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Call To Farms: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Tim Eng and Sophia Eng | Sprinkle With Soil
The Call To Farms podcast is dedicated to the pursuit of self-sufficiency, self reliance, and sustainability. Tim and Sophia Eng are a military family, both born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, and are self-taught first generation regenerative farmers who are building a homestead in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian mountains. Their multi-generational family have been actively homesteading on a 5-acre piece of land. This podcast is dedicated to their journey and is a call for others to join them in pursuing self sufficiency, self reliance, and sustainability.
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- 1 weeks ago1h 21m
Episode 103: Impactful Life Lessons After Nearly 30 Years, with Rick Shinn
Nearly 30 years ago, Sophia walked into Rick Shinn’s 9th grade Honors English class at Independence High School in San Jose, her first honors class ever, and within a few weeks he was her favorite teacher. Six months in, he told the class he was leaving to become a school counselor, and she was devastated, right up until she spent the next three years slipping into his counseling office whenever things got hard at home, then walking back to class with a note he’d written for her.On a trip back to the Bay Area, Tim and Sophia sat down at Rick’s dining room table, after a sukiyaki dinner he and his wife Christine made for them, to talk about 39 years of teaching and counseling. He’s newly retired now and studying to become a pastor, and he still remembers the phone call Sophia made to him on 9/11, a couple of weeks into her freshman year at George Washington University, asking whether she should take her camera over to the Pentagon (she went anyway).Rick tells the story of a student who slammed her books down on test day and swore at him, and what he learned when he asked her what was wrong instead of writing a referral. He also tells about the bowl of pho he bought a freshman for pulling an F up to a C. He talks openly about growing up Chinese American with a dad who told everyone else he was proud of Rick but never said it to Rick, and how that changed the way he raised his own daughter. Sophia went on to study clinical psychology partly because of him, and in this episode she finally gets to say thank you.They also get into ChatGPT in the classroom, and Rick’s advice for young people who’ve been told to “find your passion” and can’t pick just one: start with what you’re good at.Tim and Sophia recorded this one partly for their daughters, so they could meet the man who looked out for their mom when she was the same age their oldest is now.If a teacher ever showed up for you the way Mr. Shinn showed up for Sophia, we’d love to hear about them. Come tell us their name in the free Call To Farms community at calltofarms.com, and if you can, call that teacher and tell them too, because as Rick says in this episode, teachers almost never get to hear it.Until next time, stay healthy.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Our book, published by Chelsea Green was just released this week! 📖 Order The Nourishing Asian Homestead 🌱 Join the free Call To Farms communityHave questions on buying or selling real estate? Reach out to Tim directly here!Thinking of purchasing your first home? Join Tim and Sophia at our next Free Home Buyer's Workshop on Oct 29th at 4pm PST / 7pm EST. Save Your Seat Here!
- 2 weeks ago1h 17m
Episode 102: How Do You Keep Homesteading Without Burning Out? Justin and Rebekah Rhodes
Justin Rhodes told us, about ten minutes into this conversation, that after 20 years of homesteading they’re burnt out, then admitted it depends on the day, since every other day they’re selling the farm.We recorded this one at the Rhodes farm after 6:30 a.m. chores with both of our families, pulling bush beans and hanging a pole bean trellis before breakfast, and then sat down in the barn Justin’s grandpa built without power tools. Justin talks about the ten years he lived with Lyme disease, the 28-day water fast he credits with healing it, and the strange place he landed afterward, 47 years old and not sure who he was without the illness he’d built his life around. Someone once asked Joel Salatin about burnout in that same barn, and his answer wasn’t more sleep or a smaller operation, it was to find a bigger why, which is the thing Justin keeps coming back to.Rebekah is just as honest that her hardest stretch wasn’t really about the homestead. A remodel ran double on everything, Hurricane Helene hit, and she lost her mom, and last year she gave herself permission to walk away from the tomatoes while they were still ripening on the vine.We also get into how Justin uses AI to plan amendments for a 20-acre hay field, and why Rebekah is wary of it. Justin explains his four levels of responsibility for kids on a homestead, and why Lily, still wants her dad to tuck her in after years of milking cows beside him, mostly in silence. They talk about why they both tear up when they harvest a bull they moved every day for seven years, and about the question they get asked more than any other, how do you get your spouse on board. Rebekah answers it in two words: you don’t.You can find Justin and Rebekah under Justin Rhodes on every social platform and at Abundance Plus. If you want to keep talking about this with other families working out their own homesteads, come find us in the free Call To Farms community at calltofarms.com.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Be sure to follow and subscribe to The Justin Rhodes Show to stay up to date.The Justin Rhodes Show on YouTubeJustin Rhodes InstagramRebekah Rhodes instagramAbundance Plus Our book, published by Chelsea Green was just released this week! 📖 Order The Nourishing Asian Homestead 🌱 Join the free Call To Farms communityHave questions on buying or selling real estate? Reach out to Tim directly here!Thinking of purchasing your first home? Join Tim and Sophia at our next Free Home Buyer's Workshop on Oct 29th at 4pm PST / 7pm EST. Save Your Seat Here!
- 3 weeks ago1h 15m
Episode 101: What Bees Can Teach Us About Health, Soil and Homesteading with Kaylee Richardson
What if some of the most useful plants for your family's home apothecary are already growing in your backyard?In this episode of the Call To Farms Podcast, Sophia sits down with Kaylee Richardson of The Honeystead, beekeeper, herbalist, homesteader, and author of The Beekeeper's Apothecary, to explore the forgotten skills of herbal medicine, beekeeping, and nourishing your family from the land.Kaylee spent years working in hospitals, from CNA to surgical first assistant, before stepping away from the operating room and returning to her Appalachian roots.Today, she's helping families rediscover the value of medicinal plants, raw honey, and the remarkable connection between bees, healthy soil, livestock, and our food.In this episode, you'll discover:Why Kaylee left her medical career to pursue homesteading and herbalismHow to start a home apothecary, even if you're a complete beginnerWhy dandelions and other common backyard plants deserve a second lookPractical ways to use raw honey, beeswax, propolis, and herbsHow bees contribute to a healthier, more resilient homesteadSimple herbal preparations, from teas and salves to honey ferments and oxymelsWhy traditional food knowledge matters for the next generationWhat Kaylee would do first if she were given one acre of landYou don't need a large farm or years of herbal training to begin. Sometimes the first step is learning to recognize the abundance that's already around you.Connect with Kaylee Richardson:The Honeystead | The Beekeeper's Apothecary | Sweet Medicine Course📖 Pre-order The Nourishing Asian Homestead (out October 20):🌱 Join the free Call To Farms communityHave questions on buying or selling real estate? Reach out to Tim directly here!Thinking of purchasing your first home? Join Tim and Sophia at our next Free Home Buyer's Workshop on Oct 29th at 4pm PST / 7pm EST. Save Your Seat Here!
- Oct 5, 202630 min
Episode 100: From California to Tennessee and Our New Book!
A huge Thank You to our Listeners!! =) We reached a major milestone with you with Episode 100. This podcast grew up right alongside our move from California to East Tennessee. In our 100th episode we look back at how the show changed as we settled in and found our people, from the neighbor who showed up with a chicken tractor to the friends who sat with us after we lost our first cow, and why community has been at the heart of every step of homesteading for us.We also announce our new book, The Nourishing Asian Homestead, which comes out October 20, and talk about what's ahead for the next 100 episodes.If you don't have neighbors like ours down the road yet, come find them in our free Call To Farms online community.We want to hear from you! Send us your questions and comments, and tell us which topics and guests you'd like to hear on the show.📖 Pre-order The Nourishing Asian Homestead (out October 20):🌱 Join the free Call To Farms communityHave questions on buying or selling real estate? Reach out to Tim directly here!Thinking of purchasing your first home? Join Tim and Sophia at our next Free Home Buyer's Workshop on Oct 29th at 4pm PST / 7pm EST. Save Your Seat Here!
- Aug 5, 20261h 33m
Episode 99: We Adopted Our High School Teacher & Counselor as Our Parents | A Story of Mentorship, Service & Chosen Family
"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." — Henry AdamsSome people come into your life as a teacher and never leave. In this deeply personal episode of The Call to Farms, Tim and Sophia sit down in Gilroy, California with Jonathan and Debi Kerrick, Tim's former US History teacher and high school counselor at Independence High School in San Jose, who became so much more. Jonathan has been there for every milestone: high school graduation, pinning on Tim's second lieutenant bars, West Point graduation, deployment, the wedding, and now as "Lolo" and "Ba-Nana" to Tim and Sophia's children.Jonathan shares his journey from a draft lottery number of six during Vietnam, to serving as an armor officer and psyops intelligence officer with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, to building a 34-year teaching career shaped by a simple philosophy: see every kid heart to heart, eye to eye. Debi opens up about her own path from special education teacher to guidance counselor and the challenge of getting every student across that graduation stage.Together they talk about what's changed in education, why technology is outpacing our sociology, and the secret to raising kids who actually want to come back and spend time with you: listen, don't judge, and trust them to think. Jonathan also shares his battle with an aggressive lymphoma the doctors called "stage death," walking 167 miles on the Camino de Santiago, and why every day on the right side of the dirt is a good one.This one's for anyone who's had a teacher, mentor, or chosen family member who changed the trajectory of their life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Looking for property? Download my free Dealbreaker Checklist. It's a compilation of what I look for. Have questions on buying or selling real estate? Reach out to Tim directly here!Secure your copy of our forthcoming book, The Nourishing Asian Homestead.Want some more resources to jumpstart your homestead? Join our Call to Farms Community.Need to build a fence on your homestead? Build it once by using Gallagher! Use code: HOMESTEAD to save 10%Tune in now and join the Call to Farms! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay up to date with the latest happenings!
- Jul 22, 202651 min
Episode 98: Return to Ancestral Nutrition w/ Julia Mitchell at Ancestral Supplements
What if the nutritional value of your food begins long before it reaches your plate?In this episode of the Call to Farms podcast, Tim and Sophia sit down with Julia Mitchell, lead educator at Ancestral Supplements, clinical nutritionist, and grass-fed bison rancher, to explore the connection between healthy soil, healthy animals, and healthy people.Julia shares her family’s journey into bison ranching and explains why the plants animals graze, the diversity of the soil beneath them, and the way they are raised can directly influence the nutrient density of the meat we eat.Together, they discuss why organ meats were once prized by traditional cultures, how liver compares with conventional multivitamins, and why nose-to-tail eating may help restore nutrients that are often missing from the modern diet. They also examine the realities of food labeling, grass-fed sourcing, animal welfare, declining soil fertility, and the growing need to rebuild local food systems.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Try it for yourself and Save 15% on your order with Ancestral Supplements use code: CALLTOFARMSNeed to build a fence on your homestead? Build it once by using Gallagher! Use code: HOMESTEAD to save 10%Have questions on buying or selling real estate? Reach out to Tim directly here!Secure your copy of our forthcoming book, The Nourishing Asian Homestead.Want some more resources to jumpstart your homestead? Join our Call to Farms Community.Tune in now and join the Call to Farms! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay up to date with the latest happenings!
- Jul 15, 20261h 18m
Episode 97: How to Build Community When You Move to the Country
Everyone says they want a village—but are we willing to become villagers?In this episode of the Call to Farms podcast, Tim and Sophia share how they built a trusted community after moving across the country from California to rural East Tennessee, where they initially knew almost no one.They discuss why community should be one of your highest priorities when choosing where to live, especially if you are pursuing homesteading, food security, homeschooling, preparedness, or a more self-sufficient lifestyle. They also share what it was like to enter an established rural community as Asian American transplants, why shared values can matter more than shared backgrounds, and how trust is earned through consistency, contribution, humility, and showing up.You’ll hear practical strategies for researching a community before moving, finding the people who may not be visible online, starting meaningful conversations as an introvert, and identifying the skills you can offer—even when you are still learning.Tim and Sophia also share real-life examples of community in action: trading raw dairy products for hay during a drought, learning to raise dairy cows alongside experienced neighbors, stewarding additional pastureland, teaching chicken processing and fermentation workshops, and growing a small game night into a gathering of dozens of local families.Because true preparedness is not simply having enough supplies. It is knowing who you can call—and becoming someone others can call too.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why community is one of the most valuable forms of insurance• How to find like-minded people before relocating• Why rural trust cannot be rushed• How introverts can build meaningful local relationships• What newcomers often misunderstand about country communities• Why giving more than you take opens unexpected doors• How to turn your knowledge, interests, and skills into community leadership• Why everyone wants a village, but few people are willing to become villagersWhether you are planning a move, starting a homestead, feeling isolated where you currently live, or realizing that the community you need does not yet exist, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting for an invitation—and begin building the relationships you hope to find.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Have questions on buying or selling real estate? Reach out to Tim directly here!Secure your copy of our forthcoming book, The Nourishing Asian Homestead.Need to build a fence on your homestead? Build it once, go with Gallagher! Use code: HOMESTEAD to save 10%Want some more resources to jumpstart your homestead? Join our Call to Farms Community.Tune in now and join the Call to Farms! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay up to date with the latest happenings!
- Jul 7, 202632 min
Episode 96: Homesteading in 2026 - Land, Water, AI, and Community
After speaking at the Modern Homesteading Conference in Idaho, Tim and Sophie sit down to reflect on the biggest questions they heard from future homesteaders, young families, retirees, and land buyers across the country.In this episode, they discuss why water security, natural springs, wells, rainwater collection, data centers, AI, and land due diligence are becoming major concerns for anyone searching for homestead property. They also talk about creative ways to afford a homestead, including owner financing and thinking beyond the traditional lending path.Tim and Sophie also share why community is one of the most important forms of security on the homestead. From bartering milk, butter, hay, honey, and skills to hosting game nights and building trust through food, they explain what it really means to stop just wanting a village and start becoming a villager.They also share highlights from watching their daughters sell handmade pottery and earrings at the conference while learning real-life entrepreneurship, pricing, marketing, and customer service.If you are dreaming of homesteading but feel stuck, this episode will help you think through your next step.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Have questions on buying or selling real estate? Reach out to Tim directly here!Secure your copy of our forthcoming book, The Nourishing Asian Homestead.Want some more resources to jumpstart your homestead? Join our Call to Farms Community.Tune in now and join the Call to Farms! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay up to date with the latest happenings!
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About Call To Farms
The Call To Farms podcast is dedicated to the pursuit of self-sufficiency, self reliance, and sustainability. Tim and Sophia Eng are a military family, both born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, and are self-taught first generation regenerative farmers who are building a homestead in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian mountains. Their multi-generational family have been actively homesteading on a 5-acre piece of land. This podcast is dedicated to their journey and is a call for others to join them in pursuing self sufficiency, self reliance, and sustainability.
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Call To Farms covers topics including Leisure, Garden, Home & Garden. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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