Welcome, friends, to Blackberry Hill Homestead!
We’re a family of 5 living on 40 acres in central New Hampshire. Set back a quarter mile off the road, it’s our little secret haven. On the edge of the woods surrounding us are relentless brambles. Hence the name, Blackberry Hill.
We moved to our home in 2014 before we had kids. Before we had any experience growing a garden, before we had any real interest in farm animals (besides a few laying hens), and before we had any idea what our “blank slate” of a property would turn into.
Right when we moved here, my husband bought a tractor. I said, “what do you need a tractor for?”
Hah! I had no idea.
The endless projects and ideas and large property keep that thing going. The tractor is so often in use – moving material, digging holes, fixing the driveway, turning compost, snowblowing, towing…
Over the years, we’ve added a garden, chicken coop, barn, and wood shed. We’ve planted fruit trees and blueberry bushes. We’ve raised chickens, turkeys, and pigs for meat. And so much more.
In the last six years, we’ve also had three kids, just to add to the chaos. They’ve been a big reason why we continue to learn and grow, and why we continue our homesteading journey. Our desire to give them the best childhood and the best food available keeps us going on those tired days and when the to-do lists seem never ending.
Split the firewood.
Load the boiler.
De-ice the chicken water.
Move the broilers.
Bake the bread.
Fold the laundry.
Weed the garden.
Dig up the potatoes.
Preserve all the food.
Paint the latest project.
And so on…
We love that the kids are a part of the process and learn along with us. They gather eggs and fill the chicken feeder. They help heard the guineas back into the coop at night. They love planting seeds and cutting flowers to bring in the house.
The kids have so much to learn and see, and so much room to run and play. We fill their plates with food that we’ve grown and raised and cooked from scratch, and remind them of the work that has gone into what we eat and enjoy. We homeschool so that they have the time and freedom to be a part of these projects with us, time to enjoy being outside and discover what they love.
We want to share this part of our lives with all of you, to share what we have learned and what has and hasn’t worked for us, and to hopefully connect and learn from you too.
We have taught ourselves so much, yet still have so much to learn. It often feels like we’re still just starting out.
Here’s to working hard, reveling in our accomplishments, and striving to provide the best for our family and yours.
blackberryhillhomestead.com 