In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why slowing down is essential for emotional and physical health
• How nature’s rhythms can guide our own
• Practical ways to simplify, declutter, and reconnect
• How to set boundaries heading into the holidays
• How this season nurtures renewal, rest, and spiritual grounding
• How slowing down now prepares you for a better spring

What’s ONE thing you can slow down this week?

Let us know via email at realsmallscalelife@gmail.com!

Whether your “hearth” is a wood stove, kitchen table, fire pit, or simply a calm moment at the end of a long day, this episode is about returning to what matters:

Slowing down. Giving thanks. Growing gratitude. Building connection.

Bring your coffee and coffee cake or donuts....let's chat as we learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!

Like the famous novel by Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times and it was the worst of times."

Ok, that was pretty dramatic.

We had a really great season for some vegetables, ginger and herbs,. At the same time, we had a tough time with other favorites like tomatoes and squash.

What worked?
What didn't work?
What will we do n 2026?

You can find out tonight on the Small Scale Life Live Stream and Podcast. We go LIVE at 7:00 PM Central.

It is going to be fun!

For more including links, show notes and photos, head over to the Small Scale Life Website.

As a note, we will be streaming Wednesdays at 7:00 PM Central Time on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel. Bring your floaties, river shoes, some snacks and drinky drinks. Let's go!

Grow Roots
Find Peace
Live Small
Love Big
Live Well

Remember to learn, do grow and be a little better everyday!

• Starting a new business called Tommy Cakes (Bird) Seed LLC
• Gardening,
• Improving the shoreline,
• Feeding the birds,
• Taking some shorter trips
• Connecting with neighbors and,
• Dealing with the Government Shutdown.

The government shutdown is concerning. 42 million Americans might lose access to funds to purchase food and put it on the table, and whiile we cannot change what happens in Washington DC, we can help people right where we live. A couple great ways to help are;

• Stock local little library pantries,
• Make monetary donations to local food shelves and pantries,
• Bring foo to local food shelves and pantries, and
• Volunteer at local food shelves and pantries.

Start where you are with what you have. We need to come together and help those in need in our community. It starts with us.

The Small Scale Life Podcast returns on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM starting 11/12/2025. I will be live-streaming on the YouTube Channel and creating a podcast from that video. Join us LIVE! Bring your floaties, river shoes, some snacks and drinky drinks. Let's go!

Grow Roots
Find Peace
Live Small
Love Big
Live Well

Remember to learn, do grow and be a little better everyday!

1. The potential TikTok ban and how it could affect Small Scale Life
2. Changes to the Small Scale Life website to make it more functional and organized
3. Tommy's 2025 Garden Plans (big changes to the Small Scale Garden)
4. What Backyard Birds are hitting the Suet Feeders
5. Answering Audience Questions and
6. Talking about the direction of Small Scale Life going forward

It has been a while since Tommy has done a solo Live Stream, but he ended up covering a lot of topics in an hour! For show notes and more information, check out https://smallscalelife.com.

Catch ANT LIVE on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on Monday evenings. Adam and I talk about mindset, small business, wellness, gardening, homesteading and other topics that come up.

Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

~ Tom

LINKS:

🌱A Modern Frontier Website: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4BdYYnqSspeV/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9PobD1A82ANXC/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j5aR2TBPgchy7/?mibextid=K35XfP

DISCLAIMER

At Small Scale Life, we are not medical professionals, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, or therapists. We are 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 as you choose, but do it carefully. Any actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about gardening, connecting with nature, wellness, mindset, and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

Catch ANT LIVE on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on Monday evenings. Adam and I talk about small business, gardening, connecting with nature, mindset, homesteading and other topics that come up.

Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

~ Tom

LINKS:

🌱A Modern Frontier Website: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4BdYYnqSspeV/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9PobD1A82ANXC/?mibextid=K35XfP

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j5aR2TBPgchy7/?mibextid=K35XfP

DISCLAIMER

At Small Scale Life, we are not medical professionals, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, or therapists. We are 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 as you choose, but do it carefully. Any actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about gardening, connecting with nature, wellness, mindset, and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

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’s a good thing!

