For Cornfed Bear, a father of two boys, remaining in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was not an option. He and his wife began looking for land outside of the city in 2018 after they saw the city slowly decay right before their eyes. So he decided to focus his search on the vicinity of his parents and in-laws. Last summer, he finally found the perfect spot in Center Point, Iowa. Now, he and his growing family are only 10 minutes from his and his wife’s parents. His goal is to someday put tiny homes for all of them on his land.
He and his wife had known for a long time that country life was what they always wanted but had never found the right spot until the summer of 2020. When they put in a bid for their perfect place, they were outbid by $7000, but God had a plan. The owner still chose to sell it to them because he wanted it to go to a family that would enjoy it for generations like his family once had. Being a mission-driven, task-oriented type of guy was a blessing because the house needed a lot of work. It was pretty much a complete remodel inside. First, they had to redo everything from jacking up the basement floor to all new plumbing and electrical. Then, they finished it off with brand-new flooring and paint.
Once the house was complete, they set their focus on the outdoors and making this an actual homestead. It started with a chicken coop made from a downed fence and a hooped run that they could walk in. That now houses 13 chickens.
They created an 18×36 foot garden when just a year before, they could not even grow grass. It is now up to a 4000 sqft growing space! They even set up an indoor hydroponics setup for winter growing. They have planted an orchard of apple and pear trees and have future plans to expand. They plan to add eight more fruit trees. They have invested in a freeze-dryer to help preserve their harvests. They also hope to have goats soon and have built a new woodshed in order to use the old one as a goat shelter. I think we can all agree that the Cornfed Bear family is crushing and really sets an example of how to make the journey from city to rural living. They have recently hosted a bear meetup in hopes of building their local tribe and sharing their adventures, and it was a very successful event.
Crush on Cornfed Bear, thanks for sharing your story.
