Podcast #244 – Independence Days


We are eagerly awaiting the celebration tomorrow of Independence Day, when we Americans mark the fateful decision of a handful of men 238 years ago to sever the connection between the colonies in the new world and Mother England.


Naturally, though, our vision of independence goes beyond that historical anniversary. In today’s program we shamelessly borrow from Sharon Astyk’s book Independence Days, and more specifically the Independence Days challenge she issues for those working to make their lives more resilient.

Listen – 26:31

Here’s the link to Astyk’s book. Here’s the link to a succinct description of the challenge. Astyk recommends that we do something from each of seven categories every week (weather permitting). The categories are:

  • Plant something
  • Harvest something
  • Preserve something
  • Waste not
  • Want not
  • Build community food systems
  • Eat the food.

We discuss our actions in each category. If I say so myself, we’re proud of the progress we’re making.

Amanda routinely picks tomatoes before they ripen. We'd love to let them ripen on the vine, but that's happening so slowly in the heat that the bugs would get them first.

Amanda routinely picks tomatoes before they ripen. We’d love to let them ripen on the vine, but that’s happening so slowly in the heat that the bugs would get them first.

awb w red tomatoes

All these were green tomatoes sitting in the window sill at one time. We’ve learned that they ripen nicely in the abundant light of the window sill.

The Longleaf Breeze Perennial Farm Calendar

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