Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce

Today I am joined by the Tactical Redneck for our weekly update from the Holler Homestead: managing MORE injuries and Airbnb turnovers, infrastructure improvements, upcoming events, and lessons learned from trying to build a sustainable homestead and community at the same time.

Sponsors

• InvestablyWealth.com – The Wealthsteading Podcast with John Pugliano
• StrongRootsResources.com

SHOUT OUT

• OrchardHouseCreamery.com

• Both Tactical and I are dealing with injuries and learning to adjust how we work.
• Getting Basecamp Lodge turned over for Airbnb guests while staying on top of the homestead.
• The "Peeping Tom Ladder" story.
• Why cleaning up after events and projects has become a bigger priority.
• Using Airbnb income to help support Basecamp while building out the broader Holler Homestead vision.
• Working toward systems that require less emergency effort.
• Updates on peaches and what's happening around the orchard.
• Upcoming fencing class, farm tours, and other events.
• Improvements underway around the pond and property.
• Why finishing projects completely matters more than starting new ones
• Building systems that are sustainable when life happens.

• What injuries reveal about weak spots in your homestead systems.
• Why relying on heroics eventually catches up with you.
• Learning to prioritize infrastructure over constant reaction.
• Creating processes that continue to work even when you're not at 100%.
• The importance of finishing one project before creating three more.
• Growing community while also protecting your own capacity.

Make It A Great Week!

Featured Sponsors

• AgoristTaxAdvice.com.LFTN
• DiscountMylarBags.com

Donate to the fundraisre for John Davis' Wife: https://www.givesendgo.com/honoring-johns-legacy

Connect With Todays Hosts

• TheSurvivalPodcast.com
• SOETacticalGear.com
• LivingFreeinTennessee.com

Today I am joined by Joel Ryals from FortressK9 to discuss AI, protection dogs and dog training, cast iron cookware, homestead gatherings, and Joel's brand-new book. The conversation takes a few unexpected turns, not unusual for Joel.

Today's Sponsors

DiscountMylarBags.com

StrongRootsResources.com

Show References

FortressK9.com

Topics covered

• The latest at the Ryals Homestead and Fortressk9
• How to use AI in your business and why you should
• A special announcement about something you probably hadn't heard yet
• What makes a protection dog different from police, military, and sport dogs
• The process of self-publishing and getting a book ready for Amazon
• Homestead updates and upcoming community gatherings.
• A discussion about caring for cast iron cookware, seasoning, and restoring rusty pans.

This week I share a little about saying goodbye to Cycy, who spent 14 years bringing joy, laughter, and companionship to life here at the Holler Homestead. It's never easy to lose a longtime friend, and I wanted to take a few minutes to remember her. We also catch up on what's happening around the homestead as summer settles in and the season's priorities become much clearer.

Featured Sponsors

OrchardHouseCreamery.com

The Wealthsteading Podcast InvestablyWealth.com

In this episode we discuss:

• Remembering Cycy and the legacy she leaves behind
• How focusing on what this season requires has changed the rhythm of the homestead
• Baby duck hijinks and the latest adventures around the farm
• Upcoming events at Basecamp Lodge
• Sheep blood draws and why we're doing them
• Returning to the DeKalb Farmers Market with Holler Homestead

Make it a great week!

What happens when a commitment to growing food, caring for livestock, and building a life closer to the land becomes part of your daily routine? In this episode, I sit down with Mary Davis of Laughlin Highlands Farm to discuss the connection between homesteading and health.

Mary shares her experiences building a farm-based lifestyle, the lessons learned along the way, and how working with the land has influenced her physical health, mental outlook, and overall quality of life. We also explore the realities of homestead living, the challenges that come with it, and why more people are looking for practical ways to take ownership of their food, health, and future.

SPONSORS

Agorist Tax Advice Save money, stay compliant, and get strategic tax guidance designed for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and freedom-minded business owners. https://agoristtaxadvice.com/LFTN

Strong Roots Resources Practical resources and preparedness products for people building greater self-reliance. https://strongrootsresources.com

In This Episode

• Mary's journey into homesteading
• How farm life has impacted her health and well-being
• The physical and mental benefits of working with the land
• Challenges and rewards of raising food and livestock
• Building resilience through practical skills
• Creating a lifestyle that supports long-term health
• Lessons learned from years of homestead experience
• Advice for people who want to get started

Resources

Laughlin Highlands Farm: https://www.laughlinhighlandsfarm.com/

Mary Davis on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@laughlinhighlandsfarm

Living Free in Tennessee: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/

Holler Roast Coffee: https://www.hollerroast.com/

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, subscribe to the podcast, and leave a review. Every share helps more people discover practical ways to build a life they choose.

Make It A Great Week.

Today, I am joined by the Tactical Redneck for a homestead happenings show.

