Dear Friends,
I just wanted to catch you up on some of my mind life. There are a couple of dreams that I’ve been nurturing in the back of my head for quite some time, and this year they are actually happening. The first is to own a small-scale family farm where we raise some animals and grow some of the best food that money can’t buy. The second is to have a piece of digital real estate where I can share my experiences and obsessions with others.
The Farm
My homestead aspirations began as a child. I grew up in a very ordinary suburban neighborhood, but we had this extraordinary book on our shelves called The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency, by John Seymour. I remember being captivated by his illustrations and descriptions of how one could be self-sufficient on a 1-acre, 5-acre, or 10-acre piece of land. I stored this dream of living off the land somewhere in the back of my mind, even as I moved from Minnesota to NYC to pursue my career in graphic design, then later moved to Boston for my dream job in innovation consulting, and married my digital designer husband who never dreamed he’d live on a farm. (More on that to come.)
In the meantime, I’ve found further inspiration for what an agrarian paradise might look like from newfound heroes like Joel Salatin, Greg Judy, Paul Gautschi, Eliot Coleman. Healing the land with mob grazing, growing strong plants in mineral-rich soil using wood chips, choosing plant varieties for health and flavor rather than storage and transport. I read about these things; I just want to do them. I’m just so excited to take a patch of dirt and see what I can do with it. To build beautiful, loamy topsoil that is teeming with the good bugs. To grow nutrient-dense food like our ancestors ate. To witness the symbiotic relationships of diverse livestock peacefully coexisting with each other. To nourish my family with the fruits of my labor. And to live a lifestyle connected to the foundational realities of life and death, abundance and scarcity, and ultimately to gain a new appreciation for God’s creation and provision.
Or not, as it may go!
My husband is quick to point out the absurdity and challenge of this path for us current urbanites. He reminds me that I’m the kind of person who sees the world through rosy glasses, who sees opportunities and not problems, loves the big picture more than the details, and is more into the conceptual thinking than the execution. (Did I mention I was a consultant?) He has a valid point. We are certainly facing a lot of hard work in areas where we have no track record or reason to believe that we will succeed. Nevertheless, we might be crazy, but we’ve pulled the trigger and bought a farm.
The Blog
I’m a creator at heart. (Yes, given my career background you might guess that a lot of this has been more intangible — ideas, connections, designs, future visions, proposals.) As with the patch of dirt, I just like the idea of having a digital platform. I’m not exactly sure where it will go, but I want to see what I can do with it.
These days I get excited about homesteading, raising kids, healthy living, designing a home, and the idea of homeschooling some day. I imagine my blog might be like some sort of blend of Pioneer Woman and Wellness Mama with a little HGTV thrown in there. In other words, from a marketing perspective, it’s doomed from lack of focus. I can accept that prognosis, as I can still see many personal benefits:
- Creative Outlet — Since I no longer have my professional outlets, a blog seems an ideal and flexible outlet.
- Opportunity to have adult discussions — I’ve been spending most waking hours with my kids lately, which is mostly delightful, but… it would be nice to have more adult conversations too!
- Stay connected to friends — We’ve gotten to know many wonderful people where we’ve lived and I dread the thought of leaving them behind as we move across country. Maybe this will help us stay connected.
- Personal documentation — I’ve read it’s good to document what worked and didn’t work on your homestead… well, what better way to do this than a blog?
- Potential for income — Who knows, maybe I’ll really find my voice and a profit model to generate some funds to help support this not-for-profit farming adventure. (Don’t worry, I’m not counting on it!)
Frankly, the digital platform is probably more up my alley than the soil platform, given my career background. My success in life so far has been based on generating ideas, making connections others might not see, researching possibilities, envisioning future possibilities, and communicating them clearly and persuasively. Of course… running a blog requires consistency, timeliness, follow-through on all the details… things I’ve always preferred to leave to others.
Yes indeed, it is quite possible that 2019 is the year to go bust. We just might find out we’re really more city folk than we are country folk. That dreaming about utopian homesteads is more satisfying than actually trying to do it, much less write about it. But hey! Better to do it with company. You’re welcome to come along for the ride.
The Inspired Wife
Carlana Miller
12 Feb 2019I love this!!! Thank you for letting me come along
The Inspired Wife
14 Feb 2019Honored to have you!
MollyYiltalo
13 Feb 2019I am interested in your endeavors and will follow you excitedly. I love that you have rose-colored glasses And I’m optimistic with you.
The Inspired Wife
14 Feb 2019Haha, I think life is better that way… 🙂
Dean
13 Feb 2019It’s great to dream, and also to pursue your dreams. I hope your farm becomes something that your family can see the benefits of hard work and the fruits of labor.
The Inspired Wife
14 Feb 2019Thanks, Dean!
Tracey Torola
13 Feb 2019Wishing you and your precious family all the best in your new adventure. I look forward to “coming along” with you as you write about it!
The Inspired Wife
14 Feb 2019It’s better with company 🙂
Lauren
13 Feb 2019Wow! This is so awesome! I’m so excited for you and your family – will definitely follow along in your journey!
The Inspired Wife
14 Feb 2019Thanks, and glad to have you!
Katie (Johnson) Bloomstrom
14 Feb 2019Congratulations! What an awesome & inspirational story. I love that you jumped right in to this new chapter of your lives. Wishing you lots of excitement & learning ahead!
The Inspired Wife
14 Feb 2019Thanks, Katie!
Tara Boettcher
17 Feb 2019Love it! I hope the earth out there is better for growing things than out here.
If it doesn’t work out for the two of you, you can still keep the farm, hire workers and collect rent.
I hope you’ll find a nice community out there…”self sufficiency” is more illusion than reality.
The Inspired Wife
19 Feb 2019Haha, thanks Tara! You make a very quotable point there 🙂 And you’re totally right. Community is important. We have reason to believe we’ll find nice community in the area, and we are looking forward to getting to know the neighbors. Being that there are so few compared to our current city street I expect they will all play a more significant role in our life…