Heat, Berries, Holler Hub: Homestead Happenings for June 27, 2025

Today, I am joined by The Tactical Redneck to discuss updates from the Holler Homestead: visitors, meatups, blackberries, canning, and also Happy Independence Day! Featured Event: CANNING! Join me July 26 at The Holler Homestead for a hands-on, no-nonsense class on waterbath and pressure canning. We’ll make salsa, some beans, and talk about the history of canning! You'll go home with a jar of salsa, a cheat sheet, and maybe even a canning kit (we're giving one away). Lancaster, TN. Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com Sponsor 2: The Wealthsteading Podcast: InvestableWealth.com ock Garden Update - done for now Rabbit Processing Trippy Acres Visit Hip Camp Rental this weekend Hosted a few visitors this week Tomato wall update - compost tea in place Operation Ram Relocation Where should be put the shed? Blackberries are popping Red clover everywhere Chocolate and creek mint this weekend Northern spice bush is putting on berries Eggs and the new feed Mushroom failure - new batch - I waited too long Canning Class at Basecamp! July 26 20am-2pm Finance: Coffee sales and lamb sales were great this week   Make it a great week!   GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!   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 Harvest Right Affiliate Link  

Today, we talk about multiple ways to prepare squash — beyond just sautéing it — and cover all of our usual Monday segments. Featured Event: Strong Roots Resources: Foraging on the Farm – July 12 Details: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/foraging-on-the-farm-5/ Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com – Long-term food storage supplies that won’t break the bank. Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com – Solid tax strategies for those of us living outside the system. Tales from the Prepper Pantry The prepper pantry is in full disaster mode after hosting last weekend’s Rabbit Meatup. Whirling dervish level. Trippy Acres Farm dropped a mountain of summer abundance — squash everywhere. Hence, this week’s topic. Green bean canning season has officially started. Quick late-night taco bowl using leftovers was a winner — beans, meat, rice, and pantry odds-and-ends. Question from Brent How to get started with my freeze dryer Operation Independence The Rabbit Processing Class was a huge success. Students built their own gambrels, processed their rabbits, and got a crash course in rabbit as food. We even sold coffee — win-win. Also, the new HVAC is in at Holler Roast. A friend did the install as a trade, and I’ll be returning the favor next year with something from my skillset. Main Topic of the Day: Multiple Ways to Prepare Squash Why This Matters Squash piles up fast — and it’s easy to get sick of it. Most people fry it or make bread. There’s a lot more you can do. Fresh & Fast (Use It Now) Sautéed with onions — our daily go-to. Grilled slices — pairs great with eggs. Grated raw on salad. Scrambled into omelets. Zoodles — spiralized and tossed with sauce or oil. Main Dishes Squash lasagna — layers of meat, sauce, cheese, and squash slices. Ratatouille — classic, often forgotten, but easy to batch. Stuffed squash boats — ground beef, bell pepper, topped with cheese. Preserved & Long-Term Flour-dusted slices (chicken flour) — freeze for winter sauté. Pickled squash relish — excellent with charcuterie, recipe from Dawn Gorham. Ratatouille — freezes well in portions. Squash lasagna — prep now, freeze, and bake later. Stuffed squash boats — freeze unbaked or parbaked for easy winter meals. Zucchini/squash bread — not our thing anymore, but worth mentioning. Experimental / Less Common Planning to try freeze-dried squash chips with garlic and salt. Squash tossed into soups (though it can fall apart) Make it a great week. Community Links: Website: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com Holler Roast Coffee: https://hollerroast.com SRF Tickets: https://selfreliancefestival.com Telegram Group: https://t.me/lftnchat Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/259439594823655

Today, I am joined by Scott Armstrong of Rebinked News and Grand Theft World to talk about his journey through addiction and choosing freedom. Featured Event: Rabbit Meatup, June 29 Sponsor 1: HollerRoastCoffee.com Sponsor 2: AbovePhone.com Connect with Scott: Https://rebunked.news

  Today, I am joined by The Tactical Redneck to discuss updates from the Holler Homestead: Garden to Table season, escaped rams reading the rules, shade structures for the raised beds, erosion mitigation and more! Featured Event: Sunday Meetup: Potluck and Rabbit Processing - 1pm-4pm, LivingFreeinTennessee.com to sign up Sponsor 1: TheWealthseadingPodcast.com Sponsor 2: SelfRelianceFestival.com Ask T: Doing work in the cool of the morning (I mean the less hot of the morning)   A week in the life at the Holler Homestead Sunday: Heat, Hustle, and Sheep Shade Structure Build Roasting in the Heat + Sheep Escape Evening Redneck Gift Midweek: Workshop Prep & Deliveries Dump Run in the Heat Pickling + Interrupted by Coffee Delivery Evening: Garden Grounding + Dinner Flow Propagating plants to fill in areas where we want specific things Planting for shade on the west side of the cabin Canning beets outside is a blessing on the inside temperature of my house Swim spa workouts Blackberries, passion, flowers Need to maintain the food forest and make sure the stuff I want living stays living Update on squash in the compost Elderberries in a few weeks 1st ripe tomato Tim delivering rabbits for this weekend’s demo Michelle is letting us harvest her garden this afternoon!! Duck setting eggs on hillside Eeeked the garden through with calmag and evening watering (Fire ant issue) Green beans are about to pop here Holler Neighbors/Community: Sunday dinner was fun - basecamp may be transitioning in August Finances - the country store idea is growing   Make it a great week!   GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift! 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 Harvest Right Affiliate Link  

