Welcome to Hidden Oak Farm!
It’s like stepping back in time when you come here and we feel so blessed to call it home! Welcome to our new Homestead Blog and our brand new website! This is where we’ll share our journey turning this land into a homestead!
Fresh-cut Hay and Wide Open Spaces
Martin and I both grew up in the country. We absolutely love nature, the outdoors and a family tradition of hunting wild game. Our decision to move back to the country evolved in stages. Life in the suburbs offered many conveniences as our kids were growing up. We have always loved the smell of old barns and fresh-cut hay, and craved wide open spaces.
As much as we loved being just a short drive away from our family, we also wanted to sit outside and listen to the sounds of nature instead of the neighbors lawn mowers, dogs barking and traffic from nearby streets. We are still close enough to visit family often, though we do really miss being only 15 minutes from everyone. But thankfully we have lots of space for everyone to stay when they come to visit!
Looking for Freedom
Trading in our house in a subdivision with an HOA in Virginia for 34 acres of land in Maryland, we built a white farmhouse and a red barn in the middle of an old hay field! We love the tranquility of being surrounded by many acres of forest and wildlife. We are constantly reminded that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. This place inspires us to do our best to appreciate and protect it.
We are putting down some roots in a little rural town called Hollywood. Haha! Yeah, I know what you’re thinking…”That’s not a little rural town! That’s a big city in California where the movie stars are!” But, trust me…this is Southern MARYLAND!
Small Town Charm
Hollywood was named for the abundance of American Holly trees that grow wild here mixed into the old-growth hardwood forests. Located just 40 miles south of some major cities like Annapolis, Baltimore and Washington D.C., it’s a little Mayberry kind of place with a population of only 8,064!
Tractors, Boats and Buggies
We love our small town and the neighboring rural, coastal communities, where you can still find old-fashioned parades down Main Street, rolling farm fields and big old barns dotting the landscape. This rich farmland is surrounded by major coastal waterways like the Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River and Patuxent River where fish and oysters are abundant and the crab boats go putting by.
This is a quaint place where old tractors roll down the road and the many Farmer’s Markets overflow with fresh local produce. There is also a thriving Amish community in the area, so seeing horses and buggies on the road and hitched up at the local store is commonplace!
Get Inspired!
I hope this place will inspire you too, when you visit us here at Stanfords Modern Homestead! I hope you’ll see how it’s possible to create a space and a life that fills you up with comfort & joy no matter where you live. No matter what the size of your budget, resources, or know-how is right now, I hope you’ll find inspiration here to decorate your home, prepare a healthy dish, get outside and be more active, or cultivate a wholehearted life you love. I hope we’ll learn new things together!
Thanks for sharing a little part of your day with me. I hope you’ll come back and join me again soon right here on the website and Homestead Blog. Please check us out on our SMH YouTube channel too!
Truly,
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” Author: Henry David Thoreau
