Exploring the Monday Mail Newsletter and Important Updates

Today we talk about how to prepare for, plant and cultivate garlic because a listener sent a note in saying that she had struggled with this. We will also cover our usual Monday segments. And I have something to say about disappointing people and the word no.

Featured Event: March 16 Seed Exchange and Potluck, 1pm-3pm, FREE, https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/seed-exchange-and-potluck/ 

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/webinar

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

LFTN Live on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@lftn/streams

🎙️ Monday, 2pm, How to Plant and Cultivate Garlic

🎙️ Tuesday, 9:30am, First Tuesday Coffee Chat with Jack Spirko, The Survival Podcast, and John Willis, Special Operations Equipment

🎙️ Wednesday, 2:00pm, Interview with Jessica Kraft

🎙️ Thursday, 7:00pm, SRF Live

🎙️ Friday, 9:30am CT: Homestead Happenings with the Tactical Redneck

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Ky Sustainable Living Expo Presentation: Power Pantry Method
• Phases of homestead pantry management: Beginning | Intermediate | Advanced | Pro
• Curing Pork Bellies into bacon - see videos
• Basturma update
• Freezer Update

Weekly Shopping Report 2/26

We took our usual trip on Saturday, skipping Home Depot again. We really need our Santa Fe back from the shop to carry large or long loads, like 8' wood, 10' PVC, or a half dozen bags of garden soil in addition to our groceries.

The Dollar Tree drink coolers were in much better shape. Will they stay that way? Cue the theme from Jeopardy; they have not been consistent. Other aisles looked good; Sonia found a couple of minor things in there, the typical craft stuff or organizing accessories.

Although we did not go in, the online price of a 2x4x8 at Home Depot is still $3.38.

Aldi has larger crowds than previously, but still not too bad. There was plenty of Masaca, and more of the chocolate I like than I've been seeing. Staple prices were: eggs: $2.78; whole milk: $2.93; heavy cream: $5.19 (+50c); OJ: $3.29; butter: $3.69; bacon: $4.25; potatoes: $3.99; sugar: $3.09; flour: $2.29; and 80% lean ground beef: $3.99. The egg price is correct; same as last week, a full dollar higher than the week before.

Untainted regular gasoline is still $3.699/gallon.

Frugality Tip from Justin

I don't normally think of it in saving money, more about using it all up. Which ends up being very similar in the end.

This tip is for the bars of soap some people use for the shower or at the sink. When the little piece is getting so slim it is getting hard to hold on to it, I don't throw them away.

I use the technique of scoring from pottery to attach the little piece to a new bar of soap. It will stay there and wear down completely without breaking off and being wasted if done properly.

I get both the new bar and the small sliver nice and wet and soapy (perhaps use them in the shower). Then I use a comb to put scratch marks in both pieces where they will press together. Anything hard and pointy enough to make marks in the soap will probably work for this.

Next I press them together very firmly. I try to use my palms to press them together with no gaps. I also try to not let them slide around at this point, I want them to start welding together. After they have bonded a bit, I will add some more score marks around the seams of the two pieces. 

Once the pieces have been scored and pressed together I set them down on the soap dish to dry. The next day they are bonded as if they were made that way at the factory and the different colored piece of the last bar will simply wear down until nothing remains but the new bar. And the new bar will be welded onto the next ad infinitum.

Community Highlight: 

What to do when you disappoint people.

Sunshine Prepper

https://www.youtube.com/@SunshinePrepperTN 

Operation Independence: Let things go when you need to

Rams and goats oh my.

Main topic of the Show: Planting and Cultivating Garlic

Why we are doing this

How to choose your garlic: Hardneck vs soft neck

Sourcing Seed Garlic: Baker’s Creek, Seed Savers, RareSeeds

Example: https://www.rareseeds.com/garlic-music-1-2-lb

• Seed versus bulbs

Preparing your planting area

When to plant

Mulching practices

Watering needs

When Are they Ready to harvest?

Processing Garlic After Harvest

Storing fresh garlic

Other ways to store garlic

Choosing garlic for replanting

A garlic business idea

Make it a great week!

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

Community

• Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv
• Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
• Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
• Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

• Holler Roast Coffee

• Harvest Right Affiliate Link