What It Takes To Build Community - or anything - Ep 796

    Join me for a group discussion with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast. Featured Event: Midwest Preparedness Festival: https://www.midwestpreparednessproject.com/ Sponsors:x The Self Reliance Festival: SelfRelianceFestival.com https://selfreliancefestival.com/ Tickets: https://selfreliancefestival.com/tickets/   Holler Roast Coffee Show Resources Special Operations Equipment TheSurvivalPodcast.com Living Free in Tennessee NicoleSauce.com HollerRoast.com  Main content of the show Make it a great week! GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.  Community FreeSteading Group: https://freesteading.com/groups/living-free-in-tennessee/ Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Twitter: @nicolesauce IG: @nicolesauce Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingFreeInTN  Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee Harvest Right Affiliate Link  

Today I’m fired up from the Spring Workshop and a pretty fantastic concert we had yesterday with my choir in Cookeville, tn. We will share the stories, the people, the late-night brainstorms, the amazing food, and yes... the sea sponges. If you’ve never been to one, this episode will be a fun listen and if you have - I hope you enjoy the journey through LFTN25. Featured Event: Wild Foraging Walk with Strong Roots Resources – May 10, strongrootsresources.com Sponsor 1: EMP Shield – Protect your home, car, and gear from lightning strikes and power surges. empshield.com — Use coupon code LFTN for a $50 discount.
 Sponsor 2: Discount Mylar Bags – Long-term food storage doesn’t have to break the bank. Quality mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and more. discountmylarbags.com Tales from the Prepper Pantry - The prepper pantry is finally usable and mostly organized—still clearing out the last of the Spring Workshop aftermath
 - Pulling road food from the freezers: steaks travel well, plus premade chili, soup, scotch eggs, and dried salami
 - May is audit month for leftover canned goods
 - Planting a much smaller garden this year since we moved it—but still planting
 - Also, I GOT BROCCOLI. Weekly Shopping Report I made a trip on Tuesday to Food City for a couple of bags of flour and a 22 lb. bag of Meow Mix (that our cats ask for by name); and Walgreens for the goop I put in my eye at night (“Stye”) so it doesn’t dry out. Only the first Tuesday in the month is Walgreens’ “senior day,” when Grumpy Old Men (and women) get a discount.
For our usual trip, the weather gave us a clear stretch amidst the bands of heavy rain on Thursday. Most people must have decided to wait, as there was little traffic.
Dollar Tree was first. They’re finally out of the big non-carbonated Monsters I was getting, but there were plenty of other choices. Stock levels throughout the store looked good. Sonia has been able to find some craft items in there lately.
We also went to Hobby Lobby for some acrylic paint. We didn’t walk around the whole store looking at other stock, but I didn’t see empty sections or anything else odd. Things may change with the tariffs on Dragon Country, but not yet. They were “normal-busy” with a short wait to check out.
The online price of a 2x4x8 stud at Home Depot is still $3.85.
Aldi was last. We found everything we wanted. Staple prices were: bread (20 oz. white): $1.39; eggs: $4.97; whole milk: $2.92; heavy cream: $5.29; OJ: $4.09; butter: $3.49 (-); bacon: $3.99; potatoes: $4.39; sugar: $2.99; flour: $2.35; and 80% ground beef: $4.59.
Untainted regular gasoline at Weigels is still $3.59/gallon. Operation Independence I had a great conversation with John Pugliano this week that's helping bring clarity to the next big project here at the Holler. I'm still sorting out the details, but it's one of those moments where a few things click into place, and you realize what really needs to happen next. Hint: It starts with some RV spots. Main Topic: Behind the Scenes at the LFTN Spring Workshop Today I want to pull back the curtain on what really makes the Spring Workshop special—not the agenda, not the official sessions, but the stuff that makes it unforgettable.
 Glenn’s Rum – He always shows up with something we’ve never tried. This year? It was memorable. Let’s just leave it at that. Carnivore Scotch Duck Eggs – Y’all, the food. This isn’t your standard workshop fare. It’s duck eggs. It’s bacon. It’s food that fuels you for real work. Alan Booker measuring brix – Alan showed me how to measure brix in my plants, gave me a compliment, then called my leaves "aphid food." And you know what? He was right. Patrick Roehrman’s precision strike – My one-of-a-kind MT Knives kitchen knife got used to slice a carpenter bee out of the air. No, really. While it was flying. Emily Zanotti Skyles and the plantain spit war – She left fired up about wild edibles. Her kids? They took that knowledge and turned it into backyard ammo. The greenhouse swim spa debate – We planned to function-stack a greenhouse over the swim spa… and ended up realizing Nicole just needs to bury her electrical lines already. Ian’s moment – On his way home, Ian stopped by his family land and decided: it’s time. That’s the kind of clarity these weekends bring. John Pugliano and Meshtastic – He helped all of us finally understand how Meshtastic works—and why it matters. Leos' pop-up blacksmithing – Did I mention we had a surprise forge session? Because of course we did. Glenn’s hamburgers – Day one. Fire. Flavor. No notes. Gavin and the birds – Gavin wandered through the holler like a nature monk with binoculars, pointing out the birds we miss every day. Jack Spirko's bioreactor breakthrough – Sometimes the right fencing and weed cloth are all it takes to spark a better compost design. Community eggs – Between scotch eggs, scrambles, and three separate egg suppliers, we fed the holler crew with ease—and had leftovers. Late-night wrestling matches – You know who you are. I won’t name names… this time. Pocket door rescues – Multiple saves were made, but one prepper decided to handle it solo. Mad respect. The sea sponges – If you know, you know. And finally—YOU – The participants. Every single person showed up not just to learn, but to help each other figure out their next chapter. So why haven’t you taken your shot? Is it the money? The time? The fear of people? Or do you just think you’re not good enough? If it is that last one, take a good hard look at that because you are. You are good enough. You deserve to build your dream. And you can do it - it may look different when you get there than you thought it would, but you can go further - but it takes hard work, strong community and it takes being a DOER. 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  

