CENTRE COUNTY — For The Heirloom Farmer’s Abbie Kibe, there is nothing that matches the feeling of sitting down to a meal and knowing exactly where (and how) everything on your plate got to be on your plate — especially knowing you have had a hand in growing the food.
Kibe grew up on a century farm in Port Matilda so a commitment to homegrown and local foods comes naturally. She and her husband, Steve, are continuing the family tradition on the property through The Heirloom Farmer farm store and greenhouse, which they opened in 2021.
There they sell heirloom garden plants, heirloom pumpkins, decorative pumpkins, winter squash, potatoes, hay bales, straw bales, honey from Spackman Lane Apiary, raw whole milk and chocolate milk and products from fellow Happy Valley Agventures destinations Kinfork and Pole Cat Hollow Farm, as well as Mountaintop Baking. Sunflower Days in the fall provide visitors with a chance to enjoy autumn’s golden blooms.
Homesteading, however, is at the heart of Kibe’s vision for The Heirloom Farmer. Through the farm’s website, blog and newsletter, she is dedicated to sharing her family’s homesteading experience and helping others on a path toward more sustainable living.
Homesteading can include growing vegetables, fruits and herbs; raising animals; preserving food through canning, dehydrating or fermenting; and learning crafts and skills such as soap making, knitting or woodworking.
The Heirloom Farmer’s upcoming Homestead Day event on Saturday, May 17, is dedicated to sharing tips, education and inspiration about these topics for those already on or desiring to embark on their own homesteading journey.
Now in its third year, Homestead Day was intended to be a small event. Kibe anticipated that 100 people would attend the inaugural gathering. The crowd the first year was closer to 350. Last year, more than 750 people attended, with many traveling two to three hours to participate in workshops, meet with other homesteaders and learn skills to cultivate resiliency — the theme of this year’s Homestead Day.
“So many people want to learn how they can take more control of the food they eat and the health of their kids,” Kibe explained. “They want to live more intentional lives and let go of much of the fear that surrounds our current food supply. Homestead Day is a place to gain inspiration, education and the tools to achieve that lifestyle.”
Kibe said she has heard from past attendees who have been able to put what they learned at the event into action on their own homestead or to start their own homestead.
“Attendees have shared that they’ve started baking with sourdough, purchased their own honeybee hives, expanded their gardens, started keeping chickens and mastered the skill of saving seeds,” she said.
Kibe said there are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding the lifestyle, making the concept seem daunting to some. She insisted that anyone can homestead.
“You do not need to have a lot of land. You do not need to get chickens — unless you want chickens. You do not even need an agricultural background, a tractor or a barn,” she said.
Her advice for beginners: start with one thing.
“It can be exciting to jump into homesteading and do ‘all the things.’ But it can also be easy to get overwhelmed, confused and burnt out,” Kibe said. “Choose one thing about homesteading that interests you and start there.”
She said a small 4-foot by 8-foot garden is an incredible place to start, offering enough space to grow a surprising amount of food with low cost and minimal labor.
Kibe also suggests finding a homesteading mentor.
“Connect with a local homesteader and ask if you can join them (offer yourself as free labor). You will learn so much from them,” she advised. “You will also learn what you enjoy or do not enjoy, before investing in your own homestead.”
Her final words of advice: attend Homestead Day!
“There you can learn crucial homesteading skills; attend firsthand and interactive workshops; learn about homesteading resources; shop a curated, open air market; eat deliciously crafted food; buy plants for your garden; check out books from The Heirloom Farmer’s Perennial Learner Library; and engage with the local community,” she said.
Lesley Kistner is the public relations director for The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.
Homestead Day
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 17
The Heirloom Farmer
7447 S. Eagle Valley Road
Port Matilda, PA
