In January, Terrance interviewed Scott Hebert, and somehow he found me.  He reached out to me, and after working out our schedules in a busy July, we found a way to connect and complete the interview.  In our interview, Terrance and I discussed what lead me to start my small scale life journey, gardening tips and ideas, how and why communities are important and so much more.

For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Starting Small Scale Life - The Intellectual Agrarian Podcast on Small Scale Life!

If you are new to Small Scale Life or missed Part 1 of the Homesteading for Beginners podcast, I recommend that you take a listen.  In that podcast, Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns, my friend Jay and I discuss starting our own Homesteading journeys by asking why.

For more links, photos and extensive show notes, please go to Small Scale Life to get more information!

In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am discussing the new weekly post in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group called my "weekend three things."  I also include a summary of the Zac Brown Band Concert in Minneapolis,  Julie's first triathlon and much, much more! 

For more information, pictures and the awesome show notes, head over to Small Scale Life for more on this podcast!

My friend Jay and I can relate to those new homesteaders: we both purchased properties in 2018.  We want to create new homesteads on our respective properties, and we figured it would be great to talk with someone who actually had a homestead and was further down the rabbit hole on this journey.

Fortunately, I know a few people who do some great things due to this little podcast and blog!  I called on my friend Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns, and he agreed to bring his contrarian perspective (and jar full of fermented goodness) to the discussion.

For more information, show notes and links to other podcasts and information, check out the post on Small Scale Life!

For more information about this episode, please read more on [Small Scale Life](www.smallscalelife.com).

Check out more and get more detail on [Small Scale Life](www.smallscalelife.com)e!

For those of you don’t know who these gentlemen are, Scott Hebert owns and operates Flavourful Farm in Chilliwack, British Columbia.  Michael Bell owns and operates Half Acre Farm in Dallas, Texas. Both have uniquely different operations, but they are facing some of the same issues.  Both have been great guests on Small Scale Life, and I am thrilled to have them back on the show.

If you are currently an urban farmer or are considering starting a small business, you might want to grab a drink, a pad of paper and a writing utensil.  There is a lot of good information and advice in this podcast.  Michael and Scott have tried a lot of things and found out what does and does not work on their farms and in their markets.

As part of the discussion, Michael Bell, Scott Hebert and I provided some thoughts about a new type of urban farming and marketing recently discussed on Larry Hall's YouTube Channel.  Each of us had some comments (pros and cons) about this kind of small business, and there are some logistical and price point questions that will need to be explored.  As Michael Bell puts it, "It hasn't been done like this before, so why not give it a try?"

You can view the video and get all the show notes on [Small Scale Life](smallscalelife.com)

In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes.

Who is Tommy Cakes?

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.

Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

• I import knowledge
• I export that information at premium prices!

I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life.

Introduction – Feeling Overwhelmed

As many of you know, I have been on the road a lot recently.  When you are gone from your home and family, things start to pile up.  Sure, you might be meeting excellent people and doing great things on the road, but life feels out of control.  Things break, the lawn grows, and business needs attention.

These things start to weigh on your mind and bog you down.  Returning home, you suddenly have a lot to do before you reload and head out again.  As that to do list grows and the tasks get more complex, so does that feeling of panic and dread.

You can easily feel overwhelmed by the demands of family, work and life.  That feeling can wash over you, and if you are not careful, you will get nothing done because you feel paralyzed by the amount of work on your plate.

That is how I am feeling as we roll into this weekend.  How are you doing?

To read more about how to Remedy Feeling Overwhelmed, head on over to read the rest of the story on Small Scale Life!

In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes.

Who is Tommy Cakes?

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.

Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

• I import knowledge
• I export that information at premium prices!

I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life.

Story Time

If you look at modern Western Civilization today, and we have never been more distracted in our lives.

Don’t believe me?

Look around you: there are people who are tuning out of reality around them and completely tuning into the computer in their hands.

A great example of our distracted lives plays out every day on our nation’s roadways.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,450 people died in 2016 due to distracted driving.  391,000 were injured in motor vehicles crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015.

