The Road To Magnalia
Snapshots of a Homesteader’s LifeSnapshots
The Homestead Four
Dec 17, 2024 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Almost as hard as getting 11 kids or 14 grandkids to smile and keep their eyes open at the same time is this group. It’s The Homestead Four:...
5th Annual Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction
Dec 14, 2024 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
5th Annual Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction Is Live! If you're looking for some unique gifts (and gift experiences!) for some special someone,...
Magnalia Harvest Festival on 10/26 for NC Mountains Relief
Oct 18, 2024 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
Magnalia's Annual Harvest Festival is a celebration of community, and the goodness of God in the glories of Autumn. It marks the traditional...
Work Hard, Play Hard, Rest Well!
Sep 25, 2024 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
#ShoutoutSeptember must include a post about our work interns! In young Caleb Vogel's third summer of work here at Magnalia Farm, we wanted him to...
Village Blacksmith Brings History to Life, With Love
Sep 25, 2024 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Our Village Blacksmith, Scott Smith, stewards an age-old tradition (as his last name suggests his forebears once did). Pounding and bending and...
On the Making of Hesed Hitching Post
Sep 25, 2024 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
Among our growing number of students who have come to work and learn this summer is a lad from Washington DC named Titus. His earnestness and...
Magnalia’s Community Garden Marks Special Milestones
Sep 13, 2024 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
Thanks to our Master Gardener Dorothy Clement and her very able apprentices, Laurel and Izzy Bird, and a host of volunteers from Mount Jubilee...
An Angus Calf Arrives, and There’s a Problem!
Sep 6, 2024 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Thanks to our herd guru, seasoned farmer Rodney Hardy, Magnalia’s herd is growing! Our black Angus cow named Scottie or Scheffler (named after the...
Pickleball Tournament
Sep 2, 2024 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
Pickleball has taken America (and the world) by storm. Invented in the Northwest, it is is a racket sport in which two players or four players use a...
Chopping Your Own Wood Will Warm You Twice
Aug 17, 2024 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Many thanks to Paul Van Eerden, Jack Hobson, Joshua Van Eerden, Joel Germeroth, Peter Van Eerden, Caleb Vogel, Joel Bowman, Edison Van Eerden and...
A New Place, Called Ebenezer Creek
Jul 21, 2024 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
In between Magnalia’s 22-box community garden and the grounds of Narnia Cottage, there’s a (usually) dry creek. It’s comprised of river rock,...
Cold-Plunging at The Homestead
Jul 11, 2024 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Peter Van Eerden, fresh from USMC Basic School, became the first to hit the ice-filled water of the Homestead's new cold plunge tank. Teddy...
Making Merriment
Dec 9, 2022 | EVENTS, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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, REFLECTIONS
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, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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
On episode 200 of History Channel's #ForgedInFire this week our friend, Chris Moss (fellow churchman at Christ Covenant Church Greensboro, NC...
A New Year’s Toast to Creating Community, Together
Dec 31, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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....
The Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction is Now Live!
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, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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...
Babette’s Feast
Mar 11, 2022 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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...
No Table Is Set Without a Team
Feb 5, 2022 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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
On episode 200 of History Channel's #ForgedInFire this week our friend, Chris Moss (fellow churchman at Christ Covenant Church Greensboro, NC...
A New Year’s Toast to Creating Community, Together
Dec 31, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Thanks to encouragement from many of you, our Magnalia Elves and generous donors worked together to help create community and make some gift-giving...
After a Weekend with Babette
Dec 16, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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 Reconnecting with Time, and Giving Thanks
Nov 24, 2021 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
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...
Sehnsucht Sightings
Sep 17, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
There are places and moments in our lives that we wish we could make last. When C.S. Lewis was an atheist, he spoke about times when that sensation...
To Make a Better Pesto (or Cobbler)…
Aug 16, 2021 | PEOPLE, PLANTS & ANIMALS
We sometimes read leading lines like, "To Make a Better Pesto (or Cobbler)…" If you're like me, we often read on because we're looking for a...
