Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Homesteading Where You Are Series-Intro


Welcome to our new Series
Homesteading Where You Are.


Our 7-part series will be appearing each Wednesday. 


the suburban homestead


I'm daisy.  
I currently live in the suburbs of Central Florida.
How does a suburbanite homestead, you might ask?
Well, we can't have livestock, a huge garden or use a tractor,
but we have our own method of pushing the boundaries of home and hearth.


home-grown snap peas



For one thing, we grow what we can in our small garden plot.
I'm a newbie gardener, but practice makes progress!
Along with growing some of our table stuffs,
we support our local farmers by purchasing their goodies each week.
If you've read our Farm School posts,
you know that last year we discovered a farmer who grows his crops
pesticide-free. 
We started buying much of our produce from he & his lovely wife,
and now they are dear friends who welcome me each weekend to learn their craft.

homemade lotion


Another aspect to homesteading that we've made progress on in the past few years,
is relying less on commercial sources for items used in the home.
For instance, we make our own cleaning products like detergent, glass cleaner,
hair products, even sugar wax.
It feels good knowing that we don't need to shop for many of these everyday items
and we are assured that we are using safe, earth-friendly products.


ratatouille


Scratch cooking is a big part of the homesteading lifestyle.
We use basic ingredients in simple recipes,
and adapt them to the various preferences and sensitivities in our family.
It's real food enjoyed daily.


Our homesteading journey will soon be taking a big leap.
With the house on the market,
we'll be heading north and looking for a more rural setting.
Until then, we do what we can to make the homesteading lifestyle a daily mindset.
The dream is movin' right along...

For additional great homesteading ideas, visit these other bloggers posting to this series:
*Jackie, at Born Imaginative, grew up as an avid 4-Her, on a 50 acre hobby farm, with parents who pursued a homesteading life. Now, with a husband and two small children of her own, she is bringing an 1880s farmhouse/30acre farm back to life in Southern Coastal Maine.

*Mary, at Homegrown on the Hill, lives in Southwestern Ohio with her family on a 5 acre homestead. Their goal is to be as self sufficient as possible. In helping with this goal, they raise a big garden and keep chickens, rabbits, and cattle for food.

*Staci, at Life At Cobble Hill Farm, was bitten by the homestead bug in 2006 and although she began her homesteading ventures in a rented condo, is now homesteading on less than an acre in Upstate NY.

*Sue, at The Little Acre that Could, shares her body with an auto-immune disease, and life with her husband. They live in a once-working Victorian farm cottage now bordered by a modern subdivision. She has dreamed of homesteading as long as she can remember and continues to strive toward that goal in rural Atlantic Canada.


Five bloggers, 7 weeks,
Big Ideas!
Join us every Wednesday!



barnhopimage



Simple Saturdays Blog Hop





16 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos and post! It's been so much fun watching all you do in your suburban homestead and I can't wait until you get your next homestead to see what comes next. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Homesteading and the homesteading arts are not about where you live, but how you live. Blessings from my homestead in Ringle, Wisconsin.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are spot on! Thanks for the blessings. They are always welcome here!

      Delete
  3. This is a wonderful introduction to the new series! I so looking forward to getting to know you even better. You have a beautiful home so I'm sure the decision to move wasn't taken lightly. Can't wait to see what else you have in store for us over the next few weeks.

    {Oh, my! Sugar wax? I followed your link. :-) Ouch!!}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's wonderful hearing about everyone's various perspectives.

      It really doesn't hurt-too much.

      Delete
  4. I love the pictures!! I also love the saying "practice makes progress!" I say that a lot with my children when trying to teach them patience and not to give up. I can't wait to see what else you do on a more urban setting than what I'm used to. It's so interesting!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We hope to have at least as much property as you do. Thanks for all of your support!

      Delete
  5. I hope you are able to find a new home soon with lots of land! You've done amazing things where you are now and I can't wait to see what you'd be able to do with lots of land :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We're lookin' forward to it! Thanks for stopping by, Tammy.

      Delete
  6. Excited, excited, excited to read all of the upcoming posts!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aren't they just a wonderful group of ladies? ;0D

      Delete
  7. Whether you are in FL and doing what you can on the small plot/with friends or on a huge farm in NC, your energy is inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, friend. I always look forward to reading your posts.

      Delete
  8. Awesome post! I found you through the Homestead Barn Hop! I am also an urban/suburban homesteader who doesn't have a farm or a ton of land (actually, or lot is tiny!) but we still do much of what you list above and also consider ourselves homesteaders. So glad to have found your blog! It will be exciting to follow your journey! :)

    Love,
    Cara
    http://therandazzofamily.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome Cara! Good to know there are other folks out there like us keeping the homestead fires burning. So glad you're here.

      Delete

Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts!