One of the biggest lessons that the pandemic taught us was how our lifestyle has become more detrimental to nature—our dependence on store-bought items, especially on food, and the waste that comes with them.
Chris and Stef learned that lesson when groceries were running out of supply. They thought of one brilliant idea that turned into a year-long challenge.
The couple decided to grow and harvest their food and not depend on whatever supplies were in store. Their journey is fascinating and remarkable and really worth to be shared.
The hard part
According to Chris and Stef, the most challenging part of the process was starting this long-term commitment. They began by taking out all the food items in their pantry. It was also one way to see their kitchen staples so they would know what to plant and grow.
But the bulk of their work was preparing everything – from soil to seedlings to creating their irrigation system. They also need to see that they plant crops based on their land’s hardiness level and climate zone.
Learning the ropes
Chris and Stef also shared how much they learned in their homesteading journey. Aside from knowing which crops they could plant and grow in their climate, they also learned and went back to basic proper nutrition.
They joined different Facebook groups to know what the health essentials they should take note of to keep themselves healthy and nourished throughout the process. Then, they went on and researched how they could get those.
For example, iodine. They had no clue where to get that at first, only to realize that they had a vast reserve for salt – the ocean.
Each step was a learning process for them. As their knowledge grew, so did their garden and the variety of food they had at their disposal.
Lovin off the Land
So what are their staples? Their basic principle is to plant, grow, raise, harvest, and forage their food.
They have lettuce, berries, artichokes, lemons, and even hazelnuts. Mushrooms could also be foraged in nearby tree stumps.
Protein wasn’t much of a problem for both of them as they have two excellent sources: eggs from their hens and some seafood from the ocean.
And oh! They have bees for their honey, too. Plus, they are excellent pollinators for their farm.
From nature to nature
The couple realized that they are getting a lot from nature by homesteading. They use the land, water, and all other resources around them to sustain their daily lives.
Chris said that they are planning to give back to nature. He showed off some of the tree seedlings as starters. They’re planning to plant around 4,000 trees to thank the Earth for the abundance they had throughout the year.
Nurture nature for the future
What’s in store for Chris and Stef after their 365-day challenge?
Seeing how sustainable homesteading was, they plan to continue what they started and even expand.
Aside from adding more produce to their garden, they would love to become more self-sustaining in grains to feed their chickens and turkeys and catch rainwater to maximize water during the winter and use it over the summer.
Of course, they would like to dine out sometime but with a renewed sense of consciousness on what they eat and how much they cost.
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