Cultivate Simple Podcast

Today we're talking about going beyond organic. Thinking about how the things we do in the garden have consequences beyond what we can see and often beyond what we're thinking. We're talking about pest control and how that affects the rest of your garden. Links Who’s Eating the Codling Moth Killing of Robins from spraying Patured vs Free Range eggs - video Books of the Week A Great Video to Watch about Silent Spring

This week on Cultivate Simple we attended an organic orcharding workshop presented by CJ Walke at the Belfast Free Library. LINKS: Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association Books to check out: Do you have an orchard? What varieties of fruit do you have in it?

Topic: Maple Sugaring Maple sugaring is fun - everyone should do it at least once. Listen to find out how we sugar on a small scale and learn from a few of our mistakes. Also check out all posts from the past on the blog. Brian's Geeky Corner Use Evernote to organize your information Other Links Ginger Beef Stir Fry Blood Oranges from Trethowan Farm BuyActivatedCharcoal.com Here's an article on using mushrooms to mitigate lead issues Books of the Week

Topic: Lessons Learned While Traveling Traveling to a third-world country and getting out of your comfort zone can teach you a lot of lessons about yourself and how fortunate you are. Susy learned those lessons as a child growing up in Colombia while Brian has experienced them during several visits to the country over the years. Me and my sister while growing up in Colombia. I'm on the left. This was the meal that Brian talks about in the episode. The photos below are of their house, their neighborhood and Virginia (the woman who cooked this delicious meal). Eating healthfully while traveling can be a challenge as well. We share some tips and tricks that we have learned over the years that not only make the trip more enjoyable but also give you more energy to enjoy the journey. Here's my post on Eat Outside the Bag on Eating Healthfully on the Road. My recipe for Nourishing Custard over on Eat Outside the Bag. Here's my post about Lavamé Clean, the soap we take down to distribute in Colombia. Books of the Week Brian's Geeky Corner Sign up for a 'throw-away' email. Use a gmail account when you sign up for a newsletter or purchase something on-line. Then all of your junk and distraction email will go to one address while all the email from family and friends will end up in your 'real' email inbox.

An honest and unrehearsed discussion about trying to live a more simple life. This is episode 18 and today we are discussing the family cow and home dairying. For this episode, we will be talking with our friendly local dairy farmers from Ohio. We met Mike & Dawn many years ago while searching for local eggs. A few months later, they decided to make the switch from selling their milk to a big dairy to selling directly to people in the community. Brian and I signed up for their herd share program. Today we're talking to Mike & Dawn about maintaining the family cow. We'll cover topics like rotational grazing, once a day milking, the benefits of pasturing, and all things pertaining to maintaining a cow. Topics Covered: considerations pasturing and winter feeding breeding & calving once a day milking breeds Visit Mike & Dawn's Blog to find out more about them and their wonderful NE Ohio farm. Books of the Week

An honest and unrehearsed discussion about trying to live a more simple life. This is episode 17 and today we are sharing a talk given at our local library about Permaculture. Last Tuesday, we headed to the Belfast Free Library to listen to Lauren and Bill Errickson's seminar on The Permaculture Process: Creating an Edible Landscape PERMACULTURE: a design system focused on creating sutatinbable human habitats modeled on natural ecological patterns and processes Topics of discussion: setting goals for your property promote healthy ecology, wildlife, and pollinators minimize landscape inputs generate income evaluating and assessing your existing landscape how permaculture principles can be used to expand existing landscape assets while reducing “trouble” spots Lauren and Bill shared tips for prioritizing implementation strategies, setting realistic timelines, and maximizing your available resources and budget. Lauren and Bill Errickson own and operate Singing Nettle Farm and Conscious Elements Permaculture in Brooks. They both hold M.S. degrees in Natural Resources from the University of New Hampshire and Advanced Permaculture Design Certificates from Humustacia Gardens. For further information, visit: www.singingnettlefarm.com BOOKS OF THE WEEK Weeds and why they grow

