I grew up wanting to be a spy. Beginning at age 12, I began many years of international travel and living. On the games where the person who has been to the most countries takes the first turn - that's always me. My growing up years were so diversified that I had no idea what I wanted to do when I got to college. I made it through with a basic degree and got basic jobs in my early twenties. In my late 20's I got a contracting job with the government doing background investigations. While it sounded really cool and gave me the opportunity to do LOTS of travel, a badge and some awesome stories; it wasn't meant to be long term for me.
Soon marriage and children changed the direction of my life. I had to find new avenues of adventure while dealing with constant tiredness and health issues. In 2014, we moved to a rural area of Flagstaff, AZ on 2.5 acres. I quickly dove into keeping chickens and starting a garden. With various health issues in the family, I began to research nutrition, environmental toxins, and natural medicines. While I am a firm believer in modern medicine, I also am convinced that there are many natural things we can use for prevention and general health maintenance that the current society has disregarded.
Like many others, when the COVID caused shut downs and shipping delays, I realized that I could do so much more on my own to be self-sustaining. I had a garden but was I utilizing it fully? We have chickens, but could I produce more to help our neighbors? What else could we do with our land?
In the winter of 2022-23, a little fire got lit under me about homesteading. I looked into bees and in the spring we set up our first hive. I looked into raw milk and this summer we got our first heifer. My dad built me a farm stand and I have been selling extra produce and eggs for our little neighborhood community. Next year I hope to include honey, soap, and maybe some dairy products. This new adventure is exciting and definitely full of trial and errors, but I hope you will continue to join us on this journey!
