Living Homegrown Podcast With Theresa Loe

This episode is a Q & A session featuring several listener questions and answered by host Theresa Loe. You learn: If sterilizing is necessary when bottling up homemade liqueur, The biggest worry when infusing alcohol, Which "proof" is best when making liqueur infusions, The trick to getting a clear vinegar, Is it possible to reuse the fruit of one food project for another, How does homemade Greek yogurt work and Do you need a yogurt maker or not. All that and more - Plus you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/92 for a full transcript and all the links and resources mentioned in the episode.

Learn how to enjoy all sorts of garden harvests including fruits, veggies, flowers, seeds, pods and roots. If it has a harvest, there is a way to utilize it!  In this week's episode, host Theresa Loe interviews garden designer and author Stefani Bittner about her new book Harvest. Stefani co-wrote the book with Aletha Harampolis and together they create a book that is filled with gorgeous images, delicious recipes and tons of tips for adding a harvest to your life. You learn: How to create a useful and beautiful garden, Food safety in urban gardens, How to use all parts of the plants, A recipe for making a shrub (no - not the garden shrub! The drink!), How to garden through the seasons, How easy it is to add productive plants to your landscape. PLUS...You can enter to win a free copy of Harvest simply by going to the show notes and leaving a comment!  Two winners will be chosen - so leave your comment by March 16, 2017. Also, in the show notes there is a PDF download of Stefani's special quince paste recipe.

This episode is all about flavor enhancers. It doesn't matter if you grow your own herbs or buy them fresh at the farmer's market, nothing beats the fresh taste of herbs in your cooking. But sometimes, you can't have fresh herbs at your fingertips. The good news is that there ARE ways to preserve those flavors for later so that when you find yourself in a pinch - those flavors are at the ready!  Host Theresa Loe has covered preserving herbs in different ways on other podcast episodes (which are listed in the show notes). And today, she covers two more methods that you can use: Herb Salts and Herb Butters. You learn: How to preserve herb flavor in salt, The best salts to use and why, Her favorite herbs to use, Two herbs you should NOT use, Why citrus is the perfect "secret ingredient", A method for freezing herbs that is very versatile, and How to take advantage of those flavors. As always, you can get more free information, links and a full transcript at www.LivingHomegrown.com/90 as well as a free downloadab

Learn what permaculture is and how to apply it to your own backyard to create more sustainable and eco-friendly garden. In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews garden author Jessi Bloom. Jessi is an ecological landscape designer and the author of one of the top permaculture books in the country. You learn: Exactly what permaculture is, Why it is important, How to put it into practice this coming season, Why garden size doesn't matter when apply the principles, What the systems are and how they work, And how permaculture is about a lot more than gardening. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/89 for more information, links mentioned in the show and a full PDF download of the transcript.

This episode is about taking a natural approach to pest control and avoiding sprays and pesticides...even organic ones. You see, many people think that switching to organic gardening methods just means changing from synthetic sprays to more natural/organic ones. But the truth is that if you have a more balanced ecosystem in your garden, you don't need sprays AT ALL.  And that is what we cover in this podcast.  Host Theresa Loe brings on author and organic gardening expert, Jessica Walliser to share how we as organic gardeners can shift our mindset when it comes to bugs. You learn: About the ecosystem of your own backyard and how to balance it, Making the shift from sprays to no-sprays, Do plants have immune systems, Can a plant send out a distress call, How to change your mindset about bugs, How to attract the "good bugs", What is a beetle bump and why in the world would we want one in our backyard and much more. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/88 to get all the links mentioned in the episode

In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews author Shawna Coronado about simple organic gardening tips that we can do to save money and time. The tips range from practical time-savers to clever ways to reuse and repurpose items for gardening. You learn: How to use empty wine bottles in the garden, Why rotisserie chicken can lead to greenhouse growing, A shortcut to saving tomato seeds, How to grow edibles from kitchen scraps, The secret to sprouting potatoes, The magic of manure tea and How to reuse cooking water. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/87 to get all the links mentioned and full transcript to the episode.

This week's episode is the story of one man's journey of discovering his true calling in garden design while helping families along the way. Host Theresa Loe interviews Doug Scott - the owner of the landscape design firm, Redeem Your Ground. Doug helps families connect through the nature in their own backyards. You learn: Why sometimes school and business aren't the only measure of success, How to following your passion can lead to following your dreams, Life lessons that come from raising chickens, What nature deficit disorder is, How redeeming your ground leads to other redemptions, and three steps to getting started in your own backyard space. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/86 to get all the related links and a free PDF download of the transcript. 

In this week's episode we talk about small livestock for those of us with have super small spaces. We've covered backyard chickens and ducks on previous episodes. So it was time to discuss raising backyard rabbits for their nutrient-rich manure or their fiber (hair for spinning). And yes, some people raise rabbits for meat. But that's not what we go into here. Instead, host Theresa Loe interviews author and farmer Chris McLaughlin about what it means to raise backyard rabbits. They discuss raising one cute little family pet for composting their manure, to what is involved with raising them to sell their "wool".  You learn: The different shelter requirements for rabbits, Combining rabbits with vermicomposting, The benefits of rabbit manure, The difference between wool, mohair and fiber, How to properly groom and care for fiber rabbits, Where to go to learn about speciality breeds and more. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/85 to learn more, get related links and download the free PDF transcript

First everyone wanted backyard chickens. Now backyard ducks are gaining in popularity - and rightly so. Their eggs are incredible. And in many ways, they can be easier than backyard chickens. In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews author and poultry expert, Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily. And they discuss all the benefits of raising ducks in your backyard. You learn: The benefits ducks can offer your garden, How they compare to backyard chickens, Are they fed differently than chickens, What do you need to provide so they are happy and healthy, What's the deal with having all your "ducks in a row", Do ducks have a sense of humor, Can ducks and chickens live together, Where should you go to get the more unusual breeds and so much more!  As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/84 to get all the links mentioned in this episode as well as the full transcript and a free PDF Tip Sheet on How to Raise Ducks.

This episode is a little different!  Host Theresa Loe brings on eight different garden authors and experts to all answer the same question: "What do you know NOW, that you wish you knew THEN?"  In other words, if they could go back in time...What important piece of garden advice would they tell their younger, gardener-self?  This episode is packed with nuggets of gardening wisdom because each expert gave completely different answers.   You learn: Each expert's top piece of gardening advice, What type of mindset you should have when you garden, When you should ask for help and when should you "wing it" and so much more!  As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/83 for more information including: a free PDF download of all the garden tips (plus a few extras), a full transcript of the episode and links to all the garden experts previous podcast episodes. And there is a lot more free information on living homegrown and farm fresh on the website. Enjoy!

It doesn't matter if you use your backyard space for growing food, flowers, succulents or something else - there are many, many healing benefits you can get from that space. And you don't have to be sick or injured to reap those benefits. You only need to be mindful of them. In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews garden designer and author Jenny Peterson about the many healing qualities of our gardens and how we can better tap into those benefits. You learn: The different benefits available to mind, body and spirit, Simple tips for better using our garden space, How exercise goes beyond cardio, What it means to be grounded, Simple ways to connect to nature, What are garden rituals, The daily practice that reaps the biggest rewards and more. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/82 to learn more about healing gardens, Jenny's books and to get a full transcript of the episode. 

This podcast is about living closer to our food through preserving, artisan food crafts, small-space food growing and sustainable living. Making food from scratch can be a big part of that. And so can traditional, old-fashioned holiday recipes!  This week's episode is all about making traditional steamed puddings. Listen...we are NOT talking about fruitcake here. Nope. We are talking about melt-in-your mouth cakes that are rich and delicious. Host Theresa Loe gives you the low-down on what these desserts are and how you can make them with or without a steam pudding mold. You learn: Exactly what steamed puddings are and are not, Where to find molds, What to do if you don't have a pudding mold, The secret to never messing up the steam part, and she shares her family recipes for Persimmon Steamed Pudding and Mocha-Chocolate Steamed Pudding. It's a delicious episode. As always, you can visit www.LivingHomegrown.com/81 for more information, printable recipes and a full transcript of the show. 

Just because there is snow on the ground does not mean you have to stop growing food. In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews winter gardening expert Niki Jabbour on how we can extend the season no matter where we live. And even if you don't think you want to grow food during the winter months, you can learn how to extend the season which will help you start your spring garden a few weeks earlier. In this episode, you learn: Why a winter garden is easier than a summer garden, Five super easy methods for extending the season, The materials you can use to cover crops, How to make a cloche from recycled materials, The best crops to grow during the winter months, How to judge timing for sowing winter crops and more. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/80 to get a full PDF transcript of the show as well as more information on growing food organically...even through winter. 

