Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce

Homesteading, food, freedom and fun!

Progressing LFTN's Food Forest: Start Through Maturity With Kerry Brown - EP 1110 01/13/2026

Baby Rabbits, Squeaks's Mouse, Home Alone and More- Homestead Happenings - EP 1109 01/09/2026

REPLAY: Choose Your Focus with #My3Things 12/31/2025

REPLAY: Develop Your Purpose with #my3things 12/30/2025

REPLAY: Establishing Your Vision, #My3Things, Step One 12/29/2025

An Intellectual Night Before Christmas 12/24/2025

The Australian Night Before Christmas 12/23/2025

The Redneck Night Before Christmas 12/22/2025

The Night Before Yule 12/21/2025

Cajun Night Before Christmas 12/20/2025

Stop Letting Other People Decide Who You Are - EP 1107 12/17/2025

Stop Letting Other People Decide Who You Are - EP 1107 Today is the last solo show of 2025. We examine something you may not want to look at: being too sensitive to criticism and ultimately letting other people decide who you are rather than be who you were meant to be. We will also do a final run through our usual Tuesday segments.Featured Event: Combat Midwife Class. March 7 at the Basecamp Lodge. Sponsor 1: Sponsor 2: LFTN UPDATE: Tonight at 6pm is the last Tour Livestream on Youtube with all the festival crews. Nicole is closed BUT - The Night Before Christmas Series starts soon and will run every night ending on Christmas Eve. My3Things Series after Christmas. See you January 2, 2026 I did a thing…. Tales From The Prepper Pantry Beef Math 715 hanging weight Cow 1: 370 pounds: $285 + $2307. $7 a pound 750 hanging weight Cow 2: 325 pounds: $376 + $2420. $8.60 a pound Getting ready to put out pickled things from this year at the Christmas event – we will see what ends up on the table. Pre-making burger patties, breakfast sausage and meatloafs for convenience Next year I hope to have more cured meats! Frugality Tip The day after Christmas is coming. Need I say more? Featured Forage We had a deep freeze and nothing is left, right? WRONG! Now is a time to look at things below ground. One of my favorites at this time of year requires that you look for the plant in the fall, mark where it is, then dig: Jerusalem Artichoke. Cleaning Favorite recipe: Steamed into a mash with butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Complements a steak beautifully without the glycemic impact of mashed. for a picture. These grow themselves and a little care will allow you to have many - but be careful about that many! Operation Independence PickTN store at the Dickens of a Christmas last weekend - SOLD OUT of tins! But you can still order them online: The Exhausting Game No One Wins - Letting Other People Live Your Life For you GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv Mewe Group: Telegram Group: Odysee: Resources /episode/index/show/nicolesauce/id/39435690

Lamb Roast, Surprise Venison, Leaf Mulch and More - Homestead Happenings - EP 1106 12/12/2025

Word Of The Year - EP 1105 12/09/2025

Word Of The Year - EP 1105 Today, we will talk about the word of the year, how mine went in 2025, why to even choose one and how it related to building the life you choose on your terms. We will also cover our usual Tuesday segments Featured Event: Tonight. 6pm, How to read and navigate the cut sheet Ways to save money by doing certain cuts at home Planning storage so nothing goes to waste Light overview of the odd bits and what to ask the butcher for Sponsors 1: Strong Roots Resources — StrongRootsResources.com Sponsor 2: Discount Mylar Bags — DiscountMylarBags.com Tales from the Prepper Pantry Two cows added to the freezers Garlic planted; raised beds mulched Mushroom tent producing well Mushroom coffee block experiment looking promising Burning through green beans at an alarming rate Featured Forage: Watercress Slow moving water - check water quality Fresh green for salads until it gets too too cold Great in a cream of watercress soup or saute as well Tastes like radished Operation Independence The Venison Story Main Topic of the Day: Word of the Year What is the word of the year Why choose one What is the dark side of the word of the year What is the upside of the word of the year How does it fit in with #my3Things My 2025 WOTY update: Enrich SRF changes Holler Hub and Smaller Events Lessons: Focus on fewer things to do them better, invest in learning, sometimes you must take a financial hit to set a better foundation, Holler Roast Holiday progress, RESULT: stronger inner circle network & connection with God My 2026 word of the year: characteristics - return to home and homestead, hub development, personal physical improvement (invest in mental and physical health), increase wealth. Combat Midwife Course — March 7, 2026 at the Holler Hub Make it a great week. GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv Telegram Group: Resources /episode/index/show/nicolesauce/id/39345980

