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PODCAST

Roots and Refuge Podcast

Jessica Sowards

Hey there, darling! My name is Jess. There was a time that all I wanted in the world was a little farm where I could raise my family and grow our food. Now, that"s exactly what exists outside my door. In watching it unfold, a new dream was formed in my heart – to share this beautiful life with others and teach them the lessons we"ve learned along the way. Welcome to the Roots and Refuge podcast, friend. I am so glad you"re here.

leisure home & garden

All Episodes

48:12

Wielding my Humanity

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/08/20

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast! Today I’m sharing the deep heart-work I’ve been sitting with this summer—how to truly be human in a world that often demands otherwise. This episode isn’t just about homesteading or daily rhythms, though those are part of it. It’s about reclaiming rest, nourishment, relationship, and presence as sacred and non-negotiable. I talk about raising a standard in my own life—sleeping enough, feeding myself well, tending relationships, and choosing

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38:46

The Stories of My Homestead

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/06/18

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast! In this week’s episode, I’m sharing some stories from the early days of our homestead, the hard lessons, the high hopes, and the deep love that has grown in the soil of our farm over the years. This episode was recorded in a season of low battery mode for me, a time when I was physically and emotionally drained, but still showing up to care for my animals and tend to the life we’ve built. In the quiet of these days, I find myself remembering

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44:59

How the Garden Taught Me to Stay

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/06/11

Hey there, darlings welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast. In this episode, How the Garden Taught Me to Stay, I’m sharing some tender thoughts on restlessness. You know that feeling that makes you want to change everything when life gets too quiet, too slow, or too honest? The garden, in its steady and unhurried way, has taught me something different. It taught me to be present, to hold still when everything in me wanted to run. I talk about the difference between moving out of fear and

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01:04:57

Growing a Culture

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/06/03

Hey there, darlings welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast. Today we’re digging into how to grow a life-giving family culture on purpose. From learning to be fully present at the dinner table to teaching our kids that hard work feels good, I share the seven pillars shaping our home—and the garden metaphors that keep me humble. We’ll talk screens, Sabbath-style rest, telling the whole truth (even when it’s awkward), and why patience is the secret sauce that lets all these seeds take root. Grab

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45:14

To Enjoy The Food You Grow

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/05/28

Hey there, darlings welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast. Today I’m sharing a slower, sweeter reflection on something that’s been on my heart lately, the joy of growing your own food. With the busyness of spring, harvests starting to roll in, and everything asking for our attention, it’s easy to rush past the wonder of it all. But I want to invite you to savor it. Whether you’ve grown one tomato or a whole pantry full of produce, there’s joy to be found in every bite—if we choose to see it

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47:05

Tending Whats In Your Reach

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/05/14

Hey there darlings, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast. Today’s episode is one I recorded as much for myself as for you. It’s a message I wish 22-year-old me could have heard—back when my dreams felt so big and my limits felt so loud. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by what you can’t do, this episode is a gentle reminder that there’s sacred strength in doing what you can. I’m talking about tending your life like a garden—not in panic, not in perfection, but in presence. Whether you're in a

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50:13

Motherhood: A Conversation with Regan

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/05/07

Hey there darlings, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast. In honor of Mother’s Day, I invited my sweet friend Regan on for a deeply personal and honest conversation about motherhood—what it teaches us, how it changes us, and how it shapes the lives we’re building. Regan is a new mom, and I’m just about to watch my oldest son turn twenty. We’re in such different seasons, but we share a love for this calling and the sacred work it requires. We talk about sacrifice and legacy, growing our

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41:46

Rooted and Ready (Lets Talk Preparedness)

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/05/01

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

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49:10

Some Foor Without a Phone (The Balance of Homesteading)

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/04/23

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

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36:26

The Kind of Person Who Bakes Bread

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/04/16

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

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40:54

A Simple Life - The Richness of Presence

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/04/09

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

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40:20

A Sound Mind (Fight or Flight in a Scary World)

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/04/02

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,

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41:39

How to be Human

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/03/26

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

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54:46

Youve Gotta Eat The Hobby of Food

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/03/19

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

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52:11

Homesteading Chat with Jesse Bickley

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/03/12

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast! Today, I’m joined by my good friend Jesse Bickley for a conversation about homesteading, raising animals, and the realities of growing your own food. Jesse and his family also homestead here in South Carolina, and over the years since we've moved here, they’ve become some of our closest friends. In this episode, we chat about the real costs of homesteading, why people start (and sometimes stop), and the deeper value beyond just saving money

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55:04

Homestead Chatting with Morgan Gold

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/03/05

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast! Today, I’m joined by my dear friend Morgan Gold of Gold Shaw Farm for an honest and fun conversation about homesteading—the dream, the reality, and everything in between. Morgan and I started our homesteading journeys around the same time and have been good friends ever since starting YouTube. Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about what works, what doesn’t, and the importance of staying flexible as life changes. In this episode, we talk

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38:19

After the Pivot

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/02/26

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast! After a season of big shifts and deep reflection, we’re talking about the art of the pivot—when and how to reassess, downsize, and realign with what truly matters. In this episode, Jeremiah joins me as we dive into the changes we’ve made on our homestead over the past year, from scaling back our dairy operation to shifting our focus toward resilience and sustainability. Homesteading isn’t just about growing food—it’s about knowing your why and

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34:56

Welcome Back to Roots and Refuge Farm

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2025/02/19

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Roots and Refuge Podcast—Season 2! After a long break, I’m back, and this time, it feels different. This episode marks the start of a new season—not just for the podcast, but for our life here on the farm. Over the past several months, we’ve made big shifts, choosing to slow down, simplify, and realign with what truly matters. In this episode, I share what led us to step back, reassess, and ultimately rebuild from the foundation up. From downsizing our farm to

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01:01:02

Homestead Realities (With Morgan Gold of Gold Shaw Farm)

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2024/09/25

Hey y'all, welcome back to episode 73 of the Roots and Refuge Podcast. In today’s episode, I’m joined by my friend Morgan Gold from Gold Shaw Farm in Vermont. Morgan’s YouTube channel captures the beauty and reality of life on his homestead, and over the years, we’ve built a friendship through our weekly meetings, which have become a cornerstone for both of us. Together, we dive into the realities of homesteading, including the less-glamorous side that often gets overlooked. Morgan and I both

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48:24

The Crushing Summer

Roots and Refuge Podcast ·

2024/09/18

Hey y'all, welcome back to episode 72 of the Roots and Refuge Podcast. After a much-needed break, I'm excited to reconnect. This summer, which I’ve come to call "The Crushing Summer," was both deeply challenging and transformative for our family and the homestead. With my eldest son graduating and heading off to college, I found myself grieving the end of his childhood and reflecting on how fast time goes by, especially as I realized my youngest will be in the same position in just nine short years

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91 results

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