The year was 2017----having had my soul crushed by the Washington, DC lifestyle, I returned to my roots in Northeast Ohio. I bought 13 acres with no plan. That plan quickly became what I affectionately called "The Half-assed Homestead." It was never supposed to be like this. There was not supposed to be a bunch of cows, pigs, goats, sheep, turkeys, meat chickens, layers, and horses. I wasn't supposed to be putting up a maple operation. And I REALLY never thought the woman I would end up marrying would be making Calendula salve in the kitchen. But that's homesteading. It starts quietly and ends up in a full-on roar!
The freedom that one feels when you raise your own food. The security of having cans on the shelf with your favorite recipes inside. Its learning to do those things that in two generations have been completely lost, and have left our society WHOLLY reliant on big business. Did I mention in any of this that its fun.....some days its fun in the same way that running a marathon is fun, but it is (on balance) fun.
So here we are, Dawn and I---putting on a Homesteading Summit. Sharing our passion and what little wisdom we have. Bringing in friends, peers and colleagues that know this stuff inside and out. Creating an environment for others who share this passion to get together for two days of learning, growing, and collaborating. For everyone the motivation is different---for some its the adventure, others like the security. Heck, some of you may just be coming to the Summit to satisfy the curiosity of "what is this homestead world like?!?"
The bottom line is that this movement is not reversing. It is doing quite the opposite. Whether you've tapped a maple tree or not. Whether you have a green thumb or a black thumb, and whether canning scares the crap out of you or you're a "rebel" canner, there is a place for you at the Summit. There is something to learn, memories to be created, and friendships to be forged.
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