Homesteading is a big part of what I do and who I am.
Over the years my husband, Andrew Mathis, and I have built a life together on our 1.7-acre property. we grow the food to nourish our family year-round. Over the years, we have become chicken enthusiasts, beekeepers, country wine makers, and truly passionate about these traditional ways of life.
A passion for self-sufficency
Regeneration and sustainability
The skills listed below have been honed over years through mentorship, reading, workshops, and of course trial and error.
There is a spectacular yearly rhythm to these passions, tasks changing with the seasons. This means I spend my winter months reading, researching, and planning. Then when the ground thaws I begin again. Mid-summer the work turns from tending to preserving bringing the harvest inside to keep us nourished, healthy, and entertained through the winter months. These cycles allow for reflection and growth and each year I learn so much more.
Skills
Knowledge & Expertise
Preserving
Since 2014
Mentor: Pamela Hatheway
Canning Academy Online Course - Living Homegrown
Top Reads: Mastering Fermentation, Mary Karlin
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning, Center Terre Vivante
Batch, Joel MacCharles & Dana Harrison
Canadian Preserves and Country Wines, Blanche Pownall Garrett
The Gentle Art of Preserving, Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi
Gardening
Since 2016
Mentor: Maggie Connell
Seed to Table Online Course (4 months) - Vegetable Academy
Top Reads: East Coast Gardener, Majorie Willison
Year Round Vegetable Gardener, Niki Jabbour
Wine Making
Since 2014
Mentor: Lee Whitney
Top Reads: Fruits of the Earth, Blanche Pownall Garrett
Making Wines Liqueurs & Cordials, Beshlie Grimes
The River Cottage Booze Handbook, John Wright
Beekeeping
Since 2021
BeeKeeping Mentor: Daniel Allard
Introduction to Beekeeping 2-day Course - College of Extended Learning
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Wild Foraging Plants and Mushrooms
2019
Mentor: Adam Birchweaver
Top Reads: The Complete Mushroom Hunter, Gary Lincoff
Boletes of Eastern North America, Alan Bessette, William Roody, Arleen Bessette
Weeds of the Woods, Glen Blouin
Herbal Remedies
2019
Top Reads: Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicines. Andrew Chevallier