Jason Snyder of Doomer Optimism shares stories of how his family in NC weathered Hurricane Helene and what he is doing to regeneratively recover from the aftermath.
What are you doing to put your garden to bed for the winter time? Maybe you are luck and your growing season is still in swing. We are nearing the first frost date. It has been too hot and dry for my Fall greens to germinate so I will need to start them in the greenhouse, where they can grow until Jan or Feb. How do you clean up your garden beds? For Milpa beds, I chop and drop the beans and other plants for mulch, cover with a little compost, and then some woodchips. Listen on your fave Podcast …
Lindsay Brandon, CEO and Permaculture Consultant at Permaculture Canada joins me to share about Armagarden, her new project to integrate community design into the permaculture design.
With tough times, more people are looking for homestead property, or to add gardens, fruit trees to be more self sufficient.
Kerry Brown of Strong Roots Resources joins me to share tips to find your homestead property.
Should you have a separate LLC for each project or side hustle? My friend, an independent film producer, joins me to talk about LLCs (and lots of film stuff).
New health challenges require Homestead Padre to rethink and redesign his garden to adapt to those changes. Mediterranean Diet Padre shares about IBS and Crohn’s Disease. After some health issues, Homestead Padre and his wife are adopting the Mediterranean Diet. Unlike American Italian Food, the Mediterranean Diet is heavy emphasis on vegetables, seafood, lean meats, fat from olive oil, and whole wheat pasta (if they have pasta). Padre is realigning his garden around those foods. Changing what he will grow in his garden – based on new dietary needs. Come and listen to how he plans out his journey. Listen …
Try to go without your phone for a few hours, or even the whole day. Like most people, I reach for my phone when there is any break in the conversation, when a commercial comes on TV, or when I am even slightly bored. We are constantly connected. There is very little time in our day when we are not interacting with the screen. It is leading to attention disruption and anxiety (especially when constantly scrolling social media). We are the most connected society, yet people feel isolated and alone. And depression is an epidemic. When I go to a …
Scott the Little Pine Farmer on Twitter is back with me and we are talking about his bakery and how he favors “Why don’t you come down to this market or deliver to the boutique in the city? We want to feed our neighborhood first.” Scott the Little Pine Farmer It’s all about the goal: “The overarching goal is to stay home, produce value, and have people bring us money.” Reaching that goal through: Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Be the Gray Man and Build Alternative …
Grow Food, Not Lawns I hate mowing the grass. I especially hate mowing the grass along the quarter mile driveway at my homestead. I haven’t mowed it in years. But I now see it as a missed opportunity to plant more garden beds and food forest beds instead of (prairie) grass. Grow Food, Not Lawns, right? How you create a new garden bed depends on what time of the year it is. Most people sheet mulch by covering an area with cardboard, then layers of compost and woodchips. This works well, but only if you do it in the Fall …
You don’t hear this permaculture message very often: Start Simple. Usually people are watching videos of Geoff Lawton and planning swales and dams and grafting, and… Cormac Harkin of Vine Permaculture starts his consults with basic questions: He starts people out simply, with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and then adds on from there: Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Cormac does a Free Food Forest Abundance planning session as well. Contact him at [email protected]. Subscribe to the Vine Permaculture Newsletter. Check out the Vine Permaculture Podcast …
Joseph Lofthouse is the author of Landrace Gardening: Food Security through Biodiversity and Promiscuous Pollination. Landrace Gardening Landrace gardening is adapting crops to your land and climate, and then saving seeds, while also selecting for the best flavor, color, and pest and disease resistance. Joseph lives in the high mountains of Utah – a mountain valley with cold air coming down out of the mountains, yet sun almost every day in the Summer, and low humidity. He grows for the farmers market and for himself and friends, and with a shorter season and these conditions he had difficulty growing warm …
A lot of people are talking about Civil War lately. There is even a big budget movie coming out in April 2024 that depicts CW2. In the movie trailer, a guy in camo points a rifle at the main characters, journalists, and says, “What kind of American are you?” That clip from the movie trailer has become a meme online, especially on Twitter. “What kind of American are you?” seems to be the theme of 2024. Cyprian (aka Vin Armani) and I talk about the ramifications of this, from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving …
Positive Solutions in a Tough Labor Market You are in a social gathering, like church or some other social function, and the question comes up: “What do you do?” (for a living). How do you respond? Most people answer: “I am (this role) at XYZ company”. But what is that really saying? You have boxed yourself into a role. And you (perhaps inadvertently) declared your allegiance to your current company. It is better to say: “I am a (role), currently working at XYZ company.” This is subtle, but it leaves the door open. I have seen a person react with, …
Build Your Own Brand “Time is the most precious asset that I have. And I decided that my time needed to go into building my own brand, not their brand. Numero uno comes first.” John McCoy In this episode, John McCoy and I discuss creating content and building your own brand. John McCoy is a freelance blogger and owner of JustEnoughSEO.com. John was on Ep. 75 – How to Reinvent Yourself as Freelancer. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Surfer SEO app (and most SEO tools) prod …
My Lessons Learned from Using Flippa to Buy Websites You’re looking for a side hustle. What if you could buy a mini business that already has a website created for you? It’s either a startup site or an established site that has traffic and maybe even a little bit of income already. Background on using Flippa.com Flippa.com is an auction site to buy websites. It is similar to eBay – everything is an auction. It has Buy It Now, it has a reserve price, it has bids. If you win, then you work it out with the seller to transfer …
Tips on Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet and other ways to deal with Hashimoto’s – from our own personal experiences. Ryan Mitchel Brown joins me again as we talk about my/our experiences with autoimmune disease. Ryan was on the podcast in Ep. 94 – Thriving and Overcoming Autoimmune Disease. I decided to record an episode on my Hashimoto’s autoimmune disease and restarting the AIP diet, and Ryan was the perfect guest to join me to discuss it. I have Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Disease – where the body attacks the thyroid. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune thyroid disease leading to progressive damage and …
How to develop skills while doing your side hustle Toolman Tim and I talk about how to develop skills while doing your side hustle. Lots of side hustle tips in this episode! It was -46 in Canada in mid-January. What it is like living in a mobile home in -46. Note that Celsius and Fahrenheit merge at -40. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Skills Over Stuff Practice with your equipment when the weather is good. “You don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your level …
Tips on How to Handle Imposter Syndrome…and January It’s the doldrums of January. Christmas has passed. Deer season is over and I didn’t get a deer. Although I love the snow. I can’t do anything when it’s zero degrees outside and 25 mph wind like it is today. Like many of you, I’m starting to get the seed catalogs and I’m starting to plan my garden, even though I really need to stay in the moment and embrace this season. We live in a world where we want permanence, but we buy stuff that breaks – and we do it …
