The Homestead Is Where the Heart Is

from March 2023

Changing the Grocery Game

RECENTLY, IʼVE BEEN ENJOYING A NEW POST-APOCAlyptic TV show. You know the one—it feels as though everyone has been talking about it. In the fi rst few episodes, we meet a character who, when the rest of the world fell apart, built for himself a scenic safe haven.

I never once considered the prospect of owning a large amount of land to be appealing, until we lived through what felt like it might be the beginning of the actual apocalypse. All of a sudden, the idea of owning a property far away from the hustle and bustle of the city and being able to sustain our family made a lot of sense.

In the craziness that has become our modern lives, many of us fi nd ourselves longing for something else — peace, calmness, connection to nature, an existence a little more unplugged. Perhaps getting back to our roots and enjoying the things our ancestors did, such as a wide view of the sunrise, extended family time and gathering our food from the crops we sowed ourselves.

For our cover feature this month, we explore homesteading. The lifestyle of self-suﬃciency is not a new concept by any means, but one that is having a resurgence as a new Oklahoma dream. Evie Klopp Holzer interviewed the creators of three local homesteads and discussed the extensive process of turning their visions into idyllic realities (pg.0). It might plant the seeds of new ambition in your mind. Just be prepared — the journey isn’t for the faint of heart. It can take decades to ﬂesh out a fully functioning homestead. Luckily, the industrious people of OKC have never been afraid of hard work.

When we began brainstorming covering this topic last September, we immediately knew we wanted to do the photoshoot at Edmond’s breathtaking farmturned-wedding venue, The Baumberhof. With its unique architecture and jaw-dropping landscaping, it is one of one. Since we wanted to photograph its signature ivy walls before they changed colors for the fall, we had to pull the shoot together in just a few days. Wonderfully, all the moving parts fell into place to form one of my favorite spreads we have ever done.

Also in this issue, you will meet a local farming family who have turned their comedy videos into a massive platform (pg. 22), learn a bit about growing your own fresh foods (pg. 26) and feast your eyes on some scrumptious pies (pg. 5) and pastries (pg 56).

We are also excited to introduce you to an artist with wild multimedia installations (pg. 66), preview several driveable St. Patrick’s Day festivals (p. 7), and profi le a new grocery store concept that merges technology with produce shopping, and just opened in Edmond (pg. 7).