An honest and unrehearsed discussion about trying to live a more simple life. This is episode 16 and today we are discussing starting seeds. Quotes of the Week Funny phrases heard around the house this week: “I actually have worm cocoons in my fridge right now” “I kind of excited to try the Water Buffalo Liver” 16 Things to Stop Doing in 2013 Support the blog and the podcast. Vote with your dollars. Value for value. This takes time. Donate - When downloading an ebook, for an episode that you like, if you want to get a mention on the show ($50). Subscribe - We recommend $5/month or $50/year Freezing - A quick way to store veggies at the height of their freshness. Cons - energy used, pros, tastes great and easy. I always store in glass, no plastic bags here. Start investing in glass containers. My favorite containers are wide mouth pint jars or these Pyrex Rectangular Clear-Glass Food-Storage Containers Seed Starting Why do I start my own seeds as opposed to buying them? Seed Starting 101 Series on Chiot’s Run Books of the Week: Have you ever tried to start seeds? What has been your experience?

An honest and unrehearsed discussion about trying to live a more simple life. This is episode 15 and today we are discussing Stocking the Larder. Susy’s Mulling Spice Mix on the Your Day Blog Brian’s birthday wishlist Topic - Stocking the Larder Think outside the canning pot when it comes to winter eating. Saves time, which gives you more time to work in the garden, saves energy, saves money because you don’t have to buy stuff, supplies, etc. Not to mention, it’s simpler to harvest potatoes and root vegetables and put them in the cellar than it is to pick/snap/can green beans. Eating Seasonally, less waste, less energy, more delicious, include a wider variety of food in your diet, gets you more in tune with the seasons. Dehydrating - especially if you can use a solar dehydrator or the warmth of a wood stove or your attic. An option I want to work more on, we want to build a solar dehydrator this summer. Smoking - smoking foods is a valuable way to preserve meats. We haven't been able to try this method, but hopefully we can build a smoker soon. Fermentation - makes nutrients more available, adds probiotics, so instead of cooking the vitamins out of your food, it actually makes it healthier. Fermenting Recipes Kimchi Recipe on EOTB Sauerkraut on EOTB Fermented Pickles on EOTB Freezing - A quick way to store veggies at the height of their freshness. Cons - energy used, pros, tastes great and easy. I always store in glass, no plastic bags here. Start investing in glass containers. My favorite containers are wide mouth pint jars (here's how to freeze in glass jars) or these Pyrex Rectangular Clear-Glass Food-Storage Containers. Here's how I keep my freezer organized. Geeky Corner w/ Brian The Pomodoro Technique 30/30 app - Books of the Week Questions of the Week To forum or not to forum? Craaap T-shirt? What should it say?

An honest and unrehearsed discussion about trying to live a more simple life. This is episode 14 and today we are discussing Small vs. Far. Small vs. Far Homegrown/raised/seasonal Local small farm if possible Local Organic Local non-organic Small farm organic USA Small farm USA Small Company Organic (peanut butter) Chart from Cornucopia Institute about who owns organic labels Best Raisins EVER!!!! Chaffin Family Orchards - Where we buy our olives. Watch their YouTube video. They are the real deal when it comes to permaculture on a large scale. Geeky Corner w/ Brian Dropbox - Get Susy some bonus space Keep files in sync on multiple computers (home to work) Backup files to the cloud Share folders and files (even large files)

Calendar Winner: Debbie B Geeky Corner with Brian Backblaze Online Backup Rehash of Last Week’s Topic *Sometimes you have to buy old items to find good quality *Often you need to think outside the box. My toaster is a 90 year old cast iron skillet! Toaster, sometimes it’s not as convenient. Sometimes you burn the toast - but it’s a good lesson in being mindful. It forces you to slow down and enjoy what your doing, because eating isn’t just about eating... *When you buy high quality items you often value them more and take better care of them than when you’re buying lots of cheap stuff. *Finding things that don’t use electric can save you lots of headaches and expense like the Chemex Coffee Carafe *Think about the future cost and waste that is produced when you're buying. Buying used eliminates lots of waste as does simply not buying. John Steinbeck in Travels with Charley "American cities are like badger holes, ringed with trash- all of them- surrounded by piles of wrecked and rusting automobiles, and almost smothered with rubbish. Everything we use comes in boxes, cartons, bins, the so called packaging we love so much. The mountains of things we throw away are much greater than the things we use. In this, if in no other way, we can see the wild and reckless exuberance of our production, and waste seems to be the index." Our lovely coffee maker that we keep talking about Book Recommendations Do you have any quality companies, brands or products to recommend?

Our topic this week is about buying better. We discuss the processes we use when determining if and what we want to spend our hard earned money on. Donald Thomas Carter Christmas Eve presents opened, Christmas morning presents opened, Just a few hours in and 50% of them are already broken. Darn Chinese and the crappy toys they make! Sun Zsu would be proud of you... you are winning the war and we don´t even know we are losing it, let alone in one. Filson - Might as well have the best! The goods we quote must not be confounded with the cheap and vastly inferior grade with which the market is over-run. Such goods are not only useless for the purpose for which they are intended, but the person wearing them would be better off without them." -- Clinton C. Filson 1914 catalog America is a nation obsessed with finding personal happiness. But the person who sets out to find happiness rarely succeeds. He or she may achieve occasional and temporary satisfaction through financial success or a busy social life, but rarely true happiness. Happiness comes to those people who concentrate on the opposite - who do things for others, who set out to produce beautiful paintings or delicious meals, or who engage in projects that bring beneficial change to the world. Such people not only contribute to a better world as a result but also achieve unexpected happiness. These are the people who move through life with ease, in spite of obstacles and misfortune. Thomas S Cowan, MD (The Fourfold Path to Healing) “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for” -Epicurus Greek Philosopher (341 BC – 270 BC) Insomnia and HSP & introvertedness - This melatonin from Radiant Life I have found to be most helpful. Our Coffee Roaster If This Then That - Brian's geeky website that saves him tons of time So tell us, what would you like to hear in future podcasts and how are you going to be cultivating simple in 2013?

An honest and unrehearsed discussion about trying to live a more simple life. This is episode 11 and today we are talking about being an HSP (highly sensitive person) and an introvert. Even if you are not an introvert, you know one. You might even be married to one. It is good to understand what it means to be an introvert. 10 Myths about Introverts - Except from The Introvert Advantage Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk. Myth #2 – Introverts are shy. Myth #3 – Introverts are rude. Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people. Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public. Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone. Myth #7 – Introverts are weird. Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds. Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun. Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts. Caring for Your Introvert The Highly Sensitive Person quiz

This week we discuss feeding your pets a raw/real food diet. Over the years when we have mentioned this people have always had questions. We discuss our reasoning and methods as well as good ways to start out. Leave any comments or questions below and we will cover them on the next episode. Featuring the lovely Angel Chimes. Real/Raw Food for Your Pets Raw Feeding FAQ’s: RAW Learning JUSTAMERE Ranch Cooking with Mr Chiots Mr Chiots recommends these cookbooks: His apple crumble was pretty good, we discussed a few changes that might make it better, like the addition of some crystallized ginger and more spice in the crumble. Hugh's Apple, Raisin, Walnut Crumble

In this weeks show we discuss some random thoughts and musings that we have been having lately and some of the things we feel have made us successful in cultivating a simple life. Mt Rose Herbs Tea Traditional Medicinals Teas Heirloom apples and other Edible Plants Books of the Week

Working from home can be great... or it can be terrible. Today we discuss both sides and give some advice on why we chose to be self employed. Books of the Week RIVER COTTAGE SHOWS Season 1: Escape to River Cottage Season 2: Return to River Cottage Season 3: River Cottage Forever Season 4: Tales from River Cottage Season 5: Beyond River Cottage Podcast mentioned that deals with herbs: The Human Path Ritcher's Herb Specialists Mt Rose Herbs Help Us Out iTunes Reviews - Give us a review! Support Page Amazon Affiliates Link Song in the show: I'd Rather - Ellery