Leaf & Bean: Welcome to Homesteading in Color

There has got to be a better way

There has got to be a better way, such a simple statement that carries so much weight. As a couple, my husband and I were born and raised in the city; the fast-paced hustle and bustle was just becoming too much for us. All of the children were nearly grown, living their own lives, finding their path, and here we were, stuck in a concrete jungle that offered us nothing more than stressful and unfulfilled lives. While there had been many conversations by my husband (I will be referring to him as Mister) about going off-grid and starting over, which had been his heart’s wish for nearly his entire life, it took me some convincing, and one day the conversation switched to us needing a piece of land, a small place for us to escape and get back attuned with nature. It was a perfect compromise.

So off I set into the internet dreamland/black hole of online land search. There were so many options: quarter-acre plots, hundred-acre plots in the mountains next to rivers, desert highlands, on-grid, off-grid, so many choices. Then reality struck with price tags that made it seem as if it was really just a dream. For us, it was imperative not to incur any more debt, as that was the whole goal: to take the pressure off and transition to a slower, simpler pace of living.

By some miracle, I came across a foreclosure site that had what seemed like a perfect little piece of land only about two hours away from where we were living at the time. This was it; it had to be… it was close, it was in our budget range, it was moderately sized, and as luck would have it, the seller offered to reduce the price if we were willing to make an offer on the property in the next week. So, sight unseen, we took a leap of faith and, with the help of family, we were able to purchase it outright, no mortgage. As our budget was very, very slim, it was the first step to breaking the shackles of city life.

What was supposed to be our weekend retreat gave us a gift we never expected: a whole HOUSE was on the property, and no one realized it was there. We had an actual diamond in the rough and a new project, so we spent the entire summer rehabbing the home and land, and the decision was made that we no longer had to “city suffer” because we wanted so much more, and this was our chance to make the changes we longed for.

On a cool fall night, we packed up everything we owned and moved into the only completed room in the house and embarked on the Leaf and Bean journey. Ironically, we had created that name in one of our brainstorming conversations a few years prior, and it seemed so fitting.

I won’t lie to you; it was hard work. There were long nights, early mornings, holes in floors, cold nights, no running water, but for the first time in my life, it all felt purposeful, that it was for a reason, for our family. So even being exhausted from the work we were doing, it was for us. We were going to reap the success and benefits of all this hard work; it was OURS.

The move to a rural environment led to more appreciation of the creator’s masterful hand in nature. We got to see all the stars in full constellations, light a fire pit and cook outside, run barefoot through the grass, and occasionally, a nude warm summer rain dance. It was heaven. It just made sense, but it also made clear that we had a lot to learn and the curve was going to be fast and steep.

When we started our journey, classifying as homesteaders wasn’t even on our radar. Surviving meant that there were things we needed to have in place for our own comfort and stability. Running water was a must, indoor toilets were non-negotiable, and the ability to grow our own food was mandatory.

With that, Mister started on the major systems, and I started on how we would preserve and make the most of our limited resources. We did not assign gender roles, but there were things that we found we had strengths in. He’s a builder, a natural with his hands, and I’m a maintenance-and-preserving kinda girl. While he fixed major problems, I assisted as executive support staff while learning canning, bread making, and sewing.

We would choose what we were growing. He built raised beds, amended the soil, and planted. I pulled weeds and harvested. Mister built a chicken coop, and I brooded chicks; it seemed as if everything went hand in hand, and our mission gradually changed.

It grew from wanting to get off the hamster wheel to making this complete life that we had control over. To be able to create and build, to grow all the things we were so fond of and took for granted, how they were produced or where they came from. It was eye-opening, and so the list of things we did and wanted to do grew. The list of things we planted grew, and the number of animals we had grew.

We are often asked how we know what we know, how we came to this passion. Like many, we have grandparents who were raised in a rural environment and had to live this life out of necessity, so growing up, we had some basis of understanding on the importance of, at the very least, growing food, as on both sides of our family, gardens were kept.

A strong parental foundation emphasized the importance of learning, which motivated us to do lots of reading and researching. We dove in; we got books, videos, articles, anything that made reference to what we were trying to do, and plenty of trial and error (I am still struggling to keep my sourdough alive), and just like that we were homesteaders and on a mission to find others that were living life like us, others who wanted to live like us, because what better way to learn and get advice and encouragement than from those that are doing it as well.

Sadly, there were not many BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) representatives to find, which impressed upon us even more that we had to share our successes and failures and the journey of us learning to steward our land.

There will never be a point where I want to be considered an expert. There is so much to learn, and every day presents its own challenges. What I am is an example with experience that I want to share with all those willing to listen.

This is a way of living that could benefit everyone; after all, who doesn’t want to save money, be more self-sufficient, eat healthier, and live better?

I want to share with you a starting point. I want you to build on this information to fit your circumstances, take notes, add to recipes, experiment, and make this process your own!

So if you’re thinking about homesteading, just starting, or experienced like us, I hope this encourages you to take that leap, know that you have someone who believes in what you are doing, or find encouragement on your journey.

Welcome to Homesteading in Color.

— Nivek

Leaf & Bean Farm