Living Homegrown Podcast With Theresa Loe

LH 172: Catching You Up On All Things Living Homegrown You are probably wondering what happened to the podcast. Right at the end of December, host Theresa Loe came out with episode 171 and then the show went radio silent for 2 months. Theresa never meant to be away this long! She recorded this special episode to explain why she was taking break, what's going on behind-the-scenes in her business and filling you in on all the good things farm fresh. This episode will catch you up on everything! You will learn: What Theresa loves about this weekly podcast About being inducted into a podcasting Hall of Fame Why she's taking a much needed break What's new on my 1892 farmstead property What's new in Living Homegrown Who she's helping with a new part of her business and SO much more...  As always, you can learn more at www.LivingHomegrown.com/172 with links mentioned and a full transcript of the episode.

LH 171: How to Add Vintage Blooms to a Modern Garden It's a wonderful thing to add flowers to our vegetable gardens to attract pollinators. But it's also REALLY important to feed our souls as well as the pollinators when we're gardening. Growing heirloom flowers is a way to do just that. What is an “heirloom” flower and why are they so special? That’s what host Theresa Loe sets out to answer on today’s podcast episode. She explores the many benefits of adding vintage blooms to our gardens with garden author, Chris McLaughlin.  Chris shares her insights into these treasured plants, why we need to add more flowers to our veggie gardens, and why heirlooms hold a special place in our hearts. Plus, Chris shares her recipe for making lavender-honey simple syrup, which is awesome in SO many different drink concoctions.       As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/171 to get a full transcript, other links and resources AND the printable recipe mentioned in the episode.

LH 170: How To Create A Sacred Space To Unwind From The Busy World Life is busy. Life can be stressful. It’s often too easy to get caught up in the noise of the world…which can lead to MORE stress. As gardeners, we usually have a sense that reconnecting with nature is important, but what if you made that connection part of your regular routine? What if you intentionally created a space that was just for you so that you could reconnect and slow down? That’s what today’s episode is all about. Host Theresa Loe brought on Jessi Bloom, who gives us her 5 steps for creating a sanctuary so you can recharge and reconnect to nature. Jessi also shares practical things that we can do to not only make our garden more beautiful, but to help us be better stewards of the earth. You will learn: Why creating a sanctuary is so important in our busy lifestyles How to be a better steward of the earth with our gardens The 5 most important steps to creating any ecological garden What is smudging and why would we want to do it How

LH 169: Easy Ideas for All-Natural Gifts From Your Garden There’s something special about a homemade gift. But it becomes even more special when it includes a little piece of your garden as well. It can be as simple as a dried flower or an herbal sprig. But that added touch means that you are sharing something that you nurtured with your own hands. And THAT can't be found in a store. In today’s episode, host Theresa Loe brought back garden author, Stephanie Rose, to share her tips and insights into making extraordinary crafts that can be shared as gifts. And she has graciously included a recipe for Tub Tea that you can print out and make this holiday season…or any time of the year. Just got to our show notes at: www.LivingHomegrown.com/169 to print the recipe/instructions. You will learn: Why botanical gifts can be the best gifts of all What type of equipment is needed when crafting at home Why we should avoid chemicals on our skin The difference between essential oils and fragrance oils What a lotion bar is

LH 168: How To Make Simple Infusions for Medicine and Skin Care In this episode, we explore extracting the best healing properties from some of the common plants and culinary herbs we are likely growing in our own backyards using infusion. Don't fret that this is some complicated process, or you don't have time for it. Herbal infusions are incredibly easy to make – all you do is infuse fresh or dried herbs in a liquid to draw out the healing properties. And these infusions can be used on their own or as a base for other things such as moisturizing creams or salves. Host Theresa Loe brought on author Colleen Codekas to chat about all the different ways we can make infusions and what to do with them after we create them. There's a recipe for her Flower-Whipped Body Butter you can make at home below. Be sure you don't miss it! You will learn: The different liquids we can use as our base Which liquid base includes extra beneficial bacteria What we can create from oil infusions Some of the safety considerations w

LH 167: Tips for saving your backyard food garden seeds Preserving the flavors of the season doesn't have to stop when that last canning jar lid has "popped." If you know how to save seed from your own food garden, you are truly self-sufficient and can save your favorite plants to grow, harvest, and repeat again year after year without ever opening a seed catalog.  Saving seed is also a great way to share your garden with others. By saving seed, you can give your favorite flavors and best producers to others by handing them a tiny envelope of potential. What a great gift for a fellow gardener, or a friend thinking about starting their own garden. In today’s episode, host Theresa Loe interviews author Julie Thomson-Adolf about some of the best ways for us to save our own garden’s potential each year…in seed.         You will learn: The many benefits of saving seed The difference between open-pollinated & hybrid seed What is meant by the word “heirloom” How to dry harvest Why you would want to ferment some

LH 166: Simple tips and tricks to make backyard chicken keeping easier On today's episode, we're going to be talking about chicken keeping hacks. A "hack" is a handy hint, or something that will help you do things faster or better. It usually involves reusing or re-purposing something that you already have on hand. Sounds fun, right? Host Theresa Loe brought on Lisa Steele from the popular blog Fresh Eggs Daily to share some of her favorite ways to "hack" chicken keeping so you can keep your flock healthy and happy - but with less work from you. And in the show notes is a GREAT recipe Lisa shared for making your own homemade chicken scratch. Go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/166 to download the PDF for free. You will learn: What the first step is when you want to keep backyard chickens Why adding herbs to the nesting boxes helps reduce the pests & smell What the benefits are of fermenting your feed The simple trick for increasing your chicken’s water consumption How to preserve eggs through winter The ninja

LH 165: Helping Your Pet Live Closer to Their Food An all NEW episode on a topic we've never covered before! We talk a lot on the podcast about living closer to our food and making sure we know what’s IN the food we eat and serve our families. Well on today’s episode, host Theresa Loe has a discussion with Lynn Felici-Gallant of Paul's Custom Pet Food about doing the same thing for our pets...even if it means sharing produce from our garden! For optimal nutrition, it can be just as important for our pets to avoid processed foods too.  And unfortunately, most of what we typically feed them…is junk food. Now, this topic can be controversial. But keep in mind that this is NOT about having the time or money to make our own pet food or buy custom food.  This is about having a better understanding about pet food so that we can make the best choices we can that is within our capacity. And in this episode you'll not only learn what produce from your garden is GOOD for your pets -- But you'll also learn how you can

LH 164: How To Make Delicious Fresh Cheese in Under an Hour   Note: Host Theresa Loe has a special free workshop this month. See the end of this post for more info! There’s something warm and inviting about homemade cheese. Perhaps it's the ancient connection to tradition with each batch we make. Or maybe it's the mysterious way it transforms ordinary milk (as if by magic) into something so delicious. Homemade cheese tastes amazing. And if you've never made cheese before...or if you have secretly wished you could craft your own batch with your own hands...Then you are in for a treat! This week’s podcast is a beginner cheese-making lesson! But not just any lesson. This episode is about making cheese from scratch in under an hour! No more excuses about how you don't have time. Give this a try and you won't be sorry! Host Theresa Loe interviews cheesemaker, entrepreneur and author Claudia Lucero of Urban Cheesecraft. And she gives you the whole scoop on the amazing practice of making cheese at home – from the mi

LH 163: Use the KonMari Method to Organize Your Homestead Today's episode is an ENCORE episode. What is that you ask? An encore episode is an episode that has been previously published, but it was SO long ago, you may have missed it. This episode is packed with info you will LOVE. This episode is all about using the KonMari Method for organizing your home or homestead. It is an encore episode from a few years ago, but as you'll hear in the updated intro...host Theresa Loe is happy to report she is still using it despite how skeptical she was about the method initially. Even her sons are still using the KonMari method for folding their clothes! Hopefully this episode it brings a little less clutter to your life as well. You Will Learn: What the KonMari Method is and how to apply it to your homestead Why Theresa was skeptical of the method at first despite its immense popularity The basic principals of the method How this approach differs from typical organization methods and why it works so well The four key

LH 162: How to Grow More Food In the Space You Have Today's episode is an ENCORE episode. What is that you ask? An encore episode is an episode that has been previously published, but it was SO long ago, you may have missed it. This particular episode is packed with useful information that you'll love. Do you ever wish you had more garden space in which to grow food? If you're like most gardeners, you'll find yourself thumbing through seed catalogs, bummed out that you can't plant all that you want to grow. Or maybe you end up with WAY too much zucchini and NOT enough salad greens. Right? On this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews Colin McCrate about using high yield farming tricks (but on a smaller backyard-size scale) to get more food in our backyard space!   You Will Learn: How just a little planning can make a huge difference What it means to plant in succession What is relay planting How to calculate exactly how much to grow How to double your crop storage time by harvesting correctly And SO much more

LH 161: Grow Landscape Plants that are Beautiful AND Delicious As gardeners we grow tons of veggies and fruit, but there are many other landscape plants that are delicious as well as ornamental. So let's think outside the box of planting our gardens in rows. In this episode, host Theresa Loe brings on author Mike Lascelle to discuss a unique mix of perennial plants that can beautify our gardens and fill our plates at the same time. You CAN have your yard and eat it too. You will learn:      Why clove currant is often overlooked as an edible      Why hops is a great conversation starter      What is a Yuzu tree and why you want one      Can you really eat a redbud      How to grow your own tea      What is the dry roasting process for green tea      How to make a linden cordial      And MUCH more…  As always, you can get a full transcript of the show at www.LivingHomegrown.com/161 as well as links to related information.  This episode was brought to you by Theresa's Living Homegrown Institute which is her me

LH 160:  How to preserve protein-packed foods with gourmet flavors  In this episode, host Theresa Loe talks with author Karen Solomon about turning your kitchen counter into a deli counter by preserving your own meat with dry curing, brine curing, smoking, and drying. Karen is the author of "Cured Meat, Smoked Fish and Pickled Eggs" and she shares the secrets to success with each of these techniques and how you can enhance the flavors of what you preserve. You’ll Learn: The ease of dry curing in your refrigerator How brine curing works for things like pastrami and ham If you can safely skip using nitrites and nitrates The difference between hot and cold smoking in preservation How to stay safe when curing meat Why you don’t need a dehydrator to dry meats The special safety recommendation when working with game meat A simple trick for keeping your dry meats dry in storage How to make ‘Sour Orange Beef Jerky’ for road trips And SO much more.. For the printable recipe Karen shares on the show, go to www.Livin

LH 159: Using Science to Improve Flavor & Food Production In this episode, host Theresa Loe brought back author Dr. Lee Reich to make us a better gardener…using science! When we fully understand the reasons behind the gardening techniques, we are better equipped to handle any problems that come along. And in this discussion, you'll learn the real reasons behind why we need to do what we do.  You will learn: How ethylene really works to ripen our tomatoes Why some fruits should never be picked early The 3 benefits of organic matter in our soil The real truth about drainage in flowerpots How to improve the flavor of certain fruits  The secret to keeping your seeds in long term storage And SO much more...  As always, you can get all the links mentioned at www.LivingHomegrown.com/159 as well as a full transcript of the episode. This podcast episode was brought to you by the Living Homegrown Institute - which is Theresa's membership site. Here you have access to an entire library of classes on everything fro

LH 158: Eating Local and Getting to Know Your Local Farmer This week’s episode is about discovering INCREDIBLE flavors...locally. Host Theresa Loe brought back organic, foodie-farmer Andrea Bemis of Tumbleweed Farm to discuss a national project she's spearheading that's all about exploring what it really means to eat local. The premise is simple... We may already be eating some locally-sourced fruits and veggies. But when we look at ALL the ingredients used to create our meals, there are probably many items we know nothing about. Even Andrea (who is an organic farmer), didn't know the source of every ingredient in her pantry. So she decided to use herself and her farm team in an experiment. And it's opening up a whole new world for her. And Andrea would love for all of us to join in this exploration of local flavor as well. But don't worry... This is not about being perfect or even feeling guilty about buying things from far away. The idea here is is be more AWARE of what we're putting on our table...even if