Many of those injuries and deaths are from talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, or fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system. On a given day during daylight hours, the NHTSA states that more than 481,000 people are using their cell phones while driving.

You have seen these people, haven’t you?  They weave and bob in their lanes, correcting radically when they realize they are drifting into other lanes. The sad reality is: at 55 mph, texting on your cell phone for 5 seconds is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.  That is alarming!

Midweek Motivation Lesson - Stop Distractions: Focus!

Compared to our parents and grandparents, we live our lives at an incredibly hectic pace.  We are constantly on the go between work, school, activities, and kids’ activities (especially 24/7/365 sports).  Western Civilization has embraced and promoted multitasking and “on-the-go” hectic lifestyles in this modern age.  We push the limits to find one extra minute to send a text or make a phone call.

How often are you eating a meal in the car “on-the-go” to another event or obligation? What are we really accomplishing and are we really happy with this lifestyle?

There is no reason we need to live like this.  We can take some time, feel the sunshine, walk in the hills and mountains and breathe some fresh air.  Stop distractions by slowing down and focusing on the people and things in your surroundings.

Make the time by taking the time. You cannot change Western Civilization, but you can change how you act and behave in it!

Source

Sources for today’s Midweek Motivation include:

Statistics and cover photo courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes

I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast.  You two ARE the wind beneath my wings!

Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

Badda boom, badda bing!  Dat's how we do it!

Please go to Small Scale Life for links, more information and the text of the podcast,

Michael is using some really interesting and simple marketing techniques to develop business opportunities and increase his urban farming operation.  As you will hear, he is employing techniques with great success! Michael feels that there are a lot of growth opportunities for profitable urban farming in the future, and he provides some positive encouragement to those who might be considering an urban farm as a side business.

Topics Discussed on the BellCast: Profitable Urban Farming

Micheal Bell and I discussed the following topics in this podcast:

Welcome Back to the Show

Texas weather
Minnesota weather

What’s Growing on the Farm?
Tomato varieties
Peppers
Squash and zucchini
Greens
Onions
Radish
Beets

Tomato Tips
Septoria Leaf Spot
Pruning Tomatoes
Watering - low and slow
Marketing and Customers for Profitable Urban Farming

Instagram Strategy
Telling the story
How to sell a superior product
Vegan Body Builder - YouTube Video
Try to get restaurants for the Summer
Start Profitable Urban Farming: 100 families = $100,000

Community Building
Other farms are starting in the area, but there is a big market
Rose Creek Farm
Singing Frogs Farm
Scott Hebert at Flavourful Farms
Opportunities to collaborate and work together
Diego Footer's Farm Small; Farm Smart Podcast
Connect with Michael Bell on Instagram

Putting It All Together

As Michael stated, you can start profitable urban farming using simple techniques: connecting with people who are looking for great tasting, fresh produce in your area using Instagram.

By starting small, you can focus on your client’s needs and share you story as you sell your produce.  As Curtis Stone has said on many occasions, your customers want to share your story with others, and once you sell your produce, customers will share their experience with others.  Michael experienced that very thing with the ladies who spent time at the farm and essentially sold his product to the whole office!

You can do this, and there are people out there that can help!  We will continue to explore these topics with Michael in future BellCasts!

• Learn as much as you can.
• Get busy working on your passions.
• Grow your skills.  Connect with others.
• Always be ready to jump on opportunities.
• When you get your shot, perform like you mean it and have some fun to get it done!

In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes.

Who is Tommy Cakes?

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.

Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

I import knowledge
I export that information at premium prices!
I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life.

Sorry for last week; I was called out on business and had to get some things done.  The good thing is: we have a great story this week that should inspire you and push you forward.  Before we begin, here is a question for you to ponder:

Would you be ready to drop everything and go if opportunity knocks? 

Story Time – Be Ready Player One

Somewhere in Middle America, an ordinary guy found himself under the lights of a big game in front of thousands of fans and the press.  The pressure was on: the game seemed to be in hand since the home team was ahead by four points.  However, the backup to the starting player had just developed cramps and had the leave the game. It was up to our hero to finish the game and help his time to a win.

