A fellow blogger and homesteader posed a question a few days ago, and it made me ask myself the same question. I believe our initial reason was similar to hers but here's my "why."
Sometimes, you find yourself in an environment that not only allows you to make changes but also requires it. Going back 23 years, I moved to Missouri to begin a life of my own. At 22 years old, I was looking for something more. I had worked a few jobs that gave me the same type of life I had always lived, but I felt there was more I needed. I was looking for something, that I wasn't finding. So, I loaded up my Dodge Omni, and took off for Missouri. For the first year, it was hard! I didn't know anyone, I was not familiar with the area enough, and life here...was a LOT different than anything I had ever experienced. While I was looking for my something more...my first year was almost too much.
Anyway, in 1998 I was attending college classes, bartending and waitressing, and adjusting to this life. That was when most of what I had known kind of got turned on its head. I met my now husband, and life took another turn. He was your typical farm kid. Grew up with animals, working hard, and playing hard. He could be a little overwhelming. We had a lot of differing opinions, a lot of head butting stubbornness, and while our ideals were similar...we had a lot of excess baggage that played into our relationship for several years. We moved in together the end of 98, but being a town kid did not prepare me for the life I was about to embark on. I had always lived outside of town, but living in rural America, is a whole other world within itself. You don't realize how many different life styles there are within one country, until you experience it. So, we moved from a town to rural Missouri, and my forced growth began.
This area is a lower income area. Wages and jobs are not as prevalent as they are in larger areas. So you learn to live within your means, as much as possible. Our early years of marriage, were tough! Finances were super tight, we were 2 very different people trying to co-exist, then a year in we had our oldest child, and that brought in more struggles. Differing beliefs about raising our child ended with me being a stay-at-home mom for most of my oldest childs life. Once I became a stay-at-home mom, that's when my homestead lifestyle began. I learned to garden, I learned to preserve our foods, I have learned to budget on a shoestring, make something out of nothing, and I taught myself to survive. My husband grew up hunting, fishing, farming, working with livestock and living in the middle of nowhere. I did not! So, for me, it got lonely and I got bored...often! Basically, even though I was raising a child, I had too much time on my hands, that I was not accustomed to. It was during that time, that my love of learning really hit.
So, 22 years into my marriage and 23 years in rural America, here is my "why."
In 2001, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. It was caught early, but it scares the tar out of you when you hear that word. As I said earlier, I had plenty of time to research and learn, so I studied every possible thing I could get my hands on about cancer, about cures, about holistic cures, and diet. Honestly, one thing led to another, and I have not stopped learning to this day. After my surgery, medications and subsequent illnesses, I knew that there had to be a better way. I learned that our diets and lifestyles have played a huge role in our increasing illnesses. I began studying known carcinogens. Of which, there are so many in our food supplies! My oldest child had some allergies, but not horrible, but mine were awful. My husband had grown up with homegrown food, fresh meat that they raised, and mostly cleaner life than I did. However, I did not, and learning about that side of things was difficult for me. I honestly fought this life for many years. Anyway, I learned the importance of adding back into our diets the nutrients that were missing or removed from processed foods, fast food and bleached foods. I learned to garden, to can or freeze foods, how to fertilize without chemicals, and eventually I began learning how to raise animals. Through all of this, I kept learning. The more I learned the more I wanted to learn, and the more I wanted to get my family onto a better diet. Our financial status has always been tight. We learned early to make due with one income. While growing a garden can produce enough to help with your over all food budget, the initial investment is anything but cheap. We invested, and then invested even more on canning supplies and invested time to enhance our gardens. When I first began gardening and canning, I had help learning from my husband's grandmothers. One even told me, when we were first married, that I had better learn to take care of him like he was used to be caring for, or I would never last. She turned out to be one of my best teachers, and one that showed me so many options. I truly miss her!!
My "why" has so many aspects to it. I have learned, grown and expanded my own mind. Some out of necessity, and some out of sheer desire. Needing the extra food was a big driving force, but needing quality food without chemicals, became my life goal. After learning to read labels, and recognize all the chemicals lurking in our foods...we began growing our homesteading lifestyle. There is so much crap in the foods we purchase. Not to mention the lack of vital vitamins, minerals and nutrients. So, as learn I learned more, we expanded more. First we gardened, then we added chickens, and then we kind of stalled out for a few years. My own allergies improved some with changing our diets, and that made me wonder how much they would change with a complete switch. In 2008, I began a course in Natural Health Consulting. I ended up graduating in April 2009 with honors, and a few holistic contacts. During that course, I learned the different types of holistic medicine; there are several. We got a small course in each of the practices, and my love of learning exploded. I wanted to learn so much. So, I have continued to learn about holistic medicine. I learned about each of the practices, and that lead to learning about Mind, Body, Spirit connections. These connections opened my eyes to the metaphysical world. This was truly my hardest lessons to understand. It is more difficult to understand things that aren't tangible or to some degree even accepted by many. Once I began learning it, it became more apparent that there is still so much to learn!
10 years ago, we moved to our little farm. We have added cows, sheep, goats, chickens and ducks. Even though we spent a couple years away from the farm, I have learned that diet is definitely something of importance when you are trying to heal illnesses. Taking a couple years away from our farm, eating more store bought food and less homegrown food, my allergies have increased ten fold. We are on track to be back to our normal lives; fresh grown foods, farm raised meats, and growing or raising at least, 90% of our foods this year.
As I continue to learn and grow from gardening, canning, livestock producing, herb growing and use, and how to add nutrients to our food supply...I have to say, this is my why. To make sure my family has the best possible food supply, know how to use herbs and spices to heal, and to be self-sufficient if need be. It can be hard, and when it's cold/rainy/stormy...it really makes you question your decisions, or when you are forced to stay home because your chores are necessary in the morning and at night, when you may have weeks or months when you don't see or talk to anyone that doesn't live in your house.
Rural lifestyles aren't for everyone. It takes a lot resolve to keep going when nothing seems to go right. It takes dedication to your goals even when others don't accept or understand them. For me, it has become one of the most rewarding lifestyles I could have made. It's a lot of work, it can be frustrating, but the fruits of your efforts are beyond rewarding.
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