Wednesday, May 15, 2013

How We Homestead: How It All Began

Welcome to the first installment of our new five-week series, How We Homestead. Each Wednesday I will write a post about a different homesteading topic to shed more light on where we are on our path to self-sufficiency and what homesteading looks like for us.

In spring 2009, I began to hear a lot of buzz around a new documentary called Food, Inc. It promised to give viewers an honest look at the current food industry in the US and reveal how it is controlled by several large corporations. I hadn't been too interested in where my food came from for most of my life, but when I found out about the film something inside me was provoked and I felt that I had to see the movie.

We weren't aware of it at the time, but Food, Inc. proved to be the catalyst for making big changes in our lives and inspiring our homesteading journey. The documentary opened our eyes and we were totally appalled at what we learned, so we vowed to take more control over our food supply. My first thought was that we had to start a vegetable garden; David was immediately talking chickens.

One of our first ever tomatoes.

Some of our first eggs.

We still lived in the city at this point, but were beginning to have big homesteading dreams and goals that would require more land than what we had on our tiny lot. We absolutely adored our home in the city, a very charming 1914 bungalow, but felt that as much as we loved our home, we wanted land more. So on St. Patrick's Day in 2010 (I remember it vividly because we lost our first hen, Raven, that morning) we met with a realtor and listed our home for sale.

The next year was an emotional rollercoaster. We eventually took our home off the market due to not receiving a single offer in nine months. We were crushed and figured our dream would just have to be put on hold until the housing market rebounded. After some serious and passionate conversations, we realized we were not willing to stay put and keep shoving our dreams aside, so we decided to relist with a different realtor and drastically reduce the price of our house for a quick sale. And guess what? We got it! Our home sold this time in just one week!


After accepting an offer, we kicked into high gear to find the perfect homestead. After a couple disappointments, we finally found a place with 20 wooded acres about 35 miles outside town. It wasn't totally perfect, but we vowed to turn it into our dream home; something we are still working on today.

The day our journey began.

Four other awesome bloggers are participating in this series as well, so don't forget to check out their posts to read more about where they are in their homesteading journey. You can find them here -

Staci at Life At Cobble Hill Farm
Meg at Little Homestead
Daisy at Maple Hill 101
Amber at Making A Home

Thanks so much for reading and please do let me know if you have any questions or comments. I'd love to hear from you! Don't forget to check back next Wednesday for the second installment in the series where I will be focusing on how we have begun to embrace simple living.

~Tammy

Shared with The Backyard Farming Connection Hop 

55 comments:

  1. glad you didn't let your dream stagnate. :)

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  2. I am going to love reading your journey...my younger son wants to do this very thing! Have a wonderful day!!

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  3. Good for you! It's wonderful you are on a path towards something you dream about and believe in. Thanks for sharing this.

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  4. I love this series! It's interesting to hear everyones stories. I can't wait until next Wednesday!

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  5. It's great to hear that it was and is a team effort and goal. When both of you are passionate about the same thing, it's a good journey.
    Farmhouse hugs,
    Cindy

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  6. wow- your first tomatoe looks just perfect!
    congrats!
    lovely greets
    maren anita

    emu australia giveaway:
    FASHION-MEETS-ART by Maren Anita

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  7. Food Inc was a biggie for us too....it changed how we viewed, purchased, prepared and thought about food. So many things changed for us after that one. Your tomato looks fantastic - pretty decent for the very first home grown one! Our homestead is a work in progress too - much less land than you but I think similar philosophies. Thank you for sharing your journey!

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  8. I can't even imagine all the emotions that went into this decision for you guys. It's enough that you loved and would miss your home, but you guys completely changed your whole way of life. Not everyone could do that, but it seems like you've had great success since your move :)

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  9. Oh Tammy this story has a lot of familiar rings to it for me. I am certainly glad you made the big jump and I appreciate hearing all about it. I have been living that dream for 35 years. You should be proud of your and David's commitment I do know how hard it can be. I love your Blog. I am off to check out the others. I have been waiting for this segment.hug B

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  10. I love this! I'm so happy you're sharing your story. My story is a bit on the flip side, I plan to move out to the country once my husband retires in 10 years, and I find these stories refreshing and invigorating. Just think, you might be the inspiration for someone else to follow their dream.

