Hi, and welcome to the blog of Tiramar Farms! My name is Rachel, and I will be your blog guide. Please remain seated at all times, keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle, and keep your seat belt securely fastened. You're in for a bumpy ride!
What this blog is all about
Life on a homestead has its ups and downs, and I do my best to capture the highs and lows as they come. A lot happens on a homestead, and I enjoy sharing those happenings with others. Of course, not everyone is as interested in farming as I am, so the best way to share it where those who are interested can enjoy and those who aren't can pass it by is through this blog. Along the way, aside from personal anecdotes and goings-on, I try to share some useful information, too. I have posted very sporadically in the past, but I am currently working toward providing a new blog post each Friday. But I make no promises. ;)
Thank you for following along with our journey.
Who we are
As I said before, my name is Rachel and I write this blog and maintain the web presence of Tiramar Farms. It is a family affair, however, and I share this life with my parents and sometimes even my extended family and friends. We live in rural west Tennessee not far enough from Memphis, but we all hope to move to an even more rural locale some day.
I'll keep the "about me" short and sweet. I am the chief goatherd, big dreamer, and primary force behind the homestead. I am best with the livestock, but my dad is best with the garden. (I try, but I am not a natural green thumb.) I originally went to college to pursue a career as an English professor. I have my Bachelors in English Literature, and I was about halfway through obtaining my Masters when I decided to ditch the debt-inducing world of academia to pursue my real passion: farming.
Tiramar Farms, and what it's all about
Tiramar is a diversified homestead working toward being an old fashioned, diversified, "real" farm. It's hard to explain the passion I have for farming to people who do not share that passion, but I can explain what I hope to accomplish with this passion. I want to live a simpler, more deliberate life. I want to be a good steward of all the many incredible blessings the Lord has given me by taking good care of my animals and my soil. I want to contribute to the production of nourishing, wholesome, humane real foods for my own table and the table of others. And I want to empower others to also live more self-sufficiently and healthfully by sharing my knowledge and experience and (eventually) providing food that comes from healthy, happy, pastured animals and mindful gardens. I haven't fully reached all of these goals yet, but I fully believe that I will...while at the same time I know that new goals and dreams will inevitably follow.
There is a bit more on exactly what Tiramar is and how it operates on my farm website.
What's in a name
I wrote a blog post a while back about where and how the homestead got the name Tiramar, but here's the short explanation: Tira, short for Tiramisu, is my beloved MiniMancha. Although it's hard to pick favorites amongst my goatlings, Tira definitely ranks high. When the time came that I needed to change the farm name from its previous title (this is explained in the blog post), Tiramar was one of the first words we came up with and it stuck. It honors a goat that is very precious to me, and it also has the sort of sound and vibe that I was going for to achieve a unique, yet elegant (but not too elegant, 'cause we ain't fancy over here), farm name.
Our motto
History:
I value the historical practice of diversified agriculture and the homesteading lifestyle, as well as the historical breeds of heritage livestock and heirloom plants. I also have a rich personal history of farming. I am a fourth generation farmer through my father's side of the family. On my mother's side, I am a third generation goatherd. As a young child, I was even knocked out by one of my mother's goats. That explains a lot, right? :) I grew up engrossed in an agricultural environment and with a love for livestock from a very young age.
Heart:
I truly pour my heart and soul into everything I do at Tiramar. My love for livestock and my passion for a rural lifestyle are the foundation for the homestead. I love the livestock, I love the gardens, I love homesteading, and I love the people I connect with through these ventures. Putting my heart into it is the only way I know how to do things here. And truly, when your heart isn't in it, I can guarantee that you won't be in it for long, either.
Hard Work:
There is no homestead without hard work. Farming is 24/7/365. When animals need care or crops need planting, harvesting, putting up, or rescuing, you have to do it. You can't ask the goat to hold off on kidding just one more day or for the sun to shine a little longer. And you can only do so much; loss will occur, despite the greatest efforts, and that is the hardest work of all. We do get breaks of course, and even go on vacation now and then, but without hard work Tiramar would not exist.