Coffee Taste Test, "Down Time" And A Helper - EP 1104 12/06/2025

First Tuesday Coffee With John Willis and Jack Spirko 12/03/2025

Holleriffic Thanksgiving and Stubborn Ewe - EP 1102 11/28/2025

Chipmunks and Accepting Help - EP 1101 11/26/2025

Homestead Happenings for November 21, 2025 - EP 1100 11/26/2025

Episode 1099- The Power of Showing Up Nervous 11/18/2025

Episode 1099- The Power of Showing Up Nervous Today, we are diving deep into what it truly means to be fearless—whether you're launching a business, standing up to the local government, or just trying to live a sustainable life. Featured Event: Mark your calendars for the Dec 20 LFTN Christmas Reception—sign up now! Sponsors: Wealthsteading Podcast: InvestableWealth.com DiscountMylarBags.com Tales from the Prepper Pantry Broccoli rip cord TSP left over saute Peppers from Rick Ready for whole cows Shopping Report: Should we reboot this segment? Who wants to start going to Aldi on a weekly basis? Frugality Tip I was randomly looking at Etsy and saw someone selling something I was interested in that was local to me. I messaged them and asked about local pick up and cash price. They were very interested in cash money with pick up and I saved some money on my purchase. So ask, it will never kill you, and might save you a few dollars. Operation Independence 3-Month Rental at Basecamp: $800/month, Event Rental Launch Main Topic: Fearless Living – The Two Sides of "Go For It" We are talking about two forms of courage today: Professional Courage (to launch and critique) and Personal Courage (to be vulnerable and stand up). 1. The Courage to Launch and Critique: The Farm-to-Table AAR The Farm-to-Table Dinner was a huge "Go For It" moment. The real courage is in the fearless honesty of the After Action Review (AAR): Is this financially viable? $155 - 13/hour The Diagnostic Tool: The Homestead Revenue Stack We put the Dinner through our Homestead Revenue Stack to analyze where it sits and what it needs to succeed. The Dinner sits primarily in the Service Layer (Dinner/Class). AAR Findings & Action Plan Logistics Check: Reality vs. plan mismatch. Example: "Sunset on paper vs. Sunset in the holler (30 min BUBBLE)." Venue Needs: The oven/stove at BC needs an upgrade. Experience Flow: Need better arrival/mingling flow. Financial Fixes: We need to Price up, increase numbers at the dinner, and rely on Upsells. Opportunity: There is an opportunity for a premium cherry add-on for the dinner service. Action: Get the chef on the wild edible walk (to enhance the product layer). Action: If connected to a Farm-to-Table meal delivery service, that would be amazing. 2. The Courage to Stand Up and Be Vulnerable: Local Politics Sometimes "Go For It" means stepping outside your established comfort zone for a cause greater than your business. The Event: Giving public testimony in front of county officials. The Experience: I got nervous! My voice sounded emotional instead of my usual assertive self. The Takeaway: The vulnerability made the testimony more powerful. Being involved in important local matters is one of the few ways we can truly make a difference for our communities, food freedom, and farmers. Bringing it Home: Your Challenge to Go For It Courage is action, not the absence of fear. Don't wait until you're "ready." 1. Fearlessly Audit a Project: Go For It and audit a side hustle or homestead project using a framework like the Revenue Stack. Be honest about where you need to price up, fix it, or drop it. 2. Go For the Hard Conversation: Go For It and speak up about a local issue or personal matter you know you should address. Your passion is more powerful than silence. 3. Take the First Small Step: What is the one small, specific step you can take today to move toward a big goal? Final Thought Sometimes, you just need to go for it. Make it a great week. Song: GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv Mewe Group: Telegram Group: Odysee: Resources /episode/index/show/nicolesauce/id/39083725

