Eric
I first became interested in homesteading as a child, visiting my uncle’s family homestead in San Diego, CA. As a teen I came across Helen and Scott Nearing’s Living the Good life at a Barnes and Noble in San Luis Obispo, CA. It had a huge influence on me and shaped my dreams for the kind of life I wanted to live.
My first introduction into wisdom was in 2006. I went to hear a Peak oil group talk and saw a presentation about Weston Price by Stephanie Alexander. I wasn’t sold immediately but went home, slept on it, researched a bit and then went all into this diet and lifestyle. Many years later I got to meet Sally Fallon as well, the author of Nourishing Traditions.
In 2010 I learned about growing food in community while visiting at a small organic farm in the Midwest. We grew most of our own food for the growing season and delivered to several small markets in the area.
While visiting a farm near Boston, MA I came to learn about nutrient dense farming and restoration agriculture in 2012. This was largely by exposure to the bionutrient food association. They have a bunch of great books on the topic too big to list here.
I found Allan Savory and his book Holistic management through a TED talk in 2013. I learned lots from farmers and ranchers using this method in Southern California, Northern California and also in Colordao. I had the pleasure of going to see him speak in Sacramento with the company of a good friend.
It was through some dear folks at Emerald Earth Sanctuary in 2014 that I learned about Esther Gokhale and her methods of ancestral wisdom posture. This helped me out a lot as far as reducing back pain and being more vibrant in my body. It was also this year that I came up with the name for the community I wanted to build Dolittle Pastures. The name stuck and I ended up using it to market a diversity of grass fed meats that I produced with help from friends and family.
While perusing the alternative health section at Powell’s books in Portland Oregon in 2016 I came up with a copy of Patrick McKeown’s Cure Ashma Naturally. This radically changed my life. I also had the good fortune to take a class with him soon after and learned first hand the benefits of breath holds and reduced nasal breathing.
Saving the best for last, after a desperate period, the Lord showed me the teachings of Saddelback church in 2021. I followed up with reading Rick Warren’s book A purpose driven life, then got baptized a few months later. Everything changed after coming to know Christ, and to reflect that I felt inspired to change the name of the homestead I was building to My Lord and My God Meadows.
In 2024 I came across the sermon by John MacArthur on how to study the Bible. It had a huge effect on me and shapes the way I read everyday.
I do whatever needs to be done around the land. I raise kids, procure firewood, clear berries, make tacos and much more. I hope to lead, grow, and pioneer this community to make God smile and give Him the glory glory!
my Lord and my God meadows 