Victoria Hill Farm: Sugar Maple

Who says the good old days are gone forever? For centuries our relatives have depended on their land, their family and their faith in God to get through this thing called life. Today we rely on big box stores, modern technology and cheap overseas labor for everything we need. But are we really living the good life?

My name is Barb, and in June of 2006 I quit my job to become a stay-at-home mom to my three children. My husband and I and our three children decided to change our entire lifestyle – to live simply, naturally, and frugally like our grandparents did. And so began our homestead, and Victoria Hill Farm.

Still plodding along on our never-ending journey toward self-sufficiency, we now raise chickens and grow our own vegetables, fruits and herbs on our 1/3 of an acre "farm" in the middle of a small city. My husband still works full-time outside the home and I work 15 hours a week for my church. We use our roughly $40,000 a year income to pay for whatever we cannot make or grow ourselves, as well our mortgage and utilities. It is a slow process, but we are striving to live life as we believe God intended – simply and happily.