Stand in the Place Where You Live

Growing up, my home was couched amidst mountains and fields. I was the happy product of "village" living, my home "town" not even boasting a gas station. It was, and remains, beautiful. I didn't grow up on a farm per se, but loved being surrounded by the crops grown by my grandfather, father, and the many other farmers in the area. I even loved working in harvest every year. Truly, my time spent in the fields of my youth are cherished memories.

But, I swore I'd never marry a farmer.

I don't remember distinctly why; I think it was primarily due to the dependence on the weather and the stress I remember feeling year after year as words like "drought" and "blight" seemed to be on the tongues of every one around. It was something I never wanted to have to deal with once I grew up.

And, I did not marry a farmer.

However, as my husband and I have developed our idea of what we want, and what we feel the Lord wants from us as a couple to provide for our family, we have found ourselves in some increasingly interesting situations. Rarely have we made the obvious choice. Frequently we have chosen something "less" than what we could have gotten. But, we've always been rewarded. Well rewarded. Always. And that is why, instead, as everyone expected, of going back to this:

We are enjoying this:





We are still unaware of all the reasons we were directed here, but we are grateful for one: FIVE ACRES. What?!? Yes. All these years later, I've come to the realization that, in spite of being at the mercy of the elements, one facet of true independence comes from working your own land. So, here we are in a place we never imagined ourselves, preparing to join the Modern Homesteading Movement. It's overwhelming some days, but we are really excited. We got here too late in the year to plant summer produce, but we'll be able to do fall, and we're eager to get that going. We have the beginnings of our orchard ready to be planted this weekend, and next spring, hopefully we'll begin our garden full force, as well as our grain crop.

In addition to the fruits and veggies we look forward to nurturing, and having nourish us in return, we are raising animals. Lots of them. What started on a small scale has become...quite a project. I'll have to post on that later, because right now I have to go muck out the barn. Hahahaha.....I know how that sounds. But, you know, I'm really okay with it. Bizarre, huh?