The Sovereign Homestead

Regenerative lifestyle and landscape design ~ create the life you want today and a world worth inheriting tomorrow.

Tater Biggums Is HERE 05/06/2024

Floating Wetland Gardens In Pantry Ponds For Resilience, Function and Yield Stacking ~Epi-079 04/29/2024

Floating Wetland Gardens In Pantry Ponds For Resilience, Function and Yield Stacking ~Epi-079 Floating wetlands are a "new" old technology that is well worth looking into if you are doing aquaculture at just about any scale - from small backyard tanks a few hundred gallons in size, on up to multi-acre ponds and lakes. Floating wetlands take the essential functions provided by wetlands and concentrated them into a smaller and more mobile footprint. Wetlands are the kidneys of the landscape, and floating wetlands amplify many of those beneficial functions, such as: Integrated wetland (edge) functionality into an open water body = excess nutrient removal and water clarification Increased biomass production = more habitat and more food for livestock, wildlife and humans More "optimized edge" without reducing storage volumes in ponds Shade - decreases water temps, reduces algal growth potential by reducing light in the water column Shelter - fish shelter underneath and amongst the hanging roots some systems even have protected fish spawning beds hung underneath the island Shoreline protection / floating breakwaters - if wave erosion is a thing in your pond, consider a chain of floating islands to reduce wave action and protect vulnerable edges while also creating a highly-valuable living filter element Habitat Creation - floating islands contain so much edge in such a small space, they inevitably create habitat for many forms of life - from the micro (biofilms) to the macro (water fowl and fish) and everything in between. Waste water treatment - floating rafts with nutrient-accumulating vegetation are utilized to clarify and treat sewage effluent Floating gardens are great for the homesteader as well. They are self-watering (obvious, but worth mentioning), benefit from increased sunlight availability to crops (light reflected off the water's surface to crop plants on the island), pest protection (no burrowing or terrestrial garden pests are going to make it to your floating garden - unless you've got Navy SEAL gophers!). They make excellent floating hutches for water fowl. Some folks have experimented with adding solar lights, fans and wheedwhackers to create nocturnal fish feeders by attracting insects and knocking them into the water for the fish to eat. There are many ways to make floating islands - from DIY to pre-made - this would make an amazing summer time home-school project - construction, design, aquatic ecology, observation, nature time...talk about stacking functions! Show Resources YouTube Playlist: Pre-made / Custom BioHaven Floating Islands _______________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Resilient Human Habitats Where People And Ecology Thrive Together Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/31016558

Opt In To Nature To Opt Out Of The System(s) ~Epi-078 04/15/2024

Opt In To Nature To Opt Out Of The System(s) ~Epi-078 What do we mean when we say we want to "opt out" of the system? Firstly, it's the system(s) - the means of production, transport, communication, value transmission etc that we have to interface with to acquire the things we need to live in the modern world. In general, the further the distance a product or service must travel and the more technology involved means you will have less control over how to source it, how much you pay for it, when (and if) it is available etc. If it is produced or provided closer to home you have more agency in how you obtain that product or service and it is more resilient to "disruptions" Why are so many of us drawn to opting out? We have no agency over the direction of the system(s) - they are by and large completely hijacked by parasites - the political technocratic oligo-corporate controlling class. If we want to have more agency, and thus freedom to live life on our own terms - in alignment with our innate intelligence - the solutions are found in living in closer connection with Nature and other decentralized/distributed systems based on Nature. Fundamentally, this is about designing your life to create freedom from the system(s) via interdependence with Nature. We all have an ecological umbilical cord - we are completely and utterly dependent upon functioning ecosystems to provide us with ALL of the things we need and want to live well. The sooner we acknowledge this the sooner we can be FREE from pretending we don’t have an ecological umbilical and all resulting pathology that follows. What We Can Do To Opt Out By Opting In To Nature Connection Create freedom from the system(s) by leveraging your interdependence with Nature - choose to ally your life with Nature - Nature is what "they" fear and cannot ever control. Harvest and use Nature’s gifts - everywhere nature gives us gifts for free Become ecosystem literate where you live - every place has something that wants to grow there - use analogs to find productive species to meet your needs Embrace Cyclical vs. Linear Cyclical = biology-based - slower, but infinitely more resilient and powerful - where how you grow & harvest can enrich the whole ecosystem. Trust in Distributed wisdom vs. Centralized “intelligence” centralization of decision-making authority and technical know-how is a hallmark of the technocratic system being pushed upon us the opposite of this is Nature - wisdom in every cell YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE CELLS - composed of trillions of other cells - each with it’s own innate wisdom Find your place and commit to it and it’s people - so much of the control system is commodification of the things that used to be provided via reciprocity by close human relationships. Show Resources - Counter-Economics For Stewards Of The Future - ways to start engaging with more natural cycles that reduce your need to buy ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/30809238

Designing For LIGHT At Every Level - Patterns For Incorporating Natural Light Into The Built Environment ~Epi-077 04/08/2024

Zone 0 Pattern Language Fundamentals - Designing Your Permaculture Kitchen ~Epi-076 04/01/2024

Zone 0 Pattern Language Fundamentals - Designing Your Permaculture Kitchen ~Epi-076 Join me today as we discuss designing functional kitchen spaces that people want to be in. Lots of people are inheriting kitchens designed more for magazine covers than for function - and where there is a lack of function there is a concommitant increase in friction, which means more stress and less joy. Kitchens are the Zone 1 of Zone 0 - Zone 0 referring to the space inside the home. Kitchens are the heart of human life - communion over shared food, shared work, a space for being together, conversing, and generally connecting over the daily activities that make up life. Poorly designed kitchens discourage healthy human interaction and bonding, and thus are a huge lost opportunity for not only creating a thriving, functional homestead, but can actively undermine human thriving. In today's show we discuss some of the fundamental emergent patterns detailed by Christoper Alexander and company A Pattern Language - a seminal work on the patterns of human habitation that support and promote human well being. This book belongs on your shelf if you're serious about creating healthy human habitats. It is guaranteed to spark fresh ideas and perspectives for examining your space, even if you've been there for decades, and give you actual tangible design guidelines if you're starting from scratch or remodeling to build functional, beautiful places for life to happen. In this episode we will discuss the following patterns as they pertain to permaculture kitchens specifically and Zone 0 home design generally: 127 - Intimacy Gradients 129 - Common Areas At The Heart 159 - Light On Two Sides 139 - Farmhouse Kitchen 184 - Cooking Layout 182 - Eating Atmosphere Show Resources A Pattern Language []: - website for the book and Alexander's works ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/30611028

Building Freedom And Community In The REAL Private Sector - Real World Applications For Private Membership Associations with Joshua Longbrook ~Epi-075 03/25/2024

Building Freedom And Community In The REAL Private Sector - Real World Applications For Private Membership Associations with Joshua Longbrook ~Epi-075 Today I interview Joshua Longbrook on real world applications of Private Membership Associations for creating systems of support - i.e. the parallel society - outside the jurisdiction of the public (State dominated) sphere. We'll cover what PMAs are, what protections they do and do not offer, how they are best utilized as extensions of a larger unincorporated Church, and the types of voluntary interactions they enable within and between local communities. We'll also get into Josh's personal experience with running the Agora Food Club and how the structure has enabled many home-scale producers to supply their wares or seasonal abundance to their fellow food club members in exchange for credits they can apply towards their own grocery bill. I think this is one of the "killer apps" the PMA structure can provide a network of homestead-minded people. Let's face it - even if you're just gardening for yourself, or have a small orchard with even a handful of fruit trees, it's very easy to be overwhelmed with the seasonal abundance from these systems. The PMA creates a way for these small scale producers to exchange their goods that doesn't require all of the licensing and legal hopscotch that becoming an official business does. The PMA literally enables the creation of circular, local economies without the energetic drain of taxes, licensing and all the things the State requires to be deemed "legal". As Josh shares in the interview, a PMA enables the same dynamics that take place when you invite friends over for dinner - you cook food for them in your home (no food service business license, no health inspections etc), you might offer them a drink of wine (no liquor license required), and you might even offer them a bottle to take home for a few bucks. All of this is OK within the confines of your private home, but for some reason when this activity takes place in a business, and selling is happening, then it needs to be regulated (and taxed). The PMA is basically just a bigger dinner party with more friends all happening within the private sphere. Resources - the Church that Joshua and company run, of which the Agora Food Club is an auxiliary - Christian ministry based in Hixson, TN. [VIDEO] - Mission Society-based Private Membership Association Josh's podcast - Josh's email if you'd like to contact him directly with questions: ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: Another fun way you can support the show AND start some fun and interesting conversations along the way. For those of you that have seen Idiocracy, you know what this is all about. For those of you that haven't...watch . /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/30530663

Sovereign Water - Spring Development Basics ~Epi-074 03/18/2024

Debt, Wealth & Counter-Economics As A Means To Create A World Worth Inheriting ~Epi-073 03/11/2024

Debt, Wealth & Counter-Economics As A Means To Create A World Worth Inheriting ~Epi-073 How do we create a regenerative economy and all that entails when that work is arbitrarily outlawed, suppressed or actively disincentivized by the value systems that dominate our current culture? HINT: We have to step outside of the current imposed power structure - no permission required. My presupposition for this episode is this: Mainstream, state sponsored and enforced economic theory and practice has herded humanity as a whole onto a degenerative trajectory with respect to environmental integrity, social cohesion and individual well-being. We are living in a debt-driven world - stealing from future generations so we can have more now. If we want to live regeneratively, there has to be another way of meeting our needs today without destroying the ecosystems that provide them. In fact, we need to make them stronger and more productive! That "other way" is Counter-Economics. Counter-Economics is the theory and practice of all human action neither accepted by the State nor involving any initiatory violence or threat of violence. Counter-Economics exists and can be practiced outside the boundaries of State power (the State being that institution that has a legal monopoly on the use of force within a certain arbitrary geographic border). State power exists at the intersection of three things: Scope – laws on the books. Reach – boots on the ground. Will – what lives in the heart of the agent of the State. To engage in the counter economy is to engage only in moral actions (voluntary, without initiation or or threat of violence). They may or may not be legal as viewed from the perspective of the State Agent. In order to get to a regenerative economy, we have to add one more layer - an ethical framework provided by the Prime Directive and three ethics of permaculture. Prime Directive: The only ethical decision is to take responsibility for yourself and your dependents. Make it now. Permaculture Ethics Care Of The Earth: Provision for all life systems to continue and multiply. Care Of People: Provision for people to access those resources necessary for their own existence. Setting Limits To Population And Consumption: By governing our own needs, we can set resources aside to reinvest towards the first two ethics. Once we have combined Counter-Economics with the ecologically sound guideposts from permaculture, we have created the foundation for a truly regenerative economy. One in which the 7th Generation Principle can come to fruition in act and spirit: The 7th Generation Principle: A 7th generation systems creates socially and economically fulfilling lives for its inhabitants, whose daily activity patterns regenerate natural ecosystems and increase living capital year over year, such that the economic and social value of natural ecosystems is always increasing, and the value-ing of those systems is transmitted intact across generations. Show Resources - by Samuel Edward Konkin III ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/30300913

Grow Food, Fodder, Fences And Forts For Cheap With Livestaking ~Epi-072 02/26/2024

As Within So Without ~Epi-071 02/19/2024

Adaptive vs. Prescriptive Management For Homesteads And Lifestyle Design ~Epi-070 02/12/2024

Why We Use Functions-First Design To Create Holistic Ecosystems ~Epi-069 02/05/2024

