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Homesteading: Selected Work

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. 

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Homesteading: Bio
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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.

Homesteading: Bio

Skills

Knowledge & Expertise

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Herbal Remedies

2019

Top Reads: Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicines. Andrew Chevallier

Homesteading: Skills
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