Hi there! We’re the Bell family. We live on Marjorie Farm, a 5-acre property in midcoast Maine with fields, forest, creek, garden, and livestock. Although many of our activities are joint ventures, you’ll mainly be hearing from me (Nina) in the first person because I have the most to say!

I did the "big city thing" for more than half my life (Nashville > New York > Chicago). I wouldn't say that I always intended to run away to the middle of nowhere, since Plan A was for my rock band to "make it." But as the commutes for Plan B got longer and the grip of modern society's expectations for Plan C tightened, the dream of escape grew louder.

And so, we did it. Since ditching city life 9 years ago, we've bought a 230-year old farmhouse, become acquainted with our fields and forest, and added horses and chickens. We've built bonds with friends and neighbors. We cultivate 120+ varieties of vegetables, fruits, and herbs. We hunt, forage, and strive for sustainable homesteading.

I want to help reconnect people to a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle. I'd like to help you pick salads from your yard and let go of this acquired fear of nature. This belief that we are somehow separate from nature.

It's weird to have written this, to be this person—after reading many inspirational stories of others who have done this sort of thing. Most of us think that "living the dream" is something for other, special people to do and for the rest of us to simply watch and yearn for. At 44, I'm here to tell you that yes, it took a bit longer to get here than I anticipated. You're never going to feel like you're totally there. Like you've "made it." There's still so much I want to do and learn. But wherever you want to go, you can start. You can start right now. You can do hard things.