Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce

Today, I bring you a replay episode Replay of Episode 127 from 2019, right as we were starting to do three episodes per week! That year, I had no idea if I could make it work so I set up a content plan where one day a week was hard core how to. This episode talks about how to transplant those seedlings that you have so lovingly nurtured into your garden. Replay of Episode 127 Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja

Today, I bring you a replay episode from way back in my first year of podcasting for two reasons: 1) Y'all are asking me about how to start seedlings; 2) Y'all should hear what I sounded like back then. If you are not starting your podcast or youtube channel because you think you do not sound professional enough, well, this was my first year and sometimes you have to get started to hone your craft. Replay of Episode 26 Community Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja

Today, I will highlight two examples to approaching someone you may want as a mentor, or from whom you would just like a little advice. Why does this matter? Because as you go through life, you will find, from time to time, that you wish to learn or try new things, -- or that you may start a business or side hustle -- and a great way to avoid mistakes that are obvious to someone with experience, but not obvious to you, is to hold an interview, go to a demo, become an intern, or find a mentor. And in the last few weeks, I have been approached by two people with very different approaches and they got very different reactions from me. It made me think - let's look at the two approaches and learn from that. Announcements I will be out of town at Jack Spirko's Spring workshop giving a presentation on building community so the next two episodes this week will be replays and I have chosen some good ones. Tales from the Prepper Pantry We preserved too much food last year Cool Canning opener from a 3d printer arrived, will test it when I get back Sweet potatoes are coming to an end -- starting slips Starting to come to the end of last year's pork Operation Independence Outdoor kitchen 2.0 plans are underway Main content of the show: Approaching a Mentor There is nothing that will give a person pause as when someone asks to be mentored. That is a pretty big ask. Almost as big as getting married. Just kidding. It't not that big. But being a good mentor takes time, thought and follow-through. Over my life, I have asked three people if they would mentor me. Two of the three did a horrible job. But I have been mentored by many many along the way -- and gotten a hand up and helpful advice from hundreds more. A few weeks ago, I got two emails. Neither were asking for me to mentor them, but they were both seeking direction. Bth were about the coffee roasting business. Both got responses from me. One I was not only willing, but eager to help. The other quickly transitioned into an uncomfortable conversation that was taking scarce time. The former landed a call with me, the latter has disappeared into the ether. The other day I told some folks about these two interactions, including the email I penned but did not send that said, "It doesn't seem like you are very interested in pursuing this." I was pretty grumpy that day and may have been missing some tone from the former email. Person A, Email 1 Made a connection to why they wanted to talk with me (community) Asked the question up front Gave background Person B Started with the back story about them Made no personal connection Offered to be an unpaid intern ...I wasn't sure they knew much about coffee really SECOND ROUND Person A Scheduled call -- attended call -- had great questions Was cognizant of the time and did not try to linger (She was already dedicated to the path) Person B Replied to my suggestions with explanations of what they had tried and failed Ignored the offer of paid training Complained about running into barriers in the industry (In the planning steps…) THIRD ROUND Person A Did a bunch of research after the call Sent a short email with a quick question Person B An email with a non-excited sounding bit of interest in paid training. Maybe. On a roaster that is different than the one they want to get. More complaints about dead ends Finding a mentor or getting advice is sort of like dating. You do not go all in at once. You take things a step at a time and when the fit isnt good, move one before you get to invest. Time is spare and you are asking a favor Does the person have experience in the area you need? Personal connection matters Icantium will kill the momentum of your relationship -- avoid communicating it at all costs A little background research goes a long way This isn't very different than sales, only it is much easier to get access to folks for some quick advice than it is to part someone from their cash. It is still a transaction - they are giving you their time and knowledge, you are giving them a feeling if happiness from helping someone out. But in a world where lots of people want a little advice, it is much easier to invest this time into someone who seems like they will do something with it, has a positive outlook, does a little research, and is mindful of time investments. The funny thing about this interaction is that I realized something after all was said and done. Remember those two terrible mentors I mentioned? They were not terrible because they failed me. They were terrible because I failed them. I needed to be clear on what I was seeking. To find mindful ways to seek improvement and to learn things in between meetings. Instead, I got stuck in a cycle of Icantium and waiting. And the longer I waited, the less likely it was to happen. Life lessons can be humbling. Membership Plug MeWe reminder Make it a great week! Song: Special by Sauce GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja

Today is a Friday so we have an interview show today with Cathryn R. Payne, author of History of a southern pig. She will talk about raising American Guinea Hogs, along with some of their historical connections on today's show. Announcements I will be on the road next week, so we will just have a Monday show Facebook Experiment Update Show Resources GuinaeHogBooksguineahogbooks.com/store History of a Southern Pig -- the book. https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Guinea-Hogs-Recovery-Homestead/dp/1733593209 Instagram and Twitter @guineahogbooks Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Book1GuineaHogBooks Author page for Catheryn R Paynehttps://www.amazon.com/Cathy-R.-Payne/e/B07QCMTZPF Main content of the show Cathy R. Payne is the award-winning author of Saving the Guinea Hogs: The Recovery of an American Homestead Breed. After a 33-year teaching career, she decided at age 57 to leave suburbia and start a sustainable farm in rural Georgia. She specialized in nutrient-dense foods and heritage livestock breeds. She became well-known in the heritage breed community. When she started researching the Guinea Hog breed, she hit a brick wall regarding its history and set out to write a book about it herself. She now lives in Athens, Georgia, writes about heritage breeds, and promotes the breeds on The Livestock Conservancy's Conservation Priority List. Interview Make it a great week! GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja

In honor of green beer drinking day, I thought we would have a chat with Kerry Brown a well-known community member about his journey to sobriety and how it has changed his life. Rogue Food Conference: https://roguefoodconference.com/schedule/ Show Resources Business: www.strongrootsresources.com Book that changed things: Annie Grace's This Naked Mind www.thisnakedmind.com Main content of the show Kerry is a 37 year old fella from East Tennessee who is living the entrepreneurial and homestead life with his wife, two cats, a dog and an ever evolving crew of livestock. He coordinates his life by following the principles of personal responsibility, working in harmony with nature and curating greater knowledge and skills. What led to you question and change your relationship with alcohol? How much time passed between first realizing there was a problem and taking action? Why full sobriety versus moderation? Can you still have fun? Do you miss drinking? How does sobriety and freedom fit together? How did your friends and family react to your choice of sobriety? What has changed for the better? The worse? Make it a great week! GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee

Today, I will talk about the history of the GSD Crew, what GSD is, and why you should never let the rain stop you. Not quite sure what that means? No worries. It will all make sense later! Tennessee folks: The NON GO feed producer is having an Animal food and nutrition workshop - April 2. https://mpsfarms.com/ Tales from the Prepper Pantry Pickled items are the best when you are overwhelmed and have guests Corn Chips Holler stew Failed Bacon Behind on garden planting but getting there 2 hours at a time Outdoor kitchen set up season Redoing Pantry storage shelves Operation Independence The Utility of Simplicity Learning How to Mint Tokens -- outside my comfort zone Main topic of the Show: Don't Let The Rain Stop You Do you know what a GSD weekend is? Some of you do if you have been listening for a very long time. In fact, it is the Tennessee GSD Crew that really got our network off on the right foot. >History of the GSD Crew, the first LFTN Workshop, and our growth as a community. This year, as you know, I am on a mission to find balance. And honestly, the idea of hosting a big group of people to help jumpstart the workshop preps was a bit overwhelming. You see, I have started the kind of house sorting that looks more like i am preparing to move out, then a house sorting. And it needs to be done so that my home empowers me rather than sucks my time. I had so much anxiety about this all week last week because people were going to arrive, I need to feed them, and there is no avoiding them seeing the utter chaos that is here. Jenni could see my panic last week and offered to centralize things at Basecamp, but I opted to just suck it up. These are people who know me. Who are willing to come out and dig fence posts for petes sake. If the chaos in my house makes them uncomfortable, well, then I guess they can leave. But you know what? That did not stop the story I was telling myself and it did not stop the anxiety either. I just decided to suck it up. The big day came, and along with it torrential rain. Starting Thursday last week, we were glued to the weather report, hoping beyond hope that there would be a break in the rains for the big project. A friend reached out -- are we still doing this? I said yes. You see, I am from Oregon and if you let the rain stop you, you will never get anything done in Oregon. On the agenda for the meetup was to install a fence. And a third composting outhouse. We had a tractor coming. We had an auger. We had posts and concrete. We had a fence stretcher. But I am not a total jerk. Jenni and I touched base about inside priorities in the event that the rain became too much to handle for outside work. But guys? When you have a tractor coming, you try to optimize tractor time. Rain or shine. A few months ago -- toolbox fallacy. We do this all the time Swimming example. And rain is just another toolbox fallacy. Mark, Nancy, Jenni, Landrik, Tactical, KH, Autofab, Chris, Ken, Jake GSD Accomplishments Shift focus! Basecamp basement is almost completely cleared of things that are not supposed to be in there (Without causing problems here) Bathroom sink at my house got installed -- mostly Mudroom shelves are in Land cleared and stumps moved Composting outhouse is framed and floored Fun was had Food was not as opulent as usual ---but was mostly passable Lessons Learned 1 full time person running the kitchen Foreman for each job The international space station Be real- it is always better to have a gsd weekend even if you are overwhelmed than to not move forward And back to the rain -- Don;t let it stop you. Sure, maybe in an downpour it is a bad idea to plant potatoes, but the rain should not stop forward momentum on something. And a little sprinkly should not stop the potato patch from being installed. Make it a great week! GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee

Today we will discuss how herd shares free you up to acquire foods deemed "unsafe" by the powers that be and how they work from the consumer standpoint. Unloose the Goose Tonight at 7:30: Topic is Tokenization Stump the Sauce From Ali: Why are my pickles "soft"? Context- I made pickles for the first time in 2020. I used fresh fresh cucumbers, followed all the directions to the T and now when I open them they're all soft. But just my dills...not my mustard pickles or pickled beets. What gives? Are they whole vs sliced? Blossom end rumor Grape leaf hack -- or pickle lime/pickle crisp Add Alum Commercial processing - faster heat exposure What's Up in the Garden We are behind in the garden throughout the Holler Getting a round of seedlings started tomorrow Hydro gardens are turned on Brassicas are out Need to move rabbit poop around and prepare beds for early sowing Main topic of the Show: A consumer view of herd share The magical spring moment has arrived: I woke up to a text from a local goat farm asking if I wanted to be in the herd share program again this year. Starting next week, I will gain access to a gallon of fresh, raw goat's milk every week until fall. That's right - CHEESE season is on! Last year, I was using it in my coffee but I find that I prefer to have a higher fat content in my coffee so this year, we will have goat cheddar, goat moz, goat parm, feta, chevre and more. I hope to eliminate the need to even bother with buying cheese at the store by just making cheese all the time here. Last year, when the stores were totally out of dairy, I had milk every week and was not worried about running out because I had an established relationship with the farmer. Last year, I did not have to breed and milk my own goats. Last year was a good year because herd sharing is an option in Tennessee. Here is the consumer perspective of herd sharing. What is a herd share? Why would I want to get around usda regulations? Why does it work? Can you do a herd share anywhere? How does herd sharing change my stability? Doesn't goat milk taste like onions? Can I get a herd share in other animals like Llamas or cows? Are all herd shares raw milk? Can you share in other things like eggs, meat or coffee? What does your typical week look like with a herd share? What is it like to be a farmer who runs a herd share? Now is the time to look around your community and see what resources are available to you whether you want premiums meats and eggs, awesome vegetables or raw, local milk. Cottage food laws are a great place to start and some states have better options than others. It is worthwhile to spend a rainy afternoon learning about your state's laws and finding those spaces where you can add stability and know your food source - plus the quality can be seen and there is nothing like truly fresh foods. What about you? What have your local food experiences been like? Make it a great week! GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee

Today, we will talk about ways to make time when you have no time. Announcements: Rogue Food Conference - LFIT30 - https://roguefoodconference.com/ Did you miss the pantry management webinar and are you a member? Email feedback to nicole@livingfreeintennessee.com Tales from the Prepper Pantry Planning a weekend from the pantry Thoughts on the pantry as a process Edible Walks Seeking Morels Stinging nettle Wild Garlic Operation Independence Drywall is slow going - but adds $450 to the independence fund 1 debt left Main topic of the Show: Making Time When There Is No Time I called a friend. He is very busy, overwhelmingly busy. He texted back - I will be driving in ten minutes. Ten minutes later, my phone rang. We chatted for fifteen minutes, then signed off. That is probably the last time I will hear from that friend on a phone call for a month. He is that overcommitted. No more calls for a month at least. And yet he has time to spend with his family, to be alone, to get exercise and to work on hobbies. He has time to hear podcasts done by friends. He is probably listening to this one thinking, she is talking about me. Yes. I am. Meanwhile, I have another friend. Her job is very demanding. She is frustrated because she is too tired when she gets up to do a few things for herself before she leaves and so mentally taxed when she gets home that all she has energy for is to eat some takeout, pour a glass of wine, pop on a video, and sit there until she falls asleep. Weekends are a rush of laundry and errands that never seem to get caught up. She managed to go see her friends and do fun things but feels a little guilty while she does because her garden is being ignored. She is that overcommitted. She is exhausted. She is grumpy all the time. She hates her job and can't wait to move on in a few years. The funny thing about both these people is that they will hear this, they will probably know who they are, and that is a good thing. My first example in fact has more hours required of him professionally than the second example, and yet he has time to have some fun. He has time to nurture important relationships. He says no to so many things, including to things I as a close friend request of him, And he rarely complains about anything. He just does stuff. My other friend spends lots of time worried about her failings, her lack of control and her backpedalling - which is leading her more deeply into the cycle of never having any time for anything. I heard from both of these friends recently and it really got me to thinking about how we make time for things. It was a timely thing to run into because here I am, also with a very aggressive set of commitments (You'd be surprised how long it takes to produce a podcast of this nature) and a desire to build my next five years into increasing success with time to do things I love to do. Will I end up like my male friend, or my female one? I know which boat I want to be in and it seems to boil down to making time, not having it. Now I have to say that I am not looking to end up like my former friend -- he spends way too many hours working and not enough hours sleeping. But there are things I can learn from him, and from the second example about setting myself up for success -- and I hope it will set you up for success too. The important thing here is that when you work on making time for things that are important to you, is that you do it to have the kind of life you want, rather than to live up to someone else's expectations of your life. And the keyword here is expectations. We talked about boundaries last week. Setting clear boundaries with others results in clear expectations. Clear expectations reduce frustration -- at least for you. But to make time, you also need to set boundaries with yourself and make sure your expectations on yourself are clear. So if you hear yourself telling people NO to invitations because you "don;t have time" or "can't" - take a deeper look at what is going on. DO you really not have time, or do you prefer to do something else? Is it can't or won't. Even if the answer is that you are needed at work and don;t have time to go kayaking, the answer is better framed to yourself as "I refer to earn money than to go kayaking Wednesday at 10am" because by talking to yourself in this way, you are being honest about the tradeoff. I mean sure, kayaking Wednesday at 10am sounds fun, doesn't it? But if you skip work you are giving up $100 or $1000 in income to do it, when you could just shift it to Saturday at 10am and both earn some money and have some fun. This is all about perspective and as you build the habit of taking responsibility for your tradeoffs, you will find that sometimes you choose not to earn the paycheck and rather to go to that wedding, or dig in the garden. Because when you own your tradeoffs, it is easier to see the value of what you are trading off. So making time when you have no time starts with getting your perspective right, then setting better boundaries with yourself and everyone else. If a friend is a real friend, they can take a no. You can take a no too. And when you know why you are saying no to one thing and yes to another and it is absolutely clear to you which is the priority, it is easier to let go of the guilt, which in turn no longer slows you down. You will find that you used to say yes to lots of things that take time and that you both do not like doing, and that do not bring value into your life. Perspective in how you frame your choices and time challenges Set clear boundaries with others and yourself Evaluate interruption -- and eliminate it Simplify house, finances, and everything else Automate and Outsource Just Do it - no excuses I know you are sitting here listening to this thinkin, but Nicole I really don;t have any time, I am too tired, or the demands of my family/job/homestead are too much. I really cant make any more time. Oh yeah? Really. Then try this: Write down three things you want to have time for. It can be a walk. It can be organizing a cabinet in your kitchen. It can be writing something. Changing your oil. I don't care what it is. Write it down. Tomorrow, set your alarm for 2 hours earlier than you usually get up. If you usually get up at 4, set it for 2. If you get up at 6, set it for 4. When it goes off do this: Get out of bed - have your coffee or whatever you usually have. 15 minutes. Do the thing you wrote down - 60 minutes Give yourself a reward -- maybe another cup of coffee, maybe 15 minutes of reading, maybe 15 minutes of surfing the web. Start getting ready for your day as you usually would. Try this one time. Then do your day as normal and right after dinner, grab a piece of paper and reflect for 5 minutes on how your day went. I think you will be surprised. Making time takes tradeoffs -- in this approach you have traded 2 hours of sleep to complete one thing that you wanted to do and did not have time for. Turns out you did have time -- and sure, maybe you do not want to get up 2 hours early every day, but the method works even if for you the tradeoff ends up being becoming more efficient with your email answering time so that you get 45 minutes a day on the rowing machine, or eliminating interruptions while you pay bills each month which opens up half an hour to spend with your kids playing badminton. The thing that you have to start with his this: You CAN make time and the buck stops with you to do it and today is a great day to start making this change. Make it a great week! GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee

Today, I was supposed to do a short show - a thought of the walk. And this week, I prerecorded an interview with Tim Cook. And I looked at what y'all are talking about on Mewe and on Telegram and I realized that you need to hear this interview NOW, not a week from now. So we will have a nice chat with Tim, from the people's republik of Canada, about lessons learned from starting both his content creation business and his handyman one. Show Resources Where you can find all things Toolman Tim Related http://toolmantim.co/ Toolman Tim's YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/c/AllSeasonsMaintenance Toolman Tim's ODYSEE Channel https://odysee.com/@Allseasonsmain:5?r=6XJVWQErBkw1GYRdm5McEYze16CmGRKa Main content of the show Tim Cook gave up working for the man three years ago and never looked back(well almost never) At the encouragement of his wife Becky he turned his side hustle into a full time gig.And together with the help of their 11 year old twin girls, they run All-Seasons Maintenance. A small town handyman business in the frozen tundra that is East Central Alberta. He may be better known to some of you as Toolman Tim on his YouTube channel where he encourages would be entrepreneurs and handymen on their individual road to financial freedom and success. A couple of Friday's a month you can catch him answering questions as part of the expert council on the Survival Podcast. Does this coming weekend cause you excitement or anxiety? If it is anxiety, then take some time this weekend to evaluate why and fix that. Because building the life you want to live should be fun work, not misery. GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee

Today we have a listener variety show based on emails y'all have sent me. On the docket today is: Caring for chickens from Jennifer More Ice Preparedness Tips from Debi Do I need to order "Espresso" beans or "Espresso" roast for my fancy new espresso maker from Chris Thoughts on Dealing with a skittish goat by Nicole Sauce Pantry Management Practices Webinar is this Saturday at 2CT - there will be a recording if you sign up and miss the actual webinar - sign up here. Stump the Sauce What to do with three year old salsa that was home canned from Jennifer What's Up in the Garden Nothing. Nothing is up in the garden, but lots of things are planted! Main topic of the Show: Listener Variety Show Thoughts on dealing with a skittish goat. Food and curiosity Time Patience Make it a great week! GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee