So You Wannabe a Farmer
Two friends, one farm dream. Wendy packed up her suburban Maryland home, two kids, two cats, and a dog and moved to a farm in rural North Carolina. Melissa, who's still back in Maryland, lives the farm life vicariously through Wendy while tending to her ever-expanding backyard garden. They catch up each week to discuss the latest adventures on her farm, Chutzpah Hollow, with occasional updates from Melissa's tiny oasis in the 'burbs.Why are we here? When Wendy decided to take that enormous leap to fulfill her dream of buying a farm, I wanted to make sure I could follow along every step of the way. This podcast is my opportunity to tag along while helping her document the ups, the downs, and the in-betweens.We are friends, working professionals, Jewish mothers, and total noobs. Neither of us have any experience farming or homesteading. We’re just two gals who love the natural world, and who seek a healthy and meaningful life for ourselves and our families. Some of you brave risk-takers will relate to Wendy. Others, like me, will listen from the sidelines and continue to fantasize about starting our own farm someday while growing whatever we can in our backyards, and trying our hands at living the homestead life in the ‘burbs. We hope you’ll join us on this adventure, either from the sidelines or while getting your own hands dirty.
Episodes
54 episodes
48 Seconds Closer to Spring
Winter is an uncertain time on the farm. Hungry predators find their way onto the property, rain forces sheep and pigs to seek shelter in the usual spots, and the goats - who despise rain - pile together under the eaves and on the front porch o...
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Season 4
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Episode 54
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47:16
Homesteading is a Mindset
Surprise and Happy Holidays! A little treat from Melissa and Wendy along with apologies for seemingly sneaking off under the cover of darkness without a word of warning or a decent goodbye. (We call that the Spence Sneak-off....
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Season 4
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Episode 53
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51:08
Shade Cloth Hurts My Heart
Summer is in full swing. Wendy and Melissa contemplate the viability of garden vision glasses to help in identifying green vegetables on green plants. Brea, the beloved Barbados black belly sheep, is pregnant and the jury is still out on ...
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Season 4
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Episode 52
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55:50
When you Give a Sheep a Haircut
June means the end of the school year, graduation, the summer solstice, the time when gardens take off, animals are busy eating the abundant greenery, sheep get sheared, s'mores are made and consumed, harvesting begins, and we get outside as mu...
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Season 4
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Episode 51
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53:05
It's Been a Minute
Well, we took an unexpected break. Life got in the way, what can I say? Sorry 'bout that! We're back now. Listen in to hear what's been happening. There are animals, holidays, kitchen discoveries, budding plants, and so much more of the g...
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Season 4
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Episode 50
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1:05:31
'Tis the Season
Spring is officially here! Seedlings and flowers are popping, eggs are hatching, the trees are filling with leaves. Sheep get succumb to deadly parasites, heavy storms cause damage and destroy farm structures, and bees swarm. Joy! ...
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Season 4
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Episode 49
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1:01:03
Asparagaphobia
Wendy self diagnoses what Melissa dubs "asparagaphobia," otherwise known as fear of commitment. This disorder can be identified by high anxiety brought on by the realization that you planted asparagus in your garden and you won't see the ...
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Season 4
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Episode 48
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54:06
Another Another One
A beautiful tiara is perfect for any occasion, especially International Women's Day! However, the flashing lights and multicolored flowers can feel slightly inappropriate when the conversation turns to butchering lambs.It's been a chall...
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Season 4
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Episode 47
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1:00:35
I Don't Even Know How to Respond to That
It's a busy time on the farm! Spring preparations are underway indoors and out. Lambs are dropping while poultry is finding its way to the freezer, and such is life on Chutzpah Hollow. In the kitchen, Wendy whips up homemade cream ...
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Season 4
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Episode 46
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55:28
It's Not a Weekend without a Significant Bruise
Check out what seeds we are starting indoors, both on the farm and in the 'burbs. We cover soil blocking, wool pellets, sanitizing your seed starting mix, and watering seedlings. But where do you put all these plant babies when it's time ...
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Season 4
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Episode 45
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51:58
More Schmaltzy Goodness
Did you miss us? We've returned to kick-off 2023 with our usual ponderings, quick-witted banter, some new discoveries, and a bunch of shenanigans. You know, same as before but with just a bit more experience! Come join us as we catch you up on ...
