FarmHopLife Podcast

"you are not your f*cking khakis" or are you?when the SHTF, what's your role? where do you bring value? are doomed to just roll over and die?DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

When was the last time you intentionally stopped using social media? It's not as important as you think.Homestead of Payne on TwitterHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Another student suicide, this time by a 10 year old boy. Did the parents do enough? What are some other options?DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TwitterHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramLongStoryFarms on TwitterLongStoryFarms on InstagramLongStoryFarms FacebookLongStoryFarms websiteHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

It's the end of April, are you already behind on your plans for this year? What the hell happened?DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TwitterHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterCaylon DePalma on TwitterSix Day Acres Farm on FacebookSix Day Acres Farm on InstagramFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Growing concerned over the Ferguson Riots, Josh started to think and respond differently to how to better prepare himself and his family should anything happen. He writes a great Substack called Unprepared.Life and even the free content is worth subscribingUnprepared.LifeJosh Centers on Twitter/XFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Started in 2020 and tired of hustling for pennies at the farmer's market, Caylon found a shortcut to maximize profits on specialty crops selling to.... grocery stores! Plus his journey to quickly ramping up production on his farm.Six Day Acres on FacebookSix Day Acres on InstagramFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

we're back and it's been weird being gone. but it's also good to take some time and figure out what you SHOULD BE DOING instead of just going through the motions and following a path to no where or somewhere you don't want to beHomestead of Payne on TwitterHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramThriving The Future websiteThriving The Future TwitterThriving Garden PlannerGrow Nut Trees websiteLongStoryFarms on TwitterHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

you're trying to do too much againtime to learn about Masanobu Fukuoka, Japanese farmer who pioneered the "do nothing" method by listening, trusting, and working with natureLets goFukuoka was born on Feb 2nd, 1913. His father was an educated man, completed an exceptional eight years of schooling, and the local leaders repeatedly selected him mayor. His mother was of Samurai descent and also well-educated. The land had been in the family for over 1400 yearsa troublesome student, he angered the teachers, and one day his music teacher broke the village organ in frustrationHis father sent him to Gifu Agricultural College for higher education to prepare for inheriting the family farmIn 1934, Fukuoka secured a role in Yokohama Customs Office's Plant Inspection Section. Working in a hilltop laboratory, he delved into studying diseases, fungi, and pests on imported plants"in amazement at the world of nature revealed through the eyepiece of the microscope"His third year at Yokohama, Fukuoka battled acute pneumonia, enduring harsh treatments like exposure to wintry air. Isolated, friends shunned him due to contagion fears. Even nurses fled after temperature checks, leaving him sick, lonely, and fearing for his life at 25After recovering, Fukuoka, haunted by his brush with death, obsessively pondered life's meaning. During a solitary walk, he reached a cliff's edge, contemplating the impact of his death. Realizing his lack of true friends, he collapsed in a deep sleep under an elm treeWaking to a heron's cry at dawn, he watched the sunrise through mist, birds singing, realizing"all the concepts to which he had been clinging were empty fabrications. All his agonies disappeared like dreams and illusions, a something one might call 'true nature' stood revealed"Fukuoka quit his job the next day. For months he lived on severance pay proclaiming "everything is meaningless."Dismissed as eccentric, he returned home, retreated to a mountain hut, and entrusted with his father's citrus grove. Testing his revelation, he began doing nothing.He let meticulously pruned fruit trees go wild. Insects attacked, branches interlocked, and the orchard withered. His father's grove taught Fukuoka a crucial lesson: abrupt changes harm cultivated trees, realizing the importance of gradual adaptation to natural farmingHis odd behavior concerned his parents and as the mayor's son, "hiding" wasn't acceptableIn 1939, he was offered the chief role at an Agricultural Experiment Station, he accepted at his father's wishes. He moved to Kochi and was expected to increase wartime food productionIndependently, Fukuoka conducted studies comparing yields from chemically enhanced crops with those grown naturally. He scientifically established natural farming's superiority over chemical aids, building upon his earlier revelation that "doing nothing was best""I just emptied my mind and tried to absorb what I could from nature"Instead of asking "how about doing this?"ask "how about not doing this?"Over the years, as a more natural ecology was re-established, the less he did, the better the land respondedFukuoka observed, "The earth cultivates itself" Recognizing roots, worms, and micro-organisms thrive, he saw no need for human intervention. Plowing alters the environment and encourages weed growth.His first principle: No plowing or soil turningChemical fertilizers aid crops but harm soil. Nature itself can do better than compost and chicken poop (which can cause rice blast disease). Instead, use cover crops like clover as a natural fertilizer.Fukuoka's second principle: No chemical fertilizers or prepared compostPlowing stirs deep-lying weed seeds and chemical herbicides leaves poison. Weeds don't need to be eliminated, just suppressed with straw and ground cover, plus timely seeding to eliminate intervals between crops is crucialHis 3rd principle: No weeding by tillage or herbicidesPests and diseases attack the weakest plants, allowing the strong to survive. Chemical solutions, though effective in the short term, are hazardous in the long run, leave weak and chemical-dependent plantsFukuoka's 4th principle: No dependence on chemical pesticidesO-bon festival is when ancestors return to earth for 3 days to visit the living. On the 3rd night the ancestors go back with a sendoff of songs and fireworksMasanobu Fukuoka, author of The One-Straw Revolution, passed away on Aug 16, 2008, on that 3rd day of O-bonHe was 95Thank you very much for listening. Links in the show notes for the articles and videos referenced here. Image credit: farmerandchef.co.ukIf there's another farmer you'd like me to cover, send me a message! @farmhoplife on all the social medias or matt@farmhoplife.comGo feed yourself.

it's time to get your seeds and starts in order. you ready?Thriving The Future websiteThriving The Future TwitterThriving Garden PlannerGrow Nut Trees websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

There are plenty of ways to win at farming for profit. Key is you have to keep track of your finances to actually know you're on the right path. But first, quit thinking about it and just do it already.Lindsay Graham and her husband operate a 7 acre farm in Oklahoma raising pigs, chickens, and lamb selling wholesale. How well does that work? Really well actually!Graham Acres websiteGraham Acres FacebookGraham Acres InstagramGraham Acres TikTokFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Do you have a plan for your property or are you always shooting from the hip?I've been taking a permaculture design course the last few months by William Horvath of Permaculture Apprentice. After working through the modules, homework, and coming up with a first draft, William set up a meeting to discuss my plans for my property. This episode is that meeting. You'll see my draft I've submitted for review, hear a lot of specifics about the property, and William's feedback for improvements to the design.Sign up for this Permaculture Farm Design Course for 50% off CLICK HERE, an incredible dealTo pay full price, which is still a good deal for what you're getting, CLICK HERELearn more about Permaculture Apprentice

