This is an entry into the #sndboxquest! Here are the details per @guyfawkes4-20's post:

Make a post about your journey

You will have to make an in-depth post about your journey so far and experiences in one of the three domains, traveling, food or homesteading. It doesn’t have to cover only the time since you’re a Steemian, it can go way before joining this platform. Share with us why you’re involved in one of the three fields, what’s your motivation, how you got there, interesting experiences, tell us everything you think is worth a read.

Why We're Homesteaders

We both have had a long and winding road that led us to where we are now. We've been sharing the journey for about 5 years now and have been on our land a little over 2 years. The impetus to homestead runs deep in our blood at this point. In the following sections as we share the paths that led us to become homesteaders, you'll understand more of the moments and experiences that underpin this very big and challenging life decision. Suffice it to say that we have a huge belief that humans need to reconnect with the earth if there is going to be a future for humanity at all. Deforestation, Pollution, Exploitation of Resources, Unhealthy Human Systems, and so much more all lead us to want to "Walk the Talk" of a more sustainable life.

Homesteading, to us, is one such option.

First let's start off with what we mean by homesteading.

To us, homesteading is an all-encompassing term that seeks to describe an alternative lifestyle that is close to the land wherein the participants are trying to produce their own food needs, live lightly on the land, be connected to water, electricity, neighbors, wildlife, and so much more. The basis for homesteading is connection and, indeed, we find that this is what separates (most) city-dwellers & "normal" humans from homesteading ones. This is because in our culture a lot of our needs are taken care of for us. There is a trash person who takes our trash to the mythical "Away", but it's a different place than where our Poop is taken to when we flush our toilet. Someone else builds our house and procures our electricity and grows our food.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this.

But what we've found is that there are countless things wrong with the systems which support our basic needs. As mentioned earlier, there is truly no "Away" which trash is brought to. It is always in someone's backyard (usually a poorer someone) and it is a privilege to have one's consumed goods be about to be out of sight out of mind. Concerning electricity, coal bioproducts are incredibly harmful to nearby water sources and there is a ton of air pollution when it burns. It's high time humans started to switch over to renewables. If you live in an average city (of course there are exceptions), you're given no choice whether your life is propped up by these antiquated solutions that are damaging to the systems of the earth.

These are some of the reasons we choose to live connected and empowered by being more in control of these options. This week we actually wrote a post entitled Why We Homestead | Through Thick & Thin, if you're interested in hearing more.

NOW

At this point, we have a well where we get our water (we also catch rainwater for our gardens), are 100% solar powered, have built all of our own buildings (with the help of friends and Discovery Channel's Homestead Rescue), and grow & hunt a large portion of our own food. It's taken us a TON of work to get where we are. We've made a lot of sacrifices in terms of comfort & stepped off a big ledge. It's a very empowering lifestyle, but neither of us grew up this way. We each had major awakenings in our early 20s that drew us into this lifestyle and transformed our characters. In the following sections, we're going to share the highlights and major turning points in our journeys.

The Journey

Wren's Story

My homesteading journey started at foot of Mt Lamborn in Paonia, CO…

I got a wild hair in college and decided to ride the train out to Colorado with my friend and WWOOF on an Organic Farm. The fresh basil and chevre had me hooked!!! It was also my first taste of Anarchy! I came home and was never the same.

After that, I studied outdoor recreation, climbed mountains, rafted rivers and rock climbed… My love for & attraction to nature was always strong, but it grew stronger during these times. I did a lot of soul searching and questioned my place in the world.

I found that just going out into nature wasn't enough, however. The "highs" I experienced when in the woods, on the top of a mountain, and on rivers always ended. And I hated coming back to "civilization." I knew something had to give. I was actually getting really depressed and dissatisfied with life. This was when some wonderful people came into my life and said, You know where you'll really find your niche- the Permaculture community... Joining and learning from this community definitely changed my life.

Learning to start seeds.

I took my Permaculture course in 2007 at a special place in the rolling hills of Southern Indiana. It changed my life forever and opened my eyes to so many things I had never heard about or seen connected in such intimate ways. I visited a passive solar strawbale house and was hooked. After that, my journey sped up. I interned at many farms and started my life as a wanderer.

I traveled to many different intentional communities and farms. Here is a "Chicken Viewing Window" at Dancing Rabbit:

I traveled from coast to coast, solo hitch hiking and going where my heart led me. I spent my days learning about different farming techniques and first-hand observations of life lived off-grid, in close connection with nature and the rhythms of the earth. I studied massage and became impassioned to not just have the "high" mountain-top moments, but to ground my passion for earth-based & healthy living!

Eventually, after much wandering, I met Ini and our stories converged…. but before we get to our shared life, Ini must tell his formative stories that led him to become the homesteader he is today.

Ini's Story

I can trace my shift away from the mainstream to an event when I was 19. After graduating high school, I went to teach as a volunteer English teacher in Thailand for 5 months. I had been recommended by 3 people to take part in a 10 day silent meditation retreat. It was during those 10 days of silence that the world become clear to me and opened up. I spent another 7 months in South East Asia attempting to find direction and meaning.

After returning to Canada, I found myself seeking connection and meaning and was disinterested in playing the mainstream game. I was introduced to the idea of spending time on farms as a learning and cultural exchange opportunity so I spent the following year WOOFING on various farms and homesteads in Nova Scotia before enrolling at Trent University in the Indigenous Studies Program. I was exposed to a great deal in those years and my eyes were opened to a lot of social justice and environmental issues. During my studies I was involved in various groups and initiatives surrounding food, sustainability and social justice.

I spent one summer apprenticing on a biodynamic farm which really kickstarted my food production journey. The following summer I attended a Permaculture design course which further pushed my ideas of what was possible. I completed my last semester in Mexico as part of an exchange program. I opted as always for an adventure and decided to bicycle down the west coast from Canada to Mexico.

I spent time flowing through the gorgeous landscapes of central America, appreciating the people, culture, plants and where they all intersect. I was inspired by the milpa system, a traditional polyculture food plot often including corn, beans, squash, chili, marigold and others. I learned about the proper way to eat corn; the way it's been done for millennia involving boiling with limestone. I was focused on exploration, expansion and learning and ended up volunteering for Maya Pedal, a NGO that focused on building bicycle powered machines!

Testing a bicycle powered well pump in rural Guatemala

I was exposed to so many different foods and cuisines and was blessed with many kind hosts.

Eating raw tuna straight form the sea in Belize

As I continued in my quest for knowledge of all things Earth based. I ended up apprenticing with a natural builder in Czech Republic for several month and built a basic skill set for natural building. This meant playing a lot with mud!

Where my journey got really intersting was when I took a position as farm manager and ecological educator at O.U.R. ecovillage on Vancouver Island B.C. Not only were my limits pushed and skills tested, but I met a very special someone there...

Harvesting calendula blossoms with the farm team

Journeying Together

Our first Thanksgiving Feast

Eventually our stories converged when I rode by bike to Canada from Los Angeles to visit intentional communities. Ini was working at OUR Ecovillage on Vancouver Island and we met when he asked me to eat a worm. The rest is basically history!! We found ourselves wandering and traveling continually being inspired and learning.

We traveled to Peru & witnessed incredible earth-connection still in place: from their architecture, to multigenerational farming and the souls of the people themselves.. It was very inspiring.

We lived in Appalachia for a time, gardening and homesteading with a very special woman (read more about that journey here.)

We kept on journeying, picking up skills along the way. Finding land where one will set down roots isn't easy. Oftentimes it was very difficult and left us in a state of emotional turmoil feeling like When will our lives start for real?... We were persistent, however, and made a connection with someone who lived in the Ozarks. We set off on our journey and ended up buying 18 acres after many months of searching.

Being on the Land

When we first moved here, we lived in a yurt. Since then, we've built a composting toilet, high tunnel, gazebo and cabin with Discovery Channel's Homestead Rescue, planted over 500 fruit & nut trees, shrubs, medicines, natives, vegetables and (wild)flowers.

We've gotten a well, bees, chickens, installed a solar system, learned to hunt and produced/stored most of our own food needs and much more! We share much of our homesteading journey on Steemit, so follow for more!

Life on the homestead is always exciting and there is never a dull day. Sometimes it gets difficult to keep up with the demands of a fully-functioning earth-based lifestyle where so much of it is DIY on a low budget, but, as we've detailed above, we can't imagine living in any different way!

It's very important to us to Walk Our Talk and try to be an example and push our own edges as much as possible.

We wouldn't be where we are without the love, support and education of so many who guided us along the way, shared their homes, gardens, resources, etc! It's been a wild journey and we're so grateful for everyone we've met!!

Homesteading is a lot of hard work,
but it's our dream so we're committed!

It's our intention to share what we have learned along the way on Steemit. Homesteading is a Journey not a Destination and we're here to learn and to educate.

We write all types of homesteading and gardening articles. From the very practical, to fun, to theoretical. Here are some you may find interesting if you're unfamiliar with our work:

We're a totally goofy, dedicated couple with hearts wide open
trying to live the best lives we can imagine!

Join us!!

This is our entry into the #snbox Summer Camp Quest 1 by @guyfawkes4-20 & @anomadsoul. We'd love to be a part of this amazing group of creators!!!

Thank you to @cryptosharon for the lovely rulers! Find them here.

Follow the #ecotrain tag for more inspiring, consciousness-raising posts!

We also curate earth-centered posts @the-hearth so check out and follow that page for high quality resteems and a weekly curation digest!