Homestead Shop Talk

Jason Contreras

Homestead Shop Talk is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Jason Contreras (@sowtheland), Ben Hollar (@thehollarhomestead) and Al Lumnah (@lumnahacres). Three dudes with different homesteads talking about homestead life, content creation, growing a homestead and building a life worth living for. read less
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Episodes

Ep. 73 Impact of Upcoming Changes on Farm Food
6d ago
Ep. 73 Impact of Upcoming Changes on Farm Food
Jason, Al, and Ben discuss their recent activities in homesteading, including weather conditions, pig farming experiments, and butchering classes. Ben shares insights from his pig butchering class, highlighting the camaraderie among participants and the challenges of teaching. Al recounts his experience butchering turkeys and pouring concrete for a cattle chute, emphasizing the importance of proper techniques and weather considerations. In this conversation, the speakers discuss various topics ranging from building structures for livestock, wildlife encounters, holiday preparations, and personal experiences with Christmas traditions. They share insights on DIY projects, community feedback on their work, and the challenges of managing home projects while engaging with their audience. In this conversation, the hosts discuss various aspects of farming, including the challenges of content creation related to farming videos, the impact of political changes on small-scale farming, and the future of local economies in agriculture. They share personal experiences and insights on navigating social media, the importance of small farms, and the potential for legislative changes to support local farmers. Sow the Land: https://www.youtube.com/@SowtheLand Lumnah Acres: https://www.youtube.com/@LumnahAcres Hollar Homestead: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHollarHomestead Homestead Shop Talk is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Jason Contreras (@sowtheland), Ben Hollar (@thehollarhomestead) and Al Lumnah (@lumnahacres). Three dudes with different homesteads talking about homestead life, content creation, growing a homestead and building a life worth living for. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 69 Coffee Milk vs. Hush Puppy
18-10-2024
Ep. 69 Coffee Milk vs. Hush Puppy
Jason, Al, and Ben discuss the recent weather challenges they faced, including high winds and impending frost. They share experiences from their homesteads, including preparations for winter and the impact of a recent flood in Asheville. The conversation highlights community resilience, the importance of local businesses, and the joy of seasonal activities like apple picking and pork processing. The hosts also touch on their upcoming workshops and building projects, emphasizing the camaraderie and support within the homesteading community. In this engaging conversation, the hosts discuss various topics ranging from quiet airports and local lumber yards to winter projects and coffee for a cause. They share insights on regional coffee preferences, explore the concept of hush puppies, and reflect on the Northern Lights. The conversation also touches on the impact of hurricanes and the media's portrayal of such events, providing a well-rounded view of their experiences and thoughts. Sow the Land: https://www.youtube.com/@SowtheLand Lumnah Acres: https://www.youtube.com/@LumnahAcres Hollar Homestead: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHollarHomestead Homestead Shop Talk is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Jason Contreras (@sowtheland), Ben Hollar (@thehollarhomestead) and Al Lumnah (@lumnahacres). Three dudes with different homesteads talking about homestead life, content creation, growing a homestead and building a life worth living for. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 64 Quitting Sugar AND More Freezers
13-09-2024
Ep. 64 Quitting Sugar AND More Freezers
In this episode, Al, Jason and Ben discuss their recent activities and projects. They talk about buying freezers, the challenges of finding space for them, and the possibility of investing in a walk-in freezer. They also discuss the weather and how it affects their homesteading activities. Ben shares his progress on building his house, including laying blocks. Al talks about quitting sugar and the challenges and benefits of doing so. They also briefly mention their plans for haymaking and acquiring the necessary equipment. In this part of the conversation, the speakers discuss the different types of hay bales they buy and the lifting capacity of their tractors. They also talk about the reliability of tractor ratings and the challenges of lifting heavy loads. The conversation then shifts to the features of their tractors, including the transmission and loader valve. They also discuss the need for cleaning up their properties and the impact of changing seasons. The speakers briefly mention the possibility of snow and rain in their areas. Lastly, they talk about the high price of a bucket and the durability of different bucket brands. In this conversation, Jason, Ben, and Al discuss various topics including paint buckets, lawn mower mishaps, cleaning and organizing, selling chickens and turkeys, food laws, and the challenges of selling organic, pasture-raised meat. They also touch on the popularity of the book 'Good Energy' and the potential increase in demand for organic, healthy food.  Sow the Land: https://www.youtube.com/@SowtheLand Lumnah Acres: https://www.youtube.com/@LumnahAcres Hollar Homestead: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHollarHomestead Homestead Shop Talk is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Jason Contreras (@sowtheland), Ben Hollar (@thehollarhomestead) and Al Lumnah (@lumnahacres). Three dudes with different homesteads talking about homestead life, content creation, growing a homestead and building a life worth living for. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 63 Eating Real Food at a Homesteading Event
06-09-2024
Ep. 63 Eating Real Food at a Homesteading Event
