Place of Residence: Southern Alberta

Background: Liesl and Myles do 'more with less' on their 25' X 150' town lot.  After purchasing in 2009, they quickly got to work,  nixing the former bare, grass over-run yard.  Vegetables, berry bushes, fruit trees and wild-life attracting flowers are now scattered throughout the property.  A small greenhouse and cold frame have also been added.  While making cheese, canning and freezing produce, composting and tending to newly planted seedlings,  delicious smells of freshly baked bread fill the house year-round. Dreams of having chickens for fresh eggs, a barnyard full of animals, and enough land to be self-sustainable fill their heads.  The winters (cold and long!) are spent pouring over books, magazines, and online articles.  Time is spent researching gardening techniques, renewable energy, animal husbandry, bee keeping and anything else that catches their eye related to self-sustainability.  They are patiently waiting to put all of this knowledge to good use on their own farm!
 
Personal History:  City girl, Liesl, had never grown a vegetable in her life until meeting Myles 8 years ago.  This native Calgarian from Alberta, has always possessed a deep love for animal welfare, crafting, family roots, cooking and baking.  Inspired by her Grandfather and his tales of self-sufficiency, eco-conscious friends, and a 3 year stint at a local Hutterite Colony,  Liesl took up the hoe and has become an active modern homesteader.  Her current loves include pickling, baking bread and testing homemade substitutes for store-bought convience food.
 
Country boy, Myles, has fond memories of growing up on a farm in Southern Alberta.  Horses, cows, dogs and cats were always milling around. His parents kept a large garden, and the harvest was preserved by canning, freezing and storing fresh produce in their root cellar . After meeting Liesl, Myles was inspired to start following in his parents footsteps. At the first opportunity, the pair planted a garden on a rented property.  As they experimented with different plant varieties, Myles implemented low-impact, high yield techniques practiced by his folks from days gone by.  Today, Liesl and Myles continue to be guided by the soil and plant knowledge of Myles' parents.
 
Current Projects: authors of Small Farm Chronicles; a blog for Mother Earth News.  Looking for suitable farm land in Southern Alberta.

More Places to Find Us on the Web: Nest, our little urban homestead on the prairie -  www.nestinground.blogspot.com.