Hi y'all! Many of you know us personally, some of you we know virtually, all of you we consider friends!
Brandon and I (Sara) wanted to take a minute to reintroduce ourselves so we could share with you what The Wandering Homesteader is and why it matters to you!
The Wandering Homesteader was created in 2020 in the midst of COVID as a creative outlet for me (Sara) after moving to Arizona and going through a really hard season of life. What began as a way for me to share stories and celebrate the western heritage, especially the women that make up the west, has morphed into something bigger than I could ever imagine. Here's the story:
Brandon and I met in November 2020, started dating at the end of January 2021, and were married November 12, 2021 (just 1 day shy of knowing each other a full year). Through our time of getting to know each other, we began to realize that God had a pretty major plan for our life if we would be willing to surrender to Him.
We both love people (though Brandon can be rather quiet sometimes). We love horses, we love the land, and most importantly we love helping people. We both get fired up when we see people we care about thrive. That's where you come in!
From meager beginnings at an apartment in Scottsdale, AZ, to 40 acres on the Hershey Homestead in Longdale, OK. The Wandering Homesteader is a community created to inspire, encourage, and help you grow. Whether that's helping you grow vegetables to feed your family, grow in your horsemanship, grow in your knowledge of agriculture, or grow in your faith, Brandon and I are here for you.
Brandon grew up in Salmon, Idaho riding his mule, Sarah Jane, and his horse, Lightening (pictured here), in the mountains and at 4H shows. He came to know the Lord at a young age. He has been faithful in His love for the Lord and that faith has taken him into the world of politics, non-profits, and to 7 different states: Idaho, California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Oklahoma. Through the journey, Brandon has always found himself around horses, though for much of his adult life he tried to get away from his small town roots. He is the perfect counterpart in our training business. Where I am timid, he is bold. Where I have experience working for trainers, he has natural feel. Where I need reassurance, he offers confidence.
I grew up on a farm in Malta, Illinois. My summer days were spent swimming with my cousins and my winters were full of basketball. From the time I was 2, I always asked my parents for a horse. I loved John Wayne, the Oregon Trail, and I wanted to live in the Wild, Wild West! (Que the song Wild West by Runaway June!) I wanted to live the Little House on the Prairie life. My mom always had a big garden and canned everything she could. My uncle raised beef cattle and I am still spoiled by how yummy their homegrown beef is. I was shocked when I grew up and bought store beef... It is not the same! My dad told me I could grow up, move out, and then buy a horse. So I did. At 19 years old, I moved 1040 miles away to Stephenville, Texas. I have been horseback ever since, spending time at dude ranches, therapy ranches, working for trainers, and training and giving lessons for the public. I love the way God has used horses in my life to heal me and I love to see him do the same for other people!
Brandon and I met at a ranch. We fell in love horseback. We have since spent almost every day dreaming of how we can help other people through our passions: horses and homesteading. Here is what you can expect from us with The Wandering Homesteader:
- Blog posts: about our faith journey, horsemanship, homesteading, DIY projects, and recipes.
- A YouTube channel with Homestead How-Tos & Horsemanship lessons (this is in the works)
- Horsemanship: We offer lessons (both virtual & in person) to help you and your horse grow in confidence and ability. We train horses from starting colts to tuning one up. We offer consignment if you need help selling your horse or finding the perfect horse for you. Soon, we will be offering full care boarding located in Longdale, OK.
- Faith accountability & encouragement: Whether you are new to a relationship with God or you have been walking with Him for ages, we want to encourage you by sharing the ways God has shown up for us. In the future, we hope to host some bible studies, both in person & virtually.
- Fresh food: To start, we've got a fall garden that we are praying produces abundantly so we can share with our church. In the future, we plan to grow enough food to make jams, jellies, canned fruit and veggies. The Hershey Homestead will also be home to a pick your own orchard of fruits and berries! We also plan to raise meat that we are able to sell locally including beef, pork, and chicken. Lastly, as I love to bake, I'm excited to offer fresh baked breads and baked goods locally. This includes breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, brownies, and pies. Email me at thewanderinghomesteader@gmail.com or text/call. 815-901-5091 to place an order!
- Rest & Respite: One day in the future we will have some tiny homes on our property to offer as a sanctuary in the form of vacation rentals. A place where people just like you, who get overwhelmed at the busyness of our culture, can disconnect with culture and reconnect with God through His land.
As you can see by the list, some of these are things we are doing right now, some of these are things you can be looking forward to in the future! At this point you may be thinking, "This is great, but how can this help me?"
First, I recommend scrolling to the bottom of our homepage where you can subscribe to our monthly newsletters.
Second, if you are interested in horsemanship lessons, send us an email today: hersheyperformancehorses@gmail.com. We can get started with you as early as August 24th!
Third, if you are looking for easy to cook recipes, scroll through the recipe section of our blog.
Fourth, if you are interested in homesteading, get started with us! We can help you figure out the best way for you to jump into homesteading without getting overwhelmed.
Most importantly, we want to get to know you! Please share your stories of how God is working in your life with us. If you have a cool homestead or horsemanship goal you've reached lately, let us know! We are here to cheer you on and support you! We also feature guest bloggers from time to time on The Wandering Homesteader blog. You can always reach us at thewanderinghomesteader@gmail.com
Thank you for taking the time to get to know us a bit more! We are excited to connect with you and are so blessed to have you as a part of The Wandering Homesteader community!
With love,
Brandon & Sara Hershey
Comments