Small Scale Life Podcast

In this Small Scale Life Podcast episode, I am going to be talking about Gardening Tips and Advice with the Texas Tornadoes Drew Demler and Michael Bell.

In case you don’t know who Drew Demler and Michael Bell are, here is a quick introduction:

• Drew Demler is the Director of Horticulture at Big Tex Urban Farms at the State Fair of Texas. While Big Tex is a big hydroponic operation, Drew also grows vegetables at his house along his driveway.

Both gentlemen give some great Gardening Tips and Advice that we can all use to improve our gardens and quality of our plants.

To find out more, check out the post titled "Gardening Tips and Advice with Demler and Bell" on Small Scale Life by clicking on this text for a direct link.

In this 5 Year Anniversary of Small Scale Life Podcast episode, I am going to be talking about Practicing Gratitude for the Good, Bad and the Ugly. There is so much to be thankful for after starting this project 5 years ago.

I recently posted the following quote on the Small Scale Life Instagram feed:

“It’s hard to have a bad day when you START your day with gratitude.”

Truth be told, I didn’t just develop this quote out of thin air. Julie says it around the house (now around the apartment) a lot, and it is true. Practicing gratitude and being thankful really does change our outlook on life and results in helping us lead happier lives.

In this episode, I will be discussing 9 steps for practing gratitude in your own life. I am not an expert in this yet, but I am trying these steps out in my own life. For more information, please see the article titled "Practicing Gratitude for the Good, Bad and the Ugly" on smallscalelife.com!

This is Tom from Small Scale Life. I am glad you are here today listening to this podcast episode or watching this YouTube video! This is another member appreciation video and podcast episode where I am going to do just a little talking at the start and let you relax or meditate to wonderfully calming Wind Chimes, wind and birds in Minnesota. For those of you who want these chimes (like I do), these are Woodstock Chimes' "Chimes of Neptune."

Special thanks to Small Scale Life member Danielle for her video and her windchimes. They are a true blessing and mean a lot to her and her family. It is a special honor to share these with you, so thank you, Danielle.

The world seems to be a crazy and upside down, and I know a lot of us are sheltering-in-place and hunkering down in the Time of Corona. To help with that, I believe we need to get back the land and nature to unwind and become more resilient.

If you want to see other Running Water, Creek and River Videos and Podcasts, check out the following:

Spring Birds and a Bubbling Stream Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMxpAnoLm6E&t=446s

Stream of Meditation – Relax to a Bubbling Creek:

I hope you enjoy this video and podcast episode, and I hope that it helps you relax, and I will be creating more relaxing videos in the future.

Have you ever started a project, loved every minute of it, and then had to start over from scratch in less than optimal conditions? That is the exact challenge my friend Michael Bell faced with his Dallas Half Acre Farms. In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, we are going to discuss how Michael Bell is Starting an Urban Farm from Scratch.

The last time we had Michael on the show, I talked with Michael about the Soup Gardening Concept that I used to plan my garden in 2019. My goal, at the time, was to grow vegetables and herbs needed that would make a hearty vegetable soup. Michael Bell and I came up with the concept, and it was a lot of fun growing those vegetables!

My how times changed since the Spring of 2019!

Since that episode, Michael Bell changed jobs, sold his old house, moved to a new house, sold his old half acre farm and found new farming properties. These new farming properties have provided new challenges and opportunities, and there are some clear take-aways from this conversation if you are starting your own garden or urban farm.

Remember: it always comes back to the three basic elements to grow plants: light, nutrients and water. If you have the right balance of these three elements, you can grow plants anywhere! If you are out of balance, then you have to adapt, adjust and overcome to get back into balance.

Get ready! It’s time for another exciting gardening podcast from Small Scale Life!

*[For the show notes and links to articles and podcast episode, see the article titled "Starting an Urban Farm with Michael Bell" on smallscalelife.com. Click this text for a direct link to that article.

Happy Easter! As a gift to you, dear listener, this podcast episode is simply a way for you to decompress while listening to a relaxing stream of meditation near Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota.

In many religions and practices, the folk would go to a stream, river or lake in order to meditate and pray to their gods. Water is life, and chants and prayers seem to resonate in the forest and along the shores of streams, rivers or lakes.

In these uncertain times, I wanted to provide a way for people trapped in quarantines or under shelter-in-place orders in urban landscapes to have a way to connect with nature. You might not be able to be by this stream physically, but I am providing a method to connect virtually.

I firmly believe that we need to by physically, mentally and spiritually fit as we come through these dark times and begin to rebuild our homes, neighborhoods and communities. Being in touch with nature and connecting with our spiritual selves will help give us strength in the days to come.

I hope you enjoy this recording. I plan to capture more of these places and spaces and provide them to this audience. My goal is to trigger something deep inside you as you meditate in order for you to become the best you. As I always say at the end of my videos and podcasts:

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. Take care, everybody!

