About the Beanpost Farmstead

To share Ideas . . .   ideas that inspire, ideas that teach, ideas that motivate 

When I am passionate about something, or find a way to do something that is easier,  superior, or more satisfying, I immediately want to share it!

Throughout history people have gathered together to exchanged ideas, share news, and relate events. They gathered in general stores, taverns, local Churches, and our favorite, the beanpost. Traditionally people have worked hard, so they brought tasks with them, or joined together to accomplish one central task;   and talked while they worked. This was the foundation of community. These small gatherings were the foundation of our country, they were the spark and the fuel for the revolutionary war. Before modern media, that is how ideas traveled- from one small gathering to the next.  This is our gathering place.

On our farm, the bean post and trellis are at the forefront of our garden, with a nice grassy spot right in front of them, which usually holds a few lawn chairs, and a rustic table is there, ready to hold lemonade or the makings of a picnic lunch.  Almost all visitors to the farm are received here if the weather is the least bit cooperative.  This is where we sit for good conversation, problem solving, and brainstorming, as well as in amicable silence in the presence of the stars on a clear night.

 

Beanpost Farmstead is the creation of Eddie and Joy Racicot.  It is our home, our farm, our business, and our pursuit of happiness 🙂  We live here with 3 of our 6 kids ( three are grown up people, although I don’t know how that happened already!), a very small herd of Nubian goats that we are breeding for Kinders, a few chickens, and various amounts of rabbits.

Eddie and Joy Racicot

 

Some ideas we have that we are passionate about sharing . . .

♥ growing, preparing, and eating  REAL, WHOLE food.  We are striving to be as self-sufficient as possible and  we have learned quite a bit, mostly by error  experience.

♥feeding and keeping our animals as close to the way they were created to be as possible.  We like for our chickens to be able to assert their chickeness, as Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farm puts it.

♥Using permaculture,  bio-intensive and season extension  practices  to maintain our close to 5,000 square ft  of no-till garden:  harvesting a bounty of nutrient laden, pesticide-free produce close to year-round.

♥Feeding our children’s minds abundantly and regularly with generous helpings of ideas straight from experts and artists throughout the expanse of history via real books.  We also like for them to be saturated in the natural world for hours daily;  to touch, to feel, to see, and to learn from the beauty that was created for them.

♥God is the Author and Finisher of our lives.  He directs our steps and the only wisdom there is to get is from Him.   He is the creator of ideas and His will is woven through each thread of our lives.

So, grab a cup of coffee, or a tall glass of lavender lemonade, settle yourself in a comfortable chair, and join us at the beanpost.

Some ideas I have been sharing, to get you started:

                                                   pellet-free rabbits   how to get started with a natural feeding program

                                                  the great potato harvest   easy easy easy way to grow potatoes!

                                                  fabulous ferments  getting started with probiotic rich, gut healing foods

in the image of God  what my son taught me about our worth as humans

 

Random facts about us:

  1. Joy grew up on large doses of sunshine and the smell of newly cut hay in Southwest, Missouri.  Her childhood was full of imagination and play with her siblings, as well as hard work;  the line between often blurred by parents who made even the toughest jobs into fun family outings.
  2. Eddie sprouted up through the concrete and asphalt which is Brooklyn, New York.  His old school neighborhood taught him business sense and community, Taking his first job by the age of 6;  sweeping the sawdust floor of the local butcher for a slice of bologna.  His playground was the neighborhood, playing stick ball, stoop ball, and a myriad of other street games;  governed by the  knowledge that news of whatever mischief he caused along the way would beat him home!
  3. We met in Seattle, WA
  4. We are followers of Jesus.  Anything good, or beautiful in us is from Him.  Each day we continue the painful process of giving him our broken ugliness and he fills that spot with joy and beauty.  We can do all things through Him, without Him, we are NOTHING.
  5. We have 6 children, 5 girls and 1 boy. Plus, a bonus, Son in Law 🙂  The oldest and youngest are 2o years apart.
  6. We have home schooled our children (officially) for 19 years
  7. When our youngest graduates we will have been homeschooling for 34 years . . . yikes!  (one day at a time!)
  8. Charlotte Mason is my education inspiration.  Living books, served abundantly and in large quantities!
  9.  We started our REAL food, WHOLE food journey shortly after our 2nd daughter was diagnosed with MS at the age of 14.  We cleaned out the cupboards and fridge and went cold-turkey! . . . I won’t lie, it was hard.
  10. We have 2 children with Down Syndrome , a son (#4) and a daughter (#6)