Doing The Unexpected

Canning season in full swing.

Have you been dreaming of homesteading? Perhaps you’ve been sitting there pouring over books, catalogues and YouTube videos?? https://www.youtube.com/@EsthersEden certainly is the time to do this - especially in the North where I live. I mean a cozy fire lit in my wood stove, snowflakes drifting slowly to the ground and the cold weather does have a certain dreamy feel which makes you want to curl up in your favorite blanket and drift away deep in thought. Well, while you are sitting there dreaming away, I have a challenge for you.

Do the unexpected! Make 2023 the year you dive in.

That’s right. Take the plunge. Join the thousands of people who started homesteading last year and just do it! No time will be perfect. The stars won’t align perfectly. So why not just give it a shot?? No homesteader never makes a mistake. No one is perfect. That’s right. You will probably be like the rest of us and loose an animal because of some reason or another. At some point something whether it be weather, bugs or disease something will attack your precious vegetable crop. And you will most definitely be tired AND sore. You know what? Even with all of these thing going against you - YOU CAN DO THIS!

I can tell you don’t quite believe me…. So let me share a little homesteading story with you to prove it to you.

The last day for the pigs. It was the best last day a pig ever had. Woodchips and straw galore!

Two years ago we got our very first weaner pigs. That’s a small pig that’s been weaned from the mother and they are usually about 6-8 weeks old or so. Typically people buy them and then raise them to butcher weight and that’s it. Done. It’s a really great way to get your feet wet if you’d like to try out pigs but not make a long term commitment. Now I grew up on a small farm where we bred pigs. We had a huge 1,200lb boar (male) and a few sows (females for breeding)… I remembered they were a lot of work… and the little ones liked to escape occasionally. I remembered this part most because my parents would always call me when animals got out. I seemed to have a knack for catching escapees. Anyway fast forward to owning our own farm. I thought it would be best to start small and see if we actually liked raising pigs when we were the ones fully responsible for their livelyhood. It’s a whole new ball game when there isn’t a parent to oversee things… and you are the parent in charge.

Hi mom, Do you have any snacks for me???

So we got the piggies. Yes the escaped a time or two. A LOT of work went into raising these guys. Naturally I wanted to honor the pigs and their life when it came time to butcher them. I decided using as much of the animal as possible was the best way to do this. So I looked up everything from smoking and curing bacon to making head cheese… or as I prefer to call it fromage de tete as it’s called in France. (way better sounding don’t you think?) Yes.. you read that correctly. Head Cheese.

Wait! Don't stop reading. I have a point I promise.

The process is quite lengthy, (stick with me here) but essentially it starts with scalding the giant pigs head in hot water. Then scraping the hair off while making sure not to peel the skin off. Then boiling it more and more until all the meat falls off into this beautiful sort of pulled pork. After that you mix in a bunch of fresh herbs and pack it into a tin and let it harden in the fridge until you can slice it. I personally found I liked it best on crackers - but I’m pretty sure tacos would also be amazing with it…. Yes that is right. I not only did the work but I also ingested it. Shocking I know. Believe me I was shocked also. It did take quite a bit of working up to trying it. By a bit of working up I mean it sat in the fridge until it nearly spoiled before I could finally try it… I kept repeating its just meat. It’s just meat. It’s just meat to myself.

Now If someone would have ever told me I would be boiling a pigs head. Scraping a pigs head. Or doing anything with a pigs head I would definitely have not believed it. YUCK! But hear me out here. All I did was pick up a couple pigs. I loved them. Fed them. Gave them new pasture every day…. and before I knew it I was off making head cheese in my kitchen.

The final product…. Fromage de tete … I made mine a lot more meaty and less gelatinous than the recipe called for.

It all starts with one YES! Just start small and go for it! You just have to jump in! Sometimes you just have to do what no one else expects you to do. The unexpected! When you do you will be doing all kinds of things you never would have believed possible. When you look back on your life would you rather be the person doing the thing or the person reading about someone else doing the thing?? I know my answer. I most certainly want to do the thing. You can to!

So now are you ready to jump in?? Not sure where to start are you?? I thought so. You know what? That’s totally ok. I have good news! Starting is the hardest part. So let’s make it a little easier for you. What is something that you LOVE eating? Now think to yourself how can I make that thing from scratch?? Start out by purchasing the ingredients from the organic section of the grocery store. Then the next time you make it see if you can buy from a local farmer. You know where this is going… maybe see if you can grow a small part of the meal. Then see if you can grow enough to preserve it for a whole years worth of that one thing. Before you know it you will do this over and over until you own your very own homestead and you will be the one someone comes to for produce or even advice!

Once you start homesteading you will be hooked. I mean it’s pretty hard to give up on the worlds best food.

Leek Asparagus and nettle soup. A farm fresh poached egg. And a warm out of the oven loaf of bread.

I do have a couple other things to help make your journey a little easier. I am here to share all the best secrets with you my friends. Get connected with other people who homestead in your area. A community garden perhaps? There are so many options! If you live on the east side of the USA maybe you could attend a Homesteaders of America conference. https://homesteadersofamerica.com/ amaizng how many inspiring people go to those events. If you live on the west side of America I have great news! The Modern Homestead Conference https://modernhomesteading.com/ will be making its debut in 2023! The first of its kinds here in the west! All kinds of homesteaders will be there sharing their journeys and helping to get others started. If funds are tight you can always look into volunteering at one of these events! Many hands make light work. You can also look into volunteering at a farm close to you! Trade labor for produce!

Homesteading is calling!

Are you ready??

Sometimes the tired shows through… but the work is the best kind there is. The reward is more than worth every drop of sweat and every tear cried over this life that you are working hard to build.