Small Scale Life Podcast

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. How many of you set your New Year’s Resolutions and gave it up already?  You need to keep going.  Results are not guaranteed, but you will be better off in the long run for trying. In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from h...

Now that you developed your garden plan, it is time to start planting seeds for our gardens! Yes! It is time! Before you plant, you need to buy your seeds (unless you saved some from last season), and there are a lot of options out there. It can be confusing and overwhelming. In this post and episode, I am reviewing top seed sources for your 2018 garden. The best part about this: I am using feedba...

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is all about the lessons learned from the life of PT Barnum and the movie “The Greatest Showman.” There are some great lessons learned about friends, creativity and unstoppable drive from the life of PT Barnum, and Tommy Cakes tells you some of those lessons in his own unique way. In case you...

We have hit mid-February!  It is time to get planting seeds for our 2018 garden!  As many of you know, I have been starting seeds in my basement for a few years now.  I learn something new each year, and last year was no different.  Like everything in life, you learn the most from your failures, and I had a couple last year.  I am not afraid to admit it!  In this epis...

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is all about the Super Bowl Spectacular that was held here in Minnesota. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Here are some thoughts and observations from Tommy Cakes. In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes....

It has been an incredible two weeks. Julie and I moved all of our gear out of a storage locker and into this little house in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am glad to be back on track with a Tuesday Gardening Show, and I think I have a good show for you today. After a couple weeks of short posts and podcasts, including the introduction of a new regular show called Midweek Motivation by the Coastal Cosm...

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is focused on overcoming dread. Are you spending all your time and energy worrying about something?  Are you afraid to tackle tasks?  Perhaps you need to change your perspective and mindset, and Tommy Cakes is here to help overcome your dread. In case you are having trouble understan...

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you? I am Tommy Cakes. Who am I? I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things. Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopo...

In this episode, Micheal Bell returns to the Small Scale Life Podcast to discuss progress at Half Acre Farm. There have been a few changes and improvements since our interview in October 2017!  Michael and I discuss urban farming in cold weather and high winds, and we will discuss the effect on his crops and his plan moving forward.  We discuss some future projects and building soil usin...

Midweek Motivation is a new weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is focused on the big lesson learned from the Viking's Minneapolis Miracle in their game against the Saints.  In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes. Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scal...

What a GREAT weekend!  We are really excited and are celebrating here in Minnesota.  Of course, most of the people are celebrating the Minneapolis Miracle where the Vikings vanquished the New Orleans Saints and are heading to the NFC Championships. As a life-long Packer fan, I could grumble, but I won't.  It isn't the real reason we are celebrating.  The real reason we are cele...

Welcome to 2018, everyone!  Back in 2016, one of my first interviews was with a guy who was kicking off his small market farming operation in Chilliwak, British Columbia. That guy is Scott Hebert, and his farm is called Flavourful Farms.  Since that interview, Scott has been working hard on his farm, landing new clients, and starting a new podcast and Vlog!   He is a busy guy.&...

Happy birthday, Small Scale Life! Happy birthday to me! We made it one more time around the sun, and January 2nd was our collective birthday. Small Scale Life is two years old, and I am just a little older than that (really). The purpose of this post is to thank you all for all the love and kind word's yesterday on my and Small Scale Life's birthdays. Please note: I originally posted a much longer...

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you are spending lots of quality time with your family and friends this season. We certainly will be doing just that over the next week! In this post and podcast, I wanted to establish a tradition here on Small Scale Life by rebroadcasting my reading of the poem “Twas the Night before Christmas.” My dad used to read it to my family when we were young, so in that f...

This time of year, we gather and celebrate the holidays with family and friends. For members of our family, this is a particularly meaningful Christmas: this is the first Christmas without Barb Taylor and without Mary Cicero. Two great ladies that made our world a brighter and better place. While these wonderful women left us too soon, we continue to practice Holiday and Christmas Traditions that...

Today’s episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast is actually the second part of my interview with Doneil Freeman.  Who is Doneil Freeman?  He is a husband, father (a Regenerative Dad), permaculturist, regenerative farmer, beekeeper, teacher and a fellow podcaster.  He operates the Freeman Family Farm in Calhan, Colorado.  Doneil has experience beekeeping, rebuilding soil in arid...

Thanksgiving seems to be a distant memory now, but I did want to circle around and talk about cooking a turkey using the tips discussed in Episode 29 and also talk about making turkey noodle soup with the leftover carcass and meat. This goes beyond Thanksgiving, and I hope you use this episode and the recipes/tips discussed when you cook a turkey in the future. In case you are new to Small Scale L...

We have a great podcast for you today.  Today’s show is an interview with Doneil Freeman, who is a husband, father (a Regenerative Dad), permaculturist, farmer based on regenerative agriculture principles, beekeeper, teacher and a fellow podcaster.  Doneil Freeman operates Freeman Family Farms located in Calhan, Colorado.  Doneil has experience beekeeping, rebuilding soil in arid pl...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  I hope you are well on your way to enjoying the holiday with family and friends.  In this post and podcast, we are going to talk about cooking for Thanksgiving.  I’ll talk about turkey, trimmings, funny failures and other ways to prepare your turkey, stuffing and appetizers. While you are probably already hustling preparing for your Thanksgiving feast...

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to celebrate the joining of two souls in holy matrimony: Jay and Andrea.  Congratulations, my friends!  Your friends from the frozen tundra in Minnesota celebrate this glorious event with you! As I woke up this morning, I was thinking about this event and your wedding.  I woke up thinking about what I would say to you both as you begin this phase...

It is time for another exciting episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast!  This is a long overdue Healthy Lifestyle Update, and I am checking back in to with you as my accountability partners.  So for this episode, treat is like a warm-up for Thanksgiving: prepare yourself to hear all about my ailments and knee pain and problems, just like you are listening to your dad around the dinner t...

A chill is in the air.  The winds have blown the leaves off the trees, and the nights are getting short.  Here in Minnesota, we are getting our first snowfall today!  The garden season is over, and it is time to prepare for winter.  In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to discuss how I will winterize the garden, tools and other gardening gear for winter....

Welcome to Small Scale Life!  This is Season 2 Episode 25, and in this episode, I am completing my interview with Michael Bell from Dallas, Texas.  Michael is a husband, dad, teacher, small business owner, body builder, trainer, and urban farmer.  In Season 2 Episode 24, Michael and I discussed his urban farm called Half Acre Farm, but that is only one of Michael's businesses.&...

This is Season 2, Episode 24 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, and I have a great interview lined up for you today.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you will have a break from my monologues with this podcast.  I am SURE there is much rejoicing with that news.  In this episode, I am interviewing a husband, dad, teacher, small business owner, body builder, trainer, and urban farmer!  T...

This is Season 2, Episode 23 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, and today we are going to talk about the Fall Garden. How are things going? What is happening with the new seedlings? If you follow Small Scale Life on Instagram or Facebook, you already have a clue on what has been going on in the garden. As a gardener, I have to tell you: it isn’t always smooth sailing. In this episode, I will be talk...