How This Whole Thing Began

   Today I have had so many new friends on my FB page that I thought maybe I should tell everyone about me and why we have adopted this lifestyle. I was born and spent quite a bit of my childhood on a farm in WV, moving to NC when I was 12ish. Met and married my husband as a teenager and I had our first child at 18, we now have 5.
   My husband and I have always made ends meet with my Dad"s and the Gods help (thank you). The last few years have been the hardest. Times where my husband had a part time work or none at all. We ended up on foodstamps.
   When the FS started I was so happy to bring real food back into the house instead of Ramen noodles I cant even tell you, but there was a shame that ate at me every time I had to pull that card out. I knew I could do something, anything.  So I sat down and came up with plan, I made my first goal... I will have chickens.
    I sat out to find free chickens and if I could get a cheap coop well that would be awesome and I did(thank you Carrie). My friend didn't want hers any more and told me if I came and got them have at it! So here I was with a great coop, 2 roos, and a hen, well that just wasn't going to work. We got some more free hen (thanks Jen) then bought a couple, then bought a few more,lol.
   We then had an issue with 2 roos fighting and one being mean to the kids so he was re homed. Then we had an egg eater and well she got eaten (this was a huge step), lost 1 to a predator and a couple to unknown causes. Now we have Silkies sitting on eggs to try and have either birds to eat or birds to sell. That's part of the chicken story there will be more, but not today.
     We now had eggs and meat if we needed it and I mean needed it because if we ate all the birds who would lay the eggs so we could have more. So back to the drawing board where else do I spend a lot of money each month? DAIRY!! But a cow is out of the question, what now? GOATS!!! I couldn't afford them for the longest time, but instead of sitting around waiting we worked the garden some more. There is a post about me and gardening up here already so I wont bore you with that story again.
    Back to the goats, my friend had a buckling that needed alot of extra care and sent him my way (thanks Jordana), this gave me the push to make the money to pay for a doeling. Enter Ozzy and Marrabelle!! Then my friend came up with 2 six month old does and thought of me again ( thanks huge Jordana) so we are now that much closer to having milk, butter,cheese and oh my goodness I'm so excited.
    We are far away from doing it all but I think this month may have been our last on FS!!! I am so thankful they were there when we needed them even if I hated to use them, but I am so happy to sit here and think that we may not need them anymore.
    If you would like you can follow our journey on FaceBook at The Witch's Way Homestead. Brightest blessing to you all and thank you for reading.