"you are not your f*cking khakis" or are you?when the SHTF, what's your role? where do you bring value? are doomed to just roll over and die?DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

When was the last time you intentionally stopped using social media? It's not as important as you think.Homestead of Payne on TwitterHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Another student suicide, this time by a 10 year old boy. Did the parents do enough? What are some other options?DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TwitterHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramLongStoryFarms on TwitterLongStoryFarms on InstagramLongStoryFarms FacebookLongStoryFarms websiteHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

It's the end of April, are you already behind on your plans for this year? What the hell happened?DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TwitterHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterCaylon DePalma on TwitterSix Day Acres Farm on FacebookSix Day Acres Farm on InstagramFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Growing concerned over the Ferguson Riots, Josh started to think and respond differently to how to better prepare himself and his family should anything happen. He writes a great Substack called Unprepared.Life and even the free content is worth subscribingUnprepared.LifeJosh Centers on Twitter/XFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Started in 2020 and tired of hustling for pennies at the farmer's market, Caylon found a shortcut to maximize profits on specialty crops selling to.... grocery stores! Plus his journey to quickly ramping up production on his farm.Six Day Acres on FacebookSix Day Acres on InstagramFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

we're back and it's been weird being gone. but it's also good to take some time and figure out what you SHOULD BE DOING instead of just going through the motions and following a path to no where or somewhere you don't want to beHomestead of Payne on TwitterHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramThriving The Future websiteThriving The Future TwitterThriving Garden PlannerGrow Nut Trees websiteLongStoryFarms on TwitterHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

you're trying to do too much againtime to learn about Masanobu Fukuoka, Japanese farmer who pioneered the "do nothing" method by listening, trusting, and working with natureLets goFukuoka was born on Feb 2nd, 1913. His father was an educated man, completed an exceptional eight years of schooling, and the local leaders repeatedly selected him mayor. His mother was of Samurai descent and also well-educated. The land had been in the family for over 1400 yearsa troublesome student, he angered the teachers, and one day his music teacher broke the village organ in frustrationHis father sent him to Gifu Agricultural College for higher education to prepare for inheriting the family farmIn 1934, Fukuoka secured a role in Yokohama Customs Office's Plant Inspection Section. Working in a hilltop laboratory, he delved into studying diseases, fungi, and pests on imported plants"in amazement at the world of nature revealed through the eyepiece of the microscope"His third year at Yokohama, Fukuoka battled acute pneumonia, enduring harsh treatments like exposure to wintry air. Isolated, friends shunned him due to contagion fears. Even nurses fled after temperature checks, leaving him sick, lonely, and fearing for his life at 25After recovering, Fukuoka, haunted by his brush with death, obsessively pondered life's meaning. During a solitary walk, he reached a cliff's edge, contemplating the impact of his death. Realizing his lack of true friends, he collapsed in a deep sleep under an elm treeWaking to a heron's cry at dawn, he watched the sunrise through mist, birds singing, realizing"all the concepts to which he had been clinging were empty fabrications. All his agonies disappeared like dreams and illusions, a something one might call 'true nature' stood revealed"Fukuoka quit his job the next day. For months he lived on severance pay proclaiming "everything is meaningless."Dismissed as eccentric, he returned home, retreated to a mountain hut, and entrusted with his father's citrus grove. Testing his revelation, he began doing nothing.He let meticulously pruned fruit trees go wild. Insects attacked, branches interlocked, and the orchard withered. His father's grove taught Fukuoka a crucial lesson: abrupt changes harm cultivated trees, realizing the importance of gradual adaptation to natural farmingHis odd behavior concerned his parents and as the mayor's son, "hiding" wasn't acceptableIn 1939, he was offered the chief role at an Agricultural Experiment Station, he accepted at his father's wishes. He moved to Kochi and was expected to increase wartime food productionIndependently, Fukuoka conducted studies comparing yields from chemically enhanced crops with those grown naturally. He scientifically established natural farming's superiority over chemical aids, building upon his earlier revelation that "doing nothing was best""I just emptied my mind and tried to absorb what I could from nature"Instead of asking "how about doing this?"ask "how about not doing this?"Over the years, as a more natural ecology was re-established, the less he did, the better the land respondedFukuoka observed, "The earth cultivates itself" Recognizing roots, worms, and micro-organisms thrive, he saw no need for human intervention. Plowing alters the environment and encourages weed growth.His first principle: No plowing or soil turningChemical fertilizers aid crops but harm soil. Nature itself can do better than compost and chicken poop (which can cause rice blast disease). Instead, use cover crops like clover as a natural fertilizer.Fukuoka's second principle: No chemical fertilizers or prepared compostPlowing stirs deep-lying weed seeds and chemical herbicides leaves poison. Weeds don't need to be eliminated, just suppressed with straw and ground cover, plus timely seeding to eliminate intervals between crops is crucialHis 3rd principle: No weeding by tillage or herbicidesPests and diseases attack the weakest plants, allowing the strong to survive. Chemical solutions, though effective in the short term, are hazardous in the long run, leave weak and chemical-dependent plantsFukuoka's 4th principle: No dependence on chemical pesticidesO-bon festival is when ancestors return to earth for 3 days to visit the living. On the 3rd night the ancestors go back with a sendoff of songs and fireworksMasanobu Fukuoka, author of The One-Straw Revolution, passed away on Aug 16, 2008, on that 3rd day of O-bonHe was 95Thank you very much for listening. Links in the show notes for the articles and videos referenced here. Image credit: farmerandchef.co.ukIf there’s another farmer you’d like me to cover, send me a message! @farmhoplife on all the social medias or matt@farmhoplife.comGo feed yourself.

it's time to get your seeds and starts in order. you ready?Thriving The Future websiteThriving The Future TwitterThriving Garden PlannerGrow Nut Trees websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

There are plenty of ways to win at farming for profit. Key is you have to keep track of your finances to actually know you're on the right path. But first, quit thinking about it and just do it already.Lindsay Graham and her husband operate a 7 acre farm in Oklahoma raising pigs, chickens, and lamb selling wholesale. How well does that work? Really well actually!Graham Acres websiteGraham Acres FacebookGraham Acres InstagramGraham Acres TikTokFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Do you have a plan for your property or are you always shooting from the hip?I’ve been taking a permaculture design course the last few months by William Horvath of Permaculture Apprentice. After working through the modules, homework, and coming up with a first draft, William set up a meeting to discuss my plans for my property. This episode is that meeting. You’ll see my draft I’ve submitted for review, hear a lot of specifics about the property, and William’s feedback for improvements to the design.Sign up for this Permaculture Farm Design Course for 50% off CLICK HERE, an incredible dealTo pay full price, which is still a good deal for what you're getting, CLICK HERELearn more about Permaculture Apprentice

What are you holding onto that's keeping you from wins and this year?DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

"With every new species we bring to the farm, it supports 8 more who can thrive. That's promoting biodiversity"Let's learn about Greg JudyGreg was born in 1960 on a dairy farm in northern Minnesota. His family moved to Missouri in 1966, mainly to escape the cold long wintersGreg Judy started milking the family cow at 7, a routine he continued until leaving home after high school. Providing fresh milk for the family fueled his early passion for farming, creating a lasting connection to the land and its rhythms1993-95, Greg acquired 205 acres, combining his Uncle and Dad's farms at $350-$400 per acre. A 10% down payment connected the plots, incorporating challenges with neglected land, cedars, and erosion. Relying on his town job to meet farm payments without starvingWith many challenges on his 200-acre farm, Greg encountered a farmer with premier pasture on 160 acres during a drought. Introduced to Management Intensive Grazing, Greg enrolled in a grazing school and subscribed to Stockman Grass Farmer. Needing a change to avoid lifelong debtDuring the 3 day grazing school, Greg slept in his camper to save money. Trapped by floods one night, he found high ground and camped, unbothered by the constant rain. He learned about forages, fences, and herd health. Eager to apply newfound knowledge, he hurried homeAllan Nation warned about the cattle crash and despite initially planning to increase his herd, Greg sold everything. In February 1996, he swiftly bought back all his cows shortly afterward, making strategic moves considering the drop in cow prices, actually making a farm paymentHowever, that summer Greg faced a another blow - discovering his wife's manic depression, leading to divorce. The financial strain intensified as divorce and farm payments depleted all available cash and cattle. Greg felt hopeless and looked like the farm was finishedGreg wrote up a contract to graze rodeo horses and that covered the six months of farm payments. Then, another Allan Nation article shifted his perspective. Rather than just land ownership, focus on making a living from the land. He started looking for unused pastures to leaseNo ownership stress, Greg sells his management skills, developing idle land for grass gain on stockers. This let Greg pay off his farm and house in 3 years. He faced financial struggles, now shares experiences to guide young graziers, emphasizing the pitfalls of land ownership Greg Judy now owns 4 farms & leases 12 more1600 acres total900 is timber700 is grassGreen Pastures Farm offers pastured pigs, sheep, chickens, grassfed beef, shiitake mushrooms, some lumber, & furnitureGreg uses "mob grazing" trying to emulate the natural systems of the prairie when the buffalo roamed2 mobs, about 300 animals in a mob. Move twice a day. Combine your herds for more horsepower to build your soilPasture ratio: 30% grazed, 