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Today we discuss the concept of the “High Cycle Approach” — a simple but powerful way to rethink how resources move through a homestead. Instead of using something once and tossing it, what if you could squeeze two, three, or even five productive uses out of it before it ever left your system? That’s what high cycle thinking is all about. It’s the opposite of the modern throwaway mindset, and it builds serious resilience.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through real-world homestead examples where this kind of thinking turns waste into abundance, simplifies inputs, and stacks functions like crazy. We’re talking chickens, water, mushrooms, trees, and more — not as isolated systems, but as loops that feed each other. These ideas can reduce your workload, cut your costs, and make your land work smarter. Whether you’re on a quarter acre or twenty, high cycle systems can change the game.

Join Me Today to Discuss…

• Define the High Cycle concept: using one resource for multiple productive functions before it exits the system
• Building value and resilience through layered use
• A few examples of what we will cover today
  • Duck feed crumbs to worms
  • Gray water for irrigation
  • Grease, fat and bone reuse
• Chickens & Deep Bedding
  • Manure drops onto carbon-rich bedding
  • Becomes compost that feeds the garden, which grows food for chickens and humans
  • A continuous, value-adding loop
• Greywater Reuse
  • Water from sinks and showers is reused for perennial irrigation
  • Simple systems like mulch pits or reed beds make this possible
  • One input, multiple uses before leaving the property
• Kitchen Scraps to Animal Feed
  • Scraps go to worms or black soldier flies
  • Larvae feed chickens or fish
  • Castings or waste go to compost or the garden
• Rainwater Harvesting
  • Captured rainwater is used for drinking, washing, and irrigation
  • The water gets cycled through multiple uses before returning to the soil
• Dairy Animals
  • Milk is used by humans
  • Excess or skim milk feeds pigs or chickens
  • LAB is used to fertilize plans, inoculate compost or in aquatic systems
  • Manure is used in compost or biogas systems
• Fodder Trees and or silvopasture
  • Trees like mulberry or moringa are coppiced for animal feed or fruit and nut for human consumption
  • Branches are used for mulch, firewood, or biochar
  • Trees regrow repeatedly without replanting
  • Animals can be grazed in the shade with proper management
• Humanure Systems
  • Composting toilet waste with carbon materials
  • Properly aged compost is used on fruit trees or perennials
  • Turns human waste into long-term fertility
• Ducks in Food Forests
  • Ducks control pests like slugs and fertilize soil
  • Fallen fruit, etc. is consumed by the ducks
  • They provide eggs and meat
  • They can be integrated into swales or wet zones
• Grease, Fat and Bone Reuse
  • Saved cooking fats are rendered into tallow or lard
  • Used for cooking, soap, or skin care
  • Bones are used for stock, then turned into bone char for soil or fed to dogs
• Mushroom Cultivation
  • Grown on waste like straw, sawdust, and coffee grounds
  • Harvested mycelium from stems is reused to inoculate new batches
  • Spent substrate becomes compost or mulch but
    • Feed it to worms, then add to compost
    • Or use it to inoculate compost once the thermo cycle is complete
• Biochar
  • Made from pruning, waste, down trees
  • One possible path
    • Food storage extension
    • Fed to worms
    • Inoculation of primary compost
    • Ends up in the soil
    • There are many other paths possible
• Conclusion
  • High cycle thinking multiplies value, reduces waste, and builds resilience
  • Ask yourself how many times one resource can serve before it’s truly spent
  • The easy lay up, look for new layers in existing systems, or additions at the top of existing systems
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Resources for today’s show…

• Find Me on Nostr
• Article Explaining the GrowNostr Initiative
• Join the Members Brigade
• TspAz.com
• TSPC on Discord
• TSPC Group on Telegram (group chat)
• TSPC Telegram Channel (just messages from me)
• Jack on MeWe
• Join Me on Odysee
• All My Recommend Bitcoin Tools and Resources
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• Anton’s Land of Biltong – Life is too short for average.
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• Etekcity Lasergrip Digital Laser Temperature Gun
• Home Food Systems – Courses that Teach You to Produce Your Own Food in Your Own Backyard
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