With Brendan from Posterity Ciderworks Brendan from Posterity Ciderworks tells stories of how he finds neglected heirloom apple trees on long forgotten homesteads in California and uses them in his cider. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Posterity Ciderworks (all images are courtesy Posterity Ciderworks) Apple Treasure Hunt Brendan’s pics on Twitter were like watching an apple treasure hunt reality show. Posterity Cider on Twitter/X Quince – the Homesteaders Secret Did you know that heritage homesteads had 1 or 2 Quince trees – to be used to …
Our memories are at times bittersweet Homestead Padre and Grant Payne join me and we share our Christmas memories and traditions. Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. For Homestead Padre and his family, their holiday season starts when eggnog becomes available in the store. They put their tree up in October. They also celebrate Hannukah. In Lawrence in NE Kansas, they light the Christmas lights on the evening of Black Friday. The fire department mock rescues Santa from the roof of the department store on Mass Street. (there is so much hidden meaning in that, but that is …
Why would a tattooed atheist Texas firefighter become an Orthodox Christian? Buck Johnson from the Counter Flow Podcast joins me as we share our stories. Why are so many of the people that we know becoming Orthodox? Vin Armani/Cyprian, Matt Erickson (Kingpilled on Twitter and the Kingpilled Podcast), and the guy I started the podcast with – Perpend. Is there some connection between libertarianism and Orthodox Christianity? (Some jokingly call it the “Libertarian to Orthodoxy Pipeline”). Why did Perpend go off to become a monk? Buck and I share our stories on how we both became Orthodox in the last …
Failure is part of homesteading “My father in law has a saying: ‘you can do anything you want, but you can’t do everything you want. There’s always an opportunity cost and tradeoff for the things that you do or don’t do.’” John Sutton from Sutton Homestead joins me and shares about their homesteading on 7 acres in Eastern idaho. Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify “Homesteading is a lifestyle we love to live, food that we love to eat, and a garden is our gym.” John has cows, 15-20 chickens, and orchards. If …
It takes a Holler Neighborhood Nicole Sauce from Living Free In Tennessee and NicoleSauce.com shares stories of intentional community. People that knew Nicole from workshops, her podcast, and online community moved into the holler neighborhood. They established a neighborhood culture where they share a common vision and goals and do projects together and watch out and take care of each other. How did they align on vision and goals, while handling boundaries and conflict? Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Intentional Community This video for this episode …
You’re not as far along as you thought you would be? It’s OK. Matt from FarmHopLife Podcast (FarmHopLife.com) joins me as we talk about developing patience. “We are coming up on 4 years in this house…and we still just have chickens and a half-assed garden. I thought that we would be farther along by now. But also in that time my wife beat cancer and we had two kids, so there are big steps in between, and it’s OK.” Matt Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify This …
The Return to Victory Gardens How would you Thrive in WW2-style rationing of food and fuel? Christopher de Vidal from SecureCoop.com joins me. Get in on the Early Bird Pre-Sale of Secure Coop. use “THRIVING” at checkout for $20 off. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Homesteading in Florida First, we discuss Christopher’s homesteading in Florida. Then at 17:00 we dive into the topic: How would you Thrive in WW2-style rationing of food and fuel? We are inarguably in wars that could become a world war. And …
How to Build a Nursery Side Hustle with Grant Payne – Part 2 This episode has tips that you can also use on your homestead to save and propagate trees and plants, with enough abundance to sell the extras. Create your own nursery side hustle, Did you know that figs are pollinated by a wasp, who dies in the flower and is absorbed? Seeds have memory Seeds and trees have “memory”. They thrived and reproduced in a certain climate. Often when you buy trees, seeds, or plants online, you must buy from other states or regions. They often will not …
Learn skills while using your abundance. This is a Master Class on how to build a Nursery Side Hustle, with trees, plants, and flowers. It has tips that you can also use on your homestead to save and propagate trees and plants. Seeds have memory Seeds and trees have “memory”. They thrived and reproduced in a certain climate. Often when you buy trees, seeds, or plants online, you must buy from other states or regions. They often will not do well in your environment and climate. I learned this the hard way that trees and plants grown in other areas …
Creating a Permaculture and Land Consulting Business or Side Hustle Kerry Brown from StrongRootsResources.com joins me to talk about his move from urban homesteading to his family’s land and how he setup a permaculture consulting business. It’s all about using your abundance. Moving from a mindset where your land and home are a source of production instead of just consumption. “Building resilience from the ground up.” Kerry has done everything from swales to soldier fly larvae. How did Kerry setup a #permaculture consulting business? – Property walk – Plant identification – Fodder trees – Livestock Management Kerry has a local/regional …
Crisis is a Decision Point. Did you Pass the Test? On Oct-4-2023 there was a national test of the Emergency Broadcast System on phones and on TV. Shouldn’t be a big deal. But on Twitter and even on some homesteading groups that I follow, they were abuzz with fears that “this is going to activate something” through 5G. Even the people who are not typical of this were caught up in the conversation, even trying to talk some sense into people. Wars and Rumors of Wars We are also likely in the beginning of a World War. And this one …
Side Hustle Year 1 is a Decision Point My friend Eric walks through his thought process as he re-evaluates his side hustle at the 1 year mark. After 1 year, if the side hustle is not generating revenue, all those entry level fees (hosting, etc.) go up. So that is a decision point whether you are going to exit or change things up. Eric was last on Ep. 55 – How to Recession proof Your Job. His side hustle is a high end lawn care business: TurfBrothas757.com. Other benefits to consider: Skills learned, relationships made, experience gained. Some of these …
Stay Positive by Designing an Intentional Life Shudra, Homestead Padre, and Grant Payne join me on the Thriving Community Call this month to talk about their tips for staying positive in a negative world: “Just get goats. You’ll never be unhappy again. You’ll be angry, you’ll be frustrated, you’ll be vengeful, but you’ll never be unhappy again.” Shudra We also talk about what projects that have going on: If you would like to join our Thriving Community on Telegram, and be added to the monthly Thriving Community Calls, go to Signup.ThrivingtheFuture.com Also check out Shudra’s article : Homestead Aquaponics, Step …
Tips on Crafting Apple Cider, Apple Propagation, and Apple Grafting with Mike Thomas from Catholic Land Movement. “I’m giving away all the tips and secrets of traditional cider making right now, as they were given to me.” – Mike Thomas. More detail than most books on cider! Also check out Shudra’s article : Homestead Aquaponics, Step by Step – The World’s Greatest Ebb and Flow Bed on Thriver.News: This article is step by step detail to create a homestead aquaponics system from IBC totes, and includes everything, including the fitting details. GrowNutTrees.com Fall is the best time to plant a …
What is a Homesteader anyway? It’s Sept. It’s still hot. My Fall garden lettuce and greens will not germinate in this heat. I may run out of growing time before the first frost. For my wife, Feb and March are the worst times. The horses are covered in mud and it seems like it will never end. Is quitting OK? Tips for when you feel like quitting – how to come back? My goals are to grow as much of my own food as possible and to learn and share skills. Seems like once a week I see a post …
After two years and almost 100 episodes, how have our views of community changed? In Ep. 1 of the podcast Perpend and I discussed what is necessary for successful community: Are you doing community or just networking? Networking can be transactional and extracting; Community is more holistic and is more about people. It is sharing life and culture. When your community workshops become so mundane that you don’t take pictures anymore, It is something that you do. Something that shares life and culture. That’s where you see people stay or fall away. After things went back to “normal” we saw …
Tips on building community and networking The Catholic Land Movement is a colloquial network of Catholic homesteaders who are looking to support one another educationally through fellowship and mutual aid with focusing on Catholic liturgical life as the center of those homesteading activities. They are a network of chapters in Catholic parishes nation wide, who host workshops, coordinate work projects, share skills. Mike Thomas from The Catholic Land Movement shares about the movement. Mike is a homesteader who lives in upstate NY. Catholic Land Movement – Quit the Towns for the Land Based on an early 1900’s book by Father …
Autoimmune Disease and Carnivore Diet Ryan Mitchel Brown from Decentralized Radio Podcast shares about his health journey through autoimmune disease. We talk about Low-T, coming back from an eating disorder with the Carnivore diet, the importance of light therapy, limiting blue light to get the best sleep. 🔎- Check out Ryan’s website: ryanmitchelbrown.com Disclaimer: This relates a personal health journey and is not specific medical advice. Consult your health practitioner of choice for your own situation. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Visit Will Horvath’s Permaculture Apprentice …
Avoid these Type 1 errors Will Horvath from PermacultureApprentice.com joins to discuss Permaculture Type 1 Errors – in your design and implementation that you regret. Type 1 errors cost you money, time, and decreased return or increased effort. Some of the Type 1 errors that we discuss: Visit Will Horvath’s Permaculture Apprentice site, with articles and classes on how to assess land and your permaculture property, design your food forest, layout swales on contour, and much more. Want to Create a Food Forest and Grow 3-5X More Food?🔎- Check out Will Horvath’s Free Food Forest Toolkit What you get: 🔎- …
Are You For Real or are You Going Through the Motions? Andrew Funk, the host of the Royal Path Podcast, joins Perpend and I to talk about Thriving in the Ordinary and Mundane. First a definition: mun·dane:1. lacking interest or excitement; dull.2. of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.“the boundaries of the mundane world” “Are you for real or are you going through the motions?” – Kansas lyric from “Going Through the Motions” on the Drastic Measures album (1983). The dog days of summer are still here. Not much is happening. “Is your day just a …
We Share Stories of Abundance Grant Payne joins Homestead Padre and I for Part 2 of our Homesteading Chat. Grant gives an update on his homesteading plans: Get episodes early plus these Extras on Patreon: Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. I make affiliate income based on your purchase(s), but you don’t pay extra. So go and shop at Amazon here GrowNutTrees.com Comfrey crowns and root cuttings are now available. Chestnut seeds for planting, chestnut seedlings, elderberry cuttings, comfrey crowns and root cuttings. Adapted to the Midwest. Seeds and trees have “memory”. They thrived and reproduced …
Adventures at the Farmers Market This week is a homestead chat with Homestead Padre from Smith-Homestead.com. We talk about the challenges of gardening in the summer in Mississippi, adventures in the farmer’s market, and foraging. Here is foraged Elephant’s Foot. elephant’s foot. This has a yam-like tuber. The rest of the plant is toxic. Grant Payne joins us next week for Pt. 2 of the Homestead Chat. Check out these hot sauces – Homestead Padre’s own recipes! Use “Thriving” coupon code at Smith-Homestead.com to get 10% off! Get episodes early plus these Extras on Patreon: Disclosure: I am a participant …
We had a question for Perpend from the Cosmology vs. Worldview episode on “how do you handle not knowing?” (Perpend is on a monastic path, to be a monk, and doesn’t know what the future holds or where he will end up). Get episodes early plus these Extras on Patreon: Check out these hot sauces – Homestead Padre’s own recipes! Use “Thriving” coupon code at Smith-Homestead.com to get 10% off! Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. I make affiliate income based on your purchase(s), but you don’t pay extra. So go and shop at Amazon here …
There is a skill of saying No Are you a “Yes” Man? Are you always over-extended? Do you have difficulty saying “No” to family, friends, and at work? Learn the Skill of saying “No”. Get episodes early plus these Extras on Patreon: Check out these hot sauces – Homestead Padre’s own recipes! Use “Thriving” coupon code at Smith-Homestead.com to get 10% off! Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. I make affiliate income based on your purchase(s), but you don’t pay extra. So go and shop at Amazon here GrowNutTrees.com Comfrey crowns and root cuttings are now …
This is part 2 of the discussion with Perpend on Cosmology and Worldview. We discuss Ep. 74 – Crisis is a Decision Point – with Cyprian and Perpend takes Cyprian’s #BuildtheArk- 1 step farther to #BeAnArkBuilder. We talk about life and death, celebration of life ceremonies, and funerals from an Orthodox perspective. It is a deep conversation, and it gets personal. This is part 2 of what was a mammoth almost 2 hours podcast. You can listen to the entire Uncut episode by joining the Thriving Patreon. If you like this unique topic, shoot us a tip on Venmo @ThrivingtheFuture …
What is your cosmology and eschaton, and how does that define your worldview? Perpend shares about his monastic journey (to become an Orthodox monk), life, death, & homesteading. What is your cosmology and eschaton, and how does that define (and is different from) your worldview? And what does that have to do with homesteading? We discuss Ep. 74 – Crisis is a Decision Point – with Cyprian and Perpend takes Cyprian’s #BuildtheArk- 1 step farther. We also review our Watkins Mill Tour – one year later. What lessons did we learn from this 1800’s homestead and textile mill? Can you …
Geoffrey Long from Long Story Farms joins me to discuss raising pigs, and selling pork at the farmer’s market – even being known as “the Sausage Man”. Like this episode? Shoot us a tip on Venmo @ThrivingtheFuture, or on CashApp $ThrivingTheFuture. Join the Thriving Patreon at Patreon.com/ThrivingtheFuture and get early episodes and extras, including the bonus episode with Cyprian, and listen in our chicken workshop as we plan incubating, sharing eggs, and processing roosters. Plus our rotating rooster strategy to select for the best traits and to keep diversity in our flocks. Get episodes early plus these Extras on Patreon: …
Thriving is often more about mindset than about homesteading and gardening At the core, #Thriving is often more about mindset than about homesteading and gardening. If you don’t have the appropriate mindset then the rest doesn’t fall into place. Randy (Andy Hickman – Shagbark Hick on Twitter) in Upstate NY joins me to talk about his video on Twitter: “You’re Gonna Make it”. I found this encouraging and thought that you would like it too. Randy shares about about purposefully living the life of a vagabond/hobo in his early adult years, and talks about #Thriving even through adversity. You mighht …
Planting a dense perennial bed with annuals in the middle It’s mid-May. I’ve already planted 90 plus plants. I’ve had some transplanted grafted trees fail – cedar, apple, rust gets them, even if the book says that this variety should be resistant, (I guess the tree didn’t read the book). So this year I started to convert some of my garden, the peripheral parts, into perennials, with annuals in the middle. Regular greens in my garden bolt quickly when it gets hot in early summer. More info on how I am using Milpa gardening to start new beds, cover crop …
Homesteaders have their share of trials: Garden/Crop failure, predator attacks, sick animals, not enough rain, too much rain, hail that beats your crop to the ground, stuff that worked last year doesn’t work this year. Homestead Padre makes a significant amount of his income from selling his produce and baking and selling bread at the farmer’s market. His big baking stove broke down. Some (real) homesteaders often live lives of modest means, and these things can be devastating. We talk about dealing with trials and depression. Disclaimer – This is not medical advice. It’s just two guys talking about our …
