By Aidan Sammut
Becoming a father was one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever grown to love; the second would be building a homestead from the ground up.
A few years ago, a strange pull for freedom that has always been in our hearts silently drew our young family back to our long-forgotten roots. We pursued a lifestyle of hard work, simple living and natural, homegrown foods.
Yearning to set a positive example for our son and future children, we started sowing the seeds, educating ourselves, building and planning and increasing our knowledge in raising livestock.
We also learned the best way to escape all of the chaos in life was to lose yourself in nature.
Yet, nothing worthwhile comes easy. The 14 acres we purchased had been strip mined around the early 1950s and remained unreclaimed, meaning we didn’t have more than a few inches of topsoil to work with before hitting rock over the whole visible terrain.
This situation meant building a home would be more difficult. Invasive plant species such as autumn olive and multi flora rose had taken over, step hills and rocky terrain caused safety hazards, there was no water or visible wetlands for development and there were sparse woods with young, poorly rooted trees. Not to mention, the pole barn on the property was previously used as a hunting shelter with no running water or electricity. But we decided to turn this into our starter home.
With every obstacle in our way and many sacrifices to make, as optimistic, naive young adults, we persevered and continued on to build the future we thought our family deserved.
In the beginning, we looked too much at the bigger picture. Our minds were so occupied with developing the property into a perfect homestead as quickly as possible that we didn’t realize that with all its faults, the land was exactly what we needed. It was already the perfect homestead.
I had the privilege to work with friends who taught me that the most beautiful things can be found in the worst locations, if you only take the time to pause and look for them. After slowing down and looking in more detail at our property, we were astounded at what we observed.
Despite being strip mined and unreclaimed land, nature took over and was mending the ecosystem of the property, all without human intervention. We began witnessing a thousand little miracles all around us.
Noticing all of the different plant varieties, tree diversity, natural spring and vernal pool existence, animal and insect life and so much more made our property seem like a paradise. We even discovered fruiting plants such as elderberries, apple trees and wild berries that I had passed a thousand times before while grazing our sheep. We became more attentive and observant of all the hidden secrets that not only our property, but the world around us had to offer.
Taking the time to observe the small things around us throughout the adventure of life gives a feeling of fulfillment at the end of the day. More informed decisions can be made, and there is a sense of gratitude for all the natural beauty that surrounds us. Let us do our part in conserving the land. By sharing the little details and secrets of nature that are often overlooked, others may become more conscious and protect the natural resources that are around us for generations to come.
(Aidan Sammut is the Yellow/Cross Creek Watershed Program Manager for the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District. He can be reached at 740-264-9790 or asammut@jeffersoncountyoh.com.)
