Urban Homesteading

So you want to be an urban micro homesteader? Our advice, START SLOW!
It’s easy to get swept up in big homestead dreams, but there is a steep learning curve. We started homesteading 7 years ago, with 6 laying hens.

In Difficult Seasons

I’m usually the main farmer full time but during this season while I go through treatment for breast cancer, Dan and our daughters have taken over most of the farming duties for the time being so I’ll be sharing a bit about what it’s like to hand over the reins of what I love.

Homesteading at 5500 ft

I was just out in the garden thinning out my little kale and spinach seedlings and thinking about what it’s like to grow a garden at 5500ft. It can be frustrating when it snows in June and the first frost cam come in September.

Work In Progress

If I could describe our homestead in three words they would be “Work In Progress”. Can any of you feel me? When we bought our property two years ago it was fenced for horses, and the pasture was knee-high dead grass.

Baby Wearing

Baby wearing is a lifesaver as a Homestead Mama. If you read my intro post earlier this week, I mentioned that we tried for baby #2 for 9 years before actually getting pregnant. So baby wearing was definitely something I didn’t want to take for granted!

Great American Farm Tour

We had been living on family property and we were at a point where we were wanting to put down deep roots but didn’t know if this was the farm we wanted to do it at. With so many other things in life we wanted to make sure this was what we wanted not just what was easy or comfortable.

Heritage Breeds

Currently my streamlined focus and passion is our small herd of registered Dutch Belted dairy cattle. Our herd use to be the only registered one in the state here. This critically endangered breed is a medium sized, hardy, thrifty, sassy, long-lived one.

This Refining Life

My kids are growing up differently than me… and I love it! As regenerative farmers we believe in focusing on soil health because the soil is what feeds us. Grass Grazed is soul food in the truest sense – it good for your soul in all the best ways.

Community

We celebrated a first this year with our first honey harvest. We share our bees with our good friends and it was such a special moment in our homesteading journey. Aiming as we do to be as self-sufficient as possible, a lot of the year that actually means doing without. Fresh tomatoes flown in from Spain in January just don’t taste as good as the ones we grow in August. Our own jam is better than what we can buy, so we’d rather wait.

Togetherness

When I was growing up places and families like this only existed in my dreams. My husband and I are both from broken and dysfunctional homes and grew up craving the security of “family” and “togetherness”. I believe this is why homesteading is such a good fit for us. We desire NOTHING other than to have time together in nature.