~ Tom

LINKS:

This live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

DISCLAIMER:

I 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.

To see more about our wellness journey, gardens, homesteading adventures and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

Adam Rick is my brother from another mother and owner/creator of Modern Frontier Farms in Dousman, Wisconsin. Adam lost his HVAC job a couple years ago, and with the support of his lovely wife Lisa, Adam started Modern Frontier Farms, a grass fed, pasture fed small meat business. Adam works in conjunction with a local cooperative of Amish farmers, Wautoma Family of Farms, and along with other regional producers. Adam and is partners are producing animals that are raised the way nature intended.

The meat is fantastic, and I will have a chance to reintroduce Adam to the Small Scale Life Community, talk about this business and talk about what we are planning to do with a regular livestream on Small Scale Life.

As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

~ Tom

LIVE STREAM SPONSOR:

Brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from Adam at Modern Frontier Farms. Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!

LINKS:

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4B...

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9Po...

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j...

🌱Small Scale Life Telegram Chat Group
https://t.me/+X60kPSJ3bLY0YTUx

DISCLAIMER:

I 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.

To see more about our wellness journey, gardens, homesteading adventures and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

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 sending an email to him at realsmallscalelife@gmail.com.

For links and "recipes," head on over to the Small Scale Website at https://smallscalelife.com.

For more information about Gardening and Small Scale Life, head over to our website at https://smallscalelife.com!

Towards the very end of the episode, I talk about Driftless Oaks Farm and provide some advice about where to buy land or a homestead based on our own experience at Driftless Oaks Farm.  While it didn’t work out as expected for us, it might be different for you.  I would highly recommend that you think long and hard and look long and closely at any property before purchasing it.  We got caught up in the idea and excitement, and fortunately the gods smiled upon us.

While we podcasting types typically obsess about audio quality, there is something neat about this recording.  It is imperfect: there are chickadees chirping, the green heron squawking, planes flying, traffic driving by, Julie talking to a friend, kids chattering as they walk down the street in front of our house and a passing train heading from the Twin Cities to Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  

This is life in a small town in America in 2024.  This is how it should be.  We are part of this community, and these things are just part of our life here now.  We can be perfectly imperfect because that is what we are.

And that, my friends, is a GOOD thing.

My hope is that you can implement some of these ideas and concepts in your own garden, whether it is a brand new garden or one that has been around for a while.

Now, there is a lot to do before I begin planting in my new garden. I have a lot more prep work on the future garden area including adding my new Wicking Bed Gardens and Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow Systems, placing mulch and erecting a fencing and gates. I provide a status report of the Garden Build Project at the end of the article.

For links and written article for this episode, please head over to Small Scale Life website for more information!

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.

Find all the links and show notes at smallscalelife.com!

A direct link to the article is found here: https://www.smallscalelife.com/5-lessons-learned-from-beekeepers-at-beek-meet-2024/

To sign up for the Whole30 Challenge, go to the Small Scale Life Website. An email sign up form is on the main page of the website and under the Wellness tab.

The Small Scale Life Podcast has been silent since April 26, 2023. At that point, we had just announced that we were selling Driftless Oaks Farm, which was our little 10-acre hobby farm in Western Wisconsin. We had a lot of discussions, a lot of soul searching and a lot of work leading up to that point, and what happened afterward was nothing short of a miracle. We had some great offers on the farm, selected an offer, found a new place, got our offer selected and then began the moving process (packing and loading up). At the same time, we kicked off a blitz of projects at the new house.

With real life kicking and a busy job calling, there was no capacity or bandwidth to record, edit, and keep the Small Scale Life Podcast and videos flowing to the audence. Something had to give, and I decided to put this project on a shelf and do the work.

It is a new year, and a new cycle is starting for all of us. Julie has a new business called Willow River Yoga, my son Ryan has things happening and I have charted a new course for Small Scale Life (which really is getting back to my roots of this show if you look back to the first couple blog posts).

For more information about us and links, please head over to the Small Scale Life website. You can sign up for free resources including the 24 Hour Plan, Seed Saving Guide and Budget Bundles on the FREE RESOURCES page.