Off-Grid Soil Fertility For Sovereign Food Systems ~Epi-068 01/29/2024

Off-Grid Soil Fertility For Sovereign Food Systems ~Epi-068 If you are serious about food sovereignty, you're serious about building soil. In this episode I detail 4 methods for creating your own soil fertility inputs from what you are already growing, can source on your property or very close to home, or are already in the course of putting food on your table. They are: Vermicomposting ------------------> good biology Compost Tea Brewing --------------> amplify biology Biochar ----------------------------> retain biology Plant-based Liquid Fertilizer --------> feed biology It is in the SYNERGY between these methods that the real exponential gains are to be found. I chose vermicomposting as a way to create good biology in the first place as it is relatively simple to get started with and will yield returns of worm castins within a growing season or less. Next, utilize aerobic compost tea brewing to expand the amount of beneficial biology you have created from the worm castings. Once you have a tea you can spray it and cover large areas of plant bodies or soil surface with beneficial biology and nutrients. This is WAY more efficient than spot application of compost. Next, use your aerobic compost tea inoculated with worm castings to inoculate charcoal and turn it into biochar! Biochar is a millennia+ soil amendment - it will outlive you and the next 20+ generations in the soil - and it will provide a home for beneficial biology and retain nutrients for the entire time it persists. This is as close to an infinite improvement as we can get in our human form. And finally, to charge up naked charcoal and give all the beneficial biology something to eat, we make anaerobically fermented weed tea (though animal products can be used too) to create a mineral and nutrient rich solution. Use your compost tea brewing set up to hyper-aerate this solution to kill all of the anaerobic organisms, leaving a nutrient soup, and then introduce naked charcoal and beneficial micro-organisms (vermicompost) to create a nutrient-rich, hydrated, beneficial microbe hotel that will provide increasing benefit to your growing systems year after year without you having to do it year after year. This is about getting off the treadmill of annual inputs. Don't give your money to the big fertilizer companies when you can make a way better, site-specific product on your own for very cheap that doesn't have a long-term downside like typicaly salt-based fertilizers and centralized, commodity soil amendments. Food sovereignty can be acheived when our food systems build soil by default. That is what this synergy can do for you. Resources DIY Soil Fertility - Part 8: Fermented Liquid Nutrient Fertilizers - write up coming soon! ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/29683913

Biosolids: America's Dirty Secret ~Epi-067 01/21/2024

Making Landfall - Your First 60 Days On The Land ~Epi-066 01/15/2024

Making Landfall - Your First 60 Days On The Land ~Epi-066 Today's show is all about the things you have to do to get yourself onto your land quickly without shooting yourself in the foot withe improperly located or oriented structures and roads. Vehicle access is basically an absolute necessity in today's world. By their very nature, roads are a break from the inherent landform, and thus ALL ROADS CAPTURE AND MOVE WATER. This is just part of what a road does. If you put in a road, or are inheriting a road without understanding that fact, you will pay for it later - all it takes is one good storm. So today, in this first installment of the Making Landfall series, we're zero-ing in on Water > Access > Structures - the three primary design layers that have to get sorted out quickly when you move onto a new landscape. Where am I going to live? How am I going to get to it? How will this affect and be affected by water moving through the landscape? This show is about the essential things you need to do to get it right and not create a Type 1 Error that will hamper your efforts to create your sovereign homestead as long as it exists. Show Resources ~ the basic principles that guide planning and implementing vehicle access that has a regenerative effect on your site hydrology and ecosystem function. ~ all the things you need to know and consider when assessing your landscape to plan efficient, low-maintenance, high-function vehicle access. - blog post index of lesser-known cross drains and drainage elements more suited to regenerative water management. Don't install 'not my problem tubes' unless you absolutely have to! Yeah, I'm talking about culverts here - I rarely see these done well, especially with regards to what happens with the water after it leaves the culvert. Perhaps try a instead! ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/29486503

A Strong WHY Can Bear Almost Any HOW ~ Epi-065 01/07/2024

Using Duckweed To Grow More Calories Per Square Foot ~ Epi-064 12/29/2023

The 7th Generation Principle - Designing For Continuity Across Generations ~ Epi-063 12/22/2023