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Season 4
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Episode 44
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53:41
Udder Excitement and Shear Terror
Well folks, Season 3 is officially complete! Wendy and Melissa review their fondest memories and standout moments from the year. Tune in to reflect along with them as they take a stroll through the successes, learnings (not failures!), and "udd...
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Season 3
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Episode 43
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57:56
Eat the Frog
So many references to frogs in this episode, and one involves a song! There is also a chicken crossing a road (no joke). Wendy practices a new skill...relaxing! Silence of the Lambs gets a few shout outs, and among the non-farm related co...
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Season 3
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Episode 42
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54:45
My Sheep Love is Real
The holiday season is here! That means a very bad day for certain turkey residents of Chutzpah Hollow. Wendy's favorite holiday means lots of farm grown food on the table to share with family and friends. And while the freezer is stocked with t...
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Season 3
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Episode 41
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45:04
Chaotic Pandemonium
Melissa questions whether she and Wendy will ever run out of things to talk about and Wendy responds that while life on the farm can sometimes feel routine, according to Sam, it exists in a state of "chaotic pandemonium"... so no. T...
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Season 3
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Episode 40
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54:23
Happy Birthday, Melissa!
Melissa celebrates another trip around the sun, the friends reveal how "the sausage gets made," and Melissa reveals her top ten takeaways from a recent visit to Chutzpah Hollow. Spoiler alert: Turkeys are still super-dumb. What more is there to...
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Season 3
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Episode 39
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58:36
Breakfast of Champions
This week Wendy is celebrating Sukkot on the farm, one of the Jewish harvest festivals. and the joy and bounty of fall. Melissa buys herself a birthday greenhouse in preparation for winter, and the bees get a mite treatment.
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Season 3
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Episode 38
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47:21
Life Lessons: Brought to You by Covid
A relatively mild but extremely exhausting case of Covid takes Wendy down and teaches her some lessons along the way (not to mention some interesting, possibly fever-induced ponderings). While she didn't buy property during the pandemic, Meliss...
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Season 3
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Episode 37
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56:34
To Life...L'Chaim!
Baby lambs have arrived. I repeat, baby lambs have arrived on Chutzpah Hollow! Wendy is almost an official farmer now. Owning a tractor is the only thing between Wendy and being an official farmer according to Melissa's very unscientific system...
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Season 3
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Episode 36
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1:00:03
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
Sure, we're Tom Petty fans, who isn't? But this waiting involves pregnant sheep on the verge of delivery. Meanwhile, other comings and goings include a new batch of turkeys in (whose brains are the size of a pecan and bodies are the size of a s...
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Season 3
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Episode 35
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52:36
Welcome Home, Jerome!
It's back to school time at Chutzpah Hollow (and in most of the rest of the country)! That means football games in 95 degree heat, returning to schedules, and lots of transitions on the farm. Among them, Wendy barters two Nubian billy goats for...
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Season 3
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Episode 34
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55:28
A Bad Day for Chickens (Warning: Graphic Content)
A So You Wannabe a Farmer first! We record from an undisclosed, remote location. In other words, while Melissa was at the beach on vacation eating ice cream and playing mini golf. Meanwhile, Wendy toiled away on the farm in the heat of August p...
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Season 3
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Episode 33
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1:00:29
Clarify and Simplify
Welcome back! It's year two on Chutzpah Hollow and things are getting serious! It's time to stop messing around to get down to business beginning with the First Annual Chutzpah Hollow Shareholder's Meeting where Wendy and the boys reflect on th...
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Season 3
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Episode 32
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57:04
Happy Farmiversary!
On this week's episode, the last of the season, Wendy and Melissa reflect on the one year anniversary of Chutzpah Hollow. Animals and lawn mowers have come and gone, Wendy learned to enjoy gardening, and most shockingly, her children are still ...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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53:06
Care for a Cup of Worm Tea?
The heat is on! While it's still July, it feels like August in both NC and MD. Wendy's garden is taking off and turning wild and she is experimenting with companion planning. Melissa is busy pruning tomatoes and squash. Surprisingly, she ...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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54:22