Making our dream a reality - #Restorationacresnc

My husband and I met 10 years ago this summer. As we learned about each other, we realized that we had many in things in common but one theme that kept coming up was the desire to have a farm. Both of us are grandchildren of farmers and grew up around the family farm - riding the tractor with grandpa, petting farm animals, delighting in the meals from the garden, and playing in that sacred space called the homestead. We both yearned for it and started dreaming of having a farm that we could call our own.

We got married in 2015 and starting our own version of backyard farming with some raised bed gardens. It was a start at farm life and we had an abundance of tomatoes that first year to wet our appetite for more. In 2017 we added chickens. That is a story in itself that I will save for another post, but let's just say, I wasn't excited about them at first. I told my husband Ted that this was a project for him and my son - I had no interest in taking care of anything else (1 husband, 4 kids and 2 cats was enough for me) and I didn't even like chickens. But, I agreed to it and told him, "this is your thing, best wishes." Because it seems like we never do anything easy, instead of buying chicks at Tractor Supply (like most new chicken owners do), we got fertilized eggs and incubated them ourselves. My son was so excited on hatching day. I still can hear his little voice so happy and urgently asking for advice on what to do next. We entered the realm of backyard homesteading that day and it's been expanding ever since. I've even grown to like the chickens (maybe even love them) and now they are "my thing" too.

Two years later, my husband Ted ordered his first package of bees and began his journey of beekeeping. This was another endeavor that I wasn't excited about, but I was supportive and encouraging. I told him again, "this is your thing, best wishes". He had researched and read up on beekeeping for months before and ongoing thereafter. He is officially a "bee nerd" and has been enamored by bees and beekeeping since that day. As of this spring, he is now a Journeyman Beekeeper and studying to become a Master Beekeeper recognized by the North Carolina Beekeeper Association. This hobby of beekeeping has become a small business for us and is a major part of Restoration Acres. And yes, you guessed it, now it is "my thing" too. I don't get into the hives like he does, but I have become a valuable assistant to him.

Another two years pass by, we get through the pandemic and our interest and desire to buy a farm was growing. Then something amazing happened. In the spring of 2021, we were casually talking with a family member who owned a part of the old farmstead that was owned by Ted's grandfather. After sharing that we had plans to one day buy a farm, she asked us if we wanted to purchase her farmland and pursue our dreams. What a blessing and answer to prayer! So we became the owners of a 30 acre track of land that was once part of Sunnyside Acres Farm in Battleboro, NC. And this is where our story begins. Our farmland hasn't been a working farm in over 40 years: the cropland has been rented out by another farmer, the pasture hasn't been grazed on and there are no structures on the property. No electricity, no water/sewer, no roads. Just land, trees, creeks, ponds and beautiful space to build a farm. This is our story of building a farm from scratch and regenerating the land to support an apiary, camellia garden, hayfield and restorative space. I hope you will continue to follow our story as we go from dream to reality. And with God's help, we can do this. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans" - Proverbs 16:3

#Homesteading#Beekeeping#FaithandFarming