The 7th Generation Principle - Designing For Continuity Across Generations ~ Epi-063 In this episode I am sharing what I have come to call the 7th Generation Principle - a principle guide post of sorts that I've been refining for nearly 10 years now to help guide my design work (for my own life and for others) in the direction of inter-generational regeneration. Basically, it seems like throughout human history we've actually lived in a truly sustainable fasion - i.e. regeneratively. Some of those examples even persisted for quite some time, but now we are left with very few intact cultures that can successfully transmit the cultural values of regeneration through time from one generation to the next. Even those that still exist are struggling to keep it up. This principles is my attempt at refining design imperatives such that we prepare fertile soil for the values of regeneration to once again take root in the hearts and minds of the up and coming generations, and for them to have the tools to successfully transmit those values to their descendants. We'll break down all the context and various pieces of it in the podcast, but here it is in full: A 7th generation system creates socially and economically fulfilling lives for its inhabitants, whose daily activity patterns regenerate natural ecosystems and increase living capital year over year, such that the economic and social value of natural ecosystems is always increasing, and the value-ing of those systems is transmitted intact across generations. In this episode I'll walk through the questions that led to me writing this principle this way, and the ways to apply it in your own lifestyle design using the Regenerative Triple Bottom Line - Economic, Social and Ecological to create guiding criteria and questions to assess if you're on target or not. Show Resources BLOG POST: VIDEO: (4 min) VIDEO: - ARTE.tv documentary (24 min) ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/29190798

5 Tenets Of Carnivore Homesteading ~ Epi-062 12/15/2023

5 Tenets Of Carnivore Homesteading ~ Epi-062 In today's show we discuss the idea of the Carnivore Homestead. For those of us that eat a mostly animal-based diet, we want to produce mostly animal-based calories from our homestead production systems. I got news - just because we like to eat steak doesn't mean we aren't going to grow plants - in fact, we've got to grow them in greater quantity and quality in order to feed the animals that become our food. Carnivore homesteads have to be regenerative by their very nature if they are to be sustainable. Join me as we discuss the ins and outs of what I'm calling the 5 tenets of carnivore homesteading: Maximize Calorie Production / Unit Area - this means growing a better solar collector, which means growing lots of plants. We do this by managing the 4 pillars of any productive ecosystem - water, soil, light and life (biology/living organisms). Extend Calorie Production Throughout As Much Of The Year As Possible - extend the growing season, and no its not just about greenhouses, though those are great. Livestock Species Selection & Integration - select species that WILL thrive on what your land is innately good at producing, and integrate them with other species that improve the habitat for one another (non-competitive niches). Preserve Seasonal Abundance With Long Term Storage - we need to employ a variety of methods to preserve fat and protein during times of abundance for the times of dearth - freezers and canning are great, but there is so much more! Build relationships with other producers - don't go it alone! Animal products are high-value, and if you are producing one you probably have an abundance greater than you can use. Trading, exchanging or sell to or with other local producers creates stronger, healthier, more resilient communities and allows us to create our own food systems parallel to the mainstream commoditized, centralized and controlled industrial food system. Show Resources BLOG POST: BLOG POST: YouTube Channel: Permies Thread on ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/29063038

