Homesteader Chit Chat #3

Welcome back to Homestead Chit Chat!

I’m so glad your here with us today, and I am super excited to introduce you to a good friend of mine.  She’s a super gal and I know you will love her as much as I do!

Timber Creek Farm

How long have you been a Homesteader? Where do you homestead and how big or small is your homestead…describe it for our readers.

 We are homesteading and farming 130 aces of family tree farm land in central Maryland.  The homestead portion has been a work in progress for 20 years.  We started out with horses and ponies for the kids and it grew from there.  Most of the land is hardwood timber, but we have a few acres set aside for animal paddocks, barns, pens and gardens.  It is very rural but the farm is surrounded by urban/suburban growth

Did you always want to be a Homesteader, or is this a realization that came over a period of time? Where did you come from?

 I always wanted to be a farmer but the term homesteader was something I only read about it books and it was not a dream or reality until many years later.  Homesteading for us  came about because we wanted our children to have a connection to good food and to learn how to work hard and take care of responsibilities.  All of our children do not choose to farm or raise animals or garden, but they all know how!

Could you explain your decision to Homestead, how you came about making and implementing that decision? The Why’s and How’s.

Well, as I said, we owned horses and ponies for the kids and also had the property.  It was in a terrible state from previous tenants, but boarding horses is very expensive and time consuming to drive to where they were kept.  So, we set about building a barn and fenced in areas for the horses to come home.   From there, goats were the next animal, followed by a donkey, chickens, rabbits, sheep, ducks, cows and pigs.  We no longer own horses because neither my husband or I have time to ride.  But with grandkids beginning to grow up, I can see a pony or two on the farm again in the future!

My husbands family was always gardening and I loved the fresh vegetables they would grow.  As soon as we were married, it was natural for us to start gardening too.  We try to grow a large portion of the produce we eat during the year and supplement by canning and freezing  produce from the local farmers market.

For us, it wasn’t a specific decision to become Homesteaders, but more a gradual transition to a healthier, more connected lifestyle

What has been you biggest challenge since being on your homestead?

The biggest challenge has to be time management.  Or just lack of enough time to do everything we want to do.  We both work full time jobs running our own businesses too, so the farm and it’s needs take up the large part of the rest of our time.  We can’t be too impulsive and run away for weekends.  Or even go away for the day with out  a lot of planning. 

Another challenge is running a rural lifestyle in a heavy urban/suburban area. We are between two large east coast cities and most people live in sub divisions.  There are still quite a few beautiful farms in Maryland, but I think we all face the same challenge of being part of a counter culture for our area

 How did you overcome that challenge?

I am not sure we overcome the challenge of not having enough time to do what we would like to do, but you learn to make choices and prioritize.  A lot of things get done on the weekends and having a routine helps.

What has been your funniest moment?

 Oh the funniest moment was when the cows escaped and I had to call 911 to report them missing.  We were certain that they were not stolen but worried that a neighbor would wake up and find cows grazing in  their yard.  The call was interesting , because the dispatcher thought I was making a crank call!  I had to first convince her that we had real live cows in our area, and then she asked me to describe them!  Um, well it’s a cow.  Large, black cows.  I couldn’t think of any other way to describe a Black Angus cow.  After searching and searching, we let the dog help us, and he immediately found them hiding behind a shed in tall weeds. They were afraid to walk around in the dark and had decided to stay put until morning, I guess.  Anyway, I called the police back and reported that the cows had been located.  I am sure I am on a watch list somewhere!

 What has been your most rewarding moment?

 So many rewards come from this life that it is hard to name just one.  I love sharing our abundant eggs with friends and neighbors, my first etsy shop sale of our yarn followed by a good review from the customer, and my grown children telling me that they would like to raise their kids in the same way would be a few rewards.

Has Homesteading taught you something that you consider life-changing?

Homesteading has taught me that life is fragile.  A healthy animal one day, can be gone the next.  A freak storm can wipe out your vegetable garden in a few hours.  Anything can happen and you can only be so prepared.  I take very little for granted, and try to always have the necessities  of food and water back up in case of emergency.

In your opinion, what is the biggest misconception that people have about Homesteading and Homesteaders in general?

That we are stuck in this life are  unable to get out. The truth is, most of us wouldn’t have it any other way!  We chose the simpler life and thrive on making our dreams come to life.  We enjoy doing things for our selves as opposed to buying new or eating out in restaurants all the time.  We like being survivors and helpers.

If there is one thing you have learned, that you feel is very important for you, since moving and living on your homestead…what would that one thing be?

 Have more on hand than you think your will need, be it extra feed for your animals or extra water stored in containers.  Believe me, you don’t want to be searching for water and animal feed during a hurricane, or winter ice storm.

Do you have any advice or tips for our readers?

Be encouraged by others.  If you are new to homesteading, search for mentor, join an online forum or group, give help when you can and ask for help and advice when you need it.  The homesteading community is full of caring, giving people who want to help you be a successful homesteader too. 

We have a BONUS today from Janet, she’s sharing her amazing Georgia Peach Cobbler recipe with us: —>HERE

We’re so happy and blessed to have spent some time today with Janet from Timber Creek Farm.  I know it would mean alot to her if you would head on over to her place and said HELLO!

Timber Creek Farm

Etsy

This article is hopping around the following Blog Hops:

Homestead Barn Hop, Wildcrafting Wednesday, From the Farm Fridays, Simple Saturdays Blog Hop, Simple Life Sunday Blog Hop.

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