Dirt.

Dirt. But not just any dirt. Living dirt.

That's what we spent our first 3 growing seasons here at the homestead focused on building. Not the animals. Not the bounty. Not the beauty nor buildings. Dirt.

Why?

Because the best things all start with living dirt.

The healthiest veggies. The strongest roots. The most nutritionally dense grasses FOR the animals. The largest yields. The best flowers to attract pollinators, ect.

The most valuable and sustainable option was to begin with going low and focusing deep. Choosing the humble and long path.

We started with 1000sf of sandy dirt as an experiment to see if our plan to heal this plot of land would work. We live on property that used to be farmed many years ago, but hasn't been regenerated since to our knowledge. Judging by how hard this ground was to break through and to get grass to grow here, I'd say that's correct.

There were points where I suggested throwing in the towel and purchasing sod, then only using box gardens. I was so sick of sand, red clay, and dust- everywhere! But Mr. was able to cultivate a deep topsoil. Truly luscious, tender soil through months of intentional care. Weeks of tilling in compost; an entire years worth of it actually (cultivated right here;)! Months of growing veggies understanding they were sub par quality, lacking flavor because of the soil condition, being incredibly patient, and being okay with it looking a bit chaotic in the mean time. If I'm honest, I was never OK with with chaos of it all. But I trusted my husband and knew he had a vision and a plan. So I trucked alongside as supportive as i knew to be!

"The Grounds", the foundation of what we do, started intentional and focused deep. It's the very heart of this homestead. From it everything flows.

It's a lot like us. The dirt of our lives needs tending to; most likely often. We NEED alive soil. That very base of who we are. We need to be teaming with life so that Light can do it's full work in our lives, and produce the best fruit. That happens by weeding. Allowing everything bad to be plucked up and used for good. That happens by allowing God to search our hearts and make them pure. Much like the tilling that takes place, we need to get the malignant roots and rocks dug out and raked away. Sometimes there's blisters and sore backs, it hurts at times to do the hard work. But friend, the Lord is faithful to soothe and heal. He does in fact mend what is broken and bind what is broken. He is gentle and loving that way.

We're also taught by the psalmist to ask for clean hands. Now, well, that's an odd thing to note in gardening. Seems rather oxymoranical; dirt and all. With the dusty, sandy dirt we never really were able to brush that off and move to the next thing. You always feel "dirty" after. And it covers your whole body, even the inside of your nose... But with living soil, it comes right off without dust. It's really incredible. Sometimes while we're doing the hard heart work, things just seem to be stuck to us. Like we can't shake off that sandy, dusty dirt. But as we sit with the Refiner in His Word, He cleanses us. Washing us, renewing us by His Word. Eventually that sandy dusty dirt, well it develops into lush soil that is workable, doesn't scatter dust everywhere and is far less itchy to be around! But a heed of caution... you still must tend to it. It isn't a once and done thing or set and forget til next year.... oh no! You must work it frequently. Or before you know it, you'll be back to that sandy, dusty dirt you fought so hard to cultivate against!

Living soil is gentle on the feet. You can feel the grounding difference when you mosey barefoot through our gardens. It's cool and refreshing when it's hotter than heck outside. It's life giving. Just like we all should be. It becomes a refuge for us while we work in the shade of the trees. It's kinda like what we become. A safe space. Somewhere that knows and remembers what it was like to be hard and dusty. But having grace to see into what it can be. We become a safe haven for the seeds God wants to grow in us. Seeds that become plants, that bear fruit to feed many. Fruit that more seeds can be taken from, transplanted, and developed to share with even more. His seeds are exponentially able to reach so long as we yield to the inner working that cultivates healthy ground in us.

So when we walk through this soil that was built through frustrations, confusion, determination, trust, faith, hope, intentionality, and patience.... we see the workings of God in us. His faithfulness to bring us beyond where we were. Beyond our fallen nature and into Himself and His goodness.

We're reminded of the Master Gardener's refining work in us. Making us more like Him every day we choose to come sit at His feet and learn.

We see His grace and patience with us. How He carries us when we're tired. How He loves us too much to leave us where we were. And how He loves others too much so He refuses to grow something in us that isn't meant to be shared. And we're inspired by His bountiful harvests!

We are also proud of it. Surrender is hard. Tilling and raking is hard. Pruning is painful to say yes to. But, when our hearts cry out do in us what bares much fruit, it gets a little easier to see why.

Picture 1 is right after tilling and raking in 2023; Picture 2 is right after tilling and raking in 2025

The first picture is 2023

Second is 2025