The Road To Magnalia
Snapshots of a Homesteader’s LifeSnapshots
A Place in Time
May 15, 2023 | EVENTS & PLACES
Sometimes when we travel we get to visit a Place that inspires us. A Place that gives us a vision of things Beautiful, Good and True. A Place...
Easter Sign Glory
Apr 4, 2023 | EVENTS & PLACES, REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
Signs of Easter are everywhere! Resurrection glory: things dying to bring new life. The Dutch tulips were my favorite sight here, until we realized...
On The Passing of Batons
Apr 3, 2023 | FAMILY & PEOPLE
Every family marks those moments when there is a "changing of the guard" -- when a baton of responsibility passes from one child to the next, or...
A Festival of Firsts
Feb 27, 2023 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
So this just happened at Magnalia Farm today: our first ewe lamb, and our first calf (endowed with a bull's paraphernalia), were born within hours...
The Magnalia Mark
Feb 16, 2023 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
Magnalia's logo is a silhouette of a recurring moment with our playful black Labrador retriever named Bella June. She's ever the loyal companion for...
Feeling Loved
Jan 5, 2023 | REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
Our affectionate new Neubian donkey named Davie has quite the personality. I'm not sure our Black Angus, named Scheffler, who once got all my...
Mahindra Tractor
Dec 31, 2022 | FAMILY & PEOPLE
Definitely one of my favorite pictures from the holiday season, here's Eddie with his "best friend" and nephew, William James Wolfe. The smiling...
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Dec 29, 2022 | REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
This is a brief look back at 2022 and a look forward to the months to come. We offer a few highlights of what the Lord has done here this past...
When Farm Tough Met an Amateur Farmer…
Dec 28, 2022 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
Farm Tough met an Amateur Farmer, and left said Farmer full of wonder. 😮 What a marvel to witness Davie the Donkey and our other farm animals...
Doors Open at Magnalia’s Smithy!
Dec 28, 2022 | FAMILY & PEOPLE
On a crisp winter evening, with the stars near enough to grab, The Village Blacksmith Shoppe at Magnalia opened its doors for a gathering for the...
Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction Now Live!
Dec 16, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES
We’re so very excited, thanks to the creativity and generosity of so many in our generous community, to announce perhaps the most…
Making Merriment
Dec 9, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES
As a change of pace, we thought we would offer you a peak into community life here at Magnalia homestead, leading with our first public event at the newly constructed…
A Place in Time
May 15, 2023 | EVENTS & PLACES
Sometimes when we travel we get to visit a Place that inspires us. A Place that gives us a vision of things Beautiful, Good and True. A Place...
Easter Sign Glory
Apr 4, 2023 | EVENTS & PLACES, REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
Signs of Easter are everywhere! Resurrection glory: things dying to bring new life. The Dutch tulips were my favorite sight here, until we realized...
Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction Now Live!
Dec 16, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES
We’re so very excited, thanks to the creativity and generosity of so many in our generous community, to announce perhaps the most…
Making Merriment
Dec 9, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES
As a change of pace, we thought we would offer you a peak into community life here at Magnalia homestead, leading with our first public event at the newly constructed…
USMC Birthday #247!
Nov 11, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES
Semper Fi Hall was a fitting site for a gathering of Marines, their spouses, and special invited guests to commemorate the 247th Birthday of the...
On Floating Lanterns and a Hot Dog Truck
Jul 8, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES, FAMILY & PEOPLE
July 4 of 2022 at the Homestead was an Independence Day to Remember for many reasons. We can eat and watch fireworks at a myriad of places. But to...
An Independence Day to Remember
May 27, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES
This Memorial Day Weekend, Make Plans for Independence Day! As every patriot knows, and as Memorial Day reminds us, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. So mark...
Babette’s Feast
Mar 11, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES
From a fictional fjord community in Norway in 1871 to present-day North Carolina (and the world over), Isak Denison’s classic short story called...
Forged In Fire: Our Local Village Blacksmith Wins the Prize
Jan 6, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES, FAMILY & PEOPLE
On episode 200 of History Channel's #ForgedInFire this week our friend, Chris Moss (fellow churchman at Christ Covenant Church Greensboro, NC...
After a Weekend with Babette
Dec 16, 2021 | EVENTS & PLACES, HOMESTEAD LESSONS
This past weekend we had the joy of hosting a Babette’s Feast at the Homestead. From a fictional fjord community in Norway in 1871 to present-day...
More Priceless than a van Gogh
Nov 9, 2021 | EVENTS & PLACES, FAMILY & PEOPLE
We recently went to the van Gogh Immersion in Charlotte. For us, it was a wonderful encounter with The Beautiful. Of all the photography I tried to...
On Naming Things, like Jabe’s Grove
Nov 4, 2021 | EVENTS & PLACES, FAMILY & PEOPLE, PLANTS & ANIMALS
We had the privilege this past week of welcoming to Magnalia the family of Jabe Isaac Wilhoit. Jabe has been a counselor at Camp Jubilee, the summer...
