Off-the-Grid Biz Podcast

David Gilmore, known as the LDS Prepper on YouTube. Posted his first video 10 years ago. He was inspired by other YouTube prepper channels and wanted to share what he was doing and learning on his journey and preparedness. Today his channel has over 210,000 subscribers and over 44 million video views. Please checkout his quality videos and products at his website and YouTube channel, linked below! Website - https://ldsprepperstore.com/ Youtube Channel – LDSPrepper Show Notes * How LDS Prepper Got Started * A Passion for Helping People Be Prepared * Value of Building Rapport With Your Customers * “Once You Educate Customers, Your Going To Get Sales” * Knowing Where Your Customers Congregate – Online / Offline * Top Seller – LDS Prepper Premium Micro-Nutrient Mix * Mittleider Gardening Course Book * What I Like About Having an Online Business in the Prepping Industry * Continued Education and Growth for Sustainability is Needed Around The World * Personal & Business Goals For The Next Year * Other People's Traffic: Tips for Growing Your Online Youtube Channel / Business Transcription David: I found that really I can ship anywhere in the world. And I do so I need to make myself available to the world. So I started on YouTube. And then when I make a YouTube video I also put a link on my Facebook profile because I've got 5,000 friends, okay, I've never met. But however, they feel like they know me because they've watched the videos right? They say this all the time, I feel like I know you, I've watched 300 of your videos. Podcast Intro: If you’re someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you’re looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: David Gilmore, known as the LDS Prepper on YouTube. Posted his first video 10 years ago. He was inspired by other YouTube prepper channels and wanted to share what he was doing and learning on his journey and preparedness. Today his channel has over 192,000 subscribers and over 42 million video views. He has become a true YouTube influencer. His passion has turned from a hobby to a seven figure a year business as an affiliate for preparedness products and producer of his own product. Today he shares his insights with us on how to start an online business with zero capital zero risk and a mobile phone. David Gilmore, welcome to the Off-the-Grid Biz Podcast. David: Thank you Brian. Glad to be here. Brian: Yeah, I really appreciate it. How did you end up at this point? How did the whole journey start with you, David? David: Great question. I'm really a visual learner. My wife reads lots of books,

Jim White is the creator of Fishnure, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fishnure manufactures and markets organic fertilizer including both solid fertilizer and liquid. Checkout more about Fishnure's quality products and daily updates, please checkout their website and active twitter account, as listed below! Website - https://www.fishnure.com/ Twitter - @fishnure Show Notes Agricultural Background: Beginning of Fishnure Finding Our First Customers Natural vs. Chemical Fertilizer Different Types of Products We Offer * Solid vs. Liquid Fertilizer How COVID Impacted Our Business Importance of Sustainability Why Just Labeling Fertilizer As “Organic” Doesn't Mean It's Good Fishnure's Future: Heading In The Right Direction Jim's Business Advice to Those Starting A Business Full Transcription Jim: We had a pepper grower up in Minnesota who grew his entire crop with Fishnure. And then he set up a control between one of the biggest sellers, Miracle-Gro and Fishnure. So we had one batch of plants that were fed Miracle-Gro the other batch was Fishnure. Miracle-Gro got two treatments during the year, Fishnure only one. Fishnure came out with 8% production. Podcast Intro: If you’re someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you’re looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Jim White is the creator of Fishnure, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fishnure manufactures and markets organic fertilizer including both solid fertilizer and liquid. Fishnure is made by composting solid fish manure is filtered to get solid manure free from unwanted materials and combined with the carbon source clay inoculants and then decomposed to form a humus compost. Jim is a serial entrepreneur who has created numerous computer software production management businesses. He also has a significant background in statistics and agriculture. Jim White, welcome to The Off-the-Grid Biz Podcast. Jim: Hey, thank you. Brian: So how did you get into Fishnure, tell us that story? Jim: Well, I created a company that monitors agricultural production. In other words, in the delta, catfish production is big and a farmer may have 100 ponds. And we developed a wireless solar power monitoring and control system that will control the environment and every pond. So that's how Fishnure came because I was interested in some of the customers were using the connection from the fish production to growing plants, which is what aquaponics is, and that's what started it. Brian: Oh, wow. So how did you find your first customers?

Jesse Frost Take both feet and jump right in! It's clear Jesse Frost is well informed on gardening and things he's passionate about. But for he and his wife Hannah Crabtree to take that passion and turn it into not only a way of life but a way of making a living is truly impressive. Join us for some fabulous insight, from getting a start in farming, to what it takes to get your book published. Oh, and did we mention Jesse's terrific No-Till Market Garden Podcast and the quality information you can get from listening...all for free! Check out the links below for more info on Jesse and Hannah's Rough Draft Farmstead, to No-Till Growers Podcasts and Jesse's new book published with Chelsea Green Publishing called, The Living Soil Handbook. The Living Soil Handbook - https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook/d9z5gkf1bbnhu0w5xxb3trngiqhwgo No-Till Growers Podcasts - https://www.notillgrowers.com/home Podcast on Youtube Also - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLhu5JoRWPgEGDoUFfQHTPQ Rough Draft Farmstead - https://roughdraftfarmstead.com/ Show Notes * From Wine to Farming: My Start in No-Till Farming with Bugtussle Farm to Starting Rough Draft Farmstead * Type of Vegetables We Grow at Rough Draft Farmstead * How We Found Our First Customers * Why Being Certified Organic Was A Big Move For Us * Keeping No-Till Growers Podcast Accessible For All * New Book: Living Soil Handbook with Chelsea Green Publishing * Positive Response Since The Books Been Launched * How We Started The No-Till Market Garden Podcast * How To Find No-Till Growers Podcast * Big Following on YouTube * Why We Choose the keyword “No-Till” * What I Like Best About Farming & Podcasting * Being Open to New Ideas In Farming & Media * Happy Life: Importance of Family and Relationships * My Advice to Farmers Transcription Brian: How did you start your podcast? Jesse: Originally, I started on my cell phone with a call Recorder an app that journalists will be familiar with. And my audio wasn't great. I recorded it in our cooler for our vegetables, like our walking cooler. And also we had two young kids and it was the only place I could go to do it. And it kind of evolved from there. You know, we're going into our fourth season this fall, each season has gotten a little better and gotten a little bit better at interviews and more comfortable. But the beauty of podcasting, like, I think that when you're a curious person, it really fills that need for you to just dive into things. Podcast Intro: If you’re someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher,

Bevin Cohen of Small House Farm   The Artisan Herbalist, by Bevin Cohen Bevin Cohen is an author, herbalist, seed saver and owner of Small House Farm in Michigan. Join us as we discuss topics like - * why homesteading is a life long obsession * The joy Bevin gets from sharing his knowledge with others *Bevin's latest book The Artisan Herbalist Grab a copy of his latest book & other fine products today – SmallHouseFarm.com   * 1:53 Small House Farm: We Believe in a Simple, Small, Intentional Life * 2:48 What Brought Me Into Homesteading: A Life Long Obsession * 4:03 From Music Festivals to the Beginning of Small House Farm * 5:49 Educational Products to Help You Grow * 7:09 Bevin's Latest Book: The Artisan Herbalist * 8:11 From Our Seeds & Their Keepers * 9:11 Story Telling & Becoming an Author * 12:28 How Book Writing & Speaking Opens Doors for You & Help Others at the Same Time * 15:18 Teaching at Events like Mother Earth News Fair * 17:43 Gardening & The Power of Curiosity * 19:26 Small House Farms Top Sellers * Herbal Wellness – Witch Hazel * Seeds – Pineapple Ground Cherry's * Books – The Artisan Herbalist * Workshop Classes – Seed Saving * 21:29 The Joy of Meeting New People at Classes and Workshop Events * 23:34 New Book Coming Out in February 2021 with New Society Publishers * The Complete Guide to Seed & Nut Oils * 25:45 The Secret to Success: Have Fun! * 27:15 Where to Contact Bevin and pickup his latest book, The Artisan Herbalist Transcription Bevin: I think that with everything in life as business owners or wherever we're at when we put ourselves out there, challenge ourselves to try something new. And it's just that little bit of success can boost that confidence enough to be like, Okay, let's try that again. Let's push forward on this, let's see where we can take this thing. Even if it doesn't turn out we've tried something new, right and we've grown as a person because of that. But nine times out of 10 it is gonna work out and that's the beauty of pushing your limits, is we can find that we're capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit. Podcast Intro: If you’re someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you’re looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure,

