Small Scale Life Podcast

Happy Spring, everyone! In this 222nd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to discuss attending my first Beekeeper Conference called Beek Meet 2024 and 5 Lessons Learned from Beekeepers at the conference. While I am not a beekeeper, I found the conference incredibly interesting, educational and entertaining. I also met some really great folks at the conference, and I had a chance to connect with some really good friends from Ohio. Find all the links and show notes at smallscalelife.com (https://smallscalelife.com)! A direct link to the article is found here: https://www.smallscalelife.com/5-lessons-learned-from-beekeepers-at-beek-meet-2024/ To sign up for the Whole30 Challenge, go to the Small Scale Life Website. An email sign up form is on the main page of the website and under the Wellness tab.

In this 221st Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to look back at our experiences with the Whole30 Challenge in 2019, 2020 and 2024. I will discuss some of the lessons learned and “non-scale wins,” and I will finish by talking about Next Steps including a new Whole30 Challenge on April 1, 2024! For show notes and links, head over to smallscalelife.com (https://smallscalelife.com).

It's a Leap Year Episode Small Scale Life Podcast! Episode 220 was recorded at 2:22 PM on 2/29/2024 (look at all those 2's), so you know this was a special, foundational show. In this episode, your Host Tom introduces the Whole30 Challenge and summarizes the basic rules of this elimination diet. There are plenty of do's and don'ts, but do not let the rules stop you. By doing the Whole30 Challenge, you will come away understanding what your body reacts to (dairy, gluten, legumes, processed foods, sugar), and that will lead you to success as you focus on healing your mind, body and soul. We have some links and resources for you at smallscalelife.com (https://smallscalelife.com), so you’ll want to head over there to learn more. Also, to join the Small Scale Life Wellness Club on Facebook, please use the following link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallscalelifewellnessclub/

Happy New Year, friends! Welcome to 2024! The Small Scale Life Podcast has been silent since April 26, 2023. At that point, we had just announced that we were selling Driftless Oaks Farm, which was our little 10-acre hobby farm in Western Wisconsin. We had a lot of discussions, a lot of soul searching and a lot of work leading up to that point, and what happened afterward was nothing short of a miracle. We had some great offers on the farm, selected an offer, found a new place, got our offer selected and then began the moving process (packing and loading up). At the same time, we kicked off a blitz of projects at the new house. With real life kicking and a busy job calling, there was no capacity or bandwidth to record, edit, and keep the Small Scale Life Podcast and videos flowing to the audence. Something had to give, and I decided to put this project on a shelf and do the work. It is a new year, and a new cycle is starting for all of us. Julie has a new business called Willow River Yoga (https://www.willowriveryoga.com/), my son Ryan has things happening and I have charted a new course for Small Scale Life (which really is getting back to my roots of this show if you look back to the first couple blog posts). For more information about us and links, please head over to the Small Scale Life website (https://www.smallscalelife.com/). You can sign up for free resources including the 24 Hour Plan, Seed Saving Guide and Budget Bundles on the FREE RESOURCES page. Also, I discuss the Small Scale Life Wellness Club on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/7012219482195543), please head over there for the 24 Hour Plan and to join the conversation.

Are we really selling Driftless Oaks Farm? Julie and I just bought and moved to the farm almost two years ago and got everything we ever wanted...or did we? Tune in to Episode 219 of the Small Scale Life Podcast to find out who, what, when, where and why!

In this 217th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I talk about Tipping Points and Getting Back to Basics. We have seen bank collapses before, and it didn't go well for us in 2008. It is a reminder to get back to Small Scale Living and growing/canning our own food. I have to tell you: the bank closures and bank runs remind me so much of the Lehman Brothers collapse of 2008. It made me pause as it reminded me of the anger, despair and hopelessness of the time. Fortunately, this time is different. I recognized 2008 for what it was: a major life changing event that forever changed my mindset and direction of my life. That collapse set me on a course to where we are today: our jobs, our home in Western Wisconsin and even how I grow vegetables in my garden. For more information and links, head over to Small Scale Life! (https://smallscalelife.com)

In this 216th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I continue the conversation with my friend Adam Rapier from Colorado. We are going to discuss Starting a Beekeeping Business including different small business niches in the Beekeeping world. Now, I know many of you are not beekeepers and will never be beekeepers, but I hope you hold on and stay tuned to this episode. Like walking through a garden, each small business story can inspire you to start something of your own or teach you something new. After all, every gardener or homesteader might have an abundance of tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, eggs or milk that you can give the surplus away or sell to a local customer base. For more about Adam, check out Small Scale Life Podcast Episodes 214 and 215 where we talk about his homesteading journety, gardening and taking care of animals (rabbits, quail, chickens and ducks). To connect Adam, see the show notes for Episode 216 at https://smallscalelife.com!

In this 215th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I continue the conversation with my friend Adam Rapier from Colorado. We are going to dive into gardening and beekeeping in this episode. We discuss some fantastic garden beds they built at Adam's parent's house, and we discuss the start of their beekeeping journey. If you want to find The Rapier Ranch or High Desert Hives, there are links to Adam and Kathleen's social media and website in the show notes on https://smallscalelife.com. Also, I have some photos of those awesome gardens too, so check them out!

In Small Scale Life Podcast Episode 214, I talk with my friend Adam about his family's journey to starting High Desert Hives and Homestead in Colorado. How does a successful guy decide to walk away from the hustle and bustle of city life and a fast paced corporate job and move to the country to start a garden, grow a thriving beekeeping business and raise boys in a world of freedom and wonder? Listen to Small Scale Life Episode 214 to listen and be inspired by Adam's story. You can find all the show notes at https;//smallscalelife.com.

In this 213th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am talking with my friend Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer about How to Set Your 2023 Guiding Words and Mantras. This is building on last week's Small Scale Life Podcast where I discussed 10 Goal Setting and Self Inventory Questions to Start 2023 (https://www.smallscalelife.com/10-self-inventory-questions/), so if you haven't listened to that one, you should (it's not required, but you should). Working with these questions lays the foundation for setting your 2023 Guiding Word and Mantras. By work I mean thinking hard about your answers and being honest with where you have been, where you are, and where you would like to be. Pressing Forward! This week's guest is Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer, and we are talking about How to Set Your 2023 Guiding Words and Mantras. We will discuss our Guiding Words from last year and how they served us and how things worked out. Then, we will dive into our 2023 Guiding Words and Mantras. Finally, Maria takes command of the show by telling us How to Set Your 2023 Guiding Words and providing some examples of Guiding Words. Maybe one of those words will resonate with you! Please head over to https://smallscalelife.com to see links to Maria's website and social media, as well as links to other times Maria has been a guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast.