Black Barn Farm Feature
Meet Kate from Galesburg, MI. Kate has been part of the Homesteaders of Michigan community since its inception in early 2019 and I was so happy to partner with her during our “A Few Of Our Favorite Things” photo challenge on Instagram, where she participated as a sponsor and donated some delicious jelly!
Tell us a little about yourselves and your background.
My hubby grew up doing 4-H and working at his family’s wholesale greenhouse, I grew up in the same town and did various outdoor/landscaping jobs all my high school and college years. Eventually we met, and I started working at his greenhouse. We got married, had 3 kids, and started our homestead adventures over these last 10 years.
How long have you been homesteading and gardening?
We’ve been gardening for about 6 yrs, homesteading for almost 5, since we moved to BlackBarnFarm. We’re on 3 acres just outside the tiny city of Galesburg (a 1-stoplight town!) It’s mostly wooded property, and our challenge has been felling trees for more sunlight, but we’re getting there. Don’t worry, we use all that wood for heating our home!
What initially drove you to homesteading and gardening?
We just want to utilize what’s around us, to know what we’re eating, and to keep our money local.
What are some of your long-term goals?
We definitely want to raise our own pork, eventually. I also really desire to help people get started growing their own food that have no experience or budget for it.
What is your favorite thing to grow?
Beans! Pole, bush, drying, fresh eating, all the beans! Our favorite seed companies are MIGardener and Baker Creek.
And what about your favorite animal to raise?
Turkeys, they can be so personable and dog-like!
Do you have any other hobbies? What do you enjoy doing during your free time?
I love crafting winter decor with evergreens and other natural plantlife. Not much free time for me, but I enjoy being out in my garden and most of the other farm “activities” that happen. I also love hosting markets(vintage, farmers, etc!), and hope to start those again someday!
Related Articles
Related
Homesteaders of Michigan: A Fresh Start
As of February 2022, Kendra Higgins is the new owner of Homesteaders of Michigan after purchasing the business outright from Founder, Kayla.
It’s been wonderful working with you all to create this virtual community of homesteaders, gardeners, and farmers. I wish you all the best – you’re in better hands than before and I look forward to seeing this community grow! – Kayla
Frontiere Farmhouse Feature
Meet Nicole and Robert Goetz of Frontiere Farmhouse, right outside of Marshall, Michigan.
“We own nine acres in Calhoun County Michigan, where we raise pastured poultry for meat and eggs, pigs, and rare breed Jacob sheep. We have some pet goats, a bunch of geese, and a dog and a cat. Robert is a full-time engineer, and Nicole runs the farm full time.
We bought this property four years ago, in December 2016. We started gardening on the porch of our duplex the summer before, and decided we needed way more room.”
Starting Line Farm Feature
We’d like to introduce you to Kayti and Starting Line Farm from Howell, Michigan! Tell us a little about yourselves. We are a homesteading, homeschooling family of four. We have dabbled in gardening for 10+ years but we are closing in on 5 years as homesteaders. We...
Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you. This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
homesteadersofmichigan.com
*Blog posts are solely the views & opinions of the author, and do not represent Homesteaders of Michigan or our affiliates.
*As an Affiliate, Homesteaders of Michigan may earn from qualifying purchases made through links posted on this site.
Connecting homesteaders of Michigan with informational resources, and most importantly each other.