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  11. What an interesting post, thank you for sharing :) I am looking forward to the next one x

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  12. That's pretty brave, and awesome that you sold your home under value, and went ahead with what your heart wanted. Maybe your dream made someone else's dream come true too. :)

    And the homestead life is so interesting to me. I'm anxious to hear more about your bees, and your chickens, and your life, lol. It's a good series to start!

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  13. What an inspiring story! We are in the same situation, we like (not love) our current home, but it just isn't us. I yearn for more land to farm and don't really like having neighbors so close. I need more space to stretch my wings and do what I really love. My wife just got her dream job as a librarian so she isn't up to moving out of state just yet, so we changed are plans to look for some acreage with a farm house nearby. We have been saving as much as we can so we can afford our dream property as we only want to move once. Life is a fantastic journey and you should live how you want and do what makes you happy! Sometimes that takes looking how you currently live and making drastic changes, as you did.

    Food Inc, and all the other Food Matters documentaries, was also an inspiration for us to change how we live, how we eat and the inspiration to start the school garden project.

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  14. Thanks for sharing about homesteading. It is an interesting subject that I would like to know more about.

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  15. I really enjoyed reading this! It's so interesting to hear how others got into this lifestyle. I haven't seen Food, Inc, but I had a similar experience with beekeeping - I saw "Vanishing of the Bees" and signed up for a beekeeping class the same day. :)

    I would love to buy a house in the next few years - we currently rent, and while we've been able to build raised beds and keep chickens (our landlady is very lenient/negligent) there's so much more we'd do if we owned our house.

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  16. Gorgeous property! That documentary really did a number on me too, and is also part of the reason I want to be more intentional. I can't wait for next week to hear more!

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  17. Really enjoyed reading about the start to your journey :) I think your property really is just gorgeous.

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  18. I love that picture of your home, so so pretty xx

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  19. I'm so glad you jumped on your dream instead of letting it go...and this is a great idea for a blog series!

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  20. Your Home and property are gorgeous Tammy! One day when our kids get through school (about 7 years), I would love to live in the country. A white house tucked away in the trees, with a garden, lots of flowers and chickens :) I will definitely watch Food, Inc. Thanks for this great series!

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  21. Glad you made your dream a reality! Wonderful series. So M's u doors open when you take a chance and follow your dreams. You guys are young and this is the perfect time to go for it:)

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  22. This is very interesting. I have popped over from Knatolee's place, where I saw a comment from you. I hope to be back to read more.

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  23. Tammy - I love this post! So wonderful to get to know more about you and why you chose this route. That Food Inc.....that's a hard one to get off your mind once you've seen it, isn't it? Thanks so much for participating. :)

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  24. That is just about the cutest lil' homestead I've seen in a long while. So glad the stars lined up for you when you were ready! ;0)

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  25. I need to watch Food, Inc. Your property looks so beautiful!

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  26. Everything looks wonderful...the eggs look perfect and the tomato delicious! :)

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  27. My cousin once mentioned this documentary to me and I've been curious to see it....all I know is that she and her husband now try to collect their own seed and save it wherever they can....they are vegetarians so no chickens for them. :)

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  28. Tammy, I enjoyed reading this post and am very happy you are realizing your dream. Your homestead looks beautiful.

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  29. Too many people put off their dreams, often until it's too late. I'm glad you're living yours!

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  30. I think it's terrific that both you and David were on board with the homesteading idea from the start. I hear stories from frustrated women who want to change their lifestyle, but can't give in 100% to it because their partner still has blinders on. Give David 2 thumbs up and a big cyber hug for me! :-)

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  31. Loving that you are sharing this story with us Tammy!

    We are getting to a similar situation in our lives and I keep politely suggesting to my Husband that we look for a small piece of land and build a small home on it instead of purchasing a larger home in a subdivision.

    I can guarantee you if my Husband was talking about getting chickens, I can't tell you how happy I would be!!!