Today, we talk about Ways to Beat The Heat on The Homestead, as well as cover all of our usual Monday segments. Thanks to everyone who reached out about last week’s interview with Tactical. We got a lot of feedback, and it’s clear that hearing more from him is something the community wants. Featured Event: Rabbit Processing Meetup – June 29 Join us from 1–4pm at the Holler Homestead for a hands-on afternoon of learning, connection, and food. We’ll walk through the process of rabbit butchering from dispatch to chill tank. Bring a side dish and come prepared to learn. Details here: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/2025/06/02/rabbit-processing/ Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com – Long-term food storage supplies that won’t break the bank. Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com – Solid tax strategies for those of us living outside the system. Tales from the Prepper Pantry Freezer went down, but the Yolink sensor caught it in time — major save.   Pickled beet-palooza this week. Pantry smells like vinegar and victory.   Put up a solid batch of dill relish.   Premade meatloaf in the freezer is paying off big right now during long days.   Need to work on a better strategy for keeping the pantry space cooler in summer. Operation Independence We’re making steady moves on the Holler Hub setup. Lynne suggested we use the Basecamp basement and classroom for the country store — keycode access and posted hours. Also starting up GSD work weekends this summer. Main Topic of the Day: Ways to Beat The Heat on The Homestead Why This Matters Heat waves can wreck your garden, stress your animals, and push you to your limit. If you ignore the signs, you pay for it later — in lost yield, poor health, or burnout. It’s time to adapt. Plant Care During Heat Plants struggle to uptake calcium through roots when soil temps go above ~85°F — a CalMag foliar spray helps keep them from curling up and dying.   Shade cloth is your friend. Your garden doesn’t need full sun all day — especially in the South. I built a PVC shade structure that changed the game.   Water early, mulch deep. Timing is key.   Know when to leave stressed plants alone — sometimes less is more.   Livestock Management Pay attention to microclimates. Move animals to shaded, breezy areas if you have them. If not, start figuring out how to create them.   Always be checking water — manually or with sensors. Don’t assume it’s fine.   Look for signs of heat stress: panting, lethargy, standing in water, reduced feed intake.   Think long-term: is your pasture layout working in July?   Homesteader Self-Care Hydration is more than water — think salt, trace minerals, cucumbers, bone broth.   Plan your day around the sun. Hard stuff in the morning and evening.   Work in bursts — short and intense is often better than long and slow.   Know the signs of heat exhaustion in yourself and others. Don’t tough it out.   Systems & Tools Yolink sensors saved my butt this week. Don’t rely on memory for water or power checks.   If you have a natural feature like a cold creek — use it. My 55-degree creek is the MVP right now.   Heat is the best teacher. Pay attention and plan infrastructure improvements while you’re sweating — you’ll actually solve the problem. Reminders Get your Self-Reliance Festival tickets — prices increase soon.   Subscribe to the LFTN newsletter for events, updates, and useful stuff I don’t post anywhere else.   Make it a great week. Community Links: Website: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com Holler Roast Coffee: https://hollerroast.com SRF Tickets: https://selfreliancefestival.com Telegram Group: https://t.me/lftnchat  

  Today, I am joined by The Tactical Redneck to discuss updates from the Holler Homestead.   Featured Event: Solstice gathering at Haven Village   Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast - InvestableWealth.com Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN https://hollerroast.com/product/hvac-coffee-pre-buy/ Make it a great week! GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift! 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 Harvest Right Affiliate Link  

  Today I am interviewing The Tactical Redneck on the Living Free Podcast. he will tell his story of building freedom into his life which has included overcoming addiction, PTSD from being a combat veteran, and more. Connect with us! TheLivingFreePodcast.com LivingFreeinTennessee.com SelfRelianceFestival.com @nicolesauce on instagram @LFTN on youtube @lftngroup on Telegram

  Today I am interviewing The Tactical Redneck on the Living Free Podcast. he will tell his story of building freedom into his life which has included overcoming addiction, PTSD from being a combat veteran, and more. Connect with us! TheLivingFreePodcast.com LivingFreeinTennessee.com SelfRelianceFestival.com @nicolesauce on instagram @LFTN on youtube @lftngroup on Telegram

Today I am interviewing The Tactical Redneck on the Living Free Podcast. he will tell his story of building freedom into his life which has included overcoming addiction, PTSD from being a combat veteran, and more. NOTE: I will update this summary in the next few days will additional ways to reach Tactical and also a content summary. Connect with us! TheLivingFreePodcast.com LivingFreeinTennessee.com SelfRelianceFestival.com @nicolesauce on instagram @LFTN on youtube @lftngroup on Telegram