Tuesday Coffee With John Willis and Jack Spirko - EP 1097 11/14/2025

Redneck Shepherd Edition - Homestead Happenings 11/13/2025

Homestead Revenue Stories, SRF - EP 1095 11/04/2025

Homestead Happenings for October 31, 2025 - EP 1094 10/31/2025

Stop Forcing It: The Mushroom Lesson - EP 1093 10/28/2025

Homestead Happenings for October 25, 2025 - EP 1092 10/24/2025

Homestead Revenue Stack: Airbnb Lessons Learned - EP 1091 10/22/2025

Homestead Revenue Stack: Airbnb Lessons Learned - EP 1091 Today, we talk about how the Airbnb at the Holler Hub became a real revenue stream — what’s working, what isn’t, and what we’ve learned along the way. If you’ve ever thought about turning a space on your property into income, this one’s for you. We’ll also cover our usual Monday segments. Featured Event Friday, November 15 Basecamp Lodge, Lancaster, TN Join us for an unforgettable evening featuring a full-course dinner sourced entirely from Tennessee farms. Real, local food, cooked from scratch, and shared in community. Sponsors – Helping entrepreneurs, homesteaders, and freedom-minded folks handle taxes the smart way. – Homestead design, consulting, and high-quality plants to help you build resilient systems that last. LFTN Stocking Exchange Time is running out to sign up! We’ll assign your Secret Stocking Santa on November 1, so don’t miss out on this fun community tradition. Tales from the Prepper Pantry Lambs came in, lambs went out! Processing and rotation are in full swing. Time to harvest the sweet potatoes. The restackening of the firewood has begun — getting ready for cold weather. Starting to tap into the canned goods, especially green beans. Made powdered sugar from regular sugar after realizing I forgot to buy it. Frugality Tip I like a little lemon juice in my water. Some of those bottles pour out like a waterfall, which is wasteful and makes something I do not want to drink. So this is a hack and a tip in one. The cap from Worcestershire sauce bottles fits on a lot of other things, including every lemon juice bottle I have purchased. So keep the lids that help you regulate the amount of "stuff" coming out of a bottle so you do not end up wasting product. Happy savings y'all ~Margo Operation Independence The Airbnb has been renting well since we got back from SRF! It’s great to see the Basecamp space generate steady revenue while serving the broader Holler Hub vision. Main Topic: Airbnb Revenue Stream – Lessons Learned Every property should have a purpose, not just be a payment. Turning Space Into a System The Airbnb wasn’t about renting space — it was about keeping the Basecamp Lodge working for the mission. Formerly a long-term rental ($1,600/month). Now a flexible, short-term system that: Generates income when not used for training. Brings new people into the Holler Hub community. Connects us to potential partners and collaborators. Tools like Airbnb and VRBO open us to audiences beyond LFTN, expanding both reach and opportunity. What’s Working Booked every available weekend in October by opening to tourists during fall travel season. Earned ~$650 in October while still hosting events — a deliberate tradeoff between revenue and flexibility. Low cleaning fee + clear expectations → relaxed guests and repeat visitors. Purposefully low nightly rate to earn initial 5-star reviews and build credibility. Making meaningful connections with guests — one couple with 10 glampers in California, another moving to Tennessee for homesteading. Where It Got Messy One guest left it a wreck → 8 hours of cleanup. Result: added language about cleaning expectations. Next step: keep a vacuum for pet-friendly stays. “Clean beats new every time.” Set boundaries early: check-out policies, no parties, pet rules. Pricing & Positioning Set nightly rate (~$100) based on $3,000/month gross goal if fully booked. Kept pricing low to reflect the space (one usable bedroom, not remodeled). Using Airbnb’s automated pricing to test how it behaves during peak season. Cleaning service quote revealed current pricing barely covers costs — future plan to add modest cleaning fee. Focus remains on mission-aligned guests first, not just volume bookings. Systems That Keep It Running Reset takes 45–60 minutes; double linens to avoid bottlenecks. Pet stays add 1 hour for vacuuming and extra laundry. Critical practice: always start cleaning immediately after checkout to stay ready for last-minute bookings. Personal touch: greet guests, tell the Holler Hub story, collect feedback, and build relationships. How to Apply It Don’t build the Taj-Ma-Rental — start minimum viable and test. Clean trumps new every time. The biggest mindset shift: being comfortable letting strangers on your land. Most people with bad intentions aren’t paying hundreds to sleep in your barn. Reality Check Short-term rentals aren’t easy money there’s always time involved: Responding to messages, building a guidebook, handling maintenance. Be available when problems arise — or you’ll hate the process. The fast reset is key: handle the “yucky” stuff early so it never piles up. What’s Next Goal: book events at Basecamp that aren’t led by you — already in the works. Next expansion: a miner’s cabin/tent rental to diversify the property’s offerings. Each step builds toward the broader Holler Hub vision — systems that connect people, sustain the land, and generate reliable income. Every property should have a purpose, not just a payment. Make it a great week. Make it a great week. GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. Community Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv Mewe Group: Telegram Group: Odysee: Resources /episode/index/show/nicolesauce/id/38744070