LH 157: The Magic Of Vintage Books Host Theresa Loe has been collecting vintage books since she was a kid. And on today's episode, she wants to share her tips and tricks for getting the best value from vintage garden books, cookbooks and even old canning books. Vintage books are real treasures. And they're a great source of inspiration and ideas that you just can't find anywhere else. On today's episode, you'll learn: Why you might want to collect vintage books What info can be used and NOT used from these books How to find older books with inspiring ideas Tips for proper care and storage Why you need to use and ENJOY the books you have Some of Theresa's favorite vintage authors And SO much more...  As always, you get a full listing of notes and resources at www.LivingHomegrown.com as well as a full transcript of the episode.  This episode was brought to you by Theresa's Living Homegrown Institute which is a membership site to help you live farm fresh without the farm. Inside the Institute, you have access

156: Farm-Fresh Living Made Easier Do you know how you feel when you get a new garden, or kitchen tool, and you love it so much you just have to tell everybody? That's what today's episode is ALL about! I'm sharing my favorite things that make farm-fresh living easier. This isn't one of those sponsored episodes where all the products I talk about were sent to me for free in exchange for an endorsement. I would never do that. Everything I'm sharing with you today was paid for with my own money, and I've used them for years. I just want to share them because some of these things you may not have heard of yet. And I really enjoy using them around my garden, in my kitchen, and at my farmstead. I would love to hear about some of your favorite farm-fresh things. After you listen, tell me about them below in the comments, or over on my new Instagram account that's just for @LivingHomegrown. You will learn: How to efficiently harvest while on a ladder Where to find unusual fruit trees The BEST garden marker for long

Throwing A Party With Real Food It's summertime and delicious flavor is EVERYWHERE right now. There's yummy seasonal flavor at the farmer's market and it may even be in our own backyards (if we grow our own food). What better way to enjoy that incredible flavor of in-season produce than by throwing a party with friends and family?? On today’s episode, host Theresa Loe brought back Ashley English to chat about simple seasonal eating - especially when we're throwing a party! They chat about some fun and new ways to make throwing a party with organic food EASY and FUN. This is NOT about you doing all the work and feeling overwhelmed. It’s about enjoying the people you invite over while you all enjoy the food. Oh! And Ashley shares a recipe for making homemade plum liqueur. Let's drink to that! You will learn: How to throw a party without doing all the work What does it mean to “bump-up-against” a season Why a crafting element can take your event to a new level Simple themes that make decorating a snap How to br

LH 154: Big flavor in a waste free kitchen You asked for it, so host Theresa Loe brought back author Alana Chernila for another episode! This time, they chat about getting the very best flavors from our produce and how to use left over scraps so that nothing from our garden goes to waste! They also talk about caring for our wooden kitchen tools and Alana shares a recipe for making a special cream (wood butter) that will help our wooden spoons last for a lifetime.   You will learn: How to get the last bit of flavor from our produce The trick to making the very best soup stock Why strawberry hulls can be used in beverages How to reduce waste in the kitchen What is spoon butter Why caring for our kitchen tools can make all the difference What are the life lessons we can learn from cooking real food Tips for slowing down to savor the day And more… As always, you can learn more, get ALL the links mentioned, and download a print out of the Wood Butter recipe at: www.LivingHomegrown.com and also get a full transcr

LH 153: How to make real, old-fashioned pickles Summer is here and homegrown cucumbers are ripening on the vine. Let’s make REAL pickles - The old fashioned kind! What's a “real” pickle? It’s where you use natural fermentation (and NO vinegar) to change a cucumber into a crisp, sour treat. They are delicious and nutritious! Host Theresa Loe interviews Karen Diggs who is Theresa's chief fermentation instructor inside her Living Homegrown Institute You will learn: Why fermented food is so good for you How to use common kitchen tools as your vessel Why fermentation is so safe Which type of salt is best The secret ingredient that will give you a crisp pickle How to store your finished pickles And MUCH more...  As always, you can get a printable version of the recipe, special links for more fermentation information and a full transcript of the episode at: www.LivingHomegrown.com/153 This episode was brought to you by Theresa's monthly membership: The Living Homegrown Institute where you have access to a whole li