Sustainability Book Chat

If you have ever thought about raising rabbits for meat, either for your own dinner table or as a business, today's episode will get you at least a step or two closer to that goal.Eric and Callene Rapp have raised tens of thousands of rabbits over the years and are sharing their hard-earned knowledge in this episode and in their book, Raising Rabbits for Meat.We are talking about various breeds of meat rabbits, as well as housing, diet (grassfed or not), and breeding. And we also talk about the #1 cause of infertility in female rabbits!Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/raising-rabbits-for-meat/ To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat💜 Love what you hear? Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going. And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

Whether you can't quite find the exact tools you need for your farm or you think you can improve on what's available or you simply like to build your own, Josh Volk's latest book, Build Your Own Farm Tools provides tons of inspiration and heard-learned lessons.Volk says he was always taking apart toys as a child and worked his way through college as a bicycle mechanic before getting a degree in mechanical engineering. Then when he turned to farming, it was only natural for him to start building his own tools.In today's episode, he talks some of the 15 tools he included in the book, including a seedling bench and drip winder. Not only does he tell you how to make each tool in the book, he also talks about why it's useful and how to use it.Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/build-your-own-farm-tools/To see the most recent episodes, visit thriftyhomesteader.com/bookchat💜 Love what you hear? Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going. And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

 During the drought of 2012 when everything in our garden was dying after months without rain, I really started to think about hydroponics and aquaponic growing systems.In today's show, author and farmer Tyler Baras is talking about what hydroponics is, as well as how it is different from aquaponics. He also talks about how some foods can taste different when grown hydroponically and what you can do to compensate.We discuss the best foods for growing hydroponically, as well as whether they can be grown organically and whether you can do it on a really small scale. And in case you've been tempted by some of those super expensive systems advertised online, you'll learn about inexpensive DIY options.Tyler talks about where you can put the hydroponic system with ideas for your living room, kitchen, and bathroom, as well as costs to get started. Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/home-hydroponics-with-tyler-baras/ To see the most recent episodes, visit thriftyhomesteader.com/bookchat 💜 Love what you hear? Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going. And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

All gardens and farms were organic prior to World War II, and gardeners realized centuries ago that healthy soil was the key to healthy plants.Building healthy soil is exactly where author and gardener Sally Morgan starts her book, The HEALTHY Vegetable Garden: A natural, chemical-free approach to soil, biodiversity and managing pests and diseases.In today's interview, we talk about pests, diseases, and natural predators, as well as biocontrols, barriers, lures, traps, and sprays, including one that is totally new to me — milk!Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/the-healthy-vegetable-garden/ To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat💜 Love what you hear? Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going. And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

If you like growing things that are slightly unusual, then pawpaws may be for you. They are a "tropical" fruit tree that grows in colder climates.In this episode, I'm talking with Blake Cothron, the author of "Pawpaws: The Complete Growing and Marketing Guide" and the co-owner of Peaceful Heritage Nursery, a USDA Certified Organic fruit mail-order nursery in Kentucky.Since most people don't know what pawpaws are, that's where we start! Then we discuss their incredible history and talk about the basics of growing them. Like a lot of fruit trees, you will need at least two for proper pollination, and Blake suggests buying three to start in case something happens to one.Finally, we will talk about the best practices for harvesting pawpaws, as well as the best way to preserve that harvest. (Big hint: do NOT make fruit leather with pawpaws!)Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/pawpaws-the-complete-growing-and-marketing-guide/ To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat💜 Love what you hear? Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going. And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

Today's episode is for anyone who has ever thought about adding cattle to their homestead. I'm talking to Callene Rapp, co-author of Homestead Cows: The Complete Guide to Raising Healthy, Happy Cattle.We are discussing what traits an aspiring owner should look for when choosing a breed, as well as when deciding to buy individual cows. I also share the big mistake we made when purchasing our first cows.We also talk about housing, fencing, and feeding cattle, as well as how many acres you need per head and how that affects your feed bill.Do you need a bull? Callene talks about challenges of owning a bull. For those who are interested in alternatives to having a live bull for breeding, she compares the cost of alternatives.Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/things-to-know-before-raising-cattle/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat💜 Love what you hear? Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going. And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

If you thought that it was beyond the reach of mere mortals to grow spices like ginger, turmeric, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamon, you'll be pleasantly surprised by this episode with Tasha Greer, who talks about her book, Grow Your Own Spices.Although many of us may use "herbs" and "spices" almost interchangeably, this book goes way beyond growing a little basal and cilantro. Tasha explains that herbs are generally the leafy green parts of a plant whereas spices are more mature parts, such as the roots.If you are a fan of ginger, we get into that particular spice quite a bit, so you won't want to miss this episode. We talk about how you can grow spices in the garden, in a greenhouse, and in pots on your deck and inside your house. We cover how to get started and how to fertilize, as well as common beginner challenges.Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/grow-your-own-spices/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat💜 Love what you hear? Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going. And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

People don't usually think of health when we talk about sustainable living, but if we don't have our health, we are not sustainable. Keeping ourselves healthy is really at the root of a sustainable life.In this episode, I'm talking to Shawna Coronado about her journey from an author of seven gardening books to being debilitated with arthritis to regaining her health by changing what she eats. Her last gardening book, The Wellness Garden, started to pivot towards healthier living. She has added two cookbooks to her resume — Stacked with Flavor: An Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook With Dairy-free, Grain-free & Low-Sugar Recipes and Stacked with Flavor: Healthy Snacks.Shawna talks about her personal health journey, as well as how you can incorporate healthier eating in your everyday life.Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/anti-inflammatory-mealplan/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat 💜 Love what you hear? Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going. And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

If you want to learn more about using herbs beyond the kitchen, The Artisan Herbalist is a must read and a must see. It's filled will beautiful photos that clearly exemplify the identifying characteristics of each herb.In this podcast, we are talking to author Bevin Cohen about how he got interested in herbs, as well as how he chose the specific herbs that he included in this book. He explains the differences between infusions, decoctions, tinctures, and infused oils, and when you would use each one.Then he tells us about his favorite herb, and I talk about a big mistake I once made with an herbal tea. In addition to talking about growing herbs, Bevin also talks about finding herbs in the wild and common mistakes that beginners make.Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/the-artisan-herbalist/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat 💜 Love what you hear? Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going. And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

If you are looking for ideas on getting started with organic vegetable gardening, we are talking about everything you need to know! Which vegetables are the best for beginners? How do you actually start to plant? What size should your garden be? What can you do with container gardening?Gary Pilarchik, author of The Modern Homestead Garden, is sharing his gardening wisdom with listeners today. In addition to his personal gardening experience, Gary also has a garden shop, so he has plenty of experience helping new gardeners get started and avoid common pitfalls, which we discuss in the show.Whether you live on 50 acres or in a condo, Gary has information that will help you to start growing at least some of your own food. And he even talks about creating beautiful landscaping that just happens to be edible.Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/organic-vegetable-gardening/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat  💜 Love what you hear? Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going. And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!