Episode 613: Winter is Coming

It is a tradition in August to talk about what we are doing to get ready for winter here at the Holler Homestead. Why? Because waiting until that first frost to have things set is a terrible idea and leads to several days of no sleep and lots of activity. Today, I will share how we plan activities for a busy fall, in advance of winter, to be better prepared for the harsh realities of below freezing temperatures in a state ill prepared for its weather patterns. Up this week: Wednesday Live with John Willis and Bear Independent: 12:30 Central (LivingFreeinTennessee.com/live for the relevant links) Friday Homestead Happenings and Q & A: 9:30am Central Live Free Academy, Homesteading on a budget workshop: https://livefree.academy/sp/exit-and-build-homesteading-on-a-budget-workshop/?ref=52 Tales from the Prepper Pantry Broth using strategies in August Hitting the bean patch this week under the hopes we get another round for canning Initiating the prepper pantry redo - using basecamp as a root cellar  Testing new freezer sensors Free Rocket Mass Heater Plans from Paul Wheaton Show Sponsor: Paul Wheaton of Wheaton Labs and Permies.com Looking to learn about permaculture, grow your skills, and accelerate your path towards self-sufficiency? Check out Paul Wheaton's permaculture bootcamp at Wheaton Labs! Learn permaculture earthworks, gardening, rocket heating technology and more, all under the guidance of the Duke of Permaculture himself! https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp/?f=495 If you're interested in Rocket Mass Heaters, which can heat a home with as little as 10% of the wood consumed by conventional woodstoves, Paul Wheaton is offering FREE rocket mass heater plans to the LFTN community when you sign up for the permies newsletter. Snatch those up here: https://permies.com/goodies/7/lftn Frugality tip: Add on from Christian After hearing the tip from Anna about the watered down dish soap I had to reply to expand on it, this might not warrant sharing on the show. I have been using watered down dawn for a few years and it never even occurred to me that it might be saving me money. I mix it even thinner than Anna, more like 1/4 or 1/5, and I put it in used foaming hand soap bottles from bath and body works. It dispenses from them no problem once watered down. I use this almost exclusively when hand washing dishes as I use them, and I use it to wash my hands a lot too. Since it's good on food grease it works well on oil and grime from mechanical work, so I use it regularly to wash my hands while working in the garage and I set myself up another bottle at work. It's way more gentle and I personally find it just as effective, if not better, than the gritty mechanic's soaps (like gojo orange, if you're familiar). Come to think of it, this has probably saved me a bit of money there since I don't buy that stuff at all anymore, probably more than I might save on dishes. Weekly Shopping Report from Joe for 8/28/2022 We made four stops on our weekly shopping run. The first stop was Community Chest to donate a box of books, an exercise chair we have not been using, and some miscellaneous other things. Second was Dollar Tree, where I grabbed a drink and we picked up a few other items. I wanted some ointment from the Health aisle, but there was none left. I saw a lot of empty hooks in that section, which is a big change from a month or two ago, when they were very well stocked. Stop #3 was Home Depot. A 2x4x8 is $4.75. I know not long ago it was $4.98, but I don't remember if that was last week or a little longer. They have plenty of stock of lumber, tools, batteries, and LED bulbs. Aldi was last. The store was very crowded, but I think just because it was late Saturday morning; I didn't see people panic-buying. Inventory looked good, except for limited quantities of meats. For example there was pork loin, but no tenderloin. Beef looked pretty sparse too, but there were enough different cuts of various meats to at least cover all the shelves. I don't recall seeing any face diapers. I think the Kung Flu narrative is finally collapsing. At my last fill during the week, I paid $4.399/gallon for untainted regular gasoline. I understand the sixth largest refinery in the country has been shut down due to an electrical fire. They're in Indiana, and they and a few surrounding states (Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin come to mind) have declared states of emergency, and the parasites at DOT have waived hour restrictions on truckers so they can bring in fuel. Operation Independence SRF Digital Tickets are launching this week!! Fermentation Basics: Sauerkraut and Cucumbers Main topic of the Show: Winter Is Coming Why now? Steps: Brainstorm, categorize: No Kill, Comfort, SHTF Livestock Rabbits: Water, food, heating lamps Sheep: Water, hay, shelter with sides, minerals Pigs: Water, feed, shelter, bedding Goats: Water, feed, bedding Ducks: Water, feed, bedding Humans Water Shelter Firewood Food Pets: backup plans Gardens Spring bed preparation Mulching figs and bananas Cover crop Water Gardens Tear down Stock tank heater in ap system Fuel and Backups No kill list: Water Firewood shelter Food Comfort list Winter clothing upgrades Automated antifreeze systems Backup heating (Kerosene, etc.) Automotive supplies turn over Solar Water Heater and outdoor shower/kitchen cleanout SHTF Plans Generator/fuel storage Extra food Tarps, etc Membership Plug MeWe reminder Make it a great week! GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.  Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee Harvest Right Affiliate Link