Homesteading

(This page will be added and your suggestions are welcome!)

Homesteading has been on our hearts for many many years, it is finally coming to pass at the time of this writing (2010) this is our first year on Shalom Farm.  Now it is time to put all that "book learnin'" into action.  We hope to post about those these as time goes on.  In the mean time we wanted to share reasources that have shaped how we do things on our farm.  We think they are worth sharing.


Why do we homestead?  YHVH has put a vision in us to provide a place for His people to gather.  There are many reason why we homestead. Here are a few:


1.  To provide our family with wholesome nutirant dense life giving whole foods, that are grown and raised responsibly, sustainably and naturally without chemicals, and genetically modified elements.  We wanted to get back to the way YHVH designed food to be and get as far away as possible from the man made conterfiet of food which is all around us.


2.  To slow the pace of our lives down and simplify things down to that which matters:  YHVH, The Word, Our Family, The Extended Family if YHVH, Food and Honest Work as we learning to help and serve others.


3.  To prepare a place for others in YHVH's family, as a place of gathering, worship, learning, and serving others.  A place for workers in the Kingdom to rest and serve.


4.  To lessen our dependancy on outside income (outside employer), to generate our own livelyhood again, which will free us to serve more freely as a lifestyle, and aid other families in doing the same.


Elliot Coleman- Has introduced us to the concept of Four Season Farming.  By using cold frames and learning to eat seasonally, you can have fresh produce year round!


Square Foot Gardening  I was so gald I didn;t have to unlearn gardening skills!  I learned it from Mel and I am so glad I did!


Straw Bale Gardening Links:  When we moved on the farm, we quickly realized our soild was very rocky...Great land for grazing, but back breaking for gardening...so we serched and discovered there is a better way!  We have lots of hay and straw growing in our pastures...in addition to letting our (future) animals graze it we will use it to plant our garden in!  Use what you got!  It is the Homesteaders way!
No Dig Vegetable Garden

Straw Bale Gardens


Homestead-Blessing Series  I had the pleasure of meeting the West girls at a wedding a couple years back.  They were excited about this new video series they were in the process of making with Franklin Springs.  It is a wonderful collection of videos, especially if for homeschooling and learning together.  It like you are right there in their home learning from them.  I highly recommend it.  They ladies are the real deal, they genuinely love YHVH and live in rurel TN.


Joel Saliton Has written many books on sustainable farming using  grass to feed your animals and rotating their grazing...Its good stuff!


Jo Robinson  Our organic Amish farmers back on PA turned us onto Jo's books and ways.  We were so blessed that they did, because it was instramental in shapeing how we chose our farmers for our food sources and eventually would choose to farm ourselves in regards to meat (livestock), dairy and eggs.

Storey Publishers  This is one of my favorite published for homesteading style books!

Mother Earth News  A great resource for all things homestead.  I have resources them for 20 yrs!

Back 40 Books A great place to get amazing books.

GNOWFGLINS  OK...After you get over the funny name, you will see this is an AMAZING resource!  It a series of multimedia online courses to help you prepare food traditionally.  There is a forum and all kinds of support.  It is wonderful! 

Canning Inspiration and Resources:
American Home Canning
Canning Basics
Simply Canning
Putting By
Food In Jars
Canning Across America
Tigress in a Jam & Tigress in a Pickle
Canning Jars Etc.
Consider the Pantry
Saving The Season
Doris and Jilly