In this episode, Al, Ben and Jason discuss their recent experiences and activities. They talk about the weather, a homesteading event they attended, and some challenges they faced on their homesteads. They also mention a lightning strike that damaged their electric fence and share their thoughts on coyote issues. Additionally, they mention an upcoming speaking engagement at a homesteading conference. This part of the conversation covers various topics including clothing struggles, farm chores, winter produce, maintenance tasks, and the Homesteaders United Jamboree. They also mention the importance of salt in seasoning food and give a shoutout to Moose run Coffee. In this final part of the conversation, the hosts discuss their preferences for spicy food and their recent experience at an Indian restaurant. They also talk about the challenges of raising turkeys and the possibility of separating them due to aggression. The hosts share their thoughts on duck dishes and their experiences with processing ducks. They also mention their ongoing kitchen renovation and upcoming workshops. The conversation concludes with a discussion about a renovated trailer and the potential for manufacturing cool bot trailers. Sow the Land: https://www.youtube.com/@SowtheLand Lumnah Acres: https://www.youtube.com/@LumnahAcres Hollar Homestead: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHollarHomestead Homestead Shop Talk is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Jason Contreras (@sowtheland), Ben Hollar (@thehollarhomestead) and Al Lumnah (@lumnahacres). Three dudes with different homesteads talking about homestead life, content creation, growing a homestead and building a life worth living for. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 62 Can A President Change the Food System
30-08-2024
Ep. 62 Can A President Change the Food System
In this episode, Al, Ben and Jason discuss their recent dinners and upcoming workshops. They also talk about weather conditions and Al's recent well pump issues. The conversation then shifts to the possibility of change in the food system, with a focus on RFK's views on healthcare and the influence of corporations. The hosts express their opinions on the potential for change and the need for individuals to vote with their dollars. The conversation covers various topics including the potential impact of a political figure on corporations, the challenges faced by small farmers, the need for independent food certification, the lack of nutritional education in medical schools, and the process of getting a vehicle inspected. The speakers also discuss their recent projects, such as tile work and trailer renovation. In this part of the conversation, Jason discusses his plans to start selling chicken, pork, and beef from their farm. He mentions that they have been slowly promoting it on their website and will initially offer local pickup. They also talk about the possibility of shipping in the future. Ben shares that they recently helped friends butcher a hundred chickens and talks about his experience mortaring block for their house addition. He also mentions the challenges of teaching his teenage sons how to drive. Lastly, Ben talks about their recent cleaning day and the satisfaction of decluttering their property. Sow the Land: https://www.youtube.com/@SowtheLand Lumnah Acres: https://www.youtube.com/@LumnahAcres Hollar Homestead: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHollarHomestead Homestead Shop Talk is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Jason Contreras (@sowtheland), Ben Hollar (@thehollarhomestead) and Al Lumnah (@lumnahacres). Three dudes with different homesteads talking about homestead life, content creation, growing a homestead and building a life worth living for. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 60 Heavy Rain, Kitchen Renovations & Motivation
16-08-2024
Ep. 60 Heavy Rain, Kitchen Renovations & Motivation
In this episode 60, Jason, Al and Ben discuss various topics including the recent weather, the use of dishwashers and microwaves, and the concept of a dumbwaiter. They also talk about Jason's kitchen renovation project and the use of Rubio Monocoat for finishing the countertops. In this part of the conversation, Jason and Al discuss various topics including the progress of Jason's kitchen renovation, the survival of his meat chickens during heavy rain, the use of supplements for the chickens, Al's new breeding bull, the flooding on Al's property, and the recent harvest of meat birds. In this final part of the conversation, the hosts discuss raising turkeys and the challenges they face. They talk about the size and weight of turkeys, the amount of feed they consume, and the possibility of selling them. They also explore the idea of making their own sandwich meat and deli meat from the turkeys. The hosts then shift the conversation to their recent experiences and struggles with motivation and burnout in their YouTube careers. They discuss the pressure to constantly film and the guilt they feel when they don't. They also express gratitude for their loyal viewers and the challenges of being content creators in the ever-changing landscape of YouTube.   Sow the Land: https://www.youtube.com/@SowtheLand Lumnah Acres: https://www.youtube.com/@LumnahAcres Hollar Homestead: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHollarHomestead Homestead Shop Talk is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Jason Contreras (@sowtheland), Ben Hollar (@thehollarhomestead) and Al Lumnah (@lumnahacres). Three dudes with different homesteads talking about homestead life, content creation, growing a homestead and building a life worth living for. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 59 Getting Stuff Done... Kind of
09-08-2024
Ep. 59 Getting Stuff Done... Kind of
In this episode, Jason, Ben and Al discuss the upcoming hurricane and the unpredictable weather patterns they've been experiencing. They also talk about their recent activities, including clearing land, chipping wood, and castrating pigs. Jason shares his progress on renovating his kitchen, including installing new floors and painting cabinets. In this part of the conversation, Jason discusses the recent renovations in his kitchen, including getting rid of the dishwasher and rearranging the fridge. He also talks about butchering meat chickens and raising turkeys. Al Lumnah shares his experiences with heavy rain and the challenges it poses for outdoor projects. They also discuss the difficulties of moving large structures on uneven ground and the need for different tools for different tasks. In this final part of the conversation, the hosts discuss the behavior of their animals and their plans for raising and butchering cows. They also mention an upcoming event called Homesteaders United Jamboree. The conversation ends with the hosts wishing each other and the listeners a good week. Sow the Land: https://www.youtube.com/@SowtheLand Lumnah Acres: https://www.youtube.com/@LumnahAcres Hollar Homestead: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHollarHomestead Homestead Shop Talk is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Jason Contreras (@sowtheland), Ben Hollar (@thehollarhomestead) and Al Lumnah (@lumnahacres). Three dudes with different homesteads talking about homestead life, content creation, growing a homestead and building a life worth living for. Thanks for listening!