Up-Leveling Calorie Production Per Square Foot With Azolla ~Epi-061 11/06/2023

Up-Leveling Calorie Production Per Square Foot With Azolla ~Epi-061 Today's episode came out of a Permies.com thread on Carnivore Homesteading. The seed questions for the thread was, for those of us enjoying the benefits of a carnivore lifestyle, how can we produce more high-quality animal-based calories for our own consumption from well designed and integrated systems at the homestead scale. Basically, there are three main focal points that need attention here: First and foremost we need to maximize is the number of calories grown per unit area (per acre, per square foot, per roof, whatever space one has) if we are to be eating primarily animal products coming from our own properties. This means optimizing the landscape/whateverscape to the fullest extent possible to maximize our use of those freely available resources that go into growing and producing calories - namely water, light, and soil minerals. Second, we need to optimize the distribution of those calories throughout the year (this includes preserving seasonal oversupply/abundance for leaner times) such that high quality nutrition is available to whatever form of livestock we might be keeping or tending. Third - select and stack livestock species that are appropriately suited to the given unique context (i.e. ruminants where pasture forages are plentiful, fish/water fowl/invertebrates where water is plentiful etc). Generally, at least in my own limited experience, that when faced with a repetitive task or "problem" that has to be backfilled with my own labor/time/energy, I'm almost always missing an additional living system - i.e. the solution almost always seems to be to "add more life". With these focal areas in mind, we arrive at azolla - an incredibly productive free-floating aquatic fern that fixes its own atmospheric nitrogen, yields a high-protein vegetative crop that can be harvested DAILY, is incredibly simple to grow and propagate indefinitely for almost no cost after the initial system set up, and can be stored fed to practically all classes of livestock, fresh or dried! Azolla truly is a super plant, and if you haven't come across it - or even if you have - this one deserves your attention. It, along with other highly productive and nutritious aquatic vegetable crops, deserve a spot on the roster in your homestead production systems - especially if you're trying to raise nutrient dense animal products for your own final consumption! In this episode we will discuss... General plant characteristics - what makes Azolla so darn special Azolla's history in agriculture as well as its significant role in creating the current earth climate. Livestock pallatibility - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, fish, worms, insects - you name it, it'll probably eat azolla! Digestibility Growing Requirements - light, temperature, humidity, ph, salinity, nutrition, pests - everything you need to know to set up a successful azolla growing environment Propagation Methods - different small-scale systems for growing azolla on the homestead Harvesting and processing Other Applications of azolla beyond animal feed and more! Show Resources Takota Coen - How he uses duckweed to feed pigs, chickens and cows on his family farm - the same process will work for azolla ~ ~ ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/28523405

Autumn Equinox Break ~ Epi-60 09/18/2023

Autumn Equinox Break ~ Epi-60 Just a quick update on recent events here and announcement for taking a break until Novemeber 1st to visit family and dive into some design projects here in Tennessee and North Carolina. You can also follow Sovereign Homestead Design on We've been having massive technical issues with our webhosting and emails this past month - basically incommunicado as far as our ability to reach out to the world, BUT, our Instagram account is still up, detailing some of what's going on at the homestead. The Honey Badger Nursery website is still down, but we are hoping to resolve that and all the internet drama soon! We'll be diving into some larger property design work this month for the property we are currently living on, and hopefully into implementation in late October / early November for some mainframe water harvesting earthworks and vehicle access. I'll also be retrofitting a spring for 3 houses in Black Mountain, NC, just outside of Asheville, and will endeavor to film that project and turn it into a helpful tutorial video. If you have specific systems or designs that you'd like me to explore on the show, drop me a line and let me know - ------------------------------------------------ Need some help getting the "birds eye view" of your property and its surrounds to help you design your sovereign homestead? Check out our package. This package includes: Hi-definition LiDAR contour map layer (contour lines can spaced at whatever scale you desire - as tight as 1 foot or less if you desire). Aspect Map Layer - color-code your entire property by which direction it faces - very helpful in identifying ideal growing zones and microclimates for specific plantings. Hillshade Layer - for easily visualizing landform across your entire property. Slope Layer - color-code your entire property based on the % grade - very helpful for access planning, living systems establishment and site selection for buildings etc. Deliverables include: Hi-definition .jpeg or .pdf of your entire property and/or its contributing watersheds, at whatever size you desire (if you wish to print a poster and have it laminated as an iterative design tool images can be generated at whatever size the poster shop will print). .KML file of the contour lines for importing and 3D viewing in Google Earth Pro ( - this is a very helpful and accessible design tool. We also offer consulting calls if you need some design help or a fresh perspective - see the for details. ---------------------------------- Getting started designing your homestead? START HERE: Enroll in the today for free. This is the ONE THING that will make everything else easier or unnecessary on your homesteading journey! 100% Free Upon completing this course you will have a crystal clear idea of who and what resources you have to work with, your desired Quality of Life that your homestead has to provide for, and what you will need to produce and the conditions required to sustain that production to meet your Quality of Life needs. --------------------------------- Another fun way you can support the show AND start some fun and interesting conversations along the way. For those of you that have seen Idiocracy, you know what this is all about. For those of you that haven't...watch . /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/28059396