The hero of this story is an accountant by day; he is not a professional player at all.  In fact, years ago he played college hockey, and now he plays as goalie in a recreation league at night. Like some other local backup goalies, our hero usually sat near the press box, eating free food and waiting “on-call” as an emergency backup in case the professionals couldn’t finish a game.  It was unlikely that the accountant would be called in to play.  It was an easy gig: eat food, watch the game, root for his home team.  What’s not to love?

As he was a block away from the arena, our hero was alerted that he might have to be ready to play.  If something happened, it was up to our everyday accounting hero to come off the bench, put on his helmet and finish the game.

On this night, however, the starts, sun and moon aligned.  The starting goalie was out with an injury, and the backup left the game with cramps.  The head coach leaned over and told accountant Scott Foster, “Put your helmet on; you’re in.”

The accountant Scott Foster played fourteen and a half minutes as a Blackhawk goalie against the Jets. He blocked shots, and he won the love of Blackhawks fans.  At the end of the game, he helped secure the victory, was celebrated by fan and player alike, and entered his name into the storied Chicago Blackhawk history and lore.

Midweek Motivation Lesson: Be Ready Player One

Life takes unforeseen twists and turns sometimes. If you aren’t ready, you can miss opportunities when they present yourself.  Always remember:

• Learn as much as you can.
• Get busy working on your passions.
• Grow your skills.  Connect with others.
• Always be ready to jump on opportunities.
• When you get your shot, perform like you mean it and have some fun to get it done!

After all, you never know when someone will turn to you and say, “Ready Player One?  Put on your helmet; you’re in!” Always be ready!

That’s all I got this week.  This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week!  Bada boom, bada bing!

Sources
The source of this story was theathletic.com and the source of the cover art Dennis Wierzbiki and USA Today Sports.

Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes

I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast.  You two ARE the wind beneath my wings!

Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

Badda boom, badda bing!  Dat's how we do it!

Topics Discussed on this Episode

Julie and I discussed the following topics on this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast.

Julie is back on the show!

• 5 Steps to Developing a Simple and Intentional Life
• Hey Mom and Dad, we don’t want your stuff
• Four generations are practicing Minimalism in the current year: Greatest Generation, Boomers, GenX and Millennials
• “Right-Sizing,” Trendies and Millennial Nomads Dave Ramsey and the 2008 Collapse
• “Working very hard to earn money to pay for houses we can’t afford and impress people we don’t like”
• Expectations, time preference and delayed satisfaction
• Learning from the Crash of 2008 Julie’s Work to Declutter the Basement
• Declutter the basement over the weekend
• Clear it out and start fresh before you begin more projects 5 Steps to Declutter
• Determine your timeline and formulate your strategy
• Create 4 bins to sort items as you purge
• For items in the “Give” bin, take them immediately to your car
• For items in the “Keep” bin, ask yourself two questions
• Does it serve a purpose?
• Does it bring you joy?
• For items in your “Undecided” bin, keep 1 month and revisit the bin.
• Make sure you keep the bin visible for the entire time.  IF you haven’t used or thought of the items in the bin, get rid of it!

Once Decluttering is Complete....

• Restock the shelves and drawers in an organized manner. Julie’s tip; “USE LABELS!”

Question from the Audience

• "What was the biggest benefit you saw from the Minimalist Lifestyle Change?" - Jay Dolan
• Members of the Small Scale Life Facebook Group had a number of great questions, but they came in after the show was recorded. We will record a new show where we answer these questions, so if you have questions, please add them to the thread in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group or add them as a comment to this show on smallscalelife.com.

Friends of Small Scale Life

Aussie Flame Weeders – My friend Mick at Aussie Flame Weeders is offering flame weeders to reduce your non-revenue producing workload. If you want to eliminate weeds from your garden beds, a flame weeder is an efficient way to do it.  I mean, who doesn’t want to burn pesky weeds with fire?  Mick’s flame weeders are perfect for 30 inch (80 cm) garden beds and feature five stainless steel burners, 16” wheels and an ergonomic design that carries a propane tank so you don’t have to.  Even if you don’t purchase a flame weeder, sign up on the Aussie Flame Weeder e-mail list to get access to videos and information.

