Why Crofting?
Hello again,
We chose Crofting for the name of our business because of my Scottish ancestry and the fact that we are tenants on this land. It is a form of land management unique to Scotland. Instead of emphasis on possession, crofts are community centric and about stewardship of the land. Crofters have a duty to cultivate and maintain their croft, to put it to good use and not neglect the land.
Stewardship: The act of caring for or improving with time.
The conducting, supervising, or managing of something
especially : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care
i.e. stewardship of natural resources
First sunrise at our new home
This really suits our concept of stewardship when it comes to our land.
Our animals are heritage breeds to support quality animal practices not production centric mindsets.
Our seeds come from local growers focusing on organic, or as organic as possible, land management. They care about the complete cycle of soil to seed to table and back again. We also love to support the many native plant growers in our area to create pollinator gardens that actually are biologically compatible with our native pollinators.
Our small batch, handcrafted soap is 90% organic with a focus on locally sourced botanicals, some grown right here on our property creating another link to the land.
My art pieces focus heavily on natural objects, preserved in as natural a way as possible. This way the piece is borrowed from nature, and at the end of its life can return without damage.
We’re also trying to connect more with our surroundings by getting better acquainted with the fauna, not just the flora, surrounding us. Josh is doing a 5MR this year. If you’ve ever watched the movie The Big Year you understand what a birder’s big year means. Josh has decided to do one locally, within a 5 mile radius of our home, biking and walking as much as possible, instead of the sometimes 5 hour drive to get a life bird. This means a smaller carbon footprint and better connection to the land immediately surrounding us.
Stewardship, in line with understanding of the particular terroir you occupy, is the only way to enjoy truly successful, connected land use.
Hope you enjoy the journey,
Beth and Josh
