Sustainability Book Chat

Got a question? 🤔 

Head over to --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/making-sauerkraut/ -- and drop it in the comments—so we can reply! 

Description

Did you know that sauerkraut can do more than just top your hot dog? In this episode, fermentation expert Holly Howe joins us to share how this simple fermented food can transform your gut health and bring your meals to life. Holly is the founder of MakeSauerkraut.com and the author of a comprehensive guide to making sauerkraut and kimchi right in your own kitchen.

We talk about:

• The difference between pickling and fermenting
• How Holly got started with fermentation after discovering Nourishing Traditions
• Why salt (and the right amount of it) is key to successful fermentation
• Common mistakes beginners make and how to avoid them
• How to eat sauerkraut daily—and why you might want to
• Why fermented food is safe, and how to handle mold
• The 10K Jar Challenge and how you can participate!

Whether you're curious about sauerkraut and kimchi, looking to support your digestion naturally, or just want to preserve your garden harvest, this episode will give you the confidence to get started.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which help keep the lights on here at Thrifty Homesteader so we can continue to provide hundreds of free articles.

Featured Book

Mouthwatering Sauerkraut Fermentation Made Easy!

• Buy on Amazon
• Buy on Bookshop

Other Resources Mentioned

• Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon 
  • Buy on Amazon
  • Buy on Bookshop
• Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz 
  • Buy on Amazon
  • Buy on Bookshop
• 10K Jar Challenge

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Got a question? 🤔 

Head over to --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/preserving-vegetables/ -- and drop it in the comments—so we can reply! 

Description

In this episode, Deborah Niemann is joined by author, blogger, and homesteader Angi Schneider to talk about the many ways you can preserve your garden bounty—without wasting money or time. 

Angi shares practical tips from her book, The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables, covering everything from equipment basics to smart preservation strategies that help avoid common pitfalls.

Whether you grow your own produce, buy in bulk at the farmer’s market, or barter with neighbors, this episode will help you make the most of every harvest without overdoing it.

What You’ll Learn

• Why pickling opens up canning possibilities without pressure canners
• Which vegetables ferment best—and the simple tools that make it easy
• Creative ways to preserve potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, and herbs
• How to avoid wasting time and money on food your family won’t eat
• The importance of following science-based safety guidelines in preservation

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which help keep the lights on here at Thrifty Homesteader so we can continue to provide hundreds of free articles.

Angi Schneider's Books

• The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables
  • Buy on Amazon
  • Buy on Bookshop
• Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond
  • Buy on Amazon
  • Buy on Bookshop

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Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going.

And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

Got a question or thought to share? 🤔💬 

Head over to the blog post -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/family-farms/ -- and drop it in the comments—we’d love to hear what you think and we’ll be sure to reply! 

Description

In this episode Deborah Niemann is joined by Brian Reisinger, journalist and author of Land Rich, Cash Poor, to talk about a subject close to both their hearts: the alarming disappearance of family farms in the United States.

Brian grew up on a multi-generational Wisconsin farm and brings a unique perspective as both a writer and someone with deep roots in agriculture. Drawing from his family’s story and extensive research, Brian explains the historical, economic, political, and technological forces that have shaped—and in many cases, harmed—family farming for over a century.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why family farms have been disappearing for over 100 years
• The ripple effect of labor, policy, and market changes on farm viability
• The critical role of government research and how its decline hurts innovation
• Why private companies should care about saving small farms, too
• What we can do to protect the 2 million farms still standing today

📘 Featured Book

• Land Rich, Cash Poor by Brian Reisinger
  • Buy on Amazon
  • Buy on Bookshop

Love This Episode?

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your sustainability-minded friends. 

Find all episodes and transcripts at:

🔗 thriftyhomesteader.com/bookchat

💜 Love what you hear?

Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going.

And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

Got a question or thought to share? 🤔💬 

Head over to the blog post -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/building-a-pantry-from-scratch/ -- and drop it in the comments—we’d love to hear what you think and we’ll be sure to reply! 

Description 

In this episode, Deborah Niemann welcomes Kris Bordessa, author of Attainable Sustainable and the new follow-up, Attainable Sustainable Pantry. Kris shares her inspiration behind writing a book focused entirely on pantry staples and kitchen self-reliance, especially after the overwhelming response to her first book. 

Whether you’re a complete beginner or already comfortable in the kitchen, this conversation is packed with practical tips, money-saving ideas, and sustainability-minded advice for taking control of your food.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Kris’s second book is a deep dive into pantry-focused self-reliance
• How to replace boxed foods like pancake mix and instant oatmeal with homemade versions
• What to do when you run out of ingredients like brown sugar or oat flour
• Kitchen tools that make homemade cooking more accessible (hint: stand mixer wins!)
• Tips for using up food instead of throwing it away (like turning failed bread into croutons)
• Easy ways to start preserving food without a pressure canner, including:
• Quick pickling
• Dehydrating
• Freezing in oil
• Unexpected DIY recipes like crystallized ginger, red wine vinegar, and garlic powder
• Kris’s favorite pantry snack: homemade cheese crackers (goodbye, Cheez-Its!)
• Why this book is especially timely for anyone struggling with rising grocery costs

Resources Mentioned

• 📘 Attainable Sustainable Pantry by Kris Bordessa
  • Buy on Amazon
  • Buy on Bookshop
• 📘 Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living
  • Buy on Amazon
  • Buy on Bookshop
• 🧂 National Center for Home Food Preservation (used for vetting preservation recipes)

Connect with Kris Bordessa

• 🌐 Website: attainablesustainable.net
• 📱 Social: @AttainableSustainable on Facebook, Instagram, and more

Love This Episode?

