What Is Steel Raven Farms?
To put it simply, Steel Raven Farms is my farm…. Well, Jared and my farm. It’s a legacy that we are leaving for our kids, grandkids and anyone that we can touch. What started out as a day dream has turned into this huge thing that I am so incredibly proud of. But to start, let me show you my farm.
The Ultimate Homesteader’s Starter Bundle – Only $47!
Get the tools you need to stay organized, track profits, and manage your homestead with ease!
Includes:
✅ Schedule F Tracker – Simplify tax prep
✅ Profit Calculator – Track earnings
✅ Hay Calculator – Plan livestock feed
✅ Garden Journal – Digital & printable
✅ Herd Health Tracker – Monitor animal care
✅ Simple Budget – Manage finances
✅ Backyard Homestead eBook – Essential tips
$99 value – now just $47! Start your homesteading journey today!
How Steel Raven Farms Was Born
There was a really long time where I wanted something that I just couldn’t name. I had this yearning for something different than the standard American dream. I didn’t want the white picket fence in suburbia. I didn’t want a perfectly manicured lawn. And I didn’t want the perfect house with the perfect kids. That’s not even close to who I am. But I couldn’t put my finger on the THING that was missing.
City Kids Turned Rural Adults
Jared and I grew up as city kids and moved a LOT. We always lived in suburbia in various houses and apartments. When we got married at the ripe old age of 18 and 19, we continued on that path.
I’ve always loved planting things and I’ve always tried to grow a garden. But with constant moves, it was damn near impossible. Then I said screw it and planted a small garden in my front yard of our on post house on Fort Hood. I grew and harvested my first carrot and some potatoes and I was HOOKED.
When we bought our first house in Texas, I planted our first “real” garden and I absolutely feel in love! I started trying to figure out how we could do more of it. But we were stuck in the middle of this tiny town and couldn’t move.
After a move back to Georgia, and a couple more moves, we finally landed on our slice of heaven in Habersham County, GA in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Searching For Peace
Throughout my life, I kept searching for this thing. Like I said above, I just couldn’t put my finger on whatever it was that I couldn’t find. The closest I ever came was the various gardens I planted. But I never put two and two together until we moved here.
Jared and I haven’t always had the relationship we have now. I’ve realized over the last 5 years, that we were both searching for this THING and we were making each other miserable.
When we moved to our property and took our first real breath, we discovered what this THING was, we had finally found peace.
Steel Raven Farms Was Born
When we were preparing to buy this property, we started doing a ton of research. What did we want to do with this property? We knew we wanted to grow our own food and raise as much of our meat as possible. But what else?
Then as we were getting ready to close on the property, I decided the farm needed a name. Something that we could call it that gave it an identity and make it ours.
So I got on Google and started looking at various symbols, mythology, and pagan held beliefs.
We chose Steel because it is hard, rigid, and stubborn. But it also means strength, purpose, and honor.
We chose Ravens as a nod to our heritage but also because ravens are inquisitive, intelligent, mate for life. There is also a ton of symbolism behind them like ancient wisdom, partnerships, adaptability, and transitions.
We chose Farms because at the end of the day, we are working towards retirement with the farm being our income source. I talked here about the difference between a homestead and farming. There wasn’t much mystical or symbolic about that one I’m afraid.
Where Steel Raven Farms Is Going
I always have a plan and where my farm is going is no different. The end goal of Steel Raven Farms is a legacy for our family. But there are so many parts and pieces to get there. We must maintain our peace while also pushing the needle to the end goal. We have this huge goal of growing 75% of our and our animal’s food on farm. But mostly? We want a place that is full of learning.
Pushing The Needle, While Maintaining Peace
I think the most important thing I have learned since starting the farm, was realizing that it is okay to push the needle hard but also be able to back off and enjoy peace. In my podcast about Struggling With Overwhelm, I talked about the internal struggle that most millennials have. We were taught that we can’t play until our chores, homework, etc were done. But that creates an environment were, as adults, we can’t relax because there’s so much to do!
I have discovered that by creating time within my day to relax and take time for myself, I am able to push that needle. All while avoiding burnout and risking my peace.
What that looks like for Steel Raven Farms, is growing bigger gardens without forcing the land to give what it’s not ready for. It includes setting up infrastructure to allow for scaling up but not requiring it. Or allowing myself a hobby that has nothing to do with the farm.
Setting Goals But Being Okay With Not Hitting Them
One thing that some homesteaders don’t realize until it’s too late, is that Mother Nature is on her own time. Sure, we can adjust that time but installing greenhouses or high tunnels. But she has the final say when it comes to nature. A freak storm can take out your garden, or a parasite infestation takes out your goats. That means that for us, we have to be willing and able to say let’s try again next year.
Or it means, changing goals. It’s okay to think you want to raise chickens for egg production, only to realize that they may not be worth the damage they do. So you decide to get ducks instead. That’s okay!
Creating An Environment For Learning
I believe, fully and completely, that you should always be learning something. It doesn’t matter if it is a new way of cooking, hobby, or skill. You should always learn something new. We also wanted to create an environment were our boys were able to be curious, where they could move and be outside.
I believe, and time will tell, that we have created an environment where they can learn and make mistakes in the safety of this property. There are no tests here. Life will be their test, this farm can be their practice. And if I’m being totally honest, it’s our place to practice too.
We have colossally screwed up multiple times, trying to figure out the best way to do things. And that’s okay! The first time we raised and butchered pigs ended up being a complete loss. The first time brooding turkeys wasn’t any better. But that’s okay too. We are learning.
We Are Steel Raven Farms
And we are creating a legacy, environment for learning and a sanctuary for peace.
If you like this post, feel free to share it and follow us below on our social media accounts!
The End Of A Season (2023 Review)
/
RSS Feed
2023 was a hard year for us on Steel Raven Farms. There were a lot of things that went wrong, but there were a lot of things that went right too!
-> We welcomed 2 new additions to our herd
-> We learned that raised beds work better for us
-> We are all healthy and relatively happy
-> My mental health is a TON better
Sometimes as homesteaders you have to learn when to step back and punt. 2023 was the year that we learned exactly what that means.
Sign up for our newsletter: Steel Raven Farms Newsletter https://steel-raven-farms-llc.ck.page/7edda2c83c
Find our blog here: www.steelravenfarms.com
Homepage
Our Patreon here: Steel Raven Farms Patreon
http://patreon.com/SteelRavenFarms
Follow us on Instagram: Steel Raven Farms Instagram
https://instagram.com/steelravenfarms
Shop our Amazon Store: Steel Raven Farms Amazon Store https://www.amazon.com/shop/steelravenfarms?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfsteelravenfarms_B4R4P43DQDYW5BTRMSRA
Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPCZe-TWXhVSEZ4iR_1o5Yw
The Importance Of Journaling
If you are not a writer, you don’t like journaling, or any variation, I can totally understand…. Sorta, I am a writer, so for me words are life. But I want to talk to you about the importance of journaling, why you should at least have it as an option and some tips and tricks for you to get started and KEEP GOING with your journals.
Are you getting overwhelmed in the garden? Stressed? Or just not enjoying the garden like you used to? Check out our garden prompts! We send out weekly emails that get you back in the garden and out of your head! Turn the garden back into a place of love and joy instead of frustration and headache!
Importance Of Journaling
I cannot stress the importance of journaling to you any more than this: when I am at my lowest, my journals have saved me. This is both literal and figurative. I have always been a writer. My first love was books, a note pad, and pen and to this day, that really hasn’t changed. I have books and notebooks all over the house. Some notebooks have been written in, and others are just pretty. I have a favorite pen and a favorite brand (shout out to G2!).
And 100% of my books have at least flipped through….
That’s a lot of books. But I say all of this to say, journaling has saved my sanity, money and relationships. It has also given me a chance to be introspective and change habits I didn’t realize were hurting me or others. That is why journaling is so important.
How Journaling Has Saved Me
I didn’t have the best childhood growing up. But I had people who loved me and that was enough. My family are also huge readers, so the love of books came naturally. I remember sitting and reading on the couch for hours with my mom or aunt.
But I also loved to write. It didn’t matter if it was stories, journaling, or just making lists. I love/d watching that pen meet paper and see what was in my brain come out on paper.
The action of writing has helped pull me out of some dark places. Not necessarily because I was writing what I was feeling, but because it gives my brain a chance to rest while focusing on something else. It allows me to be present in a way that therapy just doesn’t do.
People who work with their hands are usually happier and more at peace than those who don’t. This is one of the better articles that I have found on the topic. There’s a great book that was mentioned in the article that I purchased and read and it has really helped because it put into words what I knew and what was working.
How Journaling Has Saved Me Money
While it may seem ridiculous because of the amount of money I have spent on journals, pens and books, journaling has helped me save a ton of money. I have homestead journals, garden journals, story journals, and, of course, my mental health journals. I pick up bullet journals when I like the patterns or colors. The link is currently my favorite sets. There’s also these really cool stencils that I LOVE!
Barnes and Noble and Books A Million are the worse places to take a bookworm who has access to the bank cards!
But journaling has saved me a ton of money because I am able to look back at my notes and see what we have done, what worked, what didn’t and make decisions based on that information. To give you a screaming example is the chickens.
I have spent thousands of dollars on poultry, which is ridiculous because they come from the hatchery at less than $5 each! In the four years that we have bought chickens, ducks and turkeys, we have spent close to $1500. That’s about 400 chickens, 50 ducks, and 25 turkeys, roughly. That doesn’t count the amount of money we have spent on feed, waterers, feeders, housing, fencing, etc.
I can tell you right now, we do not have that many creatures! We have butchered about 100 of those animals. The rest have died, wandered off, a predator took them, or some other thing. That is freaking insane.
But because I have my journals, I know exactly what I’ve spent, what we have done for predators, brooding, and other things to try and keep them alive. A couple of bullet journals at $10/each vs several thousand dollars in poultry? Yea, it’s saved me a ton of money.
How Journaling Has Saved My Relationships
My mental health hasn’t always been the greatest. Again, a not so great childhood, mixed with a really hard 20’s, and a career that takes WAY more than it gives back? It’s a recipe for disaster. But because I journal, I am able to look at times that are troubling and what I was writing about. Then I can start making changes because I can SEE the issues. Even if it’s at a later date.
It’s kind of like seeing your Facebook memories from like 10 or 15 years ago and you just cringe. Yea, that’s how journaling is! You can look back at that argument, or what you were feeling and go…. yea maybe you were in a bad place.
Because of this level of self reflection, you get the opportunity to be better. You get to make changes because you see what is “wrong” and can make it right without anyone telling you otherwise.
How Journaling Has Saved My Gardens
Y’all, I have about 10 years of garden journals. Each one starts on January 1 and ends on December 31st. Some of those journals don’t have much in them. Others take up multiple books. But they have saved my gardens. Because I can look at those journals and see how far I’ve come as a gardener. I can see all the varieties I’ve tried and which ones I really like, hated or just didn’t do well for me.
I can see my interventions for disease or pests. I can see what worked!
But the coolest part of my garden journals isn’t the day to day planning, planting, harvesting, etc. It’s actually the pure joy that comes through those pages. I can see the transition from the bad day to the pure excitement of finding honey bees in my gardens. I can see my crappy drawings of my first ever rose. Or the pressed sweet pea flower.
How To Start Journaling
Now that I’ve given you all my reasons about the importance of journaling. I want to talk to you about how to start your journaling journey. First and foremost, if typing out your journal is all you can do, then by all means, do you boo boo.
But if you are looking for healing affects, serotonin release and lowering of cortisol, get yourself a couple of journals that you like, a good pen and get to work.
Tips And Tricks
Intentions– When I am starting a new journal, I fill out the first page with my intentions for the journal. For example, in my garden journal, the very first page is for that year’s goals, intentions and plans. Technically, it takes up several pages and that’s ok.
Set A Timer– Well, first set an alarm specifically for journaling time and then set a timer. You only need about 10-15 minutes to journal. Sure, you can absolutely go longer, but when you are just starting out, 10-15 minutes is plenty of time.
Pick A Topic– Don’t set an unrealistic expectation that you are going to have a journal for every possible topic. Just pick one thing that you want to work on; gardens, mindfulness, frustrations, etc. Literally, anything can be a topic. Don’t worry about how “good” it is.
Don’t Sweat It– If you don’t journal today, that’s okay. Hit it tomorrow. If you only have 10 minutes while you sit with your coffee? Nail it. But if you can’t today, that’s okay too. We aren’t getting down on ourselves for not doing this. BUT don’t be so laid back that you forget to journal either.
The Hard Thing– One of the things that I think people need to understand is that you don’t have to write about a topic forever. There can be an end. I have found that when I write out something that is bothering me, I can release it easier. I have a couple journals that collect dust that are simply me writing about that hard thing or things that have been taking up WAY too much space in my brain. I don’t have to write about it for weeks or months. I let that stress vent by writing and then let it go. If that venting didn’t work, then I write about it again and again until whatever that hard thing is has passed.
Writers Block– If you have never journaled, maybe you don’t have anything pressing that you WANT to write about, or in my case, I’m not ready to write about that particular hard thing, pick a prompt service. This is not a plug for my journal prompts, but there are literally hundreds of services out there that have a variety of topics that you can journal with. I’ve got a garden journal prompt that is a monthly service that sends you weekly emails for topics you can write about. <—– THAT is the plug for my garden journal.
Subjects For Journaling
There are millions of things that you can write about to start your journaling journey. My favorites are:
- Fitness
- Healthy eating
- Cooking
- Dealing with emotions
- Healing from injury
- Stress management
- Mindfulness
- Trauma healing
- Depression
- Anxiety
- That THING you don’t want to talk about
- Garden
- Homesteading
- Chickens
- Goats
- Tomato diaries
- Project journals
This list isn’t an end all, be all. You can journal about whatever you want, but these are some great topics to get you started if you don’t have any in mind.
The Importance Of Journaling
I hope I have covered all of the reasons that you should at lease consider journaling. Also, I hope I’ve given you some tips and tricks that are worth exploring. But mostly? I hope that whatever you decide to journal about, it heals you.
If you like this post, feel free to share it and follow us below on our social media accounts!
Homesteading Journal Prompts
I am looking for beta testers for my new homestead journal prompts and would LOVE your help.
I am looking for about 10 testers who are homesteaders that have livestock, gardens, and other responsibilities that are looking to either start journaling or have been journaling for a while. I am offering these prompts for free, BUT there is a catch.
Each week I will send you 3 emails. The first will be the prompts for the week. The second will be a reminder and feedback. The third will be all feedback.
You MUST be willing to offer feedback in exchange for these emails.
If you are interested, please fill out the sign up form below!
What Is Emergency Preparedness
/
RSS Feed
Hey Guys! It’s Leigh with Steel Raven Farms! On this podcast, we talk about all the trial and error, successes and wins on the homestead. We have been homesteading for the last several years and I have been a gardener and canner for over a decade. But as always, I am still learning and I want to take you along with me on that journey.
Think of me as your partner in crime, co-chaos creator, ear to listen, and never, ever the voice of reason.
Today, we are talking about emergency preparedness and what you can do to get started gathering supplies.
Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here: Steel Raven Farms Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter: Steel Raven Farms Newsletter https://steel-raven-farms-llc.ck.page/7edda2c83c
Find our blog here: www.steelravenfarms.com
Our Patreon here: Steel Raven Farms Patreon
http://patreon.com/SteelRavenFarms
Follow us on Instagram: Steel Raven Farms Instagram
https://instagram.com/steelravenfarms
Shop our Amazon Store: Steel Raven Farms Amazon Store https://www.amazon.com/shop/steelravenfarms?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfsteelravenfarms_B4R4P43DQDYW5BTRMSRA
Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPCZe-TWXhVSEZ4iR_1o5Yw
Homesteading: A Day In The Life
/
RSS Feed
Hey Guys! It's Leigh with Steel Raven Farms! Today I wanted to talk to you about what a day in the life of this homesteader. I want to mention that every single homestead is going to look different! It could be because you or your partner work full time. It could be because you don't have livestock or your animals are different than mine.
If you are in the research phase, I want you to remember that homesteading is a very individual thing. Sure, you can have similarities between farms, but the reality is that every single homestead is going to look different because every person is different.
Garden Prompts:
Subscription: https://steelravenfarms.thrivecart.com/garden-prompts/
365 Days Of Garden Prompts: https://steelravenfarms.thrivecart.com/365-garden-journal-prompts/
Sign up for our newsletter: Steel Raven Farms Newsletter https://steel-raven-farms-llc.ck.page/7edda2c83c
Find our blog here: www.steelravenfarms.com
Our Patreon here: Steel Raven Farms Patreon
http://patreon.com/SteelRavenFarms
Follow us on Instagram: Steel Raven Farms Instagram
https://instagram.com/steelravenfarms
Shop our Amazon Store: Steel Raven Farms Amazon Store https://www.amazon.com/shop/steelravenfarms?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfsteelravenfarms_B4R4P43DQDYW5BTRMSRA
Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPCZe-TWXhVSEZ4iR_1o5Yw
How To Start A Homestead
I can’t and won’t tell you how to start a homestead. Each homesteader is going to have different ideas, wants, desires, goals, etc. So to give you a step by step guide is pretty pointless. But what I am going to do, is tell you how I would have done it when we started. I am going to give you the tips and tricks I wish I had known prior to starting out. Because to tell you how to start a homestead would be amazing, it’s not going to work for everyone.
The Ultimate Homesteader’s Starter Bundle – Only $47!
Get the tools you need to stay organized, track profits, and manage your homestead with ease!
Includes:
✅ Schedule F Tracker – Simplify tax prep
✅ Profit Calculator – Track earnings
✅ Hay Calculator – Plan livestock feed
✅ Garden Journal – Digital & printable
✅ Herd Health Tracker – Monitor animal care
✅ Simple Budget – Manage finances
✅ Backyard Homestead eBook – Essential tips
$99 value – now just $47! Start your homesteading journey today!
Before You Start A Homestead
Before you start looking for properties, you need to set your homesteading goals. Do you want to raise or grow all your own food? Are you looking to make money? Is this a retirement plan? You really need to dig deep about why you want to start your homestead and start journaling everything.
The reason this comes first is because you are going to need to know what kind of land you need for the goals you have. When we started looking at properties, we found one that we absolutely fell in love with. It was at the top of a mountain with 15 acres and a ton of boulders. As you can imagine, living on a mountain would have a lot of challenge like, steep cliffs, rocky soil, and outbuilding issues.
Because we knew what we wanted to do on the property, we knew that doing those things on a mountain would be extremely difficult.
After Setting Your Goals
You should consider your goals with every single property that you look at. Is there enough land for your goals? Can you work the land without a lot of initial investment? Is the layout of the land going to work with your principles, goals and ideals?
If you find a property that has a ton of pasture, fencing, and outbuildings, only to find out that the land was used to grow GMO corn? That may not line up with your ideals of organic farming. While that land is already set up to farm, it’s going to take years to repair that soil.
If your property is completely raw, you are going to put a TON of work into it to get it where you want it. Our property was almost completely raw. No outbuildings, no gardens, and minimal pastures. So we have spent a lot of time and money getting everything set up. And we aren’t even close to being done.
Researching Laws On Your Homestead
If you are planning on homesteading, but your county or state laws require all sorts of regulations, make sure you know what they are before you buy that property. The sale of raw milk recently became legal in the state of Georgia. But there are a lot of regulations to go with it. Same with cow sharing and meat purchases. Don’t sink all your money into a property only to find out later that you can’t do the things you want to do.
If we had just started selling raw milk when we first started, we would have ended up in law suits with possible jail time. It’s better to know what you’re getting into before your hip deep in problems.
Start an LLC, S Corp or Similar
Research which of these business options make the most sense to you, your property and your goals. But whatever it is, get it started before you buy the first fence post, animal, bag of feed, you name it. If possible get an EIN number or other tax applications done. You want to make sure you are tracking every purchase.