Roman from FoxTwinHollow.com and @FoxTwinHollow on Twitter joins Thriving the Future to discuss empowering youth with the survival skills needed to navigate our world. 80% of youth said that they are concerned about the climate. No matter what “side” you are on, this is a mental health disaster. We jumped off of the engagement and conversation on this FoxTwinHollow tweet about his upcoming class – Helping Children Navigate Climate Anxiety : Learn more about the classes that Roman offers at FoxTwinHollow.com Classes. This is not the end of our content. There is more on our Patreon! Get episodes early plus …
Ashley Colby from Rizoma School and Doomer Optimism Podcast joins Thriving the Future to discuss her tweet on Rediscovering Tradition: Ashley and her husband Patrick have three kids, moved to Uruguay, and setup the Rizoma Field School, which teaches regenerative farming and community. “Attempts at trying to create things from scratch, instead of looking to the past and trying to pull from the past, are somewhat foolish and hubristic. There’s a reason that these systems developed iteratively over time.” Ashley Colby Ashley Colby’s Linktree, with links to Rizoma School, Doomer Optimism and other podcasts, and Ashley’s writing. This is not …
Tips and real world examples to start and then grow your side hustle. How to start or grow your side hustle: I share the tools that I use and my real world examples, plus my wins and losses. Side hustles I use as an example on this episode: This is not the end of our content. There is much more on our Patreon! Extras on Patreon: How much potatoes or greens should you grow to be your primary food source? Not sure?Download the Thriving Garden Planner spreadsheet. You put in the number of people and it tells you how much …
Scott (@LittlePineCO on Twitter) has a homestead at 8K feet in CO. We talk about his homestead and challenges of setting up a homestead in Zone 4A. We discuss his recent comment on the Men’s Forum on FarmHopLife Podcast about “Memetics is more important than Genetics”. Memetics is transferring ideas through pictures and symbols. You commonly see it as a meme, but it is deeper than that. It can go viral, and, as we saw in 2020, can even reach the level of a “mind virus”. We also compare it to transferring genes to your kids. How to transfer ideas …
Niche Down is the Key to Success John McCoy, Freelance Blog Writer (@johnmccoywrites on Twitter) joins me to talk about how to become a freelancer. 1. Niche down – set yourself apart from everyone else by writing for your niche. You will be able to get focused jobs and can charge more for your expertise. 2. If you are in the trades, there is a need for writers. 3. How to find clients, especially the “sticky” clients. 4. Use Upwork – it is always a hot client who has posted their need. 5. Learn how to sell yourself. Check out …
Are you mentally and spiritually prepared for what is coming? We are facing a crisis. One right after another. As Cyprian (formerly Vin Armani) recently tweeted: “‘Crisis’ means ‘decision’. Just knowing that fact changes your understanding of reality forever.” Crisis is a decision point. And “never let a good crisis go to waste.” – Rahm Emmanuel. Spiritual Warfare – Ephesians 6:12 What does BuildTheArk mean? This is not the end of our content. There is much more on our Patreon! We talk about the banking collapse, the Silicon Valley banks collapsing first and the conditions to bail them out, and …
How much of your own food do you grow and do you want it to be more? It’s that time of year when you see articles, podcasts, and posts on social media that say, Grow ALL of Your Own Food. Or maybe they don’t go that far and it’s: Grow MOST of Your Own Food. In this episode we’re going to concentrate on How to Grow More of Your Own Food. Victory Gardens – Grow Your Own Food You want to grow your own food. Where to start? How to Grow More of Your Own Food: How to Milpa Garden …
A Rotating Rooster Strategy to add diversity to your community’s chicken flocks. Perpend is back and we are planning on How to Breed a Landrace Chicken. Landrace Chicken – Our Preferences We also talk about Perpend’s last tweet: “So long and thanks for all the fish.” Rotate Rooster Strategy to add diversity to your community’s chicken flocks When it comes time to breed the hens and roosters and incubate eggs or let the hens brood the eggs, the chickens are banded with a color band. The rooster and any new chicks born from that rooster are banded. JOIN our Thriving …
Dave and Scott open their first aid kits to compare the contents, and discuss mindset, training, and preparedness. Note: This is not medical advice. This is for entertainment purposes only. Having a first aid kit at home and in your car is a must in an emergency situation. We have first aid kits in the car, under the sink at home, in our bug out bags/get home bags. A medkit (Dave calls his a hospital bag) is a larger bag that we keep at home. It has more supplies, as well as splints. Mindset What problems are we trying to …
Look for Abundance Rather than Scarcity Before supermarkets, there was the gap in the spring between when your stored food ran low or ran out and when you would have your first spring crop of greens. People would forage nettles, fiddle head ferns, ramps, mushrooms. It wasn’t the “weeks of want” – it just required a different level of effort to get the food. Get out of the scarcity mindset! Sponsors: The Homestead Journal – Join the Homestead Journal in living out the classic homesteading ethos on the path towards a simple life that speaks to the heart of humanity. …
Foraging and Perennial Gardening on your Homestead This week I visit with Roxanne Ahern (Happyholistichs on Twitter) about her book Holistic Homesteading – A guide to a Sustainable and Regenerative Lifestyle (physical book), and Kindle. We talk extensively about foraging and perennial gardening on your homestead. I like this book because it has a nice balance of permaculture, gardening, foraging, wildcrafting, and cooking. The pictures are fantastic and pop off the page. It’s the “weeks of want”, the end of February and early March. Before supermarkets, this time would have seen a gap between the end of the stored food …
Is homesteading (and localism) a form of retreat from society? It can lead down a lonely path if you do not also develop community. Jason Snyder (@cognazor on Twitter) of Doomer Optimism Podcast joins me to talk about his recent tweet: Positive steps to move forward with your homesteading, not “retreat”: Let Jason’s pinned tweet be your goal for 2023: We are having a contest drawing in Feb for a copy of Roxanne Ahern’s book “Holistic Homesteading”. For details, and to sign up for the drawing, go to Feb Contest – Holistic Homesteading. Sponsors: GrowNutTrees.com Elderberry cuttings, comfrey crowns and …
If Life is a Simulation – How that Worldview Affects your Mindset. You’ve seen the Elon Musk tweet: “If you don’t think there’s at least a tiny chance that you are an NPC…you are an NPC.” Everyone is talking about NPCs. Some people consider themselves as the hero in a video game or Simulation and everyone else is an NPC. Perpend is back and we talk about Simulation theory – that life is a simulation or we are in someone’s else’s simulation. And how that worldview and NPC thinking affect your mindset. We talk about NPC thinking and its root …
Making Solar Work for You – Considerations You May Not Have Thought Of. This is Part 2 in a series on Solar energy. Steve of Regenerative Home Solutions.com gives an overview of solar energy, what questions you should be asking yourself, and considerations and pitfalls as you plan for your solar energy needs. “I want to add solar to my home.” – Considerations: For more information on Steve’s setup, see his website Regenerative Home Solutions.com – Cultivating a Sustainable Lifestyle. This was an audio review of a Solar #GSD Workshop that we put on as part of our local community …
Can you use AI and still Live Not By Lies? Everyone is talking about AI since ChatGPT came out. You can use it to write content for your business, blog posts, full-length fiction and stories, and even higher education dissertations. So how far will you go? Is it moral to use AI for school or work? I follow a lot of side hustle groups and they are already touting AI where you can “write endless content and not work so hard!” Perpend and I discuss – Can you use AI and still Live Not by Lies? Central Bank Digital Currency …
How Do You Use AI? Most people use it as a search engine. But assigning it a role is the real power. How far is too far?
Jason Snyder of Doomer Optimism shares stories of how his family in NC weathered Hurricane Helene and what he is doing to regeneratively recover from the aftermath.
This podcast episode is a flashback to “The Civil War is Within You” with Cyprian from Spring 2024. With valuable lessons on the Invisible Enemy.
