What Kind Of Farm Is Cobblemead?

Cobblemead is not a "hobby farm," but a "self-supporting farm."  It's HOME on a small bit of land, set up to generate a pretty good living by limited effort.

How Did We Dream Up Such An Idea?

The idea got its start some 40 years ago, in studying old-time husbandmen, like foresters, cottars and gamekeepers.

These jobs on great estates tended the landowner's game, his small livestock and his outlands, earning a share of land that supported them by spare-time effort.

They knew no weekends; their job for the landowner took six 10-hour days a week (it was illegal in to work for hire on Sunday).  Yet their extremely limited spare time fully supported them.

These facts motivated us to see if one could manage a smallholding for self-support.

We found it easier now, due to many discoveries that occurred since those days..

Why The Name, Cobblemead?

Our location is marginal land, not perfect farmland:  It's filled with cobblestones and unfit for conventional agribiz.

This land is a "mead":  Low-lying, level grassland, a stream passing through, some woods and a little tillable ground.  We named it what it is:  Cobblemead.  Not very imaginative, but easy to remember every time we foolishly tried to till it by "orthodox" methods....

But Isn't Old-Fashioned Farming Just A Lot Of Work?

Husbandry is about making a living first, then worrying about money-grubbing as a less-urgent, leisure-time pursuit.

He who lives by earning money must work twice:  First to earn money, second to convert it into daily needs..

Earning money is tiring, boring and/or strenuous;  "Making a living" is interesting, refreshing and uplifting.

We definitely don't enjoy over-exertion.  Modern technology eases and speeds a lot of once-unpleasant chores.

Land gets more fertile and better organized with each year:  Even less work then.

"Everybody Knows" County Life Means Giving Up A Lot Of Comfort...

Much to the consternation of urban know-it-alls, we've lived quite well, discovering little-known methods that cheapen and ease hard jobs and avoid trouble.

We cheerfully reject government and private money repeatedly offered to us, preferring to finance our activities with funds earned in our own spare time.

One of those "spare-time activities" has been writing books and articles to help others gain a good life of independent self-support.

We love seeing folks win contentment and prosperity, away from madding (and maddening) crowds and urban insecurity; we hope your success will be as sweet as our own has been over the decades.

Contact Information:  Cobblemead, 3831 Trout Road, Williamsburg, WV 24991  nathan@cobblemead.com