.
It’s not just that the food tastes better (the flavor!) and is more nutritious, though, gardening gets us outside with our families, saves us money (have you seen food prices lately?), gets us moving and stretching, and gives us more food security. I don’t know about you, but what gives me more of a sense of security than a lot of money in the bank, is having an abundance of food in my own backyard! And I want to help you create that abundance in your backyard too!
.
Oh, and since this is an “About” page, I guess it’s a good time to share a little more about us. I (Taryn) grew up in the Midwest, then moved to the West Coast when I fell in love with Oregon. I also fell in love with a mountain man named Jeff. (Oh, and the age difference? We get asked about that. My reply is that you just never know who you are going to fall in love with! Life is full of surprises.) We got hitched, started our own business, worked to improve the homestead he’d been living on for many years prior, and had a baby. That baby is a tall boy now (my how time flies!), and brings us daily joy. (Oh, and you can find the link to our family’s handmade shop here, every purchase you make supports our mission here and we thank you for it!)
Jeff has been gardening his whole life (since he was eight years old!) and I have been so grateful to learn from him. He not only has a lifetime of gardening knowledge, but also homesteading skills of all kinds. I feel it’s so important to pass these skills on- it’s so sasifying for me to do that, and I love being able to share with you here on the blog! I’ve been learning homesteading and gardening skills for 18 years now alongside him. We are constantly learning together, appreciate learning from others, and love sharing what we’ve learned with you.
Our family’s health and well being is our priority, which is why we spend so much time growing, and cooking good food! When our son (whom I refer to as B online) was younger, he had a neurological speech disorder. (I still remember the very first time I heard him sing- it was a breakthrough- I cried like crazy!) That, along with various health challenges my husband and I have each faced over the years, has deepened our commitment.
.
I know many of you who have found your way here value good food for your families too, and I feel that nourishing our families in the best way possible gives us a sense of purpose each day because it’s so important. We live in a toxic world and I believe it is up to each and every one of us to create something different for our children, and for future generations. It’s good to be reminded that our bodies are our temples, and that we have been given an incredible gift simply by being alive! These bodies work hard for us and we need to treat them well!
It seems that the farther away from nature that humanity strays, the more problems people have. Our family seeks to move back towards nature. I’m passionate about connecting people with the outdoors, especially children. My heart is so full when I see kids playing outside, digging in the dirt, picking berries, discovering something new and wonderful and marveling at the wonders of the tiniest things around us. I want to see our communities getting outside together, harvesting and growing food, and connecting back with nature. I want to be of service by helping to create that world for children everywhere.
.
I’ll leave you with this: Be Grateful Every Day, & Get Outside!
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
P.S. Our life can be messy & chaotic, beautiful & blessed, challenging & healing all at the same time. I want to add that while I do write about our challenges and the hard lessons from time to time, mostly what you see here are the parts of our life that bring us joy. Living soulfully with creativity & purpose each day, and feeding the joy are important to us. Homesteading and sustainability inspire us. I believe in practicing gratitude, even when times are hard (especially when they are), and I make it a habit to count my blessings. (Remind me I said that when I’m feeling grouchy and out of sorts!) I know that blogs can have a way of making things look glamorous sometimes. (You are seeing all the beautiful pictures, and not all the messes!) I can tell you that our life is not. Shoveling out goat houses, and hauling firewood in the cold are not glamorous. (But they are satisfying and rewarding!) The “simple life” does not always feel so simple, it’s a lot of hard work! The sacrifices we’ve made though, make it possible for us to spend our days together as a family and that’s what we value.
.
Come along with us on our adventures through the seasons! May you find inspiration here!
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
P.S. I encourage you to check out this blog from a computer because there’s so much goodness I share in the sidebar! (That gets cropped out when you read from your phone.) From making sauerkraut and fermenting vegetables to learning to knit, seasonal recipes, and winter gardening inspiration… I have years of inspiring content there that I’ve worked hard to put together for you!
I read every comment and they are what keep me writing. When I know something I wrote means something to you, it makes me want to write more! When you share your experiences in the comments, I learn from what you share, and others can learn from that as well. There is so much value in sharing what we’ve learned. My hope is to create a community here where we are all learning from and helping one another in the comments, and I hope you’ll join!
If you have any requests for blog posts you’d like to see, let me know. I love hearing from you!