30% trampled, 30% left standingFor the woods, first thing is to run your cattle in there at high density. Trample, cow pee and poop to fertilize the ground. Let Mother nature take over. No seeding. Only take the pigs through the timber once a year, let the timber recoverWanting to get more forage in the woods so that the sunlight hits all sides of every mature tree, thin out the smaller ones. He took out 70% of the trees and inoculated them with shiitake mushroomsThank you very much for listening. Links in the show notes for the articles and videos referenced here.If there’s another farmer you’d like me to cover, send me a message! @farmhoplife on all the social medias or matt@farmhoplife.comGo feed yourself.source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4Image credit: glassenfarms.com

When do you call it quits despite how badly you want something and how much money you've spent?Kiel talks about the few years he spent homesteading, giving it his all. But with a job away from the homestead, the expenses kept piling up. Finally, he had to leave and return to the city.Kiel on Twitter Xhttps://twitter.com/___Kiel___FarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

new year, time to step up because the crazy train is going full steam📖 we're going to recap a few major events that happened in 2023🥅 did you hit your goals in 2023?🏋️ discuss our plans to do more this yearDeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

If only I could be so blessed as being able to farm until I’m 100 years old, what a life that would beCatherine Hagel born Nov. 28, 1894, on a farm near Dayton, MN to John and Mary Dahlheimer. At 5lbs, her father doubted she would survive.Catherine met her future husband, John at age 16, when he was digging a hole for an outhouse.They married in 1916. Then in 1918 She worked to maintain the family farm when her husband fell ill during a flu pandemic, while caring for two childrena farmer's wife who made nearly everything from scratch, picking berries and canning hundreds of jars of fruits and vegetables every year, and had no electricity and running water for decadesShe made her own soap, sewed her family's clothes and was an avid quilter. She spent all winter tearing rags. Her children would tie the rags together and she would use them to make rag quilts.The Depression found them struggling to hold onto the family farm. Catherine attributes her deep religious faith for serving her through the ups and downs of it all. "She used to tell such stories -- about the Indians living nearby when she grew up, seeing her first car, meeting Dad when he came over to help on the farm, about growing up one of 10 kids and then raising 11 of her own," Her daughter Cecilia said."When Mom was about 80 we tried to get her to move after the house burned down, but she refused," her daughter said. "She camped out on a cot in the garage, then in an old trailer house till we rebuilt the farmhouse."Until she was 100, Hagel stayed on the 40-acre farm near Rogers after her husband died in 1966, keeping up a huge garden, sewing, quilting and visiting relatives. Increasing frailty and a painful case of untreated shingles drove Hagel to leave the farm and move to a care facility.Catherine taught her children, by example and expectation, the value of hard work, a positive attitude and an utter trust that God gets everything right.“When something bad would happen, Mom always said, 'Well, it's in God's hands,'" Cecilia said"We grew up poor and didn't eat" her son Al laughs saying, who still lives at the family's farmstead, has fond memories of growing up on the farm.Catherine had three girls and eight boys; the last four were two sets of twins."don't go rooting around" was something that Catherine lived by. In fact, she has only left Minnesota once in her 113 years, to visit a cousin in Wisconsin.expected and unexpected visitors were welcome to the Hagel home. "Dad was always bringing home bums and mom would always have something to feed them," said AlHe remembers the vagabonds that would hop off cars at the railroad station in Rogers and find their way into the house for a warm meal.Catherine died on December 6th, 2008 at the age of 114 years, 8 days. She is the 2nd oldest Minnesotan, and 81st oldest American to ever live.FarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife LinktreeSource 1, Source 2Image Credit: the110club.com

"plant the rain"when you live in the most arid region of Zimbabwe and modern farming techniques have failed, you take drastic measures to provide for your familyand that's after being jailed and beaten multiple times for yearslet's learn about Zephaniah PhiriZephaniah Phiri was born Feb 1927 in Rhodesia 1950s during the colonial days, he was arrested for planting barn grass and kikuyu grass to preserve water in his catchment area. At court, the validity of his arguments led the Magistrate to visit Phiri’s fields and let him go freePhiri was arrested again in the 1960s. Brutally beaten up, thrown into a detention facility, spending his entire time there in leg irons.His farming aptitude began while in detention, a place of extreme scarcity, when he started a piggery project so he could “eat better.”after release and banned from working, forced him back to his small farm at ~8 acres. Phiri experimented with farming techniquescapturing water from the hill, redirecting it into trenches at the bottom of the hill for future use. Earning him three arrests for “farming in a waterway.”Intrigued by Phiri's continued defiance and quantity of produce at a time of severe drought (1972/73), the magistrate decided to visit Mr Phiriʼs farm. Impressed, freed him and had the Government Land Development Officer opposing Mr Phiriʼs strategies replaced.1973, Mr Phiri opened his first pond, discovering that the bands of clay brought water to the surface and these could be used to make dam walls that prevented water loss when it was abundant.“Ponds enabled holding more water in the marshy patch, without water-logging the soils"August 1976 during Zimbabwe’s liberation war, he was arrested for possession of firearms left at his home by the freedom fighters, "terrorists" to the colonial government. Tortured, two of his shoulder bones, broken, hip joint disjointed, and forever left with a limpAfterwards, he was taken to Gweru Prison where he suffered for four and half years, handcuffed and restrained with leg irons.By 1983, he had constructed two additional dams of combined storage capacity 1,5 million litres, nearly 400,000 gallons or an olympic sized swimming poolencouraged by the experiments with sand filtration using concrete rings, Mr Phiri discovered in 1987 the concept of “Phiri pits” – holes in contour trenches where water accumulates, forcing water infiltration deep into the soils uphill to feed downhill fields later in the seasonDuring the 80s and 90s, he placed pits across his land. Many villagers followed his example. Between 1984-86, he founded the Vulindhlebe Soil and Water Conservation, and the Zvishavane Water Project, two key NGOs that equipped farmers with skills to manage their water betterover 10,000 visitors to his farm in the past 30 years. Academics, university students, researchers, public officials, fellow farmers, all learning from a man who had elementary school edu. Mr Phiri did not need a degree to understand hydrology, and how to make it work for him.His now famous “Phiri Pits” have captured the rain water whose seepages have literally met the water level in the ground below; thus resulting in raising the water table that ensures constant moisture to his trees and crops.Brad Lancaster of Arizona, author of “Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond”, had visited Zimbabwe in 1995“And when I told him how concerned I was with the water situation in my community and watershed, and how I was thinking of leaving my community because of this... "Phiri said "You cannot leave. You must set your roots deeper than you ever thought possible. Because if you run from your problems, you will just plant problems everywhere you go... "“You must instead try to find solutions. If you succeed, you will then have the ability to find solutions anywhere.”He was never selfish. He freely offered well-structured training to smallholder farmers in his area and throughout Zimbabwe, particularly women.Phiri, famously known as the "Water Harvester" passed away on September 1, 2015 after suffering a severe stroke “In his years Mr Phiri took to thanking Mr (Ian) Smith (the cruel former Rhodesian prime minister) in his speeches,” Dr Ken Wilson said in his condolence messageDr Ken Wilson “He would say that from Smithʼs inhumanity and his vulnerability had come the prayers that had opened his heart to hear the Word of God and enabled him to commit his familyʼs well-being on the stewardship of his little piece of land.”To see photos, check out my Twitter thread on Mr PhiriThank you very much for listening. I’ll have a link in the notes for everything you’ve just heard.If there’s another farmer you’d like me to cover, send me a message! @farmhoplife on all the social medias or matt@farmhoplife.comGo feed yourself.FarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife LinktreeImage Credit: National GeographicSource 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5, Source 6, Source 7, Source 8, Source 9

man check. what are you up to?Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]Homestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Tony, aka "Farmer, Till, I die or get Disappeared", kicks it off with how his house got raided by a SWAT team because he was feeding the homeless in is area. Followed by how to escape the maze they've put us in. And of course how to grow your own food! He's an excellent teacher by showing you exactly how to build these systems no matter your situation.Farmer, Till, I die or get Disappeared on TwitterUni-Phi MediaUni-Phi Media - LawLoRaWANFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Ron Finley grew up in the Harvard Park area of South Los Angeles, the middle child in a large family. Everyday, school was a battle. Toward the end of high school, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and finally learned to read.When Ron was a teenager, he felt frustrated because “I wanted to have the kind of clothes you see in the movies, but nothing fit right.” With $15 he went to a tailor and got his pants altered. They fit great, but he couldn’t afford to keep going to a tailor. When he was 15, he used the family sewing machine to make his own clothes.At 16, he was making clothes for family and friends; when he was 17 he got a scholarship to enroll in the Los Angeles Trade Technical College fashion design program. He bought his first power sewing machine, and in 1984, created DropDead Collecxions, tailored clothes in natural fabrics for men and women that were sold in high-end stores. By 1998 he had completed a 12-week entrepreneurial training class at USC to grow his business, but in 2008 when the recession came, the sales stopped.During that time he Went to the store and saw a tomato with a sign that said “may be coated with shellac” and started noticing a pattern.Ron Got tired of seeing people dying of curable diseases. Got tired of seeing the obesity rate in his neighborhood 5x that of beverly hills, only 8-10 miles awayFinley, who studied gardening in a UC Cooperative Extension class taught by Florence Nishida, later hooked up with Nishida and a couple of other folks to address what they call the food desert in South Los Angeles, where healthful options are in short supply. The group is called L.A. Green Grounds.So he Planted food in the parkway in front of his house, 10ft x 150ftIts owned by the city, but you maintain itSomeone complained. City issued a citation. Then a warrant followed. Because he grew some food in his yard. Think about that.Someone started a petition and got 900 signatures. Issue was dropped and the law changed.In 2017, The house that Ron rents and has established this jam packed garden had gone up for auction and the new owner had tried to evict him. There was a fundraising campaign and over $500,000 was donated for the Ron Finley Project to own the home outrightIn his 2013 TED talk, he explains thatOver 20 million people in the US have to travel more than 3 miles to get fresh food, something not from a canIt’s unclear if he started the phrase “Growing your own food is like printing your own money”But I’m pretty sure he Coined the term “plant some shit”So ron started a “plant some money” campaignHe and his group marched a planned route, 3 miles and stopped in front of the Federal Reserve building, and planted some custom made dollars with ron finley’s face on itAt plantsomemoney.com you can get your own kit to grow your food at homeTheres a little shovel on one side that has seeds attached to it.Probably what he’s known best for is turning an old dresser drawer into a small garden. Got lots of replies and pictures on instagram and facebookHe can’t afford to fill the swimming pool in his backyard, so instead of it sitting empty, it’s used for growing more plants, teaching classes, hosting presentations, and even some lunches and dinners.He doesn’t like using the term guerilla gardening because that implies secrecy and neglect. He wants to garden out in the open and care for itRon tells a story of a mother and her child taking food from his garden around 10:30 at night. He talks with the lady saying that he purposely put it on the street for people to come take and eatThat’s the kind of community he’s building by making gardening sexy. Becoming a Gangsta Gardener. Not drive thrus and drive bysRon has traveled the world encouraging people to grow their own food that’s healthy and free of harmful chemicals.He still resides in Los AngelesFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktreesource 1, source 2, source 3, source 4, source 5, source 6, source 7, source 8image credit: Theo Jemison