Monthly Archives: February 2014

No Show Today

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Modern Survival| 11 Comments

I am dealing with some issues that have arisen here at the homestead.  Nothing major but some stuff that popped up and needs attending to.  Given this is a Friday and those shows take hours to do I will need to preempt it this week.  To make up for it we will do a listener calls show Monday.

While there is no show today I do  have a few suggestions for your education and entertainment today.

First Geoff Lawton released an awesome new video today!  It is on Cell Grazing and you can see it at this link, http://www.geofflawton.com/fe/63637-cell-grazing

I wanted to point something out about Geoff’s videos, you do have to register to see them but only once.  If your cookie has expired and you end up on the front page where it asks you to sign up you don’t have to sign up a second time.  All you do is enter just your email in the email field and the system will recognize you and let you in.  This video is one of Geoff’s best yet, so give it a view if you have time on your Friday.

Next, consider using the Listen to a Random Episode feature.  You can click that link and it will pull up a random blast from the past as it were.  If you get a blog post or something vs a podcast give it another click until you find something that interests you.

I apologize very sincerely for this but some times you have to use a contingency that is what we plan for around here after all.  See you guys and gals on Monday.

→ 11 Comments

Posted in Blogs

Food Forest Workshop Has Sold Out – But One Spot Open Anyway

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Modern Survival| 4 Comments

Alert – The last spot was claimed, the works shop is now officially sold out.  If you want to be on a waiting list for cancellations email me with food forest reserve in the subject line and I will let you know if a spot opens due to a cancellation.  

Just a quick heads up that the food forest planting workshop sold out last night about 10PM when the last open spot was grabbed.  Anyone still wanting in though just got an opportunity.

One of our students just canceled due to not being able to obtain vacation from work during the event.  So one spot is now open.  It is also past the 48 hour period so we are now open to the general public.

That means anyone can sign up.  The place to sign up is at this link.  The work shop is April 3-5 and the price is 500 dollars.  That includes meal, instruction and one hell of a good time.  My property is opened up for setting up if you want to camp from April 2-6.

Again you can sign up at this link.  If the system tells you we are sold out when you try to make a deposit, that means the one open spot has been claimed.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Blogs

Episode-1310- Nathan Love on Building a Permaculture Business from the Ground Up

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Modern Survival| 9 Comments
Episode-1310- Nathan Love on Building a Permaculture Business from the Ground Up [ 1:11:05 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Beauty and Permaculture Go Hand in Hand

Beauty and Permaculture Go Hand in Hand

Nathan Love is the founder and CEO of PermEscapes in Central Florida. He is an active member of the TSP community, and is also known as “flippydidit” on the TSP forum. After 10 years serving active duty infantry in the Army, he pursued a career in gunsmithing that took him to Iraq and Afghanistan many times. Besides being a soldier, his background is primarily as a civilian and military gunsmith, and as a manual machinist.

PermEscapes is a new business in the permaculture industry. It combines permaculture design and the permanence of concrete to create beauty, functionality and literally centuries of legacy. PermEscapes is a disabled veteran owned and operated business, with a passion for taking the homesteader from dreams and ideas to reality.

Nathan joins us to discuss his goal of building  a business based in the permaculture industry and blazing the trail into self-sufficient living.

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Also remember we have an expert council you can address your calls to. If you do this you should email me right after your call at jack at thesurvivalpodcast.com with expert council call in the subject line. In the body of your email tell me that you just called in a question for the council and what number you called in from. I will then give the call priority when I screen calls.

Our Expert Council is Made Up of…

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

 

→ 9 Comments

Posted in Podcasts

Tagged , ,

Episode-1309- Wake Up the Zombie Apocalypse is Here

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Modern Survival| 73 Comments
Episode-1309- Wake Up the Zombie Apocalypse is Here [ 1:37:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Frankly I almost never use the term zombie apocalypse because of the stigma by those that don’t get its generic meaning.  Anything that causes the end of the world as you know it is often referred to as “the zombies” or such by the survivalist community.  Many in this community are waiting for it to happen, they are concerned with peak oil, a pandemic, a EMP, a CME, an economic collapse, the rise of the “Blue Helments” and “agenda 21” among other scary TEOTWAWKI scenarios.

The truth is all those scenarios are possible, some probable to the point of not if but when and others so improbable you flatly have bigger fish to fry.  The truth though is that we are currently watching the zombies metaphorically walk across the backs of most Americans and feeding on their metaphorical brains.   Those brains are things like future earnings, job security, industrial stability and social class stability.

This isn’t coming, this is now, it is such a slow and insidious process that most won’t ever see it until they personally feel the direct impacts of what is going on.  Many won’t even then, they will blame the ______ party or _____ group just as they do now.

Join Me Today As I Discuss…

  • Retail is dying Amazon is just the first big fish of many to come
  • The middle class is eroding from behind, downward class migration
  • Computer programmers will be sliced in half, 50% won’t be necessary soon
  • The entertainment industry is slowing being decentralized
  • Old school news is honestly a zombie a walking corpse that doesn’t know it is dead
  • Even if bitcoin fails it has shown us the fatal flaw of the financial industries illusion of value
  • I don’t care what Harris says, energy will become cheaper, cleaner and more abundant (don’t celebrate just yet)
  • As I have said the education market is going to be sliced and diced
  • The current paradigm of health care is dying, good
  • The population growth of all developed nations is becoming a negative number
  • Even as the State becomes more powerful it is growing weaker
  • The world in 10 years will be drastically different but you won’t recognize it in 20

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Also remember we have an expert council you can address your calls to. If you do this you should email me right after your call at jack at thesurvivalpodcast.com with expert council call in the subject line. In the body of your email tell me that you just called in a question for the council and what number you called in from. I will then give the call priority when I screen calls.

Our Expert Council is Made Up of…

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

 

→ 73 Comments

Posted in Podcasts

Tagged , ,

Food Forest Planting Workshop is Now Open for MSB Only

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Modern Survival| 7 Comments

Alert – The last spot was claimed, the works shop is now officially sold out.  If you want to be on a waiting list for cancellations email me with food forest reserve in the subject line and I will let you know if a spot opens due to a cancellation. 

The Survival Podcast Mobile Food Forest Planting Workshop

Dates April  3-5, 2014

Cost – $500 Per Student, with a $150 dollar non refundable deposit.

If you want to attend the Food Forest Planting Workshop it is now open for MSB only until Friday at 8AM Central time.  After that time, IF any spots remain they will be open to the general public.  To register now if you are MSB, just go log in to your MSB Page the link to register is at the top of the page in GIANT RED BOLD LETTERS after you log in, you can’t miss it.

Here is a full description of this awesome event!

Get ready to join us for an incredible event as we plant the foundation for a zone four style food forest, an urban forest garden and a zone 2 style food forest all in one amazing three day event.  The event will be taught by lead instructor Jack Spirko with co instructors Josiah Wallingford and Nick Ferguson along with a third yet to be named instructor.  The event will be strictly limited to about 30 students and allow us to set up three planting teams for each phase of the installation.

We have put a great deal of thought into this workshop.  Given the sheer volume of planting we have come up with a plan that will ensure all student questions are answered and the entire program runs smoothly.  Each of the three teams will participate in the following five primary installations…

  1. Planting of one large swale including main tree plantings, support species, cover cropping, mulching, etc. for the Zone 4 food forest
  2. Planting of one small swale with multiple tree and shrub varieties for the urban zone one forest garden
  3. Planting of one third of the contour based hugle bed system that will make up our zone 2 forest garden
  4. Sheet mulching and planting of a sector within the zone 4 food forest
  5. Planting of one of three micro forest gardens

If sufficient time remains we may also build a hugle bed or two for our new hybrid “Vinorchard” system (a vineyard/orchard based on hugle beds)

To my knowledge nothing with this much planting diversity has ever been crammed into a three day workshop before.  Yet with the large number of students expected to attend we should have plenty of extra time to cover other subjects with you.  This will include things like

  • Plant propagation techniques
  • Extending forest edge over time
  • The medicinal value of many of the plants we are including
  • The creation of many micro climates in our varying systems
  • The varieties we chose for our climate and why
  • How systems like ours can be used to create revenue by selling propagated cuttings/seeds/etc.
  • How our system will evolve over time and the role supporting species will play
  • How we will atrophy support trees out over time and why some will stay long term
  • Much more

Our events are noted for being awesome not just for the educational/workshop portions but for the networking, after hours events and the food as well.  Some note worthy things we always do

  • Feed you until you think you will pop
  • Seed exchanges
  • Barter blanket
  • Tell you the insider secret of the event club (swear you to secrecy about it too, it isn’t a big deal but it is kind of cool)
  • Have awesome cool special guests that show up most are unannounced until you arrive
  • Have a general blast, perhaps even make a batch of homebrew or mead while you are here

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Events

  • Question – Where is this event?

  • Answer – After you sign up you will get a document with all event details.  The address is only given to students who have paid a deposit.  But for your planning purposes we are near Azle Texas.  That is just north of Fort Worth.

  • Question – What is the best airport to fly into?

  • Answer – The best bet is Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) it is only about 35 minutes assuming traffic isn’t at peak from our home.  The only other viable option is Dallas Love Field (DAL) this may save you money if Southwest Flys direct from your airport but it is a longer drive.  I would plan on an 1 hour and 15 minutes or more despite what google maps will tell you if you fly into Love Field.

  • Question – What type of food is served at these events?

  • Answer  –  The key word is meat but we have other stuff too.  Generally we serve eggs (from our own flock) for breakfast with bacon and sausage and tortillas for breakfast with awesome local salsa and fixings.  We also include a selection of fruit, breakfast bars, etc.  Lunch is deli meats, chicken salad, left overs from dinner the night before and other things.  Sometimes we have soups or other similar items for lunch.  Dinner is usually rotisserie chicken one night, brisket another night and smoked pork shoulder the other night.  Generally some awesome sausage finds its way into our menu as well.  A full lunch and dinner are provided all three course days.  We provide only coffee, fruit and breakfast bars on the first day for breakfast.  We provide full breakfast on Friday, Saturday and on the after event breakfast on Sunday morning.

  • Question – What are the camping conditions like?

  • Answer  – The key word is primitive.  We allow tent camping on site just about anywhere on our property.  We have an outbuilding that we let people put a cot or air mattress in but it usually gets pretty full and it is first come first served.  There are plenty of trees for hammock camping as well.  Most folks enjoy camping because you can have adult beverages and not worry about driving and the people are just awesome to hang out with.  Most nights people end up staying up late talking and having a lot of fun playing pool, darts, spending time at the camp fire etc.  April is usually pretty comfortable temperature wise especially at night but it rains often so be prepared for that.

  • Question – Is there a good hotel near by?

  • Answer  –  There is a great holiday inn, we get you a group rate and it varies but it is very nice hotel and we have normally gotten a rate of about 82 dollars in the past plus tax.

  • Question – Can students share a rental car, a ride to the airport, a hotel room, etc.?

  • Answer  – Sure but to be blunt we do not get involved in that.  We have way too much work to do so that you guys have a good experience when you get here.  I view it this way from the time you get on my land till you leave it is my responsibility to make sure you learn, have fun and are well fed.  Off site I leave it to you to deal with things.  However, we have a private email list and many students work out things like this between themselves on it.  Make sure to join it as soon as you get your instructions packet as their will be information on it.

  • Question – I have a question that isn’t answered here, should I sign up, I don’t want to loose my deposit?

  • Answer  – When I send out the instruction document (by Friday the 28th of February) you have 48 hours to review the document, if something is a deal breaker you can cancel with a refund in the first 48 hours.

  • Question – Will you take bitcoin for this event?  What about silver?

  • Answer  – I have a huge capital outlay on this one so I can’t take silver.  I can only take PayPal for the deposit (you can use a credit card without a paypal account) but I will take bitcoin by special arrangement for the balance due but it will have to be at least one week prior to the event.  If you want to do this, email me for arrangements.

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Blogs, Podcasts

Reminder – Food Forest Workshop Regestration Goes Live Tomorrow

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Modern Survival| 3 Comments

A simple quick post to make sure everyone is aware.  The food forest workshop will go live for members of the MSB tomorrow at 8 AM Central Standard time.  MSB Members only will have the ability to register for the event until about 8AM central on Friday Morning.  I don’t know if this one will ever be open to the general public, but you never know.

We are opening this event to 32 students and that is all we can handle, considering we also have special guests, co instructors and event help.  If we could handle more we would do it, I am sorry to any that wish to attend that don’t get a spot but this is simply the best I can do.

Tomorrow at 8AM Central I will post here an announcement, that there will be a link on the main page inside your MSB account.  You will need to log into get the link.  This is the only way I know to be fair about this process.  Many of you have asked to be notified in advance or let in early, I simply can’t do that and must be democratic about how I handle this, I do hope everyone understands.

The cost of this event will be 500 dollars with a 150 dollar deposit.  Full details will come tomorrow.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Blogs

Episode-1308- Geoff Lawton on Building a Future With Permaculture

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Modern Survival| 34 Comments
Episode-1308- Geoff Lawton on Building a Future With Permaculture [ 1:37:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Geoff Lawton - Permaculture Artist

Geoff Lawton – Permaculture Artist

Today we have the great pleasure of having Geoff Lawton on to discuss many of his new upcoming free videos, his coming online PDC and how he feels Permaculture is changing the world.

There is a lot going on in the Permaculture world, even some in fighting, I always love the way Geoff stays above this type of thing but I do give him the opportunity to talk about what qualifies one to “teach permaculture” and what a PDC is really supposed to be about today.  We then turn to some other topics such as, making a living with permaculture, plant propagation, the need for research and documentation and more.

To me Geoff is the most gifted teacher I know in the world of Permaculture so it is great to have him on air today.   Last year I competed his online PDC, many asked why I would do so, given I already had a PDC certification.

The answer is simple.  While I have worked with great instructors and been to seminars and classes with people like Sepp Holzer and my good friends Ben Falk and Paul Wheaton and read and studied the work of Toby Hemingway and Alan Savory, in the end it is Geoff’s work that guides most of what I do.  I consider myself his perpetual student so it is a great honor to have him on the show once again.

Join Us Today as We Discuss…

  • How to explain Permaculture to someone who has never heard of it
  • What is a PDC, is it really the best choice for everyone
  • How can a person build a career in permaculture, thoughts on
    • Consulting
    • Teaching (more than just PDCs)
    • Plant propagation
    • Farming/ranching
    • Urban farming
  • Why farms should first feed their farmers

Resources for today’s show…

Geoff’s Links

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Also remember we have an expert council you can address your calls to. If you do this you should email me right after your call at jack at thesurvivalpodcast.com with expert council call in the subject line. In the body of your email tell me that you just called in a question for the council and what number you called in from. I will then give the call priority when I screen calls.

Our Expert Council is Made Up of…

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

→ 34 Comments

Posted in Podcasts

Tagged ,

Episode-1307- Listener Feedback for 2-24-14

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Modern Survival| 62 Comments
Episode-1307- Listener Feedback for 2-24-14 [ 1:38:36 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Join Me Today as I Answer Your eMails

Join Me Today as I Answer Your eMails

Off to a bit of a late start today as we recover from our 5 days of running the mobile battery bank workshop.  Today on the Survival Podcast I take your comments, questions and thoughts on education, technology, politics, agenda 21, economics and more.

Make sure if you submit content for a feedback show that you put something like “comment for jack”, “question for jack” or “article for jack” in the subject line to assure proper identification for my screening process.

Please understand I receive several hundred emails a day and can’t get them all on the air.

I also do put out a lot of information on Facebook from emails that I can’t fit on the program though so keep em coming.

Join Me Today As I Respond to Your Emails On

  • Dates announced for the food forest planting workshop
  • A brief update on the recent battery bank workshop
  • When to be political?  Only when you can make a difference that is when!
  • More evidence that the educational market will radically shift in the next decade
  • What the media would say about cash if it were invented today

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Also remember we have an expert council you can address your calls to. If you do this you should email me right after your call at jack at thesurvivalpodcast.com with expert council call in the subject line. In the body of your email tell me that you just called in a question for the council and what number you called in from. I will then give the call priority when I screen calls.

