We’ll get to all the MANY triumphs and failures of this homestead living journey in just a few, but first, everyone loves a good story. But, if you want to just get to the meat of it, scroll on down to title “Hit Hard by a Superbug” to get into the homesteading topics and fermentation recipes.

We really enjoyed learning more about one very industrious member of the Gardens All Facebook community, and thought you would as well. This lady has fearlessly taken on all kinds of new gardening and homestead lifestyle challenges, one at a time. If you’re reading this and on—or planning—the homesteading journey, chances are you’re a lot like that too.

This story is also helpful for anyone who might be intimidated about beginning gardening, trying fermented food recipes, etc. Don’t know where to start? Take heart. Just start and learn along the way as Kathie did.

It’s not hard, one step at a time. We just keep learning something new each day. Learn, then do. We always learn while doing as well, and for those of us who tend to be ready-fire-aim sorts, well do, then learn!

There are people who make things better wherever they go. We’ve probably all had neighbors like that. You know, the kind of folks who can usually be found on weekends fixing up their home and yard, making it beautiful and sharing the bounty. Gardeners tend to be like that.

The kind of folks who clean their tools, put them away and leave places better than they found it.
Salt of the earth kind of people.

They’re the people you’d call on in times of need, because they take care of themselves, and always seem to have extra for others. They don’t get caught up in life’s dramas because they’re too busy being productive, solving problems and creating new things.

Kathie and Joe are like that. Salt of the earth.

We met Kathie Chambers Underwood, (now Kathie Folsom), on the Gardens All Facebook community. She often contributes good advice, great photos and clearly has a lot going on. Most recently, she shared about making four different kinds of sauerkraut and homemade kombucha, so we asked Kathie if she’d like to write an article. Turns out she’s a great writer with a published children’s book!!

Intrepid Gardener, Fermenter, Beekeeper, Mushroom Grower, Writer, Elderly Caregiver… amongst other things…

Here is Kathie’s Story.

Kathie Chambers first marriage of 28 years.

First Love… First Half of my Life — World Traveler

By Kathie Chambers Underwood Folsom

My gardening journey, as with many others folks, began rather late in life. I was born in 1959 and raised in the large cement metropolis’ of Dallas and Houston. Then in 1979, I joined the US Navy, married in 1982 and traveled the world with my late husband for twenty years.

Second Love… Second Half of my Life — Gardener!

My journey into gardening really didn’t begin until 2011, after meeting the second love of my life, Joe.

First, an interesting story about our first date. It was January 9th, 2011. There had been a huge snow storm the week before where we had gotten about nine inches of snow. I had been snowed in for five days.

I had been snowed in for five days.

Joe messaged me and asked how I was doing. I mentioned I had a bit of cabin fever so he offered to take me to dinner and I accepted. However, my steep drive was still iced over so when he arrived to pick me up, he promptly slid off into the woods.

He promptly slid off into the woods.

The first two hours of our first date were spent waiting for a tow truck. When you think about it, it really forced us to go past the usual small talk and really get to know one another. Then at dinner, the restaurant was virtually empty. Only about a dozen of us, including staff were there. All of us formed an impromptu party at the bar. Joe and I have been inseparable ever since. It really was love at first sight.

The Other Love Affair

Joe has always loved the outdoors. His grandmother taught him how to look for gemstones and medicinal plants in the woods. His uncle taught him to hunt and fish and although I too have always loved nature, I really was ignorant on how to benefit from it and work with it. This started another love affair… with Mother Nature.

Kathie Chambers Underwood and Joe Folsom

Hit Hard by a Superbug

Late in that year, Joe and I became very ill with some sort of super bug. We were down hard for over 4 months. Our doctor prescribed 4 different types of antibiotics and steroids. We were both days away from being hospitalized. Neither of us had ever been that sick in our lives. Finally though, we recovered but the experience motivated us to seek better ways to ‘prevent’ anything like that from ever recurring.

During our illness I read a lot about the immune system and how seventy percent of our immunity comes from the bacteria in our gut. So my mission was clear. Find the best ways to build our immune systems.^[1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515351/

70% of our immunity comes from the bacteria in our gut.

Simultaneously, we started hearing more and more about the whole prepping movement. We became interested. It just made sense to be prepared, no matter what may—or may not—come. We ran across a group that offered some seminars on different subjects to help you prepare and survive in emergency situations. They were offering a class on different ways to preserve foods, specifically fermentation.

Centuries Old Cure… Probiotics from Fermented Foods

Cultured and Fermented Foods Are Good for Healthy Gut Bacteria

Cultured Foods Include:

Yogurt
Cheese (some varieties)
Kefir
Kombucha

Fermented Foods Include:

Beer
Cider
Kimchi
Miso
Natto
Sauerkraut
Tempeh
Wine

Fermented foods can provide similar benefits to consuming a whole bottle of probiotics.

I learned so much about how bacteria and yeast really are the natural wonder drugs for health. I was familiar with kimchi because of being stationed in South Korea for 3 years but that was the extent of my knowledge. I bought the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and jumped right on into the deep end.

I jumped right on into the deep end.

While at an international farmer’s market, I saw some bottles of kombucha so I bought one to try. I remember opening it as we walked to the car thinking, that well, maybe it’s an acquired taste. It was just plain kombucha with no added flavoring.

Side stepping a little bit, as part of our life and journey together, Joe and I agreed that every year we would challenge ourselves to one major project and at least one minor project a year.

We agreed to challenge ourselves every year…

Our first year, we built and screened in our back porch as our major project and started our first garden as our minor one.

"We committed to one major and one minor project a year." Kathie and Joe's screen porch project — “We committed to one major and one minor project a year.” Kathie and Joe’s screen porch project.

"We committed to one major and one minor project a year." The painted concrete floor of Kathie and Joe's screen porch project. — “We committed to one major and one minor project a year.” The painted concrete floor of Kathie and Joe’s screen porch project.

Living in a heavily wooded area, we only had a small patch of ground that gave us adequate sun. We built four, 8’x8’ raised beds and planted our first crop of lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, yellow squash and zucchini.