Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce

Today, I talk about when to train to your weakness, rather than outsource to it because I just took Fighting Pistol at Tactical Response in Camden, Tn and was blown away with how much I was able to learn in just two days.

We'll dive into the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, so you can make informed decisions for your personal growth.

Featured Event: Chicken Processing: https://bit.ly/3MU6xLr

Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast: https://bit.ly/3oPLTmr

Sponsor 2: Senior Chief Electric: https://bit.ly/3MKKbuu

Fighting Pistol: https://www.tacticalresponse.com/products/fighting-pistol

Livestream Schedule

• Tuesday, 9:30am CT: First Tuesday Chat with Jack Spirko and John Willis: LFTN YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-PX-bHfC3AEOUPWgJ5d40g Odysee: https://odysee.com/@livingfree:b
• Wednesday at 12pm CT: Sustainable Living with Jason Sparks and Jake SnyderLFTN YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-PX-bHfC3AEOUPWgJ5d40g Odysee: https://odysee.com/@livingfree:b
• Wednesday evening, time TBD: The Holler Homestead Solar Build with Shawn Mills from HackMyHomestead.comLFTN YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-PX-bHfC3AEOUPWgJ5d40g Odysee: https://odysee.com/@livingfree:b
• Thursday at 6:30 Central: SRF Live, hosten by Toolman TimLFTN YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-PX-bHfC3AEOUPWgJ5d40g Odysee: https://odysee.com/@livingfree:b
• Friday at 10:30am CT: Homestead Happening streamed from FLORIDA!LFTN YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-PX-bHfC3AEOUPWgJ5d40g Odysee: https://odysee.com/@livingfree:b

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Gearing up for canning season
• Adding a window unit to the freeze drying room so we can use it in summer
• Fire lit under my hiney on gardening this year
• On parity with garden produce
• Prepper Fail - coffee bags
• Pending Freezer Audit (usually post workshop)

Weekly Shopping Report from Joe 05/28/2023

We only made two stops this weekend, skipping Home Depot. Not to worry, the online price of a 2x4x8 is still $3.35. The tag's been missing anyway the last few weeks so I've had to look it up anyway. While I need to re-organize some tools, I don't need to buy any more!

Dollar Tree was the usual first stop. We almost always find some small useful things there. The food coolers in the back are well-stocked. Some of the selections have changed in the drink coolers, but they're also pretty full now. We were behind someone in line who bought a lot of groceries, so that's certainly still possible. Some things will be cheaper elsewhere, so be careful of that, especially on cans of veggies.

Aldi was our final stop. Eggs have continued to drop, now at $1.62/dozen. Since I have read of impending shortages of coffee, Sonia grabbed an extra jar of both normal and joyless coffee (she'll drink one or the other, depending on time of day; now that the weather is warm, I have not been drinking coffee). We found everything else we wanted, including canned cat food.

A gallon of untainted regular gasoline remains at $3.999/gallon. The stuff corrupted by ethanol is considerably cheaper.

Frugality Tip from Margo

Here's a little tip on your journey to self reliance. Figure out how to make things that you want. At the LFTN Workshop I saw a really cool leather holder for a multi tool, pen, and flashlight. So he took it off and I traced it on a piece of paper to get a general idea of size. While I don't have a "pattern" done yet, I made one. It's pretty darn cool, if I do say so myself. Also I didn't have large pieces of leather laying around, but I did have an old purse I haven't used in a year or so, so I cut that up and repurposed it. So this cost me a conversation with a man that had something I really liked, and some time. You can do whatever you put your mind to, you just have to try. And sometimes (as in this case) try again. This was my third attempt. So go make something!

Operation Independence

Rejiggering the big picture construction plan for the Holler Homestead to integrate a spa pool long term. Have not figured out how to make it happen but I am working on the plan.

Sheep money paid for flea meds for the LGDs for the year.

Main topic of the Show: Train to Your Weakness

You know how they say hire to your weakness? That is great advice, but it does not cover when you should address a weakness you have through learning to be stronger in that area.