Gnarled Knot Design - From the Land of Illinois, our good friends Phil and Jen love to create furniture and home décor items to make your house feel like a cozy home. Since they were running out of space in their own home, they decided to share our items with others. So, if you are looking for customized and personalized furniture, signs or other items, connect with Phil and Jen at Gnarled Knot Design on Facebook, Instragram or Etsy. Connect with Phil and Jen today!

Who is Tommy Cakes?

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.

Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

• I import knowledge
• I export that information at premium prices!

I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life

Introduction – Fun to Done

This is a Late Week Motivation this week. What can I say?  Business has been good and keeping Tommy Cakes on the run.  This is a good thing: it means more stuff is happening and Tommy is getting paid!  Fortunately, I have some time to relax before I go to the lounge, so I am going to get this done for you!

Many of us set lofty goals and resolutions with the best intentions.  We dream big and then make grand announcements to all of our family and friends.  We say things like, “This time is different; I am ready.  This is my chance to change!  My goal is X!”

We see this all the time at the start of a new year.  As we talked about in Episode 13, we concoct all kinds of goals and resolutions, and by the end of January, 64% of us have stopped trying.  By March 1st, 80% of us have dropped off.  Haven’t you noticed it at the gym, pool or in the sauna recently?  There are a lot less waiting for a machine, a lane or bench space for the gun show to begin.

Why is that?

Goals and Resolutions Don’t Work

We have the best intentions when we start with our big goal and resolutions.  We don’t intend to fail.  We want change, but then something happens.

Psychologically, we associate goals and resolutions with pain, misery and drudgery.  Who wants to be miserable eating kale when you can have some fantastic lasagna, red wine and cannoli?

We see this with people trying to lose weight.  They set a goal, and then they think the quickest way to get to done is to start running, yet they can hardly walk around the block.  After two days of jogging, they are so sore they can’t even move!  This destroys motivation, and then the poor person gives up.  Kevin Geary talked about this in an interview here on Small Scale Life.  Michael Bell also talked about this during his discussion about fitness and weight lifting in Season 2, Episode 25.

Midweek Motivation: Fun to Done

Instead of pushing a massive bolder up a steep hill, we all need to rethink our goals and resolutions and inject the fun to done mentality into our everyday lives. Why not?  The project or work needs to get done somehow!

• Instead of hating to eating kale or broccoli, why not add a little butter to it?
• Instead of running or jogging, why not go for a hike in a beautiful place or walk with your spouse or the dog? Notice I did not equate the two!
• Instead of swimming laps in a pool, why not swim with your kids or in a lake?
• Instead of working out in a stale, sweaty gym, why not work in the garden or yard?

Inject the fun to done mentality into your goals and resolutions.  Make it an adventure or a journey.  Stop making it a miserable marathon of sweat, blood and tears.  Identify something you like to do and incorporate your goals into that activity.  You might find that you get things done AND have some fun while doing it.  After all, how do you think Tommy Cakes got on the air in the first place?

That’s all I got this week.  Add some fun into your lives!  This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week!  Bada boom, bada bing!

“Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done”

This episode was inspired by author Jon Acuff in his book “Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done.”  As a person who has “squirrel syndrome,” which is a trait of ENFP personality types, I have found that adding some fun into my work and my goals has helped me accomplish so many more things.  Why?  Because those fun things are so much more enjoyable to do and complete!

Not everything is going to be fun.  Taxes are boring, painting a room is tedious and filing reports is downright dull.  However, you can overcome that and get things done.

In the book (particularly Chapter 4), Jon Acuff has some great techniques for getting projects done and goals achieved.  I recommend you listen or read his book today!  It is actually a fun read!  Get after it, and add fun to done to your life!

Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes

I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast.  You two ARE the wind beneath my wings!

Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

Badda boom, badda bing!  Dat's how we do it!

