Lessons Learned from the Harvest

In today’s episode, The Slow Down Season, we explore how nature invites us to pause, reset, and realign our lives as we enter the quieter, colder months. This is the perfect episode for anyone feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or craving a more intentional, peaceful pace. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why slowing down is essential for emotional and physical health • How nature’s rhythms can guide our own • Practical ways to simplify, declutter, and reconnect • How to set boundaries heading into the holidays • How this season nurtures renewal, rest, and spiritual grounding • How slowing down now prepares you for a better spring What’s ONE thing you can slow down this week? Let us know via email at [email protected]!

In this special Thanksgiving episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, we gather around the hearth — the ancient symbol of warmth, nourishment, and connection — to explore gratitude, community, and the lessons we learn from the changing seasons. Whether your “hearth” is a wood stove, kitchen table, fire pit, or simply a calm moment at the end of a long day, this episode is about returning to what matters: Slowing down. Giving thanks. Growing gratitude. Building connection. Bring your coffee and coffee cake or donuts....let's chat as we learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!

In today's Small Scale Life Live Stream and Podcast, I am going to discuss the Lessons from the Harvest for the 2025 Garden Season. Like the famous novel by Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times and it was the worst of times." Ok, that was pretty dramatic. We had a really great season for some vegetables, ginger and herbs,. At the same time, we had a tough time with other favorites like tomatoes and squash. What worked? What didn't work? What will we do n 2026? You can find out tonight on the Small Scale Life Live Stream and Podcast. We go LIVE at 7:00 PM Central. It is going to be fun! For more including links, show notes and photos, head over to the Small Scale Life Website.

Welcome to the first episode of the New and Improved Small Scale Life Podcast. In this episode, I'll talk about some of the things I am letting go and discussing what is coming next on the Small Scale Life Podcast. As we navigate some new waters, we'lll have to watch out for the rocks, branches, sandbars and deadheads...the water isn't always smooth in this Small Scale Life. We will explore these new waters together! As a note, we will be streaming Wednesdays at 7:00 PM Central Time on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel. Bring your floaties, river shoes, some snacks and drinky drinks. Let's go! Grow Roots Find Peace Live Small Love Big Live Well Remember to learn, do grow and be a little better everyday!

Tommy Cakes returns to restart the Small Scale Life Podcast! Tommy discusses what they have been up to since March: Starting a new business called Tommy Cakes (Bird) Seed LLC Gardening, Improving the shoreline, Feeding the birds, Taking some shorter trips Connecting with neighbors and, Dealing with the Government Shutdown. The government shutdown is concerning. 42 million Americans might lose access to funds to purchase food and put it on the table, and whiile we cannot change what happens in Washington DC, we can help people right where we live. A couple great ways to help are; Stock local little library pantries, Make monetary donations to local food shelves and pantries, Bring foo to local food shelves and pantries, and Volunteer at local food shelves and pantries. Start where you are with what you have. We need to come together and help those in need in our community. It starts with us. The Small Scale Life Podcast returns on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM starting 11/12/2025. I will be live-streaming on the YouTube Channel and creating a podcast from that video. Join us LIVE! Bring your floaties, river shoes, some snacks and drinky drinks. Let's go! Grow Roots Find Peace Live Small Love Big Live Well Remember to learn, do grow and be a little better everyday!

