06/16/2026
There are a lot of new people around here. Please allow me to give a quick update on who we are and how we got to today.
We are a small hobby farm/homestead in southwest Michigan. I did not grow up in this lifestyle, quite the opposite actually. I grew up in a variety of homes in metro Detroit area, even in the deep city of detroit for a time. I met my husband very young and knew right away we were going to get married! We married at 19&24 and started a life together. He’s from the country but to please his new wife we lived in the city for 18 months before he couldn’t take it anymore! He drug me out to the country 3+ hours away from “home” I was extremely homesick and hated the quiet. I wanted to see and hear cars and the busy of the city. I know, I’ll wait while you laugh!
It was a very slow evolving over time thus slow, quiet, lates back, friendly area became home. We lives in a small rental and began searching for our forever home. This was again something I had never had myself. I had moved around a lot growing up. I once counted and it was double digits before I was 13! We found this home, an old farmhouse in the country, on a slice of land. When our offer was accepted we knew right away this was home! Over the next 10 ish years we tried garden spots, most of which I failed miserably! Once I killed whole thing by trying to use CHEMICALS to kill weeds between the plants. I quickly realized we do not want chemicals near our plants!
Our babies came about 10 years into living in our home and we quickly realized we didn’t want to put all the processed food into their tiny bodies we grew up on, gardening and buying from local farms seemed to be the answer for us. My oldest is now 16 and we have been buying our beef from farmers by the whole or 1/2 since I was pregnant with her. When my kids were tiny I picked up a canning book and taught myself how to can. Slowly at first with jams and relish, now I can everything! We raise our own rabbits, chickens, dairy goats, eggs, and of course grow as much as we can in the garden.
There have been many bumps and detours along the way but that’s part of this lifestyle! We are constantly learning and working theough things. It’s definitely not easy and there will be blood sweat and many tears but trust me it’s worth it!!
When people ask how long we have been homesteading I honestly don’t have a set date, it was so organic that we just evolved into this. We moved to this home in 2002, so maybe then. We started clean eating in 2008, maybe then? We started canning and buying from farmers in 2012, so maybe then? We started with livestock in 2013, maybe then? We started making goat milk soap in 2017, maybe then?
At the end of the day does that date really matter?
I’m not here trying to copy anyone’s idea or one up the next. I’m here to share what we’ve done and the mistakes we’ve made so you don’t make the same ones! We are here to help others succeed! I have given free how to classes, I’m not trying to make millions, I’m getting paid with smiles and genuine love and respect for the lifestyle. ❤️ when I get a call or text from someone I helped dust off that big scary canner for the first time and they are now canning all the things, that’s why I do what I do! I love helping! Natural born teacher some tell me.
