Join me for a discussion all about kefir, its origins, its benefits, how to make it and HOW TO USE IT!Sponsor 1: Permies.com FUNDLE $45: https://permies.com/wiki/223017f495/Fundle-fungi-bundle

Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Shout out: Canary Cry Radio! https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=XK4bqtxb1PA 

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Bacon Week
• Slicing Like a Mad Woman
• Ground Lamb
• The Carnivore Scotch Egg Test

Operation Independence

• No more TAHOE

1. Why Kefir Matters

• More than just a probiotic – Kefir is a living ecosystem of bacteria and yeast, offering benefits beyond typical fermented foods.

• Gut health & digestion – Restores microbiome balance and may help with IBS.
• Immune system support – Contains natural antibacterial and antifungal compounds.
• Bone health & longevity – High in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K2, supporting bone density.
• Why it beats store-bought probiotic drinks – No added sugars, no preservatives, and a wider range of beneficial microbes.

1. The Mysterious Origins of Kefir

• No one knows!
• Ancient legends – Believed to have originated in the Caucasus Mountains, with stories linking it to nomadic herders or religious figures.
  • Some claim kefir grains were a gift from the Prophet Muhammad to Orthodox Christians.
  • Others suggest they evolved naturally in animal skins used for storing milk.
• Why scientists can’t recreate it – Unlike yogurt cultures, kefir grains cannot be artificially synthesized, making them a true biological mystery.
  • Kefir grains are a complex symbiotic community (SCOBY) that must be propagated from existing grains.
  • Attempts to isolate and recreate them in labs have failed, suggesting a unique co-evolution with traditional dairy farming.

4. The Science Behind Kefir Fermentation

• Bacteria vs. Yeast – A Perfect Partnership
  • Bacteria (Lactic Acid Bacteria - LAB) – Convert lactose into lactic acid, lowering the pH and thickening the milk.
  • Yeasts – Break down sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide, adding mild effervescence and contributing to flavor complexity.
  • Acetobacter species – Convert ethanol into acetic acid, giving kefir its subtle tang.
• How fermentation transforms milk
  • Lactose breakdown – Kefir becomes more digestible for lactose-intolerant individuals.
  • Nutrient enhancement – Increases B vitamins, calcium, and K2, making nutrients more bioavailable.
  • Probiotic boost – Contains up to 50+ strains of beneficial bacteria and yeast, making it superior to yogurt in microbial diversity.

1. How to Make Kefir at Home

• Basic Steps:
  • Add kefir grains to whole milk (raw or pasteurized, but avoid ultra-pasteurized).
  • Cover loosely and let ferment 12-24 hours at room temperature.
  • Strain the grains, store finished kefir in the fridge, and repeat the process.
• Troubleshooting Common Issues:
  • Too sour? Shorten fermentation time or use cooler temperatures.
  • Too thin? Use higher-fat milk or ferment longer.
  • Off flavors? Check milk quality and ensure grains are healthy.

6. Ways to Use Kefir Beyond Drinking It

• Culinary Uses:
  • Smoothies & flavored kefir – Blend with fruit, honey, or spices.
  • Salad dressings & dips – Use as a tangy base for ranch or tzatziki.
  • Kefir cheese & butter – Strain whey to make a spreadable cheese.
• Second Fermentation for More Flavor & Fizz:
  • How to do it – Store strained kefir in an airtight bottle with fruit or honey for another 12-24 hours.
  • Why it works – Yeasts consume remaining sugars, boosting carbonation.
  • Best add-ins: Citrus peel, ginger, berries, vanilla bean.

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

Tactical Redneck Hijacked my show while I was out of town - Enjoy his update.

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Join me for sad news from the pasture, making progress in spring, a review of a cool event happening in about a week, a NEW recipe, and more!

Featured Event: Refuge Ruckus, March 7-9 in Fort Smith, AR: https://www.refugeruckus.com/

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Permies Fundle - and why it is so cool, but dont buy it until Saturday: Heads up on the Permies Fundle

Listener Feedback

From a listener -  I remembered that you decided to sell your AGHs, and I'm in a similar (but bigger) situation, and hoped you might be able to offer some suggestions or possibly send my way  anyone you know who's in the market, and feel free to share my email for contact. I'm local (Cookeville) and the pigs are in the Monterey/Muddy Pond area. Hope everything's going well in the Holler, and hope to hear back from you soon. 

Sad News From The Pasture

Ram separation day - with help from a visitor

Community: Dog care

Weather was fantastic this week: Nicole at a big, thorny frog

New inhabitant at basecamp

Community development idea

Scotch egg recipe

Biochar project update

Topping the garden beds

Stuck trailer day

Shepherd’s pie

Outhouse spring set up

Ducks laying in the yard

Livestock

Early spring garden planting is going well this year so far

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

Join me for a discussion of how the heavy rains created minor flooding in the barn one day before we needed to give the sheep access and what we did to dry it out. We will also cover all our usual Monday Segments.

Featured Event: Blueberry Hill Sunday Meetup in Knoxville: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/bluebird-hill-open-house-gathering/

Sponsor 1: TheWealthSteadingPodcast.com

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com

Coupon Code: LFTN

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Processing 2 Ewes with Prolapses, lots of ground meat
• Homemade Roast Beef Sandwich Meat
• Prepper Pantry Update

Frugality Tip From Margo

Stopping in the middle of a project when you run out of something and having to go get more can be annoying. What's more annoying to me is wasting time to go save a dollar or two. While I am probably one of the most frugal people I know with money, I value my time a lot as well. So save some time and run to the closest store and spend an extra $2 and finish the task. 

Happy Savings y'all 

~Margo

Operation Independence

$10 Ultrasound

Seedlings

Main topic of the Show: Small Changes, Big Results - Tales From A Barn Underwater

• Biggest local flood since 2010
• Back Story
• What We found
• How we divided work
• What T did
• End Result

In the end, a small change every day makes the biggest difference in your world.

Just ask Angry Prepper about walking for 15 minutes after each meal.

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, Joshua Hale shares his journey from a programmed life in the matrix to moving to a homestead, then building value by tapping into the opportunities surrounding AI.

Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com

Sponsor 2: AbovePhone.com: https://abovephone.com/?above=104 Use coupon code for $50 off: LiveFreeTN

Show Resources

>>Use coupon code Sauce for 15% off Joshua's courses

• Website: https://joshuahale.io
• Social Media and Free Stuff: https://linktr.ee/joshuahaleio

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

• 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

Tactical Redneck Hijacked my show while I was out of town - Enjoy his update.

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBagsd.com

Home Alone Update from tactical

1) Frozen pipes 2) Keeping 2 fires going 3) The stuck truck 4) Impressions of premade meals 5) Keeping up with bacon curing

Seed Roullette Update - it dropped to 8 so Nicole seeded the peas and will check in on the radishes when she gets home. Garden bed is covered

Incoming nomad hands this coming week so we will focus on the garden spaces.

Sheep dont care that it is cold

Bottl;e Baby update

Rabbits can get it done through the cage mesh

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 is an interview show with Sue Zoldak from The Zoldak Agency all about creating your life to be the way you want it to be.

Featured Event: SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com

Sponsor 2: AbovePhone.com: https://abovephone.com/?above=104 Use coupon code for $50 off: LiveFreeTN

Show Resources

• https://www.suezoldak.com/ 

• https://www.thezoldakagency.com/ 

• https://www.zoldakvictory.com/ 

• https://www.zoldakresearch.com/ 
• https://www.wolframlabs.io/

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

• 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 had a surprise visit from Dawn Gorham, here to pick up her half lamb, so we decided to replace the Monday show with a fin interview show.

Spponsors: InvestableWealth.com EMPShield.com - Coupon Code: LFTN

More notes detail coming soon!

Join me for our weekly homestead update solo this week because Tactical is picking up feed from BooneTop Farm in Centerville!