Lucinda Bailey Lucinda Bailey, (aka, The Seed Lady) is a Master Gardener and Certified Crop Advisor specializing in the cultivation of heirloom vegetables from seed. Join us as we talk about how “old-time pioneer skills” are quickly becoming the hot new desire for many Patriots in our changing economy. From the value of saving seeds to teaching Mittleider gardening, Lucinda was a joy to chat with and we know you'll be blown away the wealth of information she has to share. It's easy to see she has a passion for the work she does. Head over to Texas Ready & pickup a Liberty Seed Bank today! - https://texasready.net/ Texas Ready - Liberty Seed Banks 1:51 Beginning of Texas Ready: Taking Back The Reins of Food Production 3:05 Why This Business Gives Me A Personal Connection to My Customers and Community 3:44 Perfecting Our Message – By Going to Gun Shows * Building Relationships by Putting on Classes at our Local Community Center * Why Quail Is An Ideal Option to Raise for Practical Preparedness and Homesteading 7:21 Heirloom Seed Shortages 9:08 We've Seen a Huge Influx In People Wanting to Grow Gardens and Be Better Prepared 10:33 Ideal Customers: Family Oriented and Preparedness Minded 11:33 Top Selling Products: Liberty Seed Banks (Ammo Cans) 12:30 Lucinda's 3-Skill Sets that Revolve Around Gardening 13:38 Knowledge Is Power: Giving Confidence to Patriots 18:55 The Inside Baseball of the Seed Industry * Just How Long Do Seeds Really Last? 22:12 Quality Food Production: The Mittleider Garden Course 24:49 10 Week Hands-On Class: Teaching Family Homesteading Skills 27:07 Follow Your Dreams: Work With a Standard of Excellence and Integrity 29:10 Where to Find out More About Texas Ready (https://texasready.net/) Transcription Lucinda: I think we're moving in that direction. As a society, I think that we're going to see the importance of networking, and connection, and of helping our neighbors. I'm seeing that happen. And that breaks down all the barriers, whatever political party, whatever, religious institution, you come from whatever color you are, we are members of the human race. That's our first and only group that we need to be. Intro to show: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family, you want to leave this world better off and you found it and you consider independence, a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener a homesteader, a survivalist, a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self reliance, for those living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Lucinda Bailey, aka "The Seed Lady" is a master gardener and certified crop advisor, specializing in the cultivation of heirloom vegetables from seed. Her interest began as a teenager in Michigan, where she grew posts in her backyard to sell to neighbors. She now spends her time traveling the country attending shows and presenting seminars on the Mittleider g...

  Shelley Whitehouse of The Smart Chicken Coop It all started with 3 chickens on a porch, that turned into a side interest in backyard chicken keeping, that grew into a successful online business. Shelley Whitehouse shares her story about her company, The Smart Chicken Coop as we cover various topics listed below. Be sure to checkout The Smart Chicken Coops quality products at the link below! The Smart Chicken Coop - https://thesmartchickencoop.com Topics Covered * It all Started With 3 Chickens On A Porch * Craigslist & The Smart Chicken Coop's First Customers * Credibility & Trust, Help Convert to Sales * Facebook & Google Advertising Success * COVID-19 Effect on Business * Life, Caring for Animals & The Value of Homegrown Food * Increase In Demand: The Start of DIY Chicken Coop Kits * Importance of Business Acumen & Self Discipline * Challenge of Developing a Marketing Plan for Nationwide Success * The Joy of Providing Value to Others * Bad Reviews & Quick Responses * Meeting Demand, While Maintaining Our Product Level * Advice for New Business Owners * A Joy for Indian Runner Ducks * The Value of Perseverance In Business Transcription Shelley: Just started out as a lifestyle business, do you know what I mean? Brian: Yeah, absolutely. Shelley: I didn't know that it was going to become so popular. And then of course with COVID, it became ridiculous. Brian: Yeah. Shelley: But my husband actually took three months off of work his work, because we couldn't get everything done, we were working full-time, all of us. We're working. It was crazy. It's crazy, but really fun too, because here are these families who are stuck at home with kids pulling their hair out, and they get to build chicken coops and then get the chickens. It's a fun business. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Shelley Whitehouse has quite a varied background. She spent many years performing as a professional orchestra flutist, raced mountain bikes for the heck of it, coached high school sports, raised three kids with her husband, then decided to go back to school to get an MBA. After several years working as a management consultant, one of Shelley's side interests, backyard chicken keeping,

