (and even did some podcasts about the show Taboo earlier this year), Game of Thrones and The Punisher, but overall, I have done a pretty good job limiting my time in front of a television or movie screen. This time of year, however, I make an exception. With Ryan home from college, we gathered together as a family to watch some classic Christmas and Holiday movies. There have been some great ones over the years, and the following movies are our family favorites: • Planes, Trains and Automobiles (I seriously know almost every line of this movie) • Christmas Vacation • Elf • A Christmas Story We have watched two of the four movies so far this season, and we will have to find the time to watch the last two. It is easy to forget how funny these movies actually are, so if you need a break and want a good belly laugh this time of year, check out these classics. You won't even shoot your eye out, kid! https://youtu.be/9jyCfRHumHU 3. Wooddale Church Christmas Program For the past few years, we have gone to Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. This year, Julie, Danny, Ryan, David and Jenny (brother and sister-in-law) went to Wooddale's Christmas Program. The church is massive, and they had a full orchestra, choir, organ and even interpretive dancers. The program consisted of the following songs: • Overture "Canticle of Glorias" • Gloria in Excelsis Deo • O Come, All Ye Faithful • White Christmas • How Great Our Joy • Pat a Pan • Noe! Noe! • Fum, Fum, Fum • The First Noel • Angels We Have Heard on High • The Christmas Story • Ecolgue for Piano and Strings Opus 10 • No Eye Had Seen/All is Well • Amazing Grace It was very profession and extremely inspirational. Some of the songs had a Celtic feel to them, and the grand finale included a Scottish man playing bagpipes in traditional dress. It was amazing to hear, especially since it was my dad's and Barb's favorite hymn. If you have a chance to go to a church program, you should. It is a chance to decompress, tune out the commercialism of the season, sing carols and hymns, and share in the Christmas message with family and friends. https://youtu.be/euWfTiYwRB0 4. Decorating Christmas Cookies When Julie and I were in high school, we would decorate sugar cookies with Julie's family, her cousin, her aunt and her uncle every year. It was a lot of fun (and it tasted good too)! This year, we gathered once again to decorate Christmas cookies. It was a team effort: we made dinner, Julie's dad and fiance Sue made the sugar cookies, and Julie made the frosting. We had a great dinner, and then we got down to business decorating the cookies. It was a lot of fun, and we had a bunch of laughs as some of our "artists" got creative with gingerbread men and Santa cookies. In fact, you can see one of those cookies in the picture above (just don't point it out to your kids). I am sure eating tons of cookies covered in the world's best frosting didn't help my healthy lifestyle goals, but it was worth it! We'll have to do it again next year! 5. Christmas Eve Meal My ancestors on my mother;s side came from Poland and Czechoslovakia. This year, I did a little research about Polish Christmas traditions. In Polish households, Christmas Eve is an extremely important day. The Polish people celebrate Christmas by preparing a big meal called "Wigilia." This traditional meal is a big deal. According to the Polish Women's Alliance of America, the wigilia consists "of twelve meatless dishes, and includes many kinds of fish, beet or mushroom soup, various dishes made from cabbage, mushrooms, or potatoes, pierogi, followed by dried fruit compote and pastries for dessert." The meal does not start until the first star is seen in the sky. Like Polish homes, we traditionally have a big meal on Christmas Eve. Unlike the Polish dinner, we eat meat (and lots of it). We have adopted something my side of the family started doing years ago: fondue. We will cook shrimp, beef, and vegetables in boiling oil or broth (we have tried both). We will make a cheese fondue and dip bread into it (big hit around Green Bay Packer fans), and we will have a dessert fondue with chocolate, marsh mellows, strawberries and pound cake. The beauty of the Christmas Eve fondue is the social aspect of the meal. It takes time to cook the food, and it is a lot of fun to talk with everyone, joke around a bit, and yes, steal someone else's meat or shrimp (accidentally, of course)! It takes some time to prep: cutting the meat, breads, pound cake and vegetables; preparing the various fondue pots; and gathering the various dipping sauces for the cooked food. A few words of caution before you do fondue: list text hereThe oil, cheese and chocolate are VERY hot. Be careful around the fondue pots! list text hereThings splatter and spill, so use a disposable table cloth. list text hereBe careful using the fondue forks. Someone usually ends up spearing their finger by accident. list text hereThere usually is a lot of clean-up after the meal, so be prepared for that! This year, we are planning on a smaller meal on Christmas Eve, but we will eat very well. We will celebrate Christmas Eve dinner with Julie, Danny, Ryan and me, and we are eating steak, shrimp, twice baked potatoes and salad. It will be a great dinner! How about you? What are your Christmas Traditions? What do you do with your friends and family? I would love to know, and maybe we will incorporate some of your traditions into our Christmas and Holiday Celebrations. Feel free to share your Christmas Traditions as a comment on this blog post. This is a busy time of year. Before we let the moment get away from us, I would like to thank you for following Small Scale Life. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you and your support. Please be safe this holiday season. Enjoy each moment, and be kind to someone. In case we haven't said it yet, Julie, Danny, Ryan and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Today’s episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast is actually the second part of my interview with Doneil Freeman. Who is Doneil Freeman? He is a husband, father (a Regenerative Dad), permaculturist, regenerative farmer, beekeeper, teacher and a fellow podcaster. He operates the Freeman Family Farm in Calhan, Colorado. Doneil has experience beekeeping, rebuilding soil in arid places and regenerating overgrazed pastures. He also has extensive experience with Wicking Bed Gardens to grow all kinds of vegetables! This is the second part of my interview with Doneil. If you want to catch the first, listen to Episode 30 of the Small Scale Life Podcast. In this episode, we discuss Doneil’s wicking beds and the Regenerative Dad’s podcast. I am pretty excited about this podcast because it is launching a new series at Small Scale Life about wicking beds and how awesome they are! Topics - Wicking Beds and Regenerative Dads Doneil and I discussed the following topics in Part 2 of our two part interview: Wicking Beds in Arid Environments - list text hereSecond-hand watering troughs - list text hereLiners - Pond liner and 6mm liner - list text hereCompost - Mulch - list text hereCharging the system Regenerative Dads Podcast - What is the subject? - Why is this important? - Where is it going? Putting It All Together - Wicking Bed Nation - Upcoming shows - Thank you!
Thanksgiving seems to be a distant memory now, but I did want to circle around and talk about cooking a turkey using the tips discussed in Episode 29 and also talk about making turkey noodle soup with the leftover carcass and meat. This goes beyond Thanksgiving, and I hope you use this episode and the recipes/tips discussed when you cook a turkey in the future. In case you are new to Small Scale Life, we are living simply by growing, exploring and living healthy. To put it simply, we are focused on: list text hereGardening, list text hereHealthy living, and list text hereHaving adventures along the way. Before we begin, let’s hear from some friends of Small Scale Life. For this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I wanted to give a big shout out to my friend Drew Sample at TheSampleHour.com. He recently released Episode 171, which is all about Hogtoberfest 2017. I listened to this podcast, and this podcast put me there in the middle of it all. The stories and experiences told around the microphone reminded me of the stories and experiences shared around the barrel stove this past weekend in Central Wisconsin at Domres Deer Camp 2017. This is how community is built, traditions established and bonds between people developed. If you are missing that in your life, listen to this podcast. You will hear something special. I have to give Greg and Susan Burns and the Burns family a huge thank you for the invitation this year. Also, I would like to thank Drew Sample for recording this, and the Bee Whisperer Michael Jordan, Doneil Freeman and others for participating. It was special, and I will be attending next year. While we are on the subject of Greg Burns, I would like to remind you that Nature’s Image Farms does have comfrey left, and it is available for you at naturesimagefarms.com. As always, use discount code “SSL” for 10% off and FREE Shipping! So, if you would like to have your own Bocking 4 of Boking 14 Comfrey cuttings, reach out to Greg Burns at Natures Image Farms today! Finally, I would like to remind you that our friends at Aussie Flame Weeders are still selling flame weeder kits to gardeners, market farmers and urban gardeners. These are stainless steel, five burner manifolds designed for a standard 30-inch garden bed. The kits also include 16-inch tires and the ability to carry propane tanks (so you don’t have to. Check them out at https://www.aussieflameweeders.com/ Welcome back to the show. As I mentioned in Episode 29 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie, the boys and I went to Julie’s cousin’s house in Becker, Minnesota, for the day. We got to enjoy the day with family, and they handled all of the elements of the meal. It was a lot of fun to talk and hang out, and the food was fantastic! Unlike last year, there was no snow on the ground, and I got some good pictures of the sunset. With the boys home for the long weekend, we decided to cook a turkey on Sunday. I wanted to try Jack Spirko’s cooking advice, so I started to thaw the bird for Sunday. Unfortunately, I did not get it thawed out in time to quarter and brine the bird for 24-hours, but I did try quartering the bird! Learning to Quarter a Turkey In Jack Spirko’s The Survival Podcast Episode 2116 (http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/thanksgiving-2017-jack), he made a case for quartering a turkey before cooking it. Jack resorted to this when he had to cook a 38-pound turkey. No conventional smoker, roaster or oven can handle a 38-pound turkey. His solution was to quarter the turkey, which means you: list text hereRemove the wings list text hereRemove the thighs and legs list text hereRemove the breast cutlets from the skeleton Cook these pieces of meat together, but you can remove the various pieces as they hit the right temperature. That means you can remove the wings (which usually cook first), then the breast meat, and finally the legs and thighs as they hit 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Using this method, you won’t have shriveled wings and Sahara-like breast meat! I have to admit, I was a little intimated by quartering a turkey. I had never done it before, even when I cooked the whole bird in a roaster. When I carved a turkey, I usually sliced a bunch of breast meat off, and then I would remove the legs and slice some thigh meat (dark meat). It was not intentional or planned; I just did it. At Julie’s cousin’s house, I watched as Julie’s uncle carved the turkey. He essentially quartered the bird after it came out of their roaster. It did not look too complicated, but I still was unsure. I even asked her uncle if he ever quartered a turkey before cooking it, and he had never done that method before. Still a little unsure, I went to everyone’s favorite go-to for do it yourself-type videos: YouTube. I watched two very good videos on quartering and deboning a turkey: The first is from Jack Burton from stellaculinary.com (http://StellaCulinary.com/CKS44) https://youtu.be/Z-sMdmCDXJ4 The second is from Matt Proft, who was a turkey farmer for several years (according to his channel). https://youtu.be/fV-m5o6fhDQ Both gentlemen made great videos, so check them out before trying this. Quartering a Turkey Since this was my first time quartering a turkey, I decided to not make a video. I figured that I was stumbling along on this one, so it would probably not make for good video. Sharp knives, slippery turkey meat and cameras seemed like a dangerous combination. Grabbing the cutting board, knife and turkey package, I got to work. I removed the neck and the package of giblets. If you listened to Episode 29, you know where those giblets went (garbage can). The neck went into a stainless steel stock pot. I quartered the bird with the following steps: list text hereFirst, I removed the wings and put them in a cake pan list text hereThen, I cut the top of the turkey (breasts) from the bottom of the turkey (legs and thighs). Removing the wings makes this easy. list text hereNext, I removed the legs and thighs from the bottom of the bird. The bottom of the bird went into the stock pot for soup later. list text hereWhile I could have removed the breast cutlets, I decided to move ahead and get the turkey into the roaster. I did not go that extra step this time. With the bird quartered, I lined the roaster with tinfoil and dropped the meat into it. I brushed on olive oil and honey, and then I sprinkled on sage, rosemary, garlic powder, seasoning salt and pepper. I cooked the turkey at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the meat was 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When I took the meat out of the roaster, it literally fell apart, and that was without brining the turkey before cooking it. For more on brining the turkey, head over to Episode 29 of the Small Scale Life Podcast. Turkey Noodle Soup After the quartering process, I had a stockpot with some meat and water in it. After the turkey dinner was over, I divided the turkey: some was for sandwiches and some was for the turkey soup. I added the turkey to the stockpot, and I turned on the heat. We let the turkey stock simmer for two or three hours, and once it was completed, we removed the bones from the stock. We also removed the meat from the stock and set it off to the side. We’ll add it back in before the soup is complete. At this point, you have a choice. Because we used dark meat and the carcass to make the stock, it does have some fat in it. If you want to remove some of that fat, you can let the stock cool and remove it from the top of the stock (fat will congeal on the surface of the stock). Otherwise, you can proceed as normal. The choice is yours. Once you are ready, you can begin to add to your stock to make soup. We added onions, carrots, celery, salt and pepper to taste. You can also add thyme and parsely to the soup. Then we added the egg noodles to the soup. Cook the soup and noodles until the noodles are soft, and you are ready to roll! It is a pretty tried and true method to make turkey noodle soup. We have also done this with a chicken carcass as well (from rotisserie chickens). While this has been general instructions, I’ll have a written recipe for you as well (because I know some of you prefer that). Putting It Together The next time you make a turkey, give these ideas a try. It isn’t as hard as you think, and I certainly learned a lot about the anatomy of a turkey using this method. The turkey noodle recipe is easy cheesy, and it is a great way to save some money by getting several meals out of one bird. Spread your wings and give it a try!
We have a great podcast for you today. Today’s show is an interview with Doneil Freeman, who is a husband, father (a Regenerative Dad), permaculturist, farmer based on regenerative agriculture principles, beekeeper, teacher and a fellow podcaster. Doneil Freeman operates Freeman Family Farms located in Calhan, Colorado. Doneil has experience beekeeping, rebuilding soil in arid places and regenerating overgrazed pastures using principles from regenerative agriculture and permaculture. He has run a successful CSA program, and he has a lot of advice for those of us who are starting small businesses which includes market gardens, urban farms CSA programs and even a blogs and podcasts. This will be a two part interview. In this podcast, we cover a lot of topics including attending Hogtoberfest, beekeeping, starting and running a CSA program, and regenerative agriculture including rebuilding soils in arid environments. Part 2 will include a discussion about Doneil’s wicking beds and the Regenerative Dad’s podcast. Topics - Regenerative Agriculture with Doneil Freeman Doneil and I discussed the following topics in Part 1 of our two part interview: Hogtoberfest 2017 with Greg Burns, Drew Sample and Michael Jordan Origin Stories My Story Doneil's Story Doneil's Bees Regenerative Agriculture, Restoring the Land and Farming Boom to Bust CSA Program Freeman Family Farm Links Doneil and I covered a lot of ground in this podcast including the following links: Doneil Freeman on Facebook Freeman Family Farms Regenerative Dads Podcast Website Regenerative Dads on iTunes The Sample Hour Episode 171 - Hogtoberfest 2017
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope you are well on your way to enjoying the holiday with family and friends. In this post and podcast, we are going to talk about cooking for Thanksgiving. I’ll talk about turkey, trimmings, funny failures and other ways to prepare your turkey, stuffing and appetizers. While you are probably already hustling preparing for your Thanksgiving feast and have a plan in motion, this post might spur a few ideas for future meals and give you a few chuckles about some of our past failures. After all, people will sleep off their turkey coma at some point, football is only so interesting, and those dishes aren’t going to do themselves! I wanted to start this podcast by wishing you all a great Thanksgiving and safe travels in your way. AAA is reporting that over 51 million Americans will be traveling over 50 miles for this holiday, and that is a 3.3 percent increase over last year. That translates to more than 1.6 million more people traveling this year than last year, so be careful out there on the roads, at the airports, at the bus stations and at train stations! Thanksgiving 2017 Like last year, we will be on the road and will be traveling more than 50 miles from our home. We will be heading to Julie’s cousin’s house in Becker, Minnesota, for the day. We will watch some football, socialize, play some games and enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving feast. We had a great time last year, and I wrote an article about it called Thanksgiving Reflections. Of course, the bulk of that article was talking about the blog and podcast, particularly after a busy harvest season in 2016. My have times changed! I’ll have more on comparing 2016 to 2017 in a future podcast. Turkey and Trimmings Because I am not cooking a turkey and all the side dishes this year, I did not post an articles, podcasts and videos about how we make our Thanksgiving feast. HOWEVER, if you are like us and will be guests at someone else’s house for Thanksgiving, you should still cash in on great prices for turkeys! This is a fantastic time to buy a couple of birds at a low price and save them in the freezer for the future. Save some money; buy them on sale now! I am really excited that Julie bought one last night, and with the two Domres’ boys here this weekend, I will be making a turkey! I am in charge of the bird, and I typically make them in a roaster. I bought a 22-quart Hamilton Beach roaster from Walmart several years ago, and it works like a champ! I have cooked many birds and other meals in this roaster, and it is really good to have during the holidays or for parties. One of the real advantages of the roaster is that the oven is free for other dishes and tasks (i.e., cooking other dishes and keeping other dishes warm while the bird finishes). You can usually find one for under $50 at Walmart or other stores, and they will last a long time. Of course, I am kicking myself that I don’t have an Amazon affiliate right now! How I Cook the Turkey Following my normal steps, the turkey is prepped and in the roaster! As I mentioned, I have cooked several birds in the roaster over the years. I have used a pretty straightforward method for cooking my birds: Defrost the turkey (usually overnight process, so you might be in trouble if this isn’t done yet). Remove the package of organs and neck (throw them away – like those worthless tomato cages) Line the roaster with tinfoil (it makes for easier clean-up) Put the turkey into the tinfoil-lined roaster Brush the turkey with olive oil Brush the turkey with honey Sprinkle on garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, pepper and seasoning salt Cook the turkey at 325 degrees F until the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F Remove the turkey, carve it and serve it to the family and guests Note: I do not put stuffing in the bird. That is reserved for the oven to be cooked separately Save the leftovers for sandwiches and other meals (if there is anything left) This system has worked well for me for a number of years, and I usually have a moist turkey at the end of this process. Funny Food Failures Fortunately, we have not had too many failures (that I can’t remember or easily correct). Don’t let me fool you though: we aren’t culinary geniuses over here. I shouldn’t toot our horn too loudly; we have had a few funny food failures over the years: Paste Mashed Potatoes – We made mashed potatoes that had the consistency of paste. This was the result of overcooking the potatoes. Try not to do that because the glue mashed potatoes are just not good! Mushy Stuffing – When we were first married, I used to make stuffing from scratch from breadcrumbs, celery, broth and other odds and ends. Unfortunately, Julie informed me that the stuffing was “mushy and slimy” and that she preferred Stove Top Stuffing. Since then, we have been making and eating Stove Top Stuffing. I might have to make a homemade batch to see how much better of a cook I have become (or not). Special Package – When Julie’s mom made her first Thanksgiving turkey, she didn’t realize that there is a package of organs inside the turkey. She cooked the turkey, and they “discovered” the package when they served the bird. That is pretty funny and easily done, especially if you have never cooked a turkey before. Make sure you remove the package of organs before cooking the bird. Some people use the organs in stuffing, but I do not. That would make the Mushy Stuffing even more difficult to eat! Wild Turkey – I am a turkey hunter, and I have prepared a few wild turkeys that I have killed over the years. Wild turkeys are not Butterballs; they are very lean birds. When you prepare a wild turkey, you need to use chicken broth to marinate the bird while it is cooking, and you should put plenty of bacon over the breast. This will give the wild turkey some much-needed moisture (otherwise it WILL be too dry). Besides, everything goes better with bacon! Other Cooking Ideas: Turkey, Stuffing and Appetizers I am not perfect, and I am always looking for ways to improve on my skills. Fortunately, there are some really talented people that I follow. As I was finishing up my work in Western Wisconsin yesterday, I clicked on Jack Spirko’s The Survival Podcast Episode 2116 - Cooking this Thanksgiving and Just Killing It. In this episode, Jack covers a lot of topics including: Handling those uncomfortable discussions about politics Getting chronically late people to be on time Meaning of criticisms from older generations Making appetizers Sweet Potato Rounds with Cranberry and Walnut Lebneh Apple and Chestnut Stuffed Mushrooms with Bacon (or anything small) Twice Fried Finger Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Garlic Warm Cranberry Sauce Quartering and brining a turkey Smoking or roasting a turkey Making a cornmeal stuffing Making gravy Creating some great mashed potatoes (his aren’t Paste Potatoes) Mixing after-dinner cocktails Making dessert If you have listened to Jack, you know that he is very passionate about cooking. He loves to cook! I am always interested in what he is cooking and how he does it. While I could go on and on about all the different tips, advice and dishes he discussed on the podcast, I did want to focus on quartering and brining the turkey prior to cooking the turkey. Quartering a Turkey One of Jack’s “a-ha” moments was when he raised and slaughtered his own turkeys three years ago. His Thanksgiving turkey was 38 pounds, and that creates a unique problem for most mortals like me, you and Jack: how do you cook a 38-pound bird in conventional ovens and roasters? Jack’s solution was to quarter the turkey prior to brining and cooking it. By removing the meat from the skeleton, he could brine the various parts and fit them into the oven or roaster. He found an additional benefit from doing this: Different parts of the turkey finish cooking at different times. This is why your wings get fried, you breast meat is dry and your dark meat is almost done. If you quarter the turkey prior to cooking it, you can monitor each type of meat and take it out when it is done. Jack’e experience is that wings will come out first, breast meat will come out next and then the dark meat will come out last. Jack discusses how he quarters the bird in the podcast, but essentially he removes the breasts first, then takes the leg quarters (think about how you see chicken leg quarters in the store) and finally the wings. Jack uses the carcass, organs and other odds and ends for making turkey stock for soups later. This makes a lot of sense to me, and it is something that I want to try. There is an additional advantage to cooking a turkey like this: you are that much closer to serving your guests since you have removed the carcass from the equation. It is easier to carve the turkey parts rather than mess with the entire carcass and all the juices! This makes a lot of sense to me! Brining a Turkey One of the common problems people when cooking a turkey is getting a dry bird at the end of this process. Remember the turkey in Christmas Vacation? Dry meat is just not good. One way to help with the “dry white meat” problem is to brine the turkey for 24 hours prior to cooking. As Jack says, “You notice that the deli turkey isn’t dry; why is that?” Brining the turkey will add a juice to your bird,a nd it will add some flavor to the meat as well. By brining the turkey overnight, you are soaking the turkey in a mixture of the following items: Jack Spirko’s Turkey Brine Per Gallon of Brine 1 Cup Salt 1 Cup Brown Sugar Handful of Black Peppercorns (whole) Small Handful of Whole Mustard Seed 4-6 Bay Leaves 8 Sage Leaves (1tbs dry) Optional Items 2-4 Star Anise Small Handful of Whole Coriander Brine turkey parts for 24 hours prior to cooking the bird. This brine will soak into the meat of the turkey, giving it some great flavor. Additionally, your brined turkey will have more juices for the cooking process rather than just relying on the nature juices of the bird and/or your basting sauce. I have not done this in the past, but I will with my next bird. Putting It All Together Cheers - Thanksgiving 2017 There are a lot of ways people celebrate this great American holiday. Enjoying a great Thanksgiving meal is a great way to bring family and friends together and enjoy each other’s company. Pulling it off just requires a little planning and some good advice; it is not as hard as you think! Julie, Danny, Ryan and I wish you the best Thanksgiving. May your travels be stress-free and safe. May you enjoy the moment and the people you are spending your time with this holiday. Thank you for being with us on this journey to developing a Small Scale Life. I am thankful for the opportunity to share this journey with you and for your time, patience, feedback and thoughts. Please be kind to each other this holiday and think of someone less fortunate than you. There are people in our communities that are hurting and need help. Give a little time, money and/or encouragement to others. Sometimes just a little help, encouragement and kindness goes a long, long way. Thank you again for tuning in. Remember to grow, explore and be healthy! This is Tom from the Small Scale Life. Happy Thanksgiving!
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to celebrate the joining of two souls in holy matrimony: Jay and Andrea. Congratulations, my friends! Your friends from the frozen tundra in Minnesota celebrate this glorious event with you! As I woke up this morning, I was thinking about this event and your wedding. I woke up thinking about what I would say to you both as you begin this phase of your lives together. I have been married for almost 24 years, and I have learned some things along the way that I would be happy to pass along to you both. This is the same advice from the same philosophers I gave to my brother when I was his Best Man at his wedding some years ago. It is the same advice I will give my two boys when they wed some day in the distant future. Go with the Flow The first piece of advice comes from a great philosopher of the modern age. This man hails from the far north as well. In his case, he comes from Canada and is one of their most cherished treasures. In the timeless words of John Candy: [tweetthis]"Go with the flow like a twig on the shoulders of a massive stream!" John Candy[/tweetthis] Marriage and life can be compared to going down a river. Sometimes, marriage and life is good and easy. The waters are calm, and things take little effort. Other times, there are rapids, and it takes a lot of effort to avoid getting hung up on the rocks. In the worst of times, the river rushes over a waterfall. You need to hold on to each other tight and go over to uncertain depths below or figure out a safe way around the impending disaster. The key through all of this is to be together and work like a team. By doing that, you will be equipped and able to take on whatever is around the next bend in the river. Laughter is the Best Medicine The second piece of advice comes from another great mind and talent of our current year and current age. This is truly an exquisite mind and talent: one that is unparalleled in all the land. I, I mean this talent, firmly believes that you should, no matter what, always try to laugh. Life comes at you fast, and sometimes the only way to cope with it is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, make a joke and laugh. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Live, laugh and love. Truly is more than a cheesy slogan on an Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest page. It is the truth. It is how I try to approach life, although sometimes I am better at it than others. You have to laugh together to make sense of this mad, mad world. Even when Jay leaves his nasty workout socks on the floor or the toilet seat up. You just have to laugh. Congratulations! Start Your World Julie and I wish you two the best. We wished we could be there with you to celebrate this event, but we will make efforts to celebrate sometime and in some place in the future. Congratulations! Good luck, good fortune, and may God smile upon you. Start your world; it begins….now!