Our Expert Council is Made Up of…

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

 

→ 62 Comments

Posted in Podcasts

Tagged

Potential Bee Keeping Workshop with Michael Jordan

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Modern Survival| 31 Comments
Bee Keeping with Michael Jordan - The Bee Whisper"

Bee Keeping with Michael Jordan – The Bee Whisperer”

We are considering running a bee keeping workshop the first week of May with an awesome guy named Michael Jordan (AKA The Bee Whisperer).  I met Michael face to face for the first time in Colorado at the Self Reliance Expo last year.  I was impressed but that was just the start.  In November he attended our Earthworks Workshop.  Frankly I should have paid him to come for the amount of adjunctive teaching he did!

I have met a ton of bee keepers in my days, never anyone that holds a candle to this guy’s knowledge.  My only concern is that Wednesday I will open sign ups for the food forest planting workshop.  That will be the FIRST WEEK in April.  I know the interest is huge and that it might hurt attendance of the bee keeping one.  We need at least 15 paying students to the bee keeping workshop to make the numbers work, and due to the nature of it, well it won’t be cheap though the value will be insane.

Likely the cost will be 500 dollars to attend or 700 if you want to leave with a on sight built top bar hive.  I can tell you this though, you will be able to go home and build as many hives as you want after you attend.  I would put the value of this class more in the 1500 dollar range than the 500 – 700 dollar range.  Yet with many things it comes down to how much you have vs. how good the value is.  I am also aware that for our normal Thursday to Saturday classes students generally need to arrive and/or travel on Wednesday and Sunday so the time cost is significant too.

I am also concerned that the planting workshop will bring in many students that would want to come to the bee one, but they won’t be able to financially or just logistically and I can’t viably run this class with say 7 students.  15 is about my rough break even point.  Keep in mind this is because we feed people like kings at these events, we bring in cool special guests and do a lot of additional things, many that are never even advertised.

Anyway I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS CLASS so I am probing interest.  No matter what we will likely set the dates on it and take deposits but advise students that fly in to NOT make airfare arrangements for the first week of registrations, so it will then be easy to give refunds if we can’t make it work.

Frankly I don’t know if it will be a problem.  I am about 1000% sure we would sell this one out if it were not so close to the Food Forest Planting Workshop.  Again I am pretty sure that one will have quite a few people that will be disappointed and not get in.   So keep in mind the installation will only be 30 days old at that point.  Michael being a switched on guy has already scheduled in time for me to conduct tours of the property and explain the system into his proposed course schedule.

So with the Food Forest one coming April 2-6 (course dates 3-5) in mind how many would be interested in the bee keeping workshop April 30 – May 4th (course dates May 1-3).  Again price will be about 500.  Leave with a hive for 700.  We will also be building things like NUC boxes and swarm catchers which will have a price list in advance for you to consider.

Lastly, those that fly in, if we know in advance we can have boxes and packing material ready, so you can pack up your stuff, you pay shipping but we will take the boxes to the shipper for you on Monday morning.

A PDF of the proposed outline is here, this isn’t set in stone but will give you a real idea of how awesome this course will be.

If you really want to get a feel for why Michael is far from just another Bee Keeper read the amazing article he has authored at Brink of Freedom.

→ 31 Comments

Posted in Blogs

Episode-1306- John Pugliano on the Inflation’s Damage

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Modern Survival| 48 Comments
Episode-1306- John Pugliano on the Inflation's Damage [ 1:17:02 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

John Pugliano of Investable Wealth

John Pugliano is a self taught investor with over 25 years of investment experience. Recently he founded Investable Wealth, LLC to offer independent advice and money management based on his stock trading philosophy and methods. John has served in the military and worked for several large corporations.

He is the father of six. John and his wife Cheryl live happily and debt free in Utah. John spent 20 years in corporate America as an industrial products business development salesman. More importantly for past 25+ years he has taught myself to invest in the stock market and today has a net worth in excess of 1 million dollars.

He is now a licensed financial adviser and owner of an investment advisory firm. Like myself, John has had an extremely low opinion of the financial adviser industry- which is one reason why he has started his own firm.

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Also remember we have an expert council you can address your calls to. If you do this you should email me right after your call at jack at thesurvivalpodcast.com with expert council call in the subject line. In the body of your email tell me that you just called in a question for the council and what number you called in from. I will then give the call priority when I screen calls.

Our Expert Council is Made Up of…

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

 

→ 48 Comments

Posted in Podcasts

Tagged , ,