Today I am joined by the Tactical Redneck for an update from the Holler Homestead at 12:30PM CT. Spring is springing here and we just had the LFTN Spring Workshop which was a resounding success! I also got tested for my vegetable quality and have some work to do on that. Featured Event: Midwest Preparedness Project Spring Event with Joel Salatin, Bear, and more. https://www.midwestpreparednessproject.com/ Sponsor 1: TheWealthsteading Podcast: InvestableWealth.com Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com Isolation Fencing on new pasture Yarrow is up Baby rabbits 4 wheeler broke Plant brix Wood chip mecca Red clover  Poison Hemlock Rose petal Stormy's swelling back down Hoof trimming in the future and youtibe vs reality Voice problem Rams on second rotation Herr Egyptian walking onion Broccoli success Restart the sunflower system in the carport 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 joined by The Lunatic Farmer, Joel Salatin, as we discuss his freedom journey, food freedom and developing generational farms and homesteads. Featured Event: The Exit And Build Land Summit, May 22-23 at Polyface Farm Sponsor 1: AbovePhone.com: https://abovephone.com/?above=104 Use coupon code for $50 off: LiveFreeTN Sponsor 2: Holler Roast Coffee: https://hollerroast.com/ Make it a great week GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.  Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up

  Today, I am joined by the Tactical Redneck to talk about lamb births, getting ready for the Spring Workshop and more. LFTN Spring Workshop - 1 open ticket - deposit paid: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/product/2025-lftn-spring-workshop/ Sponsor 1: TheWealthSteadingPodcast - InvestableWealth.com Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon Code LFTN Grafting the baby to its Mom Update on the pulled baby Infection? Rabbits due next week Workshop Set Up Transplanting tomatoes Assessing dead plants Morrels Wild Mustard Watercress Update Yarrow Ducks are in jail All the people are stopping by to help us get set up this weekend, despite Easter being in the offing Wood boring bees 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

