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Food Forest

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At only 1 day old, our 6 healthy piglets & their sweet momma, Sadie, already had 15 visitors from our Luna Hill Wild School kids today! So very grateful to have KuneKunes on our farm....they are such a great fit for our family & all the kids who stroll, climb, skip, hop, & jump through our barn! The smiles & questions these capable little piglets raised were just priceless! #kunekune #kunekunepigs #lunahillwildschool

Came the goats, the chickens, & children to meet our 6 new, healthy Kunekune piglets early this morning! Sadie momma did beautufully & is doing just great! I checked on her last night before dinner & she must have been in early labor because by the time the democratic debate was over at eleven, John & I headed down to find her just finishing delivering the placenta! So proud of our sweet sow- she's just the best, gentle, & protective piggie momma you could ask for! And by the way, did you know that we are one of only ten registered KuneKune breeders in the state of Indiana? :) #goodmorning #kunekune #pigs #piglet #homestead #farmlife #howwehomeschool #unschool

A quick snapshot of our Giant Puffball Mushroom French Toast, with our homemade Black Walnut syrup! The kids from the Luna Hill Wild School foraged this from our Food Forest, cooked, & enjoyed this together today...they ate it too fast for me to get any action shots! #lunahillwildschool #giantpuffball #mushrooms #ediblemushroom #mushlove #wildharvest #wildforaging #foraged #wildfoodchef #ediblemichiana #blackwalnutsyrup #edible #foodforest

We took the Luna Hill Wild School kids out for a Mushroom hunt (under the HUNTER Moon😉)in our Food Forest & look what we came back with! More Giant Puffball Mushrooms! They couldn't believe how big & heavy they were! We hulled it back to the house & cooked some up as french toast with our homemade Black Walnut syrup to dip them in...yum! And it was so fun, before we left for our hike we were able to show them the local paper, with us on the cover, so they knew what to look for! That's five different kinds of edible mushrooms we've found in our Food Forest-how cool! Love being able to share this with the kids! #lunahillwildschool #giantpuffball #mushlove #ediblemushroom #ediblemichiana #foodforest #nature #unschooling #wildschooling #huntermoon #kidsmoonclub #unschoolingmag #plymouthindiana #pilotnewspaper

It may not look like much now, but get ready for our Black Walnuts to work thier magic soon, staining some of our wooden toys, designed by John & I-from our family to yours! If you don't know, making toys for our kids & a few special friends over the years has been something very near & dear to our hearts. We are passionate about keeping childhood environments simple, safe, & curiosity based. You'll find very few plastic toys in our home & certainly no toys that require batteries(except our walkie-talkies!) John made us a wooden play table, with a light up top, that is the center of our home. A place where we can gather to build with our blocks, magnet-tiles, play board games together....they get one project out of the cabinet at a time to keep things clean & simple. Although we know not all families choose to live this way, we have seen & know that our toys can be loved by so many other children & we are very excited to share another one of our passions with other families! We turned our application into the Culver Winter Farmer's Market.....hope to see you soon, friends! #blackwalnut #naturalstain #homemade #keepchildhoodsimple

Today we were busy pushing around poop & fixing up Sadies quarters for farrowing her second litter (any day now!), when I asked Violet & Lilly to hold their hand on her side....this picture is the moment they felt a tiny baby piglet kick, through our sows side. #farmlife #wildschooling #unschooling #kunekune #pig #plymouthindiana

We spent our day in one of our favorite woods-land owned by family that we are so grateful for! Where the trees have names, the lanes feel loved, the life feels abundant & giving, a place that feels like home away from home, no matter how often we visit. We spent the day cutting wood to heat our home, hunting for mushrooms, climbing, building a fort, hanging in our hammock.....what an absolutely lovely day! And tonight, we celebrated the Full Hunter Moon & welcomed in the cold with grateful & excited smiles, snuggling in close on the floor in front of the wood stove with our traditional homemade hot cocoa by the first fire this Autumn! It has seemed to me, that my recent hunting for more, for a desire to clearly set my intentions for our future endeavors, has led me right back to what brings me energy overflowing & comfort beyond measure-time spent with one another, in Mother Nature. Changing the world is hard, simetimes slow work! But what a beautiful reminder to me, to not loose sight in the magic all around-in all the little moments with my own family. Feeling so rich & full to have these wonderful humans in my life right now! Anyone else feeling moved in a certain way lately? -AJ #huntermoon #kidsmoonclub #autumn #grateful #familytime #traditions #getoutside #optout #outfam

The kids & I found some gorgeous Chicken today!!! #chickenmushroom #sulphurshelf #foraged #mushlove #optoutside #wildharvest #wildforaging #indiana #edible #wildfoodlove

We found Giant Puffballs galore today on a hike! Wow, I have never seen them this big before! The kids & I had a hard time carrying them all back!!! We'll probably slice some up to batter & fry in butter, use them for mini pizzas, or maybe a kind of Puffball Parmesan. Planning to try and make Puffball Hummus for the first time with the rest! #giantpuffball #ediblemichiana #foraged #mushlove #optoutside #wildharvest #wildforaging #indiana #edible #wildfoodlove