Featured Event: Combat Midwife Training: https://combatmidwife.com/products/the-combat-midwife%E2%84%A2-workshop

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Today, we are discussing a cultural observation from my recent trip to Europe and what it revealed about entitlement, helplessness, and personal responsibility. We'll explore the difference between advocating for yourself and expecting the world to meet your expectations, why victim mentality may be a bigger threat than politics or technology, and how taking ownership of your happiness is the first step toward building the life you want.

If you've ever found yourself frustrated by what other people won't do, this episode is a reminder that your future is still yours to shape.

Featured Event - Last Chance on the Combat Midwife Training this Saturday: CombatMidwife.com

Sponsor 1: StrongRootsReources.com Sponsor 2: The Wealthsteading Podcast: https://wealthsteading.com/

Tales From The Prepper Pantry Freezer and fridge setup has truly helped with processing sheep this week Borrowed Meat Grinder Broccoli and Cauliflower score - seeking more Herb Drying Push Weekend Menu

Frugality Tip From Charles Remember that almost everything now is digital. If it doesn't work reboot it. Unplug it (circuit breaker) and let it sit, then plug it back in. Sometimes that is all that is needed.

3-year old GE Monogram Dishwasher errored and wouldn't drain. Manual said clean the filters and the air vent. Did the process, no luck.

Removed the bottom panel looking for clues. Nothing

In my mind it was time to call the repair guys, but instead I went to the circuit breaker panel and powered it down.

When I powered it back up, error had cleared and we ran the DW.

Still working!!!!

Operation Independence This weekend's class - and the airbnb for the summer.

Main topic: The Rise of Helplessness

• Cultural observations from Crete and Germany
  • People solving problems and building lives
• Entitlement vs. personal responsibility
  • Complaining versus adapting
  • Advocacy versus expecting special treatment
• Helplessness is the real threat
  • More dangerous than politics, AI, or economic uncertainty
  • If someone else controls your happiness, you have no power
• Culture shapes perspective
  • Values matter
  • Who you spend time with matters
• Hard question
  • Are you demanding what you're owed?
  • Or building the life you want?
• Nobody owes you happiness
  • The good news: you don't need anyone's permission either
• Give others more grace
  • Take more responsibility for yourself

Make It a Great Week!

Today, I am joined by the Tactical Redneck for a homestead happenings show. Our sheep have a virus that cannot be cured, so we have sad days ahead.

Featured Event: Combat Midwife Training: https://combatmidwife.com/products/the-combat-midwife%E2%84%A2-workshop

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Join us at 9:30am CT for our monthly coffee chat. Jack Spirko is out of town so he will be out this month.

Connect With Us:

SOETacticalGear.com

LivingaFreeinTennessee.com

Rise & Restore Event (June 26 – Bowling Green, KY):

Sponsors: Agorist Tax Advice [Strong Roots Resources](https://strongrootsresources.com)

Today we talk about how Tactical and I stepped away from the Holler Homestead for a full day and applied the #My3Things framework to the bigger Holler Hub/Holler Homestead vision. We've been staring at this massive dream for a while now: regenerative systems, community spaces, rentable stays, owner stewards, events, classes, nutrient-dense food, healing, connection. People who experience it often change for the better. But the idea is also so massive, that it is crushing.

So we took a hard pause.

We borrowed a quiet place from friends, sat down with whiteboards, notebooks, and all the accumulated ideas floating around in our heads, and forced ourselves to narrow the focus. What came out of that process was clarity and clearer priorities.

Tales From The Prepper Pantry Prepped the homestead for two weeks away by organizing freezer meals, emergency food, and making a walkthrough video for Tactical Garlic scapes are harvested and garlic harvest is right around the corner Herb drying season is officially underway with oregano, thyme, sage, raspberry leaves, lemon balm, and more Discussion about properly cooking lean cuts like tri-tip roast without drying them out Why local pork producers struggle when customers only want bacon and sausage Thoughts on cooking whole-animal cuts like pork shoulder, roasts, and pork steaks Updates on pantry usage, freezer rotation, and feeding more people through workshops and community dinners

Operation Independence Looking seriously at scaling Holler Roast Coffee with a larger roaster Discussing the realities of expanding into a more formal production facility Why coffee continues to fuel nearly everything happening at the Holler Homestead Considering reopening consulting calls to help people navigate personal and business crossroads Egg sales may officially become a thing because the chickens are dramatically overachieving Reflections on how community support has helped stabilize the homestead through injuries, growth, and transition Using the #My3Things framework to simplify the larger Holler Hub vision into actionable priorities

The heart of today's episode, though, is this: sometimes the vision gets so big that you stop moving. The answer isn't abandoning the dream. The answer is getting brutally honest about what matters right now.

That's what #My3Things helped us do.

I think this process may have saved us from building ourselves straight into burnout.

Make it a Great Week