Storyboard week 13

I thought it would be neat to take one of Kendra's podcasts and have her speak over pictures of all the homestead blogs that I used in my paper. I am going to use the podcast in which she explains the many motivations of the modern homesteader. I am going to play it over a song by my friends (and also, homesteaders, the band Waterdeep) song, Cold. It feels organic and just seems to fit the vibe.

This is a screen shot of the first slide that will play. It will look like a photo album and then all the pictures will fade in , bounce in and out of the screen.

Archival Materials Week 10

I think I had a world of archival materials at my fingertips due to the nature of my fieldsite. Most everything I was digging into were blog posts anywhere from 2 months to 2 years old. I mentioned in my "intro" paper that I found a section on Kendra's website titles "The Adventures of Butterberry Farms" and it was amazing. It contained blogs that ran a course of 2 years and its documented the very beginnings of Kendra's journey into homesteading. It was really cool because I felt like I was witnessing her growth little by little as she became more literate in this culture. It was also really neat because when I first visited her website, I felt like she knew so much and she must have grown up that way or been doing it for so long so I think its an encouragement for her readers to have this on her blog. I think it helps them understand its a journey and a process and it takes time but that anyone can do it! All of the blog posts are pretty much archival items and our crucial to my research.

Lives on the Boundary week 11

Rose is speaking of a figurative boundary, a boundary that divides the poor and underprivileged from those with more resources. This book focuses on those who have been left behind, despite the huge amount of potential each one possesses, most times, simply, due to tests and evaluations that have assessed them as slow learners, problem students or remedial. 

Testing is one of the boundaries he talks about over and again. In his book he mentions a Hispanic student who failed first grade and after testing was put into the "developmental" classes for slow learners for the next 5 years. She said she couldn't even read and write. When her cousins, who had been in the country for awhile and could speak well, came over and asked her to read for them, she couldn't and they realized there was a real problem. All because of a test, one test, she was dubbed as remedial and she stayed there because her true potential as a learner and/or literate person was never tapped into, never given the chance to grow and develop. 

In regards to being "on the boundary," I think I have been privileged in being a student that, while we were typically struggling financially most all of my life, attended a great school. My dad made sure we were in one of the best suburban school districts in Central Columbus. I also am a Native speaker and I think because of both of these things I started off with an advantage in the school system. I am not sure that I really ever felt slighted or that I was "on the boundary."


I liked the book well enough but I think I felt pretty overwhelmed again. This is hard material to come face to face with. I think Rose is an encouragement of the potential that you can reach and that your ethnicity and socio-economic status shouldn't dictate your level of education because they don't affect whether a child has the capacity for learning. 

Update

Well, so far I have the intro and methods section done on my paper. I am beginning to write my "answers" section now as I am beginning to see some trends emerge. I think what I am ultimately finding in regards to motivation is that there is not just one but there are a lot of different motivators. Each woman has some sort of catalyst that kick started this journey but eventually each one of the those"motivators" is important/essential to "why" these women homestead.

I am still clueless as to what to use for a visual aid, I guess I am not completely sure I understand what is required and what exactly is expected??

Methods

Methods

The homesteading culture is a little bit different of a culture in that it exists collectively but not in one place. That being said I had to be creative with the methods in which I studied this culture. As previously stated, I happened upon a homesteading blog and from this blog I uncovered a whole world of homesteading blogs. I realized that these blogs were the community, this was where these homesteaders met and discussed. Rather than having a “club” or “meeting” time where they could exchange helpful hints and laughable stories, they could meet virtually in their kitchens over a cup of coffee and on their own time.

With this understanding in mind I realized that I would have to collect, observe and engage with this group entirely online (though I did some face to face interviews with local women who are interested in homesteading or are beginning on their journey). There were three primary methods I used to collect my information: interviews, books and following blogs, one blog specifically.

The original blog I found was by the woman I mentioned earlier and was called New Life on a Homestead. I made a point to go to Kendra's blog a few times a week if not everyday. She was really great at posting at least three new blogs a week and she would also have guest posts from other homesteaders, bee-keepers or preppers, really anyone that she thought would benefit her readers. I also uncovered a section of Kendra's blog called “The Adventures of Butterberry Farms.” Butterberry Farms was the name her friend Ms.Addy gave to her homestead. This section of her blog is kind of “where it all began.” Kendra's very first blog was actually a blog committed to coupon-ing and frugal shopping, it gave tips on how to save money. But as she stated, once she met Ms. Addy she was forever changed. Butterberry Farms is where New Life on a Homestead begins to evolve and come alive. Kendra gives us a glimpse into Ms. Addy's life and how it shaped her, this is where she was introduced to homesteading and this is where the ideas and concepts that support and define this lifestyle begin to unfold.

Kendra has another section on her blog called “Prepping and Politics,” and under this section she has podcasts of a radio show that she hosted for about 6 months on Prepper Podcast. This was the first time in my research that I heard the term “prepper.” The term seems to be almost synonymous with homesteading but could also be defined as a survivalist or someone making preparations in advance in case of a change in normal circumstances or an emergency (i.e. economic crisis). Listening to these podcasts was a huge assest to my research. I transcribed parts of the first two podcasts. I only chose the first two because they were foundational ideas into understanding the homesteading movement and Kendra defines them as such. I also decided only to transcribe these two because these podcasts were anywhere from an hour to two hours and just transcribing 10 minutes took me almost a half hour, so it was tedious work to say the least (not to mention I had an hour interview with Kendra that I still had to transcribe). In her first radio show she actually lists the reasons/motivators of why people chose the homesteading lifestyle. When I heard this I felt like I found a buried treasure.

Apart from, but connected to, Kendra's blog I also conducted interviews. Kendra was kind enough to refer some other homesteaders who could help me with a couple interviews. This was incredibly gracious of her because I found when I contacted homesteaders for an interview I wasn't hearing back from anyone. But the moment I sent emails to the women that she suggested and I mentioned her name I was granted permission to interview them. I wondered if I just happened to email very busy women or if this community was skeptical of outsiders coming around asking questions. To that question, I have not found an answer, but I received some great interviews. I offered the women two ways to do the interview, skype or via email. All the women chose email and Kendra consented to both. I sent an email with a list of questions I formulated after studying Kendra's website and then once I received their responses I sent follow up emails with more questions that I had in connection to their answers. I also interviewed a neighbor of mine who has her own homestead here in the city. She grinds her own wheat, makes her own yogurt, grows her own food, makes her own beauty supplies (shampoo, deodorant, soap, etc) and is a stay at home mom. She seemed to be doing so many of the things that I was seeing on Kendra's and these other ladies websites, so it was a great way to have another interview from a different angle. I made sure to ask questions that were open ended and tried to make sure that they were clear and concise. I didn't want to be confusing or misleading and I really wanted to give them an opportunity to have their voice heard, I wanted this to be their interview. Most of the questions were about them, where they came from and how they got here (homesteading).

The last way that I collected data was from books. A couple of the books I have on hand are ones that really opened my eyes to homesteading in the first place. The Backyard Homestead and The Urban Homestead are two books that I checked out from the library this summer and that I have kept on hand now through this project. While these books didn't necessarily answer my question about motivations, it garnered my understanding of what homesteading is, means and looks like. According to these books, it's anything from raising chickens, to canning, to growing medicinal herbs, solar power, wood cook stoves and so much more. These books also teach about “how” to do these things and how to do them in the city which is a twist on homesteading. The Backyard Homestead even guides you in how to utilize all the space you have to provide food for your family for a year, which is pretty interesting. I did find a book though that was not only thought provoking but also could possibly play a role or maybe just influence or even solidify motivations for homesteading. The book is titled Henry and the Great Society. I found it through Kendra's blog as a recommendation from Ms. Addy and so I checked it out from the library. The library didn't carry it because it seems kind of like an “underground” book but they were able to get it for me through the inter-library loan system. The Cumberland books website describes the book as “the story of Henry, a man living in a cultural cul-de-sac, pursuing a way of life that was perhaps a hundred years behind the times, and what happens to him when modern living suddenly becomes a possibility. A series of seemingly inconsequential decisions, each one apparently beneficial in itself, inexorably destroys the self-sufficient, productive, peaceful, and satisfied Henry, transforming him into a thoroughly modern man—dependent, debt-ridden, unhealthy, overworked, worried. Henry's family is destroyed as his wife and children find lives to live outside the home. Because H.L. Roush (the author) barely fleshes out the characters of Henry, his wife Esther, and his children, it is that much easier for the reader to project himself into the story. Every time Henry takes another step away from agrarianism and towards The Great Society, your heart sinks and you want to shout out a warning—Don't do it, Henry! Don't you see what a high price you'll pay for such a trivial gain?—but all the while you know that you were just as prone as Henry to have chosen the same path.” It's a short read and a heart-wrenching story with a rather bleak ending but I think it resonates with so many of the families who are longing for a more simple and self-sufficient way of life. I think this book has the power to either reinforce belief systems that are already in place or to push those looking on from afar right over the edge, head first into homesteading.

Through these various methods of research I feel like I was able to gain invaluable insight into this virtual yet very tangible community of homesteaders. I was also able to begin to feel like a part of the community and more importantly uncover some of the key motivators that led these women (sorry gentlemen but your presence wasn't felt) to this new yet old type of lifestyle.  

Reflective Memo

Reflective Memo #1

My whole field site is an online community, so everything I am reading is extremely important and imperative to my research of this community. It is my only access really to my community of research as most women who have a homestead are living on land in the country, typically. And seeing as how I am in the city, it makes it difficult to find/know homesteaders.

I have found in my observing up to this point that reading different blogs, two in particular are incredibly insightful into the attitudes, beliefs and positions of homesteaders. I have recently discovered trend in homesteaders, they mostly tend to be Christians. I think I found a profile of one follower who neither professed nor denied their faith, so that is more ambiguous but every other blog or website I have read has a scripture on the main page or they talk about their Christian faith in the “About” section of their site. I thought this was very interesting. I myself am a believe and I know how my faith plays a role in my interests and desire for homesteading but it was really neat to see that theme in theses women's lives, yes they are all women. This is another trend I have noticed. All these sites are run by women, not that their husbands don't play a role but they are the ones blogging. So I wonder if men would refer to themselves as homesteaders or how they view their role on the homestead? These are good questions to ask in more upcoming interviews. Most of the sites are dedicated to helping one another with handy tips on home remedies, raising children, gardening, etc. They are for the new and experienced homesteader. The goal seems to encourage each other in more sustainable living and helping each other learn from their mistakes or to learn short cuts, that way they can still have time to spend on what is important to the homesteader, family.

I have loved what I have been reading. I have been learning so much and I feel like there are so many aspects to homesteading from house cleaning, budgeting, raising kids, raising chickens, laundry, gardening, canning, preserving..the list goes on and on and these women amaze me! One woman on her blog said, and I love this quote, “ going back to a simpler way of life (is what they have chosen) but simpler isn't always easy...making things from scratch takes time and money. Finding good resources takes time and loads of effort (it's) hard work. I am here to try and help.” This I think sums up what the homesteading community is about, at this point in my research. It seems to be about helping one another because it is a lot of work and if they can learn from another they can save each other from some headaches and have more time to spend on what's important to them. Each of these women are uniquely invaluable resources to the greater homesteading community.  

GLOSSARY

Glossary of Terms

homestead- a place where one makes their home and lives off the land. connected to sustainable living. 

bee-keeping- a way of farming honey from honeybees on your homestead.

homemaking-housekeeping, housework, household management including but not limited to raising children, cooking and cleaning. 

lasagna method- also called sheet composting, its a way of creating rich soil in you garden without tilling, you layer compost-able material such as grass clipping, newspaper, old fruits/vegetables, manure, etc. 

tilling-preparing, cultivating land for crops. it's like loosening the dirt to make it fluffy, so its good for drainage and so the roots can grow deep.  you can do it by hand with a shovel or hoe or use a machine. 

crop- fruits or vegetables that are grown/harvested, can also refer to amount of that fruit or vegetable. 

season- certain time of year when certain crops are planted/harvested. 

10-10-10- a kind of fertilizer containing 10% nitrogen, 10% phosphate and 10% potash.

raised beds- a form of gardening where you create a 3-4 ft. box on top of the ground and fill it with nutrient rich soil/compost, it helps to prevent/control weeds, extends growing season, and reduces need to use poor native soil. 

water bath- a method of canning where you place sealed glass jars with new lids into a big stock pot of hot water and boil for a certain amount of minutes depending on elevation .

canning- a method of food preservation where you take the harvested crop and jar it and use hot water bath or pressure canner to heat it and seal it to prevent botulism or bacteria. 

Pressure canner- another way of canning that gets heat up higher than water bath by sealing in pressure, need to use this for canning things such as carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. 

tattler- a brand of reusable canning lids

guinea fowl- a type of egg laying fowl 

fowl- bird kept for its eggs. 

menu planning- way of organizing meals for the week/month and a way of budgeting in attempts to live more frugally. 

hull- to remove the outer covering of a seed or fruit