We just completed our Self Sufficiency Summit, a two day blitz of homesteading skills. And it was fantastic. I have said for a while now that you don’t get down the self-sufficiency road too far before you realize there is no such thing. There is only community-sufficiency. Because all of our efforts to learn new skills, grow more food, and care for farm animals have all led to more and more friendship and relationship. Self Sufficiency always leads to community.
And so it was with this event, teaching all sorts of skills on self-sufficiency and meeting so many fantastic people along the way.
We had 33 people come this year for two days of homesteading how-to’s. New friends came from all over: Oklahoma, California, Wisconsin, Indiana and even HAWAII! A new state for the Grovestead! It was a great group of people and I just feel so blessed to get to meet so many quality folk through our events.
Rory and I gave a welcome and introductions and then talked about why we homestead. The first session was by our real-estate friend Kevin teaching a workshop called ‘Considerations in finding a country Homestead.’ It was so informative, bringing up all sorts of zoning things I had never thought of, and county resources I didn’t know were available to us.
This year we had dear friends of ours team up with us for the teaching. They don’t have a YouTube channel or even an instagram account. They simply do the stuff we all were talking about. Really well. Their whole family taught varying workshops and it was marvelous- showcasing capable kids and a fully functioning family economy.
Estella taught Homegrown Healthcare: Medicinal herbs and tinctures and even made a healing salve as a demonstration that we all got to take home. Estella is 14 years old and overwhelmingly well studied and poised. And then because of her age, she made the whole topic feel so accessible. We’re all excited to get started!
We ate lunch and then it was time to butcher chickens!
Chicken butchering is such an empowering skill. I think it’s just something that feels absolutely foreign until you walk through the process, and get your hands in there. Literally. And then I think something just happens inside that sort of lights a fire, “shoot. if I can do this, what else can I do?!!” It is so fun, strangely joyful and there is always a lot of laughter.
Sarah concluded the chicken session by showing how to piece a whole bird.
Next we were off to the woodshed to talk about Fuel and Energy Considerations for your homestead and to split wood with the hydraulic splitter and by hand. Followed by a watermelon snack break.
I shared about our Amish friend’s off-grid home and how wisely it is laid out so that it doesn’t feel like they’re roughing it, even though there isn’t a furnace, light switch or outlet to be found.
We concluded the first day with Ivar and Rory leading a garden tour followed by a taco dinner in the barn. I think you can tell at this point that these two days were jam packed!
We ate tacos and ice cream treats and shared our hopes and dreams for the future at dinner. Those are such meaningful conversations- the stuff of hopes and dreams. And that concluded day one. Day two started off with Evelyn and Mike teaching the workshop on dairying by milking a goat, making goat milk lotion and then butter.
Her homemade butter was then spread on her homemade bread and served as a snack. Classy!
Next was a workshop with Mike on Family Scale Livestock and choosing the right livestock breeds, while touring our farm and showing our animals.
And then Ivar demonstrated how he rotates the sheep on pasture with a lesson on fencing and rotational grazing. The content was very solid and the sky was very photogenic!
We had a late lunch and then hit it again for two back to back workshops in the upstairs of the barn. Sarah taught on Preserving the Harvest followed by Long Term Food Storage. She is the real deal- preserving all of what they grow and raise. And somehow she makes the whole thing feel very accessible- and not only does she think we can we all do it too, but that we should do it too.
The whole event concluded with a sharing time telling what each person is going home inspired and hopeful to do.
Honestly, the whole two days sort of felt a lot like summer camp for adults. It was that fun. And we all learned SO MUCH. I am inspired and feel able to do more than before and that was the goal. There was a whole conversation on work, and the worthiness of working hard. And a word on discouragement and overcoming by trying and trying again.
These are really special gatherings, God calling his people together. We’d love to have you join next year!
