Year One+

It has been almost one year and four months since we purchased what we now call Oak Hill Preserve in East Tennessee. Some experiences here feel like they happened yesterday and some feel like they happened years ago, but when we step outside to watch the sun rise or set, smell the fresh air, or look up at the stars or out upon the trees, pasture and mountains, we are always caught up in the moment.

In addition to the beauty and serenity, the past year+ has been filled with highs and lows and all sorts of learning. From remodeling the bathroom in our 1910 home to building a new well house that can probably withstand a tornado, Michael has taken on the tasks of ten men including plumbing and re-plumbing, mowing, seeding, digging and trenching to name a few. He built a beautiful 40x40 fenced garden and set up all of the in-ground garden beds and irrigation with little help. He has mowed the pastures multiple times, learned the process of hay collection with our neighbor, taken pasture soil samples, and learned how to seed for soil erosion protection and regeneration. Learning to drive a large tractor and using different implements came naturally for him, and we invested in a variety of equipment including a UTV, riding lawnmower, tillers, line trimmer, chainsaws and gardening equipment. Michael had researched seed starting and found all the components to get us started from trays to soil to soil amendments, and our seed starts tended to do better than some of our direct sown seeds. He learned how to use and repair stationary electric fence, and that large heifers are no respecters of it and prefer to roam free when it is not turned on.

We have had to order many items online, but have also found many items locally and have relied on the hardware, co-op and supply stores in our town or surrounding towns. We found that Dirtcraft Living Soils’ organic soil really made a difference in our garden and it exploded in abundance that we could not have dreamt of during our first year of growing.

We engaged a host of vendors to help us with excavating, installations, electrical, roofing, well water and other improvement and fix-it projects. Receiving a grant to work with a regenerative agriculture consultant, Greg Brann, is still helping us take our already-great pastures to the next level. Our unsprayed hay rolls were larger and more robust in the Fall of 2023 than they were in the Fall of 2022.

We cleared cedars and dead trees out of the old orchard and planted 22 trees from Tennessee Tree Day - and only lost 5. Finding old plum, pear and persimmon trees on different occasions and in different locations has been like finding secret treasures. It didn’t even matter to us that we only saw one plum on one tree last year - we know that if we are patient, they will come back with time and our newer trees will produce someday.

We planted blackberry and raspberry bushes in the garden in the Spring of 2023 and only lost 3. Harvesting from hundreds of wild blackberry bushes around the perimeters and fence lines, we have enjoyed and preserved the wild berries during two seasons now.

We took chicken processing classes at St. Mary’s Farm and were then able to help two different friends on their processing days. It is a foreign and sobering yet natural experience, and a great gift to know how an animal was raised and then harvested the way God intended - healthily, humanely and peacefully with only one bad day.

We learned how to preserve the seasonal harvests making juice, applesauce, jams, jellies, preserves, dehydrated fruits and herbs, frozen fruits and vegetables, tinctures, extracts, salves, vinegars, cleaning solutions, pie fillings, sauces and more. We got the hang of waterbath/steam canning and steam juicing, and next we will learn how to pressure can and preserve meats, beans and other low acid items.

We participated in the local farmers market, met a lot of nice people from Tennessee and other states, and have enjoyed sharing the garden abundance with them in on-farm purchases too. Michael conducted our first homeschool garden tour, and the children sowed seeds in an above-ground garden bed that resulted in beautiful lettuce heads. It has been an expected yet unexpected joy to share all kinds of fruits and vegetables with new friends and neighbors, allowing them to harvest their own produce at times and seeing their reactions to being exposed to the whole plant growing instead of just the singular outputs that we find in stores.

All this to say . . .

Learning, growing, making and building is what Year One was all about. It has been about unplanned infrastructure projects sprinkled with the hard work and joys of the harvest and the beauty of the land. It has been about realizing not everything will always happen as we intend but that we still move forward with plans, big and small. The unplanned can also be where we find joy, surprises and even more tough lessons.

Sharing all of these experiences with family from afar and new friends and neighbors here has made this adventure so meaningful, and for those who have supported us through purchases, visits, feedback or just questions and encouragement - we sincerely THANK you all.

We are looking forward to sharing more with you as our full Year Two progresses!