What are you doing to put your garden to bed for the winter time? Maybe you are luck and your growing season is still in swing. We are nearing the first frost date. It has been too hot and dry for my Fall greens to germinate so I will need to start them in the greenhouse, where they can grow until Jan or Feb. How do you clean up your garden beds? For Milpa beds, I chop and drop the beans and other plants for mulch, cover with a little compost, and then some woodchips. Listen on your fave Podcast …
Propagate your own Trees, Plants, and Flowers for Free. Master Class on how to build a nursery side hustle – plant some and sell the extras.
What are you doing to increase your self reliance and self sufficiency?
Lindsay Brandon, CEO and Permaculture Consultant at Permaculture Canada joins me to share about Armagarden, her new project to integrate community design into the permaculture design.
With tough times, more people are looking for homestead property, or to add gardens, fruit trees to be more self sufficient. Kerry Brown of Strong Roots Resources joins me to share tips to find your homestead property.
You’re not going to get to an intentional life immediately; it will take a long road of incremental steps. But start the journey today.
What will you do with this moment? Tips to Focus on your local Circle of Influence. Plant trees. Cultivate gardens. Raise livestock.
Should you have a separate LLC for each project or side hustle? My friend, an independent film producer, joins me to talk about LLCs (and lots of film stuff).
Losing your job can be your own SHTF. Prepping to Thrive rather than survive. Not living in fear. And his adventures with a bee swarm.
Part of Thriving is embracing both the wins, as well as the losses. Just – don’t give up!
Enough talk. Get Stuff Done. It’s Proof of Work.
Tips and real world examples to start and then grow your side hustle.
In this episode I will share tips on how to discover and develop your side hustle niche.
Andy Hickman (shagbark_hick on Twitter) shares his new adventures.
New health challenges require Homestead Padre to rethink and redesign his garden to adapt to those changes. Mediterranean Diet Padre shares about IBS and Crohn’s Disease. After some health issues, Homestead Padre and his wife are adopting the Mediterranean Diet. Unlike American Italian Food, the Mediterranean Diet is heavy emphasis on vegetables, seafood, lean meats, fat from olive oil, and whole wheat pasta (if they have pasta). Padre is realigning his garden around those foods. Changing what he will grow in his garden – based on new dietary needs. Come and listen to how he plans out his journey. Listen …
Try to go without your phone for a few hours, or even the whole day. Like most people, I reach for my phone when there is any break in the conversation, when a commercial comes on TV, or when I am even slightly bored. We are constantly connected. There is very little time in our day when we are not interacting with the screen. It is leading to attention disruption and anxiety (especially when constantly scrolling social media). We are the most connected society, yet people feel isolated and alone. And depression is an epidemic. When I go to a …
Scott the Little Pine Farmer on Twitter is back with me and we are talking about his bakery and how he favors “Why don’t you come down to this market or deliver to the boutique in the city? We want to feed our neighborhood first.” Scott the Little Pine Farmer It’s all about the goal: “The overarching goal is to stay home, produce value, and have people bring us money.” Reaching that goal through: Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Be the Gray Man and Build Alternative …
Grow Food, Not Lawns I hate mowing the grass. I especially hate mowing the grass along the quarter mile driveway at my homestead. I haven’t mowed it in years. But I now see it as a missed opportunity to plant more garden beds and food forest beds instead of (prairie) grass. Grow Food, Not Lawns, right? How you create a new garden bed depends on what time of the year it is. Most people sheet mulch by covering an area with cardboard, then layers of compost and woodchips. This works well, but only if you do it in the Fall …
You don’t hear this permaculture message very often: Start Simple. Usually people are watching videos of Geoff Lawton and planning swales and dams and grafting, and… Cormac Harkin of Vine Permaculture starts his consults with basic questions: He starts people out simply, with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and then adds on from there: Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Cormac does a Free Food Forest Abundance planning session as well. Contact him at [email protected]. Subscribe to the Vine Permaculture Newsletter. Check out the Vine Permaculture Podcast …
Joseph Lofthouse is the author of Landrace Gardening: Food Security through Biodiversity and Promiscuous Pollination. Landrace Gardening Landrace gardening is adapting crops to your land and climate, and then saving seeds, while also selecting for the best flavor, color, and pest and disease resistance. Joseph lives in the high mountains of Utah – a mountain valley with cold air coming down out of the mountains, yet sun almost every day in the Summer, and low humidity. He grows for the farmers market and for himself and friends, and with a shorter season and these conditions he had difficulty growing warm …
A lot of people are talking about Civil War lately. There is even a big budget movie coming out in April 2024 that depicts CW2. In the movie trailer, a guy in camo points a rifle at the main characters, journalists, and says, “What kind of American are you?” That clip from the movie trailer has become a meme online, especially on Twitter. “What kind of American are you?” seems to be the theme of 2024. Cyprian (aka Vin Armani) and I talk about the ramifications of this, from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving …
Positive Solutions in a Tough Labor Market You are in a social gathering, like church or some other social function, and the question comes up: “What do you do?” (for a living). How do you respond? Most people answer: “I am (this role) at XYZ company”. But what is that really saying? You have boxed yourself into a role. And you (perhaps inadvertently) declared your allegiance to your current company. It is better to say: “I am a (role), currently working at XYZ company.” This is subtle, but it leaves the door open. I have seen a person react with, …
Build Your Own Brand “Time is the most precious asset that I have. And I decided that my time needed to go into building my own brand, not their brand. Numero uno comes first.” John McCoy In this episode, John McCoy and I discuss creating content and building your own brand. John McCoy is a freelance blogger and owner of JustEnoughSEO.com. John was on Ep. 75 – How to Reinvent Yourself as Freelancer. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Surfer SEO app (and most SEO tools) prod …
My Lessons Learned from Using Flippa to Buy Websites You’re looking for a side hustle. What if you could buy a mini business that already has a website created for you? It’s either a startup site or an established site that has traffic and maybe even a little bit of income already. Background on using Flippa.com Flippa.com is an auction site to buy websites. It is similar to eBay – everything is an auction. It has Buy It Now, it has a reserve price, it has bids. If you win, then you work it out with the seller to transfer …
Tips on Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet and other ways to deal with Hashimoto’s – from our own personal experiences. Ryan Mitchel Brown joins me again as we talk about my/our experiences with autoimmune disease. Ryan was on the podcast in Ep. 94 – Thriving and Overcoming Autoimmune Disease. I decided to record an episode on my Hashimoto’s autoimmune disease and restarting the AIP diet, and Ryan was the perfect guest to join me to discuss it. I have Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Disease – where the body attacks the thyroid. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune thyroid disease leading to progressive damage and …
How to develop skills while doing your side hustle Toolman Tim and I talk about how to develop skills while doing your side hustle. Lots of side hustle tips in this episode! It was -46 in Canada in mid-January. What it is like living in a mobile home in -46. Note that Celsius and Fahrenheit merge at -40. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Skills Over Stuff Practice with your equipment when the weather is good. “You don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your level …
