Hey ya’ll, I’m Jess from Roots & Refuge Farm
Welcome to a place that feels like home. A small farm with a big family. We hope you’ll pull up a chair, grab some coffee and visit awhile.
There was a time that all I wanted in the world was a little farm where I could raise my family and grow our food. Now, that is exactly what exists outside my door. In watching it unfold, a new dream was formed in my heart – to share this beautiful life with others and teach them the lessons we’ve learned along the way. Welcome to our journey, friend. I am so glad you’re here.
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WHERE TO FIND US (Some of the links here are affiliate links. If you purchase through our links we’ll receive a small commission but the price remains the same – OR BETTER – for you! Be sure to check for any mentioned discount codes.)
– Our Website: https://rootsandrefuge.com
– Sign up for our newsletter: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-signup
– Abundance+ (Grab a FREE 7-day trial): https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-wilder-still
– Shop our Stickers & Shirts: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-shop
– Order my book First Time Gardener: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-ftgbook
– Pre-order my newest book First Time Homesteader: https://rootsandrefuge.com/first-time-homesteader-yt
– Growing Gardeners Course: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-ggcourse
– Instagram: www.instagram.com/roots_and_refuge
– Email Us: rootsandrefuge@yahoo.com
– To drop us a line:
PO Box 4239
Leesville SC 29070
– To have a gift sent to our house from our Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/SFA0IZHZRCOZ?ref_=wl_share
– To support us through PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jessicasowards
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PRODUCTS WE LOVE – You’ve probably heard me talk about these things a million times, so here’s where you can order them (and get a discount with my code!):
– Greenstalk Vertical Gardens (Use code “ROOTS10” for $10 off your order): https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-greenstalk
– Squizito Tasting Room (Use code “ROOTS” for 10% off your order): https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-squizito
– ButcherBox: https://rootsandrefuge.com/butcherbox
– Growers Solution: https://rootsandrefuge.com/growers-solution
#rootsandrefuge #homesteading #gardening
I love shelling peas. I grow alot of blackeyed peas. It is an every day/every other day happening when the peas are producing. However, I have never shelled dried peas (other than the occasional one I miss picking) green fresh peas are so much more flavorful than dried peas.
My best times and memories as a child visiting my dad’s oldest sister in rural Cottonwood, Alabama was sitting on the front porch in rocking chairs shelling peas or snapping beans. They lived on a huge farm and grew most of their own food which was even the norm with my parents in Central Texas – no farm but lots of food came off 1 1/2 acres in town … huge gardens, a Jersey milk cow, chickens for eggs and meat, and sheep for their wool to be sold and add to the income … that was just my life growing up with parents who lived through the depression.
I grew up in South Carolina and my children live in Lexington. When growing up we would sit on porch and shell butter beans and peas and talk, laugh, and enjoy each other. That is one of the most relaxing things about having a garden. I lived in the country and all you are talking about I lived. Nothing was never thrown away because the hulls of beans and peas went to our hogs, cows, and chicken
I loved sitting on the porch with you shelling peas!
I have not seen this part of the lot. The trees in the pig area are stunning.
This was a truly lovely video
You bring back great memories.
Hey Jesse sometimes slow is a good thing we live this life so fast how much time do we really take to slow down and smell the roses talk a walk in the woods and find herbs medicinal or even food in the wild. I guess that's why I love Arkansas away from the city limits out in the back woods communication with nature all around you. Fishing, Hunting, or just exploring and relaxing takeing time to slow down relax and enjoy the peaceful times. I guess being country is not to bad after all. We often forget the difference in the people. A country folk will feed you treat you well and show that good old southern hospitality now seen as much today unless you go back to the woods or holla where siting on the porch and smoking a pipe and picking and greening is just a way of life. To bad most do not realize the love that goes into all things and it starts on how you treat one another. Of course things change as times have changed but you still get them nights when you have to smile and just be thankful to be home healthy as you can be and relaxed.
Rave
A very wise friend of mine has always been very busy in ministry and something she discovered is that we need restful times. If we dont' make opportunities to rest, we are forced to rest. Our bodies, our minds, our hearts get tired.
this is beautiful, Jess. i'm one of those apartment-dwellers, and listened to this while firing up the canner for a late night session. it reminded me of some of those talks esther emery used to give us from her channel back in the day.
Yes, Jess! Embrace the slow…take time to rest, breathe, hear God's voice and soak in the peace! Sending blessings your way, sweet girl…
I been watching your content for about a year. I watched because I'm a huge gardener kind o person. I was raised in Montana and from the time I can remember being very young and walking behind my father as he tilled the earth for our gardens and I would pick up all the night crawlers and red worms for selling to fisherman.. Yes
we had five different plots that averaged half acre a piece. So I grew to love fresh healthy veggies and growing them is a bonus. Anyway thank you so much for all you do and share. You seem like a pretty cool chic and your husband is a great guy hard working fella both of you are.
I love when you preach without preaching!
Thank you for your slow and easy journey through your life. Most of the time life moves too quickly and I appreciate you for intentionally bringing it down a notch.
Amen!!! Make time for your pea pickin heart!!! That needs a magnet or Make sure you bless your pea pickin heart?
The way my grandmother did her dry peas was, she put them in like a bag or Crocker bag make sure the end is secured. She would take a stick and beat those peas. You could tell when they were about finished , you could feel the light hulls. The reason she did them that way was because she had a lot of them, and it would save time and energy.
I’m 52 and grew up in the late 70’s and early 80’s. My great uncle used to grow food when I was a kid. Whenever I would visit over the summer, if food needed to be harvested we would go out and do it. I used to remember wondering why he did it instead of just using food from the store. I believe his generation was the last one where growing food was normal and stores were just for something extra, like sugar or flour
In the summers when it came pea picking time we would go to spend time at my mamaw s….every afternoon and evening we would sit in the back porch or under the carport shell peas and butter beans. She would blanch and freeze them the next morning. Same with other garden large hand work putting up as they called it..we would hear wonderful stories about our family long gone.
Thank you for the restful break and memories..good times
Just love you, Jess!
That was lovely and I do not care how long the vlog is! I have had 4 weeks of extreme activity plus the last week being hig emotional stress and yesterday, my body said, no more and I half crashed, so now I am chilling this weekend before I make myself really sick. We must have intentional slow times and I am working on that
I totally agree will all you've said about 'taking the time' when you can & making it a priority for your physical & mental health, it is as vitally important as the food we eat. I have quite a few health problems as does my husband but we are learning to deal with them the best we can & that includes growing some veggies & fruits. Everything we grow has to be in pots or grow bags as well as raised beds, we simply can't grow in the ground, but we have found our system & it works for us. I find watching your vlogs (& a few others), to be a lovely way to de-stress my day & I look forward to seeing what you are doing on your beautiful farm & to hear you talk about your day! Thank you for sharing part of your life with us. Blessing & good health to you & all your family.
I grew up never knowing the peaceful times of sitting and shelling peas .. but now that I have my own garden…. even though I still work out of the home with a 50 minute commute each way… I'm going to plant peas for shelling next year just so I can sit down and be at peace and reflect on my life. I'm getting close to retirement and I can't wait to put all my energy into growing seeds, planting, harvesting, preserving and sitting down and shelling peas…it is never too late .. thank you for this video .