This Home on the Range series celebrates all kinds of homesteaders, from urban rooftop gardeners to rural ranches and farms, from beekeepers to goat herders, from container gardeners to egg gatherers. Come and visit with us today.
This week’s feature is from Jason and Lianna Bindel from Bindel Farms. Check out their blog at www.bindelfarm.webs.com. Here is a short synopsis about their motivations and goals exactly as told to me.
What led you to become a traditional, urban or suburban homesteader?
It all started when I bought a farm about 6 years ago. I started with a small flock of 22 laying hens, a couple of turkeys and 4 pigs. The goal was to live off the land and provide food that was safe, healthy, and more nutritious for my family.
What do you love about your homestead?
Everything! I love that it is in the beautiful countryside and on a quiet road. It is wonderful to look out the window and see exactly where your food comes from and know how it is being raised.
What would you change?
My ultimate goal is to have the farm be self sufficient and able to pay for all the bills without having to work a job off of the farm.
What new skills have you learned and how have you applied them?
I have learned how to raise animals in particular poultry, pigs, and cows. I also learned to can and preserve food and grow vegetables. One thing I definitely had to learn was how to process and butcher poultry.
What skills would you like to learn?
There are so many new skills I would like to learn that I can’t mention them all here. If I had to mention a few, they would be to learn how to raise goats, lambs, and saving seeds.
What animals or plants do you have?
On our farm, we have heritage chickens, Tamworth pigs, cows, and turkeys. We grow a large variety of heirloom vegetables.
What makes you happy with your life as a homesteader?
Providing the best food possible and providing it in a responsible and sustainable way which is also good for the land.
That is very admirable. Here are some of their great photos!
Bourbon Red Hen brooding her eggs
What a great mom she is!
Jason and Lianna Bindel
Bindel Farms — Jason and Lianna — you should be very proud of the work you are doing!
Barred Plymouth Rock chickens on pasture
These girls are beauties!
Jersey steer
He looks ready to rock and roll!
Tamworth piglets
Chow time!
Tamworth sow days before giving birth
Wow. She is large!
Happy animals
These animals look very healthy and happy, as it should be. Thank you Jason and Lianna. Folks check out their website — they offer pastured meat, eggs and organically grown vegetables.
What is a Real Food Homesteader?
A Real Food Homesteader is someone who cares about the earth, the soil and the animals that give us food. You don’t have to have acres of prairie land to be a homesteader. You can be an urban or suburban homesteader with a tiny plot of land, a rooftop garden in a city, or a community garden. You could also be a more traditional homesteader who is concerned about organic, sustainable methods of farming or gardening, who supports pasture raised animals.
Real Food Homesteaders don’t use genetically modified seeds. They don’t use poisons on the plants and soil. They don’t feed poisoned grains to their animals.
They cook traditionally with raw dairy from grassfed animals and eggs from chickens on pasture. They shun processed vegetable oils like margarine and other processed foods. They try to buy as little packaged food as possible — growing and preserving their own instead.
Are you a person like this? Do you have an urban, suburban or rural homestead? Please share it with us.
Here are the questions:
- What led you to become a traditional, urban or suburban homesteader?
- What do you love about your homestead?
- What would you change?
- What new skills have you learned and how have you applied them?
- What skills would you like to learn?
- What animals or plants do you have?
- What makes you happy with your life as a homesteader?
Send your answers to Jill at Real Food Forager dot com and 5 – 6 of your best photos sized 450 – 550 with captions.
Previous Featured Homesteads
The next could be yours!
This post is shared at: Fresh Bites Friday, Country Hop, Fight Back Friday, LHITS, Seasonal Celebration, Monday Mania, Barnyard Hop, Traditional Tuesday, Hearth & Soul Hop, Sustainable Ways, Real Food Wednesday, Mommy Club, Whole Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday
