Catholic Homesteaders???

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We are an orthodox Catholic family who also happen to be homesteading/farmsteading. It would be great to find some other families who might share not only our homesteading beliefs but also our faith and interest in homeschooling, market gardening, farming with work horses etc. I know this might be a long shot but thought I would try.

So.....any out there??

-- David Oelker (daoelker@ticona.com), July 14, 1999

Answers

Howdy from Texarkana, TX!

Have you contact the "Christian Homesteading Movement" in New York state? They are a Roman Catholic family who has classes in various skills. I'm sure they could put you in touch with other homesteaders of like faith. We, personally, are Orthodox Christians, and we'd be happy to talk to you, if you'd like.

Sincerely, Darin "Basil" Arrick basil@homestead.org

Homestead.org - The Online Homesteading and Small Farming Resource http://www.homestead.org

-- Basil Arrick (basil@homestead.org), July 15, 1999.


David, We are also Orthodox Catholics. We reside in East Texas. At least for a few more weeks. We are moving to Northern Idaho in a few weeks. There is a great little magazine that advertised in CS for about a year. It is titled "Full of Grace". They are Catholic and devoted to living simply. I look forward to it everymonth. It isn't very big, but it is delightful. They have a website. We have been subsribers to CS since 1990 (whether we got it through the mail or at the store). I love it! Please feel free to email me. Leslie

-- Leslie Bachner (dblebach@hotmail.com), August 23, 1999.

Hello. We live in West Michigan amongst the Apple Orchards and are Catholic Homeschoolers of our six little children. We don't homestead at all yet, but do grow some of our own food. I also am a commercial alcoholic cider maker on a very small scale, a thing which allows me to work with my three oldest children. That certainly helps us be the primary educators of our children, since they both study and work in the presence of their parents. by the way, your article on underground homes was very interesting. Do you live in one? Pax Christi, Daniel Fagan

-- Daniel R. Fagan (fagandr@juno.com), October 27, 1999.

Hi we are a catholic family who are trying to become more self reliant. We have four acres and garden. We have rabbits and will be getting chickens in the spring.Our kids go to a catholic school and are 4-H members as well as scout members.

-- David (nelson3@bright.net), February 05, 2000.

I've found a Catholic site that deals with emergency preparedness, food preserving, gardening, homesteading, etc. http://www.justpeace.org/bettertimes.htm Not everything will appeal to everyone's political philosophy but there is some good information and links.

-- Harry Meekins (wrp@trib.com), August 06, 2000.


David, et al, you can add us to your list. We're in west-central WI and Traditional Roman Catholics--or as a friend of ours says, Roaming Catholics! (Not sure what the difference is between Orthodox and Traditional...) We aren't exactly homesteaders, but do try to live simply, and raise a big garden, some fruit trees and a couple of rabbits. Looking to add some chickens in the spring. We also plan on homeschooling our two youngest children when they are school- aged. I'd definitely look forward to hearing from any/all of you. (Even tho this thread was begun quite some time ago.)

Also, for any of the women folk (with children), I belong to a great Traditional Catholic Mom's e-mail list. (Only requirement is trying to raise your children Catholic according to pre-Vatican II standards.) Not necessarily homesteaders, but just a nice group of women, very friendly and supportive. You have to sign up with egroups (egroups.com) and look for the TCMList.

Hope to make some new friendships here!--Paul & Laurie Giertych

-- Laurie Giertych (TradCountryGirl@aol.com), November 03, 2000.


Hi, gang. About a year and a half ago, my wife and five children moved out of the Los Angeles area (Thank God!) to Steubenville, OH. We enjoy the Catholic community here. Some Catholics have moved out to rural areas west of Steubenville, but they are spread out on various roads and spend a lot of time in the car. I would like to start a small homestead community out here, or possibly in WV or KY.

I'm talking about a planned area, (300 Acre?) maybe employing a land trust to set aside open space, farmland, etc., with a population target of one person per acre. I want a commmunity in which my kids can ride horses and bicycles and we can take horse and cart to the general store for supplies, or WALK down the road without getting run over. No, there would probably be no sidewalks. I have seen Amish driving buggies on state highways in Ohio. Scary.

The idea here is not to create another modern suburb, but more like a small farm town of the past, with folks building their own houses, barns, fences, etc., and husbanding the land. Family businesses would be encouraged. A small "downtown" area might be nice. No tennis courts, golf courses, or animal "shows" here, please. I'm talking simple living.

It would be great if the town could support a church (a real one!) and library with adjacent rooms for science labs and other facilities that homeschoolers and tutored students or flexible small ad-hoc classes could share. I don't much like schools or academies, but some might want one, so I wouldn't want to rule it out. I think we could all share a library and some classrooms, though.

There's much more to this vision, but I don't want to put it all here. I am reading up on sociology and economics: Roepke, Belloc, Chesterton, Weaver, et al., I have seen Star of the Sea Village in Hardy, AR, and have read their bulletin, and the founding documents of the Society of Saint John in the Diocese of Scranton, PA (ssjohn.org). My wife's a city girl, so I'm thinking we may attend a weeklong homesteading course at the Fahey's or something.

I must recommend a book to y'all: Husbandry, by Nathan Griffith. It's full of advice on how to grow crops, butcher animals, preserve harvest; talks about spring houses, ice houses, alternative toilet...and it's got scriptural quotes strewn throughout.

I may e-mail some of you soon, but am out of time for now.

God Bless You. Bob Blessum

-- Bob Blessum (robertblessum@netscape.net), December 05, 2000.


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