On The Passing of Batons
Apr 3, 2023 | FAMILY & PEOPLE
Every family marks those moments when there is a "changing of the guard" -- when a baton of responsibility passes from one child to the next, or...
Mahindra Tractor
Dec 31, 2022 | FAMILY & PEOPLE
Definitely one of my favorite pictures from the holiday season, here's Eddie with his "best friend" and nephew, William James Wolfe. The smiling...
Doors Open at Magnalia’s Smithy!
Dec 28, 2022 | FAMILY & PEOPLE
On a crisp winter evening, with the stars near enough to grab, The Village Blacksmith Shoppe at Magnalia opened its doors for a gathering for the...
First Things, First…
Jul 22, 2022 | FAMILY & PEOPLE, HOMESTEAD LESSONS
We had visions of building a barn, first. But, in the months since, we’ve learned more about the principle we’ve had preached to us,…
On Floating Lanterns and a Hot Dog Truck
Jul 8, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES, FAMILY & PEOPLE
July 4 of 2022 at the Homestead was an Independence Day to Remember for many reasons. We can eat and watch fireworks at a myriad of places. But to...
Gramps Said “A Little Dirt Ain’t Hurt Nobody”
Jun 20, 2022 | FAMILY & PEOPLE
Growing up as a boy, some of my favorite memories came from times with my Grandpa. Gramps VE was a hard-working, kind man. A proud Dutchman and a...
No Table Is Set Without a Team
Feb 5, 2022 | FAMILY & PEOPLE
After another special community dinner last week, celebrating the work of Mount Jubilee Ministries with guests from nearby and from as far away as...
Forged In Fire: Our Local Village Blacksmith Wins the Prize
Jan 6, 2022 | EVENTS & PLACES, FAMILY & PEOPLE
On episode 200 of History Channel's #ForgedInFire this week our friend, Chris Moss (fellow churchman at Christ Covenant Church Greensboro, NC...
On Reconnecting with Time, and Giving Thanks
Nov 24, 2021 | FAMILY & PEOPLE
A dear family friend, the “elder stateman” in our church, recently passed on to us the treasure of an heirloom grandfather clock. Made by the people...
More Priceless than a van Gogh
Nov 9, 2021 | EVENTS & PLACES, FAMILY & PEOPLE
We recently went to the van Gogh Immersion in Charlotte. For us, it was a wonderful encounter with The Beautiful. Of all the photography I tried to...
On Naming Things, like Jabe’s Grove
Nov 4, 2021 | EVENTS & PLACES, FAMILY & PEOPLE, PLANTS & ANIMALS
We had the privilege this past week of welcoming to Magnalia the family of Jabe Isaac Wilhoit. Jabe has been a counselor at Camp Jubilee, the summer...
A Toast, and Hanging Up the Boots
Oct 12, 2021 | FAMILY & PEOPLE
Semper Fi Hall was the setting this past weekend for a Gratitude Meal and a “Hanging Up the Boots Toast” to honor the end of active duty service for...
We Are Like Sheep
Nov 5, 2022 | HOMESTEAD LESSONS
Our four sheep at Magnalia Farm have made me more aware of the many facets of me being referred to in the Scriptures as A SHEEP. All we like sheep...
A Waystation for Majestic Monarchs
Sep 28, 2022 | HOMESTEAD LESSONS
Monarch butterflies have been a family favorite for years. When they were listed as endangered earlier this year, friends Tim and Cindy Wall helped...
First Things, First…
Jul 22, 2022 | FAMILY & PEOPLE, HOMESTEAD LESSONS
We had visions of building a barn, first. But, in the months since, we’ve learned more about the principle we’ve had preached to us,…
Holding on to Ancient Stones and Walking Ancient Paths
Jun 2, 2022 | HOMESTEAD LESSONS
One of our crazy sons Johnny Van Eerden was playing daredevil recently as the sun set at a local park. His mother did not like the photos. But it...
Walking a Tangled Wood, Into a Painting Worth a Thousand Words
Mar 2, 2022 | HOMESTEAD LESSONS
We know the days are waning when we still can walk my way through the densest sections of our forest – with the trees and bushes nearly leafless and...
A New Year’s Toast to Creating Community, Together
Dec 31, 2021 | HOMESTEAD LESSONS
A beacon is regarded by many people as a symbol. But it’s more. If it does its job, it’s also functional in the way it warns and welcomes travelers....
Christmas Auction Raises $8,200 for Jubilee Barn Art Studio
Dec 23, 2021 | HOMESTEAD LESSONS
Thanks to encouragement from many of you, our Magnalia Elves and generous donors worked together to help create community and make some gift-giving...
The Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction is Now Live!
Dec 17, 2021 | HOMESTEAD LESSONS
Thanks to the encouragement of many of you, our Magnalia Elves (all of whom sport big, warm smiles and give lots of hugs) are happy to announce that...