Sovereign Food Systems - Pantry Ponds ~ Epi-59 09/04/2023

Sovereign Food Systems - Pantry Ponds ~ Epi-59 Today we look at another Sovereign Food System - what I'm calling the Pantry Pond. Basically a homestead-scale aquaculture system designed to maximize your food sovereignty via independence from the centralized systems of supply and distribution for any of the inputs required to grow what you want to grow - fish, aquatic vegetables, crawfish, shrimp, water fowl etc. Well-designed homestead-scale aquaculture systems aren't that common here in the modern U.S., and yet they have a tremendously long and productive history in many cultures the world round. Because aquaculture is so context and place-specific, we're going to talk about things today from a paradim and principles perspective, as well as list the specific design criteria you'll need to pay attention to when shaping your pond(s) and selecting the species to live in them. We'll look at... Context - what you need to analyze to know if this will work for you Zones within the pond Litoral, limnetic, euphotic, profundal and benthic and the different characteristics of each (HINT: litoral is where most of the action is going to be) Different production elements Fish and factors affecting their yields Invertebrates - crawfish, shrimp, prawns, snails, insects Amphibians Filter Feeders - molluscs, clams, oysters etc. Vegetation - 4 types of aquatic vegetation Marginal Emergent Submerged Floating Physical Structure Of Your Pond(s) Segmentation / Segregation of different ages, sexes, species etc. Life-stage design: eggs > fry > fingerlings > adult / market weight > breeding adults Predator protection - aquatic and terrestrial Temperature and aeration considerations Feeding / harvest pens Optimizing the pond edge for calorie production Shallows, chinampas, paddies, floating islands, trees etc. If you're serious about creating food sovereignty from your landscape, pantry ponds deserve consideration. Per unit area, there is nothing as productive, especially when it comes to producing protein. Show Resources - everything you could want to know about this super plant for homestead aquaculture systems! ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/27930462

Sovereign Food Systems - Perennial Protein From Silvopasture Meat Forests ~Epi-58 08/28/2023

Sovereign Food Systems - Perennial Protein From Silvopasture Meat Forests ~Epi-58 In today's show we are talking about creating Sovereign Food Systems. I think this will be a series, or at least a collection of episodes, each one focused on a different type of sovereign food system that can be applied at a variety of scales across a broad range of contexts. Basically, a sovereign food system is one that has eliminated any dependence on inputs from centralized production and distribution systems for its continued operation. I believe these systems are increasingly important in light of the war on independent food that we are seeing and experiencing all around the world right now. We are being squeezed, and the pressure is only going to keep building. Sovereign food systems are a way to in-source the inputs for your food producting systems - to literally grow and cycle them on-site - so that you don't need to depend on globalized supply chains, the price of deisel, and a functioning currency to put quality food on the table for your family. Sovereign food is all about designing systems that maximize the sunlight, water and soil resources on your property with good design and proper management such that the systems builds soil while feeding people. That's what sovereign food is all about. Show Resources on The Sovereign Homestead YouTube Channel. on The Sovereign Homestead YouTube Channel. Getting started designing your homestead? START HERE: Enroll in the today for free. This is the ONE THING that will make everything else easier or unnecessary on your homesteading journey! 100% Free Upon completing this course you will have a crystal clear idea of who and what resources you have to work with, your desired Quality of Life that your homestead has to provide for, and what you will need to produce and the conditions required to sustain that production to meet your Quality of Life needs. ____________________________________________________________________________ WHAT I DO: Design: Implementation: Courses: Media: /episode/index/show/73339c9d-dcff-450b-b0b0-962a14c76b00/id/27860772

Permaculture Design Principle Deep Dive #12 - Collaborate With Succession ~ Epi-057 08/22/2023

Permaculture Design Principle Deep Dive #11 - Make The Least Change For The Greatest Effect ~ Epi-56 08/14/2023

Permaculture Design Principle Deep Dive #10 - Optimize The Edge ~ Epi-055 08/07/2023

Permaculture Design Principle Deep Dive #9: Choose Small-Scale, Intensive Solutions ~ Epi-054 07/31/2023

Permaculture Design Principle Deep Dive #8 - Integrate, Don't Segregate ~ Epi-053 07/24/2023

Permaculture Principle Deep Dive #7: Design From Patterns To Details ~Epi-52 07/17/2023

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The Sovereign Homestead

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