  Julia Coffey - Co-Owner of Seeds Trust   SeedsTrust.com Come on down and have a fun time with us as we talk with Julia Coffey from Seeds Trust about a range of topics, such as... Helping to educate Backyard Gardeners in getting started in seed and seed saving. Why plugging into your local community is important. Why Seeds Trust is committed to helping to combat Disappearing Biodiversity What you'll find in Seeds Trust Newsletter And finally, what you've been waiting for, just what is Julia's favorite seed! Thanks again to Julia and Seeds Trust for joining us on the show, and be sure to check them out at the links below. :) Website - https://www.seedstrust.com/ Top Selling Product - https://www.seedstrust.com/seed-cans-buckets/bucket-of-seeds-high-altitude Instagram (@seedstrust) - https://www.instagram.com/seedstrust/?hl=en Facebook (@seedstrust) - https://www.facebook.com/seedstrust/ Transcription Brian: What would you say you like best about your business in your industry as a whole? Julia: Oh man, I like best that it matters. Not everyone has that, as far as what they do in life. And I'm really, really lucky that I believe in seeds, I believe in their power to change the world for the better. I believe in their capacity to connect human beings. And I find that really fulfilling, in something that I do is my livelihood. It's a beautiful industry, and seed people are incredibly friendly and generous, and hardworking. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Julia Coffey is co-owner and Director of Operations for Seeds Trust. Handling the daily order fulfillment, inventory management, grower relations, sourcing logistics and graphic design duties. Julia apprenticed closely with seedsman Bill McDorman to learn the seed industry ropes. After graduating from one of Bill's first seed school programs, she moved down to Cornville, Arizona to run Seeds Trust with him, eventually purchasing the company and moving it home to Colorado in 2011. With a decade of experience running the business, Julia is an extremely knowledgeable about growing for seed, seed storage and seed saving techniques. She's currently completing her Colorado State University Master Gardener certification, Julia Coffey, welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Julia: Great, thank you, it's great to be here.

Dyan Twining - Roost & Root RoostandRoot.com Dyan and her husband Montie co-founded Roost & Root to help you, “Find your inner farmer.” Join us for a fun conversation as Dyan talks about the companies journey from building their first 20 chicken coops to the amazing ride they've had serving and building relationships with customers from coast to coast. Be sure to checkout their quality Cedar Chicken Coops and Gardening products as well! Call Today - (877) 741-2667 https://roostandroot.com/​ Transcription Dyan: Hearing from customers because I do talk to a lot of them after the sale. Like there's always like a driver who's like, "I'm gonna get chickens," and then there's other spouse a lot of times he's kind of like, "okay, not super excited about this, but whatever." And I hear from the other spouse that's not super excited and like, had no idea I would love having chickens. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Dyan Twining co-founded Roost and Root in 2013, with her husband Montie, their passion and slogan is, "find your inner farmer." At Roost and Root, they manufacture high quality backyard farm and garden lifestyle products that help fulfill that slogan. She enjoys keeping chickens and gardening as well as deep sea fishing and running. Dyan, welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Dyan: Hi, thank you for having me. Brian: Yeah, it's great having you here. So why don't you tell us a little bit more about what it is that you do? Dyan: So together with my husband, we run Roost and Root, like you said, we are manufacturing company based out of Dripping Springs, Texas. So we're a little bit west of downtown Austin, and we have a manufacturing facility where we we started in 2013 manufacturing and selling chicken coops primarily chicken coops. In 2020, we actually changed our name to Roost and Root. We used to be Urban Coop Company. But we sold our coops through the years and we kept getting a lot of customers saying, you know, "what else you guys going to build?" They liked our products. They liked the quality, and what goes hand in hand with backyard coops, and its gardening products. So we changed our name to Roost and Root,

