Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast!
Let’s talk about preparedness, not the kind you see on sensational TV shows or fear-driven social media, but the kind that grows from peace, purpose, and love. In this episode I’m sharing my thoughts on what it really means to be rooted and ready in a world that feels increasingly uncertain. We’re talking food security, skill-building, and heart-centered home readiness—not panic, not hoarding, but stewardship and hope.

I’ve distanced myself from the word “prepper” for a long time because of what it’s come to mean—but truthfully, I do believe in being prepared. Not with shelves full of stuff, but with dirt under your nails, knowledge in your heart, and the peace that comes from knowing you’ve stewarded well. Skills can’t be bought—but they can be cultivated. Let’s talk about how.

Take a deep breath, friend. Let’s grow steady together.

If you’ve found encouragement here, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, where you can listen early and join our monthly Q&A.

As always—I bless you, until next time.

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast!

This week, I’m sharing some thoughts from a damp, full spring garden and continuing a theme we’ve been sitting with these last few weeks—living slow, present, and rooted in truth. In this episode, we’re talking about balance—in nature, in our minds, and in the kind of lives we’re building. I share a bit about learned helplessness and how the homesteading life helped me unlearn mine, not by fixing everything, but by giving me something real to put my hands to. We’ll talk about fear, media, healing in the garden, and what it means to reclaim the driver’s seat of your life… even when the road ahead feels uncertain.

Thank you for spending time with me today. If you’ve found encouragement here, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, where you can listen early and join our monthly Q&A.

As always—I bless you, until next time.

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast!

This week, I’m sharing some thoughts from the middle of a very full season—spring is here in South Carolina, and the weeds are wild, the animals are having babies, and I’m neck-deep in garden work. But in all of that, I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between the idea of a thing and the reality of it. In this episode, I talk about the hard-earned truth behind romantic dreams, what it really means to “be the kind of person who bakes bread,” and how choosing to show up—again and again—is where real transformation happens. If you’ve ever longed for a slower life or felt stuck waiting for better circumstances, this one’s for you.

Thank you for spending time with me today. If you’ve found encouragement here, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, where you can listen early and join our monthly Q&A.

As always—I bless you, until next time.

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast! This week we’re continuing the conversation we started last time—shifting from understanding the nervous system to really choosing to slow down and live simply. In this episode, I’m sharing what it means to build a slower life on purpose and how the richness of presence can change everything. We talk about romanticizing the everyday, practicing gratitude, and letting peace take root in our routines. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by hustle culture or longed for a quieter, more meaningful way of living, this one’s for you.

Thank you for spending time with me today. If you’ve found encouragement here, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, where you can listen early and join our monthly Q&A.

As always— I bless you, until next time.

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast! I’m your host, Jessica Sowards—my friends call me Jess—and around here, we talk about all things homesteading: growing food, raising animals, preserving and preparing what we harvest, and living more mindfully in relationship with each other and with the Earth.

This week, I’m sharing something that’s been heavy on my heart—how we care for our minds in a world that feels loud, fast, and anxious. I’ve been spending long hours in the garden, weeding and thinking, and it led me to reflect on the nervous system, trauma, and the way we sometimes try to bully our way into peace instead of nurturing it. I’m talking about what it means to pursue a sound mind—what that really looks like on a practical, daily level—and how I’ve found surprising healing in something as simple as crochet. This is a conversation about choosing slow and quiet in a world demanding fast and loud. It’s about protecting your peace, holding space for healing, and doing the inner work that creates a secure home for ourselves and the ones we love.

Thank you for spending time with me today. If you’ve found encouragement here, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, where you can listen early and join our monthly Q&A.

As always— I bless you, until next time.

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast!

I don't have a neatly written description for this podcast because things are hectic here on the homestead and I'd rather just get you this audio this week, even if the upload isn't perfect. Thanks for understanding! I hope y'all enjoy this one I recorded in the fall and I can't wait to be back next week.

Thanks for spending this time with me today. If you love these podcastsand want to support the our homestead, be sure to check out our Patreon, where we post episodes early and do a monthly live Q&A.

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast!

Food isn’t just something we need—it’s something we get to enjoy. In this episode, I’m diving into the idea of food as both a necessity and a passion. For generations, people spent most of their time and energy simply securing food for their families, but in today’s world, we’ve outsourced so much of that work in the name of convenience. What are we doing with all that extra time? And what happens when we take back some of that effort—when we slow down, grow what we can, and put intention into cooking real, nourishing meals? I’m sharing my thoughts on why it’s okay (and even good) to spend time thinking about food, how I’ve balanced making things from scratch while still allowing room for convenience, and why feeding people is one of the most beautiful ways to show love.

Thanks for spending this time with me today. If you love these conversations and want to support the podcast, be sure to check out our Patreon, where we post episodes early and do a monthly live Q&A.