Let me set the scene: I’m sitting on the porch, it’s a warm spring day here in Tennessee. Birds are chirping, ice cream is churning in the background and I’m here at my computer writing a blog post I never imagined I would ever write in my entire life.
When you swear up and down you’ll never do something…maybe just don’t swear up and down you won’t do it. I’m living proof that when you begin to put something out into the universe, it surprises you with the unexpected.
Before we dive in too deep, we should probably start from the beginning. Back in 1997, my parent’s bought our 3rd generation family farm sitting on a beautiful, 22 acres just above the Alabama line in Tennessee.
For as long as they can remember, it’s been farmed primarily with corns and soybeans just until they started to build their home last year. Looking out now, the pastures are mostly filled with weeds and this time of year the trees are in full bloom. It’s a stunning sight to see. Towering oaks, maples, and tulip poplars showing off their gorgeous spring foliage, all signs that spring is here to stay.
I’m their only child, adopted from birth, and wasn’t exactly what you would call a “country girl”. Sure I loved to fish with my Gramps and ride around in the tractor bucket, but I never really felt like the country was where I wanted to be. So I left and headed to…west Texas and then to Austin where I lived for five years. That’s where I met Chris, my wonderful partner in life and now also in business. Together we run my digital agency, Honeycomb.
Last year, we sold most of our belongings and moved from Austin to travel. We experienced some of the most amazing farmer’s markets in the country which set us on a path towards sustainable agriculture. We started seriously considering how we could do this ourselves and set up our own homestead. We’ve consumed hundreds of hours of videos, podcasts and books, but we know the best learning is in the doing. So we’ve found ourselves here, on my parent’s farmstead in Tennessee, to see what’s possible.
Our goal is simple: Bring back as much wildlife as possible while also creating a sustainable food web. We have big plans for this sweet country escape and we are excited to share all the ups and downs here with you!
Follow along on Instagram @mableandjack