It is time for another exciting episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast! This is a long overdue Healthy Lifestyle Update, and I am checking back in to with you as my accountability partners. So for this episode, treat is like a warm-up for Thanksgiving: prepare yourself to hear all about my ailments and knee pain and problems, just like you are listening to your dad around the dinner table. No, not really…well, maybe a little. Seriously though, I am going to talk about the good, the bad and the ugly in regards to my journey towards improving my health and fitness. In case you are new to Small Scale Life, we are living simply by growing, exploring and living healthy. To put it simply, we are focused on: list text hereGardening, list text hereHealthy living, and list text hereHaving adventures along the way. Before we begin, let’s hear from some friends of Small Scale Life. Friends of Small Scale Life Lumbersquatches Greg Burns and Drew Sample - Good Men and Good Friends! For this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I wanted to give a big shout out to my friend Drew Sample at The Sample Hour. He just released Episode 171, which is all about Hogtoberfest 2017. In case you missed it, Drew Sample and I talked about Hogtoberfest 2016 last year. I have not had a chance to listen to this podcast yet, but given the people and personalities that attended this year, I am positive that this podcast will be simply awesome. Special shouts out to all the attendees for showing us how small communities of like minded people can come together to do some really cool stuff. Thanks for recording and posting this Drew! I would also like to remind you that the Hogtoberfest host Greg Burns from Nature’s Image Farms does have comfrey left, and it is available for you at Nature's Image Farm. As always, use discount code “SSL” for 10% off and FREE Shipping! So, if you would like to have your own Bocking 4 of Boking 14 Comfrey cuttings, reach out to Greg Burns at Natures Image Farms today! Healthy Lifestyle Update: Good, Bad and Ugly So. Many. Patterns. Icing my knee this afternoon. Starting PT tomorrow. Thanks @mbell971 and @jdoms91 for keeping my spirits up. Sucks to hobble around. You don’t realize how much you rely on your knees until they don’t work right (pain free). A post shared by Small Scale Life (@smallscalelife) on Nov 7, 2017 at 3:42pm PST Today on Small Scale Life, I am going to discuss some of the good, the bad and the ugly related to jump-starting this journey. As you start to move, you might find out that some things need some attention and some work. You might even find out that you are not a 2 on the healthy lifestyle scale from 1 to 10 (with 10 being the fittest person in your dreams), you might be a 1. Right now, I am a 1. What will it take to get to a 2? The last time I talked about this topic was back at the end of September. I have had a whole month, so what progress did I make? In a way, it is like showing your homework, a project or a speech in front of the class. Some of it might be good. Some of it might be bad, and in some cases, just plain ugly. The good news is that I am still here, still working on it and still moving forward. I am working through the pain, and it has given me a serious appreciation for people like Todd Ehrhardt that are living and making progress on their dreams in spite of their physical pain. We’ll start from the worst case and work backwards, so we end on a positive note. What can I say? I am a positive guy and want to end on a positive note and looking forward. The Ugly Let’s start with the ugly. If you follow Small Scale Life on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, you have seen a lot of pictures and posts of my knee under various ice packs. I have been nursing a bad knee since the end of August when I worked at the Minnesota State Fair. So, what is going on? To answer that question, we have to go back in a time machine. Back in my youth, I played football in high school and in college. As a defensive lineman and linebacker, I had my share of sprained ankles and fingers. I also had two knee injuries. As a Senior in high school, I strained my Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) on my left knee against Robbinsdale Armstrong High School (my son Ryan’s nemesis from high school basketball). That healed fairly quickly. The bigger, more serious injury occurred in college. I was chasing down a running back on a broken play in a game against Hamline College, and a guy who was subbing in for our injured safety dove right into my left leg, bending it backward. I partially tore my Posterior Collateral Ligament (PCL) and once again strained my MCL. I also taught the Hamline sideline a new vocabulary and language that would make Salty Seaman proud. I was out for the year, and I decided to end my football career. Flash forward 26 years from 1991 to 2017. I went from endless hours behind desks and in meetings to working on my feet a lot. In my current role, I am inspecting railroad crossings, working at events like the State Fair or presenting to people. That means I am standing, sometimes for hours on end. In addition, I am just a little heavier now in my 40’s than when I was 18 years old. Just a bit! Those old injuries coupled with extra body weight and being on my feet a lot created a perfect storm for arthritis in my knee. Welcome to getting old and years of neglect, my friends! *The Bad * Since the end of August, I have been hobbling around the house or at work and icing my knee at night. It affected me during the 14-Day Rebooted Body Walk Challenge, and I had to sign up for the 1 mile per day challenge because I was really worried that I couldn’t go farther on a given day. I have gone to the doctor a couple times: once at the end of September and then again recently. I saw a general practitioner in September, and while the direction I got from them was okay, it was based on old information, x-rays and data from 2012. I knew I had to go to a specialist. In late October, I was able to get to see an ortho. They took new x-rays of my knee and confirmed that I had arthritis and poor cartilage in both knees, particularly my left knee. Apparently the x-rays revealed that my lower legs are slightly misaligned from my knee, and this alignment forces the bulk of the weight and force to my inner knee and inner foot. Based on discussions with the ortho, we decided to move ahead with Physical Therapy, holding off on cortisone shots or surgical options. One of the options was removing a wedge from both of my lower legs, forcing realignment of my legs. This would force my weight to be more evenly distributed through my legs to my feet. While the ortho shrugged it off and said it was like taking a chunk out of a tree (with a reciprocating saw), the thought of that did not appeal to me at all! Who wants someone sawing off part of their leg? The bottom line is that my why’s for getting healthier are becoming even more urgent. Life will get a lot less painful if I do the work to rehab myself and can shed some weight. Truth be told, it has been a miserable few days since the weekend. My knee was really sore after swimming a mile on Sunday, and I was really hobbling around the house and work. It was pretty painful, and I could feel my other muscles tightening up and tiring out while they compensated for my knee. The Good Got a walk with @jdoms91 tonight in the neighborhood. When we got close to shingle Creek, we hear two Great Horn Owls in the stand of cottonwoods and other trees along the creek. Owls are awesome, and I have learned to mimic their calls. Needless to say, we stopped and I called. Two owls got excited (they are territorial) and flew into trees right over our heads. They eventually decided to move on, and they took flight. The geese and ducks called out warning calls as the two owls flew over the water. It was a fantastic to see them fly. What a night! It is amazing what you see on a walk in the urban area sometimes. A post shared by Small Scale Life (@smallscalelife) on Oct 5, 2017 at 9:17pm PDT There is hope, however. Yesterday I went to the Physical Therapist. We discussed the situation and she put me through some evaluations to see how bad it was. Probably the most difficult part of this was squatting down. That was pretty brutal. She also twisted my knee around trying to check if the meniscus was bad. That was a little painful. She was able to see a lot of issues I have with my legs and muscles. The fact is that my calves are too tight, as are my hamstrings. My glutes, core and my quads need to be stronger, and my hips need some work as well. All of these things impact my knees and my lower back, which have both been pretty sore over the past several months. I walked away with a laundry list of stretches and exercises to start rehabbing those muscles. I am working on that list of stretches and exercises at least two times a day, and I will be going to have therapy for the next six weeks. I have to do the work to make this better; no one can do it for me. It certainly has been a wild year for me. I don’t usually go to the doctor or physical therapy. I haven’t in years. That all changed this year as I have truly tried to rehab my body. list text hereThrough Kevin Michael Geary’s Rebooted Body, I took care of some sleeping issues and got my lower back checked out. list text hereI can also attribute my recent trips to the doctor, ortho and therapist to the Rebooted Body Walk Challenge as well. Maybe I should send Kevin my bills? So, you might be asking, what is good about any of this? The good part of this journey is that I am trying to get myself in a better place physically. Stretching and working out again is going to help me. I have been getting back in the pool more consistently, and last night I even tried the stationary bike. I can tell you that the pool has felt better for my knee that the bike! It was rather painful to spin those pedals, and my resistance level was set at 3. Sad because I used to start at 8 or 10. Anyway, this journey is not an overnight sprint. It is a long, slow walk. My progress will be measured by inches at first, and then feet. It is going to take time and effort, but it is not too late to fix myself. I have to do the work. I have to commit to it. This is important, and it is becoming more and more important as I get older. When you are young, you can do things that and ignore warning signs. I do not have that luxury. As I told the physical therapist, my 68 year old father-in-law walks better than I can right now. That needs to change. My journey is just starting. Stay tuned to these Healthy Lifestyle Updates; it is going to be an interesting, and sometimes frustrating, walk. Your Challenge Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast. Share this post and podcast; maybe that person you share it with will get inspired to go to the doctor and get help for their pain. Maybe you will be inspired to get moving and start your own journey. I am starting small, and you all can probably walk circles around me. Are you willing to get off the couch and start? Join me and give it a try! Share and Interact Please help the podcast and blog grow. How do you do that? Subscribe on iTunes, leave a rating and share this podcast with others. For those of you who have left reviews and ratings, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I do appreciate it. We have great followers and friends of the Small Scale Life Podcast, and I appreciate you all. If you have any comments on the show, feel free to leave them on the contact us page or as a comment under this blog post. Reach out. Engage. You are not alone in this world. You have friends here. Connect with us on the blog or in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group. Thank you again for tuning in. Remember to grow, explore and be healthy! This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast, and we’ll see you really soon!
A chill is in the air. The winds have blown the leaves off the trees, and the nights are getting short. Here in Minnesota, we are getting our first snowfall today! The garden season is over, and it is time to prepare for winter. In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to discuss how I will winterize the garden, tools and other gardening gear for winter. Fall in Minnesota We have been having a gorgeous fall here in Minnesota. The temperatures have been perfect, and the leaves on the trees have been fantastic. One comment on the leaves before we jump into the main topic: the progression of fall colors seems to have been sporadic this year. If there was a stand of trees, we would get one tree changing, and then another. It wasn’t like other years where they all changed at once. I would say that the peak colors in the Twin Cities happened around October 15th, and I took a lot of pictures of trees this fall. Julie and I will be traveling down the Mississippi River this weekend, so hopefully we will find some good views and fall color downstream! First Snow in Minnesota We are getting our first snow in Minnesota - 10/27/17 As I mentioned at the start of the podcast, the local news media has been sounding the alarms all week that we would be getting our first snowfall today (Friday). While the local weather forecasters are usually wrong about the size of these events, they were right: it started snowing last night and it is snowing as I speak. The 2017 garden season is over. It is time to get ready for the inevitable: winter is here! This podcast and corresponding post are essential a To Do Checklist for me (and perhaps for you as well) before we get an accumulation of white stuff and the ground freezes. Once the ground freezes, it is all over here in Minnesota. It really does turn into permafrost, and if you have any dead plants in the ground, they will be stuck there until the spring thaw. Trust me: it has happened to me before with my wicking beds. As I look at the current state of my garden and garden area, I realize I have a lot to do before that happens! As of today, I have not pulled any of my plants. I had tomatoes and peppers on the plants last night. In fact, the basil is still sprouting new leaves and there are buds on the tomatoes and peppers, even though we got our first frost on October 10, which was exactly on the National Weather Service’s average frost date for this area. So, let’s get down to what needs to be done, shall we? 7 Steps to Winterize Your Garden Harvest remaining vegetables and herbs You worked hard to grow those plants, so you should reap the rewards! Don’t let frost, snow and the deep freeze take that from you! I was looking at the forecast yesterday as the front moved in, and I saw that temperatures were going to plummet. Last night I got home and started harvesting tomatoes and peppers by flashlight. Yeah, that isn’t too sexy, especially when I dumped the container and had tomatoes all over the ground, but it worked. I am glad I harvested those last night! Now, what to do with a pile of green tomatoes? 2. Remove Plants from the Garden If any plants have signs of blight, remove plants and dispose of them. Do not throw them into your compost pile! If you throw infected plants into your compost pile, you could be infecting your compost with blight spores. Get rid of the plants with blight! If there are no signs of blight, throw the plants into your compost pile. 3. Remove Trellis String and Tomato Cages Unwrap and untie trellis string from the around the plants and conduit. If any of the trellis string wrapped around plants with signs of blight, dispose of the string. You don’t want to infect next year’s plants with blight. Otherwise, coil up the strings and use twisty ties to keep them organized. That way you won’t have a Christmas Vacation-like snarl of strings in the spring. Organization goes a long way, and it does help. Remove any tomato cages and throw them away. I am serious. I am still not a fan of tomato cages. 4. Prepare your Beds for the Spring If it was earlier in the fall, I would recommend planting an over-winter crop such as garlic, onions or carrots. These plants can get a start growing in the warm soil and fading fall sun and will start growing during the spring thaw. As a gardener, there is something magical about seeing a green onion shoot or garlic shoot popping up in April after a long, hard winter. I am not planting any over-winter crops this year due to changes I am going to make next spring. If it was earlier in the season, planting a cover crop is a great way to add nutrients to your soil. I purposely planted sugar snap peas and bush beans because we eat both vegetables and they add nitrogen to the soil. That is why farmers have a planting cycle between corn (which takes a ton of nutrients to grow) and beans. The beans naturally replace nutrients to the soil! For other ideas about cover crops, check out Old World Garden Farms articles on the subject here: https://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2017/09/28/no-till-garden-cover-crops/ https://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2016/09/09/fall-cover-crop/ Mulch your beds. As seen in the pictures and accompanying video, we have an abundance of leaves here in Minneapolis. I use the push mower to shred the leaves, and I add a thick layer of shredded leaves and grass to the beds. The snow and ice compress the leaf layer, and in the spring, I work the wet leaves into the soil. The leaves break down fairly quickly, adding to the richness of the soil. You will notice the earthworms and night crawlers love it too! 5. Winterize and Store Hoses and Rain Barrels You will want to empty your rain barrel! Water expands by about 9% when it freezes, and that is why containers that have a lid and water in them break when frozen. At the same time, water weighs about 8.3 pounds per gallon, so our full 40 gallon water barrel will weight over 330 pounds! Yeah, you want to empty that rain barrel out before moving it. I will also need to change the downspout. I replaced the standard downspout with a short one so that rain water would be directed into the rain barrel. Once I remove the rain barrel, I want that water to be directed away from the foundation of the house. We don’t want a wet and moldy basement! It is a quick and easy project: I just have to change a couple screws. Like the rain barrel, it is time to empty your hoses and drain the outside hose connection. Remember, water expands by about 9% when it freezes, so if you have water freezing in your hoses and your outside hose connection, you can run the risk of broken pipes in the middle of winter. That could create a REAL disaster inside your house! Take the time and disconnect your hoses and drain everything. Spending a few minutes now can save thousands of dollars later! 6. Clean and Sterilize Tools and Containers With blight infected some of my tomato plants, I want to clean and sterilize my tools and containers. I don’t want next year’s plants to come in contact with any blight! I will use Lysol or a solution of 90% water to 10% bleach. It is important to dry metal tools after cleaning, so they do not corrode. 7. Organize and Store Containers, Soil and Materials I will be organizing and storing the various bins, containers, soil, buckets and other odds and ends I have acquired as part of my gardening efforts. After the move, I stored them along the house near the garden bench, but I have to admit that the stack of materials does not look great. I also will be shoveling the walkway, and those materials are going to be in my way. I need to move those materials into the garage and store them there. Of course, that will kick off a garage organization and storage project as well! 8. BONUS: Cover Chairs and Tables We will be covering our wood patio furniture (swing and Adirondack chairs with tarps). Weather (sun, rain, snow and ice) are hard on wood furniture, and we have found this helps preserve these wood pieces. Julie has talked about spray painting the chairs before the snow hits; we’ll see if that happens. 9. BONUS: Drain and Store Lawn Equipment We will be draining all lawn equipment in the near future. It isn’t good for the lawn mower, blower or weed whip to leave old gas in them. I usually run the equipment until they run out of gas. Using old gas and an old spark plug are typically the reasons why your lawn equipment won’t start in the spring. Can you tell we are going to be over the next few days? These are pretty quick projects, and you can get them done in a day or so. Take the time; it is worth getting organized and ready for winter. You will find that being organized and having clean tools and containers will lead to a strong start this winter when you start seedlings and gear up for the new year! After all, we will be starting tomato and pepper plants in February, which is right around the corner. Do the work now, and set yourself up for success. Next Steps and Your Turn The final harvest of 2017! Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast. Please help the podcast and blog grow. How do you do that? Subscribe on iTunes, leave a rating and share this podcast with others. Share this post and podcast; maybe they will get moving before those first snowflakes hit the ground. You probably know someone who might need a little help getting organized and ready for the winter season. Help them out! The snow is starting to fly….winter is coming! If you have any comments on the show, feel free to leave them on the contact us page or as a comment under this blog post. Reach out. Engage. Become part of the community in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group. Thank you again for tuning in and reading this article on Small Scale Life. Remember to grow, explore and be healthy! This is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast, and we’ll see you really soon!
Welcome to Small Scale Life! This is Season 2 Episode 25, and in this episode, I am completing my interview with Michael Bell from Dallas, Texas. Michael is a husband, dad, teacher, small business owner, body builder, trainer, and urban farmer. In Season 2 Episode 24, Michael and I discussed his urban farm called Half Acre Farm, but that is only one of Michael's businesses. Michael is also a body builder and fitness trainer, and I had to get his Healthy Lifestyle Advice for those of us just starting out on our journey. What is interesting is that Michael's advice is similar to what he heard from Kevin Michael Geary in HELP Episode 7. That tells me that these two guys are ON to something.... For all of my homesteader, market gardener and urban farmer friends, you will want to hang through this podcast. In fine Tomres' fashion (that isn't a spelling error, by the way...I guess I have a nickname), I swerve the discussion back to his urban farming operation and talk about lessons learned and the future of the Half Acre Farm. Thank you Michael Bell for spending the time with me and our listeners at Small Scale Life! You are always welcome back to our show, and I am sure we will be talking with you in the near future. Topics Hammered quads this morning! Heaviest Ive gone in leg press in a few weeks, I've been doing supersets and rest pause so it was nice to get that heavy weight feeling back in the quads. This was the 5th and final set so I went to failure and got 24 reps. Now I have 6 meals to get in to complete a successful day! #gamedaypreworkout A post shared by Michael Bell (@mbell971) on May 24, 2017 at 5:27am PDT In this podcast, Michael Bell and I discussed the following: Body Building How did Michael get into Body Building? What is your story? Training others (developing a practice and using technology) As a body builder, what do you eat? What is Michael's healthy lifestyle advice for people just starting on their journey? Urban Farming Lessons Learned in Body Building that translate to Urban Farming Future projects and ideas; expansion? In Part 1 of this interview, we discussed his experience starting and developing his urban farm. Check it out! Links for Michael Bell Had a freaking awesome bi's and calves training session at home this morning! Hoping to train tri's for the first time in 6 week next week. A post shared by Michael Bell (@mbell971) on Mar 24, 2017 at 8:01am PDT You can find Michael Bell with the following links: Michael Bell on Instagram Dallas Half Acre Farm on Instagram Michael Bell on Facebook Small Scale Life Podcast - Urban Farming in Dallas with Michael Bell - S2E24 Small Scale Life Facebook Group Friends of Small Scale Life Photo courtesy of Aussie Flame Weeder Introducing Aussie Flame Weeders, a new friend of Small Scale Life! Aussie Flame Weeders makes stainless steel flame weeder manifolds. They are making manifold set available this month, and they expect to start shipping them all by the start of November. The manifold set up will contain: Custom manifold to suit 30-inch bed - list text hereFive stainless steel German made burners that can removed to be cleaned, changed or replaced - list text hereLPG equipment to suit a standard propane bottle - list text hereFlint lighter - To help promote this deal, Aussie Flame Weeders are offering all customers who purchase a custom manifold the chance to win Coolbot! These are perfect tools for your urban farm! To be in the competition all you have to do is: Order a manifold before the October 31, 2017 Like the Aussie Flame Weeders Facebook page or share the page with fellow urban farming friends. Help by providing feedback in a short survey they will email to you if you agree to participating To find out more: Check Aussie Flame Weeder out using the following links: Aussie Flame Weeder website is www.aussieflameweeders.com Aussie Flame Weeder on Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/aussieflameweeders/?ref=bookmarks A FREE short e-book about flame weeding is available at the website if you sign up to the email list! Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community. We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests. Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Community today! Ways to Listen We have several options for you to listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast. You may listen in the following locations: iTunes Stitcher YouTube Player FM Subscribe and Rate on iTunes Please subscribe to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel! If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback. To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it is not necessary. Again, thank you for listening, subscribing and leaving your review!
This is Season 2, Episode 24 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, and I have a great interview lined up for you today. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you will have a break from my monologues with this podcast. I am SURE there is much rejoicing with that news. In this episode, I am interviewing a husband, dad, teacher, small business owner, body builder, trainer, and urban farmer! This gentleman’s name is Michael Bell. He is a fellow kindred spirit from down in Texas, and in Part 1 of our two part interview, we are talking urban farming! He is not only a mountain of muscle, but he also owns and operates Half Acre Farm. Inspired by some of my heroes including Gary Vee, Curtis Stone and JM Fortier, Michael is carving out his organic footprint in a quiet spot six miles from down Downtown Dallas. It is pretty cool talking with Michael, and I learned a lot from him. Whether it is starting your own small business (not necessarily urban farming) or getting fit, I think there is something for everyone in these next two podcasts! Topics In this podcast, Michael Bell and I discussed the following: Introductions Who is Michael Bell? What was your first gardening experience? Urban Farming Why urban farming? Influences and inspiration Property Crops Business model and clients Challenges and solutions Future projects In Part 2 of this interview, we discuss body building and the journey to develop a healthy lifestyle. Links for Michael Bell https://www.instagram.com/p/BZpYPKuBQLq/?taken-by=dallashalfacrefarms You can find Michael Bell with the following links: Michael Bell on Instagram Dallas Half Acre Farm on Instagram Michael Bell on Facebook Small Scale Life Facebook Group - Yes, folks, I added him....shhhhhh! *Friends of Small Scale Life * Introducing Aussie Flame Weeders, a new friend of Small Scale Life! Aussie Flame Weeders makes stainless steel flame weeder manifolds. They are making manifold set available this month, and they expect to start shipping them all by the start of November. The manifold set up will contain: Custom manifold to suit 30-inch bed Five stainless steel German made burners that can removed to be cleaned, changed or replaced LPG equipment to suit a standard propane bottle Flint lighter To help promote this deal, Aussie Flame Weeders are offering all customers who purchase a custom manifold the chance to win Coolbot! These are perfect tools for your urban farm! To be in the competition all you have to do is: Order a manifold before the October 31, 2017 Like the Aussie Flame Weeders Facebook page or share the page with fellow urban farming friends. Help by providing feedback in a short survey they will email to you if you agree to participating To find out more: Check Aussie Flame Weeder out using the following links: Aussie Flame Weeder website is www.aussieflameweeders.com Aussie Flame Weeder on Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/aussieflameweeders/?ref=bookmarks
This is Season 2, Episode 23 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, and today we are going to talk about the Fall Garden. How are things going? What is happening with the new seedlings? If you follow Small Scale Life on Instagram or Facebook, you already have a clue on what has been going on in the garden. As a gardener, I have to tell you: it isn’t always smooth sailing. In this episode, I will be talk about the new seedlings and some serious garden pests who have made a mess of the Fall Garden. In case you are new to Small Scale Life, we are dedicated to intentional living through learning, doing and growing. We are focused on: • Gardening, • Healthy living, and • Having adventures along the way. Welcome to October! We have gotten over two inches of rain here. The rain barrel is completely full, and the garden has absorbed the water. Beyond this rain, I have also been fighting pests in the garden as well (as a spoiler alert: I just picked off two dozen slugs off plants and from the garden beds). Even with these challenges, plants are still growing and producing. So, as the harvest moon rises in the east, I thought that it was time for another Fall Garden Update! In this episode, I am going to talk about going on Pest Patrol. Grab your rubber boots, your flashlights and follow me out into the garden. Fall Crops Two weeks ago (and as I discussed in Season 2 Episode 21), I took the seedlings growing in the trays and planted them into the Square Foot Garden Beds. I planted almost all of the sugar snap peas into the Western Bed. I put the seedlings in two rows across the entire length of the bed. I figured I would install a simple trellis system consisting of two 2"x4" posts, two 3/4" conduits, some fencing and zip ties. Once the sugar snap peas got a little taller and sent out more tendrils, I would install the trellis. Unfortunately, that plan has been delayed a bit due to some unwelcome visitors to the garden. More on that in a minute. Like the sugar snap peas, I took the green bush beans and planted them into the Eastern Bed. They completely filled out the open area in front of the compost tomatoes. Two weeks later, they are look pretty good; however, there is some leaf damage from some pests. Finally, I do have some reserve Fall Crops that have not been planted in the garden beds yet. I have lettuce, spinach and a few sugar snap peas growing happily in the seed trays. In addition, I pre-soaked some sugar snap pea seeds (soak them in water overnight), and I planted 3/4 of a tray this week. I figure if we have a mild Fall, I might get some new seedlings down in the beds and perhaps can get some sugar snap peas before the hard freeze. Time will tell if it works out or not. Rabbit Terminators In previous garden updates, I mentioned that there are a number of rabbits in this neighborhood. These furry terminators seem to have an insatiable hunger. So much so that they chewed through the flimsy plastic Walmart fencing that ring each of the garden beds. Seriously. They ate through the plastic fencing! Earlier in the season, I repaired the holes by using chicken wire and zip ties. These rabbits would not be denied: they chewed new holes and got into the beds. While it really wasn't a big deal to lose a couple pepper leaves, it WAS a big deal for the rabbits eating down the sugar snap peas. In a course of a week, they grazed over the peas every night, and my two healthy rows of peas turned into a few plants on the edges of the West Garden Bed. I had peas every 2"-3", and now I don't have many plants in the middle of the bed. I now have pea stubble, and I had to do something. I wanted to salvage some peas this fall, so I went ahead and pulled out the flimsy plastic fencing on Garden Bed West. I was going to beef up the stakes that support the fencing, but I needed to get the new fencing up before nightfall. I replaced the flimsy fencing with good old fashioned chicken wire, and I affixed the fence to the stakes with zip ties. The chicken wire is taller than the cheap plastic fencing, and it should provide some protection from the furry menace. Sluggish Menace The light was fading as I was working on the fencing. I slowly unrolled the fencing around the garden and attached the fencing to the wooden stakes. As the sun started to set, I began to notice creatures slowly slinking out from dark areas near the stakes. I actually bent down and looked closely, and then it hit me. I had a slug problem! Slugs will feed on leaves of plants and ripening fruit. I had noticed some damage on the basil leaves, tomatoes and a couple of the peppers, but I just kept doing my thing. Having DEALT with slugs in my gardens before, I should have known the signs and done something earlier. When I finished with the fence project, I threw the plastic fencing away and went back to the garden. I drabbed a red solo cup and began picking off the slugs one at a time. Once I had collected about 20 slugs, I drowned them (and my sorrows) in beer. The slugs did not last long. The battle is not over, however. I was out before I completed this article and pulled over 24 slugs off the garden beds (sides of the beds and soil). I also pulled them off the sugar snap peas and green beans. Disgusting balls of slime met a similar fate as their brothers and sisters a few days ago! Garden Beds The mature plants in the garden beds continue to produce fruit. The Early Treat Tomato Plants are loaded with new tomatoes, and the Cherry Tomato Plants continue to produce fruit as well. I am very pleased with the red and green bell peppers, particularly the red bell peppers. They are getting massive and there are quite a few of them. The basil has really grown since I last harvested the leaves. It is time to harvest more! The compost plants are chugging along. The tomatoes are showing buds, and we'll see if they bear fruit before the frost. I have my doubts. The melon plants are showing some buds, and one melon has started on one of the vines. Again, I have my doubts on this one maturing to anything substantial. Next Steps In the last Garden Update Podcast, I talked about building a wicking bed. Given the remaining two weeks before the first frost, I am actually going to put this project on hold until the spring. I am going to plant the seedlings I have, and I will get a container for the lettuce and spinach. There just isn't time to build the wicking bed, particularly with most of my tools in storage. Don't worry! I will build this project; we will just have to wait a bit longer. I do need to replace the fence around Garden Bed East, and I need to install a trellis for Garden Bed West. These are projects I can still complete given my limited power tools and equipment here. In addition, I have to get to the Farmer's Market to pick up supplies to make salsa and some other goodies. The season is almost over! It is time to get these last projects done! Your Turn How about you? What is left to do this season? Are you harvesting anything from your garden? Please share this podcast with others, and feel free to leave a review on iTunes. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to send them to me through the Contact Us form on Smallscalelife.com or leave them as comments to this episode. Thank you again for tuning into Small Scale Life. We do appreciate each and every one of you. This is Tom from Small Scale Life. Remember to learn, do and grow. See you really soon!
