Liv Smith

Yes! I’ve been using one for more than a year, and totally love it!

Definitely not “permaculture” from the standpoint of needing batteries and charging, but it’s so convenient and easy to use. My hands are on the small side and I always struggle with heavy tools.

These are easy to grip and not heavy at all.

Plus, I really really don’t like gas powered tools that just don’t start when you need them to☹️.

This is coming from a person that used to think hand saw was the only way to cut small branches.

My husband also has the heavier version - the one I assume every tool brand has, that is in the range of a few hundred bucks, and he uses that a lot. For bigger logs/branches. And then, of course, the regular gas powered chainsaw for big logs.

Traditional in some parts of Central and Eastern Europe in the old times: cabbage rolls made with a mixture of pork and beef sausage, rice, sauteed onions and herbs wrapped in pickled cabbage leaves, cooked slow in a pot with some smoked ribs, some of the pickled cabbage juice and tomato sauce, served with mashed potatoes and a dollop of sour cream.


My better half made a German chocolate cake for dessert.

Merry Christmas!!

I'll start:

Laurie Smith wrote:I'm also wondering if the videos show you working with pigs and examples of techniques and livestock products that would make my life easier. Unfortunately, if the series is bullet points with you elaborating on them, that's not enough content for me, even on sale. Please let us know soon, so we can all take advantage of the sale.
Thanks,
Laurie

The video with bullet points is the first one and the only one like that. There is some content that is theoretical, and a lot  more filmed out on pasture and in the forest.

Julie Lam wrote:Thanks for sharing your video sample. Are all your videos similar to the sample video with a bullet list of information? Or do your videos actually show real life examples of working with pigs? And what zone are you in? Do you speak of overwintering in winter climates with lota of snow and -15 to -25C lows at night?

Thank you, Julie

Yes, there are videos from the farm and in the forest, and some explaining hardware and tools, and more.

The creator of the videos lives in a more moderate climate, unfortunately. I think you may still get a lot of useful information from the course, though.

This is a fully playable 52-card deck, where every card highlights a practical gardening or permaculture idea. From soil building and water harvesting to natural structures and low-tech living, each card introduces a real technique people actually use. It’s learning by exposure — no lessons, no jargon, just good ideas showing up again and again.

Some examples of the cards:

Mulch pit
Natural cooling
Cleaners you can eat
Hedgerow/living fence
Community living
Willow feeder
Rocket oven
Rocket kiln
Rocket water heater (unpressurized)

This is a fully playable 52-card deck, where every card highlights a practical gardening or permaculture idea. From soil building and water harvesting to natural structures and low-tech living, each card introduces a real technique people actually use. It’s learning by exposure — no lessons, no jargon, just good ideas showing up again and again.

Some examples of the cards:

Mulch pit
Natural cooling
Cleaners you can eat
Hedgerow/living fence
Community living
Willow feeder
Rocket oven
Rocket kiln
Rocket water heater (unpressurized)



Get 12 decks or the Purple deck here.

Uncle Mud: $405
Mike Haasl: $135
T Blankinship: $125

Thinking about raising pigs but not sure where to start?

This course is designed for beginners who want a clear, practical introduction to raising pigs in healthy, low-stress ways. You’ll learn how to choose piglets, train them to electric fence, feed and water them properly, and handle common health concerns with confidence.

The lessons walk you through real-world setups, including raising pigs on pasture and in forests, loading pigs for transport, and building fencing and water systems that actually work. Nothing assumes prior experience, and everything is explained in plain language.

Instead of theory, this course focuses on what you need to know to get started and avoid costly mistakes. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of pig behavior, daily care, and simple infrastructure so you can raise pigs humanely and efficiently from day one.

What's in the course:

Module 1:  The Basics of Raising Pigs

Lesson 1 -Introduction
Lesson 1.2: The Pro's and con's of pigs
Lesson 2: Breed Selection
Lesson 3: Acquiring Piglets
Lesson 4: Training to electric fence
Lesson 6: Water for pigs
Lesson 7: Forest vs Pasture
Lesson 8: Health concerns  
Lesson 9: When to raise pigs


Module 2: Raising pigs in forests

Lesson 1: Introduction to forest raised pigs
Lesson 2: Forest raised pork
Lesson 3: Loading pigs for the butcher


Module 3 Materials, equipment and infrastructure

Lesson 1: Introduction
Lesson 2: High tensile fence
Lesson 3: Buried water systems
Lesson 4: Fence chargers and misc. tools
Lesson 5: Internal fence
Lesson 6: External high tensile fence
Lesson 7: Bulk feed storage



Here's a sample video:


There are 20 instructional videos totaling 3 hours and 58 minutes.