How We Named Our Homestead
- Heidi
- May 3, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 12
Sort of like naming a child, naming your farm is kind of a big deal. Not an easy job! We had a dozen names we worked through and tried out. Jeremy even asked our people for suggestions and then had them vote. As you can see, we finally landed on... Haystack Homestead. And for good reason. Here's the backstory...
Where We Met
My husband, Jeremy, and I were from opposite worlds when we met in the Heartland. At least geographically. He hailed from the flat, rural corn belt of Ohio. Me? The robust mountainous west coast of suburban Seattle. Our meeting happened in Columbus, Ohio, in Bible college (both of us music majors). When we started dating, Jeremy was enamored seeing photos of my gorgeous motherland. And apparently began planning a surprise trip.
Big Surprise
Surprise me he did! While I was back home for Christmas break Jeremy sneakily flew out to spend New Year's Eve with me, and meet my family for the first time. The young adults group from my home church had a New Year's Eve trip planned at a retreat center in Cannon Beach, Oregon. He had secretly planned for us to join in that as well. Such a crafty fella!
Monumental Moment
During that coastal trip in Cannon Beach, Oregon, we took several walks on the shoreline. (One of my very favorite things to do.) One stroll in particular stands out the most. It marked our beginning, in fact. A line in the sand, so to speak. (Sorry, couldn’t resist that low hanging pun.) We walked hand in hand, with that mammoth monolith, Haystack Rock, in the very close background. He asked me this question…well, before I tell you, I need to say that this the part where Jeremy tells people that I asked him to marry me! But that isn't true! Here is what really happened:
He stops on the shore and looks me in the eye, with a twinkle in his, and asks, “Where do you see us in five years?”
Before I could slap a hand over my blurting mouth, these words leaped confidently from my lips:
“I want to be married to you”, was my hopefully exclamation!
He smiled wide, then gave me a new kind of kiss. One with even more meaning. Then, holding hands, we skipped in the surf in slow motion, just like in the Hallmark movies! Ok, not really. But it was a most happy day! One we won't ever forget. (Even though his details are slurred a bit.)
That big ol’ rock witnessed a historic moment for us that day, decades ago. It's like a memorial, no... better said... our monument. As such it’s super special to us. We’ve revisited it many times since, mostly during our nine year stint living in Oregon. Even making a memorable and extended trip for our 20th anniversary to veritably commemorate that serendipitous conversation twenty years prior.
They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River,
one for each tribe, just as the Lord had told Joshua.
They carried them...and constructed a memorial there
...they are there to this day.
~ Joshua 4:9-10
Haystack Rock
If you haven’t figured it out by now, it’s what we've named our homestead after! Even though we’re 2,400 miles away from the huge handsome, Haystack Rock, we "brought him along" with us to our farm here on the Ohio countryside. (Notice the similar shape of our haystack logo?)
Haystack has a double meaning as well, since hay is what we raise and bale here, twice a summer, on our grassy acreage, for our cattle. So, ya know, it works!
We welcome y’all, to our beloved Haystack Homestead, and hope you'll will hang out here often. Come any time!
Warmly, Heidi & Jeremy
"Now all glory to God who is able,
though His mighty power at work within us,
to accomplish more than we could ask or think."
~Ephesians 3:10