This is Season 2, Episode 22 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, and today we are going to check back in and provide a healthy lifestyle progress report. I will be summarizing my work and progress, celebrating the wins and adjusting the plan to address the failures. I am not striving for perfection. After all, I am trying to move from a zero to a two, and then from a two to a four….all on my way to becoming an eight out of ten! Before we begin.... In case you are new to Small Scale Life, we are dedicated to intentional living through learning, doing and growing. We are focused on: • Gardening, • Healthy living, and • Having adventures along the way. Focus Areas and the Plan In Season 2, Episode 20 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discussed my four point plan for getting on track with developing a healthy lifestyle. The four main points of the plan are the following: Eating Real Food for every meal with emphasis on planning and preparation Getting great sleep every night with focusing on budgeting and using time wisely Getting mentally strong by journaling and podcasting Working out regularly I thought I would circle back in this episode and give you an update on how things are going. After all, it is all fine and good to talk about these things, but it helps to document the work and progress, celebrate the wins and adjust to address the failures. Let’s get into each point and go through them one-by-one and as part of this healthy lifestyle progress report. Eating Real Food for Every Meal -> Planning and Preparation • I am going to achieve this is by planning and preparing breakfast and lunch ahead of time. • For dinner, I will need to choose the right foods and eat enough to last until morning. This is one area that I need to continue to focus on moving forward. We did a great job planning dinners, but I need to work on breakfast and lunch. I think I was taking on a lot with my goals, so I am going to dial it back a bit. I am going to focus on lunch and reboot that meal. Breakfast at times gets sketchy (meaning sometimes I don’t eat at breakfast), but I do eat lunch most days. I am really going to focus on eating real food at lunch and cutting out any snacks. I am going to reread the Rebooted Body information on eating Real Food, and I am going to focus on lunches for the next week. Once I have that under control, I will work on other meals. My action item going forward is rereading the Rebooted Body information on eating Real Food, and I focusing on eat real food at lunches for the next week. Getting Great Sleep Every Night -> Budgeting and Using Time Wisely I have been keeping track of my sleep during the Rebooted Body Walk Challenge. Looking at the data, I have been getting a little over 7.5 hours of sleep per night. It helps when you have a device monitoring your sleep and the quality of sleep. I need to continue getting over 7 hours of quality sleep each night, and I need to get to bed earlier so I can get workouts completed before work. That is the sweet spot because: • We are usually too tired after a long day at work to workout • Our lives get busy after work and nights seem to get short • Days are getting shorter and it is getting dark earlier If I can adjust my schedule, I can get the workouts done early and have the evening to complete other tasks or hang out with my family and friends without guilt or regrets. My Sleep Action Item is going to bed earlier, getting up earlier and getting an average of 7 hours of sleep per night. Getting Mentally Strong ->Journaling and Podcasting I like listening to podcasts and audio books. I find it is a great way to get a lot of good information while I travel around for my job or do other projects like walking, canning or gardening. That said, there were a couple of podcasts that I was listening to that weren’t that great for various reasons, and I have gone ahead and dropped them. They were just adding to the noise. Instead, I have been using my Audible subscription to listen to a book by Greg McKeown called “Essentialism.” It is over six hours, and I am trying to really listen closely to this one and take some notes. I would like to complete a review of this one once I am complete. Also part of getting mentally strong was journaling. In the past, I found that it helps to write something daily because it helped me focus and write what I am thinking and feeling. Over the past week, I just didn’t start writing, so I need to get going on that this week My action item for this week is that I will journal 5 times over the next week. Working Out Regularly - >Planning, Developing Stronger Whys and Choosing to do the Work Over the past 11 days, I have been participating in the Rebooted Body 14-Day Walk Challenge. There were three categories for the Walk Challenge: • 1-mile per day • 3-miles per day • 5-miles per day I have been having some knee pain, so I decided to choose the 1-mile per day category. I figured if I could get at least a mile done a day, I would be doing better than I was now. Plus, I figured I could get some momentum as the weather is getting colder (winter is coming) and the snow will keep us indoors for six months. I have tried to walk every day, and I used Map My Walk on my iPhone to track my mileage and my times. If you have been watching the Small Scale Life Instagram account or Small Scale Life Facebook page, you have seen my healthy lifestyle progress report. Stacking it all up, you can see some real progress: • Day 1 – 2.6 miles; 50 minutes, 38 seconds (9/15/17) • Day 2 – 1.3 miles; 20 minutes, 14 seconds (9/16/17) • Day 3 – 1 mile; 19 minutes, 9 seconds (9/17/17) • Day 4 – 2.6 miles; 49 minutes, 5 seconds (9/18/17) • Day 5 – 2.6 miles; 52 minutes, 18 seconds (9/19/17) • Day 6 – 3 miles; 63 minutes, 9 seconds (9/20/17) • Day 7 – Rest (9/21/17) • Day 8 – Rest (9/22/17) • Day 9 - 1 mile; 21 minutes, 22 seconds (9/23/17) • Day 10 – 2.2 miles; 41 minutes, 8 seconds (9/24/17) • Day 11 – 3 miles; 60 minutes (9/25/17) • Day 12 – 1 mile; 21 minutes, 57 seconds (9/26/17) • Day 13 - Presentations on my feet for 3 hours • Day 14 - Rail Safety Station Blitz - on my feet for 4 hours Total mileage to date: 20.3 miles Walking over 20 miles in 12 days is a pretty cool stat! In addition, I was looking at the historical workout information, and I have improved my walk times. On 9/11/17, I logged 2.6 miles in 55 minutes, 17 seconds. So, even though I have been having a lot of knee pain due to arthritis, my time per mile has decreased over the past 12 days. The Walk Challenge has been good for me to get some momentum and get moving again, even with some significant knee pain. The challenge will end on Friday. After the Walk Challenge is complete, I want to get back into the pool and start swimming laps. This will be easier on my joints while I get a great full body workout. I will also try to get some biking in as well. My action item this week is to keep moving by getting on bikes or getting in the pool and swimming laps for at least 5 days next week. Going Forward - Healthy Lifestyle Progress Report In summary, I am going to be completing the following Action Items over the next week and providing another healthy lifestyle progress report: My Eating Action Item going forward is rereading the Rebooted Body information on eating Real Food, and I focusing on eat real food at lunches for the next week. My Sleep Action Item is going to bed earlier, getting up earlier and getting an average of 7 hours of sleep per night. My Mind Action Item for this week is that I will journal 5 times over the next week. My Movement Action Item this week is to keep moving by getting on bikes or getting in the pool and swimming laps for at least 5 days next week. The bottom line is that I have made some progress on the four parts of the plan, but I am not perfect. In fact, PERFECTION is not the goal. PERFECTION is actually the enemy. When we strive to be perfect, we are setting ourselves up for frustration and failure. Kevin Michael Geary talks a lot about perfectionism at Rebooted Body, and this is a topic for a future podcast! I guess we’ll have to wait for that one. How is that for a podcast tease? The bottom line is that I want to thank Kevin Michael Geary and Zack Franke at Rebooted Body for organizing and facilitating the 14-Day Walk Challenge. Even though my knee has been pretty sore, this has been a great way to get momentum towards developing the healthy lifestyle. The key now is to keep that momentum going and actually do the work. As Kevin said so eloquently in a livestream to the Walk Challenge Facebook Group: [tweetthis]“The only thing that will change your life is execution.” – Kevin Michael Geary[/tweetthis] We can learn and read and think all we want, but it really does come down to execution. We need use that knowledge and do the work. We need to get our offense on the field and execute! I hope this podcast and healthy lifestyle progress report will inspire you to eat real food, move every day and get better sleep. I hope you will be inspired to do a little bit each day and go for the long haul. I hope you will join me on our journey for a healthier life. The road ahead is not easy (if it was easy, everyone would do it), but we need to start with a single step. Put enough of those steps together, and we will start to get some momentum. Did I think I would walk over 20 miles in two weeks? No, I did not, especially with a sore knee. Guess what? I did it, and I will keep going. Why not join me? I will do some thinking about where we go from here. Maybe we run a fitness challenge this fall to help keep everyone motivated. Maybe we run micro-challenges. I’ll have to think about it a bit and talk to folks in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group. If you want to provide some input into what comes next, join the conversation there. Remember: you are stronger when you work with a team and a group, so you should join us in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group. This is where we will end the healthy lifestyle progress report this week. Stay tuned to Small Scale Life for more updates on the Fall Garden, for interesting interviews and more information as we head into Fall. Please share this podcast with others, and feel free to leave a review on iTunes. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to send them to me through the Contact Us form on Smallscalelife.com or leave them as comments to this episode. Thank you again for tuning into Small Scale Life. We do appreciate each and every one of you. This is Tom from Small Scale Life. Remember to learn, do and grow. See you really soon!
Yaaaarrrrrr! This is Captain Tom from the Small Scale Life! Time to walk the plank, maties! It's National Talk like a Pirate Day this week at Small Scale Life, and it's time to tell ye landlubbers a tale about the garden that will feed me crew. Yes, me maties, this is what ye call...a thing! Tis true that dead men tell no tales, but tis is a good one, eh? So, take a seat on yonder stool and grab a pint of grog as I give ye a fall garden update for the week. Yes, dear friends, National Talk like a Pirate Day was this week, and in case you missed it (for some reason), you are getting a little dose of fun here on Small Scale Life. I am posting a Fall Garden Update Podcast in addition to a couple of videos showing how the garden is doing this late in the season. Keep in mind that the first day of Fall is Friday, September 22, and at this point, we are watching the forecast for the first frost. I will have more Fall Garden Updates before the end of the season since there is plenty of gardening left before the snow flies! Fall Crops A few weeks ago, I pulled out and dusted off the seedling trays that had been shoved into a lonely corner of the North Minneapolis garage. Considering I am in Zone 4B and that our first frost could be as early as October 10th, I was planting a couple weeks late. There is a good chance that I would not get much from these plants, especially if we get an early frost. Regardless, I wanted to get some fall plants growing. I purposely selected quick-growing crops that could handle colder temperatures. I focused on lettuce, spinach, sugar snap peas and green beans. Using my existing seed trays and cells, I added dirt and then planted the seeds. In all, I loaded 144 cells with ProMix Potting Soil (a winner from the Potting Soil Challenge) and seeds. As an experiment, I also planted some sugar snap peas directly into Garden Bed West. I wanted to see how the seed trays germinated vs. direct sowing. After two weeks of growing, here is how the seeds germinated: • Lettuce - One of the three cells germinated well. The other two trays had little germination and will be reseeded if needed (late crop of lettuce). I am planning to put these plants in the wicking bed. • Spinach - Excellent germination in the one cell planted. I am planning to put these plants in the wicking bed. • Green Bush Beans - Excellent germination in the four cells planted. These will be planted in Garden Bed East. • Sugar Snap Peas (Tray) - Excellent germination in the 72 cell-tray. These will be planted in Garden Bed West and the wicking bed. Trellis systems need to be installed for these plants in both garden bed systems. • Sugar Snap Peas (Direct) - Mediocre germination; about have the seeds did not germinate. These plants are in Garden Bed West, and I need to trellis them. These plants need to be planted this week! The next Fall Garden Update will show how these plants are doing and what I used for a trellis system Square Foot Garden Bed West In Garden Bed West, I planted the following plants: • Burpee Hybrid Slicer Tomatoes • Burpee Early Treat Tomatoes • Red Bell Peppers • Chives I have already harvested tomatoes from both plants, and I thought I might not get much from either plant for the rest of the season. Lo and behold, I was wrong! We have had some tremendous bee activity in this bed due to the flowering chive plants, and the bees also hit both tomato plants. I have a bunch of new tomatoes growing! That makes me really happy! At one point this season, Julie told me that she felt sad that I wouldn't get any peppers this year. I actually chuckled at her and showed her the small peppers that were growing. In addition to those initial peppers, the Red Bell Pepper plants also benefitted from the bees working on the chive plants. I have a bunch of peppers coming, and I am waiting for them to get to the right size and turn red. One has to be patient with these pepper plants, but fortunately, I am a patient man. The chive plant is done flowering, but it is loaded with seeds. I will harvest those seeds and store them for future use. No need spreading chive plants all over these small gardens! If you are looking for chive seeds, send me a message through our Contact Us page, and we'll figure something out. Square Foot Garden Bed East Garden Bed East has more of a variety of plants (by design and by accident). I have the following plants growing in this bed: • Cherry Tomatoes • Green Bell Peppers • Compost "Cucumbers" • Compost Tomato Plants • Basil Plants The tomato plants are growing well. The cherry tomato plants are loaded with tomatoes, and the one Hybrid Slicer has a good sized tomato on it. The compost tomatoes are growing, but they will run out of season before they get too tall. I am not worried: they have buds on the plants. Given the bee activity in the garden, my fingers are crossed that we'll see some new tomatoes soon! The green peppers are bearing fruit, even though they are smaller than the red pepper plants in Garden Bed West. That could be due to the soil conditions in this bed. I simply did not treat this bed like Garden Bed West before I planted in June. Regardless, I am pleased to see some peppers coming, and these plants benefitted from the bee activity as well. The compost "cucumbers" turned out to be the surprise of the garden this year. I salvaged these plants from the compost pile, and I found out recently that these "cucumbers" were actually melons! I guess Julie's dad threw some melons into the pile and they sprouted. I have two melons growing now, and I can't wait to see if more fruit develops and how big they get. Compost plants are like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get! The basil plants are doing VERY well. I harvested basil a couple weeks ago, and the new branches have sprouted where I made the cuts. Again, it is a little counter-intuitive, but if you want more basil, harvest some from your plants! The basil plants will sprout more branches and leaves. Next Steps I will be harvesting the ripe cherry tomatoes and planting the fall crops this week. It is time to get everything in the ground! There simply is not much time left before the first frost (less than a month), and if this cool weather is any indication, we'll have frost before you know it. With this many seedlings, I am going to need more space for plants. This means I need to build a planter! I have teased you long enough; I am going to build a wicking bed planter for the fall crops this weekend. More on that in the near future, but I want to use this wicking bed planter as a template for my future gardens. I am pretty excited about it, so stay tuned for the next Fall Garden Update! In addition, I need to develop a better trellis system for sugar snap peas. I have tried the single wire line system (like I used for tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and peppers), but it doesn't work quite as well for sugar snap peas. I have some ideas, and you will see how that plays out in the next Fall Garden Update. Your Turn How is your fall garden doing? I would love to hear a Fall Garden Update from you! Feel free to post a comment here or on the videos! Better yet, you can join the Small Scale Life Facebook Group and share your Fall Garden Update with us there. I would love to see how your garden and fall crops are doing! If you want to be on the Small Scale Life Podcast, send me a message on the new Contact Us form on smallscalelife.com, or send me an e-mail at realsmallscalelife@ gmail.com. Thank you for tuning in to the Small Scale Life Podcast. This is Tom signing off. Remember to learn, do and grow as you develop an intentional, sustainable Small Scale Life. Now, me hearties, bring me that horizon! Yo Ho!
This is Season 2, Episode 20 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, and today I am fresh out of the pool and dusting off the microphone to record a healthy lifestyle podcast! (EDIT: This should have been posted last night, but the hotel internet was not cooperating with me. Oh well! Here we go!) It has been awhile since the last episode where I talked about my journey towards losing weight, getting fit and developing long lasting, healthy habits. I have intentionally not talked about this for various reasons, but it is time to lift the cone of silence and reboot, refresh and get things rolling again! Topics Discussed for Planning a Healthy Lifestyle During this episode, I discussed the following topics: 1. Failure to Restart My Engine 2. Potential for Success 3. Focus Areas and The Plan 4. Going Forward 5. What's Next? Links for Planning a Healthy Lifestyle During the podcast, I discussed the following links: Restarting My Engine - HELP 9 Rebooted Body with Kevin Geary - HELP 7 Rebooted Body Website 14-Day Walk Challenge on the Rebooted Body Site Friends of Small Scale Life Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community. We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests. Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Group today! Aaron Clarey's Poor Richard's Retirement: Retirement for Everyday Americans Special thanks to Austin Quinn from Vlog Vibes for the closing music on the podcast. If you are looking for music for your video blog or podcast, check out Vlog Vibes on YouTube! Ways to Listen We have several options for you to listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast. You may listen in the following locations: iTunes Stitcher YouTube Player FM Subscribe and Rate on iTunes Please subscribe to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel! If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback. To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated). You can also write a longer review, though it is not necessary. Again, thank you for listening, subscribing and leaving your review!
Many people are looking for ways to ditch the commutes, stress, grind, cube farm life and endless meetings of the corporate world. We would rather develop intentional, self-sufficient and sustainable lives. Even though we want to be more self-sufficient, the reality is that we need to have money to pay the bills and squirrel money away for a rainy day. Starting your own small business is one way to escape the corporate world. I recently had Michael Jordan from A Bee Friendly Company on Small Scale Life to discuss the various business opportunities with beekeeping. As I learned in this conversation, beekeeping is a billion dollar business if done right! Who is Michael Jordan? Michael is a husband, father, teacher, bee whisperer and entrepreneur, and he is a MVP of beekeeping and award-winning mead maker. To find out more about Michael Jordan and how he got into mead and beekeeping, check out the following Small Scale Life episodes: Michael Jordan's Beekeeping Journey - Small Scale Life Season 2, Episode 16 Michael Jordan: Beekeeping Questions and Answers - Small Scale Life Season 2 Episode 18 Billion Dollar Show Topics In this episode, Michael Jordan and I discuss the following topics: Basic Beekeeping Costs and Revenue Getting Started Developing Skills Selling Packages Meads Honey Co-Ops Thinking Bigger Farmer's Markets Granola Companies Breweries Other Business Ideas Soaps Wax Meads Packages Using Resources Wisely Remember: [tweetthis]"The object is to do the job you love, but do it minimally so you can enjoy your life" - Michael Jordan[/tweetthis] Michael Jordan's Links Michael Jordan is a bee whisperer, mead-maker extraordinaire and a great teacher. If you want to learn more about beekeeping and mead-making, check out the following links: Permaethos Class on Beekeeping A Bee Friendly Company Facebook Page The Undergound Meadery Facebook Page - Must be over 21 years old Michael Jordan's YouTube Video Small Scale Life Podcast - Michael Jordan's Beekeeping Journey - S2E16 Small Scale Life Podcast - Michael Jordan Beekeeping Questions and Answers - S2E18 The Survival Podcast Expert Panel - Fridays on The Survival Podcast with Jack Spirko The Sample Hour Podcast - A special thank you to my friend Drew Sample for connecting me with Michael Jordan! Check out the Michael Jordan on The Sample Hour: Episode 119 - The Bee Whisperer - Michael Jordan Episode 125 - Hogtoberfest 2016 Episode 138 - Getting Started with Beekeeping - Michael Jordan Episode 151 - Spring Beekeeping - Michael Jordan Episode 152 - Spring Beekeeping Continued - Michael Jordan Special thanks to Austin Quinn from Vlog Vibes for the closing music on the podcast. If you are looking for music for your video blog or podcast, check out Vlog Vibes on YouTube! Friends of Small Scale Life Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community. We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests. Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Community today! Ways to Listen We have several options for you to listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast. You may listen in the following locations: iTunes Stitcher YouTube Subscribe and Rate on iTunes Please subscribe to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel! If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback. To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it is not necessary. Again, thank you for listening, subscribing and leaving your review!
I recently had Michael Jordan from A Bee Friendly Company on the Small Scale Life to discuss bees, beekeeping, small business and mead. Michael was kind enough to take beekeeping questions from the Small Scale Life audience and followers. Who is Michael Jordan? Michael is a husband, father, teacher, bee whisperer and entrepreneur, and he is a MVP of beekeeping and award-winning mead maker. Find out more about Michael Jordan and how he got into mead and beekeeping in Small Scale Life Season 2, Episode 16. Beekeeping Questions for Michael Jordan [caption id="attachment_2092" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Bees hard at work in the yard in St. Louis Park, MN in June 2017[/caption] The following beekeeping questions were asked from the Small Scale Life audience: From Jay in Virginia: What are the basic requirements in terms of money and space for starting a small bee operation? The “small bee operation” is defined as enough to serve the purposes of your homestead. Honey, maybe some to sell, pollination to encourage growth of vegetables and flowers. EDIT: Some of this question is answered in Small Scale Life Season 2, Episode 16, but Michael talks about this question some more in this episode. From Nikki in Wisconsin: Do you recommend for new beekeepers to have a mentor for the first year? From Danielle in Minnesota: What is your preferred bear exclusion fencing system? Do you have a brand and volts recommendation? EDIT: Michael had some REALLY interesting ideas for this! From Nikki in Wisconsin: I'm working in the school garden with elementary age kids. Can you give some resources for bee activities, worksheets or honey cooking that I can teach the kids. (I took a bee keeping class at the University of Minnesota, and I am working with a bee mentor that had about 12 hives up in northern Wisconsin. I love listening to MJ and he inspires me to be kind.) EDIT: See the link below for A Bee Friendly Company! From John in Wisconsin: What's his advice for helping a spouse and a child overcome their fear of bees? I'd love to start, but I can't due to their fear. From Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns in Ohio: What is MJ's favorite method for making splits? From Dustin in Ohio: You posted a picture of red honeycomb in a recent post on Facebook. What made it red? My question: You were recently out in Arizona, and you made a video about bees needing water. Can you tell the audience about that and give us some suggestions for providing water for bees? My question: Some of the audience won’t become beekeepers, yet they are concerned about the bees and have gardens that need pollination. What are some tips for attracting bees to your yard and gardens? Michael Jordan's Links [caption id="attachment_1984" align="aligncenter" width="754"] Live a little; love a lot! Learn to make meads from the Bee Whisperer. I can't wait to share a drink with this guy at Hogtoberfest 2017[/caption] Michael Jordan is a bee whisperer, mead-maker extraordinaire and a great teacher. If you want to learn more about beekeeping and mead-making, check out the following links: Permaethos Class on Beekeeping A Bee Friendly Company Facebook Page The Undergound Meadery Facebook Page - Must be over 21 years old Michael Jordan's YouTube Video Small Scale Life Podcast - Michael Jordan's Beekeeping Journey - S2E16 The Survival Podcast Expert Panel - Fridays on The Survival Podcast with Jack Spirko The Sample Hour Podcast - A special thank you to my friend Drew Sample for connecting me with Michael Jordan! Check out the Michael Jordan on The Sample Hour: Episode 119 - The Bee Whisperer - Michael Jordan Episode 125 - Hogtoberfest 2016 Episode 138 - Getting Started with Beekeeping - Michael Jordan Episode 151 - Spring Beekeeping - Michael Jordan Episode 152 - Spring Beekeeping Continued - Michael Jordan Special thanks to Austin Quinn from Vlog Vibes for the closing music on the podcast. If you are looking for music for your video blog or podcast, check out Vlog Vibes on YouTube! Friends of Small Scale Life Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community. We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests. Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Community today! Ways to Listen We have several options for you to listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast. You may listen in the following locations: iTunes Stitcher YouTube Subscribe and Rate on iTunes Please subscribe to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel! If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback. To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it is not necessary. Again, thank you for listening, subscribing and leaving your review!
