Fellow homesteadian: Melissa from Rainier!
Thanks for joining us for another round of Fellow Homestead-ian! We've been taking you to places all over the country, showing you how different people homestead in different ways! I love getting to see the diversity of what 'homesteading' means for people and getting to see the way that people are taking an active role in loving the land, raising their food, and enjoying the Lord's creation! This week, we're not headed far from our own homestead. Just a few hours away to the coast of Washington:
Who are you? Where do you live? Where is your homestead located? My name is Melissa - friends call me Mel - and I am an amateur homesteader/farmsteader in Rainier, Washington - a small rural town right next to Olympia, Washington. Along for the ride is my amazing husband Micky, and our two girls.How did it all begin for you? We have always been outdoors peeps, but a few years ago I read a book about living off one block of land and making everything you could possibly need. It was a huge eye-opener for me! I started planning on how we could get our own plot of land with a few chickens and a goat. Reasonable goals, right? :)
What sort of homesteading are you currently involved in?We have been on our 5-acre plot for about a year and a half now. We both work as full-time nurses outside the home - but I have BIG DREAMS of staying home on my farm. Big dreams for a little girl! :) Our original dream of a few animals has turned into 1 cat, 2 dogs, 24 chickens, 2 goats. 2 sheep, 2 ducks, and 1 cow (Sally Gooden, my baby and one-day-to-be milker)
What is the best part of homesteading? Seeing everything growing and changing right before your eyes - and reaping the benefits! The things that make me happiest are making bread every week, seeing my kids playing in the pasture with the animals, collecting eggs from the ladies - and having my husband by my side through it all. It is such a thrill being able to produce so much for my own family - and know that it is completely attainable!What is the worst part of homesteading?Having to let go of any sort of schedule or planning. I used to be such a type-A person - would literally short-circuit when I couldn't plan everything out. Everything is so unpredictable now - and I have learned to adapt. Hmmm... So maybe that is one of the best things about homesteading too! :)
What would you like your homestead to look like in 5 years? I would like to be home - homesteading full-time. I will have a steady, healthy flock of chickens, goat milk to make farmstead soaps, and milk from my Sally for drinking, yogurt, cheese, and butter. And self-sufficient kids to boot - this has been such a learning experience for them!How has homesteading changed your view of the world?The world seems so much more complicated now. Things I thought were such a big deal and of importance before - aren't so much anymore. That new car I had to have a few years ago - traded in. I now have a 77 Jeep Wagoneer (Lucy) - and couldn't be happier. Practicality happened. Bad things can happen in the world - but I honestly feel more prepared for them now.
What's something you wish you'd have known before you began homesteading? That I can't do it right the first time - and that is ok. I tried to plan and research everything out - which never worked. Thankfully my husband is there to remind me that we can ALWAYS tweak it later. And we do.
"I tried to plan and research everything out - which never worked."Truer words have never been spoken!As much as we tried to control and plan out our homestead, animals and nature have an entirely different plan. Learning to go with the flow has been a huge challenge for us on our own homestead...What about YOU?Thanks, Melissa, for sharing! Keep on truckin'.