Welcome to DoodleBug Farm, our 5-year 9-acre journey in northwestern North Carolina, a place where experiments in gardening, homesteading, and creativity unfold daily. Thank you for helping us share our story of learning, growing, and living a more self-sufficient lifestyle. Sharing with others helps all of this feel more real. We hope that documenting our small accomplishments shows that you can go from a blank slate, from knowing very little about homesteading and self-sufficiency, to feeling more accomplished as every year passes. It is a slow and steady journey that anyone can emark on. We strive to promote the sense of community that is increasingly missing in this modern day life. Isolation, dependency, and technocracy are not conducive to a thriving soul. Listen to that small voice inside of you that wants more, that craves meaning. The part that feels empty, the intuition that tells you something is not quite right. Join the growing meeting of minds striving to return to the old ways - to a more natural and satisfying way of life, better health, and a sense of community. A life less homogenous, less formulaic, less processed, less standardized, less about self-focus and dependency - And more about harmony, nature, family, mentoring, skill-building, and discovering your creativity; more about feeling Gratitude and awe for Creation - living with less fear and more Faith. Slowing down doesn't necessarily mean you stop working. It means you work with purpose, with meaning, with a different focus - With cognizance of the rhythms and cycles outside of yourself. ~Life is short, live intentionally.