Gratitude for Small Victories - S2E17 Welcome to August! Today in Season 2 Episode 17 of Small Scale Life, we are going to be talking about small victories, and I am truly grateful to have them. This is the first time since the end of June that I am posting up a new podcast. It was a CRAZY July, and we got a ton of work done. Between Danny’s birthday on the 4th and Julie’s birthday on the 24th, we packed up our house, moved out of the St. Louis Park house and moved in to the Minneapolis house. Since that chaos wasn’t enough, I then moved the podcast to a new hosting site and made big changes to the Small Scale Life Facebook Group. With all that stuff going on, it is time to take a minute, take a breath, take a look back at what happened last month and express my gratitude for the small victories that are indications that we are moving in the right direction! Podcast Show Notes [caption id="attachment_2080" align="aligncenter" width="960"] I didn't think the badly damaged cucumber plant would make it. Now I have to come up with Plan B so they can both grow! 8/2017[/caption] In this podcast, I discuss small victories in the following places: Rebranding Small Scale Life Garden - Peppers Adjustments to the Small Scale Life Facebook Group Changes to the Small Scale Life Podcast Going Forward Friends of Small Scale Life Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community. We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests. Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Group today and become an Insider. Ways to Listen We have several options for you to listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast. You may listen in the following locations: iTunes Stitcher YouTube Subscribe and Rate on iTunes Please subscribe to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel! If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback. To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it is not necessary. Again, thank you for listening, subscribing and leaving your review.
This is a great interview with Michael Jordan about his journey: from world traveler as part of the Army Corps of Engineers to traveling the world to learn about bees and becoming a beekeeping and mead-making expert while teaching others. It is amazing how life can send you in a new direction! I think one of the biggest take-aways from our conversation was this: If you find something you are interested in and really love, go on a journey. Discover and get into the details by learning from the experts. Dig deep. Once you have learned, share your knowledge with others. That really is the essence of Small Scale Life. We are all about learning new skills, practicing them and growing those skills, particularly as you share those skills with others. Thank you, Michael Jordan
LIVE FROM MINNEAPOLIS! This is the Small Scale Life Podcast, and I am your host Tom Domres. Since we are Livestreaming on YouTube, I would like to welcome all of our listeners and viewers there. Thank you for tuning in, and welcome to the show! Today, we are going to discuss one topic that hangs around like a bad skunk smell: debt. We haven’t done a show completely focused on debt before, but it folds right in with our Frugal Living focus here at Small Scale Life. A lot of us have debt, and you might be wondering how to get rid of it. Well, Julie and I have been working on our debt for a long time, and we took one big step closer to becoming debt free yesterday. It is REALLY exciting, so we are going to discuss that on Season 2, Episode 15 or the Small Scale Life Podcast! In case you are new to Small Scale Life, this is a blog and podcast dedicated to developing a sustainable life through • Gardening • Healthy Living • Frugal Living and • Having Adventures along the way! At Small Scale Life, we are always dedicated to learning, doing and growing. This podcast is brought to you by Small Scale Life Facebook Group and the Small Scale Gardening Facebook Group. We’ll hear about both of those groups later in the show. New Tech and Podcast Hosting As we start the show today, I wanted to let you all know that we are making some changes to the way the podcast is hosted and delivered to you. We are leaving the host Blubrry and going to a new host called Fireside. Why does this matter? Well, just to provide a peak behind the curtain, Blubrry and other hosting sites like Libsyn have a limit on the amount of material uploaded on their site per month. I paid a $20 fee, and I was able to upload 250 MB of shows onto their server. That’s a lot of data in a month! The trouble I was having was that hour-long shows are typically getting into the 100 MB range (using my current processing methods). That equates to two 1 hour shows and maybe a shorter show during the month on Blubrry. As we grow and improve our systems, I would like to do more interviews and other shows that might take more time. I needed a better solution. Fortunately, my coach Kevin Michael Geary was also bumping into issues with his Rebooted Body Podcast and Bite Sized Wellness Podcast. He decided to transfer everything to Fireside. He liked the service and analytics, so I decided to move over there as well! The good thing is that those first 6 episodes of the show that were orphaned on Soundcloud have been pulled over, as have the last 10 episodes. I will be pulling the rest over this week. Hopefully there will be no interruptions and this will be a smooth transition! Please let me know if you experience any problems listening to and downloading the podcast. On the Road Again This has been an incredibly busy and chaotic summer (once again)! I am hoping it slows down at some point, and Julie assures me that it will. We have been traveling over the past week again, and we had some really fun trips. I shouldn’t complain! Lake Mills, Wisconsin Julie, Ryan and I went down to Lake Mills, Wisconsin, for a graduation party, and it was great seeing the extended family down there. We reconnected with everyone, and I was able to schedule a family guy’s only event in late August. That should be a lot of fun. So, if you are part of our guy’s group, we will be camping on my land on the weekend of August 26-27. That should be a lot of fun. We stayed in a mom and pop-style resort in Lake Mills, and we had some time on Saturday to enjoy the beach and the lake. Staying at that resort really took me back to the Wa-Chee-Lah Resort my grandparent’s operated in Central Wisconsin near the Dells. There are no tvs; there is sketchy phone service. These places are great for relaxing and getting away from it all. The vintage cabins, the smells, the decoration…it brought me back to my childhood. The one drawback to the weekend came from swimming in the Lake. I got “The Itch.” I had welts on my skin that itched like crazy, and talking with my sister-in-law about her weekend in northern Wisconsin, my nieces and nephews got a case of that as well. It causes discomfort, and I will have more information on that. Winona, Minnesota Last Wednesday, Julie, Ryan and I traveled to Winona, Minnesota. He is going to attend Winona State University in August, so we had to make the journey to get him registered for school. Even with the rain, I have to say that the Winona State is a beautiful campus a few blocks west of the Mississippi River. We had a great, but very short, trip there. We are all excited that Ryan will start a new adventure there, and I know he will like the college. One of the presentations that really caught our attention was from the Financial Aid Office. They walked through all of the various pages on their website that dealt with costs and paying for school. It is stunning that a state school like Winona State University costs about $18,000 per year. That includes tuition, fees, laptop, and housing (plus a meal plan). Books, supplies and the beer money (ahem) are extra. That is A LOT of money, and if you haven’t built a war chest of cash to pay for college, you will be taking out a lot of loans. That equates to $72,000 for four years for tuition, fees, the laptop and housing. Let that sink in for a minute……$72,000. Yikes! So, my message for you other parents and students: get saving OR explore other options like the trades or like Aaron Clarey says, “Become a Reconnaissance Man” and explore the world for a year. All in all, it was a good trip, and we are excited for Ryan to begin this next phase of his life. Ok, we are going to take a little break and hear from the sponsors of today’s episode of Small Scale Life, and then we will be right back to get into becoming debt free!
All right, welcome back to the Small Scale Life Podcast. As I mentioned early in the show, having a pile of debt is like a bad skunk smell: it just lingers around and makes you very uncomfortable over time. Having debt is just one of those things that people expect to have in modern America: we wake up in mortgaged homes, drive leased cars or cars with loans, drive on financed roads, put that morning Starbucks or lunch on the credit card, and go back to that mortgaged home to start it all over again. We Americans are FAR too comfortable with having debt. I figured we would have learned our lesson with the Crash of 2008. According to the New York Times, we have not. According to the linked May 17th article, “Americans have now borrowed more money than they had at the height of the credit bubble in 2008 just as the global financial system began to collapse.” In May, household debt had climbed to 12.7 TRILLION dollars, and while politicians, bankers and other might celebrate because our spending on consumer goods, education and housing have increased, this is a horrible signal that we have learned nothing from the last economic downturn. Let me correct that: we learned our lesson FOR A BIT. Household debt actually decreased for 19 quarters starting in 2008. However, by 2013, we started to pile on that debt once again. I guess everyone thought we were in the clear! Our debt consists of the following: • Mortgage – 8.6 Trillion dollars which 68% of our debt • Student Loans – 1.3 Trillion dollars • Cars – 1.1 Trillion dollars • Credit Card Debt – 797 billion dollars (529 billion – carrying a balance) We already talked a little about student loan debt, and we will be coming back to that topic in a separate podcast. It really is a big issue that needs to be addressed because so many people are overwhelmed with student loan debt. Today, we are focusing on credit card debt. Looking at another source of information about credit cards called Magnify Money, author Hannah Mounds has posted a number of interesting statistics about Credit Card Debt including: • As of December 2016, households with credit card debt owed an average of $8,448 (actually down 20 percent from the Crash of 2008) • 195 million Americans have credit cards • Average number of credit cards per consumer is 2.3 • 122 million Americans carry a credit card balance • Average credit card debt per person is $4,354 • Average credit card debt per household is $8,448 • 31% of households carry a balance all year Businesses and Credit Card Companies have invested A LOT of time and money to understand consumers and our buying patterns and habits. Dave Ramsey from Ramsey Solutions talks about this all the time. He tells us that: • A study of credit card use at McDonald’s found that people spent 47% more when using credit instead of cash. • You will spend more if you use credit cards; you don’t feel the pain of handing over those green bills you worked hard to earn. • Even by paying the bills on time, you are not beating the system due to fees and interest charged by the lenders! But most families don't pay on time. Why do we borrow money? Beekeeper extraordinaire Michael Jordan and I recently talked about the why in our recent interview. I am going to play that brief conversation for you.
Wages are and have been stagnant. We are taking on too much debt to keep up appearances and buy more worthless stuff. Is it worth it? Julie and I have been there and done that! Since getting married in college, we have worked hard at surviving and keeping the lights on and food on the table. We borrowed money: • To buy our first car and our first computer • So I could complete college. • Buy our houses I also got my first credit card in college. We racked up debt throughout our marriage, and we have been working to eliminate it since the Crash of 2008 (sometimes being more successful at eliminating debt than others). I have learned that debt limits your freedom. Borrowing money eliminates your options about where you live, what you can buy, and even where you work and what your career options are. For example, we had a high mortgage for our house in Illinois. We also carried some credit card debt. When the Crash of 2008 happened, I had clients stopping projects and walking away from our company in order to keep their own employees working. Our company management was looking to reduce staff, and I had to lay off employees. There were times when I thought I was going to be laid off. At the same time, the small company that Julie was working for was struggling. No one was doing construction projects, so there were mass layoffs across the construction industry and trades. The odds for survival were not in this company’s favor. There was no way that we could pay our bills if we were laid off. The debt we had assumed was WAY too high. We had to make some tough decisions about where we were working, where we were living and how we were spending our money. We had to make changes. Let me say that again: WE HAD TO MAKE CHANGES. That is the real reason for creating this podcast today. I have some EXCELLENT and exciting news. As of yesterday, Julie made one final payment to the bank. This morning, we checked the balance to confirm it, but we have paid off our only credit card! We are one step closer to being debt free. In a couple weeks, we will be back on the air to talk about truly being debt free, and that will be a REALLY fun podcast. I will even have Julie on the air for that one. We’ll do our own Debt Free Scream for all of you! Becoming debt free is a process. Like losing weight, it can be hard and take a long time. You need to keep the end in sight. If you want to start changing your life and your family’s financial path, you need to start today. To help you, there are some good resources out there to get you on the right track. • Julie and I have been HUGE fans of Dave Ramsey. Check out his site at daveramsey.com. He has a radio show, podcast, YouTube channel and all kinds of resources for you to help you. It is REALLY worth it, but like anything, it is on you to do the work and help yourself. • If you don’t like Dave or other aspects of his program, there are other resources like Crown Financial Ministries. • If you don’t care for a Christian perspective and want something a little more…irreverent, you can always check out Aaron Clarey’s books like Bachelor Pad Economics, Worthless, Reconnaisance Man and Poor Richard’s Retirement. He discusses some of the same principles from a bachelor’s perspective. There is a ton to discuss about becoming debt free. There is no better feeling than the freedom of not having any payments. It is possible; you can do it. We will discuss this in more detail in the future, and Julie and I can help you. Stay tuned for more about becoming debt free. I will be back tomorrow with a GREAT interview with Michael Jordan, so come back for that. We talk small businesses and bees. He was AWESOME! Thank you for tuning in to this episode! We appreciate you. Get out there and try something new this week. Remember to always learn, do and grow; this is Tom from the Small Scale Life Podcast. See you soon!
The Land of 10000 Downloads – S2E14 Is the world on fire right now? It seems like everything is coming apart at the seams. After a busy couple weeks, I was feeling pretty down this morning. As I opened my computer, I saw something that REALLY brightened my day, and I have to share some great news with you. This is Season 2, Episode 14, and in this episode we are celebrating 10000 downloads of the Small Scale Life Podcast! It is a great way to kick off the weekend, and it is a great accomplishment.
Special Thanks I have to thank so many great guests I have had over the past year and a half including Greg Burns, Drew Sample, Kevin Michael Geary, Scott Herbert, Todd Ehrhardt, Charles Hugh Smith, Khaled Majouji (The Plant Charmer), Travis Swanson, Bren Haas and of course my good friend Jay Dolan. I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for creating some great tunes for the podcast. These folks are all part of this story and the development and growth of the podcast.
Most of all, I have to thank all of you for listening and encouraging me to keep going. There are times when you are recording these episodes where you wonder if anyone is listening, if this is making any sense or if any of it matters. Looking at the analytics, answering questions and interacting with you, I know it is making a difference. As long as we are making a difference in someone’s life, we will keep going.
The Next 10000 Downloads As I told someone once, I will change the world one garden and one person at a time! We might not be able to change things in City Hall, State Capitol, DC or some far off land, but we can start right in our backyards. Start small, keep going and keep pushing. Reaching 10000 downloads is a great achievement for me, and I can hardly wait to get to the next 10000 downloads. Let’s do this and continue to learn, do and grow together!
Podcast Topics
In this podcast, I discuss the following:
- On the Road Again
- Forestville-Mystery Cave State Park
- Kansas City
- Move Update
- 10000 Downloads – Past, Present and Future
- Special Update on a Great Future Guest
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The post The Land of 10000 Downloads – S2E14 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
What is Square Foot Gardening? S2E13 Do you remember the days of old when your parents or grandparents had a garden in the backyard? Do you remember how the weeds used to pop up and eventually overwhelm the garden? Did you ever have to try to weed a garden like that (and how much you absolutely hated it)? What if you could create a garden that didn’t suffer from this weed problem? What if you could create an organized garden that maximizes your yield? This is exactly what Square Foot Gardening does for you!
LIVE FROM KANSAS CITY! This is Season 2, Episode 13, and in this episode I talk about our experience with Square Foot Gardening and discuss the advantages of this gardening system. You don’t want to miss this one!
This podcast is brought to you by Small Scale Life without any commercial interruptions! Instead, I wanted to give you an update of our lives before I start talking about Square Foot Gardening!
May is Gone; Hello to June
Things are progressing at the house. Julie and I are pushing forward to get us ready to move in mid-July. That means we have been following the teachings of The Minimalists and getting rid of things using the following criteria:
- Does it bring us joy?
- Will we use it at the future condo or compound?
- Can we replace it quickly and for less than $20?
We have been donating things at the Goodwill and selling items on consignment and on e-bay. I can’t believe how much we have sold already! It has been pretty amazing, really. That money is being used to pay off some credit card debt and replenish our emergency fund.
Strange Graduation Why would we need to replenish that, you might ask? Well, we recently had a number of activities and things going on that ended up being more expensive than we planned. Our son Ryan recently graduated from high school (YAY!), and we had a graduation party for him on Memorial Day Weekend. It went REALLY well! I mean it went well at the party. Graduation was a bit strange. Between the 5 valedictorians that spoke, the near riot that broke out and an award-winning alumni talking about cervical cancer and pap smears, it was the STRANGEST graduation ceremony I have ever attended. Yes, you did hear me correct: pap smears and riots at the graduation ceremony. Good grief. It makes a guy wonder what world we are living in these days?
We had a great party, and we were blessed to have friends and family in town for it. We really enjoyed their company and all the fun we had with them!
Selling or Renting Houses Life has gone back to normal, and we have settled into the new normal: work and get ready for the Management company to show the house. It seems that we have had a steady stream of showings, and we are all praying that someone rents it soon.
Why, you ask?
The simple answer is that getting the house, and the rooms of the young men that live with us, cleaned up does take its toll. The house needs to be ready for showings on a 24-hour notice. The same is true if you are looking for new renters or folks to buy your home. Once the home goes on the market for sale or for rent, it is no longer your home. Yes, you are paying the fees and the mortgage or rent, but it has become a model on the market. It needs to look AND smell good. No one wants to buy or rent a house that smells like:
- A locker room
- Pet smells
- Cigarettes
- Mildew/Molds or
- Other nasty smells
Here is a pro-tip for you: make your house SMELL good. You can do this by using a Scensy wickless candle or even boiling a mixture of vanilla and water on the stove before the showing. Just make sure the smell from the Scensy wickless candle is pleasing and not overwhelming.
Probably the most powerful smell is chocolate chip cookies. Ever notice how car dealers or home builders have chocolate chip cookies around? That smell sells! I know because the architects I hired in Chicago used freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies to sell houses. Believe it or not: it worked! Smell is a POWERFUL sense, so do not overlook this when trying to sell a product!
What is Square Foot Gardening? The Good Old Days Do you remember your grandparent’s, parent’s or even your gardens from years past? Do you remember how they would devolve into chaos as weeds choked out your vegetables and herbs? Can you remember how much you hated weeding those gardens?
I do. I remember it like yesterday. My parents would be gung ho to plant in the Spring, and over the next few weeks, the plot would look like it had been invaded by every type of weed on the earth. My dad would use grass clippings to mulch the paths and around the plants, but it usually ended up looking like a chaotic jungle towards mid to late summer. It probably didn’t help that they were busy during the week with jobs and us kids, and on the weekend we would be gone at the cabin in Northwestern Wisconsin.
There were times when my mom would assign us kids to go out into the garden and weed it. It was the WORST job we could actually get. We didn’t know what was a weed and what was something worth saving, and the cloud of mosquitoes coming out from the jungle would feast on us as we tried to work. It was a horrendous experience, and frankly, that experience was a reason I never wanted to garden until I was much, much older. Little did I know that I would return to gardening in my late 30’s.
Epiphany My first Square Foot Gardens in Illinois – 2010
Back in 2008, we were living in our beige prairie palace in a far west suburb of Chicago, Illinois. It was a stressful time in our lives: the Crash of 2008 was in full swing, and one-by-one my clients were telling me that they were pulling projects and keeping their own people employed. I was stressed out to the max.
Meanwhile, Julie had gotten a set of the Little House on the Prairie books, and she was reading them to Ryan each night. On more than one occasion, I had a chance to listen to the stories and marvel at how self-sufficient those people actually were. They didn’t have material wealth, but they could survive in a number of horrendously harsh conditions.
Skills and Self-Reliance Those stories made me think how soft and dependent modern people have really become. I marveled and commented to Julie that we just don’t know how to do anything to sustain us if things REALLY got bad with the economy. We couldn’t afford our house if I lost my job, and I wasn’t sure how we could even FEED ourselves if times got really bad.
Trust me, folks, I lumped myself in with modern men. I really didn’t know much about anything beyond my work in the office. I felt a sense of sadness that my grandparents, who could forage for food, fish, hunt, garden, preserve food and make wine and alcohol from berries, had passed away without passing those skills on to my brother or me. The old ways of my family and ancestors had lost, and we had become drones in cubicles, doing busy-work to create wealth for others. I knew I had to do something to change that, but I really didn’t know what to do about it.
One day our neighbor was raving about the amount of veggies she was getting from her garden, and she was giving away extras to everyone on the block. Julie and I were stunned and asked her how she could grow that much produce in our terrible clay soils. Our neighbor replied that she was following Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening book, and it was really easy to follow. She lent us her copy, and we had to give it a try!
Square Foot Gardening Revolutions start one garden at a time – Square Foot Gardening book from 1981
Square Foot Gardening is a garden system that maximizes yields by meeting three basic criteria:
- Well-organized
- Easy to maintain
- Attractive all season long
This system was developed by the late Mel Bartholomew. He published his first book in 1981 and subsequently had a show on PBS. Mel was focused on small garden beds, measuring 4 feet by 4 feet (4’x4′). He would divide these small 4’x4′ beds into 12 inch by 12 inch (12″x12″) squares. These would be intensively planted.
Well-Organized The advantage of these smaller, organized beds was that the gardener could organize the garden to maximize growth. Instead of planting a long, spindly row of seeds, the 12″x12″ square could be seeded with just a few seeds. The strongest seedlings would be kept in the garden, and the smaller ones removed. Instead of maintaining rows, the gardener could concentrate efforts on the plants in each 12″x12″ square. By defining strict size limits for these beds, gardeners could maximize their efforts while limiting the time spent maintaining the beds.
Easy Maintenance Speaking of maintenance, Square Foot Garden beds are easy to maintain. This is a key advantage of the Square Foot Gardening method. Mel knew from his experience at a community plot that people tend to get busy and have less time to maintain their larger plots. By creating a new 4’x4′ raised bed with new, manufactured soil, there weren’t any weeds to worry about. When you plant intensively in each 12″x12″ square, the flowers, vegetables and herbs will naturally crowd out any potential weeds. Since we manufacture the soil using vermiculite, compost and peat moss, i is easy to pull any weeds that might grow. In addition, watering plants with a hose is efficient since these gardens are very compact and intensively planted. I will show you how I maintain these new Square Foot Garden beds in future posts.
Attractive All Year Finally, Square Foot Gardens are really attractive all year long. Since you have a smaller, organized space, you can really concentrate your efforts on that making that space shine. This is where you can dress up your planting area with a nice looking trellis, gravel in the walkways and fencing around the beds. This is where I developed my ideas for going vertical with my plants.
In addition, you can create hoops or cold frames for your beds to extend the season. Because these beds are 4″x4″ you really can get creative with your systems and accessories to make these raised beds produce!
Resources If you want to know more about this method, you should read Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening Book. I have the 2005 edition, but he did publish the All New Square Foot Gardening book in 2013. I do not own this version yet.
Looking at Amazon, they are offering the 1981 version of the book. I had a chance to look at this version at my mom’s cabin in late May of this year, and it was very interesting (the earlier picture was my mom’s copy). I say that because Mel experimented with a lot of techniques that I have thought about or tried. The saying is true: there is nothing new under the sun!
What’s Next?
As I mentioned in Season 2, Episode 11, I have completely removed my garden. I just planted two 4″x6″ Square Foot Garden beds on Sunday of this week, and those are going to be my gardens this year. There will be regular garden updates for you all, and I will show you the power of the Square Foot Garden this year. Of course, I will be modifying the trellis systems to handle my 10 tomato and 10 pepper plants!
Let me know how your gardening efforts are going. Did you get everything planted in your garden? Have you tried Square Foot Gardening? How did they work out for you? Feel free to ask questions, and we will get answers for you!
Thanks for tuning in, and we’ll be back soon with another episode. This is Tom from Small Scale Life; remember to learn, do and grow!
The post What is Square Foot Gardening? S2E13 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Moving Forward in Difficult Times with Todd Ehrhardt – S2E12 Have you ever felt like the odds are stacked against you? Have you ever felt like the challenges and obstacles were too great for you or your family? Unfortunately, I bet a lot of us have been there, done that and gotten several t-shirts. I know I have, especially over the last two years. The question is: what methods can you use to keep you moving forward through the difficult times in your life?
In Season 2, Episode 12 of the podcast, I talk with Todd Ehrhardt, a husband, father, entrepreneur, gardener, bodybuilder, martial artist and a diver. Todd has been at the top of the world and deep in the sea (figuratively and literally), and in today’s episode, I talk with Todd about how he and his family were able to move forward in challenging times. This is a good one with really great information, you will want to check out the show notes.
Podcast Topics and Links for Moving Forward in Difficult Times In this podcast, Todd and I talk about the following topics and links:
- Who is Todd Ehrhardt?
- What is Life’s Adventure Online?