Winter Is Coming! Homestead Happenings for October 17, 2025 - EP 1090 10/17/2025

How To Organize A Farm To Table Event - EP 1089 10/16/2025

How To Organize A Farm To Table Event - EP 1089 Today, we talk about what it takes to organize a real Farm to Table Dinner, as well as cover our usual Monday segments. Featured Event Chainsaw Milling Demo and PotluckSunday at 1 PMBasecamp Lodge, Lancaster, TN Join us for a hands-on chainsaw milling demonstration and community potluck! Bring a dish to share and see how we turn logs into lumber right here at the Holler. Sponsors – Helping entrepreneurs, homesteaders, and freedom-minded folks handle taxes the smart way. – Fresh-roasted coffee for doers. Start your day with luxury and get to work. Community Highlight LFTN Stocking Exchange Time is running out to sign up! We’ll assign your Secret Stocking Santa on November 1, so don’t miss out on this fun community tradition. Tales from the Prepper Pantry Convenience meals this week: crockpot lamb ribs. Drying the last round of fall herbs — mint, oregano, and holy basil. Getting ready to fill the freezers with meat now that it’s almost cold enough to butcher. Hoping for a venison this year. Ground meat base for winter meals: beef, pork, and more pork. Weekly Shopping Report No shopping trip this week. Frugality Tip Did you know that if you put something in your online cart at Amazon (and some other online stores), when the price changes they notify you via email. So if you are looking to buy something but it is a little out of your budget, throw it in the cart and you just might be notified when it goes on sale. Also, when looking around on eBay, go ahead and click that heart, a lot of sellers will send you a discounted offer just for liking an item. So have a little patience and wait and see if you can save a few dollars on your next online purchase. Happy savings y'all ~Margo Operation Independence We opened up the — and one hour later it rented for four days! That single booking covered baseline expenses for the property (though not the mortgage). Still, a solid win toward independence. Main Topic: Organizing a Real Farm to Table Dinner Why We’re Doing One We wanted to show what real farm-to-table actually means — not marketing, not a photo op. A community meal built from what local farmers are actually harvesting right now, cooked by people who understand those ingredients. Why It’s Harder Than a Typical Event This isn’t catered convenience food. The chef has to process everything from raw ingredients, not pre-trimmed or par-cooked product. Every ingredient is sourced directly from farms, not distributors. Timing is critical — you plan the menu around what’s in season, not what’s available year-round from a big box store. This is NOT your typical farm-to-table experience. We’re not highlighting one or two local dishes and then filling the rest from Costco. Every ingredient — except the pepper and the coffee (which I roast) — comes from right here in Tennessee. No shortcuts. What Other Farm to Table Events Get Wrong Most are “farm to table” in name only — a token nod to local producers while relying heavily on imported or processed foods. They miss the deeper connection between local abundance, timing, and community. Steps to Organizing One Source the food: Build relationships with local growers and producers. Find a venue: Needs to be accessible, scenic, and functional for cooking and serving. Create a semi-flexible menu: Base it on what farmers actually have that week. Explore legalities: Health codes, insurance, and any required permits. Add extras: Things like a wild edible walk turn the dinner into an experience. Sell the tickets: Clear messaging — you’re selling an authentic experience, not a restaurant meal. Handle logistics the day of: Setup, cooking flow, seating, lighting, cleanup. Customer Experience How do you keep the night flowing smoothly and still make it feel personal? How do you balance talking about the farms with letting guests simply enjoy the meal? Scaling the Concept Could this become a recurring or seasonal event? What lessons are you already learning for next time? Make It A Great Week. /episode/index/show/nicolesauce/id/38611130

All Babies All The Time: Homestead Happenings for Oct 10, 2025 - EP 1088 10/13/2025

Tuesday Coffee With John Willis, Nicole Sauce and Jack Spirko - EP 1087 10/07/2025

Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce

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