| HOPe Springs eternal To say that this has been an interesting journey would be somewhat of an understatement. Thank God for our oldest son; Winston, who has graciously accepted the position of IT person (for those who; like us, need some explaining that is the someone who makes the Internet stuff happen.) My wife Alexsondra, and I are not high tech people to say the least. We are really happiest with our hands deep in the dirt. There is something truly magical about watching the results in the soil that you have meticulously worked up with compost and manure and other organic amendments (which we only use!). You can see it come alive. It makes me think back to when we purchased our farm five years ago. We both came from farm family back-grounds. In fact Alexsondra grew up on a dairy farm, and swore when see left that she would never go back to farm life again. Over time we both had come to realize that we yearned for that harmony that only close contact with nature can provide. There is a deep satisfaction to picking apples in season and baking a truly beautiful apple pie and having your children each have a hand in the making. Or gathering eggs from the hen house, and sharing them with an elderly neighbor who in turn shares wonderful childhood memories with you. The farm had been part of a civil war settlement, and since that time several families had come and gone. For the most part it had been farmed with chemical methods in the last perhaps 50 years. We had both known of the place all our lives. If fact two generations of previous owners were teacher's of mine. The history of the place seemed to be about intertwined lives. At a moment after we bought the place when I was so sure we had made a mistake. One of those teachers; Mrs. Annetta Baker, wrote a truly lovely and appointed letter expressing her joy that we had become the new owners. She went on to say that there was a time when she and her family had thought that they would have to abandon the place, but that a quiet prayer whispered at an upstairs window was heard, and as she said " we had many more years of joy on that farm" and in closing " I pray your family finds joy there as well". So, how does all this lead to living soil? The day we made the offer; unlike a great many property buyers my concern was not on the home (which was a mess) I picked a handful of soil up and held it in my hand " there's no life left here" I said "this soil is dead". "We can change that" Alexsondra reminded me. "I know" I sighed thinking about what that would entail. It has been all of that, but it has also been a lesson in patience, and letting the systems that the Lord put into place speak to you, and yes tremendous amounts of great joy. So, where are you in realizing your rural vision, we want to be of use. Our plan (Lord willing) is to offer information, education, and to provide sources, resource and goods to those who, like ourselves, seek to return to a more simplified and sustainable life-style. There are an ever growing number of us who are choosing to return to our roots. We are making the decision that Madison Avenue, Wall Street, and "big box" industry have "hi-jacked" our visions long enough. We have been left with damaged people, families, damaged communities, and a damaged earth. We now have food that cannot nourish or sustain; craftsmanship is nearly a thing of the past, and we have forgotten the satisfaction of being able to say with soiled hands " I made this" or "I grew that". Whether you live in the country, yearn to one day, your a week-end gardener, or just like to get your hands in the dirt we hope to offer something of use for all of us that believe that closeness to the soil and a slower paced life bring us nearer to where we were created to be. We will be working on, and expanding our pages throughout the next few months. You will see some things coming, and others going through here. Please, bear with us as we attempt to iron out the wrinkles. |
| Welcome to Ephraim Farm |
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Dare to .... dream have faith believe |
| Be the seed of change that you would see in the world. Gandhi |
If you enjoy what you see; please, let us know, keep checking back, and pass the word along. Use the links to guide you through our sight. In the meantime, be our guest! Wander around a little. Stay for a cup of tea. Let's indulge in that fast disappearing practice of neighbors visiting. |
This small garden shed was a wonderful find. A friend had this little building and was going to scrap it. We jumped on it ! Unfortunately, the copula pictured on top was blown off in a severe storm this last fall. That was part of what gave it so much charm. It will of course be going back , rooster weather vane and all. Eventually, it will become part of a planned rose garden or incorporated into an existing herb garden. It was originally slated to be a hen-house but proved to be too narrow and too low to conveniently gather eggs and throughly clean well. It will be dandy however for holding bags of soil amendments and to keep a few tools close. |
| Our son, Edwin is followed by our small flock of geese. They really are just pets. They do however provide the most beautiful eggs beginning in very early Spring which are wonderful to paint on. We like to use a few for Easter as well. Ours are Pilgrims; an heirloom breed, which have a somewhat gentler disposition then others. The males are primarily white and the females will be gray. Anyway this is Abraham, Isaac, Lily, Sweet Pea, and Jacob. Sweet Pea is quite the little charmer she just loves for you to sit and visit with her. She will just peep away endlessly. |
