Sustainability Book Chat

It seems like keeping bees should be the easiest thing in the world, but I have learned personally that there is a lot more to it than you might expect. If you have been thinking about getting started with bees, we are talking about some of the unexpected things that every beginner needs to consider before buying their first hive.Author and beekeeper Kim Flottum is sharing some of the wisdom from his latest book, First Time Beekeeping: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Beekeeping.Did you know that if you don't provide water for your bees they might spend way too much time in your neighbor's swimming pool or the dog's water dish? Kim shares tricks for providing water for bees, as well as things to consider before placing your hive. And who knew that skunks love to eat bees?In this episode, Kim shares tons of wisdom from decades of beekeeping. Don't have a yard? No problem! Kim talks about keeping bees on the roof of your house, as well as things to consider before placing a hive on a high-rise building.In our conversation, Kim also provides tips on buying bees, using a smoker, and keeping bees without using chemicals.I really wish Kim's book would have been available before we tried bees the first time. The book contains lots of photos! In addition to all of the things we talked about in this episode, the book also has sections on diseases and pests, as well as details on harvesting honey.Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/first-time-beekeeping/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!

Bugs are an inevitable part of gardening, but we have lots of options for dealing with them. In this episode gardener Susan Mulvihill, author of The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook, talks about organic methods of handling pests in our garden.We discuss the principles behind integrated pest management, and the importance of identifying bugs before taking action. Susan gives us examples of management practices you can employ to reduce the pest burden on plants.We also talk about the fact that not every "natural" pesticide is safe. Susan explains some of the "dangers" of using some natural products such as diatomaceous earth and neem. And she talks about some of her favorite natural control methods, as well as the concept of "bug tolerance."Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/the-vegetable-garden-pest-handbook/💜 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!

Having backyard chickens, like having your own garden, is a small but significant way to take control of your food and decrease its carbon footprint. While backyard chicken keeping has become more popular in recent years, some people are still intimidated by the idea.In this episode, we are talking to Lisa Steele, fifth generation chicken keeper and author of Fresh Eggs Daily and Duck Eggs Daily. Lisa tells us about the circuitous route she took before becoming a chicken owner and why she loves having hens in her backyard. She also talks about her favorite breed of chicken, as well as what's acceptable when you want to give your chickens a treat (or two). We also talk briefly about the option to keep ducks for eggs. How are ducks and duck eggs different than chickens? And who might prefer one or the other? And I mention the one time I was ready to say good bye to our ducks.Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/fresh-eggs-daily/💜 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!

Do you love to travel but worry that it's hard on the planet? Today I'm talking to Holly Tuppen, a responsible travel expert who has specialized in sustainable travel since circumnavigating the world without flying in 2010. She talks about bicycling across the US, working as part of the crew on a sailboat, and traveling on a container ship, among other adventures.Holly’s debut book, Sustainable Travel: The Essential Guide to Positive Impact Adventures, was published in June. In the book and in our chat today, she talks about the difference between greenwashing travel and truly sustainable travel options.What does it really means when a hotel or other travel company talks about paying for carbon offsets? What are your options for traveling without leaving a huge carbon footprint? We also talk about the newest challenge in travel — over-tourism in places that really can't handle millions of people visiting annually.Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/sustainable-travel/ ‎💜 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 things that are free and natural, then compost checks both boxes when it comes to fertilizing your garden and even your houseplants. In this episode, I'm talking to Michelle Balz about her book, No Waste Composting: Small-Space Waste Recycling Indoors and Out.We discuss free and inexpensive ways that you can turn your waste into black gold. We start by talking about the benefits of composting, and then discuss composting basics, including both regular composting and vermicomposting.The book includes ideas about how to create composting systems both indoors and out, including how to compost pet manure! (No, not in your regular compost pile!) One of my favorite ideas in the book is how to turn an old garbage can into a compost tumbler.We also talk about mistakes beginners make, and we conclude with how to use your finished compost.Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/no-waste-composting/💜 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 intimidated by gardening because it seems like too much work or you don't want to invest in a tiller, then you should check out no-dig gardening.In Charlie Nardozzi's newest book, The Complete Guide to No-Dig Gardening, he covers everything you need to know to be successful with your garden. But why not dig?In today's episode, Charlie talks about the benefits to you, the plants, and the planet of no-dig gardening. To be sure that you put your garden in the best location, we talk about some simple, free soil tests you can do at home with supplies that you already have on hand. Charlie talks about how to start your garden from scratch, as well as how to transition an existing garden. And we even talk about container gardening and why it should not be reserved for those without a yard.Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/no-dig-gardening/💜 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!