Our Story

Rooted in Love, Curiosity & a Little Bit of Sass

Every homestead has a story. Mine begins with a woman I called Nana.

Nana was, without a doubt, the most curious person I've ever known. She was the kind of woman who could do just about anything, and if she didn't know how, she'd figure it out. She could garden, cook, bake, sew, knit, crochet, can food, and care for animals. She was a woman of faith, a devoted mother and grandmother, and one of the biggest supporters you could ever ask for.

And she definitely had a little sass!

She was also the kind of woman who would try just about anything once. I'll never forget being at the beach, looking over, and seeing my Nana surfing. Yes, surfing! That's just who she was.

But here's something I love about her story: Nana didn't grow up knowing how to do everything. She was a farm girl who worked with animals, and she didn't even learn how to cook until after graduating high school. She learned as she went, and she never stopped being curious.

That curiosity was one of the greatest gifts she passed along to me.

The Memories That Started It All

Some of my favorite memories with Nana happened in her kitchen.

I'll never forget making my first loaf of bread with her. I can still remember the smell filling the kitchen and the butter melting into a freshly sliced piece of homemade sourdough sandwich bread.

And then there were the donut muffins and sticky buns. Nana even knew how to use those delicious treats to convince me to go to church!

She taught me how to garden, cook, bake, can, crochet, knit, sew, and care for animals. But more importantly, she taught me to be curious, to try new things, and to never stop learning.

Nana wasn't just my grandmother. She was one of the most influential women in my life, and truly my best friend. Given the choice, I would have rather spent the day hanging out with her than doing just about anything else.

When she passed away, it happened so quickly. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. I don't think we ever really are.

Naming my homestead after her was my way of keeping a little piece of her with me and continuing to share the things she loved.

Rooted in the Shenandoah Valley

I grew up in Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, surrounded by a strong Mennonite community where a simpler, more hands-on way of life was part of everyday living.

There were horse-drawn buggies, family farms, homemade goods, and little stores filled with fresh foods and things made by hand.

That way of life has always stayed with me.

In a world where technology seems to make everything more complicated, I believe there's something incredibly rewarding about stepping outside, getting your hands in the dirt, growing something from a tiny seed, or making a loaf of bread from scratch.

Sometimes the simplest things really are the best things.

From Virginia to Colorado

My journey eventually brought me from Virginia to Colorado, where I moved to attend veterinary technician school.

My love for animals was always part of who I was, but so was my desire to help others, teach, and create something meaningful.

Along the way, I worked in an animal hospital and built a career in property management, learning skills that would eventually help me turn a passion into a business.

And through it all, those lessons from Nana never really left me.

Seven Years of Urban Homesteading

For seven years, we called Lakewood, Colorado, home, and that's where our urban homesteading journey really took shape.

We learned how to make the most of the space we had, grow our own food, care for animals, and continue exploring the old-fashioned skills I loved so much.

Those seven years taught me something important: you don't need acres of land or a big farmhouse to start homesteading.

You just have to start somewhere.

A New Chapter in Kiowa

At the end of March 2026, we packed up and moved to Kiowa, Colorado, to begin building the homestead we'd been dreaming about.

Today, our growing homestead is home to chickens, ducks, turkeys, quail, and goats. We're building our farm stand, growing our gardens, baking sourdough, and learning something new nearly every day.

Some days everything goes according to plan. Other days, well, the animals have different ideas!

But that's part of the adventure.

Sharing Nana's Legacy

My dream for Nan's Homestead has always been about more than selling homemade bread or raising animals.

I want to create a place where people can learn, ask questions, try something they've never done before, and discover just how rewarding a simpler way of life can be.

In spring 2027, we're planning to introduce a homesteading course to help others learn practical skills and begin their own journeys, whether they're living in the city or out in the country.

I also hope to continue creating opportunities for people of different ages and abilities to experience the joy of learning, creating, and connecting with nature.

Because that's what Nana would have done. She would have encouraged you to try, probably laughed with you if it didn't work, and helped you figure out how to do it better the next time.

Nan's Homestead is my way of honoring the woman who taught me that there's always something new to learn, something worth growing, and something wonderful to share.

And I hope a little of Nana's curiosity finds its way into everyone who visits.

Rooted in love. Growing with curiosity. Inspired by Nana.