Back when I had a facebook page (circa 2009), I remember my little bio included the line, “Likes to question established mindsets.” I don’t really know what I was questioning back then — certainly not anything as controversial as what I started questioning three years later. But apparently the tendency was there. Now where it came from, I have no idea. It’s gotten me where I am today, though. And for that, I am very grateful.
In 2011 I graduated from UL with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. But instead of getting an engineering job I became a FOCUS missionary for a couple of years. In May 2012 Kristin and I married. FOCUS wasn’t really the best situation for married couples with children (thank you to my dear wife for helping me realize that) so I left missionary work and got a “real job,” a designer at an engineering firm.
No later than Day 1 of my “real job” I realized that I did not want the next 30 years to look like that. Brainstorming and a few weeks of research led me to hatch a plan to get some land and become a farmer.
The plan worked! In 2018, St. Joseph Homestead was officially established, and I quit the engineering job in 2019.
The adventures over the years have been many. We have seven children (so far). We found the Latin Mass and became “Traditional” Catholics (a.k.a. Catholics). We’ve had chickens, sheep, cows, and a goose. We’ve morphed our farm business through several different stages. And we built our own off-grid house.
To sum it all up, I’ll turn back to “questioning established mindsets.” In reality, it is “questioning recently established mindsets,” and fully embracing the tried and true, traditional mindsets. Our family is traditional, not because of nostalgia, but because the old way has a proven track record, and it’s proving to be indispensable in our lives as well. Whether in religion, economics, or diet and health, history shows us what really works. Almost everything we consider normal today was not normal 75 years ago. Are we better off now than then? Or have we been lied to about the wonders of technology, science, and medicine?
This blog is dedicated to sharing my thoughts on family, religion, homesteading, and most especially, growing food in South Louisiana. I hope you enjoy it.