After a Weekend with Babette
Dec 16, 2021 | EVENTS & PLACES, HOMESTEAD LESSONS
This past weekend we had the joy of hosting a Babette’s Feast at the Homestead. From a fictional fjord community in Norway in 1871 to present-day...
On Kaizen, and the Momentum of the Next Little Thing
Sep 27, 2021 | HOMESTEAD LESSONS
I saw a now famous American speak at a youth entrepreneurship summit years ago. I won’t soon forget it. A student stood up and told the speaker he...
A Swarm of Golden Wonder
Jun 26, 2021 | HOMESTEAD LESSONS
[A Blog Post from John Mark Van Eerden] This is a special report about a call for help from a friend. (And what happened afterwards.) My friend...
When You Have to Say Goodbye
Jun 5, 2021 | HOMESTEAD LESSONS
For almost 20 years, our Kubota 2250 and the bushhog that came with it has served us well. That was to be expected. We bought it from one of our...
A Festival of Firsts
Feb 27, 2023 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
So this just happened at Magnalia Farm today: our first ewe lamb, and our first calf (endowed with a bull's paraphernalia), were born within hours...
The Magnalia Mark
Feb 16, 2023 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
Magnalia's logo is a silhouette of a recurring moment with our playful black Labrador retriever named Bella June. She's ever the loyal companion for...
When Farm Tough Met an Amateur Farmer…
Dec 28, 2022 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
Farm Tough met an Amateur Farmer, and left said Farmer full of wonder. 😮 What a marvel to witness Davie the Donkey and our other farm animals...
Resilient Cosmos
Sep 28, 2022 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
A friend of ours had the idea of planting a large bed of the Cosmos Bipinnatus flower seed (commonly called the garden cosmos or Mexican Aster) in...
On Naming Things, like Jabe’s Grove
Nov 4, 2021 | EVENTS & PLACES, FAMILY & PEOPLE, PLANTS & ANIMALS
We had the privilege this past week of welcoming to Magnalia the family of Jabe Isaac Wilhoit. Jabe has been a counselor at Camp Jubilee, the summer...
Learning to Like Okra (and Why It Matters)
Sep 4, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
There’s a lot happening in the news these days, and much of it has most thoughtful people feeling quite unsettled. It’s a time in history when we...
On Seedpods, Pine Cones and Trees
Jun 19, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
Years ago (when I would actually run for recreation!), I remember jogging to the end of our country road with whichever kids were up for joining me....
The Mascot Greeter
May 9, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
Every Homestead must have its official greeter and mascot. Here she is: Bella June, our black lab who inspired the Magnalia logo with her sense of...
The Blueberries are Bearing!
May 8, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
Thanks to help from our friends at Mount Jubilee Ministries, we have planted 50 assorted blueberries near our bee hives, and a small grove of Brown...
Magnalia Farm
Apr 25, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
Our newly seeded pasture, called Golders Green, was not many months ago a field of clay. It has explosed into a salad bowl of Beauty. Through eyes...
Captain of the Guard
May 6, 2020 | PLANTS & ANIMALS
Every Homestead needs a Captain of the Guard, who knows it -- even when he's resting. Meet Jackson. a/k/a Capt. Jack. 114 pounds of linebacker,...
Easter Sign Glory
Apr 4, 2023 | EVENTS & PLACES, REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
Signs of Easter are everywhere! Resurrection glory: things dying to bring new life. The Dutch tulips were my favorite sight here, until we realized...
Feeling Loved
Jan 5, 2023 | REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
Our affectionate new Neubian donkey named Davie has quite the personality. I'm not sure our Black Angus, named Scheffler, who once got all my...
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Dec 29, 2022 | REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
This is a brief look back at 2022 and a look forward to the months to come. We offer a few highlights of what the Lord has done here this past...
A Creek Mist Rising
Nov 8, 2022 | REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
After an autumn rain, the midst rises up from the Hogan's Creek valley and makes a simple pasture view seem epic, almost mystical. It draws me to...
In the Company of Friends
Oct 2, 2021 | REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
In college, I heard an old Swiss-born professor (the inimitable Roger Nicole) once say that when you’re in your library – no matter how big or how...
Why Events Help
Jul 3, 2021 | REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
Since I've been a boy, my Dad has told me a thousand times: "Nothing is dynamic, until it is specific!" When I would talk about wanting to change...
On Dreaming and Doing
Jun 17, 2021 | REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
One of my favorite quotes from Henry David Thoreau is about the connection between dreaming and doing. “If you have built castles in the air, your...
Sun and Moon Praise Him!
Oct 30, 2020 | REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
The October full moon is our favorite of them all! So glad we returned to the Homestead tonight, as the drive down Hilton Hill reminded us -- even...
How Happy Is The Farmer
Feb 14, 2020 | REFLECTIONS & IDEAS
Could not resist sharing this today! No matter the "field" we tend by God's appointment, this is as true today as it was for some farmer in 1805!...

