Gone fishin'

By living an almost completely agrarian lifestyle for the past two months we have noticed a few things:
1. The initial start up is very difficult (but worth it), and
2. We have to work really hard to make sure we are getting a completely balanced diet.

Getting in our fruits and veggies the past two months hasn't been too difficult because they are in abundance during the winter months. We make bread every week and also eat lots of oatmeal and rice. But meat is a different story. we cant just go kill a couple of chickens for dinner each night. We wouldn't have any left after a few months! We have a few goats that we keep around for milk, and we don't have any beef yet.

So we have learned to live off of fish during the summer! There are a few lakes on our property as well as in the surrounding area. This is Wesley and Laura's favorite "get away". They will go and fish for a couple of hours to have alone time as a couple and then they bring back food for the rest of us! It's a win-win! Occasionally some of the other guys will go as well but this is by far Laura and Wesley's favorite thing to do on the farm. And let me say that I'm not a very cutesy/emotional person, but they are just the cutest! They'll gather up their fishing supplies and off they go holding hands through the woods to their favorite spots. Aaahh I love it!

In the mean time, we all continue to work around the farm, preparing things for the coming winter. It won't be long before we get our first cold snap. I'm so nervous!! But I know we will do just fine. We have been super busy for the short period that we have been here. And speaking of beef, we are looking into getting some cows. Milking? Beef? Any suggestions?

Sincerely,
Ann

Summer ending

Our tomatoes, okra, and peppers are about to finish up for  he season so we are trying to get every last little thing picked and put up for the winter. The corn is still going strong though! And pumpkins are on their way! I see lots of pumpkin butter in our future. YUM!! The farmers market is also starting to wind down. It will still be open through the end of September and then... Well we don't have a definite plan after that. There's another market that stays open year round in a neighboring city so we might check that out. And yesterday Will, Lance, and Thomas planted some winter squashes and greens. And we are getting ready to plant some fruit trees and bushes! But those will take several years to mature.

On top of all the final summer gardening we are doing I have started quilting! Like actual full sized quilts. Addie got me hooked on quilts and she says she's going to help me quilt my first one. I've just about got the quilt top finished. It will be a single Irish chain with light pink and floral scraps. Oh I'm just so excited!

Ward has been revising out "constitution" this week. He says he wants it to be more specific to what we are doing here in Freedom. And we are both working on some by laws that will be used to govern our little society for now and hopefully the next generations that will be born into and also move to Freedom. We are praying that God will help us construct the proper documents to keep this beautiful place alive and well for a long time. But until next time dear readers!

Sincerely,
Ann

Pear Picking!

The local pears are in and Swanson Farms has given us a great deal on their pears! So we took an outing today to go and pick our own and then grab extra sugar and canning lids on the way back home. Fresh pears, canned pears, pear jam, pear butter, pear preserves!! My mouth is just watering. This will be the first time that all of us have left the farm together since we moved in. It is definitely a momentous occasion for our little group!

And what little outing wouldn't be complete without a picnic lunch! Rebecca and Laura packed quite a feast for our day of picking. We had fresh bread, peaches, sliced chicken breast, sliced tomatoes, and peanut butter cookies for dessert! YUM!!

We set out around 10 am from our farm and picked, ate lunch, and picked some more until about 1 in the afternoon. We had picked about 8 bushels of pears during this time. Good thing we brought the trucks! But it was so much fun! Afterwards we went to the store for sugar, canning lids and extra jars, and a few other items. Then home again, home again, jigity jig.

We quickly went to work packing some of the pears away in storage for later and pealing the rest. We planned to make about 100 jars of pear preserves and we weren't too far off of our calculations. In total we now have 113 pints of preserves in the cellar. For those who don't know, that's a lot of preserves to make in just a few short hours.

But we are now settling down for the night after our big excursion. And I'm about to fall asleep. But I'll keep you updated on all the goings on here at Freedom!

Sincerely,
Ann

Back Online

We are back online! Internet has been down for the past week and I still can't post pictures but we are still alive and well! Harvest time is upon us here in Freedom. We pick about 15-20 bushels of tomatoes, 20 gallons of okra, 10 gallons of peppers, and 15 gallons of squash and zucchini per week!! My word we have been blessed! The corn, peas and beans are almost ready to be picked. And we are leaving some of the corn to dry in the fields for livestock feed. Unfortunately the blackberry season has ended for us. But they were delicious while they were here!

We continue to go to the farmers market every Saturday. But our demand for fresh eggs has brought us to buy more chickens. So we now take anywhere from 35-50 dozen eggs to sell each week. Any extra produce is also taken to sell. And on top of that, Laura, Addie, and I have been making potholders, oven mitts, decorated hand towels, crocheted doilies, and other little projects to sell. Yes, pictures will be posted as soon as we can. It's always exciting to see what other farmers are growing in the area. There's one particular farm, Swanson Farms, that has a HUGE orchard filled with lots of peach, apple, and pear trees, as well as other seasonal fruits! We are going to get some more of their fruits for jams and preserves soon.

But one of the best things that has happened because of Freedom, Tn is our Sunday bible study! We come together on Sunday mornings to read different passages of scripture and pray for each other. We were already a close knit group but we use this time to develop those bonds. This is why I believe we have stayed together so far. We share concerns and pray requests for each other as well as family and friends outside of Freedom. Thomas usually leads the bible reading and then we sing hymns. The peace in that moment is unexplainable! "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them" Matthew 18:20

Until next time dear readers!

Sincerely,
Ann
P. S. If there is anything you need prayer for just let us know in the comments below!