When I was pregnant, I had images of walking around the garden with a baby wrapped up on my chest in a gorgeous fabric carrier. People offered all the cliche warnings about how my life will never be the same. But I was a homesteader after all, and homesteaders just make things work. Looking back at that pre-motherhood version of myself makes me thankful for my innocence. I didn’t have any clue what was coming.
Hi friends! I’m so happy to share our story with you! Our life together did not start with homesteading and life in the country. We were married and lived in the suburbs for 10 years before we took a leap of faith and moved out into the country. It’s been almost 5 years now and if you would have told me almost 15 years ago when we married that I would absolutely love being out on the farm shoveling poop with a baby on my hip, gathering veggies from our garden, and living far away from the grocery store I would have said you were crazy.
My husband and I were both born and raised in the Old Order Mennonite community commonly referred to as ‘horse and buggy mennonites’. In short, this means we grew up in a culture that practiced self sufficiency and traditional living for generations.
I grew up having to milk the family cow each morning before riding my bike to the one room school I attended with my 8 siblings.
There’s a misconception that homesteading begins with land. I’d say that homesteading begins with the posture of your heart and a little curiosity. In my case it first fleshed itself out with a loaf of bread.
What if I told you that we did actually not have a project to end up up here? What if I told you that I was brought up as a town girl, and to be a political scientist (whatever that means…)? What if I told you that until my thirties I was not very good at cooking and doing stuff with my hands in general? Probably you would not believe me, as many people don’t. But that’s the truth.
It was a hot September night. The air was heavy as summer lingered on and the sun set slowly over the Pacific. I was making my way slowly but surely up the old familiar hill to my frentors’ (friend+mentor) home to celebrate the life of their then youngest daughter. It was her birthday. And while overjoyed to celebrate her, my heart was heavy.
There’s a misconception that homesteading begins with land. I’d say that homesteading begins with the posture of your heart and a little curiosity. In my case it first fleshed itself out with a loaf of bread.
In this beautiful community, we have a handful of mamas who share their skills and knowledge through online courses and insider clubs! In the spirit of the holiday, we have compiled a list of these online courses and clubs that are available to you now, or will be in the near future! This year, give yourself a gift that keeps on giving (and will greatly benefit your family as well!) from our very own Homestead Mamas!
Tis the Season for gifting those crazy homesteaders who seem to want to do all the things! There are so many options out there, that we decided to…
Raising Turkeys on the homestead can seem daunting when compared to chickens and ducks, but I promise you it is worth it! I have raised Broad Breasted White and Bronze Broad Breasted Orlopp turkeys in the brooder from day old poults to harvest, and also now my dad and I have had a pretty successful year with a breeding trio of barnyard heritage breed turkeys on his homestead.
