Homestead and Farming
Produce, Eggs, Honey, and other Farm Products at the Homestead
Page last updated: November 24, 2022
The chicken hens have stopped laying for the year. We have pullets (young chicken hens) that will begin laying in January. Please check back in January for availability of chicken eggs. The ducks are not laying and we don’t anticipate duck eggs until February. Please call ahead to confirm availability. Chicken eggs are $3.50 per dozen. Duck eggs are $5.00 per dozen.
Planting will resume in the spring. We grow all our produce using organic methods. (For full disclosure, we are NOT organic certified. We have not seen the benefit in the added cost we must charge our customers to cover fees associated with this status.) If you have questions, please ask. We love talking about the gardens, poultry, and honeybees.
Seeds for Generations (affiliate) has generously provided the following link to a Garden Planning Calculator. If you plant a garden, you may want to check it out!
Our Food Standards
Our standards are high when it comes to food. Are we “food snobs”? Well, maybe. If you believe in fresh picked produce grown without synthetic chemicals, fresh eggs, raw unprocessed honey, and enjoy understanding the list of ingredients that make up your food, then you are in line with what we believe. Come along on the journey with us. We welcome your ideas, recipes, and other discussions. If you’re not of like mind, we welcome you, too. It’s a discussion and we are always open to new perspectives.
Central Activities of the Homestead
The home is the central hub or core of the homestead. Activities that are utilized or needed regularly to run the home need to be near it for efficiency and convenience. Like most homesteads, the area surrounding the home has the vegetable gardens and the herb garden. In days when supermarkets and food delivery services were unavailable, the garden would be utilized daily for fresh produce, fruits and herbs.
The Livestock, Poultry, Pasture, and Fields of the Homestead
Beyond the central hub of the homestead are the barns and houses for animals and the honeybee hives. On a homestead, a very synergistic relationship exists between the central hub and each area beyond. The reliance becomes less as you move from the central hub, but there is a relationship, none the less. For us, the ducks and chickens provide eggs and manure. Our goats provide us milk, fiber, and manure. The bees pollinate the garden plants as well as the plants in the woodland area beyond.
The Woodland
Surrounding the farm activities is the woodland area. The woodland provides firewood for heat and cooking; wild harvested edibles; and an area for hunting wild game. The honeybees help the forest in pollinating tree flowers as well as the abundance of wild flowers growing on the woodland trails and the wood’s edge.
Can you really be self-reliant?
No. That’s the short answer. So why do we think we can be self-reliant? For us, being self-reliant is controlling as much of our lives as possible when it comes to the food we eat, the way we live, the choices we make, and the work we do. The more self-reliant we become, the freer we feel. It’s really about a mindset. When you start making your own path, the world opens up to you in all directions.
Come along on this Adventure
This page focuses on the farming and homesteading aspect of our business. Please check out our blogs: Homestead Happenings Blog and the Small Business Blog. The Homestead Happenings Blog will be focusing more detailed information about the farm activities conducted at the homestead. The Small Business Blog focuses on the business aspects, organization, and other helpful information as every family farm is essentially a small business and it is important to treat it as such. The Charming the Farm page is also included as a link. This page is a nostalgic look into the past in regards to the farm life and living in the woods. It promotes campaigns to help people in their quest for self-reliance and DIY activities. Looking to the past helps us evolve into the future.
Pioneer Mountain Homestead
16477 Sharman Lane
James Creek, PA 16657
814-505-6426
"Embracing Everything Farm and Forest"
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this page or post may be “affiliate links”. This means that if you click on the link, Pioneer Mountain Homestead, LLC may receive an affiliate commission at no direct cost to you. Pioneer Mountain Homestead, LLC only recommends products or services that the owners, managers, or employees of Pioneer Mountain Homestead, LLC use or believe will add value to the readers of this website. This disclosure is made with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”