Food is Life
When you get to know me, one thing you'll learn is that I love food. I love being involved in the entire process: planting the seed all the way through to serving it at the table.
Rebelling
One of the things that moved us towards homesteading was food. We didn't like the uncertainty of what was in our food, how it was being grown and we were bothered by many of the things that the global food industry is doing. They can keep their GMO food, patented seeds and pesticides, we aren't buying any of it.
Trial & Error
Taking a stand like that means we need to produce as much of our own food as possible. One does not become a master gardener or farmer over night however.
We had a few hard lessons. Raising pigs for example was a profound experience that will be etched on our hearts forever. We loved our pigs and we had to kill them. Last summer we had a field of garlic (our first cash crop) get ruined during some flooding. These things you can't always anticipate. You just adapt, learn and do it differently next time. We probably wont raise more pigs (even though they are awesome) and we won't plant garlic in a field that floods.
The Miracles & Wins
The wins exceed the losses and each year we get better. We've got food growing in gardens, fields, containers and bushes. If it will grow, we will happily plant it. Each seed that takes hold is a small and delicious miracle, other than the Jeruselum artichokes. I rue the day I decided to plant them. No one seems to like them and they multiply like gremlins.
We forage and gather wild apples and herbs. Dandelions, rose petals and hips become tea, jam, jelly and wine. There is so much food around us once we change our way of thinking and open our eyes.
Preserving & Storing
In order to get through winter we have a lot of preserving to do. We can, dehydrate, ferment and brew. When it comes to learning new methods, we'll try anything once (or twice). A well stocked pantry is a beautiful sight. Sometimes I "visit the pantry" just to look at the food. I really am in love with food - our food.
At the end of the day we are proving to ourselves that we can be self reliant when it comes to food. We still buy things because we want to (coffee, sugar, flour and oats for example) but if we really wanted to we could stop. Honey could easily replace sugar and I could live without coffee and the other treats we buy. With a bit of compromise it would work for us.
It's hard work and it takes determination but what a marvellous journey! I think this is a worthwhile rebellion.
Happy Homesteading & Be well,
Charlotte