• Hard75 gives me time for deep thinking and self reflection - avoidant behavior regarding self defense
• Story of what mentally stood in my way of taking Fighting Pistol or really any training class
• The MOMENT
• The amplification effect
• Lessons learned at fighting pistol
  • It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be - sort of like unloading the dishwasher takes 90 seconds, but you can spend all day not doing it because you do not have time
  • True to Tactical Response's MO, it tore down mental barriers that I had
  • Key to success was coming in with a novice's heart and mind

So here are some thoughts on the when and why of training to your weaknesses.

Understanding Your Weaknesses and Strengths

• Defining weaknesses: Exploring areas where you lack proficiency or experience, and acknowledging their impact on your goals and performance.
• Recognizing strengths: Identifying the areas where you excel, have passion, and find yourself naturally inclined to succeed.
• Establishing your growth mindset: Understanding that weaknesses can be improved upon and strengths can be leveraged for growth.

Why Train to Improve Weaknesses

• What is my potential?
• What will it take to improve, and what am I trading off?
• What happens if I don't train
• To run, you must first walk

The Art of Outsourcing Weaknesses

• Benefits of outsourcing - dont do things you hate
• Leveraging strengths to go further - and being there for your loved ones (Drywall example)

Find Balance

• Self-reflection and introspection: (Your passion, your skillset, your goals)
• Re-evaluation on a schedule

Conclusion:

• Personal growth is a dynamic process that requires balance between training to improve weaknesses and outsourcing them when that is a better fit.
• When you choose to grow, you sometimes choose the hard way - but as my friend Kevaan Kjar likes to day, "Do hard things now so you don;t have to do harder things later."

Stay tuned for future episodes where we'll continue to explore topics aimed at helping you cultivate a growth mindset and unlock your full potential.

Connect with our networks!

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingFreeInTN
• Twitter: @nicolesauce
• 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
• Freesteading.com: https://freesteading.com/groups/living-free-in-tennessee/

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

Join me for an early summer update about what is happening on the Homestead. Chicken processing class is coming soon, more babies than we know what to do with, garden update, dry weather and more.

Featured Event: John Willis' Chainsaw Event, June 17 in Camden, TN

Sponsor 1: TheHomesteadConsultant.com

Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.comm

Forage

• Honeysuckle
• Last wild rose harvest (until there are rosehips in the fall)
• Day lilies
• Harvesting seed heads from pasture grasses
• Perilla
• About time for wild raspberries but I haven't seen any

Livestock

• Breeding one rabbit
• 28 babies so far this year, starting raw diet
• Baby chicken and duck update - looks like all female ducks but we are waiting before I claim that
• Meat birds are about ready to process - Join our 6th annual Chicken Class, June 24
• New dogfood for lgd's, costs less and better quality - pairing with rabbits

Grow

• It has been dry
• 1st fodder tree harvest
• Strawberries are slowing down
• Chard, scapes, peas, broccoli, nasturtium
• Last round of lettuce
• Tomato wall update (1st flowers)
• Slowly managing the food forest from a pioneering species standpoint
• Harvested: peppermint, tarragon
• Garlic almost ready to harvest
• Time to thin out strawberries

Harvest Meals

• Sautes, salads, and time management
• Bone broth

Holler Neighbors/Community

• Gun class and shooting range
• Coyote hunting Meeting - coyote call, plans, etc
• SMART Homesteading Webinar - group

Infrastructure

• Kitchen forward momentum
• Solar water is a thing now - grounding and breakers were addressed
• Runoff adjustments - keeping water on property even though it is dry
• Final push on perimeter fence

Finances

• 100% eating off the homestead

Thoughts on the busy season and keeping sanity.

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 we talk about making money, starting your business, the debt ceiling and more with John Pugliano of the Wealthsteading Podcast and John Willis of Special Operations Equipment.

Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, October 14-15 in Camden, TN

Today's Sponsors:

Discount Mylar Bags

Freesteading.com

Show Resources

Special Operations Equipment

Living Free in Tennessee

InvestableWealth.com

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

• FreeSteading Group: https://freesteading.com/groups/living-free-in-tennessee/
• Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
• Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
• Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
• Twitter: @nicolesauce
• IG: @nicolesauce
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingFreeInTN

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

• Holler Roast Coffee

• Harvest Right Affiliate Link

Today we talk about how the dual bird incubation project went, our first dry spell of spring, and getting ready for food preservation season at the Holler Homestead.

