About Us

About Us The Homesteading Mama with a duck

So you want to know about us, do you? Well then, queue the Star Wars Music……..

Long, long ago, in a childhood far, far away………

At the age of 10, my parents moved us to the country. My Aunt quickly provided me with my first “farm” experience by giving me a rabbit. I named BR (bunny rabbit). I was 10 at the time and it was the best I could come up with!! To complete the farm experience, I joined 4-H and took BR to the county fair that year.

Mr. BR did VERY well at the fair and my father was hooked! Over the next 8 years my life became that of a farm girl. We raised rabbits (lots and lots of them), chickens, goats, and one summer, even a pair of lambs.

When I turned 18 I headed to collage (I graduate from Grand Valley State University with a B.S. in History) and then out into the big world. I did my best to get into the corporate mainstream. By my late 20’s I was living in Chicago, which is anything but country!!! I had made it. The country girl was out of the country. But life gives you what you need, not always what you want, and by my 30’s I was back in rural America.

Now…..

I have entered my 40’s now, living in small rural town (aka Michigan) with my husband, two sons, and a plethora of animals. That’s right, they’re back……farm critters. My eldest son, who is now 13, is madly in love with poultry. What is a mom to do? Deep down I always knew that country girl was still there and instead of fighting to keep her hid, I have embraced my inner farm girl once again.

I now worry about where our food comes from and have learned to garden. I make jams, bake and can. We tap our maple trees for syrup, preserve meats and make cheese. I am in love with learning how things used to be done and trying them in our home. We are even looking into setting up a couple bee hives in our yard. Now don’t get me wrong, we still order pizza now and then, but as I age and as a parent, I see the value in doing all of these things. And I sometimes wonder why I ever wanted to be in the corporate mainstream, when there is a porch that needs to be sat on while chickens peck in the garden and my children explore nature.

I now spend my days sharing our (mis)Adventures with the world via this blog, Facebook, and other social media outlets. I have had photos and article publish in magazines both state side and in Europe. I enjoy speaking at poultry workshops and I currently have a book coming out September 17, 2019! Who knows how life will all work out in the end……. But I do know the (mis)Adventures along the way will make it a life worth living.

 

14 thoughts on “About Us

  1. Looking fwd to following. Is it even worth it to tap maples say if you only have a couple maple trees????

    1. We only tape 3 or 4 a year and yes we get enough for of family (and sometimes enough for friends!)

    1. Bwaa haa haa yeah, hero, not! LOL Just a family who is trying and hopes others will too!

  2. HI Mindie,
    I just found your website on the Simple Saturday blog hop. I am just like you and thought that the corporate world was for me; but you know what they say "you can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl!" :o) I am still working in corporate American but have recently purchased a decrepitated farm that my husband and I are resurrecting. I also long to grow/raise our own food and pass that along to my little boy; as well as raising him with country values and simple ways. Folks at work cannot understand my longing to do this, and why I am not content with just going to the grocery store and buying my food (especially since I work for a large grocery store) LOL! I'm looking forward to reading more from your site.

    Claudine
    http://simplygrowin.blogspot.com/

    1. I find that funny that you work for a large grocery store but don't want to shop there LOL I get it. More and more I look at food and go, what is it and then come home and plan to plant more the next year, or raise our own meat. There is just something so satisfying about having a hand in the things you eat, the calm of the critters when the world isn't right. Its just a different pace of life. You go get the farm resurrected!

  3. I had to check out your about section because we were city cops, also in Michigan, who retired to the country and now raise laying hens, meat chickens, turkeys and hogs. Farm Living is the Life for Me LOL

    1. My dad was a small town cop and when he retired (to later become a bailiff LOL) we moved to the country…. thus my first time as a country girl. Now I am living it all over again. And I must say as an adult, enjoying it more then when I was a kid and had to do chores before catching the bus every morning! LOL

  4. Glad I stumbled on you from another blog and read your story. Follow your heart love and you'll never be sorry. Your on a good road. I was very caught up in the industry world and my husband had 3 strokes at the age of 52 that left him half paralyzed. He finally slowed down to enjoy his beautiful grand children, a Tom cat that thinks he's God and a beautiful organic garden where he can sit in a easy lawn chair and soak up the sun with his cat in his lap.

    1. Sheri, so glad you stumbled on over! I agree, folks need to slow down and enjoy life, before it is too late to. There is so much wonderful in this simple world.

  5. Find your blog while on the Simple Saturday blog hop. I've always wanted to get a farm and start small, but alas it is only me. I live in a small town in Oklahoma so decided since I can't have the farm I'll start first with a small garden. I do want to learn how to can since my Mom canned everything my Dad's garden could grow. Nothing better than canning garden food. That's start for me. Maybe I will get my dream to have a farm with chickens, goats, ducks and cows!

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