At the Luna Hill Wild School, we have had children as young as 4 (& our 2 year old, Violet) & as old as 13 join us. The opportunity these kids get-to teach, listen, communicate with one another...collaborate on ideas from such differing ages...it’s just refreshing to watch & feels so organic! These are just a few moments I’ve snapped lately. Today, we were working on one of our stick structures & the kids wanted to clean out the ‘floor’. One of our 5 year olds started raking, but was having a hard time with all the sticks & leaves getting stuck in the rake. One of our 8 year olds heard her struggling where he was arranging sticks nearby & walked over to help her. They both went back to their work when the hiccup was taken care of & two more times, her rake was full & he came over to help her, then went back to his own task. No one looked to an adult for a ‘good job!’ No adult forced any thank you’s or you’re welcomes. Their smiles were enough. #lunahillwildschool #plymouthindiana

Our tent has gotten so much use in the backyard this year! So many different uses....just today it was a quiet space for a few friends to chat & flip a few pages together, a shady spot where I could read to some of the kids, the perfect place for a napping baby, and a place for our family to sleep tonight! #lunahillwildschool #autumn #welovetoread #tent #plymouthindiana #michiana

When Hank was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder just before 2 years old, we felt oh so alone & confused. We had family that told us to spank him(which to be clear, we completely disagree with). There were moms who rudely scoffed at me nursing him frequently when he would get overwhelmed. There were friends who had no compassion for his level of excitement-or maybe a better perspective is to say his level of discomfort-& were constantly turning their child against mine because framing the nurotypical child as the 'right' kid was frankly, just easier than getting down on their level, listening to both their feelings, & helping them work through things & their very different outlooks on the world. There were complete strangers who went out of their way to make it known that Hank was too much for them. While the awful stories of treatment my son & I received could go on for a while, the stories on love could as well. Each child, even the one who never made it earthside, has taught me in ways I never knew one could grow, but Henry has, from the very beginning, asked of me to slow down & be present in all that life has to take us through. To learn what love really is, to turn towards my son, towards the wounds of my own childhood, to not look away. Even when he was just 18 months old & punched a little girl in the face to get out of a very loud space at Halloween & I just wanted to cry & know exactly what was wrong with my sweet, little boy. Even when he was 2 & I would constantly find broken eggs all over the floor & look up to see him, just smiling like he had opened the best present on earth! Even when he was 3 & threw up from the wind or couldn't play at the library because it was too loud & I just wanted to scream & cry & run away in fear & hold him as close as I could at the same time. Even through all those scary, sad, trying moments, Henry and I have been able to quiet the outside world & all it had to say about people like Henry & me, to turn towards one another, to truly see one another & say I Love You, just as you are. (More in the comments.)

Sadie was busy rooting up Burdock root tonight. It was so cool seeing her doing her thing, knowing all Summer to let them grow, then now as Autumn is upon us, she turns to the roots for nourishment. And what was even cooler is that her 9 month old offspring was watching with curiosity & began nosing around with her, tossing the leaves & munching at the roots with her. It could be that Sadie needs extra nutrients right now....to prepare for her upcoming birth! We checked her Vulva & Teats tonight, looks like it will be soon! We are all so very excited to watch Sadie farrow another litter! Babies on the farm are so special & provide such an opportunity for growth, in so many ways! #kunekune #pig #farmlife #homestead #pigsofinstagram

Check this out! It has begun....the Worker Bees(females) are kicking out the Drones(males)! #femalepower #beekeeping #autumn

The kids woke up, realized he chilly it was & headed out the door with blankets & Apples for snacks. They made a stick fort to block the wind & spent a good long while under it together, laughing, tickling each other, telling stories, & snacking. #joy

We started working on hickory bows for each of the kids today at the Luna Hill Wild School. Hank transformed his into a cross-bow tonight. So excited to help the kids finish their own bows & continue practicing our aim! #lunahillwildschool #huntermoon #homemade

We turned our Glass Gem corn into neckalaces today & played a new game with the kids at the Luna Hill Wild School today. The farmer tries to put(tag) all the pigs & chickens into their pens, but one sly coyote keeps unlocking the gates & letting them out.....fun was had! I especially enjoyed watching & laughing as Johnny ran around like a pig on all fours! -AJ #lunahillwildschool #glassgemcorn

We went to the Unity Gardens in South Bend last week & wanted to share how absolutely lovely it was! TONS of food to eat, with clearly TONS of work & love that goes into the land there. The kids kept digging in the plants, excitedly finding food & turning around asking, ‘Can I really just eat it!?’ To which the kids were responded with, ‘Yeah, it’s your food!’ Check it out of you haven’t! #unitygardens

We ended the night with a little family hike after dinner. What a gift the sunset was! #outfam #getoutside

When you realize it’s almost October & you think about turning on the air conditioning, but realize-OR you could be swimming....you pick up & head the beach! We collected hands full of our favorite shells, beautiful drift wood, jumped off the pier over & over, & found myself closing my eyes, listening to their stories & laughter, soaking it all in with a smile-more than once! I try not to compare public school to what we do much, but dang, I can’t help but think how many spontaneous, nourishing outdoor opportunities are missed, when kids are held within walls & within curriculums. #grateful #unschooling #wildschooling #intentionalliving #againstthegrain #prioritizingjoy #nurturingnature

18889 9th Road Plymouth, IN 46563 (574) 341-0229 AJBoener@gmail.com

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