Tips on How to Handle Imposter Syndrome…and January It’s the doldrums of January. Christmas has passed. Deer season is over and I didn’t get a deer. Although I love the snow. I can’t do anything when it’s zero degrees outside and 25 mph wind like it is today. Like many of you, I’m starting to get the seed catalogs and I’m starting to plan my garden, even though I really need to stay in the moment and embrace this season. We live in a world where we want permanence, but we buy stuff that breaks – and we do it …
With Brendan from Posterity Ciderworks Brendan from Posterity Ciderworks tells stories of how he finds neglected heirloom apple trees on long forgotten homesteads in California and uses them in his cider. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Posterity Ciderworks (all images are courtesy Posterity Ciderworks) Apple Treasure Hunt Brendan’s pics on Twitter were like watching an apple treasure hunt reality show. Posterity Cider on Twitter/X Quince – the Homesteaders Secret Did you know that heritage homesteads had 1 or 2 Quince trees – to be used to …
Our memories are at times bittersweet Homestead Padre and Grant Payne join me and we share our Christmas memories and traditions. Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. For Homestead Padre and his family, their holiday season starts when eggnog becomes available in the store. They put their tree up in October. They also celebrate Hannukah. In Lawrence in NE Kansas, they light the Christmas lights on the evening of Black Friday. The fire department mock rescues Santa from the roof of the department store on Mass Street. (there is so much hidden meaning in that, but that is …
Why would a tattooed atheist Texas firefighter become an Orthodox Christian? Buck Johnson from the Counter Flow Podcast joins me as we share our stories. Why are so many of the people that we know becoming Orthodox? Vin Armani/Cyprian, Matt Erickson (Kingpilled on Twitter and the Kingpilled Podcast), and the guy I started the podcast with – Perpend. Is there some connection between libertarianism and Orthodox Christianity? (Some jokingly call it the “Libertarian to Orthodoxy Pipeline”). Why did Perpend go off to become a monk? Buck and I share our stories on how we both became Orthodox in the last …
Failure is part of homesteading “My father in law has a saying: ‘you can do anything you want, but you can’t do everything you want. There’s always an opportunity cost and tradeoff for the things that you do or don’t do.’” John Sutton from Sutton Homestead joins me and shares about their homesteading on 7 acres in Eastern idaho. Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify “Homesteading is a lifestyle we love to live, food that we love to eat, and a garden is our gym.” John has cows, 15-20 chickens, and orchards. If …
It takes a Holler Neighborhood Nicole Sauce from Living Free In Tennessee and NicoleSauce.com shares stories of intentional community. People that knew Nicole from workshops, her podcast, and online community moved into the holler neighborhood. They established a neighborhood culture where they share a common vision and goals and do projects together and watch out and take care of each other. How did they align on vision and goals, while handling boundaries and conflict? Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Intentional Community This video for this episode …
You’re not as far along as you thought you would be? It’s OK. Matt from FarmHopLife Podcast (FarmHopLife.com) joins me as we talk about developing patience. “We are coming up on 4 years in this house…and we still just have chickens and a half-assed garden. I thought that we would be farther along by now. But also in that time my wife beat cancer and we had two kids, so there are big steps in between, and it’s OK.” Matt Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify This …
The Return to Victory Gardens How would you Thrive in WW2-style rationing of food and fuel? Christopher de Vidal from SecureCoop.com joins me. Get in on the Early Bird Pre-Sale of Secure Coop. use “THRIVING” at checkout for $20 off. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Homesteading in Florida First, we discuss Christopher’s homesteading in Florida. Then at 17:00 we dive into the topic: How would you Thrive in WW2-style rationing of food and fuel? We are inarguably in wars that could become a world war. And …
How to Build a Nursery Side Hustle with Grant Payne – Part 2 This episode has tips that you can also use on your homestead to save and propagate trees and plants, with enough abundance to sell the extras. Create your own nursery side hustle, Did you know that figs are pollinated by a wasp, who dies in the flower and is absorbed? Seeds have memory Seeds and trees have “memory”. They thrived and reproduced in a certain climate. Often when you buy trees, seeds, or plants online, you must buy from other states or regions. They often will not …
Learn skills while using your abundance. This is a Master Class on how to build a Nursery Side Hustle, with trees, plants, and flowers. It has tips that you can also use on your homestead to save and propagate trees and plants. Seeds have memory Seeds and trees have “memory”. They thrived and reproduced in a certain climate. Often when you buy trees, seeds, or plants online, you must buy from other states or regions. They often will not do well in your environment and climate. I learned this the hard way that trees and plants grown in other areas …
Creating a Permaculture and Land Consulting Business or Side Hustle Kerry Brown from StrongRootsResources.com joins me to talk about his move from urban homesteading to his family’s land and how he setup a permaculture consulting business. It’s all about using your abundance. Moving from a mindset where your land and home are a source of production instead of just consumption. “Building resilience from the ground up.” Kerry has done everything from swales to soldier fly larvae. How did Kerry setup a #permaculture consulting business? – Property walk – Plant identification – Fodder trees – Livestock Management Kerry has a local/regional …
Crisis is a Decision Point. Did you Pass the Test? On Oct-4-2023 there was a national test of the Emergency Broadcast System on phones and on TV. Shouldn’t be a big deal. But on Twitter and even on some homesteading groups that I follow, they were abuzz with fears that “this is going to activate something” through 5G. Even the people who are not typical of this were caught up in the conversation, even trying to talk some sense into people. Wars and Rumors of Wars We are also likely in the beginning of a World War. And this one …
Side Hustle Year 1 is a Decision Point My friend Eric walks through his thought process as he re-evaluates his side hustle at the 1 year mark. After 1 year, if the side hustle is not generating revenue, all those entry level fees (hosting, etc.) go up. So that is a decision point whether you are going to exit or change things up. Eric was last on Ep. 55 – How to Recession proof Your Job. His side hustle is a high end lawn care business: TurfBrothas757.com. Other benefits to consider: Skills learned, relationships made, experience gained. Some of these …
Stay Positive by Designing an Intentional Life Shudra, Homestead Padre, and Grant Payne join me on the Thriving Community Call this month to talk about their tips for staying positive in a negative world: “Just get goats. You’ll never be unhappy again. You’ll be angry, you’ll be frustrated, you’ll be vengeful, but you’ll never be unhappy again.” Shudra We also talk about what projects that have going on: If you would like to join our Thriving Community on Telegram, and be added to the monthly Thriving Community Calls, go to Signup.ThrivingtheFuture.com Also check out Shudra’s article : Homestead Aquaponics, Step …
Tips on Crafting Apple Cider, Apple Propagation, and Apple Grafting with Mike Thomas from Catholic Land Movement. “I’m giving away all the tips and secrets of traditional cider making right now, as they were given to me.” – Mike Thomas. More detail than most books on cider! Also check out Shudra’s article : Homestead Aquaponics, Step by Step – The World’s Greatest Ebb and Flow Bed on Thriver.News: This article is step by step detail to create a homestead aquaponics system from IBC totes, and includes everything, including the fitting details. GrowNutTrees.com Fall is the best time to plant a …
What is a Homesteader anyway? It’s Sept. It’s still hot. My Fall garden lettuce and greens will not germinate in this heat. I may run out of growing time before the first frost. For my wife, Feb and March are the worst times. The horses are covered in mud and it seems like it will never end. Is quitting OK? Tips for when you feel like quitting – how to come back? My goals are to grow as much of my own food as possible and to learn and share skills. Seems like once a week I see a post …
After two years and almost 100 episodes, how have our views of community changed? In Ep. 1 of the podcast Perpend and I discussed what is necessary for successful community: Are you doing community or just networking? Networking can be transactional and extracting; Community is more holistic and is more about people. It is sharing life and culture. When your community workshops become so mundane that you don’t take pictures anymore, It is something that you do. Something that shares life and culture. That’s where you see people stay or fall away. After things went back to “normal” we saw …
Tips on building community and networking The Catholic Land Movement is a colloquial network of Catholic homesteaders who are looking to support one another educationally through fellowship and mutual aid with focusing on Catholic liturgical life as the center of those homesteading activities. They are a network of chapters in Catholic parishes nation wide, who host workshops, coordinate work projects, share skills. Mike Thomas from The Catholic Land Movement shares about the movement. Mike is a homesteader who lives in upstate NY. Catholic Land Movement – Quit the Towns for the Land Based on an early 1900’s book by Father …
Autoimmune Disease and Carnivore Diet Ryan Mitchel Brown from Decentralized Radio Podcast shares about his health journey through autoimmune disease. We talk about Low-T, coming back from an eating disorder with the Carnivore diet, the importance of light therapy, limiting blue light to get the best sleep. 🔎- Check out Ryan’s website: ryanmitchelbrown.com Disclaimer: This relates a personal health journey and is not specific medical advice. Consult your health practitioner of choice for your own situation. Listen on your fave Podcast app: Thriving The Future Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcast Thriving The Future Podcast on Spotify Visit Will Horvath’s Permaculture Apprentice …
Avoid these Type 1 errors Will Horvath from PermacultureApprentice.com joins to discuss Permaculture Type 1 Errors – in your design and implementation that you regret. Type 1 errors cost you money, time, and decreased return or increased effort. Some of the Type 1 errors that we discuss: Visit Will Horvath’s Permaculture Apprentice site, with articles and classes on how to assess land and your permaculture property, design your food forest, layout swales on contour, and much more. Want to Create a Food Forest and Grow 3-5X More Food?🔎- Check out Will Horvath’s Free Food Forest Toolkit What you get: 🔎- …
Are You For Real or are You Going Through the Motions? Andrew Funk, the host of the Royal Path Podcast, joins Perpend and I to talk about Thriving in the Ordinary and Mundane. First a definition: mun·dane:1. lacking interest or excitement; dull.2. of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.“the boundaries of the mundane world” “Are you for real or are you going through the motions?” – Kansas lyric from “Going Through the Motions” on the Drastic Measures album (1983). The dog days of summer are still here. Not much is happening. “Is your day just a …
We Share Stories of Abundance Grant Payne joins Homestead Padre and I for Part 2 of our Homesteading Chat. Grant gives an update on his homesteading plans: Get episodes early plus these Extras on Patreon: Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. I make affiliate income based on your purchase(s), but you don’t pay extra. So go and shop at Amazon here GrowNutTrees.com Comfrey crowns and root cuttings are now available. Chestnut seeds for planting, chestnut seedlings, elderberry cuttings, comfrey crowns and root cuttings. Adapted to the Midwest. Seeds and trees have “memory”. They thrived and reproduced …
Adventures at the Farmers Market This week is a homestead chat with Homestead Padre from Smith-Homestead.com. We talk about the challenges of gardening in the summer in Mississippi, adventures in the farmer’s market, and foraging. Here is foraged Elephant’s Foot. elephant’s foot. This has a yam-like tuber. The rest of the plant is toxic. Grant Payne joins us next week for Pt. 2 of the Homestead Chat. Check out these hot sauces – Homestead Padre’s own recipes! Use “Thriving” coupon code at Smith-Homestead.com to get 10% off! Get episodes early plus these Extras on Patreon: Disclosure: I am a participant …
There is a skill of saying No Are you a “Yes” Man? Are you always over-extended? Do you have difficulty saying “No” to family, friends, and at work? Learn the Skill of saying “No”. Get episodes early plus these Extras on Patreon: Check out these hot sauces – Homestead Padre’s own recipes! Use “Thriving” coupon code at Smith-Homestead.com to get 10% off! Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. I make affiliate income based on your purchase(s), but you don’t pay extra. So go and shop at Amazon here GrowNutTrees.com Comfrey crowns and root cuttings are now …
This is part 2 of the discussion with Perpend on Cosmology and Worldview. We discuss Ep. 74 – Crisis is a Decision Point – with Cyprian and Perpend takes Cyprian’s #BuildtheArk- 1 step farther to #BeAnArkBuilder. We talk about life and death, celebration of life ceremonies, and funerals from an Orthodox perspective. It is a deep conversation, and it gets personal. This is part 2 of what was a mammoth almost 2 hours podcast. You can listen to the entire Uncut episode by joining the Thriving Patreon. If you like this unique topic, shoot us a tip on Venmo @ThrivingtheFuture …
What is your cosmology and eschaton, and how does that define your worldview? Perpend shares about his monastic journey (to become an Orthodox monk), life, death, & homesteading. What is your cosmology and eschaton, and how does that define (and is different from) your worldview? And what does that have to do with homesteading? We discuss Ep. 74 – Crisis is a Decision Point – with Cyprian and Perpend takes Cyprian’s #BuildtheArk- 1 step farther. We also review our Watkins Mill Tour – one year later. What lessons did we learn from this 1800’s homestead and textile mill? Can you …
Geoffrey Long from Long Story Farms joins me to discuss raising pigs, and selling pork at the farmer’s market – even being known as “the Sausage Man”. Like this episode? Shoot us a tip on Venmo @ThrivingtheFuture, or on CashApp $ThrivingTheFuture. Join the Thriving Patreon at Patreon.com/ThrivingtheFuture and get early episodes and extras, including the bonus episode with Cyprian, and listen in our chicken workshop as we plan incubating, sharing eggs, and processing roosters. Plus our rotating rooster strategy to select for the best traits and to keep diversity in our flocks. Get episodes early plus these Extras on Patreon: …
Thriving is often more about mindset than about homesteading and gardening At the core, #Thriving is often more about mindset than about homesteading and gardening. If you don’t have the appropriate mindset then the rest doesn’t fall into place. Randy (Andy Hickman – Shagbark Hick on Twitter) in Upstate NY joins me to talk about his video on Twitter: “You’re Gonna Make it”. I found this encouraging and thought that you would like it too. Randy shares about about purposefully living the life of a vagabond/hobo in his early adult years, and talks about #Thriving even through adversity. You mighht …
Planting a dense perennial bed with annuals in the middle It’s mid-May. I’ve already planted 90 plus plants. I’ve had some transplanted grafted trees fail – cedar, apple, rust gets them, even if the book says that this variety should be resistant, (I guess the tree didn’t read the book). So this year I started to convert some of my garden, the peripheral parts, into perennials, with annuals in the middle. Regular greens in my garden bolt quickly when it gets hot in early summer. More info on how I am using Milpa gardening to start new beds, cover crop …
Homesteaders have their share of trials: Garden/Crop failure, predator attacks, sick animals, not enough rain, too much rain, hail that beats your crop to the ground, stuff that worked last year doesn’t work this year. Homestead Padre makes a significant amount of his income from selling his produce and baking and selling bread at the farmer’s market. His big baking stove broke down. Some (real) homesteaders often live lives of modest means, and these things can be devastating. We talk about dealing with trials and depression. Disclaimer – This is not medical advice. It’s just two guys talking about our …
Roman from FoxTwinHollow.com and @FoxTwinHollow on Twitter joins Thriving the Future to discuss empowering youth with the survival skills needed to navigate our world. 80% of youth said that they are concerned about the climate. No matter what “side” you are on, this is a mental health disaster. We jumped off of the engagement and conversation on this FoxTwinHollow tweet about his upcoming class – Helping Children Navigate Climate Anxiety : Learn more about the classes that Roman offers at FoxTwinHollow.com Classes. This is not the end of our content. There is more on our Patreon! Get episodes early plus …
Ashley Colby from Rizoma School and Doomer Optimism Podcast joins Thriving the Future to discuss her tweet on Rediscovering Tradition: Ashley and her husband Patrick have three kids, moved to Uruguay, and setup the Rizoma Field School, which teaches regenerative farming and community. “Attempts at trying to create things from scratch, instead of looking to the past and trying to pull from the past, are somewhat foolish and hubristic. There’s a reason that these systems developed iteratively over time.” Ashley Colby Ashley Colby’s Linktree, with links to Rizoma School, Doomer Optimism and other podcasts, and Ashley’s writing. This is not …
Tips and real world examples to start and then grow your side hustle. How to start or grow your side hustle: I share the tools that I use and my real world examples, plus my wins and losses. Side hustles I use as an example on this episode: This is not the end of our content. There is much more on our Patreon! Extras on Patreon: How much potatoes or greens should you grow to be your primary food source? Not sure?Download the Thriving Garden Planner spreadsheet. You put in the number of people and it tells you how much …
Scott (@LittlePineCO on Twitter) has a homestead at 8K feet in CO. We talk about his homestead and challenges of setting up a homestead in Zone 4A. We discuss his recent comment on the Men’s Forum on FarmHopLife Podcast about “Memetics is more important than Genetics”. Memetics is transferring ideas through pictures and symbols. You commonly see it as a meme, but it is deeper than that. It can go viral, and, as we saw in 2020, can even reach the level of a “mind virus”. We also compare it to transferring genes to your kids. How to transfer ideas …
Niche Down is the Key to Success John McCoy, Freelance Blog Writer (@johnmccoywrites on Twitter) joins me to talk about how to become a freelancer. 1. Niche down – set yourself apart from everyone else by writing for your niche. You will be able to get focused jobs and can charge more for your expertise. 2. If you are in the trades, there is a need for writers. 3. How to find clients, especially the “sticky” clients. 4. Use Upwork – it is always a hot client who has posted their need. 5. Learn how to sell yourself. Check out …
Are you mentally and spiritually prepared for what is coming? We are facing a crisis. One right after another. As Cyprian (formerly Vin Armani) recently tweeted: “‘Crisis’ means ‘decision’. Just knowing that fact changes your understanding of reality forever.” Crisis is a decision point. And “never let a good crisis go to waste.” – Rahm Emmanuel. Spiritual Warfare – Ephesians 6:12 What does BuildTheArk mean? This is not the end of our content. There is much more on our Patreon! We talk about the banking collapse, the Silicon Valley banks collapsing first and the conditions to bail them out, and …
How much of your own food do you grow and do you want it to be more? It’s that time of year when you see articles, podcasts, and posts on social media that say, Grow ALL of Your Own Food. Or maybe they don’t go that far and it’s: Grow MOST of Your Own Food. In this episode we’re going to concentrate on How to Grow More of Your Own Food. Victory Gardens – Grow Your Own Food You want to grow your own food. Where to start? How to Grow More of Your Own Food: How to Milpa Garden …
A Rotating Rooster Strategy to add diversity to your community’s chicken flocks. Perpend is back and we are planning on How to Breed a Landrace Chicken. Landrace Chicken – Our Preferences We also talk about Perpend’s last tweet: “So long and thanks for all the fish.” Rotate Rooster Strategy to add diversity to your community’s chicken flocks When it comes time to breed the hens and roosters and incubate eggs or let the hens brood the eggs, the chickens are banded with a color band. The rooster and any new chicks born from that rooster are banded. JOIN our Thriving …
Dave and Scott open their first aid kits to compare the contents, and discuss mindset, training, and preparedness. Note: This is not medical advice. This is for entertainment purposes only. Having a first aid kit at home and in your car is a must in an emergency situation. We have first aid kits in the car, under the sink at home, in our bug out bags/get home bags. A medkit (Dave calls his a hospital bag) is a larger bag that we keep at home. It has more supplies, as well as splints. Mindset What problems are we trying to …
Look for Abundance Rather than Scarcity Before supermarkets, there was the gap in the spring between when your stored food ran low or ran out and when you would have your first spring crop of greens. People would forage nettles, fiddle head ferns, ramps, mushrooms. It wasn’t the “weeks of want” – it just required a different level of effort to get the food. Get out of the scarcity mindset! Sponsors: The Homestead Journal – Join the Homestead Journal in living out the classic homesteading ethos on the path towards a simple life that speaks to the heart of humanity. …
Foraging and Perennial Gardening on your Homestead This week I visit with Roxanne Ahern (Happyholistichs on Twitter) about her book Holistic Homesteading – A guide to a Sustainable and Regenerative Lifestyle (physical book), and Kindle. We talk extensively about foraging and perennial gardening on your homestead. I like this book because it has a nice balance of permaculture, gardening, foraging, wildcrafting, and cooking. The pictures are fantastic and pop off the page. It’s the “weeks of want”, the end of February and early March. Before supermarkets, this time would have seen a gap between the end of the stored food …
Is homesteading (and localism) a form of retreat from society? It can lead down a lonely path if you do not also develop community. Jason Snyder (@cognazor on Twitter) of Doomer Optimism Podcast joins me to talk about his recent tweet: Positive steps to move forward with your homesteading, not “retreat”: Let Jason’s pinned tweet be your goal for 2023: We are having a contest drawing in Feb for a copy of Roxanne Ahern’s book “Holistic Homesteading”. For details, and to sign up for the drawing, go to Feb Contest – Holistic Homesteading. Sponsors: GrowNutTrees.com Elderberry cuttings, comfrey crowns and …
If Life is a Simulation – How that Worldview Affects your Mindset. You’ve seen the Elon Musk tweet: “If you don’t think there’s at least a tiny chance that you are an NPC…you are an NPC.” Everyone is talking about NPCs. Some people consider themselves as the hero in a video game or Simulation and everyone else is an NPC. Perpend is back and we talk about Simulation theory – that life is a simulation or we are in someone’s else’s simulation. And how that worldview and NPC thinking affect your mindset. We talk about NPC thinking and its root …
Making Solar Work for You – Considerations You May Not Have Thought Of. This is Part 2 in a series on Solar energy. Steve of Regenerative Home Solutions.com gives an overview of solar energy, what questions you should be asking yourself, and considerations and pitfalls as you plan for your solar energy needs. “I want to add solar to my home.” – Considerations: For more information on Steve’s setup, see his website Regenerative Home Solutions.com – Cultivating a Sustainable Lifestyle. This was an audio review of a Solar #GSD Workshop that we put on as part of our local community …
Can you use AI and still Live Not By Lies? Everyone is talking about AI since ChatGPT came out. You can use it to write content for your business, blog posts, full-length fiction and stories, and even higher education dissertations. So how far will you go? Is it moral to use AI for school or work? I follow a lot of side hustle groups and they are already touting AI where you can “write endless content and not work so hard!” Perpend and I discuss – Can you use AI and still Live Not by Lies? Central Bank Digital Currency …