Not an Expert But We're Still Going to Get Stuff Done

This week I was a guest on FarmHopLife Podcast. We talked about homesteading, our local "Not an Expert But We're Still Going to Get Stuff Done" workshops, and what motivates me to grow my own food.

This podcast episode is an excerpt of the interview. You can watch the entire interview on Youtube at:

https://youtu.be/3X6w4Brdz0Q

We cover:

• "Not an Expert But We're Still Going to Get Stuff Done" workshops - building community while we share new skills.

• How I got started homesteading.

  • What motivates me to grow my own food?

  • Nothing beats the freshness.

  • My favorite is Black Seeded Simpson lettuce

• What methods or techniques I am using:

  • Swales - see my example of how I extended my orchard using hand-dug swales and mounds.

  • Lasagna gardening

• What I have tried that worked well:

  • Growing chestnuts from seed.

  • Making my own vinegar.

  • I also share my scrub and switchel vinegar drink ideas

  • The Not an Expert But We're Still Going to Get Stuff Done workshops.

• What didn't work so well:

  • Using STUN method on grafted apple trees.

  • Growing tomatoes from saved seed this year.

  • Planting landrace garden seeds from somewhere else (what works in Utah doesn't work in KS).

• Biggest challenge:

  • To adapt to the mindset where Failure is an Option and this year is not like last year.

• What are my best things about homesteading:

  • Growing my own food.

  • Trying new techniques.

  • Walking out my door and watering the garden at lunchtime.

  • The KS sunsets.

Matt from FarmHopLife was on Episode 50 of Thriving The Future Podcast. Listen to that episode as he shared about his 20×23 project next year – traveling around to farms and homesteads to lend a hand with whatever the owner needs to finish a project, plant hundreds of trees, harvest plants, process livestock. Wait - he will come to your homestead and provide free labor? What's the catch? Listen to episode 50 to find out more.

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