Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah L.
Leah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My husband and I are both Atlanta natives and bought our little 1940s homestead in 2012. I (Leah) grew up spending summers on my grandparents’ farm eating blueberries until I was blue in the face and chasing baby goats and cattle around the pasture. My grandfather was a prize-winning flower farmer so I guess you could say gardening is in my blood. When we bought our home the 1/3 acre was really important to us. I knew I wanted a home where I could live out the farm dreams of my childhood in the middle of the city. Finding a perfect homestead on the Beltline was more than I could have ever hoped for.
Our first hurdle in turning our house into a homestead was conquering the jungle of kudzu called our backyard. We kept pygmy goats as pets for about three years as we progressively fenced it all in. While the goats did the backyard work, we worked hard on the front yard eliminating all the grass to establish flower beds and raised vegetable beds instead. The first spring in our home, we started our flock of chickens and have had anywhere from 3-21 ever since. Neighbors love getting fresh eggs from us and we love connecting with neighbors to share from our homestead.
After eight years, we finally have some good structure that feels like we are making improvements rather than fighting uphill to establish the homestead. There’s always another project to do and weeds to pull but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Homesteading always has its ups and downs but we’ve been really blessed to have great neighbors help us along the way. When we got the goats, Mr. Tumnus, our first buck escaped the very first night we had him. We were up half the night looking for him and up bright and early the next morning continuing the search. A neighbor finally spotted him the next afternoon across the street in an alleyway. We were so thankful for all the neighbors that helped us search and that we were able to retrieve him unharmed. Goats are infamously hard to keep fenced in…so while we miss having our little horned pets, we also are thankful for the peace of no more escape attempts.
Little House ATL – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Little House ATL is all about cultivating connections among neighbors over homesteading and we see our location on the Atlanta Beltline trail as the perfect opportunity to help build those connections. We’re passionate about permaculture gardening, edible landscaping, and protecting our pollinators. Through our Instagram account and blog, we hope to inspire you in your own homesteading adventures, whether it’s on several acres or a small balcony.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as loving and being loved well. I could have the prettiest garden in the whole state, but if my neighbors don’t feel loved by me if I’m disconnected from my community, then what’s the point of pretty flowers?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.littlehouseatl.com
- Email: contact@littlehouseatl.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/littlehouseatl
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/littlehouseatl
Image Credit:
All images by Little House ATL
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