  Norman "The Beard Guy" Farrar Soap.Club Special guest, business coach Norman “The Beard Guy” Farrar brings us a wide range of business thoughts on our latest episode. Join us as we talk about Norman's expertise from helping businesses have success with Amazon, to starting various companies (like Soap.Club), to pivoting to upping his podcasting game in result of the changes COVID-19 has brought to all of us. Norman was a kick to chat with, and we know you'll love this episode as well! Norman Farrar's Website - https://normanfarrar.com/ Soap.Club - https://soap.club/   Podcasts Lunch With Norm Podcast - https://lunchwithnorm.com/ (live on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook on Mon, Wed, Fri) I Know This Guy...Podcast - https://iknowthisguy.com/ Transcription Brian: Welcome back to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast, today's show featuring Norman he is something quite different than what we're used to, when it comes to interviews. Let me tell you why. We don't focus as much on the reason why we picked him out to interview him, particularly for the show, which is his website, Soap.Club, we do hit on it, on how he came about it, and how he really thinks that it was a mistake to start that website. But he goes through all that when we get to it. The rest of the time, he is really an expert when it comes to e commerce and especially in the area of Amazon.com. This is one of those that's very business oriented. So no matter what type of business you have, this would be useful to you. But off the grid business owners really need to hear what Norman has to say. That's why I included it on our podcast. Join me at the end for a quick commentary, where we kind of go over some ideas that he produced really good episode. Stay tuned. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Entrepreneur, businessmen Norman, "The Beard Guy" Farrar stands at the forefront of the economic mega machine known as Amazon Marketplace. As a leading expert with over 25 years of product sourcing development and branding expertise, Norm is an advisor to many and an inspiration to all throughout his career. He's worked with big brands including Mercedes, Coke, Dell, Microsoft target, Hershey 20th Century Fox, Molsons, Cadbury, and a wide variety of emerging businesses that are celebrating sudden escalation and profitability and sales as a result of taking action on his advice and proven methods. Norm Farrar, Welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Norm: Hey,

Shannie McCabe - Rareseeds.com   Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - Rareseeds.com   Shannie McCabe joins us to talk about what it's like to be garden educator and catalog writer for Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. See what Baker Creek has to offer today and be sure to pickup a catalog! – https://www.rareseeds.com Also, checkout Shannie's terrific videos on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCToFIe32MeC-P8Z4Uptax_w Transcription Shannie: I was introduced to Baker Creek, and I thought wow, I love this catalog. This is the most beautiful, fascinating catalog. The stories behind these heirlooms are phenomenal. As a market farmer I made sure to grow Baker Creek varieties because I wanted something that was like colorful and interesting to engage passers by at the farmers market. I wanted something more interesting to stand out. I had subscribed to the email newsletter for Baker Creek, and that's where I saw a email saying they were hiring. So I responded and I moved to the Missouri Ozarks when I was in my early 20s, to a co-garden manager. And then I started reading the catalog and the rest is history. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Shannie McCabe studied environmental horticulture and sustainable agriculture at University of Rhode Island and has worked on farms growing organic veggies and flowers for a decade. She has been the farm manager for Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, and is currently a garden educator and catalog writer for the company. She has traveled internationally for Baker Creek, searching for rare and unusual heirloom seeds to offer in the award winning Baker Creek catalog. Shannie McCabe, welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Shannie: Thank you for having me. Brian: Yeah, why don't you let everyone know a little bit more about what it is that you do. Shannie: Sure, yeah. So basically, I teach gardening skills. I'm really really obsessed with heirloom seeds, and with gardening and market farming, and in all manner of small farming, gardening, permaculture, growing and homesteading, and then how we use those heirlooms in the kitchen and for crafts and such. So I'm just really obsessed with heirlooms and all the different forms. I was formerly a co garden manager with a couple other people, I helped to write the seed catalog, we've got a few different writers on the catalog these days. But I read the catalog, I helped to write content for our YouTube page. Our YouTube channel is called, Rareseeds. Then making Facebook videos and Instagram videos,

Christopher & Kirsten K. Shockey The Big Book Of Cidermaking Christopher Shockey and Kirsten K. Shockey join us again to talk about their new book, The Big Book of Cidermaking. We also talk about an exciting new project they've taken on called, Fermentation School! Fermentation School has online classes from top experts to help you advance your own fermentation skills. For more on Fermentation School, The Big Book of Cidermaking and other Books and information the Shockey's have checkout the links below! Fermentation School - https://www.fermentationschool.com/ Ferment.Works - https://ferment.works/ The Big Book of Cidermaking - https://www.storey.com/books/the-big-book-of-cidermaking/ Transcription Brian: Christopher Shockey and Kirsten K. Shockey are the authors of The Big Book of Cidermaking. And award winning Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments, Fiery Ferments and the best selling Fermented Vegetables books that came from their desires to help people eat in new ways, both for the health of themselves and the planet. They got their start in fermenting foods 20 years ago on a 40 acre hillside smallholding, which grew into their local organic food company, when they realized their passion lay in the wish to both teach people how to ferment and push this culinary art to new flavors. Kirsten and Christopher lead lead experience experiential workshops worldwide and online at FermentationSchool.com. Helping people to make enjoy and connect with their food through fermentation. They can now be found at Ferment.Works. or excuse me, they can also be found at Ferment.Works. Kirsten and Christopher, welcome back to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Christopher and Kirsten: Thanks, Brian. Brian: Why don't we just start out by kind of going over your new book, tell us tell us what led you to write this new one on cidermaking. Christopher: Well this is the one I wanted to write from the very beginning, we bought a hand press on the farm 20 some years ago when we moved here. And so we've been making a lot of cider since that time and that's my favorite ferment by far. So we just had to do a few 100,000 other books before we could do this one. Yeah, and it's cider season, we have cider apples on the farm. So all those reasons why. Brian: Was this one of the original fermentation experiments that you guys went with or how did it come about? Christopher: This is one of the ferments that we did for ourselves, we had a lot of apple trees and so we we made cider for ourselves. The Founding Fathers would let you make 200 gallons for yourself and we came darn close nearly every year. Friends and family, I trained as a cider maker. And we were going to do cider instead of fermented vegetables and all that other stuff. When I learned that to run a little cidery, the most important thing is you can repair equipment, used equipment, I can look at a pipe and it'll start to leak. So I'm good with grey tape and after that it falls down. So I said to Kirsten, I love drinking it, I love making it, but I'm not so sure we're going to be a good small cidery. And that's how all the other fermentation stuff started. But in the response back from the book so far, it's been really positive. Kirsten: Yeah, I think this one's much easier lift than the last one.

Corwin Bell   Karen Sadenwater   Established in 2005, BackYardHive is committed to bee-centric practices that increase the survivability of colonies through their Bee Guardian Methods. Corwin Bell and Karen Sadenwater join us to talk about their transition from starting out as computer animation to developing a deep passion for beekeeping from observing bee behavior, to help save the bee and teach others how to safely help our friendly flyers today, and in the future! Checkout their leading innovation products like the Cozy Cover and the Cathedral Hive, while soaking up quality information at their site below! Checkout BackYardHive Today - https://backyardhive.com/ Transcription Brian: In 1995, Corwin Bell started keeping bees due to a longtime fascination with this delicate pollinator. Along with Karen Sadenwater, Corwin founded BackyardHive.com in the spring of 2005. They are committed to be centered practices that increase the survivability of colonies. If the bees are cared for by applying the Bee Guardian methods that they teach, then the survival genetics and healthy behavioral traits will be preserved within the gene pool. Backyard Hive was the first to offer backyard beekeepers, online resources, training DVDs, and information about getting started in a lifetime of top bar beekeeping. They realize the need early on and became the very first organization to make available fully assembled top bar hives on the web. BackyardHive.com is committed to sharing knowledge and top bar hive technologies that encourage and enable backyard beekeepers to be successful and completely chemical free. Corwin and Karen, welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Corwin & Karen: Hey, Brian. Brian: It's great having you here. Why don't you let us know a little bit about what it is that you do? Corwin: Well, we have a business called BackYardHive. And it's about teaching natural beekeeping for people that are gonna keep bees in their backyards. So we do classes, we do intensives, we innovate in the bee space. Have two of our own design hives we've worked on over the years, and pretty much in unnatural beekeeping is our thing without using you know, chemical treatments at all or smoke or sugar. So we really promote that. That's pretty much what BackYardHive is doing. Karen: Yeah, we really want to teach people that method, you know, backyard beekeeping and natural beekeeping and treatment free. Brian: Well, that's fabulous. So you started the website in 2005, right? Corwin: Yeah. Brian: And tell me about what led up to that, what was your life up till that point? Corwin: Well, yeah, it's funny, because when someone says, oh, you're a beekeeper, I'm like, no, no, I'm a bee researcher more than anything. And even then it's odd that I'm doing bees. I started off in the film industry doing TV commercials. Then I moved into doing game design for computer games. I was the first one to put out a computer game on CD ROM for Hanna Barbera called Page Master. It came out on the same weekend that Lion King did so I just crushed our game on the endcaps. But it was great game. Then, I kept working in the game genre that we work in is called serious games. Karen: And games for health. Corwin: And games for health.

Charles Wiley   Corn Man Chapter 2: Corn Inc. Cometh Charles Wiley is back with us to talk about the Chapter 2 of the Corn Man story - Corn Inc. Cometh, as well as what sparked his idea for International Corn Man Day!  Checkout Chapter 2 and all things Corn Man at the link below.  https://cornmanofficial.com/shop/ Transcription Brian: Charles Wiley has been writing music and playing drums for 25 years. He currently lives in Los Angeles and plays with various bands and artists including rock band Dark Horse, Rising Riot, award winning singer songwriter Chris Angeles, and Americana band Circa 62. In addition to playing drums, he also writes music for television. His music has been played on Oprah, Dateline, NBC Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Dr. Oz Show, The Young and the Restless and more. Charles created the Corn Man project to bring awareness to how much corn is in everything we eat. Corn Man is an ongoing action adventure children's book series, and progressive rock concept album, Charles was inspired to call attention to the issue using music and humor. Corn Man hopes to be the conversation starter and tackling the complex issues surrounding the food industry, the environmental impacts of it, and the unsustainable nature of how we eat and grow food. Charles Wiley, welcome back. Charles: Thank you so much Brian, and pleasure to be back. I'm really excited. Brian: For those of you who are listening, you may remember Charles from an earlier episode and we'll link to that in the description, where we first met him met the Corn Man project, and what's that's all about. And now we're kind of getting back together and being updated on what's happening in his world, his upcoming book, which is Corn Man Chapter Two. So that should be out in paperback next week. At the time of when we're recording this by the time you hear it, it may already be out. Charles: That's the hope. Brian: Yeah. So let's go right into it. We were talking a little bit before and you had mentioned, International Corn Man Day, just celebrated. So why don't you tell us a little bit about what that is? Charles: Well, that was yesterday. And I had this idea, How can I bring more awareness to what the Corn Man project is about, and what it's doing at one time? I thought, well, let's have a day, a Corn Man Day. And I liked the way Corn Man day sounds. But for some reason, International Corn Man Day, just had a more grand name. I was like, I like that, plus two, I do have people that support the project overseas. And you and I both know, tackling our food system, the environment, it's a worldwide solution that we're looking for. It's not singular to the United States or to any other place. So I said, let's do International Corn Man date. And my goal was two fold. One, I wanted to help people find one small thing that they could maybe implement into their lives that would help reduce the amount of processed corn and their food. In September,

  Tom Watkins - Murray McMurray Hatchery Murray McMurray Hatchery Specializing in heritage and rare breed chickens for small backyard flocks and homesteading family's. Join us as we talk with Tom Watkins from Murray McMurray Hatchery about life and times working in a long-time owned family company and just how does it work to have live animals shipped to customers doors! For more about Murray McMurray Hatchery and what they have to offer, please checkout their website below! Murray McMurray Hatchery - https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html Transcription Brian: Thomas Watkins is vice president and McMurry Hatchery. He's been working at the hatch for eight years. No previous chicken experience but now he's something of a chicken expert. McMurray Hatchery is a family owned small business, but they just happen to hatch a lot of chicks. They specialize in heritage and rare breed chickens for the small backyard flocks and homesteading families. Thomas Watkins, welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Tom: Thank you. Thanks for having me. Brian: So why don't you tell us a little bit more about what it is that you do? Tom: Like you said, I'm the vice president here. It sounds impressive. It really isn't. That's part of being a small family company. You might get a big title, but I'm still the plumber. I do a lot of building maintenance. Number one is we have chickens. And with that, we raise our own breeder flocks and take care of all the chickens. We hatch the eggs. So here we have large commercial incubators and we hatch out about 150 to 200,000 chicks a week and ship them all across the United States. So primarily to small backyard flocks. We don't really do anything commercially for that. So it's just people want chickens, you know, a couple of laying hens in the backyard or to produce their own meat or eggs. Yeah, you kind of wear a lot of hats. Brian: So you said you didn't have previous chicken experience. How did you end up here? What's your life story up to this point? Tom: I married into it, you would say. My father in law is the president of McMurray Hatchery. So McMurray Hatchery has been around for a little over 100 years now. All right here in Webster City, Iowa. So we're in the heart of Iowa. And while the McMurray's are all gone, went through Murray McMurray and his sons John and Charles and then his grandson Murray MacMurray took over and he had two business partners. And those two retired and it was my father in law Bud Wood and said eight years ago, I came on with really no intention of being any management plan just to kind of help around and work my way up, you'd say, oh, pretty quickly. It's, you know, helps when your father in law is the boss, but you just kind of jump in with everybody. We're really lucky, we have a lot of great help. Because it's all hands on deck when you deal with live animals. So we work really hard when you need to work. And then, you know, take time off later. Brian: Yeah. Tom: Oh, absolutely. Yeah I don't know and now, you just answered enough questions, you can be your own chicken expert. Brian: Good deal well, and it fits into the crowd that you're playing into, because it's what they're all attempting to do, right. They they're going from quite possibly not knowing anything about chickens to raising them and so fo...

Gianaclis Caldwell Holistic Goat Care Some people are just experts in the subjects they excel in. Others are experts with a joy for helping others and learning from those they interact with. Tune into this podcast and checkout some of the links below, and it won't take long to get an impression that Gianaclis is the latter. Now, I could spend time talking about her love for Nigerian Dwarf Goats here. Or perhaps her extensive knowledge in Cheesemaking. Possibly even her 6 nonfiction books or her ventures into fiction writing. Maybe you'd even like me to spill the beans on her thoughts on speaking and teaching classes? Well I'm not going to do that, no, not at all. But if you want to know more about the subjects we cover in this episode, please checkout the links below, because Gianaclis is someone you'll want to follow and learn from! Checkout Gianaclis's books, future classes, consults and more at her website and Facebook page - https://gianacliscaldwell.com/ https://www.facebook.com/gianaclis/ For more about Pholia Farm - https://pholiafarm.com/ Transcription Brian: Oregon native Gianaclis Caldwell grew up milking cows, but was lowered to the goat side where she remains a committed devotee. She was a commercial cheesemaker at the Caldwell Off Grid Dairy Pholia Farm for over 10 years. She now milks her Nigerian dwarf goats just for pleasure. In between writing books in which he has six, speaking, and judging cheese, which she considers the most fun. Gianaclis Caldwell, welcome to The Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Gianaclis: Well, thank you, Brian. Thanks for having me. Brian: Yeah, so why don't you tell us a little bit about what it is that you do on a regular basis? Gianaclis: Oh, gosh, it sure varies from day to day. And I was just talking to my mother about people who are drawn to this kind of life really have to be nonlinear, because you just can't really schedule your day or your week sometimes with animals and farm life and that sort of thing. So still milking the goats, you were very correct and I do it for pleasure, love having them can just working with the animals. We've been breeding the Nigerians now since 2003, and have developed a good name for the breed or as a breeder, I should say, of Nigerian dwarfs. Particularly for strong, long milking animals and with good milk production for that breed. And that's, that's something that's hard to imagine. And we're getting older now, of course, as we all do. But it's difficult to imagine giving up but that process of working on a breed and all those those genetics and all those improvements, and of course, there's this addiction that every goat person will confess to. I think about waiting for those babies to come every year. And goat babies are there's a good reason that they're all over YouTube and such. They're they're so appealing, and they pretty much stay that way as adults. So we work our local farm is mostly a pleasure farm now, we do Airbnb with a couple of farms days we have, and that keeps us busy also, but it's a great income stream for the farm supplement a lot of the feed bills and that sort of thing. And then working on books, which you said correctly, six nonfiction books and now I'm switching to what was originally my first passion which is trying to and I say that becaus...