In this family‑oriented vlog, Victor Justin Rhodes (Speaker A) and his child Josiah (Speaker B) walk viewers through a day on their Asheville, North Carolina farm. The video opens with a quick taste test of Brussels sprouts cooked with bacon and maple syrup, illustrating simple food tweaks. The host then promotes his newly launched "Introduction to Permaculture" course, emphasizing the principle of working with nature. The core tutorial shows how they coax their cow Violet into a stanchion using food rewards (apples, hay, feed pan) and gentle calling, demonstrating a humane, reward‑based training method. After Violet is settled, the vlog shifts to chicken management, highlighting a mobile coop, soaked‑feed technique, on‑site forage, and the role of chickens in tilling and fertilizing, all framed as energy‑saving, sustainable practices. Throughout, the family engages in playful moments—egg‑dance, chicken‑dance, and collaborative chores—underscoring the educational, hands‑on approach to small‑scale sustainable farming.
Chapters
That is Brussels sprouts and bacon. We had this before. Brussels sprouts are like tiny cabbages. Makes a great meal if you just have some bacon. Just need a little something else to kind of make it feel like a meal. Last time we had it, it was a little Brussels sprouty, wasn't it? Which means it tastes a lot like earth. When you say it's stronger than cabbage, cabbage is more neutral. But I think we neutralized that today with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup spread around in it, and it took the edge off. It's good. Oh mama, this is the test. He ate his. You ate your Brussels sprouts? Yeah. Did you like them? Yeah. Really?
Yeah.
What about you?
Not really.
Okay, we got one. Did you like them?
Yeah.
I bet they're better than last time though, right? You liked them? He says yes, but they're all still there. Actions speak louder than words, Mr. Brown.
I ate this one. Right here.
Oh my word. This is why I live in Asheville, North Carolina. It's cold enough to feel the winter every once in a while, but then you get days like this. We're just in our shirts. We've had a great day working in there in the morning. I'm launching. An introduction to permaculture course. I'm putting that in my Do It Yourself Abundant member area, but I'm also giving away the first 3 lessons. You don't have to be in the member area for that. Giving away the first 3 lessons. First lesson went out to my email list. It's going good, people are really enjoying it. Announced that yesterday in the vlog. You guys can go ahead and sign up for that now. Now to the favorite part of the day, afternoon chore time. You guys ready? Let's get Violet in here. I've got a trick, I've got a trick to help us get her in that stanchion. You guys ready for it?
I'm gonna go over that stump, okay?
Okay, put it up there, buddy. In yesterday's lesson, we talked about what is permaculture, but more importantly, we talked about what permaculture will do for you. Basically, part of the definition is working with nature rather than against it. And I've been trying to— so I looked over my show notes and I said, how can I learn from my myself for my own teaching and, and with some of my problems. I'm having a problem getting Violet in that stanchion. Well, how can I work with nature rather than against it getting Violet in that stanchion? You want to know how can I do it, Josiah? You said that right at the right time.
Yeah, right.
Naturally, she wants something to eat. So let's give her something to eat for getting in that sanction. Let's try the call. She gasps. You want to do it? Can you call? She gasps. You want to be the, uh, you want to be the at least third generation to call the cows that way? You stick with me, you'll be safe. Okay, stick up here with me. This is today's paddock. They're going in there tomorrow. Again, working with nature. What would cattles do in nature. They move, they graze an area, move on. It has time to rest and recover, and it actually ends up being way more productive, up to 5 times as productive. They don't see the opening. Come here. Yeah, stay between me and somebody. Come on, man. Come on, bud. You don't have to go over that. Stud Muffin is still way back there. He didn't come. It'd actually probably be okay if he didn't because then we wouldn't have to put up this lane since we can just walk her. Why can't you get that in your mouth? There we go. Come on. There we go. Come on. Come on. There we go. Good girl. Good girl. Good girl. Hey! Hey! We made improvements. That's better. Okay, sweetie. Now we're gonna give you a good rubdown. Yeah. Good job. And you get an apple. Okay, here. So already after just 3 days, she was better getting in there. I mean, once she stepped on the platform, she walked through the head gate. Oh, here we go. Here we go. Put it right there. This— where Jonah is, towards her. All right, give her that apple. There you go, honey.
Papa, there's more apple over there, okay?
It's like bobbing for apples. Okay, can you get her a feed pan? She's having a hard time getting a hold of that. There, she got it. Yay, reward! Now you're gonna get in here a little easier tomorrow, aren't you? She's looking for more. Here you go, sweetie. There you go. Oh, she's figuring that out. Here, you got her feed pan. Here, see if she'll eat that. Oh yeah, that helped her a lot. Just, uh, I am so excited this worked. That would never work with Willow. She never would eat an apple, but you will, won't you? Okay, get her some hay. We want her to say, "Good things happen when I step into this strange wooden structure. Good things happen." Oh wow, thank you, Josiah. You're being so helpful. Yeah, just put it on the wood. It is kind of wicky.
You see?
Yep.
That— this got lost, and then this—
We're gonna let her chill in there. We're gonna let her just get used to staying in there. Gave her a little bit of hay. Let's do some things with the chickens. You got your egg basket? All right, go ahead, let's check the eggs. You guys think that they have any?
Uh, they like—
hang on, let's look deeper. Oh look, just— uh, oh my gosh, look, we've scored, guys!
Oh, and there's one here!
A special thanks to the previous owners. I mean, this just brings me Tears of joy because you gave us so much. Giving us adult birds that had been non-GMO. They're tilling, they're fertilizing, and now they're giving us eggs. That's precious. That's priceless. Thank you. You know what this means? We can have sweet potato hash tomorrow with eggs. Eggs are back on the menu, guys. Another quick lesson from yesterday's video. You guys can get that right there down in the description on permaculture and what can it do for you. The ultimate goal is to be economical and ecological sound, and eventually be sustainable. Okay, that would be the end goal. So first thing to do is lessen your energy consumption. With chickens, here's some ways I've done that. First, they produce food like eggs on site so we don't have to go get it. They do an outstanding job tilling. In this case, they're spreading compost and tilling the ground over here, getting this garden ready. I don't have to have machine tiller. Also, look, a very subtle thing a mobile coop. Look, I can have the chickens in here prepping this garden, and then I can move them over there, prep that garden over there. I just have all kinds of possibilities when my coops are mobile, and I don't have to have as many coops. A way to reduce energy among your chicken system is soaked feed. Oh my gosh, guys, I give them their daily allowance and they're not even eating that, and they're giving me eggs and telling— they're not even eating. There's quite a bit left over. That soaked food makes it go really far. Grab this, guys. Grab this and get over here and dump it in the grass. We'll encourage them to till. Spread it out good. Good. That will encourage them to till. But interesting, they would rather have what they're finding here. They're picking up little, little microscopic stuff we can't even see. Look, they're eating. We don't even know what they're eating. And last thing I'll say about this system, this chicken system, and saving us energy is I'm creating an on-site forage system. Once they leave here, we're actually going to plant cover crops that are edible to them and incidentally edible to us, and we'll bring the chickens back in to take that down, prep it, plant produce, take the chickens out, back in to eat the produce. Do you see the trend here? We're growing our own chicken feed. Eggs are back!
Eggs are back!
Sweet potato hash with eggs are back! Sweet potato hash with eggs are back! Quick, somebody do a dance! Oh yeah, the egg dance! Come on, Josiah! Come on! Oh, we got the egg dance going! Let me show you guys how to do the chicken dance. There's 3 moves. There's 3 moves. First, the flap. You're gonna flap the wings, okay? And then the scratch. And then the peck. Okay, ready? Dance! Flap the wings, flap the wings. Okay, now add the scratch. Flap and scratch, flap and scratch, flap and scratch. Real hard. Now peck, now peck. Okay, can you tell we're excited to have the eggs back? All right, all right, all right, let's go back out to the boyfriend. Getting around, going to see the boyfriend. Let's get some fresh grass too. Oh look, she's running to her boyfriend. I want to grab a pole. Yeah, all right, grab a pole and go under this fence. Go under it. I don't remember if I turned it off. Oh, don't do it, don't do it! It won't kill him, he'll just never do that again. Yeah, that's a wet spot. Okay class, what would permaculture say to do with this wet spot? Come on, build a pond. Fish are more, uh, energy efficient than cow, did you know that? For protein. All right, we got to get across here and put our cross fence up, guys. Josiah, you put your pole all the way in at the end. You guys are something else.
Don't come up.
All right, come on, buddy.
I put it in.
Okay, put it in right here. There you go, cowgirl. We're gonna start it over here. Over here. Moving cows is so easy, the kids can do it.
That would not hurt, Papa.
There you go.
Good.
Oh wow, whoa, don't hit that fence. It's on. Connect it tight. Okay, now hang that spool on top. Don't hit it though, it won't go over it. You sure? Yeah. Okay, now we electrify that cross fence. Okay, you guys go on that way and out. Go with Jonah.
Can I stay with you, Papa?
Sure. Jonah, take— get in with you. Okay, undo this one. Shouldn't be hot now that it's unhooked. All right, Josiah, stick with me. They're gonna come right through. Whoops. Come on, she gabs, she gabs. All right, there they go. So long, guys. All right, everybody's back. We got one more thing to do today, guys.
Okay, what is it?
Cover— continually cover Mother Nature. Let's continue to spread the wood chips. You and Josiah are gonna do this?
Yeah.
Okay, where are the pitchforks?
Over there.
Okay. Oh, look guys, our ploy worked! They're over here scratching and tilling where it needs it the most because of that feed. All right, who's who?
I'll take the big one. Give—
give you and Frodo.
This is the classic farm with a pitchfork.
Oh, Buffy. Yeah, I guess so. Especially on this farm, huh?
Yeah.
Our number one hand tool, pitchfork. Oh look, you gonna come out and work today? I am. Come out to Earth's Gym. Earth's Gym. Okay, wait, we gotta move the chicken tractor down. All right, just say come on, come on, show her.
Mama! Eggs!
Wow, what does that mean to you, Beck? It means it's just awesome.
We're having them tomorrow with breakfast.
It's so nice to have like our own food. It's been so long. I want to cry. I guess that's, that's our first own food. Our own food. Yeah. Oh my gosh. I mean, it's not really our own food because I mean— I know, really. We kind of cheated on that, but— Okay, it's a family fair. Every day is bring your family to work day on the farm. Mm-hmm.