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your sustainability-minded friends. Find all episodes and transcripts at:

🔗 thriftyhomesteader.com/bookchat

💜 Love what you hear?

Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going.

And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!

Whether you're a chicken keeper or someone who simply gets annoyed when reading children's books that are filled with misinformation about animals, Diane Sorenson's, The Tales of Mr. Ken Rooster and the Six Sassy Hens, is a fun little gem that's sure to delight young children, as well as the adults reading the book to them.

The book includes short stories about the seven chickens in the author's backyard, and many of the stories, such as the ones about the fox and the raccoon, are based on true events.

In today's episode, we are talking to Diane about her chicken-keeping journey and her inspiration for the book.

Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/backyard-chickens-in-childrens-book/

To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat

💜 Love what you hear?

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If you want to grow a garden that is in sync with nature, then you need to check out Chris McLaughlin's ninth and newest book, The Good Garden: How to Nurture Pollinators, Soil, Native Wildlife, and Healthy Food — All in Your Own Backyard.

In this episode, Chris and I are talking about several of The Good Garden concepts presented in her book, starting with knowing your ecosystem. We talk about how pollinators and wildlife are your partners in the garden, how to control weeds naturally, and how to keep bad bugs at bay. Then we talk about enlisting the help of domestic critters in your garden, and Chris give examples from her own life with rabbits, chickens, and goats.

Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/growing-a-good-garden/

To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat

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 It only seems natural that after you perfect a homemade delicacy for your family and friends, the next step is to start selling it. Until recently this was financially impossible in many states due to regulations that meant you would have to invest big bucks in infrastructure to start a business. However, now that all 50 states have cottage food laws, you can start selling food directly from your home kitchen.

 But before you start baking and selling, be sure to listen to this episode with Lisa Kivirist, co-author of Homemade for Sale: How to Set Up and Market a Food Business from Your Home Kitchen. There are still some things you need to do to stay legal, but it is now so much easier than it was before the cottage food laws were passed.

In this episode we are talking about exactly what you can and cannot sell from your kitchen, as well as where you can sell your products. We talk about the difference between hazardous and non-hazardous foods, and we even get into what needs to be included on your product labels. Not sure how to price your products? We talk about that too.

Full show notes here --  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/how-to-start-food-business-from-home/

To see the most recent episodes, visit Sustainability Book Chat Podcast.

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When talking about weeds, people use words like enemy, battle, and war. No one wants weeds in their garden, right? Well, it depends!

In this episode, author and gardener Tasha Greer talks about why we can't win the "war on weeds," and why we don't really need to. In fact, it's entirely possible to make peace with weeds in our garden.

Tasha goes way beyond the usual suggestions for mulching and pulling weeds. In fact, she tells us why pulling weeds is actually a bad idea. And mulching can even cause problems when used with the wrong weeds. Instead, she talks about what we can learn from our weeds and how weeds can actually help us.

Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/weed-free-garden/

To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat

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One of the reasons we decided to start raising pigs almost 20 years ago was because I thought it was the only way we could produce our own homegrown cooking oil — also known as, lard. I assumed that creating oil from seeds and nuts would simply be too challenging for a non-professional.

In this episode, author, gardener, and oil maker Bevin Cohen talks about his book, The Complete Guide to Seed & Nut Oils. He dispels that myth that I fell prey to — that making oils at home is too challenging or even impossible for your average person. He also talks about the modern commercial process for making seed oils, and the difference between chemical processing and cold pressed oils.

The book includes instructions on growing and foraging dozens of seeds and nuts for making oil, and in our interview, he talks about walnut oil specifically. Why? Because we have a walnut grove on our farm.

But I also learned that black walnuts grow in the wild across the US, so even if you don't have a cultivated grove on your farm, you might be able to forage black walnuts growing in the wild.

Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/how-to-make-nut-and-seed-oil/

To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat

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You might think that someone who write a book about bugs would have been a bona fide bug lover forever. But author Jessica Walliser admits up front that she used to think nothing of spraying pesticides all over plants to kill bugs, even if the pesticide was blowing back in her face and she could smell it and taste it!

Jessica is the author of the second edition of Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, which should be arriving in bookstores right about the time that this episode drops.

In her interview, we talk about her history with bugs, as well as how she started to appreciate them and their role in the ecosystem. She goes into an amazing explanation of how bugs find their prey, which gave me a whole new appreciation for the wisdom of bugs and how everything fits together.

We discussed a couple of specific bugs mentioned in her book that surprised me. I had no idea that there were so many different types of stink bugs and that some of them are actually beneficial. And who knew that fireflies did anything other than light up the fields in summer?

We talk a bit about purchasing beneficial insects, but Jessica really sold me on the idea of creating a garden that will naturally attract beneficial insects.

Full show notes here -- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/attracting-beneficial-bugs-to-your-garden/

To see the most recent episodes, visit  ThriftyHomesteader.com/BookChat

💜 Love what you hear?

Buy us a coffee! Your support helps keep the conversations going.

And if you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with your sustainability-minded friends. Every little bit helps us grow!