In this episode, my wife Julie Domres is my special guest, and we discuss some of Before we get to that, let me ask you a couple questions: does your stuff stress you out?  Do all the materials, goods, and things in you house and garage give you a sense of dread or anxiety?  My guest and I are going to take you on a journey.

Show Notes for 5 Steps to Developing a Simple and Intentional Life

In this podcast, Julie and I discussed the following topics and links:

Friends of Small Scale Life (see below)

• Gnarled Knot Design
• Nature's Image Farms

Introductions

• Who is Julie?
• What has been happening the past couple weeks?
• Weekend to Remember Marriage Retreat - Family Life
• Moving Our Stuff Home

Our Story 

• Moving Out and Storing Stuff
• Planting Our Flag in North Minneapolis
• Schemes and Ideas
• Decision Process and Finalizing "The Plan"
• Our Journey to Develop a Simple and Intentional and Life
• Survival Mode and Chasing Dollars
• Jobs, Kids and Life

Minimalism - Learn, Do and Grow in Motion

• How did we find Minimalism?
• Tom - Local Author and Blogger Aaron Clarey - Captain Capitalism Website
• Julie - The Minimalism Documentary
• Going to see the Minimalists in Minneapolis (link to podcast of the event)
• Other Minimalists
• Josh Becker - Becoming Minimalist
• Colin Write - Exile Lifestyle
• Patrick Rhone - Minneapolis Author of "Enough"
• What does it mean to us?

5 Steps to Developing a Simple and Intentional Life

• Eliminating Clutter
• Reducing Time Commitments
• Reducing and Eliminating Debt
• Replacing Screens with Reality and People
• Defining What's Truly Important in Your Life

Putting It All Together

• Key Topics, Thank You's and What's Coming Up

Who is Tommy Cakes?

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.

Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

• I import knowledge
• I export that information at premium prices!

I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life

Introduction

A lot of us get to the end of the year and we are excited to get a new slate and a new chance to do things different.  Many of us want to change something in our lives:

• Lose weight
• Get healthy
• Stop drinking
• Stop smoking
• Travel more
• Get ride of clutter
• Get organized
• Start a new business
• Others - yada yada yada

How many of us set goals and resolutions for the New Year?  How many of us have already dropped by the wayside and punted on those goals?

Statistically speaking, research has shown that 31 days after the first of the year, 64 percent of you have dropped your New Years Resolutions.  By March 1st, more than 80 percent of you have dropped those New Year’s Resolutions and goals.  You can see this at the gyms: the crowds that created standing room only and long wait times for equipment has eased up or evaporated completely.

How many of you are like that?  Does one of these questions describe your state of mind:

• Do you get frustrated with your progress and results?
• Did you fall back into your same old patterns?
• Do you lack the time to put into this resolution?
• Do you lack a game plan for success?
• Did you forget the reason why you started?

There are ways to break the chains of failure and defeat.  You can accomplish your goal successfully!

4 Tips to Keep Going

It is tough to keep going, especially when times are tough.  Here are some ideas on how to keep motivated and making progress:

Get a coach or accountability partner – Working with someone can help push and motivate you when you lose motivation. A good coach or accountability partner has your back and will keep you on task, even when times are hard.  After all, you don’t want to let that coach or accountability partner down!
Start small; go low and slow – Too many of us go all out after we haven’t been doing something for a long time. Then we get really, really frustrated when change doesn’t happen or when you are sore.  Go low and slow, but do it consistently.  It will help with your recovery and motivation.
Make it part of your daily routine – Block off some time every day to devote to your goal. Focus on that doing activities that get you closer to that goal during that time.  Do not get distracted by people or screens!
Track your progress – Take notes and document your progress. It might not seem like you are moving a mountain initially, but when you look back after a month or a year, you will see how far you have come!

Midweek Motivation Lesson: Keep Going

Change is hard.  We are impatient creatures, and when results aren’t immediately seen, we throw up our hands and stop doing what we are doing.

Keep going.  Keep pushing yourself.  You might be on the verge of a breakthrough, but you will never know if you give up.  Do the following things to keep going:

• Get a coach or accountability partner
• Start small; go low and slow
• Make it part of your daily routine
• Track your progress

That’s all I got this week.  This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week!  Bada boom, bada bing!

