Tag Archives: homesteading

Episode-646- The Big Bugout

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Modern Survival| 39 Comments
Episode-646- The Big Bugout [ 57:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

So the world hasn’t ended as we know it.  The currency hasn’t collapsed.  No global pandemic has killed off half the population.  Yet we have truly “bugged out”, for the past 7 years our place in Arkansas was “where we would go if TSHTF”, and now we are for all intents and purposes here.

So why, why bug out, when we didn’t have to bug out in the conventional sense of the word?  For a variety of reasons and this is what the focus of today’s show will be.  Today for the first time I am coming to you from the Ouachita Mountains near Hot Springs Arkansas and this will be our topic.

Additional 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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

 

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Episode-591- Planning and Building the Suburban Homestead

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Modern Survival| 6 Comments
Episode-591- Planning and Building the Suburban Homestead [ 1:18:57 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Photo Credit to annethelibrarian

When you hear the word homestead you typically think of open spaces, rural America and some acreage.  For many American’s though it just isn’t currently an option.  Many of us are bound to the city by employment, family obligations or other considerations.

Still I believe homesteading is for everyone and there are some real opportunities for suburban homesteaders who want to convert their homes from consumer to producer.

Of course there are challenges for the suburbanite with considerations such as excessive shade, available space, ordinances and retaining marketability of the home for resale.

The key to successful suburban homesteading is understanding your limitations but focusing on making the most of the unique advantages inherent to small landscapes such as ease of management and easy irrigation.

Join Me Today As We Discuss…

  • Define the overall goal of a homestead
  • Evaluate your limitations and landscape
  • Define your wants and needs
    • What do you like to eat
    • What is cheap and easy to buy
    • What is expensive to purchase
    • What is difficult to acquire organically or locally
  • Define areas by shade, sun, wind, usage, etc
  • Focus on the right types of crops
    • Heavy producers
    • Not readily available commercially
    • Perennials over annuals
    • Easy to store for long term usage
    • Require special care that can be automated
  • Considering livestock
    • Poultry is highly efficient for eggs
    • Rabbits are probably the best meat option
    • Utilize wildlife for livestock functions like manuring
    • Aquaculture and Aquaponics are excellent options
  • Extending your seasons and productivity
    • The greenhouse or cold frames are essentials
    • Using and channeling roof run off
    • Understanding and maximizing micro-climates
    • Use climbers and vertical spaces
  • Taking big techniques and downsizing them
    • Swales
    • Hugelkultur
    • Food Forests
    • Ponds

Additional 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 and you might hear yourself on the air

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Episode-575- Planning 2011s Gardening and Homesteading Activities

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Modern Survival| 13 Comments
Episode-575- Planning 2011s Gardening and Homesteading Activities [ 1:05:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I thought this would be a great subject for today.  Over the past few weeks many of my seed catalogs have come in, the garden is now producing only greens and other frost hardy crops and today is the Winter Solstice which is the longest night of the year.  In other words we are about to go into the Christmas holiday and the first day of winter has just fallen upon us.  We now have a long cold winter ahead which will not officially end until March 21st.  To me winter is a time of planning, contemplation and evaluation.

Join me today as we discuss..

  • Winter has begun but the coldest days lie ahead
  • The first step is to review your successes and failures of 2010
  • Do you reattempt or abandon your failures
  • What do you want to add to your production in 2011
  • Determine your average last frost date and counting backwards
  • Time to build that cold frame, greenhouse or both
  • Is 2011 the year you add livestock, if so what
  • If  you are going to start keeping bees now is the time to order
  • Seed and Orchard Catalogs – Knowledge and Shopping All In One
  • Evaluational goals for 2011
  • Irrigation System Planning for 2011
  • Setting realistic time lines and priorities
  • Some of my goals for 2011
    • Sell the old house and move
    • Install Garden Beds
    • Install Irrigation Systems
    • Develop Extensive Herb Gardens
    • Install Out Buildings
    • Develop Orchard Plan, Irrigation, Swales, etc.
    • Install small ponds
    • Build and install greenhouse and aquaponics system
    • Continue to develop our mason bee population
    • Evaluate small live stock choices
    • Install fencing
    • Develop Composting and Mulch Systems
    • Encourage Local Wildlife
    • Install Gun Range

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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-547- Prepper, Survivalist or Homesteader

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Modern Survival| 10 Comments
Episode-547- Prepper, Survivalist or Homesteader [ 1:08:33 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Is there a difference between the prepper, the survivalist and the homesteader?  If so does it even really matter?  What common ground do all three self identified groups share?  What is the difference between societies view of each group and the reality of the individuals that make them up?  Today we examine these and other issues about modern survivalism and our various sub groups.

Join me today as I discuss…

  • What is a survivalist
  • What is a prepper
  • What is a homesteader
  • Why does society characterize any individualist
  • What role does economics play in our lives
  • Why do we have to at least pay some attention to politics
  • Why we are actually the “normal” members of society
  • The recipe for success
    • Develop minimal systemic independence (self sufficiency)
    • Develop sufficient forward wealth  (self reliance)
    • Focus on what you want in your life
    • Be informed but not overly influenced by society
    • Focus on and defend liberty
    • Be a teacher and a student at all times

Additional 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 and you might hear yourself on the air

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Episode-529- Finding that Rural Piece of Land

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Modern Survival| 26 Comments
Episode-529- Finding that Rural Piece of Land [ 1:33:11 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I have gotten quite a few emails lately about exactly how to find an affordable piece of land out in the country for everything from a homestead, retirement place, BOL or just as an investment.  I figured we could talk about that a bit today from a modern survivalist view point.

SPECIAL NOTE – Today’s show is LONG over 90 minutes long in fact.  I have had a lot of requests to comment on various areas of the US by region, I do that from about 19 minutes to about 48 minutes on today’s show.  If this isn’t your cup of tea, and it might not be for some, simply skip ahead.  It is part of what made the show so long and it will still leave you with a full show if you skip ahead of it.  I have had so many requests though for this critique, I decided to do it.  Please don’t be offended if I get something wrong about an area you love in today’s show, just tell me your view (respectfully please) in the comments below.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • The rise of two ways of living, urban and rural and the decline of suburbia
  • Why should you choose a rural form of living anyway
  • The lie of retirement and deferred gratification
  • Getting out vs. bugging out in TEOTWAWKI
  • Where to look, a few areas and my thoughts on them
    • PA to New England
    • FL, GA, AL, LA
    • TN, KY, WV and Western VA
    • WI, MN, MI
    • MO, AR
    • TX
    • NM, AZ, NV
    • ID, MT, WY, UT
    • WA, OR
  • Questions to ask yourself
    • What do I most love to do?
    • What type of people do I like to be with?
    • What health needs do I have now, will I have later on?
    • What can I actually afford, how can I afford more?
    • Who will I leave behind, how far behind is to far?
    • Why do I want to do this?
    • Will this really make me happy?
  • Steps to making it happen
    • Never stop window shopping
    • Save like a psychopathic miser
    • Create a secondary income stream (even a tiny one)
    • Take a vacation to an area you think you want to live in
    • Define your vision (couples find a common one)
    • Be willing to compromise, 85% is a B and a B is damn good!
    • Ask yourself “how can I make it happen” at least three times a day
  • Places to look
    • United Country
    • Realtor.com
    • Tax Offices in chosen areas
    • Papers in chosen areas (tiny papers are online now)
    • Find a good real estate agent (once you are ready to act)
  • Consider a transitional move (especially for telecommuters/entrepreneurs)
    • Keep your home
    • Rent dirt cheap and live there a while
    • Explore the community (date before you marry)
    • House hunt while you truly have real time to look things over
  • What to remember first and foremost
    • If other people are living there, you can too
    • If the people living there are not rich you don’t need to be either
    • Nothing will ever be perfect
    • Focus on “living” vs. “stuff”

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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-494- Urban and Suburban Homesteading

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Modern Survival| 17 Comments
Urban and Suburban Homesteading [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here are two things I know about my audience.  The majority, over 70% live in urban and suburban areas.    The second is that a major majority of those would like to get out of the city some day even if the shit never hits the fan.  There is also the reality that many at least for the short term are held by job, family obligations and other factors.  So I thought today would be a good day to discuss urban homesteading and tomorrow we can discuss urban prepping.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • What exactly makes a home a homestead anyway
  • Why homesteading on some level makes sense for everyone
  • Start out by assessing what you have
  • Sketching your land and determining energy flows
  • Gardening is hard work and may not be for you large scale
  • Perennials take more time but pay far larger rewards
  • Drip irrigation and automated watering systems
  • Small live stock – Chickens, Rabbits and Ducks
  • Considering – Hydro and Aquaponics
  • The Greenhouse is your Friend
  • Think about property value increasing activities
  • Understand your advantages

Resources from 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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-478- Mike Gasior on Homesteading in New England

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Modern Survival| 16 Comments
Episode-478- Mike Gasior on Homesteading in New England [ 1:06:28 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Mike Gasior is mostly known as a financial luminary who has a nack for making the complex simple while pulling no punches.  Mike joined us last time to discuss the state of the U.S. economy and what the future holds in that respect.  Today he comes back to talk about his efforts as a homesteader.

Mike is quite the homesteader some of his activities include…

  • Heating his home with wood heat
  • Multiple back up generators
  • Large gardens
  • A small orchard he planted
  • A variety of perennial edibles such as straw and raspberries
  • Storing stabilized fuel
  • Wood lot and forestry management
  • And a lot more

Additional 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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-477- Call in Friday 7-16-10

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Modern Survival| 23 Comments
Episode-477- Call in Friday 7-16-10 [ 1:06:22 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Well I asked for calls last night and boy did you guys deliver, over 67 at this point came in so let me apologize  to the majority that won’t be on the air today but let me say I going to use a lot of them to preload a bunch of shows that will fill in for me when I am on vacation from July 27th – August 6th.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • Dealing with perennial native grasses in your raised beds
  • Installing drip irrigation on a budget
  • Getting internet access in remote areas (if you have a better solution please let me know)
  • What do our soldiers get paid, do they get a “bonus” for being shot at
  • What is a spring house and what is a Hydraulic Ram Pump
  • Are those little family stickers on cars a bad idea – probably
  • What is wood gasification and what can you do with it
  • Why is deflation bad, how can it be worse than inflation
  • What to do with 23 acres of raw land

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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-365- An Interview with Cam Mather

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Modern Survival| 8 Comments
Episode-365- An Interview with Cam Mather [ 1:04:12 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today on the Survival Podcast I interview Cam Mather.  Cam is a great guy and a wealth of knowledge. Living on 150 acres of forests and ponds, north of Napanee and northwest of Kingston, Ontario Canada and being as independent as he can. He has channeled his real world knowledge into a book called, “Thriving During Challenging Times: The Energy, Food and Financial Independence Handbook”

Join Cam and I today as we discuss…

  • The reasons we need to focus on energy independence today
  • What you can do to become more financially independent even on a less then median wage
  • The problems with how so many of us get our food today
  • Advice for growers in northern climates
  • The advantages of country living
  • The challenges and rewards of living off grid
  • The potential effects of peak oil and peak water
  • Some of the biggest pending threats including pandemic and food shortages
  • Advice on freedom and making it happen for yourself

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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-281- An Interview With Listener Barb Harrington

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Modern Survival| 18 Comments
Episode-281- An Interview With Listener Barb Harrington [ 50:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today I will be meeting with Judge Andrew Napolitano host of Freedom Watch on Fox.  I am not sure yet if we will have a show on Tuesday but I will attempt to make it happen while in NYC.

Today join me with Barb as we discuss…

  • Building a homestead in the suburbs
  • Making friends on the forum and realizing you are not alone
  • The value of a garden and how much a small garden can produce
  • The importance of the debt free lifestyle
  • Finding the place that is right for you
  • Keeping chickens and the challenges of roosters named stew
  • A lot of land is relative to where you live and how you use it
  • Having a home and a BOL paid for in full and the peace it brings
  • Why you should not compare your efforts to others
  • Creating your own preps from your own back yard
  • Canning, flash freezing and other ways to store you own food
  • The importance of quality food for those with systemic disease
  • Knowing exactly what you are eating and not eating and peace it brings
  • The threat of GMOs
  • A reason you might never eat bread from the store again
  • Why everyone should be armed especially women

Resources for today’s show…

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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.

You also now can call in questions or comments for the host at 866-65-THINK, (866-658-4465) please read the suggestions for calling in before you do for the best chance of getting your comments on the air.

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