Last night, my bottle-fed Ewe went into labor. She never got as big as the naturally raised ewes and this ended up being a problem. We will talk about the long night in the pasture, as well as tales from the prepper pantry, a shopping report, operation independence, and more. Featured Event: Exit ad Build Land Summit at Polyface, May 23 & 24: https://courses.livefree.academy/land-summit-5-polyface-farms Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com Tales from the Prepper Pantry Progress Report Preparing From The Pantry High End Cured Meats Wholesale Egg prep for the spring workshop - link to the spring workshop: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/spring-workshop-2025/ Weekly Shopping Report from Joe Dollar Tree was first.  They’re finally out of the big non-carbonated Monsters I was getting, but there were plenty of other choices.  Stock levels throughout the store looked good.  Sonia has been able to find some craft items in there lately. We also went to Hobby Lobby for some acrylic paint.  We didn’t walk around the whole store looking at other stock, but I didn’t see empty sections or anything else odd.  Things may change with the tariffs on Dragon Country, but not yet.  They were “normal-busy” with a short wait to check out. The online price of a 2x4x8 stud at Home Depot is still $3.85. Aldi was last.  We found everything we wanted.  Staple prices were: bread (20 oz. white): $1.39; eggs: $4.97; whole milk: $2.92; heavy cream: $5.29; OJ: $4.09; butter: $3.49 (-); bacon: $3.99; potatoes: $4.39; sugar: $2.99; flour: $2.35; and 80% ground beef: $4.59. Untainted regular gasoline at Weigels is still $3.59/gallon. Operation Independence 2 lambs born, so $800 goes into the independence fund Main topic of the Show: A Wonderful, Horrible Livestock Experience Make it a great week! GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.    Community Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee Harvest Right Affiliate Link  

  Join me for a group discussion with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast. Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com Sponsors: The Self Reliance Festival: SelfRelianceFestival.com https://selfreliancefestival.com/ Tickets: https://selfreliancefestival.com/tickets/   Holler Roast Coffee Show Resources Special Operations Equipment TheSurvivalPodcast.com Living Free in Tennessee NicoleSauce.com HollerRoast.com  Main content of the show Make it a great week! GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.  Community FreeSteading Group: https://freesteading.com/groups/living-free-in-tennessee/ Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Twitter: @nicolesauce IG: @nicolesauce Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingFreeInTN  Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee Harvest Right Affiliate Link  

