Welcome to Nature Cure on the Homestead

This blog is where I tell the story of the home, garden and health of Longshadows Ranch. There is no specific plan for the story, just a recounting of the things we do every day to build a sanctuary where we can live life freely, in accordance with the laws of nature. I will talk about cooking, running the house, planting the garden, homeschooling, entertaining, the medicine I make and use, when and how to use it, how to harvest medicine all around you and anything else that comes up as we build our dream. I will walk you through things you can do at home like haircuts and canning, healing salves and medicinal teas. This all goes into the running of a homestead home. 

The building and running of our ranch is part of our children’s schooling journey. It is not enough for kids to simply learn about these things, they have to participate via hands-on learning. They need to be invited to help with problem-solving. They need to see and experience what is possible. When they are grown they can choose their own path through life and we will rest easy knowing we have given them many choices in what that looks like. They learn what to do with wounds and various illnesses, how to keep the soil, livestock and environment clean and thriving. We, and they, share their experience of life on the Ranch.

Almost 2 years ago, we started on the journey of a lifetime [read The Longshadows Ranch story]. But for me, this journey really started much earlier than that, maybe 45 years ago, when I was still a child spending a few glorious weeks at my great-grandfather’s farm in Grove, OK. He and I had a special bond. And I think we bonded the way we did because, like him, I could hear the call of the land. The land has always called to me, for as long as I can remember. And all of his 4 children, including his daughter, my grandmother, moved to the big city, deaf to the call, they turned away from the land in search of other opportunities in life.

Grandad was the first one to call me Libby. We rode all over the farm on his tractor, brushed his mare, dragged in hay from the pasture, chewed on pieces of straw and watched many a sunset. He loved ice cream and a good cup of coffee. And he loved me. The last time I saw him I was 14. 

I had been on my own for some time and finally made my way to his farm. I found that he had aged considerably. He told me to go home, that my parents and family were worried about me. But when I told him the stories of my life to that point, he cried with me, hugged me, fed me, and told me a story passed to him from his grandmother. “Life,” he said, “is a bit like a horse. When young, it jumps about, here to there, frolicking and getting into trouble. As it grows up, it settles into a way of living, many days the same, and when it’s old, it just is.” He gave me a bit of money and asked me to stay in touch as I traveled the world. He told me when I was ready, to come sit by him and he would teach me to work the land. I did not get the opportunity to learn from him as an adult; he passed from this world 4 years later, in 1983, one year before my oldest son was born. But I believe he is there, guiding me when needed, looking out for me and mine. And I hope to honor him with this work we do every day.

It is my sincere wish that you find something of value here for yourself, your family, and your children if you have any. That you learn to care for yourselves and to work with and not against the laws of nature. I value comments, discussion and feedback, and am happy to field special requests for topics. 

#growyourownfood #livefree #lawsofnature #thehealthyhearth #longshadowsranch #naturecure #vitalist #homestead #homeschooling