Sources

Sources for today’s Midweek Motivation include:

New Study Reveals How Long New Year’s Resolutions Usually Last
80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February — here's how to keep yours
How long do people keep their New Year resolutions?

Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes

I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast.  You two ARE the wind beneath my wings!

Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

Badda boom, badda bing!  Dat's how we do it!

Who is Tommy Cakes?

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.
Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

• I import knowledge
• I export that information at premium prices!

I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life.

Introduction – Super Bowl Spectacular

This is a little different Midweek Motivation. In the past three episodes (which have done really well, so that tells me you like this stuff), we have talked about:

• Keeping Our Eyes on the Target
• Preparedness and
• Overcoming Dread

This show, however, is a little different. We are going to talk about something else, ripped right from the headlines, if you will.

In case you somehow missed it, the big game, the big dance, the Super Bowl was last weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is only the second time Minnesota hosted the Big Game: the first time was in the Metrodome and now it was in that fancy billion dollar stadium. People in Minnesota are just not used to having big games like this in their town.

This game featured the New England Patriots against the Philadelphia Eagles. As you probably know, the Patriots have been in and won the Super Bowl a bunch of times, and the Eagles have been in the Big Game, but they have never won the actual Super Bowl. Obviously I am giving some credit to the early Eagles teams that won championships in the 1960’s before the merger.

Story Time

Let’s talk about what happened BEFORE the Super Bowl here in the Twin Cities. It really is a tale of two cities, and the contrast is interesting to discuss. Let me paint two pictures for you.

St. Paul

There is a lot happening in Minnesota even without the Big Game. This time of year, St. Paul hosts The Winter Carnival, which is a festival that includes all kinds of activities to celebrate winter. The Winter Carnival started in 1886, and this year it goes from January 25th to February 10th. There is a whole mythology and pageantry surrounding the rise of King Boreas, Queen Aurora their court and Klondike Kate. At the same time, there is a story about the rise and shenanigans of King Boreas’ arch nemesis Vulcanus Rex and his Vulcan Crew.

There is a hunt for the medallion (sponsored by the St. Paul Pioneer Press), ice sculpture competition, snow slides, parades, concerts with local talent and sometimes a massive ice castle. It is quite a celebration of winter and distinctly Minnesotan! For more on that, go to this link: https://www.wintercarnival.com/

Minneapolis

While the Winter Carnival is a St. Paul event, the Super Bowl is a Minneapolis show. The stadium is in Minneapolis, and a lot of the activities were focused around the US Bank Stadium and around Minneapolis. On this note, the NFL and their corporate sponsors rolled into town and set up shop. This included a whole “Minnesota Experience presented by Verizon” in downtown Minneapolis, where Nicollet Avenue (which is a transit-only roadway), that included booths for sponsors and a patch of snow for doing “winter stuff.” There were corporate events, zip line, and concerts. Oh yeah, they finally held a game and dropped some paper all over the field when it was done and over.

Did I mention the celebrities that we here for the Super Bowl? Oh yes, they were all over Minneapolis in the fresh snow and cold! There was Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Pink, JLo, Bradley Cooper, Joe Biden, Stephan Curry, Alex Rodriquez, Donnie Wahlberg, Gary Vaynerchuk, JJ Watt, Floyd Mayweather in his coat, and Diddy in his bigger fur coat with his entourage. That is quite a cast of characters zipping around the Twin Cities showing up here and there, doing their celebrity things!

Midweek Motivation Lesson

So what is the point of all this? I know what some of you are thinking. This is sportsball and celebrity stuff, and I know a lot of you don’t really care. That’s where you are absolutely wrong, my friends.

The point of this story and your Midweek Motivation is the following:
In today’s crazy world, we are all looking for something in our lives that are real, have meaning and are pure. Stop looking for that in mass media, sports and Hollywood. It isn’t there. Look for that kind of authenticity and reality in local events, festivals and gatherings in your community, with your neighbors, friends and family. Events and gatherings like the Winter Carnival in St. Paul that are built on community traditions, mythology and storytelling are where authentic and real memories should be created.

