Feeling overwhelmed with all there is to learn with canning, growing food or general homesteading skills? Well, this podcast episode guides you on where to start to build confidence and keep it fun.  You will learn: Three feelings that hold people back, The place to start no matter where you are in terms of skill level now, Why all the support and help you need is waiting for you.  For all the links mentioned, plus more information on homesteading, canning, and raising chickens, go to LivingHomegrown.com/16 AND you will also find a full downloadable transcript of the episode.

Learn about what it takes to become a beginning backyard beekeeper and some behind-the-scenes stories of filming a bee episode for a TV show on PBS. Theresa interviews her TV producing partner - TV host and executive producer, Joe Lamp'l (who also happens to be a beginning beekeeper). Theresa & Joe discuss filming "A Year in The Life of a Beginning Beekeeper", a TV episode they produced for PBS.   
You will learn: The "why" behind Growing A Greener World the TV series, The importance of bees, Where you can go to learn the basics of beekeeping, What to expect your first year, Can bees be ordered through the mail?, Some of the basics of this exciting hobby.
Even if you never want to have bees of your own, you will learn a lot about these amazing creatures and why we should support them in our gardens. For a full transcript of this episode and links to more beekeeping information, visit www.LivingHomegrown.com/15 and as always...be sure to listen past the closing music for the bloopers!

In this episode, you tour an 1892 farmstead in Northern California that is being restored to its former glory. Learn about the flavors of the 65 heirloom fruit trees on the property, the challenges and benefits of growing older trees and learn tips for getting the very best fruit production and flavor from trees in your own backyard.

This episode covers just a few of the must-know canning practices to keep yourself safe. Learn: Why photographs of canning jars are often so misleading, The optimal time to remove jar rings, 3 key reasons jar ring recommendations are important, The storage mistake that can waste your canning efforts and more.  Visit www.LivingHomegrown.com/13 for more information and free resources for canning and preserving.

In this episode, you learn how to go about picking the best backyard chickens for YOUR situation.  

You learn: The key questions to ask yourself before making decisions, The breeds best suited for children and small spaces, If it is okay to mix your flock, The exact breeds I personally have, Where to buy those chickens once you decide what you want.  

As always, you can visit LivingHomegrown.com/12 for a lot more information over on the website including a chicken breed selector tool, recommended books AND the full transcript of this episode. 

In this episode, host Theresa Loe answers a listener question about water bath canning and safety. 

You learn: Which foods are safe for water bath canning, Why certain pH rules eliminate the fear of botulism, Why today's tomatoes are different from our Grandmother's era, The critical must-follow step for canning tomatoes, All about water levels in the canner, The key reasons for elevating the jars...AND the science behind some of the canning techniques. 

You can get related links and a full transcript of this episode in the show notes over at: www.LivingHomegrown.com/11 plus you will find other free canning information.

We all lead very busy lives. And that can make it difficult to carve out time for canning and preserving. This can be especially hard when the entire harvest ripens at once!

In this podcast episode, Theresa offers tips for making the most of your canning time. Discover how to reduce overwhelm and more fully enjoy the process with these simple techniques.

You learn about the common mistake that can cost you 20% of your time, the chef tip that is the key to your efficiency, the most overlooked part of preparing, and how to break up your canning into stages.

Learn more, get related links and the full transcript of the episode in the show notes for this episode at: LivingHomegrown.com/10

Learn how easy it is to start a culinary herb garden and how to preserve those herbs once you grow them.

Learn:

The key growing elements you need for success,

Which herb changes flavor based on temperature,

How to get lemon flavor without lemon bitterness,

Which herbs are worthless when dried,

Theresa's four go-to freezing methods for herbs (including herb concentrate). 

For the full transcript and show notes with links, go to LivingHomegrown.com/09

This episode is all about how to keep backyard chickens in the city.

It covers: The top things to consider BEFORE getting chickens, How to check your city ordinances, Having a "rooster plan", Keeping the neighbors happy, How egg production works, The minimum number of chickens you should keep and MORE.

For full show notes and transcript, visit LivingHomegrown.com/08

Learn about the different types of pickles you can make and the pros and cons of each. Delicious sample recipes of each type of pickle are in the show notes for this episode. Just go to: www.LivingHomgrown.com/07 for recipes and links to more information on pickles.