    Looking forward to the next posts in the series!

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  32. What a great story. Nice to hear about you guys making your dreams come true.

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  33. I'm excited for this series. I can't wait to hear your journey. I'll definitely be checking out the other blogs as well!

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  34. So very very cool to read about your journey as we slowly begin our own. Very happy for you that you are making your dreams come true!

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  35. So happy to have come across your blog.

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  36. The best things in life are worth waiting for.
    I still remember finding our homestead, very exciting time!
    Look forward to reading the Homestead series!

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  37. This is fun and I look forward to reading more! I think Food, Inc. was a BIG wake-up call for a lot of people, it still depresses me to think about it. I'm glad you were able to sell your house in town even during the down market.

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  38. What's your secret of great tomatoes? Gosh...everyone around here can grow tomatoes to abundance, but never us! LOL

    Cute home! 35 acres?! Wow! And even some wooded areas. Looks wonderful!

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  39. Tammy, I admire you guys so much! I love reading about your chickens, and gardens and recipes, and bees, and your cute house-and well,everything! And I can't wait to learn more! I also can't believe no one wanted to buy your 1914 bungalow! That's crazy!

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  40. What a wonderful story, Tammy! Kudos to you and David for getting into this journey! Can't wait for the next post!

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  41. Tammy .. YOU inspire me so much . I just am so blessed to cross paths in life with you . >GOD is so good. Thanks for always sharing such good news and beautiful news.. I will not close my computer until I have read your blog.. YOU really bless us all. I AM so thankful and PS how is little PEARL... HUGS my sweet friend

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  42. Food Inc. is one of my favorite documentaries, it wasn't easy to watch but wow did it open SO many eyes and hearts to what really goes on in factory farming. I am a food junkie and a documentary food junkie, I think I've seen them all haha. Have you seen forks over knives? That's a good one too.

    I love your story so far and cannot wait for next week... more please :)

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  43. My hubby is a frustrated farmer. He plants, he harvests, and I try to cook. Currently we are in the Trump Chicken Condo phase of raising chickens. The kids are in the Sell Those Eggs accumulate cash phase, but I am the marketing/deliver-er of eggs and I don't do farmling that well. I quilt. I write. I run the Mom-Mobile.

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  44. Wow! Big change. It sounds wonderful. Can't wait to hear more. :)

    Jo
    http://www.womaninreallife.blogspot.ca/

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  45. You were so lucky to be able to sell so quickly and to know so early what type of life both of you wanted.
    Husband was military and we loved traveling, but once we settled - would have rather been country instead of city.

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  46. Good for you, Tammy, for making your dreams come true! Our food system is apalling, especially treatment of animals. Your homestead is beautiful. xxoo

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  47. A very intriguing journey. So happy you are making your dreams a reality!!
    Blessings,
    Susie

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  48. Food Inc. was a huge reason reason for my homesteading as well. I was already starting to grow a few veggies and has been considering chickens, but after seeing that movie I jumped in with both feet. I'm so glad I did! So glad you, and so many others, are taking the journey along with me.

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  49. What a fabulous Dream I am so happy you sold your house and your adventure was able to begin.. Look forward to your next installment. :)

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  50. Wow! Glad y'all had focus and determination! Can you imagine how different your life would be if y'all had just given up? So glad you didn't, you're very inspiring!

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  51. Thank you for sharing your story. So glad you and your family found the perfect place and didn't give up on your dream.

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  52. I love reading about your story Tammy and I can't wait for the next installment. I also watched that same documentary and boy it did open my eyes too. That is when we started buying locally from the farmer's market after I failed at trying to grow my own vegetables. Even though we have over 3 acres we have too much wildlife that like to live off of whatever we plant. So I gave up on that but frequent the organic farm a few towns away that raise their own grain fed cattle. We don't eat much meat these days...mostly just vegetables and grains now and no processed food. I'm feeling so much better by changing my eating habits....getting healthier everyday. Thanks for sharing your life and your future goals. I'm proud of you. Hugs

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  53. Living the dream ...fantastic!

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