In this podcast episode, I talk about the frustrations and pressure that seems to be mounting in this State of Quarantine and how adapting, adjusting and overcoming obstacles is the path forward. Can we do things better once this over?

As things are changing, now is the time to do some thinking and introspection. We need to come up with new ways to do things. Going back to “normal” might not be an option. We need to come up with new ideas to do things: education, business, socializing, finance, etc.

For more on this topic, check out the show notes and links in the article titled Adapting, Adjusting and Overcoming on smallscalelife.com. Click this text to get a direct link to that article.

What is a Modern Victory Garden in 2020? For this special episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast and Small Scale Gardening Podcast, I have assembled a panel of gardeners, farmers and homesteaders who have grown food for a living and to prepare for tough times. Our panel hails from California, Colorado, Wyoming and Minnesota, and through our combined experience, we provide some thoughts and information for folks who might be starting their gardening journey in 2020.

Looking at history, one thing is clear: when times get tough, people get gardening! During World War I and World War II, people in America and around the world started victory gardens in their yards and in their communities to provide food for their families, neighbors and armed forces.

A new foe is here, and people are once again faced with rationing and shortages “on the home front.” What is the response from Americans and people around the world?

Return to the Land! Return to the Garden!

Many of you are starting your garden for the first time. There are a lot of things to think about before you start growing plants. While it does not have to be complicated, there are proven methods and techniques we can use to successfully grow food. This is particularly true if you are trying to grow food in small spaces: on your balconies, on your patio, or even on your driveway in your apartment, condominium, townhome, rental home or own property.

You CAN grow food; we are here to help you start!

For more information, show notes and links, please go to the article titled "Modern Victory Gardens for 2020" on smallscalelife.com!

While you are there, make sure to subscribe to the Small Scale Life Newsletter Email and received your FREE Seed Starting Guide. I walk you through my tried-and-true process for growing plants (vegetables and herbs) from seed. This Seed Starting Guide also gives you "must have" and "nice to have" shopping lists of materials needed to grow plants from seed. As a bonus, you also get the Ideas and Inspiration Guide that shows you examples of seed starting set-ups from members of the Small Scale Life Facebook Group. Click on this link and get your FREE Seed Starting Guide today!

This is our 167th episode of the show, and for this one, I ask the question: What is Resilience?

As we watch the country’s systems (financial systems, banking, supply chains, health care system, education and entire industries) grind to a halt with this global pandemic, it begs the question: how fragile is our system?

The answer seems to be: very!

Although I don’t act like it at times, I am an engineer. I look at problems and issues and look for solutions. Our country’s systems are impossibly complicated. It is almost too big for one person or a small group of people to impact one way or another.

While we cannot take on and change these massive systems, we can take on and change how we live our lives.

For those of you who have been following Small Scale Life for a few years have seen this platform change and shift. We have gone down some rabbit holes, and at times it might have seemed that we were flailing and blowing in the wind. I have to admit, I have felt the same way!

Two recent events have changed the way I look at Small Scale Life:

I have been doing a lot of thinking and brainstorming. The result is this podcast episode. I was driving home and recorded this as I was driving in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. It was raining, and you will come along with me on this platform-defining journey where I answer the question:

What is Resilience?

I completed the Whole30 Challenge on March 2, 2020. How did it go? In this post and podcast episode, I discuss Whole30 Challenge results a week after completing the challenge and answer the next question: "Whats next?"

By the way, if you want to try the Whole30 Challenge, we are just starting Round 2! You can join Team Rhino and get this done! It is not too late. Nothing stands in the way of a rhino!

To join Team Rhino, get the Small Scale Life 24 Hour Plan or see the show notes, please see the article titled "Whole30 Challenge Results and Thoughts" on smallscalelife.com!

Today’s Small Scale Gardening Podcast episode is a real treat. When I started Small Scale Life Podcast, my good friend Mr. Tactical Jay was my initial cohost on the show. We have remained friends for a few years, and he is our guest on the Small Scale Gardening Podcast! In this episode, Mr. Tactical Jay and I discuss growing mushrooms and gardening in Virginia.

Even though the homestead appears to have a lot of space, the property is on the side of a mountain and slopes away from the house. Mr. Tactical is looking at different approaches to growing food on his 2 acre homestead. Some of these method include growing mushrooms, microgreens and a ton of food in his 3 wicking beds.

It's all about wellness and sustainability, and Mr. Tactical Jay is looking to improve his skills while using everything his property has to offer: from berries to gardens to mushrooms. My hope is to inspire you to look at your location to find ways to use your resources effectively and grow food.

This was part of a 2 hour interview, and I am breaking it down into bite-sized chunks. We discuss a lot of different topics, books and blogs, so check out the show notes for this podcast on the article titled "Growing Mushrooms and Gardening in Virginia" on smallscalegardening.com!