Today, we talk about the hidden cost of constant distraction, as well as cover all of our usual Monday segments. Featured Event: June 29 Meetup and Rabbit Processing Event. Join us for an in-person meetup and hands-on rabbit processing workshop right here at the Holler. Learn how to humanely dispatch, clean, and prepare rabbit for the freezer or dinner plate.  Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com Long-term food storage supplies that won’t break the bank.  Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN  Helping entrepreneurs, homesteaders, and freedom-minded folks handle taxes the smart way. Tales from the Prepper Pantry Added more pickled beets to the pantry this week—trying to stay ahead of the beet wave Dried a fresh batch of lemon balm, thanks to a special visitor who brought me a beautiful harvest Testing a new approach to event food and premade meals—moving to stainless steel restaurant trays with lids for things like meatloaf. Easier to stack, serve, and clean Hoping to score cucumbers this weekend for the next round of pickling Frugality Tip A little weekly effort saves you tons of money in convenience food over time. I’ve been making 8 pounds of meatloaf at a time lately—when meatloaf is on the meal plan, I shape and freeze extras for future, easy-to-serve meals. In fact, once a week, I pick something to batch like this—whether it’s blanching and freezing extra broccoli, or making carnivore pizza crusts. When life gets busy, I can just pull, cook, and serve—faster than driving into town or grabbing premade, low-quality food. This habit saves money, improves nutrition, and helps prevent impulse spending. It also keeps us healthier, which could mean fewer medical bills later. So here’s your challenge: Look at your meal plan this week and find one thing you can double and freeze. Future you will thank you. Operation Independence I finished my taxes! One more round to go and I’ll be fully caught up. This process hasn’t just been about checking a box—it’s given me real insight into where money is flowing (and where it’s not). That clarity has helped me reprioritize how I spend my time and energy moving forward. Sometimes, independence means getting your financial house in order—even if it’s uncomfortable. Main Topic of the Day: If I Were Starting a Homestead Today - a question from Ian who is about to buy his homestead from across the country and move… FIRST THE BAD STUFF I DID Make it fun more often and from the start - Bulldoze the house and build new in a better location - Emotional attachment to the goats Maybe Not Get Goats  Moved the garden to zone 1 Retaining wall and French drain system - easy maintenance plan  1 animal or major change at a time until it is easy - Hard reset on stuff  Infrastructure before animals (see above) Time on the property to observe the seasons - Overseen contractors and helpers more closely - Build with profit in mind - 1 thing financing the next thing  Addressed the negative energy issue - Better use of on-site resources - like junk trees - morel story -  Get good at compost first - grazing - soil Water system - repair versus fix once and for all - Learn from the local community regarding what grows well here, hydrology, local knowledge and dependable contractors take classes development relationships talk to neighbors Hydrology/water, access, then the rest is the order to plan in I waited ten years to bring in a permaculture consultant and that was wrong 5 Things You Should Do When Starting a Homestead (From 18 Years of Hard Lessons) Start With a Big-Picture Plan, Not What’s Already There Too many new homesteaders try to make existing structures or systems work—even when they don’t. That old house, random infrastructure, or legacy garden spot can lock you into years of wasted time and money. Don’t get emotionally attached to what’s there. Design from scratch based on what works, not what exists. Build Soil and Observe Before You Build Anything Permanent The smartest first year move is not to plant trees, build a barn, or install major systems - unless you just have to as part of your plan. It’s to study your land and build soil health. Hydrology, sun, wind, and microclimates matter more than what you think you want to do. Compost, watch water flow, graze slowly, and improve soil. One System at a Time—Fully Functional Before You Add More Piling on animals, gardens, or outbuildings without the infrastructure in place leads to burnout and chaos. If you’re chasing goats while digging fenceposts, you’re doing it wrong. Add systems only when the current one runs easily. Tap Local Knowledge and Outside Experts Early You don’t need to figure everything out yourself. Local growers, neighbors, county experts, and consultants can save you years of mistakes—if you listen.  The culvert story Build relationships and take advice. Pay consultants when it counts. Manage the Energy—Spiritual, Emotional, and Environmental Homesteading isn’t just physical work. There is a spiritual signature from before you were ever there and you may have attracted some haters over time - take control of the bad energy, get your property blessed or whatever you need to do to protect it, and yourself, from unnecessarily bad baggage. This is ongoing. Clear bad energy, maintain spiritual health, and set firm boundaries. The Holler Roast Prebuy is live! Support the shack, get coffee credit, and score digital goodies. HollerRoast.com Self-Reliance Festival tickets—Only a few left at the $95 price point. Don’t miss it before the next price jump. Make sure you’re on the newsletter list for updates, events, and all things Holler. Make it a great week. GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.  Community Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee Harvest Right Affiliate Link