ABOUT our mini urban farmstead and family
My husband and I have been living here on our mini urban farmstead for about four years now, here on the edge of a small city in Southwest Michigan. He works full time as a quality control chemist, and I'm a disabled former teacher. A large part of why we homestead is due to my disability and health issues. We have three kids, one of whom still lives at home, and our urban farmstead life started in trying to figure out how to safely feed all of us. Because of that first question (how on earth do we feed two teenage boys?!), we now raise ducks, have gardens throughout our property, compost as much as possible, and even dabble in herbalism for my health issues. This site is where I occasionally write about our journey, sharing ideas, thoughts, advice, and experiences on our small urban farmstead.
My husband and I both grew up in rural Michigan, living the homestead life. His mom had horses, and his dad was in charge of the big family garden. He grew up going to the county fair, fixing everything the best he could long before giving up on it or buying new, and working around the house. My mom had horses and a big garden, and at her house, I learned how to freeze and dehydrate our food from the garden and local orchards and farms as well as make pottery, paint, draw, knit and spin, the latter two being something she encouraged more than anyone else. My stepmom was Martha before Martha Stewart got big: by that, I mean that she did everything and did it very well. She put in an acre garden when she and my dad got married and suddenly had to feed four hungry kids, and Dad put in an orchard that he loved. We raised hogs and beef cattle off and on, and no one had better flower beds than my stepmom. She is the one who taught me how to can, freeze, and properly cook and bake, not to mention crewel embroidery, country arts painting, and more. Between my mom and my stepmom, I grew up knowing all kinds of skills, and I thank them both. Between my husband and me, we already knew most homestead kind of skills by the time we moved here, but we are working on learning more and putting to use what we already know.
My husband and I both grew up in rural Michigan, living the homestead life. His mom had horses, and his dad was in charge of the big family garden. He grew up going to the county fair, fixing everything the best he could long before giving up on it or buying new, and working around the house. My mom had horses and a big garden, and at her house, I learned how to freeze and dehydrate our food from the garden and local orchards and farms as well as make pottery, paint, draw, knit and spin, the latter two being something she encouraged more than anyone else. My stepmom was Martha before Martha Stewart got big: by that, I mean that she did everything and did it very well. She put in an acre garden when she and my dad got married and suddenly had to feed four hungry kids, and Dad put in an orchard that he loved. We raised hogs and beef cattle off and on, and no one had better flower beds than my stepmom. She is the one who taught me how to can, freeze, and properly cook and bake, not to mention crewel embroidery, country arts painting, and more. Between my mom and my stepmom, I grew up knowing all kinds of skills, and I thank them both. Between my husband and me, we already knew most homestead kind of skills by the time we moved here, but we are working on learning more and putting to use what we already know.
a note on terminology:
I go back and forth on using the terms homestead, urban farm, and farmstead. For now, farmstead seems to be the most accurate term, as we do sell some items, but we don't sell them to make a profit or as a business. This is not a set thing, though, so please understand if you see me changing all the terms yet again.