In this 250th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and I talk about Mastering Speed in Business and Life. Speed....it can help and it can hinder. Act too quickly, and you can make costly mistakes. Act too slowly, and you can miss opportunities. The reality is that we live in a fast-paced world and have a ton of things going on in our lives. There is little time to stop and take a breath, and when you do, the little cell phone demon in our hand calls to us and beckons us to Doom Scroll. Yes, the struggle of our modern world is real. While many of us understand that, there is the other side of that coin. Homesteading and moving to the country to start a "simple life" sounds fantastic. Leaving the sirens and hustle of the bustle of the city creates peace and tranquility. However, for some of us, the silence and quiet life drains us. The silence becomes VERY, VERY loud as we need to confront the our shadow. There might be little or no escape! Ask me how I know..... It always comes back to balance. We need to move fast enough to accomplish goals, tasks and objectives, but we need to slow down and smell the flowers, tend to our gardens, feed the birds and spend some time with family, friends, pets and livestock. After all, those tomatoes aren't going to grow themselves, and the deer sheds aren't going to find themselves. Adam and I are going to talk about things we can do to master speed in business and life. For some of us, we want to move faster to get more. For others like me, I want to slow down, savor and enjoy each moment, each monarch butterfly, hummingbird and oriole visiting The Landing. It all comes back to balance. As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 249th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and I will be talking about “How to Thrive in Slow Business Cycles.” This applies to more than business as well. Our lives are connected cycles of high activity, stress and constant action with cycles of lower activity, quiet, learning and rest. It is true: we need those lower activity cycles to rest and recharge. At the same time, we can use those quiet times to keep learning, doing, growing and being a little better everyday in our own way. Stop in for a spell tonight at 7:30 PM Central on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel! I will be posting last week’s and this week’s audio on the Small Scale Life Podcast as well! In this high pressure hustle culture, we can learn to ride the lull and use our slow time to thrive. As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 248th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and Tom are talking about the power of "no." "No" is the most powerful and shortest sentence in the English language. Sometimes we need to just say this powerful and short sentence to friends, family, acquaintances, coworkers, bosses, customers, etc. Adam and I are going to talk about setting boundaries and using the word no in business. We both have experiences from the house to the farmer's market to the corporate world, and as a recovering people pleaser, no can be a very uncomfortable word and sentence. For links and show notes head to the Small Scale Life website at https://smallscalelife.com. Catch ANT LIVE on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on Monday evenings. Adam and I talk about mindset, small business, wellness, gardening, homesteading and other topics that come up. Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 247th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Tom and Adam discuss origins, tips and guidelines for the February No-Spend Challenge (or Frugal February Challenge) on Small Scale Life. Can you survive the No-Spend Challenge for 28 days? Unfortunately, this is the season....to pay the piper. December is usually expensive and gets us in trouble. The holidays bring us expenses with presents, gatherings, parties, events and vacations. January brings us the cold hard reality: we have bills to pay and usually don't have enough money to cover the rest of the month. It can be stressful: there were times where Jules and I had $50 in the account to get us through the month! Fortunately, February isn't usually as cold as January. We have an opportunity to catch our breath and dig ourselves out of a financial hole (provided that we don't blow it all out on Valentine's Day). We can literally thaw the deep freeze on our wallets and bank accounts if we take control of our budgets and cut spending. How is your bank account looking right now? Maybe it is a pocket full of sunshine and you are smiling. Maybe it is empty as the grasslands of South Dakota and has tumbleweeds blowing across it. Whatever situation you might be in right now, events and decisions in far off places are going to hurt our accounts. The fact is that tariffs on goods and energy are going to hurt the American consumer. We need to acknowledge that fact and prepare accordingly, so even if you have a fat wallet and happy bank account, we need to prepare for what is coming at the stores and at the pump.  It doesn't matter what you believe politically, there will be repercussions from policy decisions and actions in the far off Heart of the American Empire.  Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.  This is a hard reality, and I hope you understand that as we move forward and prepare accordingly. If you are struggling financially, there are a few ways to get out of it. One way is to make more money (side hustles, extra jobs, etc.). Another way is to dramatically cut back on expenses, especially the ones that are not necessary.  We are going to focus on cutting expenses dramatically in No-Spend Challenge or Frugal February. Remember: February is the shortest month of the year. You can do this; we can help! Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday! For more resources including tips, guidelines and budgeting tools, check out the post at Small Scale Life!Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 245th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Tom discusses the 24-Hour Fast Results and provides a Tommy Cakes Suet Update. Tom will also show off some of the feathered and furry friends visiting the feeders at The Landing this week including Sam the Squirrel, the Blue Jay Cabal, Elvis the Cardinal and Wanda and Woody (male and female pileated woodpeckers). Julie has been a world traveler this week as she has been on a much-needed vacation to the Dominican Republic. When she is away, Tommy Cakes will play! Tom has been focused on processing 2024 tomatoes and making salsa and tomato sauce, a 5"x5" mold for suet cakes, making some kombucha and completing some home improvement projects. On Ant Live 14, Adam challenged Tom to do a 24-Hour fast. After thinking about it during the show, Tom agreed to run a fast from Wednesday to Thursday. Having just completed the fast, Tom describes how he was feeling and how he pushed through the headaches and hunger during the 24-hour period. To be honest, it wasn't that bad! Tom completed a 36 hour fast on Friday to Sunday that week, but that was after he recorded this show. For more information and links, head over to Small Scale Life. Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!