Stumbling Homestead » Podcast Feed

Tanya and Extra Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Here’s a quick update from the homestead. Enjoy!

We're back! After a number of web site issues because of a malware attack, the site has been rebuilt. Here's a unique episode recorded while I milked the cow. The frequency of future podcasts will be changing to every other week or sometimes monthly, as homesteading and life demands focus my attention elsewhere. But fear not, our journey continues, and we'll keep you posted on the high and low points. Note: I will most likely be doing much more frequent updates via short video clips on our Stumbling Homestead YouTube channel, so please subscribe if you're interested.

Join us this week for homestead updates, including: Our milk cow and rotational grazing using a picket pin Goldfish in water bowls for mosquitoes Dealing with roosters, and introducing young members to an existing chicken flock Hoop House construction Bio-intensive planting versus traditional garden rows Gophers Tree house and tire swing up! References: http://stevesgreenhouses.com/

This week it was a pleasure to speak with Kelly Coyne and Erikc Knutzen about their homestead and new book, Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World. Join us as we discuss: Their new book, Making It, and the countless valuable do-it-yourself projects using common ingredients or items. Urban homesteading communities Time banking Chickens and bees in an urban backyard Foraging tips Their gardening approach References: Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World http://www.rootsimple.com/ The Urban Homestead (Expanded & Revised Edition): Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City (Process Self-reliance Series) Barefoot Books Giveaway: We have a winner. Congratulations Daniel!

This week it was a pleasure to interview Leah Lesser, mom, and Group Communications Director for Barefoot Books. Barefoot books is a grass-roots mom-founded publishing company that provides childrens books, audio, and video content with a consistent high quality. If you're like me, and always searching for good content to read to your children, Barefoot Books is a great resource. Join us as we discuss: Free book giveaway to one of the listeners who comments on this post before Friday, May 13th 2011 (can't ship to P.O. Boxes) The core values of Barefoot books Many of the stories offered High quality media from barefootbooks.com The musical offerings from Barefoot books The ambassador program as a potential revenue source for homesteaders or homeschoolers References: Barefoot catalog: http://www.barefootbooks.com/shop/ Podcast storytimes: http://www.barefootbooks.com/podcast (podcast on itunes) Direct-selling opportunity: http://www.barefootbooks.com/community/become_an_ambassador/ On facebook On Twitter @liveBarefoot Barefoot books music videos on YouTube

This week it is my pleasure to bring you an interview with Mikey Sklar of Holy Scrap Hotsprings. Mikey has an interesting story: five years ago he and his girlfriend quit their jobs in New York city and bought a trailer park in a small town in New Mexico. They now live off grid in New Mexico, where they produce much of their own food and energy, as well as a variety of automated homesteading devices and herbal products, which they sell on their website. Join us as we discuss: The reason that a small town makes a great location for a homestead Temperature control device that can be used with many appliances Converting a chest freezer into a low energy fridge Off grid benefits with an on grid option Foraging References: blog.holyscraphotsprings.com Holy Scrap HotSprings online store

  Critical thinking is one of the most important skills you can teach kids Critical thinking is a tool: we can use it to sort out the latest crises we hear about every day Learning to recognize logical fallicies as a way to develop better critical thinking skills Logical Fallicies (some of my own, but much of this taken from the Skeptoid episodes): Two main categories: 1) Unrelated points to discredit argument: Discredit the messenger Distract from the main argument Random points or non-sequitors Appeal to emotions Sensational wording or rhetoric 2) Faulty inference or reasoning (considers facts, but jumps to faulty conclusions) sample size or faulty generalization: “but I know someone who…” Faulty pattern recognition: not recognizing random coincidence for what it is, and correlation not causation Exaggeration or edge case reasoning, like “it’s a slippery slope” or arguing extremes to discredit a more moderate middle alternative References: http://skeptoid.com/ 3 Skeptoid episodes on Logical Fallacies (the first 3 results on this search page)  

This week we discuss a number of homestead updates, with a focus on our recent mistakes. Topics discussed: Accidental spring broccoli Using cow manure too early How we accidentally killed our calf Accidental rooster purchase Building Mason Bee houses Am I crazy for wanting my kids to grow up to be farmers? References: Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front by Joel Salatin http://www.saveourskills.com/episode-13-beneficial-garden-pollinators-mason-bees at saveourskills.com Nature's Harmony podcast

