A little bit about us. Welcome to Hobby Homestead, where our mission is to educate, entertain, and inspire individuals and families who wish to embrace self-reliance and the timeless practices of agriculture and traditional skills.
We are a multi-generational family committed to passing down the wisdom we’ve gained through decades of hands-on experience in farming, business, and technology.
Mission statement
At Hobby Homestead, our mission is to educate, entertain, and inspire those that wish to become more self-reliant and embrace the timeless practices of agriculture and traditional skills, while fostering a sense of family.
We love spending time together sharing our lifestyle with others and helping others find a love for agriculture and self-sufficiency.
We have a fourth generation farm in Wisconsin. Until a few years ago, it was a fully operating dairy farm with dairy cattle and crops on hundreds of acres.
As my parents are aging, it was time to sell the cattle and rent out the crop land. We still have a bit of a hobby farm going on because farming is just what we do.
We spend a lot of time together doing all sorts of things as a family. Each one of us has our area of expertise.
Meet Our Family
Grandma
With advanced degrees in accounting, business management, and a doctorate in education, Grandma brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Hobby Homestead.
She was a dairy farm owner and operator for over 40 years and worked on a dairy goat farm for 3 years. Grandma started cooking in restaurants at the age of 13 and continued for over 12 years.
However, to make ends meet, she always had to work off the farm along with helping on the farm. She wore many hats over the years, but her most noteworthy is probably her career in education.
Her passion for education led her to become a Dean at a local community college, where she managed technology and trades programs for over a decade. She also founded and directed the Agriculture Center of Excellence, developing new programs in agriculture, agri-business, crop science, agriculture technology, and veterinary sciences. Under her guidance, she developed the farm-to-market program, bridging the gap between producers and consumers.
Grandpa
Grandpa is a seasoned expert in agronomy with an associate degree in crop science. Along with over 50 years of experience as a dairy farm owner and operator. His deep understanding of the land and commitment to sustainable farming practices have been the backbone of our family’s agricultural endeavors.
In addition to his work on the farm, Grandpa spent 35 years in agriculture equipment sales and service, helping other farmers optimize their operations with the right tools and technologies.
He has evolved into our fix-it everything handyman around the farm. Oh, did I mention he is obsessed with tractors and equipment? He runs the local tractor pull and finds any excuse to play with his toys.
Evolving the Farm for the Next Generation
Casey and Logan are the next generation taking over the family farm. They are working on evolving it into a self-sufficient hobby farm.
Casey with one of her Holstein dairy calves.
Casey
Following in the footsteps of her parents, Casey holds degrees in agronomy, crochet science, dairy science, agri-business, and a bachelor degree in business management.
She grew up working on the family dairy farm and now has over 10 years of experience in farming.
Casey’s hands-on knowledge and business acumen ensure that our operations remain efficient and innovative. She’s also worked as a groundskeeper, honing her skills in land management and environmental stewardship.
In the photo, you’ll see Casey and Logan with their miniature donkey Leo.
Logan
Logan brings a unique skill set to Hobby Homestead with his degree in electromechanical technology. He has over 10 years of experience working in the family electrical business and another decade in manufacturing machine maintenance and automation controls.
Logan ensures that our operations run smoothly and efficiently. His expertise in automation and technology allows us to blend traditional practices with modern innovations.
Content Creators
As content creators, our goal is to provide your readers with the best possible user experience.
Victoria Pietz and Casey Brown
Email: v@patternprincess.com
Our Parent Company: RecipeCraft Creations, LLC
Our Websites
You can find all of our free crochet patterns, free quilt patterns, recipes, and crafts on our sister website groups.
This website is exclusively for recipes.
Overcoming Challenges
The parts I left off where those terrible things that can happen to anyone like health problems or an accident. We’ve had our share. One that had a huge impact on my family emotionally, physically, and financially is a car and train accident that my parents and I had when I was a baby.
It was on a country road where it was hard to see or hear a train coming. We all lived through it, but my mom had to heal the most from her injuries. She has survived cancer and continues to be a positive light in our lives.
She always worked a full-time job, somewhere part-time, and was going to school part-time. As a child growing up watching her push through and overcome many obstacles, I have been amazed and It has taught me how to persevere and make lemonade with the lemons that life sometimes deals you.
Back in 2010, my dad had a cardiomyopathy. Milk prices were at their lowest point in decades. It was tough for my parents to keep the bills paid. The stress got the best of him. This caused my parents to make changes. They eventually sold all the cattle. However, we’ve kept the farm and it is evolving. Like many older farmers, my dad’s knees are shot, he has had his hip replaced already. But he keeps going and we are lucky to have him around to pass his wealth of knowledge onto us.
Farming Family
At a young age, I started helping do the farm chores on our dairy farm. Some of my best childhood memories come from time spent with our animals.
My mom helped with the morning and evening milking chores and had to take care of the cooking and cleaning all while working and going to school. That left me to help my dad with farming.
I spent most of my time at the farm helping take care of the animals, helping my dad do the field work, and learning how to fix equipment. It was so much fun to go on road trips with my dad to get parts.
Attending College
Funny story, we are such a close family that when I was attending school at our local technical college for my associates degrees, my dad signed up for a crop production program and went to school with me. He was close to sixty years old at the time!
We would ride to class together often when our schedules aligned. It was so much fun and there are so many great memories we all have. Now he has a degree too. He didn’t go on with me when I went for my bachelor’s degree in business management. But I know he is proud of me for doing so.
Our Commitment
At Hobby Homestead, we are dedicated to fostering a sense of family and community while empowering others to pursue self-reliance.
Through our blog, we share our collective knowledge and experiences, offering practical advice, time-tested techniques, and inspirational stories that encourage a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle.
Whether you’re looking to start your own homestead, improve your farming practices, or simply learn more about traditional skills, we’re here to support you on your journey. Join us as we cultivate a deeper connection to the land, our heritage, and each other.
Sharing Our Story With You
As the next generation steps up to take the reins of our family farm, we’re embracing the opportunity to transform it into a fully self-sufficient hobby farm.
With deep respect for the traditions passed down to us, we’re blending time-honored practices with modern innovations to create a sustainable and thriving homestead.
We invite you to join us on this exciting journey as we share our experiences, challenges, and successes in turning our family farm into a model of self-reliance and sustainability.
Together, we’ll explore new ways to live off the land, nurture our environment, and continue the legacy of farming for generations to come.
Contacting Us
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