This is the story of a homeschooling family who, at God's leading, left "modern" city life and began the journey to self-sufficiency on a farm!
Welcome! My family (three generations) moved to this farm over 14 years ago. We were living the "normal" American life up to that point. We were city people. The boys and I were active in our church, I homeschooled my boys (for 25 years now!) and lived the conventional Christian life.
Then God spoke! One of those instances when the Word just jumps out at you, dances around a bit and lands in your heart to dwell there for awhile. Scriptures that talked of reliance on God...for everything...not relying on others....for anything....and scriptures that talked of the wise man who looked to the future, saw the dangers and prepared himself against the day. I came to realize that we relied on others for EVERYTHING!!! God began moving in my heart to change our lifestyle...live in a more self-sufficient way that would cause us to rely on Him more. He was wooing us to the country. So....11 years ago, we left the big city, moved to the country and bought a little farm. My parents followed a few months later and now my mother lives next door in a little home she built on the farm. She is in her eighties and is still an amazing help to all of us!
A short time after arriving here, I learned that one of my boys was allergic to the chemicals, preservatives and dyes found in the pre-prepared products that line our grocery store shelves and, yes, even in our medicines. I knew I needed to make changes in our diet not only for his health but for all of my children.
I slowly began the journey of making our food from scratch. I grind wheat to bake our own bread, and I make our own cereals! The boys milk cows and goats and I make cheeses, buttermilk, ice cream and more. My boys and I raise our own grass fed beef and have chickens for meat and eggs. I put up all of our own jams and jellies and the majority of our vegetables along with pickles, relishes, condiments and various sauces ! I cook almost everything from scratch and I can, dehydrate and freeze our garden bounty for winter. My children and my mother are active in helping me achieve these things! I could not do all that I do without their help and the Lord's grace and mercy!
I have used herbs to care for my children's health needs for 32 years but for the first time I was able to grow them myself. I began to experiment more and more with fresh herbs in cooking, making herbal oils, vinegars, salad dressings, cheese and breads! I began making my own herbal medicines in the form of herbal tinctures, capsules, salves, soaps and teas!
If you are local, (or even if your aren't!), I teach classes on our farm so that you too can learn to make herbal medicine and all natural, herbal soaps! I've had students attend from all over Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Missouri, South Africa and more!
I am so thankful to God for His provision and blessings and for taking us out of the mundane city life to this life full of wonder and excitement...where every day is an adventure...where His handiwork is evident everywhere we look.
You can follow our daily farm adventures here on my blog.....please come join me at:
