Women, Wilderness, and the Will to Provide: Homesteading & Gator Wrangling

Discover how modern women are reclaiming ancestral skills—from raising and processing their own meat to handling unexpected encounters with Florida gators.Host Bethany Beathard sits down with Tiffany Sanders, homesteader, hunter, nurse, and nuisance‑gator responder, to explore what self‑sufficiency really looks like in today’s world. Tiffiny shares firsthand stories from the field, including the wildest gator call she and her husband ever responded to, how her children got involved, and what it’s like navigating communities that protect nuisance wildlife.The conversation shifts into the heart of Tiffiny’s work: empowering women to take ownership of their food sources. From home butchering and dispatching animals humanely to growing nutrient‑dense produce, she teaches women that you don’t have to be “born” into homesteading to thrive in it. Her background as a nurse opened her eyes to the connection between diet and health—and sparked her drive to grow and raise food intentionally.Together, Bethany and Tiffany dig into the historical roots of women feeding their families, the rise in self‑sufficiency post‑COVID, and why today’s homesteaders are simply rediscovering what women have always done.In this episode, you’ll learn:The wild reality of nuisance‑gator calls—and how Tiffiny ended up in the middle of one neighborhood’s “gator protection squad”Why nursing school led Tiffiny to grow, raise, and process her own foodHow women historically provided for their families through gardening, preserving, and animal harvestingWhy more women are learning dispatching and butchering skills todayThe importance of humane, low‑stress animal processing on small homesteadsHow COVID reshaped food security and sparked a self‑sufficiency movementGarden staples Tiffiny never goes without—especially her obsession with red potatoesWhy perfection isn’t the goal—intentionality isFollow along with Bethany for more homesteading conversations, practical skills, and stories from women who live close to their roots.Subscribe and join this exciting journey to explore, learn, and grow together in the outdoor world.Join the Ascend Instagram community at @duascend and http://www.ducks.org/ascend. The Ascend Podcast by Ducks Unlimited is Sponsored by:Dry Pocket.Visit drypocket.com and use promo code "ASCEND" for 25% off.Bird Dig Whiskey.Visit birddogwhiskey.com. Enjoy Responsibly! Taurus Firearms.Visit taurusUSA.comOklahoma Joes.Visit oklahomajoes.com and use promo code "DUCKS10" for 10% off.Springfield Armory.Visit springfield-armory.com