Freezing is quick and easy—I understand why folks are fans. Chop green peppers, put in plastic bags, and toss in the freezer. Blanch and peel tomatoes, pack in freezer-safe containers, and stash in freezer. No doubt that freezing has a place in a preservation kitchen. I prefer to use a freezer as one of several preservation methods and not rely on …

Perpetual ferments like nuka pickling beds and pao cai are wonderful because they allow one to add and remove vegetables (and fruits) as needed to ferment then enjoy—fermented turmeric paste is another perpetual ferment. I love having the turmeric paste around as we are a household of two and having one jar of paste around is perfect for adding a h…

Complete show notes: soireeleone.com/podcast Recommended reading: Lloyd Kahn’s The Septic Tank Owner’s Manual. Shelter Publications, 2017. Or start with the tons of free information: https://oasisdesign.net/wastewater/septic/failure.htm Some recommendations: Use grey water friendly products. This is good practice to get ready for having a grey wate…

Complete show notes: soireeleone.com/podcast In 2008 there was flurry of folks starting gardens and again in 2020—both coupled with a run on canning jars. A gardener needs jars to put up the harvest—so do plan for a garden doing well—if not this year then next year. Buy canning jars and other preservation equipment and ingredients well ahead of can…

I love cheesemaking. When I first learned to make cheese in 1991, I didn’t think or know that I should be scared or concerned about doing it wrong. I was raised with a can do attitude, just do it, learn, learn more, then down the road master it or at least be better at it. There are risks but cheeses often tell us we screwed up. Bloated, bouncy che…

Food is expensive and stocking the homestead pantry with bulk food, buying food on sale, and other strategies is a good thing—but pantry pest infestations can be devastating and expensive. In this episode I share my considerations for storing food and stocking up. My favorite storage containers other than glass mason jars with metal lid and ring or…

After a multiyear hiatus, Soirée is back and switched things up. Permaculture Velocity is now Soirée with The Sauce. In this episode I share why we moved to rural Tennessee from San Diego and some of the big considerations if you are thinking about ditching the urban grind and moving to the country. Try a Podcasting 2.0 Certified app: Podfriend - B…

Of all the chicken breeds, which are good choices for a backyard flock? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

So many seeds, so many misunderstandings! Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Some products require special equipment, fancy ingredients, and so forth. These simple products are easy and economical. Each can easily be made as fancy as you like! Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Getting ready to preserve the summer's bountiful harvest means having the equipment on hand. What's the best pressure canner to get the job done? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Unlike a food processor or a blender, a grain mill is essential if you are going to grind grains. But, with so many choices, how to select the right one for the homestead? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

What's not to love? Perennial. Easy. Relatively low cost. Beautiful. Fresh fruit. Adding fruit trees to the backyard garden can quickly had a bounty of terrific food. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

New Years greetings come and go, resolutions are made, but another year seems to slip by! It's so easy to be distracted from our path. One day slips by, then another, then another. How can you alter this course? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Right up there with "so what do you do when the chickens stop laying?" is "what to do when a chicken dies?" No one is really signing up to get the gory details yet at some level we all know that chickens die...even our most favorite pet chicken. But what can we learn? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com…

Toxins suck! They make us, the soil, the air, the water, and the animals sick. So many of them are simply not needed for the job we are buying them for, yet, there they are! How can we step-by-step make our homesteads less toxic and maybe the world too? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Show notes at PermacultureVelocity.com

What is the gift economy and how can it impact the homestead? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Don't freak out! Here are some tips for stress-free holiday meals! Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

It's easy to get sucked into the fancy packaging, promises of cleanliness not possible any other way, and germs killed on contact. But, how much do we really know and understand about the products that we are bringing into our homes? How can we make changes to kick toxic products to the curb? Plus, how to stick to your guns with homemade cleaners. …

Prevention, prevention, prevention. Let's get into some details to avoid problems with illness and disorder down the road. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Botulism is not something to take lightly and if you are new to home canning it can be a scary thing. Learn about what went wrong in home canning that made people sick. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Of all the cool season vegetables, which are the best to get started in the garden for the cool season? Selected for ease and productivity plus some surprises. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

How can you manage a chicken run without nuisance smells, flies, and tons of work? This simple and easy approach to managing the litter in a chicken run is healthier for the flock while being less work for the chicken keeper. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com