First, you hear it. The gentle, happy babbling of a nearby brook. When you open your eyes you’re surrounded by lush greens, vibrant flowers and fruiting vines, berries, and nuts on bushes and trees. Butterflies and bees flutter along and bluebirds sing in the trees. Nature at its finest. No one would ever know that that stream was man-made or that nearly every plant around was planted by the farmer. In this case me, in the dream I had while wide awake one-night last summer.
But it really started years ago. My youngest child had been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum and I wanted answers. No one had them and so began my search for natural health and wellbeing. Gluten intolerance, brain fog, depression, anxiety, gut health. It’s all connected. And I kept learning.
Soil depletion means that no matter how much money I spend on “organic” or “healthy” or even natural foods, they just aren’t as nutritious as they once were. So I must learn to grow my own foods. Doing so without chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers proved challenging at first. And I kept digging. Remineralization sounds good, but which methods are best? Compost is nearly a miracle of the life cycle, but how do I nurture the process to get just what I’m after? I admit I’m still learning. But I know that fixing the nutrients in the soil will help fix the nutrients in our food and therefore in our bodies, enabling true healing.
As well as looking for a way to help my family, I feel a deep connection to the Earth and want to help her heal from our more harmful impacts. So I keep learning. I think I can see at least a part of the answer. It’s been a long road to finally be at what feels like the beginning of an amazing journey to finally achieve that dream. The regenerative, intentional yet totally natural farm in my dream is getting closer.
This is the year that I put all that learning to work. Using everything I’ve learned so far and striving to learn more all the time, I will be diving into every aspect of homesteading. Starting with water and soil management, seeds and transplants, baby chicks, to harvests and preservation, this is the beginning of producing a better life. So I invite you to come along with me as I explore these concepts and more on my journey to a truly harmonious homestead.