This week’s podcast comes at the beginning of December and for many of us, that means the hustle and bustle of the holiday time is upon us. Suddenly our to-do lists double in size, we find ourselves running around to shop, and we are trying to cram in extra things like holiday cards and cleaning for guests and parties. It can become easy to lose ourselves to the stress and forget what the holidays are supposed to be about. This episode is a little different in that host Theresa Loe shares her story of how a simple birthday practice blossomed into a month long practice for her family. And how doing this over the last few years has transformed her family and greatly reduced the stress. And she shares how one day the tables were turned on her and she found herself on the receiving end when she needed it most. In this episode you learn: The story of the birthday practice, How this blossomed into a month long ritual, The transformation it had on her kids, The notes she uses and the power of carrying it forward, Wh

Learn how to create lush, living centerpieces for your table or your home. In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews San Francisco plant and floral designer extraordinaire Baylor Chapman about creating a garden on a micro-scale...for inside your home. Even if you have no garden space outside or your current garden is asleep for winter, you can have greenery inside to stay connected to nature. A tabletop landscape is easy and inexpensive to do. You learn: The benefits of indoor greenery, how tablescapes follow basic landscape principles, The elbow rule of centerpieces, What is Kokedoma, How to build a mini-meadow on a table, Why your guests can take part of your design home, Different ideas for other seasons of naturescapes. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/78 for related links, a full PDF transcript and other information about this episode. 

Learn about three indoor garden activities for kids and adults alike that can keep you connected to nature through the winter months. These projects can add greenery to your home and are fascinating to watch. We all know that being outside in nature is good for kids. But winter can mean less outdoor playtime. If you want to nurture your kids to appreciate the environment and perhaps grow up to be gardeners themselves, keeping them engaged is key. But you don't need kids to do these projects! Adults can get just as much enjoyment out of them. In this episode, host Theresa Loe walks you through forcing bulbs, sprouting wheatgrass and sprouting mushrooms on your kitchen table. You learn: Why a connection to nature is so important for kids today, All the materials needed for each project, Which bulbs are easiest to force and why, The trick to getting wheatgrass to sprout quickly, How to know that your wheat is ready to "mow", Why adding dinosaurs to your project can take it to the next level, How a mushroom growi

Although this podcast focuses on living farm fresh without a farm, many of the listeners DO want a farm or are already farmers themselves. Well, this episode is about one couple who decided they wanted to be farmers. And they wanted to farm their suburban backyard...as a business. Host Theresa Loe interviews new organic farmer, Emily Aarons. Although they are just starting out, Emily is able to share their successes so far as well as 5 important lessons learned. You learn: What made Emily and Andrew decide to be farmers, What sort of regulations were needed, What it means to be certified organic - even in a backyard, The truth about commercial egg labeling, How Emily juggles being a new mom and farmer at the same time, The 5 most important lessons they have learned so far. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/76 for more information, the full show notes, related links and a free PDF of the transcript. 

Learn the simple steps to creating the edible garden of your dreams - beautiful AND delicious. In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews edible landscape designer/author Stefani Bittner about how listeners can transform their garden into an epic food garden. You learn: The simple steps to getting started, The #1 thing you MUST do to ensure food safety, Why you shouldn't plant next to an old fence post, Why swapping out can make all the difference, Which edibles make great screens, Why you shouldn't eat the edibles between stepping stones, Fun edibles that are also stunning in the landscape, What to consider when planting in the front yard and more. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/75 for a full transcript and links to much more information. 

Learn to make countertop yogurt with NO special equipment. Enjoy this encore presentation. Next week, we are back to brand new episodes. Also - Listen to the beginning of this episode to learn about a brand new FREE webinar happening on November 3, 2016. It's geared for brand new canners wanting to get over their fear of learning to can. In the encore episode, you learn: The advantages of homemade yogurt, How the whole process works, Why you don't need any special equipment, How to make it without heating the milk, Which milks work best, All the different types of yogurt you can make. As always, you can get all the links AND a printable yogurt making guide for free at: www.LivingHomegrown.com/74 and you can also find a full transcript of the episode.

Although there's some new info in this episode, the main topic is an encore presentation from one of host Theresa Loe's more popular episodes. It's packed with practical and important info on canning safety. Why include an encore? As Theresa announces in this episode, there's some new exciting projects in the works around Living Homegrown and the team needed a little time to focus on those projects. But don't worry, there are some cool interview episodes coming up that you will love. Theresa also announces a NEW, FREE live canning training coming up in November. In this episode, you learn: The most important canning jar ring safety practice, Why photographs of canned goods are so misleading, The optimal time to remove canning rings, Three key reasons these safety practices are important, The storage mistake that can waste your canning efforts and more. As always, you can go to www.livinghomegrown.com/73 to get more information and download the full transcript. You can also register for Theresa's new free cann