Featured Event: The LFTN 7th Annual Chicken Processing Class

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon code: LFTN

Forage

• Mullein
• Wild rose petals
• Oyster Mushrooms
• Day lilies should come in shortly
• Faux strawberries

Livestock

• Update on the egg hatching
• Baby ducklings and chicks are growing fast
• Put feeders in pots to cut down waste - much less waste
• Moving the tractor a bunch with the chickens:
• May process all but the class chickens early
• Wing clipping
• Strawberry experiment - fail
• Sheep are well, Bruny is on pregnancy watch

Grow

• Broccoli looks great, getting cabbage worms though
• Squash, peas, onions, chard, herbs beginning to take off
• Tomato wall is up and we are working on balancing nutrient
• Time to rotate the late spring plants where the early spring plants go
• Beets look terrible
• 30 minutes a day on the food forest is required due to weed growth: thoughts on leaf mulch
• Strawberries are slowing, may water the patch and see if the rejuvenate (A word on "june bearing"

Harvest meals

• Garden salad season - how they change
• Quick meal: steaks
• Shoulder roast in the crockpot

Holler Neighbors/Community

• Pew Pew Class

Infrastructure

• Nothing new or big to report

Finances

• Cashflow low this month

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 we talk about building from a small side hustle to a full time business with Kerry Brown of Strong Roots Resources and John Willis of Special Operations Equipment.

Featured Event: The SMART Homesteading Webinar, $45

Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com

Sponsor 2: HollerRoast.com

Show Resources

Special Operations Equipment

Living Free in Tennessee

NicoleSauce.com

Strong Roots Resources

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.

Community

• FreeSteading Group: https://freesteading.com/groups/living-free-in-tennessee/
• Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
• Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
• Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
• Twitter: @nicolesauce
• IG: @nicolesauce
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingFreeInTN

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

• Holler Roast Coffee

• Harvest Right Affiliate Link

Today we have an interview with a former colleague of mine, Mark Johnson. Mark has just purchased land to develop into a retreat for veterans in Sparta, Tennessee. Where there is a will there is a way!

Featured Event: SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsor 1: Strong Roots Resources, StrongRootsResources.com

Sponsor 2: Freesteading.com

Show Resources

LibertyOakOasis.com

Facebook.com/LibertyOakOasis

@LibertyOakOasis -- Insta

[email protected]

Main content of the show

Former interwebs political consultant. Photographer. Historian at heart. Nine year Army National Guard Veteran. Former Blog Talk Radio host covering Illinois Politics. Married to Vicki who is a nurse of 33 years. Proud West Highland White Terrier Owner: Named Willow. Relocating to TN to escape Illinois and create a retreat space for Veterans and Ministry leaders struggling with life issues.

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 is a homestead happenings show and I have NO IDEA what will happen because the Tactical Redneck is hijacking my show.

Enjoy!

Featured Event: Wild Edible Walk with Kerry Brown in Lenoir City, TN

Saturday, May 20th 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, rsvp to [email protected]

Sponsor 1: TheHomesteadConsultant.com

Sponsor 2: SelfRelianceFestival.com

Make it a Great Week!

Today, Niti Bali and I catch up with a nice, afternoon chat. It has been some months since we last had a conversation and this one was great!

Featured Event: Chicken Processing Workshop at LFTN, June 24, 2023 in Lancaster, TN

https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/chicken-processing-workshop/

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon Code: LFTN

Show Resources

Farm To Fork Meat Riot

Main content of the show

Niti Bali is the Founder and CEO of Farm to Fork Meat Riot, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving as a catalyst for reestablishing the regenerative small family farm food system. Her strategically designed CSA program educates eaters to harness the power of life giving force through regenerative foods. Niti's Farm to Fork Meat Riot CSA simultaneously supports regenerative livestock production based on consumption that results in a zero-waste system.

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

What happens when you get John Willis, Joel Salatin and Nicole Sauce together? We have a conversation about heritage skills, the economic fragility of the US, developing community, knowing your neighbors, and growing clean food.

Featured Event: Mike Shelby's Surveillance Event in Nashville, TN, June 2-4, 2023, $500

https://grayzonestore.com/store/p/isr-nashville-2-4-june-2023

Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com

Sponsor 2: HollerRoast.com

Show Resources

Get Tickets for The Self Reliance Festival

The Lunatic Farmer Website

Polyface Farms

Joel's Books & DVDs

• Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal
• Pastured Poultry Profit

Special Operations Equipment

Living Free in Tennessee

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

• FreeSteading Group: https://freesteading.com/groups/living-free-in-tennessee/
• Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
• Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
• Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
• Twitter: @nicolesauce
• IG: @nicolesauce
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingFreeInTN

Resources

• Membership Sign Up

• Holler Roast Coffee

• Harvest Right Affiliate Link

How has my homegrown cooking world been with an on site freeze dryer? Join me today as I talk about that and all our usual Monday topics!

Featured Event: Exit and Build Land Summit, https://livefree.academy/op/exit-and-build-land-summit-iii-registration/?ref=183

Sponsor 1: Strong Roots Resources, StrongRootsResources.com

Sponsor 2: Freesteading.com

Harvet Right Affiliate Link: https://affiliates.harvestright.com/1095.html

Livestream Schedule

Tuesday

Join John Willis and I as we talk with Joel Salatin about the state of the world, building resilience into your lives, permaculture and more.

12:30 Central:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-PX-bHfC3AEOUPWgJ5d40g

Friday

Hijacked by a redneck! Tactical Redneck grabs my channel for our weekly Homestead Happenings update at 10:30 Central.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhk2HWA-byY

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

• Drying herbs and flowers this week, particularly rose petals and red clover (explain why)
• Packaging up dried morels
• Meal planning from the freezer
• Getting ready to be gone for five days - meals here and on the road
• Have not restocked since the spring workshop and probably will not for a bit if at all
• Next week is home canned good audit week

Weekly Shopping Report, May 13

Dollar Tree was first. They've added a couple of cases of Monster to the rear drink coolers. In addition to my usual caffeine-delivery mechanism, I noted a decent stock of plastics while picking up a few other items. The food aisles seemed a little less haphazard, and there were a couple of people in there stocking shelves. The health aisle had a lot more stuff on it.

Next was Home Depot. There was no tag on the stacks of 2x4x8 studs, so I looked online and found the price still at $3.35.

Last on this trip was Aldi. We found everything we wanted. Eggs are down another dime, to $1.87. Whole milk was $3.50/gallon

I did notice that people were friendly with no one seeming tense or worried. I think I only saw one muzzled sheep, during the second trip. Untainted regular gasoline remains at $3.999/gallon.

Frugality Tip from Margot

Hey all. I'm going to tell you to spend some money. But this is a frugality tip....yes it is. Sometimes you need to spend money to get something of value. We just got back from our first LFTN workshop and the ticket price was well worth the value we received. The price of the ticket can not buy the connections we made. The bonus was all of the things we learned. If you feel like you can't afford a ticket to a workshop, grab a can, and everytime you break, let's say a $20, put the change in a jar. Before you know it you will be able to "afford" things you didn't think you could. I can not stress how important community is, and without going to workshops that follow your interests, you will not find your most important community members. (You have almost a year to save up for the next LFTN)

Operation Independence

• Nothing to report

Main topic of the Show: Homegrown Cooking with a Freeze Dryer

Why I got a freeze dryer (originally)

What I learned getting started

• Noise and heat
• Oil changes, deep cleaning, resources for how to freeze dry what
• Gloves
• Alternative trays: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C1XX7NH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
• Pre freezing versus using the FD to freeze
• Load to load smell and taste transfer

Frequency of using the machine year one versus now

• Every time I could run it, I did
  • Left overs
  • Surplus garden things
  • Surplus milk and eggs
  • Candy experiments
• How I use it now
  • Goal to use the food within 2 years (why, resilience = regeneration)
  • Keto travel snacks (cold cuts, etc)
  • Targeted surplus
  • Herbs, herbs, herbs, garlic, onion
  • Frequency of use: Once a week when not pressed for time

Is it worth it?

• Quality
• Convenience
• Longevity
• Business ideas: candy, whole meals, load rental

There is a webinar on getting started in the membership portal for those who decide to get one this year. A word on Harvest Right and customer support. (Keep calling)

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