Welcome

our stories

The Latest from the Farmstead

who we are

We are a family on a self-sustainability journey; together bringing an old farm back to life in south central Virginia.

The

Doshers

Our vision is to bring our old farm back to life while providing our children the experience of a self-sustainable lifestyle. It’s a labor of love we call a “farmstead”. This online community is where we share our success stories and lessons learned while hopefully inspiring others along the way. We hope you will join us on our journey!

Meet Us

We’d like to introduce ourselves!

James

“I grew up in a rural environment and want my children to experience the joys and challenges of it too. I love to plant seeds and watch them grow. I run a construction business as well and I also hunt, fish, build and love to write and draw.”

Sherri

“I grew up in suburbia but have always had an interest in rural living. I love to cook and preserve the food we grow. I wear lots of hats as most moms do! I homeschool our kids and work part-time as an instructional designer.”

Stephen

“Since I was a little kid, I’ve loved a challenge. I started helping my dad on job sites when I was 9. My favorite subject in school is biology. My hobbies include gaming, mechanical projects and art. I also love to read.”

Hannah

“I am the youngest in our family but I’m also the creative spark. Like my dad, I love to write and draw. My favorite subject in school is science, and my hobbies include reading, writing and being outside.”

got questions? we’ve got answers.

These are questions we’ve been asked about our farmstead and our self-sustainability goals.

1. How long have you been doing this?

We sold our very nice and larger house in the suburbs and bought this old farm with an older, much smaller house in 2020 right at the height of the pandemic. That should tell you something about our grit, gumption or craziness!

2. How old is the house and how many acres do you have?

Our house was built in 1950. It is sitting on 32 acres that was originally part of a huge family farm comprised of several hundred acres. Two cousins still live and farm in the area and gave us the background on the house. It was built by their uncle and originally used as a workshop before it became a home.

3. Do you have livestock?

We only have chickens and two lazy cats at the moment. Originally the farm was a cattle farm. Original fencing still exists but much of it needs repaired. We hope to have cows in the pasture again eventually.

4. Have you finished remodeling the house?

Nope. Remodeling is a slow process when you live in a house that you are remodeling while working full time, raising kids and gardening. James has been working on the house off and on since we arrived. He has remodeled the three rooms and bathroom upstairs, the bedroom, living room and office downstairs. Left to be done is the kitchen, dining room, laundry room and bathroom.

5. What is your ultimate goal with this property?

Basically, we want to bring it back to life as a working farm and homestead. We don’t have big commercial goals. We just want to be able to provide for our family and share the outcomes with our extended family and friends.

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