This week we had the pleasure of interview chef Keith Snow of harvesteating.com. Keith's website and podcasts cover cooking and eating seasonally with fresh, nutrient-dense ingredients. He's a great source of ideas and inspiration for the ever-plaguing question: what should I prepare for family meals today? Topics discussed: The philosophy behind local seasonal eating How to work seasonal eating and preparation into a busy family schedule Planning ahead to save time in food preparation by cooking larger batches and freezing How to get kids to eat more healthy Preparing on-the-go healthy snacks for your children and yourself Involving kids in food preparation References: http://www.harvesteating.com/ http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/node/2174 http://www.avianaquamiser.com/

Okay, so it's not Poor Richard, but in the style of this lively almanac of yesteryear, we'd like to do some homestead updates. Join us this week as we discuss our updates and sample a little bit of wisdom from the legendary Benjamin Franklin. Topics discussed: Chicken tractor updates and doubling our flock Cows and picket pins Kookoolan Farms Why most organic farms are not using organic compost A nuclear physicist and farmer, Koorosh Zaerpoor, informs us about radiation fallout on the West Coast Some nuggets of wisdom from the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin References: www.kookoolanfarms.com The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (free audio book at librivox.org)

This week we had the great pleasure of interviewing Cam Mather, an experienced homesteader and off-grid blogger. Cam operates the independent Aztext Press from his remote 150 acres in Ontario, Canada. We can learn a lot about marrying technology with a rural lifestyle from this man. Join us as we discuss: Frugality as a pre-requisite to buying land Choosing a homestead site Internet connectivity options Mineral rights, tractor as a good investment Solar panels instead of 401k Water heating options Wood heating as a responsible renewable option Growing and storing food and root cellars Homesteading replacing the gym workout Making the transition with pre-teen kids To benefit from Cam's accumulated wisdom, please consider supporting him by purchasing a book or DVD. References: Cam's blog: http://www.cammather.com/blog Books and DVDs: http://aztext.com/

This week it is our pleasure to speak with Anna Hess of www.waldeneffect.org. The Walden Effect is a homesteading blog (currently in year 5) which chronicles successes and failures of Anna and Mark as they carve out a homestead and a living from their rural acreage in southwest Virginia. I think that this was a great interview packed with useful information. Check out their blog for more great homesteading information. Topics discussed: * Purchasing land cheaply * Starting a microbusiness and leaving your day job behind * Chicken pasturing: growing plants to sustain your flock without buying feed * Tips on keeping a rooster (hen/rooster ratio) * The avian aqua miser: automatic chicken waterer * Growing mushrooms * Composting and worm bins * Raising protein for chickens References: * http://www.waldeneffect.org/ * Starting a microbusiness: http://www.wetknee.com/microbusiness/ * Automatic chicken waterer: http://www.avianaquamiser.com/ * Mycelium Running, by Paul Stamets * http://theoutdoorpodcast.com/

A little on the lighter side this week, we're going to talk about the role of music on our homestead. Topics discussed include: * Music as an alternative entertainment option * Music as a self-sufficient entertainment source * Some good suggestions on introducing music and instruments to young children * A philosophy of teaching music to young children * Some recommended instruments to start out with References: * http://startpage.com/ * http://www.buxtonfeed.com/ * http://ohkruse.com/poultry-gamebird.html * “Food Sovereignty” law passed in small Maine town * Raffi Concert DVD (for kids) * The Survival Channel on Facebook

This week we respond to several listener emails about selecting land. Some factors to consider in choosing homesteading land: * Acreage * Distance to population * Accessibility: long gravel driveways/roads need to be maintained * Neighbors * Water is vital * Drainage * Existing Buildings * Slope * Wooded versus pasture * Energy (work with the site and use it's characteristics) References: * Back to Basics Edited by Abigail R. Gehring

This week's podcast discusses some ideas for homestead house design, including: * Natural building methods * Today's tiny kitchens, and how they are not realistic for homestead food preparation * Size of the home * Kitchen plus great room as the main consideration * Wood heating as a viable option References: * http://www.cobcottage.com/ * Heating My Home Is My Hobby by Cam Mather * http://www.monolithic.com/ * http://www.permies.com/