Reluctant Homesteader

Yep, that's me...RELUCTANT...IN DENIAL...IN THE CLOSET...

Whichever way you look at it, I just don't want to admit that I'm a homesteader. In fact just typing Homesteader doesn't feel right, even though it IS right.

Why oh why do I fight what is truth? We grow some of our own food (not as much as I would like) - we have laying hens and ducks that also provide us with delectable eggs. I don't think that we have bought commercial eggs since the summer of 2017. We raised 16 (out of 25) Freedom Rangers for the freezer and I usually have a vegetable garden going these days. We also are raising a breeding pair of American Guinea Hogs for kicks and giggles (at the moment) and for meat for the freezer and weaner pigs for sale. We think Miss Fiona might be pregnant but we don't know for sure - we're newbs.

My weekends are usually filled with what to do around the house and property and depending on the weather probably will include me going out to free the pigs to graze the fresh grass outside of their chopped arena, freeing the ducks for a time and going to the feed warehouse to replenish the critters feed tubs/buckets. My interest in going anywhere outside of our immediate area is a no-go. UNLESS there is a sale at the local farm store or I have chicks to pick up etc.

So what is the problem? Well, I work full time...I feel somewhat like a fraud saying that I homestead when the reality is that I work a 40 hour job more away from our home than I do the farm thing at home. Even my profile on the American Guinea Hog website doesn't allude to me being a homesteader...

"Part-time hobby farmer, full-time Office Assistant. I love the life we have on our little farm and looking forward to the day that I can make it a full-time gig. We are raising chickens for eggs and meat, ducks for fun and American Guinea Hogs. I try to stick with heritage breeds, however we do like the faster growing broiler. Growing food and being a responsible steward of our land."

Part of my profile just screams homesteader and yet I call myself a hobby farmer.

This is our little piece of farming goodness. As you can plainly see from the buildings it was once a farm. The Thornton's raised cattle for beef and I suppose they may have had a milk cow or two. We are not sure of the true history of our property. We just know that one of the buildings was the Butcher House which still had all the hardware - which has since been removed.There is the equipment shed to the left which once was a "party barn" but now is starting to show it's age with some of the roof panels having blown off during the extreme windy weather we have here during the summer months. There is an old garage and another shed-like space which I hope to turn into a the Swine Palace.

2.71 acres of what used to be a pasture for the previous business that was operated here.

Some people ask if we would sell our property - probably not anytime soon. We have things to do. Besides, who would want the pigs and chickens and ducks?

I hope you enjoy my journey into homestead life.