The Land they Belong to is Grand: Homesteading in OK
Depending on your background you may have only known city life. This post is all about sharing what Trevor and Elizabeth, who so happen to be my brother and sister-in-law, do on their spot-of-earth; a homestead in Oklahoma.
They have a growing farm with bees, Shetland sheep, Mini Alpine goats, and a garden. They’re also building a new passive solar style home (more on this in a future post).
Elizabeth has an interest in permaculture farming which Webster’s defines as “an agricultural system or method that seeks to integrate human activity with natural surroundings so as to create highly efficient self-sustaining ecosystems.” This is all while raising their two daughters, Penelope and Heidi.
The beauty and simplicity of this type of life also come with a lot of work and responsibility. Caring for animals, keeping them fed and protected, maintaining the fences and sheds, and ensuring they have clean unfrozen water isn’t for the faint of heart.
#SheepLife
The sheep are Shetland breed. They are beautiful to look at and watching them scamper around automatically makes me think of times long ago.
Her face changes colors with the seasons. How cool is that?
From Shearing to Sweaters
Nothing goes to waste on the homestead, not even the wool. First, you shear the sheep. Then you sort the wool into piles of different length or coarseness. Next, wash it. Elizabeth said there is an unreal amount of dirt and grime that come out of the wool. R
After that, you comb or card. Next comes the spinning. There are hand spindles online. After you ply the wool then finally, you get to knit. So much work for one sweater, right? As far as dying the wool, it is preferred to keep the color natural with the natural colored sheep (like Lavender, pictured above). Although, Shetland sheep also come in a white color that is perfect for dying.
Goats for the Win
The goats are dairy goats. If all these photos of cute mini animals are getting you ready to dive into your own backyard farm, Elizabeth recommends Fias Co Farms or videos from Weed’em and Reap for information on dairy goats.
Chickens
Trevor and Elizabeth previously had chickens, but they were getting old and less productive. They were helpful in keeping pests out of the garden and providing natural fertilizer. Currently, they are taking a break from coop life.
Oh How Sweet the Bees
Yes, they even have bees that feed off wildflowers. I spoke to Elizabeth about bees for any of you that are interested in taking this task.
Her advice was to join a Bee Keepers group on Facebook before you get bees and learn as much as you can. Know that it’s a 2-year commitment until you have honey to enjoy. Also, it may be possible to borrow a honey extractor from a local beekeepers club once you have honey to extract otherwise it will cost around $400.
Grow what you Love
When choosing what to grow, Elizabeth likes to think about which vegetables are more expensive or rare and those are the things she likes to grow. A few of her favorites are okra and kohlrabi. Their oldest daughter Penelope likes ground cherries.
Growing your own vegetables makes you feel connected to the food you eat and in turn connects you to past traditions, experiences, and lifestyles. If
When walking in the tall golden grass and making footprints in the Oklahoma red dirt you can’t help but think about all that has happened on that ground in the past. What crops were grown there? What people lived there? What animals fed from the vegetation?
Elizabeth mentioned how farming connects them to the past, like a connection to their ancestors. To be able to participate in daily tasks that our ancestors had to do for survival is meaningful in so many ways. I imagine it was a simpler and quieter life back then, but again I’ve heard there’s no such thing as a simple life.
On having a farm, Elizabeth shared that it’s easy to get too eager and get in over your head. They are constantly trying new things or reworking the things they currently have going. I can only imagine all of the time, effort, and finances it takes to keep this place running. They have learned a lot over the years and keep striving to care for and make this plot of land their own.
Keep on the lookout for an upcoming post about the concrete home Trevor and Elizabeth are building. Plus, check out Gooseberry’s baby goat that was born a few days ago.
Have you ever dreamed of homesteading? How about just having a few chickens in your backyard? I’d love to hear all about it.
You may also be interested in Trevor and Elizabeth’s Passive Solar Concrete home as it was being built. Also, here is a home tour of the completed home.
If you purchase from a link on this blog a small percentage of the sale may come back to me. You are never charged more for the product. It’s a way to keep this site going and I’m very selective about the things I list. It’s mostly things we already own and love or things I think you would enjoy. Thank you for reading it means so much to me!
7 thoughts on “The Land they Belong to is Grand: Homesteading in OK”
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Loved reading about homesteading… so much work, but so I bet so rewarding as well.
Yes, a ton of work but they totally love it. Never a dull moment, always something new happening around the farm. Recently they were surprised with a set of twin lambs!