- Body Building, Martial Arts, Motorcross
- Difficult Times – Part 1
- Hip Problems
- Cancer
- Surgeries and Recovery
- Moving Forward – Part 1
- Backup Fitness Facebook Group
- Working with Kids in the Dojo
- “Sometimes to move forward, you have to retract a bit.”
- “People are always watching. When you carry yourself in life, people are ALWAYS watching. What are you putting out into the ether? Are you putting positive energy out there, the best to you can to make a positive change in your life and other people’s lives? Or are you putting a bunch of negative things out into the ether? People will pick up on that and either be attracted to that or run from you.”
- Difficult Times – Part 2
- Jiu Jitsu Tournament – Silver Medal Winner
- Hip Surgery Part 2 (2016)
- Post-Surgery Pain and Problems
- Hip Surgery Part 3 (2017)
- How to Move Forward
- Building Skills; Practicing What He Preaches
- Reading and Audible.com
- Victor Frankl “Man’s Search for Meaning”
- “Learn as much as I can from these difficult times and move forward”
- Noticing Details with Hardship
- Adventure Incorporates Family; They are his Adventure
- Counseling
- Difficulty and Challenges can bring Families Closer
-
“Excuses are nothing but lies”
- “You can never be physically fit if you are mentally weak.”
- Dispelling the “things can be worse” excuse
- “People let situations and circumstances define their character and define who they are”
- Learning from Experiences and Trials from a Guy in the Trenches
-
Life’s Adventure Online
- Small Business Spawned from Diving
- Sold Diving Gear for Cancer Treatments
- Bought SLR Camera to Use Talent above Water
- Learned Photo Techniques and Film Editing
- Lesson(s) Learned: “Never be afraid to put yourself out there” – Josh Johnson
- What happens in Mexico….
- Gardening
- Size Matters
- Natural Gardening
- Canning and Food Preservation
Friends of Small Scale Life As I develop friendships in online communities and in real life, I have seen really great people doing great work. For some, I will be setting up affiliates and memberships as this blog and podcasts grow. Please check out these friends and take advantage of their offers below:
- Life Adventure Online – Check out Todd’s webpage here!
- Life’s Adventure Film
- Life’s Adventure Film Instagram
- Life’s Adventure on YouTube
Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Community today!
Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community. We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests.
Subscribe and Rate on iTunes
Please subscribe to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel! If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback.
To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars (five would be awesome)
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated)
You can also write a longer review, though it is not necessary. Again, thank you for listening, subscribing and leaving your review!
The post Moving Forward in Difficult Times with Todd Ehrhardt – S2E12 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Growing Grass, Not Food – S2E11 “Life moves pretty fast; if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it!” The opening monologue in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off could not be more correct! Life has been moving pretty fast over the past month, and it is time to pull back the curtain and tell you what has been happening. Regular followers of Small Scale Life on Instagram, Facebook, the Podcast and here at the Blog have probably picked up on a thing or two that something big has been going on in the background. Not to spoil the fun and suspense, I will just say that I have been growing grass by the square foot, and I don’t mean the fun stuff that people grow in California, Colorado and other states. No, I have been growing some nice turf in the yard, and growing grass was the first major step towards accomplishing our overall plan. To learn more and find out why, you’ll just have to listen to the podcast!
The last picture of the Small Scale Life Garden at this location – 4/23/17
Podcast Topics and Links for Growing Grass, Not Food In this podcast, I talk about what has been happening over the past month and discuss the following topics and links:
- Lease renewal time at the Small Scale Life Ranch!
- Plans change in the blink of an eye (or the delivery of an e-mail or three)
- Small Scale Life Facebook Group
- Camping at William O’Brien State Park
- Discussion of Condo to Compound Ideas with Jay Dolan
- Growing Grass, Not Food – Removal of the Gardens and Compost Bins
- Potting Soil Challenge
Friends of Small Scale Life As I develop friendships in online communities and in real life, I have seen really great people doing great work. For some, I will be setting up affiliates and memberships as this blog and podcasts grow. Please check out these friends and take advantage of their offers below:
Nature’s Image Farm – Do you want to add fruit trees or comfrey to your homestead or garden? Now is the perfect time! Check out my friend Greg Burns from Nature’s Image Farm for all your nursery stock and comfrey needs! Greg also has bees on Nature’s Image Farm, so I look forward to his feedback on this episode.
Remember: when you place orders using the code “SSL,” you will receive a 10% OFF all nursery stock plus FREE shipping. It is time to plant, so why not order something from Nature’s Image Farm? Even if you do not buy anything, this is a going to be a great resource for new homesteaders like me. Check out the Homestead How-To Page for more hillbilly homesteading information.
Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Community today!
Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community. We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests.
Subscribe and Rate on iTunes
Please subscribe to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel! If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback.
To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars (five would be awesome)
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated)
You can also write a longer review, though it is not necessary. Again, thank you for listening, subscribing and leaving your review!
The post Growing Grass, Not Food – S2E11 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Travis Swanson’s Bee 52 Honey – S2E10 Time to focus on the bee, a gardener’s best friend! I know many of you have been wanting to hear this one, so it is long overdue! Recently, I had the pleasure to interview a local beekpeer named Travis Swanson. We discussed how Travis started beekeeping as a hobby, a full time position at a commercial operation and starting his own business. In addition, we have several listener questions from the MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Facebook Group and the Small Scale Gardening Facebook Group. Since I am a newb when it comes to bees, I am glad my friends and listeners had questions! I learned a lot about Travis Swanson’s Bee 52 Honey, and I appreciate the samples and Travis being on the Small Scale Life Podcast!
If you want to connect to Travis and buy honey, pollen or ask questions, feel free to e-mail him at travis@bee52honey.com!
Podcast Topics and Links Travis from Bee 52 Honey hard at work!
In this podcast, Travis and I discuss the following topics and links:
- Starting out as a beekeeper
- Becoming a commercial beekeeper
- Launching Bee 52 Honey – a small business
- Bees – pests, predators and diseases
- Questions from Listeners and Facebook Group Members
Questions from Listeners: * 1. What are the basic requirements in terms of money and space for starting a small bee operation? The “small bee operation” is defined as enough to serve the purposes of your homestead. Honey, maybe some to sell, pollination to encourage growth of vegetables and flowers. 2. What should you say to your neighbor when you find them spraying herbicides on flowering shrubs on a shared fence line, right behind the hives? 3. My question is how many hives are too many in an area? Our neighbor has bees on all four corners of his 10 acres and told us that if we added bees the colonies could kill each other due to being too close. Is that a thing? 4. Do you recommend for new beekeepers to have a mentor for the first year? 5. Bees and bat houses: my neighbor has a couple bat houses, and my son has built a couple for scouts that we have. I’d also love to do bees. That being said, how far apart should I keep them so they don’t have a royal rumble (with the bees)? 6. What is your preferred bear exclusion fencing system? Do you have a brand and volts recommendation?A special thanks to Travis for providing excellent samples of Bee 52 Honey and Pollen. They are delicious!
Friends of Small Scale Life As I develop friendships in online communities and in real life, I have seen really great people doing great work. For some, I will be setting up affiliates and memberships as this blog and podcasts grow. Please check out these friends and take advantage of their offers below:
Nature’s Image Farm – Do you want to add fruit trees or comfrey to your homestead or garden? Now is the perfect time! Check out my friend Greg Burns from Nature’s Image Farm for all your nursery stock and comfrey needs! Greg also has bees on Nature’s Image Farm, so I look forward to his feedback on this episode.
Remember: when you place orders using the code “SSL,” you will receive a 10% OFF all nursery stock plus FREE shipping. It is time to plant, so why not order something from Nature’s Image Farm? Even if you do not buy anything, this is a going to be a great resource for new homesteaders like me. Check out the Homestead How-To Page for more hillbilly homesteading information.
Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Community today!
Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community. We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests.
Subscribe and Rate on iTunes
If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback.
To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars (five would be awesome)
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated)
You can also write a longer review, though it is not necessary. Again, thank you for listening, subscribing and leaving your review!
The post Travis Swanson’s Bee 52 Honey – S2E10 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
My friend Mr. Tactical is back on the Small Scale Life Podcast! We discuss a yuuuuge armada of Practical to Tactical Skills and Topics ranging from Hawaiian vacations (and engagements), gardening, hunt for rural property, minimalism, and tactical training (grappling and gunning) at Tim Kennedy’s Sheepdog Response class. This is an information packed episode, so I hope you have as much fun as we did recording it!
Podcast Topics and Links In this podcast, Jay and I discuss the following topics and links:
Practical Skills * Hawaiian Adventure – Mr. Tactical is engaged! * Health and Sleep + Contrasting Showers – Wim Hof + Benefits of getting more sleep – Kevin Michael Geary’s Rebooted Body * Gardening + Potting Soil Challenge + Mason Jar Kitchen Gardens + Mr Tactical’s Three Alarm Garden + Soil Amendments + Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew + Direct Sowing vs. Buying Plant Starts + Fencing a Garden * Rural Property + Jay’s Condo to Compound Blog + Saving Plan + Debt Reduction + Spending Reduction Plan + The Minimalists – Podcast and Website
Tactical Skills * Tim Kennedy’s Sheepdog Response Class + Who is Tim Kennedy? + Course Elements – Guns and Grappling * Why Train? Does this matter? + Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman On Killing – Sheepdog philosophy + Hard Times Creates Hard Men + Training with the Best
Hard Times = Strong Men
Friends of Small Scale Life As I develop friendships in online communities and in real life, I have seen really great people doing great work. For some, I will be setting up affiliates and memberships as this blog and podcasts grow. Please check out these friends and take advantage of their offers below:
Nature’s Image Farm – For a LIMITED TIME ONLY (until 4/24/17), Nature’s Image Farm is offering bundles of orchard products for your urban homesteaders, farmsteaders and preppers! Check these links out for more details!
- Urban Homesteader Bundle
- Farmsteader Bundle
Remember: when you place orders using the code “SSL,” you will receive a 10% OFF all nursery stock plus FREE shipping. It is time to plant, so why not order something from Nature’s Image Farm? Even if you do not buy anything, this is a going to be a great resource for new homesteaders like me. Check out the Homestead How-To Page for more hillbilly homesteading information.
Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Community today!
Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community. We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests.
Subscribe and Rate on iTunes
If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback.
To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars (five would be awesome)
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated)
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
The post Mr. Tactical: Practical to Tactical Skills – S2E9 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Learning, Doing, Growing – S2E8 April is off and running, and we are already approaching the middle of the month! Last week was pretty busy, and I did not post a podcast. However, I was busy working on updating the site and streamlining the user experience! I was inspired by a book by author, podcaster and blogger Ravi Jayagopal. He wrote an e-book called Confessions of a Wannabe PodcaSTAR, and after reading his book, I found that I could improve the site and podcast. It is learning, doing and growing in action! You should notice those changes right away.
In addition, I launched a new Facebook Group dedicated to Small Scale Life. I am hoping to grow a community that is engaged in blog and podcast topics. My plan is to let you see some behind-the-scenes items and content. Who knows? Maybe community members will get some other special perks as we grow! Please join our new community by clicking on this link and continue to learn, do and grow with us!
Podcast Topics and Links Flash wins first place at the 2017 Goldy 10-Miler!
In this podcast, I discuss the following topics and links:
- Danny wins First Place at the 2017 Goldy Run – Congrats!
- Updates to the Small Scale Life Blog
- Ravi Jayagopal’s Subscribe.Me Blog and Podcast
- Learning, Doing and Growing – Ravi Jayagopal’s Confessions of a Wannabe PodcaSTAR
- Updates to the Small Scale Life Podcast
- Introducing the new Small Scale Life Facebook Group!
- Small Scale Gardening Facebook Group
- MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Facebook Group
- Going forward….Plans, Ideas and Next Steps
- Small Scale Life YouTube Channel
Friends of Small Scale Life As I develop friendships in online communities and in real life, I have seen really great people doing great work. For some, I will be setting up affiliates and memberships as this blog and podcasts grow. Please check out these friends and take advantage of their offers below:
Nature’s Image Farm – If you are planning on buying some fruit trees for your yard or comfrey for your herb garden, please check out Nature’s Image Farm! When you place orders using the code “SSL,” you will receive a 10% OFF all nursery stock plus FREE shipping. It is time to plant, so why not order something from Nature’s Image Farm? Even if you do not buy anything, this is a going to be a great resource for new homesteaders like me. Check out the Homestead How-To Page for more hillbilly homesteading information.
Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Community today!
Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community. We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests.
Aaron Clarey’s Reconnaissance Man – Written by local Minnesotan author, blogger, podcaster and economist Aaron Clarey, Reconnaissance Man is the book that guarantees you live life right the first time or at least ends your wandering in the desert. By perfectly and clearly explaining the process by which a person figures out who they are and what they want out of life, Reconnaissance Man provides the reader a clear road map to life, ensuring you don’t waste precious decades on worthless degrees, careers you hate, and people you don’t love.
Subscribe and Rate on iTunes
If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback.
To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars (five would be awesome)
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated)
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
The post Learning, Doing, Growing – S2E8 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
Preventing Damping Off Disease – S2E7 There is nothing like the excitement of seeing your tender seedlings popping through the soil in your indoor garden area! You immediately have visions of future harvest from these beautiful plants. This will be the best year ever in the garden! Then, something starts to happen: fuzzy mold appears on the soil surface, the stems become thin and weak, and the seedlings wilt and die. You add more water to the tender seedlings because they might be drying out. Instead, this seems to have the opposite effect: more seedlings are wilting! Soon, the entire tray looks horrible and is a complete loss. This, my friends, happened to me last year! It is most likely damping off disease, and if you garden indoors, you eventually will have to deal with it. In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discuss 9 steps for Preventing Damping Off Disease.
Podcast Topics Damping Off Disease attacking a tomato seedling in 2016
In this podcast, I discuss the following tips for *Preventing Damping Off Disease*:
- Plant seeds in containers, and then place the containers in trays
- Water the tray, not directly on the soil (bottom up, not top down)
- Sterilize containers, tools and trays for 30 minutes before reusing them
- Use warm water to water your seedlings
- Do not overwater! Only add enough water to fill 1/4″ to 1/3″ high in the tray
- Use a heating pad to start seedlings
- Use good draining potting mix. Do not use your garden soil or compost!
- Do not fertilize your seedlings
- Provide 12 to 16 hours of light from your grow lights.
- BONUS TIP: keep the lights 1-2″ from the top of your seedlings when they first germinate
I finish the podcast by giving you what I think are the most critical steps to Preventing Damping Off Disease. Links
While initially looking healthy, this tray of tomato seedlings is doomed – 2016
I discussed the following links on this podcast:
- University of Minnesota Extension – How to prevent seedling damping off
- How to Garden Indoors
- 8 Steps to Starting Plants Indoors
- Winter Care of Indoor Succulents
Friends of Small Scale Life
As I develop friendships and communities online and in real life, I have seen really good people doing great work and will be recognizing these people on Small Scale Life. For some, I will be setting up affiliates and memberships with them as this blog and podcasts grow. In the meantime, please check out the work friends have completed and take advantage of their offers below:
- Nature’s Image Farm – If you are planning on buying some fruit trees for your yard or comfrey for your herb garden, please check out Nature’s Image Farm! When you place orders using the code “SSL,” you will receive a 10% OFF all nursery stock plus FREE shipping. It is time to plant, so why not order something from Nature’s Image Farm? Even if you do not buy anything, this is a going to be a great resource for new homesteaders like me. Check out the Homestead How-To Page for more hillbilly homesteading information.
- Small Scale Gardening Facebook Group – Share your gardening stories, questions and ideas with over 200 fellow gardeners! Join today!
- Aaron Clarey’s “Reconnaissance Man” – Written by local Minnesotan author, blogger, podcaster and economist Aaron Clarey, “Reconnaissance Man” is the book that guarantees you live life right the first time or at least ends your wandering in the desert. By perfectly and clearly explaining the process by which a person figures out who they are and what they want out of life, “Reconnaissance Man” provides the reader a clear road map to life, ensuring you don’t waste precious decades on worthless degrees, careers you hate, and people you don’t love.
Subscribe and Rate on iTunes
Please consider becoming a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel. Subscribers and ratings from listeners help us grow the podcast and the blog. As you know, people look at subscribers and reviews before they listen. Few subscribers and few reviews mean that no one cares to listen or rate the podcast. Please click subscribe, and you will get notices when a new podcast is available.
If you provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback.
To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps:
- Click on this link or the image above.
- Go to ratings and reviews.
- Click on the number stars (five would be awesome)
- Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)!
- You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated)
You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Listen We have several options for you to listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast. You may listen in the following locations:
iTunes
Stitcher
The post Preventing Damping Off Disease – S2E7 appeared first on Small Scale Life.
I have been successfully growing seedlings inside for the past few years, and there are a ton of Lessons Learned from my own successes and failures. In this podcast, I boil it down and focus on 9 Lessons Learned from Gardening Indoors.
HELP Episode 9: Restarting My Engine 2017 is flying by a light speed. January, February and March are rapidly fading into the history books. How are you doing on your health goals? I have to be honest: I am restarting on my health goals for 2017. I really haven't written about my health goals or talked about them at all in 2017. As I discuss in the podcast, I punched out after Halloween last year and just tried not thinking about exercise, tracking food and pounds on the scale. As I look at how the year ended and new year started, I failed to achieve my big goal, and I just decided to punt and regroup. Restarting my engine is critical to getting back in the fight. I have change from always being on defense to rolling forward on offense. You cannot do that sitting on the couch, behind a microphone, or writing blog posts. It is time to move and get active. This podcast summarizes my four point plan to restart my engine for 2017 and the rest of my life. Disclaimer I am not a licensed health care or fitness experts. I am not a doctor. Please be sure to consult your doctor, dietician or other health care professional about health, fitness or other medical issues. All information shared on the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast and Small Scale Life are for informational and inspirational purposes only. Topics For Restarting My Engine I discussed the following topics in this episode: Wrapping Up 2016 HELP Episode 7 - Interview with Kevin Michael Geary Restarting My Engine in 2017 Signing up for and bowing out of a 12-Week Weight Loss Challenge Starting the Rebooted Body program Listening to Rebooted Body Podcasts Restarting Regular HELP Podcasts and Blog Posts Keeping Perspective Going Forward Links During the podcast, I discussed a few different sites, podcasts, videos and blogs. The following is a list of those links:. Free 12 Week Weight Loss Challenge Back Up Fitness Group on Facebook Episode 7 of the HELP Podcast – Drew and I interview Kevin Geary about what we are doing and about the three pillars to healthy living: Eat, Move and Live Kevin Geary’s Rebooted Body – Kevin Geary's Blog and Podcast. Check out his site to “get a body and life you love” Kevin Geary’s YouTube Channel Subscribe and Rate on iTunes Please consider becoming a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel. Subscribers and ratings from listeners help us grow the podcast and the blog. As you know, people look at subscribers and reviews before they listen. Few subscribers and few reviews mean that no one cares to listen or rate the podcast. Please click subscribe, and you will get notices when a new podcast is available. If you provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback. To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review! Listen We have several options for you to listen to the Podcast. You may listen in the following locations: iTunes Stitcher
Taylor's Celebration of Life on February 20, 2017, David and Julie did an excellent job writing and delivering a powerful eulogy in remembrance of their mom. They used quotes from family and friends on Social Media and cards to create a beautiful tribute for their mother. Both spoke, and they delivered it with grace and love. I posted the text of the eulogy below. The sub-headings below are the sections written and spoken by David and Julie. On the podcast, I used MercyMe's song "I can only imagine" as the final song because it was part of the eulogy. For information about Barb Taylor, please see Part 1 of this series. David Taylor Bobbie, Barb, mom, grandma, wife. These are just a few of the names people called you during your time on earth, but the truth is you were so much more, to more people than we can even list. You touched so many groups of people in your 66 years on earth, and though you may not know it you were a caretaker and mother to far more than the three of us. You were a loving woman full of deep compassion towards everyone who crossed your path. When someone passes, the typical response is that there are no words to describe how much you will be missed, but through social media those words are there, and we want to share them with you, Mom, and everyone who is here to celebrate your life. After pouring through memories, cards, emails, letters, and Facebook posts, we can sum up how everyone feels about you with their beautiful words of remembrance. "I love you Barb" - Nad Julie Domres That name is a little inside joke between mom and dad, but It is obvious that the first person we should talk about is dad. 48 years is a very long time to spend every waking moment with someone, and you and dad were the epitome of true love. Karen, David, and I have always looked up to both of you, and your solid foundation of marriage has given us a guide to how our marriages should look. I think we can truly say that you and dad were not only spouses but best friends. We know that dad is going to miss you more than anyone in this room, but don't worry mom, we will take care of him. David Taylor “True beauty bubbles up from the kindness of your heart, and reflects smiles onto those you love… you, my dearest Ya-Ya sister, were the definition of true beauty… and will be missed. But Grandma Jean needed our Ya-Ya love, and you brought that to her today. I am so lucky to have the family I do, and my Ya-ya sisters. We are all bound together and will always be here for you and your family. #chachayaya #yayasinheaven #missingyoudearly. – Love, Adriana Julie Domres So mom, we can’t talk about your life without talking about the importance of family. You always put family first and have taught us to do the same. In the last few weeks we have all spent a lot of time talking about the past, and we have learned so much about your life. We knew that you were born in Phoenix and that you moved around a lot as a child, but we had no idea that you attended 42 different schools before you were in 9th grade. Grandma and Grandpa truly lived a vagabond lifestyle, and you guys were along for the ride. You didn’t have a lot of money or material things as a little girl, but you always had your siblings. Uncle Donny, Aunt Patty, Aunt Mary, Aunt Jean, Aunt Judy, Aunt Karen, Jimmy, and your favorite cousin Jan… you were always there for each other. Jim was so lucky to have you as his guardian, and you handled that responsibility with grace. You loved him and raised him like one of your own. As Aunt Karen and I were sitting up with you in the middle of the night last week, Aunt Karen shared a lot of stories about your childhood. She said to me, “I never had many friends when I was little. But that’s OK, I never needed a friend, because I always had your Mom.” You were her best friend right up until the end. We never realized how tough it really was for you when you were young, because you always put on that beautiful smile and looked at the bright side of life. David Taylor “God puts people in your life for a reason. She took a chance on me and hired me to work in her shop. I am beyond blessed to have had the opportunity to be part of her life. She taught me so much and I will be forever grateful. And because of her, I have so many people that I can call my friends, my “flower shop family.” Barb, you fought a hard battle and now you have found peace. I am certain that you are having an amazing reunion. God has welcomed you in Heaven’s most beautiful garden. Love you always Barb.” – Love, Erica Julie Domres Because family always came first, instead of putting family in front of your friends you turned friends into family. To name a few of the many groups of people you have touched: Your St. Kevin’s friends and your Card Club, your “Flower Shop Family,” The Dakota Court Gang, all of our friends, your Army friends, and your high school friends. I don’t think you realize how many lives you have truly impacted. I know all of my friends consider you a second mom, and Karen and Dave’s friends can say the same. When you made a friend, they were a friend for life. David Taylor “My beautiful mom lost her battle with cancer today and went to be with the Lord. We are heartbroken and cannot imagine life without her, but will be strong the way she raised us, and make her proud. I love you mom.” – Love, Karen Julie Domres Mom, how do we put into words what you meant to us? How do we go on without you to guide us? Who are we going to call every day on our way home from work, and who is going to remind us how to make your delicious beef burgundy recipe? These are just some of the thoughts that are swirling around in our brains. I don’t think you ever realized how much we loved you mom. Do you know that when my boys and Abbey were little, they would rather be with you and Dad than anywhere? You were such a great Grandma, and Danny, Ryan and Abbey love you so much. We will be sure that Dave and Jenny’s future kids know what an amazing woman you were, and that Grandma Barb loves them and will always be watching over them. You taught us to be strong, you taught us to be compassionate, and above all, you taught us to love God. We will continue to do everything we can to make you proud. David Taylor Since we have been full of quotes today, we thought we would end with some song lyrics by MercyMe. I am not the musical talent in the family so I will read the lyrics. “Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of you be still? Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees will I fall; will I sing Hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine. I can only imagine." Mom, we can only imagine what you are doing in Heaven. We are going to imagine you dancing for Jesus with your mom, your dad, Aunt Jean and all of our other family and friends, with Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline singing in the background. We can’t imagine what life on earth will be like without you, but we will envision the day we meet again in Heaven and all dance for Jesus together. We will forever hold you in our hearts. We will forever love you, Mom. Thoughts I am posting these words to stand as a tribute to Barb Taylor. The idea is that those who could not attend the funeral could hear me reading the eulogy. I hope that these words will comfort you in the future. It was difficult for me to record this. I recorded the eulogy a couple of times, but I went with the original recording because it was the best. I felt compelled to record this podcast in the hope that if one person benefits from this podcast, it was worth it. We love and miss you, Barb.
February is over, and we are exhausted and drained. It has been a brutal month, as my mother-in-law Barb Taylor completed her final journey in her battle against lung cancer. My wife Julie, her dad Dan, her sister Karen, her brother David and her aunt Karen worked around the clock to help her on this final journey. Spouses like me were home, trying to keep "normal" household operations going. Unfortunately, small cell lung carcinoma is an aggressive cancer, and it finally took Barb's life on February 16, 2017. This is the first of two articles and podcasts dedicated to Barb Taylor. Part 2 can be found here. On this podcast, I used MercyMe's song "I can only image" as the final song because it was part of the eulogy. Barb Taylor's Kindness I have known Barb Taylor for more than half my life. I met Julie's parents when I started dating her when I was in 10th Grade. She was there for friends and family in good times and in bad times. She always had a smile on her face, even when she was telling you that something "wasn't her favorite" (meaning she hated it). Barb was so giving, so loving and so helpful. As I look back on my life, she has been there for so many different and significant events: Barb organized and planned our wedding while creating all the flowers She watched Danny at her home daycare when he was young Barb came to Florida and helped us when Ryan was born She let us stay in her basement while we save money and purchased our first house Barb helped us renovate our first house She introduced Julie to floral design and the wedding floral business that eventually became Julia's Blooms Barb was there for us in our darkest times looking for Danny in Colorado, even though she had been diagnosed with small cell lung carcinoma We will carry that legacy forward. I am proud of the hours and work Dan, David, Julie, Karen and Aunt Karen put in taking care of Barb. We will help and be there for Dan, and Julie and I are reaching out to family to reconnect and forge new relationships. The time for temporary living and autopilot living are over. Our time on this planet is too short. Barb Taylor's Strength Barb Taylor was diagnosed with cancer during our darkest hours looking for my oldest son in Spring of 2015. It was devastating leaving her in Minnesota and going to Colorado looking for Danny, but Julie, her dad, David and I all went. We had to find Danny, and those that stayed behind tried to help Barb however we could. Those were difficult times, especially when the original diagnosis did not give her much time. Barb was a strong woman. She beat the original diagnosis and fought cancer for almost two years. She rarely complained. Even at the end, we asked her how she was doing, and Barb would smile and say, "I'm good." Because of her strength, she experienced life: Seeing Danny returning home, run his first marathon, become Assistant Manager and go to college Trips to Florida, Georgia and California Seeing her grand daughter Abbey graduate from high school and attend college Celebrating her birthday and other events with family Watching her grandson Ryan play High School Varsity Basketball and Traveling Basketball (her last outing was to Ryan's basketball game against Richfield High School) for two years Barb Taylor was an exceptional woman. We love her, and we miss her dearly. We know, however, that she is here in spirit and lessons learned over time. I hope that gives you some comfort. Listen We have several options for you to listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast. You may listen in the following locations: iTunes Stitcher
On his character James Keziah Delaney, Tom Hardy said, "All progress lies in the actions of the unreasonable man." If you watched the first episode of the FX's show "Taboo," you will indeed see the actions of an unreasonable and mysterious man. In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I review this new show and dive into the characters, plot and reviews for this new show. While I do not watch much television, I found this show interesting because I am a Tom Hardy fan. I really liked his Bane character in the The Dark Knight Rises, and he played a great antagonist in The Revenant last year (which I reviewed here on Small Scale Life). While reviewing a television show is a bit out of character for this blog, I enjoy that period of history, and who doesn't want to see Bane stomp around London and kick some 19th century butt? Keep in mind that this is a fan show, and any images, music or story are not my own. I am simply commenting on the show and characters as a fan of the show. The images are from the FX, and the piano theme song is from artist Lunar Black's piano cover song. Please frequent their sites! Podcast Topics for "Taboo" In this podcast, I discuss the following topics: Why am I talking about a television show? The Jist of the Show Characters House of Delaney (and Others) East India Company Basic Plot - Building a Foundation Mystery and Intrigue London in 1814 Comments from other Reviews Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Deep in the woods in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Ohio roams a bearded hillbilly man. He is carving out his existence on his homestead, providing for his family and growing a community of like-minded families. This man is Greg Burns. He is a dedicated husband, dad, homesteader, promotor of Old Ways and leader of tribes called the Lumbersquatches and Get Stuff Done Crew. I have been looking forward to this interview. Greg, his wife and his family have boldly gone where Julie and I want to go: to a homestead in a rural location. Through trial and error, they are learning the Old Ways of how to rear great kids, raise animals, grow food, and develop a sustainable homestead. Greg is practical and straightforward, and I really appreciate his honest insight. He has been there and done that! I am also honored to announce that this podcast is also tied to the launching of the Brand New Nature's Image Farm Webpage - CHECK IT OUT! When you place orders using the code "SSL," you will receive a 10% OFF all nursery stock plus FREE shipping. It is time to plant, so why not order something from Nature's Image Farm? Even if you do not buy anything, this is a going to be a great resource for new homesteaders like me. Check out the Homestead How-To Page for more hillbilly homesteading information! Podcast Topics for my Interview with Greg Burns In this podcast, Greg and I discuss the following topics: Introduction - Who is Greg Burns? Why homesteading? Gardening Hunting on 5 acres Homesteading Livestock (moo, oink and cluck) Trees and Tree Farms Plans and Dreams for Future Homesteads Building Small Community and Tribe The Gift of Time The Old Ways Hogtoberfest Living in Small Spaces with Big Hearts and with a Purpose Working with Spouses as a Team Making and Enjoying Homemade Mead and Wines Butchering and Preserving Hogs using the Old Ways Prosciutto Head Cheese - Terrine vs. Sylta (Yes, Domres' family, I went there) Hog Testicles Tribes/Small Communities Get Stuff Done Crew Lumbersquatches Family Tips for Buying Rural Land [caption id="attachment1578" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Lumbersquatches Greg Burns and Drew Sample - Real Food, Good Men and Good Friends![/caption] Links [caption id="attachment1182" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Hogtoberfest 2016 at Nature's Image Farm[/caption] Greg and I discussed the following links on this podcast: Brand New Nature's Image Farm Webpage - CHECK IT OUT! Remember, any orders using the code "SSL" will receive a 10% OFF all nursery stock plus FREE shipping. It is time to plant, so why not order something from Nature's Image Farm? Nature's Image Farm on Social Media Facebook Instagram YouTube Sample Hour Podcast with Drew Sample and Greg Burns 114 - Nature's Image Farm 124 - The Hilbilliness of Hillbillies 125 - Hogtoberfest 2016 - This is a great episode! I really enjoyed this one. Kevin Geary Rebooted Body Podcast - RB099: Epic Food to Nourish Your Body with Taylor Collins Subscribe and Rate on iTunes Please consider becoming a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel. Subscribers and ratings from listeners help us grow the podcast and the blog. As you know, people look at subscribers and reviews before they listen. Few subscribers and few reviews mean that no one cares to listen or rate the podcast. Please click subscribe, and you will get notices when a new podcast is available. If you provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback. To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Happy birthday, Small Scale Life Podcast! Happy birthday to me! Yes, the Small Scale Life Podcast is a year old, and I am also a year older. It is always difficult having a birthday right after Christmas and New Years, but that is a topic for another episode! As we celebrate the year anniversary of the Small Scale Life Podcast, my good friend Jay returns to wrap up 2016 and talk about 2017 Goals and Plans. Jay is looking to move from urban environments to the country, so we have a good conversation about how we will get there (along with timelines). We also talk about working out and dealing with injuries. In my case, it is "Inflammation of Motivation" that must be dealt with in the next week or so. I need to get back into the gym and pool! We also talk about Jay making Cranberry-Jalapeno Jelly, modifying the recipe and providing it to others who had parties to attend and gifts to give. Finally, we go back to Small Scale Life Podcast Season 1 Episode 3 where Jay and I talk about "Slingshot Week." Sometimes the more things change; the more they stay the same! Podcast Topics for 2017 Goals and Plans [caption id="attachment1465" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Trees Under Glass - Rural Minnesota in 2017[/caption] In this podcast, Jay and I discuss the following topics: 2016 Wrap-Up Condo to Compound Update Changes at Small Scale Life Slingshot Week Definition What do I want to keep doing? What will I stop doing? What will I continue? Links [caption id="attachment1464" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Homestead Goals - 2017[/caption] During this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I mention the following links: Jay's Condo to Compound Blog How to Make Cranberry-Jalapeno Jelly Aaron Clarey Captain Capitalism Blog and Podcast Healthy Lifestyle Podcast Episode 7: Interview with Kevin Geary Small Scale Life Podcast Season 1, Episode 3: Three Questions for 2016 Small Scale Gardening Facebook Group MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Facebook Group Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
In this episode, I wrap up Christmas 2016. This was a lost track that I am posting as a listener appreciation podcast. I talk about what is important during the holidays.
Merry Christmas, everyone! As I mentioned in Season 1, Episode 21 Winter Driving and Survival Tips, I wanted to do something fun for Christmas that the whole family could enjoy. My dad used to read "Twas the Night before Christmas" to the family when we were young, so in that fine tradition, I read and recorded it for you and your family. Reading this brought so many memories back from when I was young. In this day and age when we are so caught up in shopping and presents and packages and dinners and parties, it is important to take a little time to stop and enjoy the moment. As my brother reminded us this week: [tweetthis]"Life is but a mist; we are only on this earth for a short time. Enjoy life, family & friends! Merry Christmas!"[/tweetthis] From our family to yours, have a Merry Christmas! Please enjoy your family and friends and make some new memories. Links for "Twas the Night before Christmas" [caption id="attachment_1436" align="aligncenter" width="3264"] Merry Christmas, everyone![/caption] During this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I mention the following links: Twas the Night before Christmas Poem A Visit from St. Nicholas Wikipedia Twas the Night before Christmas - UK Carols Blog The closing song was borrowed from this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/yGVZBpzh47I Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Winter is here with all its fury. In the past couple weeks, we have gotten over 12 inches of snow and have endured subzero temperatures. The wind chill in Minnesota has pushed temperatures to -20 to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. It feels like our typical mid-January freeze! In these conditions, winter driving can be treacherous. Since I drive in some remote rural areas, I have started paying close attention to conditions and my own preparations. Of course, things happen fast and sometimes you can find yourself stuck in a drift (yes, it happened yesterday). I did some research about driving and surviving in the cold, and figured it would be helpful to pass this information along to you. This episode is titled Winter Driving and Survival Tips, and is Part 2 of last week's podcast on Winter Tips which focused on preparing yourself and your house for the winter. Podcast Topics for Winter Driving and Survival Tips [caption id="attachment_1385" align="aligncenter" width="800"] So you want to walk across that in the freezing cold?[/caption] In this podcast, I discuss the following topics: Vehicle Safety Kits Winter Driving Tips Survival Tips if You are Stuck Links [caption id="attachment_1386" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Winter roads are pretty, but they can be treacherous![/caption] During this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I mention the following links: Small Scale Life Podcast Season 1 Episode 20: Winter Tips Pep Boys: Jump-Starting Your Battery Using Another Car Ready Wisconsin: How to Make a Winter Survival Kit Small Scale Gardening Facebook Group MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Facebook Group Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review
Winter has arrived in force! We got our first decent snowfall here in Minnesota on Saturday. On top of the snow, we are getting slammed by January-like cold. We will be dealing with -20 degree Fahrenheit temperatures by Saturday here in the Twin Cities. In fact, as I recorded this podcast, it was -1 degree Fahrenheit (and feels like -15 degrees Fahrenheit)! Winter is here, and it is time to talk about some key winter tips for preparing yourself, your equipment and your house for this kind of cold and these kind of conditions. As an aside, we welcome new listeners to our weekly podcast from our new Stitcher channel! If you are new to the Small Scale Life Podcast, this is a weekly show dedicated to developing a sustainable small scale life through healthy living, gardening, frugal living and having adventures along the way! Our motto is learn, do and grow. If you would like to listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast on Stitcher, listen using the following link: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/smallscalelife/small-scale-life Podcast Topics https://www.instagram.com/p/BN7Sgt3Akn2/?taken-by=smallscalelife In this podcast, I discuss the following topics: Introduction to the Small Scale Life Podcast and Small Scale Gardening Blog Is Small Scale Life a Wellness Program? Conditions and Driving in Snow Winter Tips for Working in the Cold, Winterizing Your Equipment and Winterizing your House Winter Tips for Managing Ice Dams Links [caption id="attachment_1371" align="aligncenter" width="762"] Our quiet street after the snowstorm - December 2016[/caption] During the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discuss the following links: Small Scale Life Podcast Season 1 Episode 19: Happy Birthday, Small Scale Life! About.com - How to Prevent and Remove Ice Dams University of Minnesota Extension - Ice Dams Sample Hour with Drew Sample Small Scale Gardening Facebook Group MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Facebook Group Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
HELP Episode 8: Mind Games November and Thanksgiving have come and gone! Can you believe it? Where did the time go? We had a lot of stuff going on in November including the election, Thanksgiving and some major life events. After taking the month of November off, I am back for a "Just Tom" Healthy Lifestyle Podcast. I have to admit that we all play mind games with the holidays, and as I post this podcast, I can probably record a Part 2 to this podcast for surviving the madness and family mind games that rear their heads during the holidays. Topics I discussed the following topics in this episode: November Madness in the World Mind Games for Dealing with Chaos Update about Drew Sample Thanksgiving Reflections Visiting a Homestead Spending Time with Family and Relatives Eating and Drinking During the Holidays New Plan and Getting Back to the Gym and Pool Links https://youtu.be/pWEwNa8pICg During the podcast, I discussed a few different sites, podcasts, videos and blogs. The following is a list of those links: Episode 7 of the HELP Podcast - Drew and I interview Kevin Geary about what we are doing and about the three pillars to healthy living: Eat, Move and Live Thanksgiving Reflections - I wrote a post about Thanksgiving and some other thoughts I had about the blog and podcast How to Make Cranberry-Jalapeno Jelly - I posted a how-to article for making cranberry-jalapeno jelly Sample Hour Episode 127 - Drew talks about his job situation before interviewing Ray Tyler from Rose Creek Farms Kevin Geary’s Rebooted Body – Drew and I interview Kevin Geary in Episode 7 of the HELP Podcast. Check out his site to “get a body and life you love” Kevin Geary’s YouTube Channel Speak Out Game - A great game we played over Thanksgiving. See the video above Linkee - Another game we played recently. Really fun game Rate on iTunes We really need some more ratings from listeners, so please rate and review the Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog. As you know, people look at reviews before they listen. No reviews or poor reviews mean that no one cares to listen or rate the podcast. You don’t need to write a book or write anything. Just give a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review! Disclaimer Drew and I are not licensed health care or fitness experts. We are not doctors. Please be sure to consult your doctor, dietician or other health care professional about health, fitness or other medical issues. All information shared on the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast and Small Scale Life are for informational and inspirational purposes only.
Season 1 Episode 19: Happy Birthday, Small Scale Life! Can you believe that the Small Scale Life is over a year old? Happy birthday, Small Scale Life! In this episode of the podcast, I talk about why I started blogging, what we have accomplished this year and what is ahead in the next year. I really want to thank all of you for following Small Scale Life, the Small Scale Life Podcast, and Healthy Lifestyle Podcast with Drew Sample. We have a lot planned for the future, so stay tuned! We will continue to learn, do and grow together! Podcast Topics https://www.instagram.com/p/BMqHLeogzXQ/?taken-by=smallscalelife In this podcast, I discuss the following topics: One Year Anniversary of the Small Scale Life Origins of Blogging - Small Scale Gardening Blog Core Principles of Small Scale Life Future of Small Scale Life Links https://www.instagram.com/p/BM0WTFMgLFC/?taken-by=smallscalelife During the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discuss the following links: Small Scale Gardening Blog HELP Podcast Episode 7: Rebooted Body with Kevin Geary Rebooted Body Blog and Podcast Sample Hour with Drew Sample Small Scale Gardening Facebook Group MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Facebook Group Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Rebooted Body with Kevin Geary - HELP 7 Have you ever struggled with diet plans? Do you feel overwhelmed with information from family, friends, media, celebrities, and even popular television shows telling you what you should and shouldn't do to lose weight? How many times have you started a plan, had some success, and then put that weight back on (or put even more weight on your body)? Have you ever just wanted to just wipe it all away and start over? You aren't alone if you answered "yes" to one or more of those questions. Let me be honest with you: I am there right now. I answered "yes" to all of those questions tonight. Every. Single. One. I wish it wasn't the case; I wish I could report that things were going splendidly, and I was well on my way to getting fit and losing weight. That would be a complete bullsh*t. Drew Sample and I recently interviewed Kevin Geary, blogger, podcaster and creator of Rebooted Body. As he states on Rebooted Body, Kevin is a "leading authority on the psychology of eating. He and his team have helped men and women in over 30 countries around the world get a body and life they love." Kevin has been there. struggling with is weight since he was a teenager: thin and unhealthy. He used to have really low energy and was addicted to sugar and sugary drinks. Kevin discovered the "Real Food Movement" and lost 40 pounds. It wasn't until he examined his mindset and understood the "why" behind his eating patterns and confronted those issues that he broke the cycle and started living a healthier lifestyle. Topics https://youtu.be/vZFjloTup6s Kevin, Drew and I discussed the following topics in this episode: Diet and fitness over the past week and plans for the next week Drew and I tell Kevin about our current diets and work out routines Kevin leads a great discussion about the inner rebel, willpower and discipline (I can relate to the inner rebel) Kevin then discusses the three pillars to healthy living: Eat, Move and Live Eat - Eat real foods; our bodies are nutritionally deficient Move - The human body needs to move; start by walking every day Live - Sleep at least eight hours a day; focus on gut health For me, this was a powerful podcast that I have been digesting and thinking about a lot recently. I will be doing some more research and self-examination using the Rebooted Body website and platform. I learned a lot from this interview, and I appreciate Drew and Kevin being on this podcast with me. Links Kevin, Drew, and I discussed a few different sites, podcasts and video blogs during this episode. The following is a list of those links:. Kevin Geary’s Rebooted Body – Drew and I interview Kevin Geary in Episode 7 of the HELP Podcast. Check out his site to "get a body and life you love." Kevin Geary's YouTube Channel Rest Faster – Blog post on Robb Wolf’s site about rest protocols and routines to improve your rest and recovery Five Minute Journal – Drew is using the Five Minute Journal to work through issues and develop his mindset Headspace – Drew and Scott are using the Headspace application for daily meditation Audible Application – Make the most of your mundane tasks and drive time! Rate on iTunes I checked iTunes, and we only have three reviews. Thank you for providing a review (you know who you are; I really appreciate it). We really need some more ratings from listeners, so please rate and review the Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog. As you know, people look at reviews before they listen. No reviews or poor reviews mean that no one cares to listen or rate the podcast. You don’t need to write a book or write anything. Just give a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Hogtoberfest and Tribe - HELP 6 What in God's name is Hogtoberfest? Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is a the gathering of people at Nature's Image Farm in Ohio for learning the old ways of slaughtering and processing hogs. As you will find out in this episode of the Healthy Lifestlye Podcast, it was much more than just processing pork. Hogtoberfest was about learning the old ways and rituals and adopting them. It was about sharing the experience, learning skills and breaking bread (and drinking meads, ciders and beers). Most importantly, it was about forging new relationships and building a small community, a tribe, of homesteaders, urban farmers, beekeepers and their families. In a world of "plastic fantastic", smart phones, technology and isolation, gatherings like these are necessary. The lone wolf depicted in Hollywood and today's culture is a lie. Instead, a group of like-minded individuals, the tribe, is necessary to get stuff done, share resources and lean on each other when "times get tough, or even when they don't." [caption id="attachment_1182" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Hogtoberfest 2016 at Natures Image Farm[/caption] Topics [caption id="attachment_1213" align="aligncenter" width="859"] The Hogtoberest Podcast elevated The Sample Hour to the 2nd best podcast in the world![/caption] Drew and I discussed the following topics in this episode: Diet and fitness over the past week and plans for the next week The Real #2 Podcast Hogtoberfest Recap Tribe and Small Communities: why are they important in the modern world? Links https://www.instagram.com/p/BLbC-xzgrNq/?taken-by=smallscalelife Drew, Scott and I discussed a few different sites, podcasts and video blogs during this episode. The following is a list of those links: The Sample Hour 125 Hogtoberfest 2016 - The Lumbersquatches at Natures Image Farm discuss Hogtoberfest and what it meant to them. This is a GREAT podcast, and it reminds me of our hunting camps in the spring: telling stories, having a laugh, remembering the old ways, and cracking a beer at 10 AM in the morning. The Sample Hour 124 The Hilbilliness of Hillbillies - Drew Sample and Greg Burns discuss life and business through the prism of a hillbilly homesteader, or in other words, common sense. The Sample Hour 123 The Mental Game of Getting Started Part 1 - Javan Bernakevitch and Drew Sample discuss getting started on a career path. Natures Image Farm - Greg Burns and his family's homestead in Ohio. Kevin Geary's Rebooted Life - Drew and I interview Kevin Geary in Episode 7 of the HELP Podcast. Check out his site! The Contrary Farmer - Gene Logsdon. Check out the website here: The Contrary Farmer Rest Faster - Blog post on Robb Wolf's site about rest protocols and routines to improve your rest and recovery Five Minute Journal – Drew is using the Five Minute Journal to work through issues and develop his mindset Headspace - Drew and Scott are using the Headspace application for daily meditation Audible Application - Make the most of your mundane tasks and drive time! Rate on iTunes I checked iTunes, and we only have three reviews. Thank you for providing a review (you know who you are; I really appreciate it). We really need some more ratings from listeners, so please rate and review the Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog. As you know, people look at reviews before they listen. No reviews or poor reviews mean that no one cares to listen or rate the podcast. You don't need to write a book or write anything. Just give a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Debt and Real Estate Part 1 - S1E17 If you have been listening to the Small Scale Life Podcast or the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast lately, you have heard me talking about moving out of the city to the country. Julie and I have decided that this is a critical element in our journey to develop a simpler, more sustainable life. Why do we want to leave the urban area? We want some rural real estate in order to have a sustainable life through developing relationships and skills in the rural areas. Julie and I are not alone in this quest for rural real estate to develop a more simple, small scale life. We have talked to others who are part of the Small Scale Gardening and MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Groups on Facebook who are wanna-be homesteaders stuck in the urban grind. Like us, they are all charting a path and a course of action that will lead to their eventual escape. You can escape, ladies and gentlemen, but that escape will take proper planning and focused execution. Speaking of planning and focused execution, our friend Jay Dolan from the Condo to Compound Blog is back to update us on his progress towards purchasing rural real estate. Jay and I talked about his dream of buying a homestead back in Episode 7 of the Small Scale Life Podcast. Since that podcast, Jay developed the Condo to Compound Blog and has been focused on paying down his debt.....for the most part anyway. Podcast Topics Jay and I discuss the following: Jay's Condo to Compound Blog How he is paying off debt Hidden costs when buying a house (i.e., debt, maintenance, taxes, etc.) "Home Buying Fever" that he and his girlfriend worked through recently Unfortunately, the podcast ended early due to Jay getting called to the "principal's office." Never fear! We recorded Part 2 already, and I will be posting it soon. Links https://www.instagram.com/p/BLcrRuvAG8U/?taken-by=smallscalelife During the Small Scale Life Podcast, Jay and I discuss the following links: Jay's Condo to Compound Blog Dave Ramsey - How to Battle Temptation in the Search for Your Starter Home Jack Spirko's Survival Podcast - Episode 1628 Five Financial Landmines to Avoid when Buying Land Jack Spirko's Survival Podcast - Episode 1778 Finding a Remote Property Jack Spirko's Survival Podcast - Episode 1788 Finding the Right Property to Turn into a Homestead Average Price of Homes in the Twin Cities Friends of the Small Scale Life Podcast [caption id="attachment_1202" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Finding the right land is exciting, but make sure you can afford it![/caption] In this Episode, I talk about the following friends of the Small Scale Life Podcast: Condo to Compound Blog – Jay Dolan’s journey from an urban/suburban life to a rural life. Failing Forward Profitable Urban Farming – Drew Sample and Scott Hebert’s weekly podcast about success, failures and life as an urban farmer. Reconnaissance Man – Aaron Clarey’s latest book for today’s youth where he recommends that the Reconnaissance Man (or Woman) takes the time to explore this country, not just to see what this country has to offer, but to find out who they are, where they belong, and what they really want out of life. Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Tribe, Ritual and Debt - S1E18 October is winding down, and it feels like there is A TON to do. I have not posted much this week because I have been processing vegetables and herbs like crazy! I decided to clear the garden beds, and that triggered a mad dash to get preserve the vegetables and herbs before everything rotted. In the past two weeks, I have made salsa and tomato sauce, frozen rhubarb, and drying parsley, dill, and oregano. I am thrilled to be exercising some of my equipment and skills this season, but in the back of my mind, I knew I had content like this podcast about tribe, ritual and debt to post. If you listened to Season 1, Episode 17, our friend Jay Dolan from the Condo to Compound Blog was called to the "principal's office" at the firehouse to handle an assignment. We had a chance to get together and discuss a number of topics again. I was trying to get Jay on HELP Episode 6 about Hogtoberfest, but things didn't quite work out. Jay and I ended up furthering our discussion about tribe and small communities, as well as a number of other topics. As a head's up to you, Jay does make an announcement about his blog towards the end of the show, so if you have been to his site, you will understand what he is talking about. Podcast Topics https://www.instagram.com/p/BLkQVHMAg07/?taken-by=smallscalelife Jay and I discuss the following: One Year Anniversary of the Small Scale Life Blog Tribes and Rituals Debt and Debt Reduction Budgeting Concepts Vision of the Rural Life Learning Skills and Taking Time Condo to Compound Blog Updates Links https://youtu.be/O4Go_UmX-ZM During the Small Scale Life Podcast, Jay and I discuss the following links: Jay’s Condo to Compound Blog John Mosby - Forging the Hero: Who Does More is Worth More Drew Sample and The Sample Hour - TSH - 125 - Hogtoberfest 2016 HELP Episode 6 – Hogtoberfest and Tribe USA Today - Nearly 7 in 10 Americans have less than $1,000 in savings Dave Ramsey – How to Start to Get Out of Debt Jack Spirko’s Survival Podcast – Episode 1628 Five Financial Landmines to Avoid when Buying Land Jack Spirko’s Survival Podcast – Episode 1778 Finding a Remote Property Jack Spirko’s Survival Podcast – Episode 1788 Finding the Right Property to Turn into a Homestead Jay and I talked about the commercial using Aerosmith's "Dream On" song. I was wrong; it was Walmart. I linked it above. Friends of the Small Scale Life Podcast In this Episode, I talk about the following friends of the Small Scale Life Podcast: Condo to Compound Blog – Jay Dolan’s journey from an urban/suburban life to a rural life. Failing Forward Profitable Urban Farming – Drew Sample and Scott Hebert’s weekly podcast about success, failures and life as an urban farmer. Reconnaissance Man – Aaron Clarey’s latest book for today’s youth where he recommends that the Reconnaissance Man (or Woman) takes the time to explore this country, not just to see what this country has to offer, but to find out who they are, where they belong, and what they really want out of life. Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Failing Forward: Losing Weight, Gaining Muscle, Having Discipline - HELP 5 It is October and it is time for the Healthy Lifestlye Podcast! In this Episode, Drew and I start by discussing losing weight and gaining muscle. We both have been struggling in our weight loss challenges, and we discussed perfectionism and discipline (or lack thereof). Drew brought our friend Scott Hebert into the conversation about half way through the podcast, and we has a great discussion about journaling, meditation, routines and discipline. It is great listening to and learning from Scott since he lost 60-70 pounds right after high school. You can listen to Scott's story about losing weight and getting healthy on the Small Scale Life Podcast Season 1, Episode 9. Scott, Drew and I discussed the following topics: Pre-podcast schenanigans - Drew and I were figuring out how to record the podcast, and I obviously was not listening to and comprehending what he was saying. It is entertaining, even though we both were swearing during this segment. As a word of caution: there is swearing in this podcast (in case you are listening with your kids) Diet and fitness over the past week and plans for the next week Lifting weights and supplements Discipline and routines Journaling and meditation (the woo woo stuff) Types of people and their success - Coolers, Closers and Cleaners Making the bed with throw pillows What should the Healthy Lifestlye Podcast focus on in future shows Scott Hebert has a YouTube Channel, and I thought this discussion about starting a farm while working another job applies to losing weight as well. It ties directly into his discussion with us about discipline. https://youtu.be/eJKBrgZ6vfk Links https://www.instagram.com/p/BLElK7tACIk/?taken-by=flavourfulfarms Drew, Scott and I discussed a few different sites, podcasts and video blogs during this episode. Here is a list of those links: The Sample Hour – Drew’s blog and podcast page Failing Forward Podcast Week 30 - The last podcast of Drew and Scott's urban farming season Half Size Me Podcast 242: Why You Must Let Go Of Perfectionism - Julie found a new podcast and blogger (to us, anyway) that focuses on losing weight and maintaining your weight once you lose it. This is an interesting podcast on perfectionism, and that is something I struggle with occasionally. Check this out! Rest Faster - Blog post on Robb Wolf's site about rest protocols and routines to improve your rest and recovery Five Minute Journal – Drew is using the Five Minute Journal to work through issues and develop his mindset Bullet Journal - Check out this Getting Started page. This looks really interesting! Headspace - Drew and Scott are using the Headspace application for daily meditation Ryan Holiday Meditations on Strategy of Life blog Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable - Tim S. Grover Audible Application - Make the most of your mundane tasks and drive time! Rate on iTunes I checked iTunes, and we only have a couple of reviews. I REALLY would like some more ratings from listeners, so please rate and review the Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You don't need to write a book or write anything. Just give a few (preferrably five) for the Podcast. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review! Disclaimer Drew and I are not licensed health care or fitness experts. We are not doctors. Please be sure to consult your doctor, dietician or other health care professional about health, fitness or other medical issues. All information shared on the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast and Small Scale Life are for informational and inspirational purposes only.
Vertical Gardening with The Plant Charmer Part 2 - S2E16 This is Part 2 of my epic interview with The Plant Charmer. If you are wondering who The Plant Charmer is, his name is Khaled Majouji, and he is an urban farmer in Canada. Khaled grows an incredible amount of vegetables in vertical garden systems, and he inspired me to build my vertical garden systems this year. To learn more about The Plant Charmer's background and beginnings, please check out Season 1, Episode 15 of the Small Scale Life Podcast. In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Khaled and I discussed the following topics: His current property - size and layout His vertical gardening system with a focus on the strawberry fence Soil and amendments Selling products Expansion and vision for a larger operation Instagram tips - how to grow your followers https://www.instagram.com/p/BK58Js-j9PE/?taken-by=theplantcharmer Thank You and Call to Action https://www.instagram.com/p/BKdcnpRDdjL/?taken-by=theplantcharmer It was great having Khaled on the show, and I appreciate the time he spent talking to me. A couple weeks ago, Khaled found a 10-acre plot to expand In.Genius Farms and finalized the deal for the property. The battle is not over, however! Khaled needs funds to set up this operation, so go to his Go Fund Me and donate today to help him realize his dream! I would also like to thank Austin from Beatsby_Roi for providing permission for using the song “Steady Wzdm” from The Lemon Water Chronicles, Volume 1, on the podcast. I would also like to thank Dillon from The Soapbox Collective Podcast for helping to connect with Austin. https://youtu.be/kaG2xjntczs Khaled and I discussed the following links on the podcast: The Plant Charmer on Instagram The Plant Charmer's Go Fund Me Campaign In.Genius Farms School of Urban Agriculture The Plant Charmer on YouTube The Plant Charmer on Facebook Vertical Gardening 101 Vertical Gardening 102 Check out the In.Genius Farms School of Urban Agriculture. Khaled has launched a vertical strawberry growing course in his school, and it is FREE! Get in there and sign up because it looks like a good course on setting up a vertical garden and starting a very good strawberry system. Friends of Small Scale Life Podcast In this Episode, I talk about the following friends of the Small Scale Life Podcast: Small Scale Gardening Facebook Group - I set up this Facebook so you can share your gardening stories, ask questions and discuss food preservation. Join the group and continue to learn, do and grow with us! Failing Forward Profitable Urban Farming – Drew Sample and Scott Hebert’s weekly podcast about success, failures and life as an urban farmer. Condo to Compound Blog – Jay Dolan’s journey from an urban/suburban life to a rural life. Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Heathly Lifestyle with Chazington Alloucious - HELP 4 Who in the world is Chazington Alloucious? What does this person have to say about healthy lifestyles, losing weight, fitness, mindset and clean living? Well, fine friends and followers, you will have to listen to this podcast to find out. Chazington Alloucious and I have a great, meandering discussion about a lot of different topics including: What is happening with the weight loss challenges? Fitness over the past week and plans for the next week Focus and target areas for the next week Mindset - Daily journaling and future plans Geography - Where are the Twin Cities and what are they like? Podcasting problems and challenges Urban farming and hops farming And of course: what DOES a HenWay machine do? For those of you who missed it, here are the five questions from the Five Minute Journal that can be used to start your journaling (if you need a place to start): What am I grateful for? What would make today great? What is my daily affirmation? What are three surprising things that happened today? What could I have done to make today better? Links https://youtu.be/I-skJbxDOhw Chazington Alloucious and I discussed a few different sites, podcasts and video blogs during this episode. Here is a list of those links: The Sample Hour - Drew's blog and podcast page School Sucks Podcast - Drew's friend who hosts a podcast and an on-line community dedicated to redefining education by promoting home-education, critical thinking, peaceful parenting, personal development and better communication strategies. Greg Burns & Drew Sample Chicken Processing Lifestream on Facebook - Greg, Drew and the Hillbilly Crew processing 80 meat chickens at Nature's Image Farms Five Minute Journal - Drew is using the Five Minute Journal to work through issues and develop his mindset John Suscovich's YouTube Hops Farming Playlist The video above was from the Hop Yard in Maine. For more information on this farm, please see John Suscovich's Podcast Interview with Geoff Keating. Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
HELP Episode 3 - Spinning Salad If this podcast sounds a little different, it is! I record a brief solo podcast while I am whipping up a salad for a family gathering at William O'Brian State Park on the banks of the St. Croix River. The salad and company were fantastic as we went to the park and took an almost two mile walk along the river. If you are in Minnesota, you should spend some time at this park and camp overnight. You can canoe, kayak, fish, hike and enjoy the great outdoors at this park. [caption id="attachment1087" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Beautiful weather on the St. Croix River at the William O'Brien State Park in Marine, Minnesota[/caption] [caption id="attachment1088" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The State Park Salad that had romaine, spinach, kale, chard, cucumbers, green peppers, bacon (on the side) and tomaotes (on the side).[/caption] In this episode of the weekly Healthy Lifestyle Podcast, I talk about the following topics: Spinning Salad - Ingredients in the Salad Different Foods - Sweet Potatoes, Jalapeno Poppers, Salsa for the 3rd Annual Salsa Contest Kwitcherbellyackin Weight Loss Challenge - Initial Weight and Progress during Week 1 and Week 2 Workout and Diet Plan Updates - It has been a strange week Updates and Changes - Forum on Small Scale Life, Winter Gardening, Experiments and Future of my Backyard Garden Drew Sample will be returning in Episode 4 of the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast, and we will be recording and posting that podcast soon! Links [caption id="attachment_1089" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Before dinner, we took a walk along the St. Croix River at William O'Brien State Park.[/caption] I did not talk about any links during this podcast, but I think you should go to the following sites: William O'Brian State Park on the banks of the St. Croix River Two Beers with Charles Hugh Smith - on the The Sample Hour Workout and Diet Plan for the Weeks of 9/4/16 and 9/11/16 – Tom’s Workout and Diet Program The Whole 30 Program – Drew’s Program for Changing his Relationship with Food DDP Yoga – Drew’s Fitness Program Tabata Workouts for Beginners - My friend Jay Dolan said I should be trying some Tabata Workouts Friends of Healthy Lifestyle Podcast I am always happy to show some of my friends some love. This week’s friends of the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast: Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook - Failing Forward Profitable Urban Farming – Drew Sample and Scott Hebert’s weekly podcast about success, failures and life as an urban farmer. Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Vertical Gardening with The Plant Charmer Part 1 - S1E15 In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I interviewed The Plant Charmer. You might be wondering: who is The Plant Charmer? This is a gentleman named Khaled Majouji, an urban farmer from the Montreal area in Canada who grows an incredible amount of vegetables in vertical gardens! Khaled inspired me to build my two gutter vertical garden system this year. The Plant Charmer and I discussed the following topics during the show: Background and beginnings Why he started urban farming How he developed vertical gardening using shoe organizers and rain gutters Selling produce Philosophy Thoughts on Big Agriculture Since we had such a great conversation that stretched for almost three hours, I broke this interview into a series. Part 2 of this podcast will be posted next week! Thank You and Call to Action https://www.instagram.com/p/BJduqJrDnML/?taken-by=theplantcharmer It was great having Khaled on the show, and I appreciate the time he spent talking to me. We had a long and awesome conversation, and because of that, we will have a Part 2 of this show. Khaled is working hard to get funds for a larger piece of land to expand his farming operation on a one acre homestead. In addition, he would like to set up a greenhouse and purchase a vehicle to deliver produce to a CSA. Khaled needs funds to set up this operation, so go to his Go Fund Me and donate today! I would also like to thank Austin from Beatsby_Roi for providing permission for using the song “Steady Wzdm” from The Lemon Water Chronicles, Volume 1, on the podcast. I would also like to thank Dillon from The Soapbox Collective Podcast for helping to connect with Austin. Links [caption id="attachment_1025" align="aligncenter" width="590"] The Plant Charmer has revolutionized growing food vertically! Source: The Plant Charmer's Instagram site[/caption] Khaled and I discussed the following links on the podcast: The Plant Charmer on Instagram The Plant Charmer's Go Fund Me Campaign The Plant Charmer on YouTube The Plant Charmer on Facebook Vertical Gardening 101 Vertical Gardening 102 In.Genius Farms School of Urban Agriculture Check out the In.Genius Farms School of Urban Agriculture. Khaled has launched a vertical strawberry growing course in his school. The cost is $50, and it looks like it is a great value! https://www.instagram.com/p/BJtYjloDSqV/?taken-by=theplantcharmer Friend of Small Scale Life Podcast In this Episode, I talk about the following friends of the Small Scale Life Podcast: Condo to Compound Blog – Jay Dolan’s journey from an urban/suburban life to a rural life. Failing Forward Profitable Urban Farming – Drew Sample and Scott Hebert’s weekly podcast about success, failures and life as an urban farmer. Reconnaissance Man – Aaron Clarey’s latest book for today’s youth where he recommends that the Reconnaissance Man (or Woman) takes the time to explore this country, not just to see what this country has to offer, but to find out who they are, where they belong, and what they really want out of life. Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but GREATLY appreciated)! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Labor Day Reset - HELP 2 September is finally here! The kids are back in school, and life settles into a routine. Fall is a fantastic time, however. Football, crisp mornings, and leaves changing make it my favorite time of year. For me, Labor Day marks the tipping point from summer to fall (based on my old football days). It can also be a time to reset and adjust goals and get some momentum before the infamous pumpkin spice and holiday season! Drew and I attempted to record and post this last Friday (9/2/16); however, somehow my computer did not record the podcast. That is unfortunate because it was a fantastic conversation! Drew had just completed his Two Beers with Charles podcast on the Sample Hour, and we discussed a variety of topics for this podcast. I decided to move ahead and record Episode 2 on my own, but Drew and I will record Episode 3 and post it as soon as we can get together. I am taking steps to make sure I have redundant recordings (so I don't lose a podcast). In this episode of the weekly Healthy Lifestyle Podcast, I talk about the following topics: Traveling in Colorado and Wisconsin - How did it go? What lessons did I learn? Resetting for Labor Day - Goals, working out, and diet Launching the NEW Kwitcherbellyackin Weight Loss Challenge - What is it and how does it work? Focusing on specific areas this month https://www.instagram.com/p/BJzZ9EBAKE7/?taken-by=smallscalelife Links While I did not manage to record the podcast, Drew and I talked about the following links during this podcast: Two Beers with Charles Hugh Smith - on the The Sample Hour Workout and Diet Plan for the Week of 8/28/16 – Tom’s Workout and Diet Program NEW Kwitcherbellyackin Hillbilly Weight Loss Challenge The Whole 30 Program – Drew’s Program for Changing his Relationship with Food DDP Yoga – Drew’s Fitness Program Tabata Workouts for Beginners - My friend Jay Dolan said I should be trying some Tabata Workouts https://youtu.be/dVNoZfmWfNc Friends of Healthy Lifestyle Podcast I am always happy to show some of my friends some love. This week’s friends of the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast: Condo to Compound Blog – Jay Dolan’s journey from an urban/suburban life to a rural life. Failing Forward Profitable Urban Farming – Drew Sample and Scott Hebert’s weekly podcast about success, failures and life as an urban farmer. Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Healthy Lifestyle Podcast: Introduction - HELP 1 This is Episode 1 of our new weekly Healthy Lifestyle Podcast. Drew Sample from the Sample Hour Podcast and I are both a weight loss journey and want to live healthier lifestyles. We decided that doing a weekly accountability podcast together will be fun and keep us on track with our goals. In this podcast, we discuss the following topics: Kicking off the Podcast Baseline Information: How did we get here? Our Goals and Drew's Weight Loss Challenge at Work Plan for the Week Mid-Week Motivation The Mid-Week Motivation is: [tweetthis]It is said that weight loss starts in the kitchen. Garbage in = garbage out.[/tweetthis] Links Drew and I talked about the following links during this podcast: Drew Sample from The Sample Hour Workout and Diet Plan for the Week of 8/21/16 - Tom's Workout and Diet Program How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life by Scott Adams The Whole 30 Program - Drew's Program for Changing his Relationship with Food DDP Yoga - Drew's Fitness Program Here is a DDP Yoga Beginners Workout on Diamond Dallas Page's YouTube Channel. Check it out! https://youtu.be/shPjl0R5kHo?list=PLuCbs2zxfj7pvtNMu2qB2Roaw-NBkLeeU Friends of Healthy Lifestyle Podcast I am always happy to show some of my friends some love. This week's friends of the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast: Condo to Compound Blog – Jay Dolan’s journey from an urban/suburban life to a rural life. Failing Forward Profitable Urban Farming – Drew Sample and Scott Hebert’s weekly podcast about success, failures and life as an urban farmer. Rate on iTunes Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Healthy Lifestyle Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars. Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Garden Update Podcast - Week of 8/15/16 - S1E14 As I discussed in my most recent Workout Plan Update, I am changing how I am rolling out posts and podcasts for Small Scale Life. I am going to post Workout Plan Updates at the end of the week (looking forward to the next week) and Garden posts at the front end of the week. I will post podcasts in the middle of the week. Other posts will pop up as I write them. Since I haven't posted an update in a month, I am posting a Garden Update Podcast, post and videos. It is time to talk about success, failures, pests and blight. It has been a learning year in 2016! I outline what is happening in each garden bed below, so if you want to hear the podcast, skip ahead to the very end of the article! Garden Bed 1 [caption id="attachment_930" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Garden Bed 1 continues to be the flagship raised bed in the main garden - 8/14/16[/caption] Garden Bed 1 has four varieties of tomatoes, red onions, basil and cucumbers in it. This is my longest bed, and it has traditionally been my tomato planter. Below is an assessment of the plants in this raised bed. Plant Assessment Opalka Roma Tomatoes 3 of the 4 plants are doing VERY well with a lot of fruit I removed the 4th plant since it was not showing any fruit I added a volunteer that was hiding in the parsley in Bed 4 to replace the unproductive plant Amish Paste Tomatoes These plants are growing tall and strong Two are over 8 feet tall and have several tomatoes on them San Marzano Roma Tomatoes Plants are growing taller and showing several tomatoes Cherry Tomatoes Showing several tomatoes and growing taller Good production for being in the shade Basil Removed all plants on 8/14/16 due to Downy Mildew Cucumbers These plants are growing and starting to bear cucumbers Not as productive as the cucumbers in the wicking bed Red Onions Critters have devastated my red onion crop. I have learned to install fencing on my beds for the future Garden Bed 2 [caption id="attachment_931" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Garden Bed 2 is an exercise in chaos thanks to some pole beans that were mixed with the bush bean seeds - 8/14/16[/caption] Garden Bed 2 is a mish-mash of climbing plants. It wasn't supposed to be that way. This bed was supposed to be sugar snap peas and bush beans. Unfortunately, some pole bean seeds were mixed in with the bush beans, and the pole beans are going crazy. I also added two extra tomato plants to the bed as well. Below is a summary of this garden bed. Plant Assessment Bush Beans The bush beans have been productive They are being choked out by the pole bean plants Harvest tomorrow Pole Beans These plants arte starting to fade in the late summer heat They have been productive due to screening and shade from the pole beans Harvest tomorrow Cherry Tomato Plant is growing taller Starting to show fruit San Marzano Roma Tomatoes Planted late in the season Starting to show fruit Garden Bed 3 [caption id="attachment_932" align="aligncenter" width="514"] Garden Bed 3 should be brimming with onions and garlic this year. Note: should be....8/14/16[/caption] Garden Bed 3 is my 3'x8' bed. I grew potatoes in this bed last year, and this year it was going to be my garlic and onion box. It started out splendidly, but as of mid-August, it has not performed as I anticipated. Here is a summary of the plants and performance of this garden bed. The bottom line is that this bed needs a fence! Plant Assessment Garlic Garlic was transplanted into this bed early in the season Garlic grew in the spring and early summer Most garlic was harvested; small heads Two garlic plants remain in the bed Yellow Onions Critters have been digging in this bed this season Yellow onions have been dug up as the animals dig Remaining yellow onions do look good Peppers Transplanted late after the garlic was harvested Rabbits have eaten most of the leaves on these plants Garden Bed 4 and 5 and Vertical Garden [caption id="attachment_935" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Garden Bed 4 and 5 with the Vertical Garden in happier and healthier times - 7/21/16[/caption] Between the vertical garden and Garden Bed 4, I had about 150 basil plants in my garden. I harvested about 9 gallons of basil and created a ton of pesto and pasta/soup starts. Unfortunately, I did not notice early warning signs of downy mildew as I harvested the basil. We had some big rain storms, and when I looked at the garden last week, I noticed that many of the plants were suffering from the mildew. I removed the plants on 8/14/16 and salvaged what I could. The crop was almost a complete loss. Meanwhile, the parsley is healthy and simply awesome! Plant Assessment Parsley Plants are extemely productive and healthy Basil Basil has been infected by Downy Mildew All basil has been removed from the garden Guerrilla Garden [caption id="attachment_933" align="aligncenter" width="600"] I added compost around the zucchini plant stems in hopes of root formation - 8/15/16[/caption] I have three zucchini plants in the guerrilla garden. The plants looked pretty healthy this season, and I have been taking pictures of the flowers all season. Unfortunately, I needed to keep my eye on the stalks. I noticed on 8/14/16 that the stalks were ripped apart. Further exploration revealed that my plants had been attacked by squash borers. I will be writing an article about this in the near future. Here is a summary of the three zucchini plants in the guerrilla garden. Plants Assessment Zucchini Three plants planted in this space Squash borers detected and removed on 8/14/16 Added compost around the stalks on 8/15/16 in an effort to assist the zucchini to grow new roots Wicking Beds and Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow Systems [caption id="attachment_936" align="aligncenter" width="600"] This is an older photo; the cucumbers are almost to the top of the trellis - 8/2/16[/caption] The wicking bed and Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow System (HRGGS) are both showing their value and abilities. I have a great crop of peppers, cucumbers and jalapenos coming from these two systems. The plants in the wicking bed are VERY healthy and producing a bumper crop of green peppers and cucumbers! Posts will be coming in the near future with my thoughts on each system and how to build these systems. A summary of each system is provided below. System Plant Assessment HRGGS Jalapenos The surviving jalapenos are really productive Many blossoms and fruit already HRGGS Green Peppers Green peppers have struggled in the HRGGS due to soil conditions Plants are growing and are starting to bear fruit Not as healthy or productive as the wicking bed HRGGS Dill Rabbit ate the seedlings down Dill has rebounded nicely and is growing rapidly Wicking Bed Cucumbers Cucumbers are simply loving the wicking bed Plants are growing rapidly and almost as tall as the trellis Each plant has blossoms Harvested two 6" cucumbers already Wicking Bed Green Peppers Green peppers are growing rapidly (almost 4' tall) Several plants have multiple peppers on them Growing the largest pepper I have ever grown with this system Watch If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then a video showing the gardens are worth millions. I have posted two videos on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel (which you should subscribe to and share with your friends), but you can watch them right here. Garden Update https://youtu.be/3mFledD3efc Wicking Bed/Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow System Update https://youtu.be/2lMrk8Z-ngM Listen You can listen to the Garden Update Podcast by clicking on the player below. You can also use the following link to listen to the Garden Update Podcast on iTunes. If you are using iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on 5 stars. Subscribe to the podcast! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Charles Hugh Smith - S1E13 In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I had the opportunity to interview Charles Hugh Smith. He is an entrepreneur, author, blogger, podcaster and gardener. Charles started the Of Two Minds blog in 2005, and his "side project of self-expression" has mushroomed into a 3,500 page website that has generated 20 million page views! According to Charles, "the blog is #7 in CNBC's top alternative financial sites, and is republished on numerous popular sites such as Zero Hedge, Financial Sense, and David Stockman’s Contra Corner. I am frequently interviewed by alternative media personalities such as Max Keiser, and am a contributing writer on peakprosperity.com." Fortunately for me, Charles is on a podcast with our good friend Drew Sample. Drew mentioned Small Scale Life, and Charles agreed to come on the podcast. I was really excited to have Charles on the show. I had read some of his posts on Zero Hedge over the years and found him to be a very good writer and deep thinker. In addition, Charles has a garden and some fruit trees, so naturally he had to come on the Small Scale Life Podcast! Charles and I discussed the following topics during the show: Gardening Tribes Networks Jobs in the New Economy Mincome (Minimum Income) Healthy Lifestyle Sustainable Lifestyle What is Small Scale Life really all about? And much, much more! As you listen to the podcast, you might find that I did a fair share of talking. Charles has a way of interviewing the interviewer! I thought that was a pretty interesting turn of the events. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this podcast and learn more about Charles and me! Thank You [caption id="attachment_907" align="aligncenter" width="675"] Charles and his wife make pies from his peach trees in his yard. It looks awesome![/caption] It was great that Charles Hugh Smith spent some time with us at the Small Scale Life Podcast. He is a deep thinking guy with a lot of ideas, and his analysis is really interesting. I will be reading some of his books to learn more about meaningful work in the new emerging economy, why things are falling apart and what we can do about it , and about survival when times get turbulent and tough. Again, thank you, Charles, for your time and patience waiting for this podcast to be published. You can come back on the Small Scale Life Podcast at any time! Thank you, Drew Sample, for mentioning Small Scale Life to Charles. I appreciate it, my friend, and I hope to return the favor! I would also like to thank Austin from Beatsby_Roi for providing permission for using the song “Steady Wzdm” from The Lemon Water Chronicles, Volume 1, on the podcast. I would also like to thank Dillon from The Soapbox Collective Podcast for helping to connect with Austin. Links [caption id="attachment_908" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Charles Hugh Smith's latest book available on Amazon.com in print and Kindle[/caption] Charles Hugh Smith and I talked about the following links during the podcast: Charles Hugh Smith from Of Two Minds Charles Hugh Smith's Books For Sale on Amazon.com Drew Sample from The Sample Hour US Army's Basic Training Physical Fitness Test Scott Hebert from Flavourful Farms Sabastian Junger's Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging Jack Spriko's The Survival Podcast Bring Danny Home Blog - Story of Finding My Son in 2015 Friend of Small Scale Life Podcast In this Episode, I talk about the following friends of the Small Scale Life Podcast: Condo to Compound Blog - Jay Dolan's journey from an urban/suburban life to a rural life. Failing Forward Profitable Urban Farming - Drew Sample and Scott Hebert's weekly podcast about success, failures and life as an urban farmer. Reconnaissance Man - Aaron Clarey's latest book for today's youth where he recommends that the Reconnaissance Man (or Woman) takes the time to explore this country, not just to see what this country has to offer, but to find out who they are, where they belong, and what they really want out of life. Listen Use the following link to listen to the podcast. Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on 5 stars. Subscribe to the podcast! