Video: Starkville Couple Gets National Homestead Award

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)-A Starkville couple is getting national attention for their dedication to sustainable living. What began five years ago with a love for the environment and growing things has turned into a teaching tool used by homesteaders Mike and Alison Beuhler.

“It incorporates health of course, you know growing healthy food. You know, knowing whats in your food. It also incorporates you know physical activity and exercise which is great preventive medicine,” said Mike Beuhler.

“We grow about, I’d say about a fourth of our own produce for the year. And our goal is to really try to grow most of our own produce within a year. We’ve got heritage pigs that are over there somewhere. Our goal is to learn how to process those pigs. We got a guy coming in to teach that,” said Alison Beuhler.

The Buehler’s enjoy sharing their passion. They have an environmentally friendly guest room for overnight visitors.The use of greywater, and a rain catching system to water their orchard, are just a couple of ways to save energy and the environment.

“We try to incorporate, you know old and new, so we garden which is organic type gardening which is essentially gardening how it was done until about the 1940’s and the World War two Era,” said Mike Beuhler.

Chickens, pigs, fruits and veggies, energy saving gadgets, and even bee keeping all add up to a sweet way to live.

“But then also they pollinate your garden so you know having a vegetable garden, ornamental garden, having bees around is an additional plus as far as having fruiting and having vegetable production, said Mike Beuhler.

“I just think its meaningful living. I think it touches a part of us that’s craving something real,” adds Alison Beuhler.

The Beuhlers were named runner up on Grit Magazine 2013 Homesteaders of the Year list. The September/October copies are on newsstands now.