Also, I discuss the Small Scale Life Wellness Club on Facebook, please head over there for the 24 Hour Plan and to join the conversation.

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.

For more information and links, head over to Small Scale Life!

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.

For more about Adam, check out Small Scale Life Podcast Episodes 214 and 215 where we talk about his homesteading journety, gardening and taking care of animals (rabbits, quail, chickens and ducks).

To connect Adam, see the show notes for Episode 216 at https://smallscalelife.com!

If you want to find The Rapier Ranch or High Desert Hives, there are links to Adam and Kathleen's social media and website in the show notes on https://smallscalelife.com. Also, I have some photos of those awesome gardens too, so check them out!

Listen to Small Scale Life Episode 214 to listen and be inspired by Adam's story. You can find all the show notes at https;//smallscalelife.com.

1. Change is in the Air - Fall and Winter are Coming!
2. The Orchard - Criss Cross Apple Sauce
3. The Land Provides - Sweet Corn and Wild Grapes
4. Canning * Four Tips for Successful Canning * Corn Relish and Cowboy Candy Relish
5. How does my Garden Grow?
6. 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!
7. Gatherings - Family and Friends at the Farm
8. Connect to the Land - Animal Updates * Flying Young Eagle * Running Skunk * Watching and Counting Down - Oriole and Hummingbird Departures
9. Future Shows and What's Coming Up Next!

For show notes, links and photos, go to https://smallscalelife.com!

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.

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!

1. Removing Fence from the Blue and White Pens
2. Cutting Box Elder Trees
3. Building Wicking Beds out of 55 Gallon Food Grade Barrels
4. Working on Operation WW
5. 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!

1. My Farm Journal
2. 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!

• 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!

Amy Dingmann is from A Farmish Kind of Life where she talks about her life on a little 5-acre farm in Central Minnesota. Amy is a writer, podcaster, blogger, YouTuber, and also has a snail mail paper newsletter (called The Farmish Papers).

During this episode, we discuss what is happening on our farms, all things chicken the chicken chat), gardening and her platform and plans at A Farmish Kind of Life. You can find more links and information at smallscalelife.com.

Chicken stock photo by freeimages.com/cholin. Free Image used according to use agrement.

For links to the recent appearances and to learn more about Driftless Oaks Farm, head over to smallscalelife.com .

As a reminder, you can now buy high quality grass fed meat (raised using Regenerative Agriculture protocols and principles) at the following site: https://www.amodernfrontier.com/

Use code SMALL (in all caps) and you will get $25 off and beef, pork or chicken box. That’s right, use code SMALL (in all caps) and get $25 off!

You can chat with Adam on the site if you have any questions, or you can email him at amodernfrontier@gmail.com.

For full disclosure: this is not an affiliate for me or Small Scale Life. I want to help a friend get this business going. I receive no payments or percentages from any sales; I am just helping a friend out.

• 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.

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

• 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!

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.

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. 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.

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.
*](https://www.smallscalelife.com/building-an-urban-farm-from-scratch-with-michael-bell)

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!

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:

1. A visit by my friend Greg Burns and Contrary Farmstead Podcast about this platform and our story
2. 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?

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!

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!

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?"

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!

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

You can find out more at 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!

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!

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!

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

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.

I discuss the following topics in this episode:

1. Happy Mother's Day 2019!
2. Great Mother's Day Meal
3. About Last Week....Community Building Social Events
4. Garden Update....World War III
5. Lesson of the Week

For more information, check out the post titled "Happy Mother's Day 2019" at https://smallscalelife.com!

• 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.

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!

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

As we discussed recently with Drew Sample, new opportunities and reality can force change, and you have to be ready to adjust accordingly! 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."

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!

“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!

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!

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
 

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!

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

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!

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

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!

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.

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="attachment_1578" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Lumbersquatches Greg Burns and Drew Sample - Real Food, Good Men and Good Friends![/caption]
 
 
 
 
Links
[caption id="attachment_1182" 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!

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="attachment_1465" 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="attachment_1464" 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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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

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/

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.