This will lower your tax burden and allow you to *hopefully* get some money back at the end of the year.
I use this tracker to make sure that I am getting as much back on my taxes as possible.
After Buying Your Property
Once you’ve committed, or purchased a property, I want you to sit with it for a minute. Especially if you are a brand new homesteader! Don’t start digging a garden, building a barn, or anything else until you know what you’re land is capable of.
We knew we wanted animals, but weren’t in a hurry to get them. Until the goats. While I’m glad we got the goats, I really wish we would have waited.
Waiting On Gardens
No matter how much you know you need to wait, you want to plant more. My biggest reason for waiting was just wanting to make sure that before we started clearing huge areas for a garden, we knew what it would look like in all four seasons. I wanted to make sure that I knew where water run off would be, sunlight, and where the good soil already was.
Because we waited, we saved ourselves a ton of physical labor as well as time and money.
Waiting On Animals
This is by far the hardest thing for any new homesteader. It’s usually the first thing that we think of when we think about farming or homesteading. But trust me when I say, if you get animals before your infrastructure is set up, you will be chasing your tail for the next decade.
We brought two goats onto the property without fencing put up, shelter in place or any idea what to feed them. After we lost V, we had to scramble to buy more goats. Then more shelters, fencing, etc. That first year should have been figuring out what we wanted to do. Instead, it was a year of figuring out what we were doing.
Waiting On Major Purchases
When we first bought the property, we were going to build Jared’s shop, get a tractor, a side by side, and huge barn. Man, I am SO glad we waited. We had all these ideas and plans, that I am beyond grateful didn’t work out. That first year would have cost us several thousand dollars. But you know what we learned? We don’t need a tractor, a side by side, a huge barn, or Jared’s shop.
Would those things have made our lives easier? Abso-freaking-loutely! But it would have stretched us so thin that we wouldn’t have been able to do the other things that we wanted to do.
Because we waited, we learned that manual power is the advantage. We don’t need a tractor to haul the dead trees anywhere. We cut them into smaller chunks and rolled them where they needed to be.
Because we waited on the huge barn, we realized that smaller shacks for the animals are easier to move and easier for them to keep themselves warm.
Because we waited on the side by side, we found a great deal on a pair of four wheelers that don’t require payments.
We did realize that a barn, shop, tractor, side by side would make things easier but we could do more manually.
Getting To Work
Once you have sat on your property for a minute, and learned what you and that property were capable of, get to work.
Start Your Garden First
I will say it again and again, wait on livestock till you have your gardens in! Yes, this is a do as I say not as I DID. I say this with the experience of someone who DIDN’T start with gardens. I wish we would have waited on livestock but we didn’t.
When you are setting up your gardens, think about your goals for the garden. Are you planning on a fresh eating garden? Or are you looking to put up food for the off season? How big is your family? All of these questions are important to answer before you start your gardens.
I suggest starting with a larger space than you think you need. Without fail, and every year, we end up having to expand our gardens. Which is great, but does lead to issues with fencing, beds and having to change stuff around constantly.
Start On Your Animals
If you listened, which I doubt because I wouldn’t either, you have waited on getting animals till after you’ve gotten your gardens dialed in. Now, we get animals.
Unlike the garden, where you give yourself more space than you need, start small with your livestock. Start with ONLY the amount of chickens you need. Only get a couple of goats or cows. Start small and learn the animal before you get an entire herd.
I know you’re not going to and I’m wasting my time, but you can’t say I didn’t warn you.
Revisit Those Major Purchases
After you have learned how to do things manually, start thinking about those bigger purchases. We thought we would need that tractor? Turns out, we don’t even want a tractor. It doesn’t fit with our land philosophies.
Jared’s shop? Yes, we will be building it. But it doesn’t have to be any time soon. There are more important things to build. Like the barn.
One of the big things that we have noticed is that we need more space in the barn. We have 9 permanent does and space during kidding season is at a premium. In fact, the shuffle of trying to figure out who goes where is kind of intense. Especially, since the girls don’t like the other does near their babies. So it can get pretty hairy.
But if we had just built the barn, we wouldn’t know exactly what we wanted.
How To Start A Homestead
I can’t tell you how to start a homestead. I can only tell you the things that we have discovered since starting our own homestead. Things I wish we would have done differently but also things I’m REALLY glad we waited on.
If you like this post, feel free to share it and follow us below on our social media accounts!
What I wish I Knew Before Homesteading
/
RSS Feed
Hey Guys! It’s Leigh with Steel Raven Farms! On this podcast, we talk about all the trial and error, successes and wins on the homestead. We have been homesteading for the last several years and I have been a gardener and canner for over a decade. But as always, I am still learning and I want to take you along with me on that journey.
Think of me as your partner in crime, co-chaos creator, ear to listen, and never, ever the voice of reason.
Today, we are talking about what I wish I knew before homesteading.
Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here: Steel Raven Farms Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter: Steel Raven Farms Newsletter https://steel-raven-farms-llc.ck.page/7edda2c83c
Find our blog here: www.steelravenfarms.com
Our Patreon here: Steel Raven Farms Patreon
http://patreon.com/SteelRavenFarms
Follow us on Instagram: Steel Raven Farms Instagram
https://instagram.com/steelravenfarms
Shop our Amazon Store: Steel Raven Farms Amazon Store https://www.amazon.com/shop/steelravenfarms?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfsteelravenfarms_B4R4P43DQDYW5BTRMSRA
Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPCZe-TWXhVSEZ4iR_1o5Yw
How We Got Into Homesteading
We got into homesteading because we were tired. Tired of every single thing that has happened over the last 25 years. Things that don’t look like they are changing any time soon. But it didn’t start out that way. The cabin in the woods was always the goal for retirement. We wanted to have that secluded spot, away from everyone and no one could bother us. But as we witnessed more of the insanity, we decided to switch the dream from a cabin in the woods, to a homestead in the mountains.
The Ultimate Homesteader’s Starter Bundle – Only $47!
Get the tools you need to stay organized, track profits, and manage your homestead with ease!
Includes:
✅ Schedule F Tracker – Simplify tax prep
✅ Profit Calculator – Track earnings
✅ Hay Calculator – Plan livestock feed
✅ Garden Journal – Digital & printable
✅ Herd Health Tracker – Monitor animal care
✅ Simple Budget – Manage finances
✅ Backyard Homestead eBook – Essential tips
$99 value – now just $47! Start your homesteading journey today!
Why We Got Into Homesteading
Like most modern homesteaders, we got into homesteading because we were tired of the uncertainty. The uncertainty of what was in our food or where it came from. Not knowing if the shelves would be stocked. We wanted to be left alone to do the things we wanted to do. Like actually raising our kids and having a hand in their education. Raising animals for meat in a humane and ethical way. We wanted food that was healthy for us AND the land. We got into homesteading for the peace it brings.
Kids During Chaos
We are millennials, which means that for the last 25 years we have literally watched the extreme highs and lows. We were kids during 9/11 and the following wars, 2 of which Jared fought in. We saw the collapse of the housing market and the almost collapse of the stock market. Where companies too big to fail were bailed out with billions of dollars. We saw the great recession and rise of unrest. We saw the great division of our nation. Then we saw the pandemic.
Now, we are raising our kids in a time were there is a lot of known and unknown threats, division and general unease. I am raising my boys to be men in a world were they are “less than” simply because they are boys. Where women are made to feel unsafe by men, but my boys are expected to protect. Because, as a nation, we can’t just accept people for who they are.
We are teaching our boys about history as it was, not as it has been whitewashed to fit whatever agenda is being pushed. We are raising our boys to THINK for themselves and learn to problem solve. While this has been frustrating because they don’t do what they are told. It is amazing knowing that they will NEVER follow lock step with things that just don’t make sense.
Homesteading In Uncertainity
There are a lot of things that homesteading does. It creates a resilient and independent spirit. It teaches you that you are far more capable than you thought. But the best part? When planned “right”, homesteading creates certainty.
When I say planned “right”, I don’t mean by following the rules. I mean animals will be born, grow and die, plants will grow and die. When you are a good steward to your resources, you are rewarded with untold bounty. That’s not to say that you won’t fail, but there is a certain amount of peace in knowing that the sun will rise and set, seasons will change, and green things will grow.
When you align yourself with what nature is already doing, and ask her to help you, your gardens will be over abundant. Your animals will thrive. Your kids will see that everything is a cycle. It’s truly amazing what happens when you start homesteading and start paying attention.
Raising Meat Humanely
Homesteaders get asked all the time, and we are no different, how can you raise something and then eat it? How can you claim to care about animals if you are going to kill them? Don’t you feel bad for killing them?
I am going to write a whole blog post on that subject but I’m just going to say this: we raise as much of our meat as possible because when we take responsibility for our food, the food doesn’t suffer.
If you like the content I put out, feel free to buy us a coffee! It helps keep this site running, marketing and the goats in grain!
Buy me a coffeePeople get so attached to the animal, but they NEVER stop to think about where their protein source came from. Or they never stop to think about what has had to die for them to get their fruits and vegetables. For the vast majority of American’s, their food comes from the grocery store. So they don’t see what Big Ag, Big Animal, or Big Pharma is doing to the land.
If they did, they would understand how much better our animals are raised. How there is minimal stress, absolutely no chemicals, and minimal medical interventions. They would see that our animals are happy, healthy, and thriving. They would see animals that are doing what animals are supposed to do.
Working WITH Nature To Harvest Healthy Food
On our farm, we use zero chemicals on the earth. Period. No fertilizers, no pesticides, no herbicides, and no fungicides. Accidental spills of paint, oils, etc into soil or possible run off, are dug up (where possible) and sunflowers or mustard greens are planted. Those plants are then burned.
We do not till our ground unless we have no other options. We use cover crops, animals, and organic matter to work with the nature instead of against it. When it comes time to plant, we dig a small hole to put a transplant or we use our hands to rake or dig. Then, when the plants are spent, we cut the plant off at soil level and drop the spent plant back into the bed.
This feeds the soil microbiome. Which in turn feeds us.
Our garden produces some of the best tasting vegetables I have ever eaten. Most of them can be pulled straight from the garden and eaten raw, they are that good. Our animals are given the same foods we eat. They absolutely love garden scraps and will wait at the fence, watching and waiting for their bucket of nom noms.
Are you looking for garden journal prompts, but aren’t interested in a weekly email? Check out our 365 Garden Journal Prompts! This is an amazing, all in one, yearly product that you only pay for once.
We Got Into Homesteading For Peace
I think the most important thing that the homestead has brought us is peace. Every morning, rain or shine, I go into my kitchen garden. I look at my beds and dream. When it’s cold, I plan the upcoming year. When it’s hot, I enjoy the harvest. And every year, I look for ways to be a better steward to the land.
Every day, I look at my goats. I watch mommas grow big with babies. I watch babies frolic and play. I milk mommas and thank them.
In the years we have been homesteading, I have found life in the slow lane to be more welcoming, joyful and humbling.
And yes, there is stress. This is a real homestead. There are triumphs and failures. But when I go to bed at night, I am at peace.
If you like this post, feel free to share it and follow us below on our social media accounts!
Episode 15: Struggling With Overwhelm
Are you struggling with overwhelm? You aren’t alone!
Hey Guys! It’s Leigh with Steel Raven Farms! On this podcast, we talk about all the trial and error, successes and wins on the homestead. We have been homesteading for the last several years and I have been a gardener and canner for over a decade. But as always, I am still learning and I want to take you along with me on that journey.
Think of me as your partner in crime, co-chaos creator, ear to listen, and never, ever the voice of reason.
Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here: Steel Raven Farms Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter: Steel Raven Farms Newsletter https://steel-raven-farms-llc.ck.page/7edda2c83c
Find our blog here: www.steelravenfarms.com
Homepage
Our Patreon here: Steel Raven Farms Patreon
http://patreon.com/SteelRavenFarms
Follow us on Instagram: Steel Raven Farms Instagram
https://instagram.com/steelravenfarms
Shop our Amazon Store: Steel Raven Farms Amazon Store
Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPCZe-TWXhVSEZ4iR_1o5Yw