For nearly forty years Suzanne Tabert has been teaching people to look out their back door instead of reaching for a bottle.

As a little girl in suburban Chicago she was already under the fir trees harvesting violets and baking tiny potatoes in a pit she dug herself. That same thread never broke. 

Today she runs Cedar Mountain Herb School in North Idaho, writes books, and shows everyday families how the plants growing right where they live can gently support their bodies and spirits through every season.

The idea is refreshingly straightforward: your backyard, your woods, and your garden already hold exactly what you need … if you know how to see them and use them.

Nettles and dandelions for spring energy and cleansing. Hawthorn flowers when life feels in-between. Tulsi and motherwort when the to-do list feels bigger than you are. Roots and preserved herbs when the days grow short and you need deep nourishment.

The conversation feels like sitting on the porch with a wise friend who actually lives what she teaches. And right now, more and more families are quietly stepping outside, picking a few leaves, and noticing how much better they feel.

If you want simple, seasonal ways to support your family’s wellness without complicated protocols, this episode of The Coop is for you!

Don Tipping has been at the seed starting game a long time. 

He’s farmed and stewarded seeds at Seven Seeds Farm since 1997, founded Siskiyou Seeds in 2009, and now grows over 700 open-pollinated varieties, breeding for bio-regional strength in Southwest Oregon’s variable climate.

He’s seen the industrial seed game up close: big companies sourcing globally, pushing flashy hybrids while workhorse open-pollinated lines get neglected.

His work pushes back, prioritizing adaptation to local pests, weather, and soil so your garden thrives without constant inputs.

The core truth is quiet and powerful:

• Start from seed for control over every dial (light, soil, timing)
• Source bio-regionally adapted varieties for plants that are adapted to your climate
• Prioritize workhorse varieties for a more reliable harvest
• Keep a journal, talk to neighbors, swap seeds, and don’t underestimate the power of local wisdom

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by seed starting, spent way too much money on transplants that didn’t produce, or wondered why your results vary crop by crop and season by season, this conversation will give you all the tools and information you need to get growing.

Lisa Steele returned to her fifth-generation roots after Wall Street, launching Fresh Eggs Daily in 2009 to share natural, herb-based poultry care the old-timer way.

Her book Gardening with Chickens showed that flocks and gardens can thrive together: chickens debug, fertilize, and till; gardens supply greens, bugs, and scraps. 

Ten years on, the updated 10th anniversary edition (https://homesteadliving.com/gardening-with-chickens) adds refined systems, small-space hacks, and lessons from a decade more dirt-under-nails experience.

The message is clear: build a symbiotic relationship that supports both your hens and your plants. Cut your feed bill, raise healthier birds, and grow better food (even on a small plot of land).

Learn how herbs can support your flock, how to prevent your chickens from destroying your plants, and how to harness the power of your garden and your chickens to improve the health and outputs of both.

If you want practical harmony between hens and plants, this is it.

In this episode, Anna and Lisa cover:

• Lisa’s journey from Wall Street back to her rural roots
• Why she chooses natural herbs over chemicals for keeping her flock healthy
• Safe plants vs. toxic ones for chickens
• How chickens can help manage compost, weeds, and garden pests 
• Timing free-range access to optimize your garden while protecting your main-season crops
• Chicken tractors, tunnels, and wing clipping: real-world pros and cons
• Decorating the coop for joy (curtains, herbs, and aesthetics for form and function)
• Lessons learned from more than a decade of gardening with chickens
• A sneak peek into Lisa’s updated 10th anniversary edition of her book Gardening with Chickens

Thirty years ago, Sally Fallon Morell dared to challenge the low-fat gospel. Her book Nourishing Traditions wasn’t born from theory.

It came from a mother’s quiet rebellion against the “virtuous” diet being sold to families.

She discovered Dr. Weston A. Price’s photographs of indigenous peoples with broad jaws, straight teeth, and robust health, then watched modern guidelines push the opposite:  margarine in place of butter, skim milk instead of whole milk, and seed oils over saturated fats. 

Sally pushed back against the “diet dictocrats,” and recommended an ancestral diet where red meat, raw milk, and healthy fats reign supreme.

The message is disarmingly simple: nutrient-dense, traditional foods (properly prepared) built the healthiest humans for centuries. 

Butter for vitamin A and contentment. Soaked grains to unlock minerals. Bone broth for glycine. Liver once or twice a week for the sacred nutrients that guide new life.

Today the tide is turning. Butter sales climb. Raw milk finds new fans. The food pyramid has (rightfully) been flipped on its head. One family at a time, people are remembering what real food and health actually looks and feels like.

If optimizing your family’s health and nutrition matters to you, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

In this episode, Anna and Sally discussed:

• The story behind Nourishing Traditions and discovering Dr. Weston A. Price’s work
• Why traditional, nutrient-dense foods beat modern “healthy” guidelines
• The dangers of industrial seed oils and the supremacy of butter & animal fats
• Importance of vitamin A (from liver, butter, cod liver oil) for fertility & healthy babies
• Raw milk’s superiority, finding sources, and why pasteurization creates problems
• Proper preparation of grains (soaking, fermenting) to unlock nutrition
• Sacred foods: liver, shellfish, bone broth, fermented vegetables
• Building health before pregnancy—and redemption even if you “missed the boat”
• Saturated fats vs. carbs for satisfaction, mood, and avoiding addiction
• The quiet revolution: rising butter sales, raw milk popularity, wiser families surviving
• And yes, plenty more

In this episode, Anna and Jill discussed:

• Why true balance is a myth
• How homesteading keeps us human
• Seasonal productivity vs. daily perfection
• Managing big goals with real-life constraints
• Brain-dumping, prioritizing, and building momentum
• Using a planner that reflects actual homestead life
• And much more …

In this episode of The Coop, you’ll learn:

• How Shaye defines homesteading (you’ll love this)
• Letting your definition evolve as seasons change: kids, business, capacity, and real life
• The overlap and differences between homesteading and homemaking
• What it actually means to “cultivate the beautiful life” in an ordinary week
• Using the five senses … music, scent, texture, light, and taste … to transform daily chores
• Simple non-negotiables: making the bed, cooking dinner, and “putting the kitchen to bed”
• Learning what’s worth preserving (and what isn’t) for your actual family
• Cooking with fewer ingredients, more pleasure, and what you already have on hand
• How travel (especially Italy) has shaped Shaye’s home, cooking, and aesthetic
• Practical strategies for traveling while homesteading … without burning out
• Why your homestead is here to serve you, not the other way around
• Holding onto what’s good, true, and beautiful in a home-centered life

In this episode of The Coop, you’ll learn:

• Why homesteading is mental first, physical second
• How to start where you are (sprouts > sourdough > chickens)
• Dirt, movement, sunshine: the real health stack
• Self-worth through meaningful tasks (and raising needed kids)
• How growing half your food changes budget and health
• Building community without the algorithm (gifts, trades, help)
• Duplication > domination: how small acts at scale tip systems
• Market leverage: how 10% shifts the food economy
• What to invest in now: skills, tools, land, trees, relationships
• Realistic hope: pessimistic on institutions, optimistic about you
  
  

In this episode of The Coop, you’ll learn:

Carolyn’s incredible freeze-drying story
Why YOU should be freeze-drying at home
The seven simple steps to freeze-drying
How to preserve everything from fruits to full meals with ease
How to choose the right freeze dryer
Save time and avoid mistakes with practical tutorials and checklists
What other equipment you really need (or don’t)
Creating healthy, shelf-stable foods for year-round family meals