Don’t waste your time with the NFL, Super Bowl, Hollywood, celebrities and their shenanigans. None of it is real. All of there world is hype and a sales pitch for a corporate, plastic world. After all, once the game was over, the private and corporate jets line up and flew off, and all that was left was their trash.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Now, I have to get back in the lounge to spend my winnings from the Super Bowl. I won big, so it’s time for my drink, some capicola, veal parmesan and canollis! I might even buy everyone a round! This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week! Bada boom, bada bing!

Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes

I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast. You two ARE the wind beneath my wings!
Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
Badda boom, badda bing! Dat's how we do it!

Who is Tommy Cakes?

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.

Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

• I import knowledge
• I export that information at premium prices!

I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life.

Introduction – Overcoming Dread
At one time or another, everybody has that nasty feeling in the pit of your stomach. Maybe that feeling comes from one of these examples:

• Going into work at a job you don’t like,
• Talking to an authority figure after making a mistake,
• Meeting new people,
• Taking care of tasks
• Delivering a project or service to a client or
• Speaking in front of the public (like on a podcast…doh)!

Over time, that nasty feeling in your stomach grows, and you feel exhausted or have little motivation to complete tasks and take care of business.  You procrastinate and, in some cases, that small task mushrooms into a massive problem that takes a lot of time and energy to resolve.  Have you experienced that?

Story Time

Let’s tell a little story outlining this.  Our hero hurried and scrambled last summer as he packed up all his belongings and prepared to move from his house.  His lovely wife made arrangements with a local storage facility.  Our hero, his boys and a few friends loaded the belongings into the storage locker.

After a couple trips with a big truck, pickup truck, SUV and other vehicles, the house was empty and the storage locker was loaded.  Other belongings and furniture were taken to the new house, and our hero settled into his new place.

This winter, the time came when our hero had to clear out the storage locker. Our hero started to be concerned.  Who was going to help empty the storage locker and load the truck?  Where was all of this stuff going to go?  Could our hero even move that much material?

As the date came closer, our hero’s thought about it more and more.  Slowly bur surely, his concern turned into dread.  It seemed that this was too big a task to handle and too much material to move to a small house and small garage.

The day came, and our hero and his lovely wife picked up the moving truck and drove it to the locker.  They opened the locker, and after taking a deep breath, they began to load the truck.  They loaded quickly, and as they worked, the hero’s feeling of dread began to diminish.  Dread slowly turned to confidence, and confidence slowly turned to euphoria.

As they closed the door of the truck, the hero said triumphantly, “I have been dreading this day, and that wasn’t as bad as I thought.  Let’s try to get it all loaded tonight…..!”  The hero’s lovely wife reminded him that night was coming, and that the dynamic duo had extra help the next day.

Midweek Motivation Lesson

So what is the point of this story?  The point of this story and your Midweek Motivation is the following:

[tweetthis]Overcome dread by focusing your mind and completing one task at a time. Start easy tasks to get momentum! #mindset #overcomingdread[/tweetthis]

[tweetthis]Stop letting your fear and imagination rule your life. #overcomingdread[/tweetthis]

You don’t have a lot of time on this earth.  Use your time wisely. Worrying and dreading about something is wasting your time and energy.  Whatever that source of dread is, it is going to be over after you engage and finish the task, and chances are, you’ll feel a lot better once it is done.  Take a deep breath, close your eyes and pull the trigger.   BOOM!

This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week!

Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes

I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast.  You two ARE the wind beneath my wings!

Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

Badda boom, badda bing!  Dat's how we do it!

Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

• I import knowledge
• I export that information at premium prices!

I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life.

Story Time

Let me tell you about the very short-lived government shutdown. Did you even know it happened? Since we don’t do the political thing on Small Scale Life, I will tell you a story instead.

On Friday last week, a lone Federal employee got a phone call from his boss in a far off regional office. The boss told him that the shutdown was most likely going to happen. Since this guy was classified as a “non-essential employee,” the employee would be on furlough (unpaid leave). The boss provided instructions about what to do if the shutdown occurred and hung up.

