My family and I are not ones to really get the meaning of 'homestead'. Though, we do have a garden and some flowers around the pool in our backyard, and we keep it watered everyday and have harvested a few peppers here and there. Arizona is just a little hot for natural plants to grow. I noticed as my mom took me to Lowes to find plants for us to plant last spring that they have to be special types of vegetables. Types that can stand dry heat and sunlight for most of the day. Before I moved last year I was born and raised just north of Kansas City, Missouri.
When I was six my G-ma moved towards the Joplin area, nothing can excite a six year old faster than coming to your grandma's house to find her neighbors are goats and chickens. It was just two acres of land but, it was nice, it had a little well house and a barn. There was a milk stanchion to milk the goats and kept the feed there. We kept the fresh eggs that we didn't need in the house in the well house. We also kept our jelly and other canned goods in there as well. Her garden was always big and and full of delicious wonders. Okra was a memorable one for me because it was something new. All six year olds aren't real good with new foods, I can't deny I wasn't either, but, this new vegetable was just amazing! I wondered why I never saw it at the store with all the other vegetables. To this day, now 8 years later, I'm still curious to why I never see Okra at local stores.
Canning is also a big interest when I'm visiting the farm. The name of it was called EinGedi. I remember when I was about seven or so and my sister and I would go out in the front yard and we would gather whatever flower we were told to gather, my clearest memories are gathering Honeysuckle. We would also gather Red Bud leaves off of the tree by the well house. Red bud jelly has been a favorite for as long as I can remember. We can all kinds of things, the spiced vegetables have been a hit the last couple years. In 2009, my G-ma and Poppy moved just outside of Seneca, Missouri. They called it Goshen.
I would visit there as much as possible, which was every break and long weekend I had. I always had love for the critters and always had a love for serving G~d right beside my G-ma. I'm no expert on anything, I guess no one is when they're going into 9th grade, but, I was always fascinated with the work she did and I grew up wanting to eventually live in Goshen myself. The thought of raising my own herd of animals big and small just excites me. Gardens just interest me and I never really got the chance to try and raise one growing up. I guess that's because my parents aren't really interested in the outdoor livestock raise your own food kind of way but, my G-ma is that kind of person and everything about the farm still does catch my attention like it's new.
I've been doing the same routine for four year when it comes to outdoor chores in the morning. We let chickens out and feed hay to the baby goats. Really that's it right now but, I still find new things everyday. It doesn't matter what it is, it could be a new baby chick or goat to a new recipe we could try. I guess when it come to 'homesteading' the place for me to be is Goshen after all.
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