Featured Event: Seed Exchange and Potluck Saturday 12-3pm

Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com

Sponsor 2: The Wealthsteading Podcast

Listener Feedback

 I've been telling my wife about you swim spa. We think it might be a good thing for her to get. She has a couple of questions:

1. “Having been used to lap pool swimming, in 25-yard pools, is it difficult to get used to a swim spa?”
2. “How do you track distance?” (I’m used to counting laps to know how far I’ve gone)

Boone Top Farm Feed Source

Bracing for another single digit time

Duck Egg Feed Update - tucker milling

Tiny house community concept

Seed Roulette Next Week

Seedling update

Prepper pantry Just In Time

Stinging Nettle, chickweed and deadnettle

Operation Email Zero

More rabbit breeding

Better rabbit rotation needed

Eversoles Departing

Tomatoes are finally all canned

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

How does entrepreneurship empower free living - or does it? Today, I am joined by Isaac Morehouse to discuss his journey from founding Praxis, through taking on a project that was NOT his passion (but not NOT his passion) and landing in Florida. He openly shares his struggles and successes.

Featured Event: Cast Iron Webinar, Feb 23 at 6pm

Sponsor 1: https://abovephone.com/?above=104

COUPON CODE FOR $50 off: LiveFreeTN

Sponsor 2: HollerRoast.com

Connect with Isaac Morehouse:

• https://isaacmorehouse.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/isaacmorehouse/

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 discussion about opting out of fear. You are easier to control when you make your decisions from a fear-based place and that is why it is so profitable too keep our population divided and frantic. But you don’t have to participate. You can mindfully move yourself to a place of awareness without the constant fear and build a better place for yourself and your family - and that it what homesteading is all about! We will also cover our usual Monday Segments.

Featured Event: Cast Iron Webinar, Feb 23 at 6pm

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, coupon code lftn

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Concrete Pour on Wednesday do clearing the freezers out and needing to turn them off at night when it is cold
• Holler Stew, Carnivore style - lamb and chicken
• Idea for using up chicken breasts
• Excellent roast leg of lamb recipe

Frugality Tip

• Making left overs sexy - frugality tip - - pair it with eating before you leave and Bone broth packets

Operation Independence

• New car this weekend

Main topic of the Show: How to Opt Out Of Fear

Watching my more left friends freak out about DT

• Constant barrage of fear communications
• Homesteaders should market to leftys
• Reminds me of when Obama got elected and the response from the right

Making decisions from a fear based place is almost never good for you in the long run - WHY

>>Michelle’s Car Story

Mistake - fast decision under pressure and while still impacted by fear of the accident

This is no different than the fear caused by terminal diagnosis, the news cycle, a tight budget, and more.

So what do you do?

>>Nicole’s Car Story

1. Slow your roll
2. Cut off access to you of anything causing fear – people, news, even obsessing about your bank account. Go on a fear diet! 1-5 days, weeks if necessary. 
3. Focus on success stories from people in a similar situation. 
4. Collect the facts, not the opinions
   1. Elon Musk has access to your SSN!!!! We are all gonna DIE
   2. The reality of the situation is that you are no more at risk now than you were 2 weeks ago when some unnamed person with very little oversight had access to your information
   3. Look at what has historically happened in a similar fear cycle. Who did well and how/why. Who did poorly and how/why.  
5. Fitness and Food 
6. Think LONG TERM SUCCESS not short term fix – unless you need a tourniquet

Back to your bank account fear: Poverty mindset IS making decisions out of fear. But the reality. Long term value over short term happiness is one thing.

>>Selling the tahoe for parts story - its time has passed, time to scrap it for long term payoff of my time

And when the sky is falling in the news? The same approach applies. If you are a more right leaning person, you are probably noting that articles are better reported all of the sudden by major news organizations. Or are they?

What if you are just an anxious person? (Get help)

Opting out of the fear cycle means going on a fear diet – AND a fake news diet – so that you can develop perspective for what truly matters and can make the best decisions for you in the long run rather than constantly control for the next thing.

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