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Gardenchat with Bren Haas - S1E12 When I started Small Scale Gardening in 2014, I wandered into the world of Twitter to see what it was all about. On some Monday night, I found my way onto GardenChat session and discovered a tribe of really fantastic gardeners. The leader of this tribe was a very interesting woman named Bren Haas. Over the past year, we have had a lot of fun getting to know each other and sharing information, and I have had the opportunity to be a guest writer on her blog and host a session of #Gardenchat! Bren is a gardener, blogger, podcaster, "people collector" and all around great person. On her rural property in Ohio, Bren and her husband have a variety of gardens, a pond, a greenhouse and a Bio Dome! At the same time, her blog and social media empire keeps her very busy online, but she has a great blog full of interesting gardening articles and fantastic recipes. Her recipes have even been recognized and published by Better Homes and Gardens! I asked Bren to be a guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast, and in late June we had an opportunity to sit down and chat. In this podcast, we talked about the following topics: Rural Living Finding Rural Property Ponds and Fish Internet Availability Pests (Deer, Rabbits and Gophers - oh my!) Gardening Introduction to Growing (and Killing) Plants Her Gardens Hatred of Weeding Her Greenhouse Her Bio Dome Future Projects Blogging and Podcasting Interviews and People Collecting Recipes What She's Learned Check out latest on the Bio Dome here! https://www.instagram.com/p/BHtGG_wDXEC/?taken-by=bggarden&hl=en Thank You We appreciate the time Bren Haas spent with us on the Small Scale Life Podcast. I apologize that it took a month to post this podcast! Thank you for your patience. Bren was a fantastic guest: really fun to talk with and totally on the same wavelength. I really appreciated her insights about rural living and the tips she provided to me (and now all of you). I wish her the best of luck in the garden, in her Bio Dome, and on her social media empire, and I hope she will be back on the show someday in the future. After all, we need to see how that Bio Dome is working out! I would also like to thank Austin from Beatsby_Roi for providing permission for using the song "Steady Wzdm" from The Lemon Water Chronicles, Volume 1, on the podcast. I would also like to thank Dillon from The Soapbox Collective Podcast for helping to connect with Austin. Links https://www.instagram.com/p/BGQEsV6B394/?taken-by=bggarden&hl=en Bren Haas and I talked about the following links during the podcast (and there were a lot of them): Creative Living & Growing with Bren - Bren's blog and links to her podcast Gardenchat Twitter Page - Gardenchat happens on 9 PM Eastern on Mondays Creative Living & Growing with Bren Twitter Page Creative Living & Growing Podcast - Bren's Podcast Creative Living & Growing YouTube Channel Creative Living & Growing with Bren Facebook Page Creative Living & Growing with Bren Instagram Page Garden Blogger's Fling Scot Poirier from Gotta Grow It! Niki Jabbour from Savvy Gardening Pam Tallon and Growing North Drew Sample from The Sample Hour Scott Hebert from Flavourful Farms Charles Hugh Smith from Of Two Minds Listen Use the following link to listen to the podcast. Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on 5 stars. Subscribe to the podcast! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Get Out of Your Rut - S1E11 For the past month, I have been in a rut. From the outside, people would not really know it since I keep smiling and trying to move forward. Some things converged together and hit me like a tidal wave. It came to a head on the week of Memorial Day, and I have been getting out of my rut since. In this podcast, I talk about what I am doing and what I have learned along the way, and maybe this will help you get out of your rut and moving forward. This is a difficult podcast for me to post, and I struggled with putting it out there for a couple reasons: I had some technical issues with my laptop that delayed my posting of this podcast This is a very personal podcast, and I hesitated posting it Believe it or not, I don't like talking about what goes on in my head. I keep things pretty close. My friend Drew Sample told me that I needed to share it because there lessons to be learned from this experience. I agreed and decided that it was important to me to share this with you. Take from it what you will, and hopefully you will get out of your rut too. Let's get the funk out! Life is too short and too beautiful to be down in the dumps! [caption id="attachment_803" align="aligncenter" width="2592"] Sunset in Colorado Springs, Colorado - June 2015[/caption] Thank You Thank you, listeners, family, friends and followers, for hanging in there during this month. Stay tuned because more great stuff is coming! Thank you, special people in my life, for lending a helping hand with encouragement and kind words. Really, you guys are the best, and I appreciate you. For those of you in a rut and struggling, find a good, kind person and lean on them. It really does help to look at your problems and issues through a different prism and perspective. You might find a new path forward or a new solution to your problem. I would like to thank Austin from Beatsby_Roi for providing permission for using the song “Steady Wzdm” from The Lemon Water Chronicles, Volume 1, on the podcast. I would also like to thank Dillon from The Soapbox Collective Podcast for his assistance. Links I have two links for you today, and these are for friends of the Small Scale Life Podcast: Jen Semmler from Young Living Essential Oils - Jen is your representative for all nature essential oils. Please contact her through Facebook to order yours today. Let Jen know that you heard about her from the Small Scale Life Podcast. The Sample Hour Podcast - My friends Drew Sample and Scott Hebert continue to fail forward to succeed at life on the Sample Hour Podcast. Check out their podcast today! They laugh, they cry, they sing and they take off their shirts just for you. https://www.instagram.com/p/BGVa7YnHSFA/?taken-by=flavourfulfarms&hl=en If you would like to advertise your product or service on the Small Scale Life Podcast, please contact me at realsmallscalelife [at] gmail [dot] com. Listen Use the following link to listen to the podcast. Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on 5 stars. Subscribe to the podcast! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Urban Farming and Podcasting with Drew Sample - S1E10 In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I interview Drew Sample about urban farming and podcasting. Initially inspired by Joe Rogan's podcast, Drew Sample started his own podcast called The Sample Hour. Initially, it was mainly focused on comedy and stand-up comedians. After becoming interested in permaculture and urban farming, Drew shifted the focus of The Sample Hour. After more than 112 episodes, Drew feels that he is hitting his niche interviewing permaculture and urban farmers (sounds familiar). Drew and our recent guest Scott Hebert have a weekly podcast where they talk the problems, solutions and progress they are making on their urban farming operations. In addition, Drew has interviewed some very interesting people on his podcast including Curtis Stone, Jean Martin-Fortier, Charles Hugh Smith, Jack Spirko, Diego Footer, Rob Kaiser, Paul Wheaton, Matt Powers, Grant Schultz, Luke Callahan and others. That is a lot of brain power right there (and a lot of links), and I highly recommend you listen to those interviews (after you listen to this one). Drew started his urban farm in 2015 after determining that he "needed to get outside more" and finding that urban gardening was a path forward. The interesting thing is that his urban farm is on property that he rents in Columbus, Ohio. His farm is called Capital City Gardens, and he is working in cooperation with Heirloom Produce (owned and operated by a life-long friend Joel). Drew is learning how to operate his urban farm with help from his friend Joel, Scott Hebert and from Curtis Stone's Profitable Urban Farming course. This is his first year of " urban farming really intensely." [caption id="attachment_727" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Drew's urban farm is located in his backyard in Columbus, Ohio; he is a renter just like me![/caption] Drew stated in this episode that he was going to start publishing videos on his YouTube Channel. True to form, he did publish a good quality, great sounding video where he talks about permaculture with Steve Harbolt at Sawyer-Ludwig Park in Marion, Ohio. https://youtu.be/hCiuwpk3rxc Thank You We appreciate the time Drew spent with us on the Small Scale Life Podcast. We wish him the best of luck for his urban farming and podcasting operations this season. I hope to have Drew back on the podcast in the future to follow-up with him about the urban farm. I would also like to thank Austin from Beatsby_Roi for providing permission for using the song "Steady Wzdm" from The Lemon Water Chronicles, Volume 1, on the podcast. I would also like to thank Dillon from The Soapbox Collective Podcast for his assistance. Links Drew and I talked about the following links during the podcast (and there were a lot of them): The Sample Hour - Drew Sample's blog and podcast platform; also home to Drew and Scott Hebert's weekly podcast The Sample Hour's Facebook Page The Sample Hour's YouTube Page The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast Curtis Stone's "The Urban Farmer" - Book and online course - Keep in mind Drew offers a 10% discount Curtis Stone's Green City Acres - Urban Farm Curtis Stone's YouTube Channel - Great tips and videos Permaculture Voices with Diego Footer - Great podcasts about permaculture and profitable urban farming Will Allen's Growing Power Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm and books Food Inc. - Documentary film John Martin Fortier's "The Market Farmer" book and blog Jack Spirko's The Survival Podcast Ben Hartman's "Lean Farm" book Back to Eden Paul Wheaton - The Duke of Permaculture Ramps - What are they? Little John in Sheboygan, Wisconsin - Drew's most recent interview with Little John Grant Schultz from VersaLand.com - Grant's YouTube Channel Eric Schultz - Farmer to Farmer Podcast Charles Hugh Smith's Of Two Minds Blog Listen Use the following link to listen to the podcast. Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on 5 stars. Subscribe to the podcast! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
Urban Farming with Scott Hebert - S1E9 Scott Hebert starting urban farming in 2015 in Chilliwack, British Columbia. A year ago, Scott was working at his dad's cabinet shop, and when his dad announced that the shop was closing, Scott knew he had to find a new path forward. After losing 60 pounds on his own weight loss journey, had an interest in growing healthy food. At that point, he started his urban farm called Flavourful Farms. Using his previous experience using coaches in Mixed Martial Arts, Scott reached out to an urban farming expert that lived two hours away: Curtis Stone. Paying a consulting fee, Scott visited Curtis and spent the day with him, looking at this urban farming operation and asking questions. Of course, Scott had done his homework beforehand, and he asked a lot of questions and walked away with a lot of answers. During the podcast, Scott and I discuss urban farm, his creativity and his artwork. Scott has sold some of his art to customers and used it in his kickstarter campaign. One picture that we discussed was the recent picture he created of a dog (pictured below). He was able to create this for a customer, and Scott got some satisfaction knowing that his creation would always be part of the dog's owner's life. [caption id="attachment_666" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Scott drew this picture for a customer - 5/4/16[/caption] During the podcast, Scott and I discuss his cart made out of spare parts and scraps. He did some more work on it this week, and he posted this video on his Flavourful Farms Instagram site. It is a very creative build! Nice work, Scott. https://www.instagram.com/p/BFDKBbWnSPm/?taken-by=flavourfulfarms Links Scott and I talked about the following links during the podcast: Flavourful Farms website - Scott's main website Flavourful Farms on Instagram - Great photos, and Scott updates it regularly Flavourful Farms on Facebook - Scott's farming page The Sample Hour - Drew Sample and Scott Hebert's weekly podcast Curtis Stone's "The Urban Farmer" - Book and online course Curtis Stone's Green City Acres - Urban Farm Curtis Stone's YouTube Channel - Great tips and videos Permaculture Voices with Diego Footer - Great podcasts about permaculture and profitable urban farming Scott Hebert's interview on Permaculture Voices - Diego Footer and Curtis Stone interview Scott Hebert about urban farming Dan Barber Ted Talks - Dan Barber talks about fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain Listen Use the following link to listen to the podcast. Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. Ratings and reviews help us grow the podcast and the blog, and I appreciate your reviews. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on 5 stars. Subscribe to the podcast! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review!
How to Lose 70 Pounds - S1E8 Part 2 of the Cows and Kettlebells Podcast is focused on how to lose 70 pounds. As part of Jay's training, he was focused on getting in shape and losing weight. As you'll find out, it takes commitment, consistency, focus and in Jay's case, a kick in the rear from instructors. Diet is a key component of weight loss, and Jay discusses his diet and eating regimen. Jay's tips for starting to work out are the following: Consistency. This is crucial. You are going to have days where you don’t want to workout. You must push through those feelings and complete your workout. The phrase that we all use “life gets in the way” is complete baloney. If anything, run in place for a minute at a time. Try it for ten minutes. Lifestyle Change and Commitment. There’s a ton of stuff out there that makes working out a huge presentation. There’s a reason: they’re trying to make you feel like you’re part of a tribe, like you belong to something. With that membership to the tribe comes commitment. You have to make a commitment to the tribe, but more importantly, you must make a commitment to yourself. Make the change in your lifestyle, and then commit to it. Hydrate. Drink water before, during and after your workouts, especially if you are sore. Form is key. Weight is just resistance. Learn the basics from others around you. Ask questions about form and practice the fundamentals of what you are learning. Top tier athletes and exercise professionals got there for a reason, and most of the time, they are willing to share their knowledge and help a new person. Make sure you learn before you jump on a weight machine or throw weight around. Do the research and learn from others; otherwise, you might hurt yourself. Safety is key. Make it fun. This is supposed to be a complete lifestyle change, right? That means to keep committed to the lifestyle in the long term, you need to make it fun and interesting. If you are bored with the same old routine on a treadmill, you will quit. Try new things. Go hiking, walk around a lake, try swimming, go kayaking, take ballroom dance lessons, do something fun. As your endurance improves, the world will open up to you, so take advantage of it and go have an adventure! This lifestyle is meant to improve your life, not be a burden. As Jay hit his stride, he became hungry for exercise after three weeks. He took up Jiu Jitsu as a way to burn calories and learn new things. He stressed to go and try something that makes you feel uncomfortable. You may end up in shape and with a hobby or skills that might raise the eyebrow of more than one person. Great job, Jay. That is quite an accomplishment to lose 70 pounds. Thank you for being an excellent guest for these two podcasts! Let us know when you have your new blog up and running! Links Buying Rural Property - Cows and Kettlebells Part 1 - Small Scale Life Podcast Season 1, Episode 7 Tabata Workouts - 20 second bursts of exercise and rest for 10 seconds and repeat those exercises for 8 cycles Military Cadence - Collection of cadence from the US Army. There are others out there. Hooah! A special thanks to Austin from BeatsbyRoi for providing permission for using the song "Steady Wzdm" from The Lemonwater Chronicles, Volume 1, on the podcast. Austin has a new track called Feels Right that is really great; check it out Also a special thanks to Dillon from The Soapbox Collective Podcast for helping set the music up. https://youtu.be/0j2gXojBgag?list=PLPEiSZ4B9K6rI-MJUUjtxa4LoEKBHiyV Listen Use the following link to listen to the podcast. Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on 5 stars. Subscribe! You can also write a longer review, though it’s not
Cowbells and Kettlebells Part 1 - S1E7 My friend Jay is back on the Small Scale Life Podcast! Jay and I recorded a two-part series called "Cowbells and Kettlebells," and in this episode, we discuss Jay's vision of buying and owning rural property. Specifically, we discuss the following topics: Why purchase rural property? What is your vision for this property? What are you looking for as you start to look at rural property (i.e., features and characteristics)? Will you need to commute to your job? What kind of a commute are you willing to tolerate? What are you seeing in your market? Is rural property available? What does it look like? What advice/tips do you have for others? Throughout this episode, we discuss permaculture concepts (i.e., hugelkulture mounds and small scale food forests). I also sprinkle in some of my (and Julie's) thoughts about our future rural property, and I learned a few new things from Jay during the course of this podcast as well. My take-away from this podcast is that I will be doing some research about farm credits and agriculture-based credits, grants and loans. That could be very beneficial for our future plans, and I have a feeling some other folks in the MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Facebook Group would be interested as well! [caption id="attachment_589" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] I interviewed Jay from the cab of a fire truck (this is a random picture). I have to think that is a first in the podcasting world![/caption] I would also like to note that the first part of this podcast was recorded from the cab of a fire engine. I don't think there is another podcast in the world that can make that claim! We did have to re-record part of this podcast since there was activity in the fire station that interrupted the show. Links The following sites and links were discussed during this podcast: Small Scale Life Season 1, Episode 6 - What is a Sustainable Life? Small Scale Gardening Blog Ben Falk's The Resilient Farm and Homestead book Jack Spirko Member Support Brigade Jack Spirko Episode 1764 - Small Scale Food Forestry Homes for Heroes - Hero Rewards®, rebates, and discounts for firefighters, emergency medical professionals, military and veterans, law enforcement, teachers and healthcare workers when buying, selling, or refinancing a home. A special thanks to Austin from Beatsby_Roi for providing permission for using the song "Steady Wzdm" from The Lemonwater Chronicles, Volume 1, on the podcast. Austin has a new track called Feels Right that is really great; check it out! Also a special thanks to Dillon from The Soapbox Collective Podcast for helping set the music up. Listen Use the following link to listen to the podcast. Since we are now on iTunes, please rate and review the Small Scale Life Podcast. You can leave a review by following these simple steps: Click on this link. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on 5 stars. Subscribe!
What is a Sustainable Life? - S1E6 After a bit of a break in March, the Small Scale Life Podcast is back! Before we posted another episode, I needed to get some infrastructure in place that would allow this podcast to be placed on iTunes. This is the official reboot of the podcast, and we are looking forward to more episodes in Awesome April. In this episode, I discuss the elements of my vision of a sustainable life including the following topics: Mission of the Small Scale Life Podcast and Blog What is a Sustainable Life (in my view)? The definition of sustainable The three pillars of sustainability (economics, social development and the environment) How that definition and the three pillars relate to what we are doing on Small Scale Life Healthy Living Economics and Frugal Living Gardening Adventures and Having Fun Restarting and Rebounding after Failure Awesome April and the 2nd Annual Salsa Contest All of the elements that I discuss are related to the Core Principles I described on the About Page of the Blog. You can see those principles here. Finally, we are really excited that we have a fantastic logo and other key infrastructure in place that will help us upload this podcast to iTunes. Thank you, Jenny (you know who you are), for all of your hard work and creativity on this effort! Links During the podcast, I discuss the following links: Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow Systems on Small Scale Gardening Septoria Leaf Spot on Small Scale Life Organic Gardener Podcast - I will be a guest on the show this week Gallant Garden in Charlevoix, Michigan (Gallant Gardens' Facebook Page) Flavourful Farms in Chilliwak, British Columbia (Flavourful Farms' Facebook Page) MN-WI Regenerative Agriculture Group Small Scale Gardening Facebook Group Regenerative Agriculture Group Check those links out; there are some really fantastic people out there living sustainable lives and getting stuff done! Your Turn What is your definition of a sustainable life? How will you achieve it? Will you achieve it in the near future? I would love to hear from you. Also, if you would like to enter the 2nd Annual Homemade Salsa Fiesta Contest, please send me an e-mail at realsmallscalelife [at] gmail [dot] com. Remember: the contest will be held on Earth Day Weekend, so contact me soon! Finally, review this podcast on iTunes. It will help us grow!
Season 1, Episode 5: How to Grow Seeds Indoors - Small Scale Life Podcast In an effort to maximize our potential harvest and start planning spring planting, I have started some tomatoes, lettuce, kale and lettuce in the basement. I discuss my techniques for how to grow seeds indoors in Season 1, Episode 5 of the Small Scale Life podcast. Why Start Seeds Now? Spring is right around the corner, everyone! Depending where you live in the world, it might not feel like it as February comes to close. In our house, we have started thinking forward to the 2016 Gardening Campaign. In addition, I kicked off the Grow What You Eat Challenge by planting the leafy greens (lettuce, spinach and kale). I am excited to see if I can grow enough leafy greens to effectively take that off our grocery list...permanently. At the same time, Julie reminded me that I always am kicking myself that I waited too long to start seeds. I quietly disagreed, but she showed me the articles I wrote about starting seeds early in 2015 and in 2014 (on the Small Scale Gardening blog). I had to agree with her. She is really on her game this week, but I will reserve that for another post or podcast. I mention or discuss the following sites and articles in this podcast: Small Scale Life Blog – www.smallscalelife.com Small Scale Gardening Blog: Starting Seeds Indoors – http://www.smallscalegardening.com/2015/05/14/start-seeds-indoors/ Small Scale Life Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/SmallScaleLife Small Scale Gardening Group Page – www.facebook.com/groups/821558261269485
In this episode, I discuss the following topics: 1) Further discussion about transitioning from Small Scale Gardening to Small Scale Life. Facebook has been a bit slow due to rules in place for pages, but that change should occur this weekend. UPDATE: I made the change on Valentines Day 2016. 2) I am kicking off the Growing Green Challenge this weekend. For this challenge, I am going to grow enough greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, etc.) in my basement to effectively knock those items off our grocery list. I am setting up and planting the first round of greens on Valentines Day weekend. Links: I mention or discuss the following sites and articles in this podcast: Small Scale Life Blog - www.smallscalelife.com Small Scale Gardening Blog - www.smallscalegardening.com Small Scale Life Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/SmallScaleLife Small Scale Gardening Group Page - www.facebook.com/groups/821558261269485 Beatsby_Roi Lemon Water Chronicles Volume 1 - Beatsbyroi – Lemon-water-chronicles-vol-i
In this podcast, Jay and I discuss the following topics: 1) Blog Merger - Why I decided to merge smallscalelife.com and smallscalegardening.com 2) Snow Apocalypse 2016 - Snowstorm that hit the Eastern Seaboard and how people are not prepared for a life's disasters. The photo on the cover for this podcast is Jay's from the snowstorm 3) Jon Acuff's Three Questions for 2016 - setting a path for success in the new year 4) Learn Do Grow - What are we doing over the next week? Links in this podcast: I mention or discuss the following sites and articles in this podcast: 1) Small Scale Life Blog - www.smallscalelife.com 2) Small Scale Gardening Blog - www.smallscalegardening.com 3) Jay's A Crash Into Life Blog - acrashintolife.wordpress.com/ 4) Beatsby_Roi Lemon Water Chronicles Volume 1 - Beatsbyroi – Lemon-water-chronicles-vol-i
In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discuss my background in gardening and where I am focusing my gardening efforts in 2016. The theme this year is "Grow What You Eat," and I am reducing the variety of vegetables and herbs I will grow to 1) focus on becoming a better at growing things our family eats and 2) reduce the amount of vegetables and herbs that are wasted each year. Links for this podcast: 1) Small Scale Life Blog - www.smallscalelife.com 2) Small Scale Gardening - www.smallscalegardening.com 3) Cranberry-Jalapeno Jelly - http://www.smallscalegardening.com/2016/01/13/how-to-make-roll-tide-cranberry-jalapeno-jelly/ 4) Indoor Gardening - http://www.smallscalegardening.com/2014/12/02/indoor-gardening-made-easy/ 5) March of the Aphids - http://www.smallscalegardening.com/2015/01/19/2015-failure-march-of-the-aphids/ 6) Square Foot Gardening - http://squarefootgardening.org/ 7) Beatsby_Roi Lemon Water Chronicles Volume 1 - https://soundcloud.com/beatsbyroi/lemon-water-chronicles-vol-i 8) Jay's A Crash Into Life Blog - https://acrashintolife.wordpress.com/
Introduction Podcast to Small Scale Life This is a "reboot" of the introduction podcast for Small Scale Life. In April of 2016, I adjusted the sound quality and cleaned up the podcast. Small Scale Life is a podcast and blog dedicated to learning, doing, and growing. We hope to inspire you to learn new skills, complete projects and grow mentally, and physically. We are all about getting stuff done, particularly when it comes to fitness, weight loss, finances, gardening, preserving the harvest and adventure. In this Podcast.... In this podcast, Jay and I introduce ourselves, discuss the vision and goals of the podcast and discuss three questions asked by Jon Acuff about 2016. We will discuss the answers to those questions in Season 1, Episode 3. In addition, Jay and I discussed the Kwitchyerbellyakin Fitness Challenge. This is a fitness challenge designed for all types of people from beginners to seasoned fitness veterans. It is a points scoring system based on duration of exercise. There will be weekly winners (you can only win one week) and overall winners. Registration closes on January 5, 2016, and see Small Scale Life (smallscalelife.com) for more information. Thank you! A special thanks goes to the following people: Dillon from The Soapbox Collective Podcast (http://thesoapboxcollectivepodcast.com/) and his brother Austin from Beatsby_Roi for providing permission for using The Lemonwater Chronicles, Volume 1, on the podcast (https://soundcloud.com/beatsbyroi/lemon-water-chronicles-vol-i). Check out their work! Jay for being a great co-host. Check his blog out at A Crash Into Life Blog - https://acrashintolife.wordpress.com/ My wife Julie from Julia's Blooms (http://www.juliasblooms.com/)who has believes in the concept, shares my vision and supports my quest for achieving a Small Scale Life.