the homestead
on the north shore of lake erie
a whimsy farm exists
where plants are grown
wood is turned
and poems are handwritten, just like this
the farm is called home
by several foxes and a dog
and two homegrown steaders
who sow all season long
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our creations are shipped
from the homestead
to your door
and the blog contains
thoughts from the field
if you'd like to learn a little more
thanks for coming by
and checking things out
if you need any assistance
please give us a shout
wood
locally salvaged
All the pieces featured on our website have been made from locally salvaged wood. What does this mean? It means we are taking wood that would otherwise be chipped, dumped, or left to rot, and turning it into functional art.
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Jakoby's methods and knowledge of how the wood responds to air, heat, moisture and light, all come into play when he is creating a piece. By sanding and applying a natural finish to the turned items, these once condemned logs are transformed into one-of-a-kind heirlooms that can be enjoyed for years to come.
care & use
These pieces were once mighty trees; standing tall, providing shade and shelter for the ecosystems in which they lived. Though they are no longer rooted deep within the earth, their cells still carry a remembering. This remembering is what gives these seemingly "inanimate" objects life.
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Like any living organism, the wooden products have optimal conditions in which they thrive.
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All wooden items, ornamental or functional, should be kept out of direct sunlight, as it will dry out the wood and increase the risk of cracking.
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If you are enjoying your piece purely as art, there isn't much maintenance required. You may want to check on it every couple years-ish to see if it needs conditioning (if it is located in a warm, dry area, you may have to check more often).
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For functional pieces, such as salad bowls, being mindful of how you wash, dry and store your bowl is key.
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washing:
To wash your salad bowl, we recommend wiping it with a cool damp towel or cloth, then letting it air dry before returning it to its home. For particularly 'saucy' or 'loaded' salads, it's okay to gently wash the bowl under cool running water.
We do not recommend using any sort of scented dish soap (especially ones like Dawn & Palmolive) as it will strip the bowl's natural oil finish, and potentially absorb into the pores of the wood, causing permanent scent. A natural unscented soap would be the only suitable option for saucy, salad clean up, but ideally: no soap.
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Remember: your bowl is a living object - treat it with care.
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maintenance:
Pieces being used regularly will naturally dry out over time. You can re-apply finish when you notice a change. Finish can be as complex or simple as you like. Common household waxes and oils work great to re-seal your wooden products if they're looking a little dry. Our favourites include: beeswax, walnut oil and food-grade mineral oil (if you're in a pinch, olive and coconut oil will work just fine).
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Other natural, food-grade sealers such as Danish oil and Linseed oil are suitable as well, provided the bowl has enough time to cure before holding food again (typically 25-30 days curing time).
time-tested
Humans have been using wooden bowls and vessels since the beginning of time; whether they were double boiling beeswax and mineral oil to seal them is an entirely different conversation. The point is - don't sweat the small stuff, the wood is resilient. Direct sunlight, intense moisture and heat will cause the most damage. Anything else can be prevented with regular maintenance. If you have a specific question, please check out our FAQ page.
word
thoughts from the field
Jess loves to write about holistic healing and homestead life. Some of her favourite topics include growing your own food, seasonal living, and DIY homestead projects. She enjoys pushing limits in her poetic writing, encouraging readers to ponder life's big questions and challenge limiting beliefs. With nature at the root of her art, she uses both her yin (deep, artsy poems) and yang (bright, visionary blogs) to uplift readers along their journey.
Jess' background in Kinesiology, landscaping and holistic nutrition naturally led to an interest in growing her own food. Along with the many physical and emotional benefits she noticed from growing her own food, the connection she felt co-creating with the land opened up a whole other world of heart-based living and wellbeing.
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Excited to share what she was learning, Jess mindfully chronicled her life learnings in her journal.
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Her first paperback series, t h o u g h t s , came out during a particularly interesting time in her journey. She was learning how to run an organic farm, living semi-nomadically in an RV, and taking care of an aging dog - all while nurturing her new spiritual practice. Her fourth book, notes, came out a year and a half later, with a slightly refined approach to her writing style, with her signature minimalist formatting. If you'd like to read more about the books, and how they came to be, click here.
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You can purchase her books here, and join the thoughts from the field community here.
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herb
small-batch, seasonal
We use natural and sustainable practices to grow, manage, harvest, process and preserve our herbs. We believe in our small-batch, seasonal approach and enjoy sharing the harvest here on our site. We hand-pick our herbs, to ensure top quality. Hand-picking allows us to harvest at the optimal time for the plants, and in successions throughout the season (i.e. regular harvests). We then air-dry the herbs using passive, zero-energy racks. The herbs are then sifted, blended and packaged for sale.
naturally grown
Our practices include:
- building soil with compost
- cover cropping
- using worms for castings and fertilizer
- low-till plots and no-till beds
- using natural soil amendments such as bone meal, blood meal, kelp, etc. from reputable sources
- weed management through hoeing, hand weeding, soil building and selective tarping of beds
- teaming up with animals for compost breakdown, fertilizer creation and helping the land
- believing in the power and wisdom of nature, and doing our best to align with this rhythm