The Ample Flame Podcast

How do we balance the demands of homesteading, homeschooling, entrepreneurship, etc. without losing sight of the reason we are doing all of this? In this episode, we are responding to a listener question about how we handle the everyday challenges of family life. We are diving into the compromises we have made, the sacrifices we have chosen, and the practical changes we have made to reduce overwhe...

In homesteading circles, it is common to think that owning more land is always better. Join us for this discussion on why we "settled" for less acreage than we originally wanted and how we have maximized the space we have. We are currently focused on optimizing the flow and layout of our property to make it as efficient as possible, allowing us to make the most of our seven acres. For an...

The more times we do something, the better at it we become. The pathways that form in our brains every time we repeat a motion, activity, or a task are slowly built like the foundations to a house. As we get into another season of farming, we have the past six years’ worth of experience to look at. Farming can be repetitive, but as long as we learn as we go, then we will gain accuracy, which will...

The way family life plays out in our modern world is vastly different from generations past. We do not believe families were designed to live daily life separately: fathers and mothers working outside of the home for eight hours each day while children are in school. In this episode, we are sharing how our return to a pre-industrial family economy is giving us freedom to shape our family in a way...

The hard-won wisdom of farmers in previous generations is quickly disappearing in our modern world. Today’s farms often operate more like mining operations, extracting massive amounts of produce from the earth without thought to regeneration. In this episode, we discuss the dire need for individuals to fight for the collective knowledge of food production that leads to thriving humans and thriving...

We're pulling back the curtain on the greenwashing taking place all around us. What happens when "clean" brands are bought out by major corporations? Do you know where your compost really comes from? Can certified organic produce actually be trusted? Let's talk about it.  Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of fa...

When we first experienced the powerful effects of detoxing through diet, we knew we could never go back to eating the way we always had. Join us for this conversation about how our bodies have responded to short-term elimination protocols and how it has transformed our perspective on food for good.  Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has give...

Until we moved out to seven acres in the country, we did not realize how pervasively our mindsets had been shaped by the decades we spent in suburbia. In this conversation, we talk through our process of unraveling the habits that existed in our lives in the suburbs.  Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food f...

When we began to notice our kids' behavior shifting after consuming certain types of media, we knew we had to make some changes. In this conversation, we are discussing our standards for the kinds of entertainment we choose for ourselves and our children and the shifts we've made along the way.  Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has...

In a society that continually tells us to strive for ever-increasing material gain, we have embraced a different way of life. Choosing to live intentionally small with a large family certainly comes with challenges, but the benefits we have experienced far outweigh any obstacles. Our family's strong bond and the opportunities for character development make this lifestyle one we wouldn't tr...

Our initial journey into homesteading was based in a desire to change the way we were currently living. Over time, we have begun to look further into the future of our homestead— how we will age here, protecting our long-term health, and considering the tangible and intangible inheritance we will leave for future generations.  Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of recla...

Since we have been on a years-long journey of producing our own food, we have learned how much intentionality is required to live this way. When you can't run to the grocery store every time you run out of an ingredient, you have to plan ahead. Listen in as we discuss how we approach planning for an entire year's worth of food consumption. Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do t...

When our eyes were opened to the pervasive problems in our modern food system — factory-farmed meat, chemical-laden produce, unnatural preservatives and additives — we couldn't look away. In this episode, we are taking a look at our family's food journey over the last decade and sharing why we prioritize sourcing the highest quality food for our family. Ample Flame is here to encourage lis...

Living an intentional lifestyle brings profound blessings, but it is not without challenges. In this conversation, we are taking an honest look at what it means to take responsibility for the uncomfortable aspects of living a life you believe in.  Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture....

Artificial intelligence is becoming ubiquitous in the world around us. We have a choice: will we unplug and refuse to engage with AI? Or will we embrace it? Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture. Hollar Homestead Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHollarHomestead Join us on Patreon f...

What role does social media play in our lives?  In this conversation, we are sharing our journey with social media over the years and how we navigate our convictions while making our living as content creators. Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture. Hollar Homestead Youtube: https://ww...

For us, living disconnected from the world is not about completely extracting ourselves from society but, rather, intentionally choosing how we interact with the world. We are diving into why and how we have chosen to step away from the fast-paced, self-centered, materialistic, drowning-in-debt, workaholic environment that is so prevalent in America today. Ample Flame is here to encourage listener...

After speaking at an even this past weekend about the homestead pantry, we have more to say and wanted to go more in depth. So in today’s episode we’re going over the homestead “larder” and what that looks like for us.  Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture. Hollar Homestead Youtube: h...

Formal education is great, but what can you learn to prepare you and your family for a good quality of life? Ben and Meg sit down in this week’s episode to talk about the importance of life skills. Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture. Hollar Homestead Youtube: https://www.youtube.com...

Are the standards we have for our food becoming an idol we worship? Ben and Meg talk about not putting food above relationships, but still having standards for how they feed their family.  Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture. Hollar Homestead Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheHol...

How do we raise kids that are helpful, respectful, and willing?  Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture. Hollar Homestead Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheHollarHomestead Join us on Patreon for ad-free content and exclusive episodes like the Aftershow!  https://www.patreon.com/c/Am...

In this episode Ben and Meg talk about living a low consumption life, not giving into vapid consumerism, and how they have dealt with people’s expectations and opinions of how they live.  Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture. Hollar Homestead Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHolla...

In this episode Ben and Meg talk about the place of technology and internet in the home, the boundaries they’ve set, and what it looks like in their family. Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture. Hollar Homestead Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHollarHomestead Join us on Patreon f...

Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture. In this episode Ben and Meg talk about what family culture is, why it’s important to have a family culture, and what they have done in their own family to promote a good family culture.  Hollar Homestead Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheHolla...

Ample Flame is here to encourage listeners to do the hard work of reclaiming the gifts God has given us of faith, family and food from a broken culture. In this episode Ben and Meg talk about the need for in person community and how to find it. Thank you to Farmhouse Teas for being a sponsor of the podcast! Checkout www.farmhouseteas.com and use code HOLLAR10 for 10% off your order. Hollar Homeste...