It seems lately that there has been an uptick in the number of messianics that are curious about the ways of the land; that is, homesteading in a communal way.
We've only got .80 of an acre, that's right, less than 1 acre! And I can tell you unquestionably that granted there are no municipal codes against it, 1 acre is plenty enough to keep two people busy.
Now that the seasons have finally changed and warmed up, we've got several projects moving along.
Elizabeth has her Warre Hive filled with bees! I've been busy at every opportunity getting this massive garden going. I sewed a quarter acre of buckwheat! Tonight I am in the act of getting our herbs and tomatoes in the ground.
Now is a good time for me to apologize for a lack of photos, if you'd like you can add me on Facebook, just let me know that you've seen this blog! My FB has a multitude of photos, also it's much easier to answer questions. Just look for Michael McCartan.
So now that you know what we are up to, let me tell you about what we could do additionally if there were no codes. We could have enough chickens to feed our family through the year. We could also have as many orchard trees as we desire(18+). We could also potentially have an area set aside for ducks, that'd be nice. There is enough room for a wash-house 15x15'. There is also enough room for a sizable greenhouse say 14x30'.
And you'd probably want a garden shed, large enough to dry onions and garlic and a two-story is optimal of about 12x12', anything larger than that is fine but there comes a point where it stops being a "shed".
I wouldn't want to do too much more than this as it could become a little difficult to manage the property efficiently.
Back to the messianic point, I'm not surprised that the majority of us are not familiar with the more menial tasks of homesteading. There seems to be about 5-10 percent of us though that have taken to homesteading in a serious manner.
There are regular talks of establishing a "messianic community", from what I understand there is atleast one community of such believers around here.
I would encourage an establishment of a community after an "amish model". Everyone would own their land, be horse and buggy, and have a trade they could perform on or near their land, and an avoidance of fuel-powered-machinery as well as electricity would be encouraged. At the very establishment of said community everyone would have to be on the same page on all matters and there would vitally need to be a bishop or person in charge of religious tasks in some capacity.
The difficult thing for most people to understand about this communal style is this, you are no longer "American" in terms of the modern understanding. You are no longer a part of the materialistic population. You are fully separated(holy). You are at that point entitled to begin your new culture that is not based on tv shows or radio programming, you are free to not only liv by what the scriptures say but to also start new traditions.
For some people this change in dichotomy is foreign, but I think to best illustrate the point think of it like this.
Imagine going out in public the first time you are wearing homemade clothing. I can assure you that even if your new clothing is expertly made, you will still feel awkward not blending in to every "American scene". When I first began to change my wardrobe I almost felt embarrassed in public. I was wearing clothing that fit my convictions but that I had not grown up with in my dresser. After going out in public the first few times, it was much easier. I began to see things differently. It was nice that people took what they saw of me for granted. When they saw me, they knew that I was a follower of Yeshuah/Yahushuah. They would apologize for cussing or would dress more modestly. Complete strangers would come up to me and just start talking about God. I've had women stand beside me and start singing church songs to get my attention, that was odd but I knew what was happening. My point is that if I dressed like an "American", I would have been a Christian in camouflage and none of those conversations or situations would have happened.
For the last 100+ years in this country people have gotten used to buying their clothing and trying to look like everyone else, that is not being a "peculiar people" and it is also not being set-apart(holy).
Think of the people I am referring to when I say, Muslim, Sikh, Indian, Jew, Buddhist monk, nun.
Every one of them brings a distinct picture to your mind. Now what comes to your mind when I say Christian? Perhaps a person with a cross on a t-shirt comes to mind. That seems a bit shallow to me. If the only difference between "us" and "them" is a cross on t-shirt we really are missing the mark.
My point is not that believers should all look the same. I strongly speak against that. Personality is a vital part of every person born. My point is that if your clothing is homemade that people will not be able to miss it. That as a Christian you will have that distinct cultural impression on those seeking His face. We are to be a shinning light, how can we do that in camouflage in such a dark world?
It is only fair to let you know that when my family began this journey that we went through many changes in our wardrobe to find what truly matched our identity. I tried several different types of broadfalls(pants with no zipper) and Elizabeth Ann went through (and still is) a variety of dress patterns to find what makes her happiest in her identity. Clothing is a very personal subject. The scriptures spend a lot of time talking about it. There is a reason that clothing is an important topic. What you wear is a billboard to the public telling them everything they want to know about your convictions and your ethics.
We are to be separated and as such, we will unavoidably stand out.
It is when we try to blend in with our Levi's that we forsake our calling.
When you change your wardrobe to one that everyone identifies as being Christian;
That is when materialists start to take notice and some if not most will avoid unnecessary interaction with you. Some will ask questions, but as soon as they have their answers they are promptly on their way.
I've gotten off on a tangent, but that needed to happen. I know there is someone reading this that feels it is addressed to them; maybe that's you.
My only other point I have to make about messianics and their desire for a communal style homestead is this, it's a lot of painful hard work. I enjoy it, but some people might not. And others might despise their niche in the family. Last night I worked in our garden with a headlamp from sundown to sunrise at 8am. I felt achy but satisfied. When I was done, I had planted two 12' rows of tomatoes, two 12' rows of peppers, I had planted a grid of herbs 7x15', I had planted 6 rosebush starts, I had also planted two 12' rows of sweet potatoes. I also finished raking the last quarter of the field I had sewn with buckwheat.
It was a night of dedication that I can still feel in my feet, back, and joints, but the rewards will be enjoyed months down the road.
I was able to take many things off my to-do list, but there is still plenty that needs to be done. I want to get my polebean trellis up ASAP, and I have another tray of tomatoes that need to go in the ground. I'm hoping the weather will cooperate later today. Oh and I also want to get my cucumbers in! On and on and on it goes! But the food won't have chemicals in it and it won't come from Walmart.
If there is ever an economic crisis, I won't have to worry about grocery stores. As long as I can liv and pay my taxes, my family and I will be alright. Of course that's a whole other conversation.
I think a point worth making, is this, this movement/community needs as many people as possible for it to survive. And every individual has their niche. For some people, they are the workhorses, others edifiers, others cooks, mothers, bishops, farmers, tradesmen. The list goes on and on and on, and EVERYONE is NECESSARY! All ages, all personalities. Some are meant to crunch numbers, sew clothing, others are just meant to make people smile. Others are meant to watch children so new parents can catch up, others are needed to keep tabs on widows or the fatherless.
I think you get the idea, a healthy community is a dynamic community. The only things I think members need to agree on are that the scriptures are the foundation and that as such an agreed upon cultural identity is imperative for cohesion. That'd simply mean that all people in the community would meat on the sabbath and that there would be a set standard for dress, clothing is an unwritten Language that says who we belong to in society.