As the employee completed his work, his mind drifted to what this shutdown meant and could do to his family’s budget. No work meant no pay. This could hurt since his paycheck went to pay a lot of the bills. If this was a long shutdown, the loss of this source of income could hurt in the long run, and the rhetoric out of Washington was not good (meaning this could be a long shutdown).

The employee started to think about what he had been doing over the past couple years and how he had not followed through on some ideas and plans. His side hustle was merely a hobby, and the work he had done to prepare for a major disaster was not enough. He and his family were not ready to outlast a major event, even after everything he had read and researched on the topic.

The employee stewed and resolved to take care of those things once the shutdown occurred. There were a lot of details to be worked out, but it just needed his undivided attention and focus. He planned his Monday, knowing that the shutdown was inevitable.

Sure enough, the politicians could not agree, and the shutdown happened. The non-essential Federal employees were on furlough, and that included the hero in our story.

Our hero was ready to act. Even though this would hurt in the short run, he would begin the process to develop that side hustle into something. As he sat down at the computer to implement his plan, the phone rang. The boss called and informed him that he was no longer non-essential, and that he had to report to work (without pay)!

Our hero, thrown for a loop, made some phone calls and got rolling with his regular work day. Later that day, the government re-opened for business for another couple weeks. He resolved to implement his plan and start preparing for the next disaster right away.

Midweek Motivation Lesson

So what is the point of all of this? The point of this Midweek Motivation is this:
[tweetthis]Be vigiliant. Be ready. Be prepared. Life comes at you fast, and if you prepare, you are set up to adapt and overcome life’s challenges. [/tweetthis]

How do you do get prepared?

Save some money, get out of debt, store some food and water, and get healthy. Stop dreaming and researching. Start doing and executing. Prepare for the worst. Boom! If you want to learn more about HOW to prepare, stay tuned to Small Scale Life. More to come on that.

This is Tommy Cakes, and I see you next week!

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
 

Please note: I originally posted a much longer post about where this platform is going in 2018, but I am re-writing this post to thank you all for all the well-wishes I received yesterday. The longer article will be published in a separate post.

Just in case you are new to Small Scale Life, we are living simply by growing, exploring and living healthy. To put it simply, we are focused on:

• Gardening,
• Healthy living, and
• Having adventures along the way

Happy Birthday

On my and Small Scale Life’s birthday, I wanted to thank everyone for being a part of our story and being a part of our Small Scale Life. I had so many good conversations and well wishes on my birthday! It was a little overwhelming, and I really am thankful for your comments. I am totally serious: if I could throw a big party and invite you all, I would! Maybe I'll have to think about organizing something like that....

All in all, I had a very busy year at Small Scale Life and in my personal life, but through it all, I think I have gotten a little wiser and a little better at this blogging and podcasting stuff this year. I know there is a lot to learn and I am constantly improving, and I appreciate new friends who have helped me over the past year.

I really want to thank all the people who were guests on the Small Scale Life Podcast this year including Greg Burns, Jay Dolan, Travis Swanson, Todd Ehrhardt, Micheal Jordan, Michael Bell, and Doneil Freeman. What a great group of people! I really do appreciate the support and your time. If you haven't listened to those shows, you are missing out. Go to the Podcast tab and start listening today (or just click the text)!

Just Getting Started

We will use the lessons learned this year to improve Small Scale Life, the podcast, our urban homestead and ourselves this year. We have some ambitious goals in 2018. I am working hard to put a team into place that will allow us to grow and improve this platform. We will have regular guests and a more regular schedule for posts and content. More on all that in upcoming posts and podcasts, and the proof will be the quality of our work. The bottom line is that I think we are going to have a great year!
Thank you for everything in the past two years. Thank you for the engagement and taking your time to follow us. We would not be doing this if it wasn't for you. We are just getting started. 2018 is going to take your breath away, and I can't wait!

Stay tuned and continue to live simply, grow, explore and be healthy with us in 2018!