First Things, First…
Jul 22, 2022 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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,…
Walking a Tangled Wood, Into a Painting Worth a Thousand Words
Mar 2, 2022 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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....
The Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction is Now Live!
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...
In the Company of Friends
Oct 2, 2021 | EVENTS, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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...
On Kaizen, and the Momentum of the Next Little Thing
Sep 27, 2021 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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...
I Went To The Woods….
Jul 25, 2021 | EVENTS, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to...
On Dreaming and Doing
Jun 17, 2021 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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...
When You Have to Say Goodbye
Jun 5, 2021 | PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
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...
Blessings Circling ‘Round
May 14, 2021 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
In 2004, we traveled to Ecuador with our two oldest children to participate in a gospel-based humanitarian relief project – serving warm Christmas...
The Mascot Greeter
May 9, 2021 | PLACES, 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 Right Tools Help
May 6, 2021 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
So grateful for friends who have the right tools for the right jobs. Also makes us appreciate those who did this work in generations past, without...
On Seedpods, Pine Cones and Trees
Jun 19, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
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....
When Lumber Gets Expensive
May 22, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
What happens when the cost of building an important building runs out of control? Well. Sometimes, you have to cancel your building project, no...
The Mascot Greeter
May 9, 2021 | PLACES, 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, REFLECTIONS
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...
First It Gets Ugly
May 6, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
My grandpa used to say that "sometimes things need to get ugly before they can be made beautiful." So, it is with clearing a pasture. Dirt, and root...
Magnalia Farm
Apr 25, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
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 | PLACES, 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,...
The Homestead Four
Dec 17, 2024 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Almost as hard as getting 11 kids or 14 grandkids to smile and keep their eyes open at the same time is this group. It’s The Homestead Four:...
5th Annual Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction
Dec 14, 2024 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
5th Annual Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction Is Live! If you're looking for some unique gifts (and gift experiences!) for some special someone,...
Magnalia Harvest Festival on 10/26 for NC Mountains Relief
Oct 18, 2024 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
Magnalia's Annual Harvest Festival is a celebration of community, and the goodness of God in the glories of Autumn. It marks the traditional...
Work Hard, Play Hard, Rest Well!
Sep 25, 2024 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
#ShoutoutSeptember must include a post about our work interns! In young Caleb Vogel's third summer of work here at Magnalia Farm, we wanted him to...
Village Blacksmith Brings History to Life, With Love
Sep 25, 2024 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Our Village Blacksmith, Scott Smith, stewards an age-old tradition (as his last name suggests his forebears once did). Pounding and bending and...
On the Making of Hesed Hitching Post
Sep 25, 2024 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
Among our growing number of students who have come to work and learn this summer is a lad from Washington DC named Titus. His earnestness and...
Magnalia’s Community Garden Marks Special Milestones
Sep 13, 2024 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
Thanks to our Master Gardener Dorothy Clement and her very able apprentices, Laurel and Izzy Bird, and a host of volunteers from Mount Jubilee...
An Angus Calf Arrives, and There’s a Problem!
Sep 6, 2024 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Thanks to our herd guru, seasoned farmer Rodney Hardy, Magnalia’s herd is growing! Our black Angus cow named Scottie or Scheffler (named after the...
Pickleball Tournament
Sep 2, 2024 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
Pickleball has taken America (and the world) by storm. Invented in the Northwest, it is is a racket sport in which two players or four players use a...
Chopping Your Own Wood Will Warm You Twice
Aug 17, 2024 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Many thanks to Paul Van Eerden, Jack Hobson, Joshua Van Eerden, Joel Germeroth, Peter Van Eerden, Caleb Vogel, Joel Bowman, Edison Van Eerden and...
A New Place, Called Ebenezer Creek
Jul 21, 2024 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
In between Magnalia’s 22-box community garden and the grounds of Narnia Cottage, there’s a (usually) dry creek. It’s comprised of river rock,...
Cold-Plunging at The Homestead
Jul 11, 2024 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Peter Van Eerden, fresh from USMC Basic School, became the first to hit the ice-filled water of the Homestead's new cold plunge tank. Teddy...
