Growing up on the salty shores of the south, Sandy spent her years in the gym eating Hormel Chili and TV dinners. Married to her best friend of 38 years, attending (as she puts it) her Mother-In-Law’s ‘School of Dirt’, then homeschooling 5 children, and loving 9 grandchildren, it’s been quite the journey. She has become a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Sports Nutritionist, Gym Owner, Garden Designer and Founder of East Tennessee Homestead Alliance, where she and her husband embrace heritage skills, cultivate community and equip the next generation. www.wildbodyschool.com on FB: East Tennessee Homestead Alliance

Philip Hartman, inventor and CEO of InstaFarm, launched the world’s first soil-based fully recyclable and compostable microgreen robotic countertop micro farm in March 2023. He’s in Colorado, where he lives and this cool little machine is manufactured.  It's designed so that fresh, nutrient dense beyond-organic food is as fresh as humanly possible, traveling from harvest to plate as fast as you can snip and serve. Going forward, expect upgrades - next on his menu are mushrooms and garden starts.  www.instafarm.ag

Austin Frerick is the author of bestselling book “Barons – Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry.” He is an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy. He worked at the Open Markets Institute, the U.S. Department of Treasury, and the Congressional Research Service before becoming a Fellow at Yale University. He is a 7th generation Iowan and 1st generation college graduate, with degrees from Grinnell College and the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  https://www.austinfrerick.com/

Let’s talk Progress, year-over-year. One of the things that I hear from people new to homesteading or new to farming and their own food production is overwhelm. I feel for them, because when we first moved into our farm, I was in the same space. Between getting my home set up and wanting to do ALL THE THINGS and just being so pumped for owning my first farm, I felt like a spinning top. And not in a good way.  Today I'm sharing my Seven Rules for keeping your sanity and making steady progress on your farmstead.

This one is for Farmers AND Consumers both. Community support is critical for the survival of small local farms. CSAs are a POWERFUL option for all parties involved. And you likely have one available to you in your area. My family buys a CSA share every year, even though we grow a LOT of produce, meat, dairy and eggs each year.  So let’s have that conversation because I clearly see both sides. Full of tips and info for producers and customers alike. Let's get growing.     

Jim Gale, entrepreneur and expert permaculturist, man of faith and deep thinker is the founder of Food Forest Abundance. A positive energy dynamo, he talks about the solutions to society's most wicked problems. The solutions are really simple. Just not easy. He’s an educator, expert permaculture designer and advocate for clean, nutrient dense food. He’s also designing a sustainable off-grid living community, innovative home construction, and espouses the importance of permaculture as curriculum in schools. From motivations to practical steps, reaching youth, and even touching on the idea of NPCs. Jim boasts a 100% inspiration rate. This episode barely scratches the surface of the bigger picture with Jim at Food Forest Abundance . 

Joel Salatin, husband, father, world-famous regenerative farmer, speaker, 16-time author,  owner of Polyface Farm and cofounder of the Rogue Food Conference joins to discuss contemporary topics: creating a more resilient food supply chain, regulatory issues, food freedom, raw milk, and going ‘rogue’ with food. He offers specific encouragement for the youth who want to get into agriculture and has an impassioned positive message to all who feel abuzz over the state of the world and society today. Polyface Farm. Healing the land one bite at a time.  www.polyfacefarms.com

Larry Footer founded FOOP Organic Biosciences in 2016 and has been a man on a mission to bring the best possible product to the market for plant growers everywhere. It’s not even fair to call it plant food.  It’s a proprietary blend- a spectrum of beneficial bacteria from fish manure, 11 strains of mycorrhizae, micronutrients and macronutrients from fish manure, fish emulsion, seaweed, volcanic ash and more. The products are for your garden, house or farm. From cloning gel to foliar spray, liquid, and now inoculated biochar –inspired by Larry learning about Terra Preta – This little company in Virginia is growing gangbusters thanks to Larry’s leadership and innovation. Enjoy the tour and the future of FOOP. www.thefoop.com  

In 2010, Jeremy Lekich founded Nashville Foodscapes and in 2014, Jeremy co-founded Compost Nashville. As of January 2021, Nashville Foodscapes became a worker-owned cooperative. Jeremy's journey as an entrepreneur has allowed him to witness the value of leveraging our current systems and capital to create new ones that are more equitable and harmonious. Today he is a community resilience enthusiast and believes in the power of a localized economy and an inspired, well-fed community. And he's on a mission to help people learn how to grow food within their own landscaping on their properties, parks, and community plantings.