Allow me to introduce myself. I am a mother, gardener, and educator. I live with my family in Eugene, Oregon, where our ¼ acre homestead is an abundant tangle of vegetables, fruit trees, flowers and herbs. I am a Master Gardener and Certified Permaculture Designer, but I don’t believe that these titles mean half as much as my 25 years experience of making mistakes in the garden.

I am also the homemaker of our home. I started baking my own bread when I was 14 and it sparked a lifelong love of cooking from scratch. My kitchen is a jungle of jars, with every kind of food inside. Perhaps most importantly, I spent 7 years as a full-time mama, and understand the unique challenges of trying to maintain a productive home and homestead, while also wiping up spills and breaking up fights for 12 hours a day. 

I love the beauty of a handmade life, and still get a thrill of pleasure when I bring in a basket of eggs or a bunch of freshly pulled carrots. But I value authenticity even more, and I don’t like to hide the dirt under my nails. Years ago someone jokingly dubbed me Calamity Jane, not because I’m a cowgirl but because I’m a rule-breaker. Join me as I topple the edifice of Pinterest Perfection and get right into the nitty gritty details of real life homesteading!