It all started around the age of nine or ten with a simple wish to live on a farm and keep a lot of animals.
How can I trace all the workings of Providence since then? Suffice it to say that the opportunity came shortly thereafter. We moved to the farm, we planted a garden, and we bought some chickens. The learning experience had begun. The love of the land only grew with time.
In a few years the tinder must have been ready, because a spark kindled a vague interest into a genuine enthusiasm. That spark was You Can Farm by Joel Salatin. It was a case of just the right book at just the right time. Providence again.
That inspiration led to a quest for experience. Experimentation, trial and error, process of elimination…all fueled and guided by a plethora of books and a desire to learn. Alas, what sounds easy in the books never works quite so smoothly in real life. Slowly came the discovery that everyone’s circumstances are a little different. Kansas is just not quite like California, or anyplace else for that matter.
Where does the beginner turn when he needs help? Who is taking care of the country living enthusiasts in the center of America, that region frequently dismissed as “flyover country?” So much information seems to be written for highly populated states and humid climates. What is a Kansan to do?
Here it is: Homestead on the Range, an effort to provide something unique, something Kansans can use. Not just Kansans, either, though. Some of the thoughts running throughout these posts apply to everyone. But for those of you in the Sunflower State who are struggling to find the resources you need to succeed, this site was created with you in mind.
Here you’ll find tips and ideas based on personal experience, books and other resources to keep you inspired, and the results of numerous investigations into history, nature, agricultural methods, and a variety of other topics, all hopefully presented in a new and useful way. But information is just the beginning. You will also find tools to make your life a little easier, such as our gallery and the books that we publish.
It is my hope that this website will inspire your creativity when you’re brainstorming, give you a leg up if you’re struggling, or maybe just put a smile on your face with some quirky tidbit. Above all, I hope that this site helps you realize your life purpose and live it to the full.
So read on. Put your hands in the soil and discover the natural beauty around you. Embark on your own adventure of abundant living in flyover country.
Our Mission
Homestead on the Range is a Kansas-based small business dedicated to serving country living enthusiasts by supplying them with the innovative resources that they need to succeed. Whether your family’s farm or ranch is 5 acres or 500, a business or a hobby, in Kansas or in some other part of the world, our goal is to keep you informed and inspired.