In over 40 years of marriage, we’d never gardened, preserved food, or prepared for emergencies, but we wanted to change that. Our journey began with a small garden in 2020, a place that quickly became my sanctuary. That little plot of earth (which has since quadrupled in size) turned into my prayer garden—a peaceful retreat where I discovered the joy of growing our own food. Knowing exactly how our food was grown, what went into it, and being able to nourish ourselves with it was deeply fulfilling. From that first garden, we expanded our homestead to include chickens, grew our own medicinal herbs, and learned how to create organic remedies. Living in a hurricane zone, I even taught myself to use household items for emergency preparedness.