Today we’re talking about busting through analysis paralysis and, of course, all our usual Monday segments. Featured Event Member Webinar – Homeopathy for Urgent and Emergent Situations Don’t miss this week’s member webinar! Learn practical ways to approach health challenges using homeopathy. Details & Sign-Up: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/homeopathy-for-urgent-and-emergent-situations/ Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast Insightful discussions on wealth-building and independent living. 🔗 https://investablewealth.com/ Sponsor 2: AbovePhone Secure, freedom-minded communications. Get $50 off your device with coupon code LiveFreeTN 🔗 https://abovephone.com/?above=104 Tales from the Prepper Pantry Cooking for people from the pantry Chaos of storing things everywhere – Nicole needs a wife Moving back into the prepper pantry About to unload a bunch of stored grain—we don’t eat grain anymore The “oh shit” story Weekly Shopping Report This one will be short and boring; no major changes (I don’t need a Wahhmbulance for my chocolate price, at least not yet). Dollar Tree was the usual first stop. The drink product mix is shifting, but stock levels remain excellent. The online price of a 2x4x8 stud at Home Depot is still $3.85. Aldi was last. We found everything we wanted, but my preferred chocolate has gone up again to $2.69. Staple prices were: Bread (20 oz. white): $1.39 Eggs: $4.97 (limit 2) Whole milk: $2.84 (-) Heavy cream: $5.29 OJ: $4.09 Butter: $3.75 Bacon: $3.99 Potatoes: $4.39 Sugar: $2.99 Flour: $2.35 80% ground beef: $4.59 Untainted regular gasoline at Weigels is still $3.59/gallon. Frugality Tip No listener tips this week—send yours to [email protected]! Nicole’s Tip: Audit your insurances annually. I’m doing that right now and it’s one of those boring-but-worth-it money wins. Operation Independence Update on the GSD weekend! Huge thanks to Valerie, Lynne, Tracy, Steve, Bryan, Tactical, and Knighthawk—and of course Bob, who we tried to kill. It was a solid weekend of getting things done and building community. Main Topic of the Day: Busting Through Analysis Paralysis I Why We Get Stuck in Analysis Paralysis Fear of making the wrong move or wasting resources Drowning in too much information and too many choices Perfectionism in disguise—waiting until it’s “just right” Pressure from external voices: what you should do versus what you want to do II How to Align Your Efforts for Real Progress Start by documenting where you spend your time Revisit your vision and purpose Know your own wiring—planner, doer, thinker? Identify leverage points that’ll ease other areas III Tips & Tricks to Break Free (My3Things Method + More) Use the My3Things Method—3 high-impact tasks per day Do the worksheet—focus and prioritize Join our communities—get support and ideas Call a friend who can help you think clearly Pay for help if it moves you forward Break things down to minimum viable steps (An American Homestead story) Ask if you’re delaying because you don’t actually want it Try body doubling—just work alongside someone Just do one thing now—progress over perfection Reset your brain—take a walk, listen to music, work out And above all: Commit and don’t look back. Nothing replaces just deciding to move. Sign up for the weekly mail – Stay updated on events, products, and local opportunities. This week’s tip: Peter Hutchings from Terre Power in Sparta, TN reached out with a deal on used solar panels—around $0.15/kWh or less. If you're interested, email him at [email protected] Make it a great week. GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.  Community Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee Harvest Right Affiliate Link  

  Today, I am joined by the Tactical Redneck to talk about spring, stupid funny things we cannot remember, new spring wild edibles and more! Featured event: SelfRelianceFestival.com Sponsor 1: InvestableWealth.com Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com Fiberglass fencing posts Still need to move rams GSD Weekend coming up - with spicy weather Prepper Pantry update Wild Mustard flower is here The dumpster story 4 wheeler useable - bent frame Honda 300, 1995 Meat pizza Update on sprouted sunflowers Stupid funny things we cant remember! Feta cheese made for the workshop and thoughts on working in a homesteader’s kitchen Garden feels really small this year Subaru passed her maiden voyage to SOE Stormy’s harness No morels found yet but they are starting to pop in nearby counties Basecamp deck Duck egg hunt in the pond I want a roadside stand! 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  

Syndicated from The Living Free Podcast, a project of Nicole Sauce. Today, we begin to explore a bigger picture question about AI: Will it make us more or less free? Featured Event: Member Webinar on Homeopathy Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com Sponsor 2: AbovePhone.com, Coupon code LivefreeTN Will AI Make Us More Or Less Free? First, how do we define freedom? The counter tension is those who wish to control and build power bases. So this question is a pretty big question: Will AI make us more or less free? AI’s Inherent Bias AI as a Search Engine Replacement Technocracy vs. Liberty AI as a Creation Tool vs. Scam Weapon Recommended Steps to Stay Free USE AI but with a critical Learn to protect your privacy, Use tools like Above Phone Be wary of too-good-to-be-true offers—even from people you know Set up a family/friend safe word Don’t blindly trust outputs—verify and think - especially the smaller details Avoid emotional or functional dependency Stay capable without the tool; don’t let it run your life AI can help you build the life you want—or quietly undermine it - and if we just ignore it, it will move toward the status quo: empowering the oligarchs not the individual. Freedom means staying awake and staying critical without burying your head in the sand. 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