What are you holding onto that's keeping you from wins and this year?DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

"With every new species we bring to the farm, it supports 8 more who can thrive. That's promoting biodiversity"Let's learn about Greg JudyGreg was born in 1960 on a dairy farm in northern Minnesota. His family moved to Missouri in 1966, mainly to escape the cold long wintersGreg Judy started milking the family cow at 7, a routine he continued until leaving home after high school. Providing fresh milk for the family fueled his early passion for farming, creating a lasting connection to the land and its rhythms1993-95, Greg acquired 205 acres, combining his Uncle and Dad's farms at $350-$400 per acre. A 10% down payment connected the plots, incorporating challenges with neglected land, cedars, and erosion. Relying on his town job to meet farm payments without starvingWith many challenges on his 200-acre farm, Greg encountered a farmer with premier pasture on 160 acres during a drought. Introduced to Management Intensive Grazing, Greg enrolled in a grazing school and subscribed to Stockman Grass Farmer. Needing a change to avoid lifelong debtDuring the 3 day grazing school, Greg slept in his camper to save money. Trapped by floods one night, he found high ground and camped, unbothered by the constant rain. He learned about forages, fences, and herd health. Eager to apply newfound knowledge, he hurried homeAllan Nation warned about the cattle crash and despite initially planning to increase his herd, Greg sold everything. In February 1996, he swiftly bought back all his cows shortly afterward, making strategic moves considering the drop in cow prices, actually making a farm paymentHowever, that summer Greg faced a another blow - discovering his wife's manic depression, leading to divorce. The financial strain intensified as divorce and farm payments depleted all available cash and cattle. Greg felt hopeless and looked like the farm was finishedGreg wrote up a contract to graze rodeo horses and that covered the six months of farm payments. Then, another Allan Nation article shifted his perspective. Rather than just land ownership, focus on making a living from the land. He started looking for unused pastures to leaseNo ownership stress, Greg sells his management skills, developing idle land for grass gain on stockers. This let Greg pay off his farm and house in 3 years. He faced financial struggles, now shares experiences to guide young graziers, emphasizing the pitfalls of land ownership Greg Judy now owns 4 farms & leases 12 more1600 acres total900 is timber700 is grassGreen Pastures Farm offers pastured pigs, sheep, chickens, grassfed beef, shiitake mushrooms, some lumber, & furnitureGreg uses "mob grazing" trying to emulate the natural systems of the prairie when the buffalo roamed2 mobs, about 300 animals in a mob. Move twice a day. Combine your herds for more horsepower to build your soilPasture ratio: 30% grazed, 30% trampled, 30% left standingFor the woods, first thing is to run your cattle in there at high density. Trample, cow pee and poop to fertilize the ground. Let Mother nature take over. No seeding. Only take the pigs through the timber once a year, let the timber recoverWanting to get more forage in the woods so that the sunlight hits all sides of every mature tree, thin out the smaller ones. He took out 70% of the trees and inoculated them with shiitake mushroomsThank you very much for listening. Links in the show notes for the articles and videos referenced here.If there's another farmer you'd like me to cover, send me a message! @farmhoplife on all the social medias or matt@farmhoplife.comGo feed yourself.source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4Image credit: glassenfarms.com

When do you call it quits despite how badly you want something and how much money you've spent?Kiel talks about the few years he spent homesteading, giving it his all. But with a job away from the homestead, the expenses kept piling up. Finally, he had to leave and return to the city.Kiel on Twitter Xhttps://twitter.com/___Kiel___FarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

new year, time to step up because the crazy train is going full steam

If only I could be so blessed as being able to farm until I'm 100 years old, what a life that would beCatherine Hagel born Nov. 28, 1894, on a farm near Dayton, MN to John and Mary Dahlheimer. At 5lbs, her father doubted she would survive.Catherine met her future husband, John at age 16, when he was digging a hole for an outhouse.They married in 1916. Then in 1918 She worked to maintain the family farm when her husband fell ill during a flu pandemic, while caring for two childrena farmer's wife who made nearly everything from scratch, picking berries and canning hundreds of jars of fruits and vegetables every year, and had no electricity and running water for decadesShe made her own soap, sewed her family's clothes and was an avid quilter. She spent all winter tearing rags. Her children would tie the rags together and she would use them to make rag quilts.The Depression found them struggling to hold onto the family farm. Catherine attributes her deep religious faith for serving her through the ups and downs of it all. "She used to tell such stories -- about the Indians living nearby when she grew up, seeing her first car, meeting Dad when he came over to help on the farm, about growing up one of 10 kids and then raising 11 of her own," Her daughter Cecilia said."When Mom was about 80 we tried to get her to move after the house burned down, but she refused," her daughter said. "She camped out on a cot in the garage, then in an old trailer house till we rebuilt the farmhouse."Until she was 100, Hagel stayed on the 40-acre farm near Rogers after her husband died in 1966, keeping up a huge garden, sewing, quilting and visiting relatives. Increasing frailty and a painful case of untreated shingles drove Hagel to leave the farm and move to a care facility.Catherine taught her children, by example and expectation, the value of hard work, a positive attitude and an utter trust that God gets everything right.“When something bad would happen, Mom always said, 'Well, it's in God's hands,'" Cecilia said"We grew up poor and didn't eat" her son Al laughs saying, who still lives at the family's farmstead, has fond memories of growing up on the farm.Catherine had three girls and eight boys; the last four were two sets of twins."don't go rooting around" was something that Catherine lived by. In fact, she has only left Minnesota once in her 113 years, to visit a cousin in Wisconsin.expected and unexpected visitors were welcome to the Hagel home. "Dad was always bringing home bums and mom would always have something to feed them," said AlHe remembers the vagabonds that would hop off cars at the railroad station in Rogers and find their way into the house for a warm meal.Catherine died on December 6th, 2008 at the age of 114 years, 8 days. She is the 2nd oldest Minnesotan, and 81st oldest American to ever live.FarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife LinktreeSource 1, Source 2Image Credit: the110club.com

"plant the rain"when you live in the most arid region of Zimbabwe and modern farming techniques have failed, you take drastic measures to provide for your familyand that's after being jailed and beaten multiple times for yearslet's learn about Zephaniah PhiriZephaniah Phiri was born Feb 1927 in Rhodesia 1950s during the colonial days, he was arrested for planting barn grass and kikuyu grass to preserve water in his catchment area. At court, the validity of his arguments led the Magistrate to visit Phiri's fields and let him go freePhiri was arrested again in the 1960s. Brutally beaten up, thrown into a detention facility, spending his entire time there in leg irons.His farming aptitude began while in detention, a place of extreme scarcity, when he started a piggery project so he could “eat better.”after release and banned from working, forced him back to his small farm at ~8 acres. Phiri experimented with farming techniquescapturing water from the hill, redirecting it into trenches at the bottom of the hill for future use. Earning him three arrests for “farming in a waterway.”Intrigued by Phiri's continued defiance and quantity of produce at a time of severe drought (1972/73), the magistrate decided to visit Mr Phiriʼs farm. Impressed, freed him and had the Government Land Development Officer opposing Mr Phiriʼs strategies replaced.1973, Mr Phiri opened his first pond, discovering that the bands of clay brought water to the surface and these could be used to make dam walls that prevented water loss when it was abundant.“Ponds enabled holding more water in the marshy patch, without water-logging the soils"August 1976 during Zimbabwe's liberation war, he was arrested for possession of firearms left at his home by the freedom fighters, "terrorists" to the colonial government. Tortured, two of his shoulder bones, broken, hip joint disjointed, and forever left with a limpAfterwards, he was taken to Gweru Prison where he suffered for four and half years, handcuffed and restrained with leg irons.By 1983, he had constructed two additional dams of combined storage capacity 1,5 million litres, nearly 400,000 gallons or an olympic sized swimming poolencouraged by the experiments with sand filtration using concrete rings, Mr Phiri discovered in 1987 the concept of “Phiri pits” – holes in contour trenches where water accumulates, forcing water infiltration deep into the soils uphill to feed downhill fields later in the seasonDuring the 80s and 90s, he placed pits across his land. Many villagers followed his example. Between 1984-86, he founded the Vulindhlebe Soil and Water Conservation, and the Zvishavane Water Project, two key NGOs that equipped farmers with skills to manage their water betterover 10,000 visitors to his farm in the past 30 years. Academics, university students, researchers, public officials, fellow farmers, all learning from a man who had elementary school edu. Mr Phiri did not need a degree to understand hydrology, and how to make it work for him.His now famous “Phiri Pits” have captured the rain water whose seepages have literally met the water level in the ground below; thus resulting in raising the water table that ensures constant moisture to his trees and crops.Brad Lancaster of Arizona, author of “Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond”, had visited Zimbabwe in 1995“And when I told him how concerned I was with the water situation in my community and watershed, and how I was thinking of leaving my community because of this... "Phiri said "You cannot leave. You must set your roots deeper than you ever thought possible. Because if you run from your problems, you will just plant problems everywhere you go... "“You must instead try to find solutions. If you succeed, you will then have the ability to find solutions anywhere.”He was never selfish. He freely offered well-structured training to smallholder farmers in his area and throughout Zimbabwe, particularly women.Phiri, famously known as the "Water Harvester" passed away on September 1, 2015 after suffering a severe stroke “In his years Mr Phiri took to thanking Mr (Ian) Smith (the cruel former Rhodesian prime minister) in his speeches,” Dr Ken Wilson said in his condolence messageDr Ken Wilson “He would say that from Smithʼs inhumanity and his vulnerability had come the prayers that had opened his heart to hear the Word of God and enabled him to commit his familyʼs well-being on the stewardship of his little piece of land.”To see photos, check out my Twitter thread on Mr PhiriThank you very much for listening. I'll have a link in the notes for everything you've just heard.If there's another farmer you'd like me to cover, send me a message! @farmhoplife on all the social medias or matt@farmhoplife.comGo feed yourself.FarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife LinktreeImage Credit: National GeographicSource 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5, Source 6, Source 7, Source 8, Source 9

man check. what are you up to?Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]Homestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Tony, aka "Farmer, Till, I die or get Disappeared", kicks it off with how his house got raided by a SWAT team because he was feeding the homeless in is area. Followed by how to escape the maze they've put us in. And of course how to grow your own food! He's an excellent teacher by showing you exactly how to build these systems no matter your situation.Farmer, Till, I die or get Disappeared on TwitterUni-Phi MediaUni-Phi Media - LawLoRaWANFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Ron Finley grew up in the Harvard Park area of South Los Angeles, the middle child in a large family. Everyday, school was a battle. Toward the end of high school, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and finally learned to read.When Ron was a teenager, he felt frustrated because “I wanted to have the kind of clothes you see in the movies, but nothing fit right.” With $15 he went to a tailor and got his pants altered. They fit great, but he couldn't afford to keep going to a tailor. When he was 15, he used the family sewing machine to make his own clothes.At 16, he was making clothes for family and friends; when he was 17 he got a scholarship to enroll in the Los Angeles Trade Technical College fashion design program. He bought his first power sewing machine, and in 1984, created DropDead Collecxions, tailored clothes in natural fabrics for men and women that were sold in high-end stores. By 1998 he had completed a 12-week entrepreneurial training class at USC to grow his business, but in 2008 when the recession came, the sales stopped.During that time he Went to the store and saw a tomato with a sign that said “may be coated with shellac” and started noticing a pattern.Ron Got tired of seeing people dying of curable diseases. Got tired of seeing the obesity rate in his neighborhood 5x that of beverly hills, only 8-10 miles awayFinley, who studied gardening in a UC Cooperative Extension class taught by Florence Nishida, later hooked up with Nishida and a couple of other folks to address what they call the food desert in South Los Angeles, where healthful options are in short supply. The group is called L.A. Green Grounds.So he Planted food in the parkway in front of his house, 10ft x 150ftIts owned by the city, but you maintain itSomeone complained. City issued a citation. Then a warrant followed. Because he grew some food in his yard. Think about that.Someone started a petition and got 900 signatures. Issue was dropped and the law changed.In 2017, The house that Ron rents and has established this jam packed garden had gone up for auction and the new owner had tried to evict him. There was a fundraising campaign and over $500,000 was donated for the Ron Finley Project to own the home outrightIn his 2013 TED talk, he explains thatOver 20 million people in the US have to travel more than 3 miles to get fresh food, something not from a canIt's unclear if he started the phrase “Growing your own food is like printing your own money”But I'm pretty sure he Coined the term “plant some shit”So ron started a “plant some money” campaignHe and his group marched a planned route, 3 miles and stopped in front of the Federal Reserve building, and planted some custom made dollars with ron finley's face on itAt plantsomemoney.com you can get your own kit to grow your food at homeTheres a little shovel on one side that has seeds attached to it.Probably what he's known best for is turning an old dresser drawer into a small garden. Got lots of replies and pictures on instagram and facebookHe can't afford to fill the swimming pool in his backyard, so instead of it sitting empty, it's used for growing more plants, teaching classes, hosting presentations, and even some lunches and dinners.He doesn't like using the term guerilla gardening because that implies secrecy and neglect. He wants to garden out in the open and care for itRon tells a story of a mother and her child taking food from his garden around 10:30 at night. He talks with the lady saying that he purposely put it on the street for people to come take and eatThat's the kind of community he's building by making gardening sexy. Becoming a Gangsta Gardener. Not drive thrus and drive bysRon has traveled the world encouraging people to grow their own food that's healthy and free of harmful chemicals.He still resides in Los AngelesFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktreesource 1, source 2, source 3, source 4, source 5, source 6, source 7, source 8image credit: Theo Jemison

Having a homestead sure isn't profitable, so why do it?Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramThriving The Future websiteThriving The Future TwitterThriving Garden PlannerFarmgineer websiteFarmgineer on TwitterFarmgineer on YoutubeJosiah Young on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

With only days left, Ginger and her husband flee Canada to Costa Rica to build their new life truly based in freedom. Having never had a homestead before in a country they've never been before, they were absolutely starting from scratch.Ginger on TwitterGinger on YouTubePlay It Again with Mike and GingerFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

What would you like to receive or possibly buy for yourself this Christmas? Pick 3-5 things. Realistic or not.Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]FarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Josef "Sepp" Holzer, born July 24, 1942, in Ramingstein, State of Salzburg, Austria. sometimes referred to as "the Siberia of Austria"growing up, Sepp had to walk two hours to school everyday. along the way, he would notice the plants, animals, and insects, and how they changed during the seasons. this attention to nature would stick with him throughout the rest of his life.In Austria, it's customary to give the land to your son when he turns 19, as his father had been operating it with some health problems. So in 1962, Sepp took over the Krameterhof, the family farm, At 3,600 to 4,900 ft altitude. initially, Sepp had followed his university's methods and would spray chemicals to ensure a good harvest. but this did not work well for Sepp. he quickly ditched conventional farming and focused on learning from nature to give the land what it needs.the day after his father signed the farm over to him, Sepp had an excavator onsite to install fish ponds. people would say "you're mad! you can't install a fish pond on the side of a mountain" at first, his father was in agreement with the people. in time and as Sepp became successful, his father loved to show people the farm Sepp had built. his parents found it risky. "they're whole lives they didn't spend as much as I did in a couple of years" Sepp saidhis neighbor had cleared the land of timber, then sold the property to Sepp, making the Krameterhof a total of 111 acres. it was required of Sepp to reforest the barren acreage by forest laws, so he terraced the land and planted fruit trees. this was not acceptable in the eyes of the forestry. so Sepp removed any tags indicating that they were cherry trees, implied they were berries and they okayed the reforestation efforts.his neighbor comments about how Sepp isn't careful with the land. Let me explain. Sepp looks to see where the land can tolerate a "wound" using the excavator, but these wounds heal exceptionally fast. A large focus of these restoration efforts is putting water back into the ground.Sepp has raised pigs, wild cattle, yaks, bison, and Scottish mountain cattle. when his neighbors start doing what he does, he stops doing it to prevent competition. if someone copies him, he changes what he's doing. this way, you keep things interesting and always learning, he sayshe started planting his fruit trees at the bottom of his Austrian mountain-side property, and they thrived! so he kept terracing and planting higher and higher all the way to the edge of the property and everything is doing well. he believes it could work at even higher elevations. Sepp harvests apricots to eucalyptus, figs to kiwi fruit, peaches to wheat, just to name a few.Sepp often refers to using raised beds in his terraces, but those raised beds are much different than you're probably thinking. he's using traditional Hugelkultur, burying timber and mounding soil on top at a steep pile, oriented 90 degrees perpendicular to the wind. A method to his madness is Sepp's plant guilds, using beneficial root systems and earthworms for support. "If the plants are healthy, then the animals and humans are healthy too. and that is our foundation. whoever destroys it and treats it irresponsibly needs to be told to his face promptly, that's a crime and has no right to act that way, and he's too dumb to enjoy life"Another technique for food production at high altitudes is his use of rocks. Sepp shows off a patch of pumpkins growing around a large rock. The rock absorbs heat throughout the day and radiates it out at night to help keep frost away. this acts as a thermal battery for plants and extend the growing seasonThe name Agro Rebel, or Rebel Farmer given to Sepp comes from a comment from a professor visiting the Krameterhof in the documentary titled "The Agro Rebel" from 2001. "People say about Holzer that he is stubborn headed. Which he can also be when necessary. but that this stubborn head demonstrates such a flexibility, well, basically, he is an agro rebel. you have to be when you take such an unusual path. He isn't eligible for any of the subsidy programs. He doesn't fit into any of the schemes of the bureaucrats in charge of farming. for this reason he's forced to rebel”In 2009 Sepp Holzer left the Krameterhof in the hands of his son Josef Andreas Holzer. Since 2013 Sepp Holzer lives on his new farm - the Holzerhof farm - in the Burgenland, Austria. Sepp is currently 81 years old.Long Live Sepp HolzerSource 1, Source 2, Water Stories, Agro RebelImage Credit: au.permacultureprinciples.com

A fine spring day, lambing was going well. Then it quickly turned ugly and tragedy struck. Adam from Debra Get Redpilled Podcast talks about homesteading life in the PNW, lessons learned, and the difference growing for yourself verses growing for profit.Debra Gets Red Pilled PodcastRising Tide HomesteadFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

What kind of person do you display yourself as on social media? What things are you keeping private? How do you choose what to share? Have you cut someone out because they're actually fake?DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramLongStoryFarms on TwitterHomestead Padre websiteHomestead Padre on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

André Marcel Voisin, born on January 7, 1903, in Dieppe, France, was a renowned French biochemist, farmer, and author. He is most famous for his groundbreaking work in developing the theory of Rational Grazing, also known as Voisinism, Voisin Grazing, or Rational Intensive Grazing. Voisin's theories and ideas on grazing practices have been widely acclaimed, leading to numerous lectures and the translation of his books into 18 different languages, with multiple reprints.Voisin's upbringing revolved around agriculture as his parents, Albert Voisin and Marie Antoinette Morthe Legendre, were established farmers and landholders. He began his primary and secondary education at the Jehan Ango school in Dieppe, starting in 1910, and later attended the prestigious Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris.After completing his military service with the French navy and graduating as a lieutenant in 1923, Voisin pursued a diploma in biochemistry from the School of Physics and Chemistry, école supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la ville de Paris in 1924. Following his graduation, he initially worked as an engineer in a tire factory, where he made significant contributions to improving production efficiency. Later, he took on a senior engineering role at the firm SIT, further showcasing his ingenuity in developing innovative methods.In 1936, Voisin traveled to the University of Heidelberg to enhance his proficiency in the German language. There, he completed a thesis titled "Goethe and France" and was honored with the distinction of becoming an Honorary Citizen of Heidelberg.During the tumultuous period of World War II, Voisin's life took a different course. In 1943, he married Martha Rosine Fernagu in occupied Paris. At the outbreak of the war in September 1939, Voisin left his position in the rubber industry to actively participate in the war effort. Initially stationed with the French Navy in Algeria, he was involved in two naval missions in the Mediterranean and was severely injured during the second mission. After receiving initial treatment in Algiers, he spent four months in the Val-de-Grâce hospital in Paris.Voisin engaged in various ground operations in France in 1940, including the Narvik Campaign. As the Fall of France loomed, he was ordered to evacuate to England. Alongside a small group, he embarked on a daring boat journey from Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, which lasted several days, resulting in their successful arrival in England. In England, Voisin met with Admiral Thierry d'Argenlieu and was appointed as Secretary Attaché to Admiral Émile Muselier, the leader of the Free French Naval Forces.In October 1940, Voisin returned to his family farm, "Le Talou," located on a 320-acre estate in Gruchet, south of Arques-la-Bataille, in occupied France. From 1941 to 1944, he played a vital role in the Resistance by covertly arranging food deliveries from his farm. Additionally, he worked as a translator for the mayor, Albert Thoumyer, in his dealings with the Nazi occupiers. In an act of bravery and compassion, Voisin successfully advocated for the pardon of a farmer who was facing execution by firing squad in March 1943.After the liberation of Paris in August 1944, Voisin entrusted the care of Le Talou to his wife and traveled to Paris to meet with Admiral d'Argenlieu. He was assigned to a regiment of marine infantry and participated in various campaigns with the Free French forces, notably the intense but short-lived Battle of the Vosges in October. Voisin sustained injuries once again, this time in Benfeld.In 1946, Voisin published his memoirs of the war, titled "A Single Foot on the Earth," based on his war diaries. The book was enriched with illustrations by Commander Luc-Marie Bayle, the official Navy artist.Towards the end of 1945, after fulfilling his duty to his country, Voisin returned to Gruchet to pursue his true passion: farming.Voisin found immense satisfaction in observing his cattle graze on the pasture. He began to notice distinct differences between the grazing behavior of cows and the process of mowing and feeding them hay. When a pasture is mown for hay, all the grass is cut at once. However, when cows graze, the pasture is only consumed at the pace they are able to eat. Additionally, while a cow in a feedlot can eat as much as it wants without moving, a cow in a pasture must actively seek out desirable sections of grass and graze on it bit by bit.These observations led Voisin to realize that existing theories of grazing did not accurately describe the conditions of a grazing animal. Most scientific studies focused on either growing grass without grazing animals or feeding cut grass to animals in feedlots, rarely considering the behavior of cattle grazing on pasture. Voisin recognized that this interaction between the cow and grass, which he called "the meeting of cow and grass," was fundamentally different from either action performed alone.This understanding led Voisin to a critical realization - time played a crucial role. The number of animals per acre was not the main factor in determining overgrazing, but rather the amount of time the plants were exposed to grazing animals. If animals remained on the pasture for too long, a palatable plant would be grazed a second time before it had a chance to recover from the initial grazing. Additionally, repeated grazing at short intervals prevented plants from achieving their maximum growth rate, limiting the amount of sunlight energy captured and converted into useful feed.Voisin's work on his farm began to attract scientific attention, and he was invited to give lectures both domestically and internationally, including in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany. In 1956, he was appointed an associate professor at the National Veterinary School of Alfort and became a member of the Academy of Agriculture of France.In 1954, Voisin recorded an effective stocking rate for the most productive part of the grazing season (10 May - 23 September) as 2.2 Livestock Units per acre. Before implementing rational grazing, Voisin claimed his stocking rate was only 0.6 LU/acre, demonstrating a significant growth in stocking rate through his methods.Voisin eventually formulated his "four laws" of rational grazing, which he believed applied universally regardless of soil conditions, climate, altitude, latitude, or longitude. These laws were as follows:First Law: A sufficient interval must elapse between two successive grazings to allow the grass to accumulate reserves in its roots for vigorous regrowth and produce a high daily yield per acre.Second Law: The total occupation period of one paddock should be short enough so that the grass initially grazed on the first day is not cut again by the animals' teeth before they move to another paddock.Third Law: Animals with higher nutritional requirements should be given access to the greatest quantity of high-quality grass.Fourth Law: For optimal milk yields, a cow should not stay on the same paddock for more than three days. Maximum yields can be achieved when a cow is kept on a paddock for only one day.These laws formed the foundation of Voisin's approach to rational grazing and represented his findings based on extensive observation and experimentation.In June 1964, Voisin received an invitation from Fidel Castro to deliver a series of lectures at the University of Havana on the subject of Rational Grazing. Despite the negative perception of Castro's communist government, Voisin agreed and arrived in Cuba on December 3.Voisin and his wife were personally greeted by Castro at the airport, and they led an inspection of a nearby farm owned by the Cuban Prime Minister. The series of lectures opened on December 8 at the University of Havana.Castro praised Voisin's work and stated that "human health, human happiness, is the main objective of Professor Voisin's work." On December 11, Voisin was awarded an honorary doctorate from the university.However, on December 21 at 3:50 pm, Voisin died suddenly of a heart attack in his hotel. Castro announced his death on national television that evening. A state funeral was held the following day at the Great Hall of the University of Havana.Voisin had previously expressed a desire that, if he died while giving lectures abroad, he wished for his remains to be buried in the country of his death. Following his wishes, he was buried at Colon Cemetery in Havana.Voisin became celebrated in Cuba, and the Cuban government declared 1965 "The Year of Agriculture" in his honor. A commemorative stamp with a face value of 3¢ was issued on the first anniversary of his death.Despite Castro's advocacy for Voisin's work, Cuban farmers largely ignored his methods until the collapse of the Communist Common Market in 1989, which resulted in a three-year economic crisis called the Special Period. The loss of Soviet energy and chemical imports called for a transition to organic and skill-intensive agroecological models based on the principles of Voisinism. This transition was successful, and by 1995, urban agriculture, especially the use of organoponicos, was widespread in Cuba.Voisin's work gained attention and recognition among English-speaking authors, including Allan Nation, Joel Salatin, and Allan Savory. Savory, who developed Holistic Management, was greatly influenced by Voisin's principles and wrote the introduction for the 1988 reprint of "Grass Productivity."Despite the impact of his research on the permaculture, holistic management, and grass-fed beef movements, Voisin remains relatively unknown in his home country of France, partly due to his political leanings.FarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife LinktreeSource 1, source 2, source 3, source 4Image credit: culturaempresarialganadera.org

Shudra is working hard everyday to build up his 10 acre homestead in Australia. If water wasn't already an issue, his property sits on top of an old gravel pit, so the ground doesn't hold water.Can he build up enough top soil to reduce the water from passing right through into the ground?Can he collect enough rain water from his roof during monsoon season to make it through the year?Shudra websiteShudra on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

depopulation is happening. is it good? is it bad? what are the effects?Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]Homestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramThree Ridges Farm websiteDrake on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

how do we raise our boys to become men?Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Clint and Christine Rarey started FAFO Farms near Austin, Texas this year. And even with some hard learned lessons already, they're still eager to get to work everyday to provide their community with raw milk, cheese, soap, and pastured poultry.FAFO Farms websiteFAFO Farms on XFAFO Farms on FacebookFAFO Farms on InstagramFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23project FarmHopLife Linktree

Clifford Allan Redin Savory (born 15 September 1935 in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) educated in South Africa (University of Natal, BS in Zoology and Botany) pursued an early career as a research biologist and game ranger in the British Colonial Service of what was then Northern Rhodesia (today Zambia) and later as a farmer and game rancher in Zimbabwe.“The Wild Life of Allan Savory”C.J. HadleyReprinted from the Fall issue of Range Magazine, 1999"Throughout that," says Savory, "there was constantly just one theme-poor land means poor people, social upheaval, political unrest. We farmers and ranchers have destroyed more civilizations than armies have done. Armies change civilizations. We farmers and ranchers destroy them, they never rise again. And I've been obsessed with this problem of why this is happening, why it's happened for 10-15,000 years, and why we've never been able to stop it.”Allan Savory's memoir reveals his involvement in preparing for guerrilla warfare through the British Colonial Service in the Northern Rhodesian Game Department. He learned local bush skills and animal tracking techniques that could be adapted for military use. Initially, his recommendations for military training were rejected, but his ideas gained traction when the elite all-white Special Air Service (SAS) incorporated his tracking and bush craft courses for counter-insurgency purposes.During the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965, Savory was a Captain in the Territorial Army. He quietly opposed this move. He proposed forming a Guerrilla Anti-terrorist Unit (GATU) to infiltrate and eliminate African nationalist insurgent groups, but internal disputes led to the unit's disbandment. Instead, the Tracker Combat Unit (TCU) was created, focusing on tracking and targeting insurgents.In 1970, Savory was elected to the Rhodesian Parliament, representing Matobo constituency. He later reformed the Rhodesia Party, aiming to secure the future of white Europeans in Rhodesia through strong government and economic superiority. However, his party supported racial segregation, and his controversial statements led to his removal from leadership.In 1977, Savory led the National Unifying Force (NUF) against Ian Smith's policies, but the party didn't win any seats. Savory opposed the Internal Settlement under Bishop Abel Muzorewa and, due to conflicts with the government, left Rhodesia in 1979 for self-imposed exile to focus on his scientific work.After leaving Zimbabwe, Allan Savory introduced holistic planned grazing to reverse desertification in grasslands. He co-founded the Center for Holistic Management in 1984, later forming the Savory Institute in 2009. He also established the Africa Centre for Holistic Management in Zimbabwe in 1992, aimed at training holistic land management techniques.Four principlesSavory stated four key principles of Holistic Management® planned grazing, which he intended to take advantage of the symbiotic relationship between large herds of grazing animals and the grasslands that support themNature functions as a holistic community with a mutualistic relationship between people, animals and the land. If you remove or change the behavior of any keystone species like the large grazing herds, you have an unexpected and wide-ranging negative impact on other areas of the environment.It is absolutely crucial that any agricultural planning system must be flexible enough to adapt to nature's complexity, since all environments are different and have constantly changing local conditions.Animal husbandry using domestic species can be used as a substitute for lost keystone species. Thus when managed properly in a way that mimics nature, agriculture can heal the land and even benefit wildlife, while at the same time benefiting people.Time and timing is the most important factor when planning land use. Not only is it crucial to understand how long to use the land for agriculture and how long to rest, it is equally important to understand exactly when and where the land is ready for that use and rest.In his TED talk “How to fight desertification and reverse climate change” in February of 2013 Savory shares the story of when he was a biologist in Africa in the 1950s tasked with improving the landscape for national parks. After reviewing evidence at the time, he comes to the conclusion that they must reduce the number elephants in an effort to help the land maintain stability. The government had a team of experts to evaluate his research, and they agreed. Savory says “Over the following years, we shot 40,000 elephants to try to stop the damage. And it got worse, not better. Loving elephants as I do, that was the saddest and greatest blunder of my life, and I will carry that to my grave.” Since then, he's determined to devoting his life to finding solutions. His system for livestock management mimicking nature works like this… Greatly increase the number of cattle, sheep, or goats confined on a fenced off piece of land for a short period of time. The animals will eat the grass, then pee, poop, and smash the remaining grass into the ground. At that time, they're moved to another paddock to repeat the cycle. This stores carbon and breaks down methane. In nature, large herds of animals are pushed out of an area due to predation. But with intensive rotational grazing, this is done manually using physical barriers.Still, Criticism of Allan savory stems from the methane gasses produced by the cattle needed for his regeneration efforts. As well as the claims cattle are still the problem and should be reduced, not increased. Sounds like the critics missed the part about getting rid of the elephants not working… Allan Savory and his wife Jody Butterfield live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is currently 87 years oldSource 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4Image Credit: menub.earth

the trads are wanting to go back to the way things were, but we're too far gone. What does the future look like for the generations beyond the Zoomers? Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramAmber Oaks Ranch websiteAmber Oaks Ranch FacebookAmber Oaks Ranch InstagramAmber Oaks Ranch TwitterThree Ridges Farm websiteDrake on TwitterThriving The Future websiteThriving The Future TwitterThriving Garden PlannerFarmgineer websiteFarmgineer on TwitterFarmgineer on YoutubeFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Ron Miskin and his family have been raising bison in Texas for over 40 years, selling the meat and making great socks (and other items!) with the fibers. They also have some cows, pigs, turkeys, and chickens for home production.Buffalo Wool Co websiteBuffalo Wool Co InstagramBuffalo Wool Co FacebookBuffalo Wool Co TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife Linktree

Gaia's Garden by Toby HemenwayPermaculture City by Toby HemenwayToby Hemenway born April 23, 1952In grade school, he loved reading and writing, would entertain his fellow students with a series of short stories about the adventures of a boy genius, according to his sister, Ann“He studied a lot and read on his own,” she said of his early days growing up in the Detroit and Chicago areas where his father was in marketing and sales for General Electric and auto companies.“He was a busy kid, a brilliant, busy child, always doing science experiments. Things were blowing up in the basement a lot,” she said.After obtaining a degree in biology from Tufts University, Toby worked for many years as a researcher in genetics and immunology, first in academic laboratories including Harvard and the University of Washington in Seattle, and then at Immunex, a major medical biotech company. At about the time he was growing dissatisfied with the direction biotechnology was taking, he discovered permaculture, a design approach based on ecological principles that creates sustainable landscapes, homes, and workplaces. A career change followed, and Toby and his wife, Kiel, spent ten years creating a rural permaculture site in southern Oregon. He was the editor of Permaculture Activist, a journal of ecological design and sustainable culture, from 1999 to 2004. He moved to Portland, Oregon in 2004, and spent six years developing urban sustainability resources there. He served as an adjunct professor at Portland State University, Scholar-in-Residence at Pacific University, and field director at the Permaculture Institute (USA).In 2009, he published his first book “Gaia's Garden: a guide to home scale permaculture” still the best selling book on ecological gardeningFrom Permies.com,Paul reviews the third [permaculture] ethic with Toby Hemengway [return of surplus]. Toby finds it ironic that people are quick to tell him he should be giving away his book as surplus. Toby goes through some history on how he got his first workshop paid for. When people come to Toby looking for a break on a price he gets upset when people are able bodied and intelligent. Asking for a subsidy should be a last resort.Paul explains that some people are taking advantage of the third ethic and surplus. People do not have the right to come in and tell you what you have in surplus and how you should give things away. Paul and Toby discuss the difference between a gift economy and a theft economy. Toby explains how an ethic works and how it is meant to serve the community. Ethics are not meant to serve a person.An interview by Chelsea Green, publisher of Toby Hemenway's new book The Permaculture City, published in 2015, provides a new way of thinking about urban living, with practical examples for creating abundant food, energy security, close-knit communities, local and meaningful livelihoods, and sustainable policies in our cities and towns.CG: You started off in Seattle, moved to rural Oregon, and then to Portland, and you now live in the Bay Area. How did this follow your own evolution in terms of using permaculture design principles to guide your own daily life and choosing where to live – rural versus urban?TH: I met my wife in Seattle in 1990 when I was working in biotech and she was at Microsoft. We both soon realized that our lives, stressful and busy, had strayed far from giving us what we desired in life. I had just discovered permaculture, and at that time, it was being applied mainly on large, rural properties. So we bailed on city life and moved to ten acres in southern Oregon. In retrospect, being such a newbie to permaculture, the move was a hasty decision that wasn't well grounded in permaculture principles: our property didn't have good water or soil, for example. But I believed firmly that by using permaculture design, I could make up for that. And we did, to a large extent. So it was a trial by fire and I made a lot of mistakes. One thing I learned, very much the hard way, was that each time I violated a permaculture principle, it didn't work out well. Because we had a lot of land, I planted far more fruit trees than I needed—I didn't do a good assessment of my needs, I just wanted it all—and put them far from the house. So I wasn't following the principles of start small and start at your doorstep. And once all my other systems started producing, those trees got neglected and suffered. I also was trying to run a large homestead by myself, not following the principle of “each function should be supported in multiple ways.” And the land itself didn't really want to be a food forest; the soil and microclimate were much more suited to being conifer forest. Thus I wasn't working with nature but against it. In spite of all those mistakes, the land became very productive and diverse, and we accomplished a lot—pretty much everything we had gone there to do. That's when we realized we were driving everywhere and burning tons of fuel and other resources to sustain this supposedly sustainable lifestyle, and we were lonely. So we moved to Portland and were amazed at how much our resource consumption shrank. I was still able to grow a huge amount of food in a 6000-square foot yard, but we didn't need to drive long distances to have a social or cultural life. That brought us back in tune with the principle of relative location: placing the things you use the most near where you spend your time. Thus I really learned the power of permaculture's principles by breaking most of them and being taught by that why they were worth following.Sadly, tragedy struck Toby and his family in 2015. In the fall of that year, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After undergoing chemotherapy, he was nevertheless told that his cancer had spread from his pancreas to his liver. While Toby had begun his second round of chemo in October, he developed septic shock. Septic shock occurs when an immune system weakened by cancer allows for a widespread infection in the blood, as well as dangerously low blood pressure. Since, additional scans show the cancer continued to spread.Toby passed away December 20th, 2016 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.However, there are many recorded presentations and podcasts of Toby so that his teachings will continue to inspire the next generation of those working to restore and repair the land we live with.FarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife LinktreeSource 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5Image credit: permacultureacademy.com

What keeps you up at night? What problems are always on your mind?Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramAmber Oaks Ranch websiteAmber Oaks Ranch FacebookAmber Oaks Ranch InstagramAmber Oaks Ranch TwitterThree Ridges Farm websiteDrake on TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Robert Fletcher Jr. The only child of walnut farmers, was born July 26, 1911 in San Francisco and grew up in Brentwood, graduating from high school in 1929. He then attended the University of California, Davis beginning in 1930 where he earned a degree in agriculture.After college, Fletcher ran a peach orchard in Red Bluff, California, and then became a state shipping point inspector (agriculture inspector). Starting in 1942, Fletcher began working for the Florin Fire Department. Executive Order 9066, by FDR, in 1942 forced relocation of 122,000 Japanese-Americans, most of them citizens, to internment camps, where they were held without charges out of a misguided suspicion that they might be disloyal. In addition to losing their liberty, the Japanese-American internees often lost the homes and businesses that they had to leave behind. In particular, Japanese-American farmers, who had to leave their crops untended.Near Sacramento, many of the Japanese who were relocated were farmers who had worked land around the town of Florin since at least the 1890s. Mr. Fletcher, who was single and in his early 30s at the time, knew many of them through his work inspecting fruit for the government. The farmers regarded him as honest, and he respected their operations.Al Tsukamoto, whose parents arrived in the United States in 1905, approached Mr. Fletcher with a business proposal: would he be willing to manage the farms of two family friends of Mr. Tsukamoto's, and to pay the taxes and mortgages while they were away? In return, he could keep all the profits.Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Tsukamoto had not been close, and Mr. Fletcher had no experience growing the farmers' specialty, flame tokay grapes, but he accepted the offer and soon quit his job.For the next three years he worked a total of 90 acres on three farms — he had also decided to run Mr. Tsukamoto's farm. He worked 18-hour days and lived in the bunkhouse Mr. Tsukamoto had reserved for migrant workers. He paid the bills of all three families — the Tsukamotos, the Okamotos and the Nittas. He kept only half of the profits.But Mr. Fletcher's efforts put him at personal risk, in a community where many viewed the Japanese-Americans with suspicion and resentment, in the wake of Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. He was reviled as a "Jap lover," and was nearly hit by a rifle shot that someone fired into the Tsukamoto family's barn.Many Japanese-American families lost property while they were in the camps because they could not pay their bills. Most in the Florin area moved elsewhere after the war. When the Tsukamotos returned in 1945, they found that Mr. Fletcher had left them money in the bank and that his new wife, Teresa, had cleaned the Tsukamotos' house in preparation for their return. She had chosen to join her husband in the bunkhouse instead of accepting the Tsukamotos' offer to live in the family's house.“Teresa's response was, ‘It's the Tsukamotos' house,' ” recalled Marielle Tsukamoto, who was 5 when she and her family were sent to the Jerome center. “Few people in history exemplify the best ideals the way that Bob did,” said Tsukamoto's daughter, Marielle “He was honest and hardworking and had integrity. Whenever you asked him about it, he just said, ‘It was the right thing to do.' ”But Fletcher's efforts put him at personal risk, in a community where many viewed the Japanese-Americans with suspicion and resentment, in the wake of Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. He was reviled as a "Jap lover," and was nearly hit by a rifle shot that someone fired into the Tsukamoto family's barn.“I did know a few of them pretty well and never did agree with the evacuation,” he told The Sacramento Bee in 2010. “They were the same as anybody else. It was obvious they had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor.”After the war, resentment against the Japanese in Florin continued. If Mr. Tsukamoto tried to buy a part at the hardware store only to be told that the part was not in stock, he would ask Mr. Fletcher to buy it for him.The Fletchers bought their own land in Florin after the war and raised hay and cattle. Mr. Fletcher was a volunteer firefighter in Florin for many decades before becoming the paid fire chief. He was also active in historical groups.He was never much for celebrating his role in the war, and he noted that other Florin residents had helped their Japanese neighbors.“I don't know about courage,” he said in 2010 as Florin was preparing to honor him in a ceremony. “It took a devil of a lot of work.”Mr. Fletcher, who was in good health until a recent leg infection, was a reserved man of simple tastes. He drank more than a quart of milk a day and enjoyed spending time with his wife or working.“I did know a few of them pretty well and never agreed with the evacuation,” he told the Sacramento Bee in 2010. “They were the same as anybody else. It was obvious they had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor.”At Fletcher's 100th birthday celebration in 2011, Doris Taketa, who was just 12 when her family was sent off to a camp in Arkansas, recalled how they had viewed him as a hero. "My mother called him God, because only God would do something like that," she said.Mr. Fletcher, who settled in Sacramento as a farmer after the war, also served people in other ways. He spent 20 years as a volunteer firefighter with the Florin Fire Department and retired in 1974 after another 12 years as paid chief. He helped start the Florin Water District in 1959 and was a board member for 50 years.“He never stopped working hard — but not for himself,” said Rick Martinez, a former Florin and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District chief. “He worked hard to get done whatever needed to be done for others.”His inspirational story is recounted in history books, including “We The People: A Story of Internment in America” by Elizabeth Pinkerton and Mary Tsukamoto, whose family farm he saved.“I don't know about courage,” he said in 2010 as Florin was preparing to honor him in a ceremony. “It took a devil of a lot of work.”Mr. Fletcher, who was in good health until a recent leg infection, was a reserved man of simple tastes. He drank more than a quart of milk a day and enjoyed spending time with his wife or working.FarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife LinktreeSources:One , Two , Three , Four , Five , Six , Seven , EightImage credit: Randall Benton/Sacramento Bee

Sometimes it's best to just bite your tongue. Sometimes it's best to say sorry first. But sometimes, a person just gets under your skin and you'd like to throw a punch.Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links*Agora Crops was here

Looking at problems a different way may help you come to solutions faster in the long run. Using his engineering background, Alex tackles the same problems everyday homesteaders face and coming with something better than a "farmers fix."Farmgineer websiteFarmgineer on TwitterFarmgineer on YoutubeFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

What is wrong with our food today? Buying directly from a farmer doesn't mean it's good. Grass fed, organic, or "product of the USA" doesn't mean it's good.Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramDeweyLikeDonuts on YoutubeHomestead of Payne on TiktokHomestead of Payne on InstagramAmber Oaks Ranch websiteAmber Oaks Ranch FacebookAmber Oaks Ranch InstagramAmber Oaks Ranch TwitterThriving The Future websiteThriving The Future TwitterThriving Garden PlannerFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Can fungi help heal a badly wounded body? Dead Eye 2 Tongues talks about his injuries and how he turned to natural medicine to get his life back.Dead Eye 2 Tongues TiktokDead Eye 2 Tongues YoutubeDead Eye 2 Tongues InstagramFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Things don't matter nearly as much as you think they do.Homestead of Payne on InstagramHomestead of Payne on TikTokFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Cooking, farm hopping, and the future of food. Dan got into cooking from going to the farmers market. Then got into farms from cooking. Full circle.Dan Vanderpool on TwitterDan Vanderpool on InstagramTomato clipsFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

How would we get the bison population up to 10 million? What would happen? Same with elk. How would you increase wildlife to your area without it being destructive?Homestead of Payne on InstagramHomestead of Payne on TikTokFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Are you listening? The land is telling you what works and will fight you if you try to force fit something. Drake moved to Canada with his wife where they have cows, sheep, and pigs on silvopasture.Drake on TwitterThree Ridges Ecological FarmFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Just a theory. First, we define what we mean. Turns out, I don't know anything. Second, all the lines are blurred together.Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramAmber Oaks Ranch websiteAmber Oaks Ranch FacebookAmber Oaks Ranch InstagramAmber Oaks Ranch TwitterPatrick Heizer on TwitterPatrick Heizer SubstackFarmHopLife website#20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Amber Oaks Ranch, 35 minutes outside of Austin, TX, offers grass fed beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and seasonal turkeys. John and his wife Molly operate their 70 acres by themselves thanks to a lot of systems thinking and planning ahead of time, years before they even bought their current property.Amber Oaks Ranch websiteAmber Oaks Ranch FacebookAmber Oaks Ranch InstagramAmber Oaks Ranch TwitterFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

What makes someone a radical or an extremists? Mindset? Ideals? Action?Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramHomestead of Payne on InstagramHomestead of Payne on TikTokFarmHopLife website#20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Work? Commuting? Books? Podcasts? Netflix? YouTube? Church? TikTok? Hobbies? Family time?If you cut out all of it, what would you do?Christopher de Vidal on MeWeSecureCoop website [DISCOUNT CODE IN EPISODE]DeweyLikeDonuts on TikTokDeweyLikeDonuts on InstagramHomestead of Payne on InstagramHomestead of Payne on TikTokFarmHopLife website#20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Emily, Danae, and Eric wanted eggs and honey for their own families. After some prayer, they decided to turn it into a business also adding pigs to the mix! Although they're just getting started, they've already had some stories to share.Birds n Bees Farms websiteBirds n Bees FacebookBirds n Bees on TikTokBirds n Bees on InstagramBirds n Bees on TwitterBirds n Bees YoutubeFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links

Could one piece of your farm pay for all the other parts? Brian raises Mangalitsa pigs and they're so profitable that they cover the cost of all the other parts of his farm, including goats, chickens, flowers, and a garden.Verdure Pastures on InstagramFarmHopLife websiteFarmHopLife #20x23projectFarmHopLife links