49. Beyond the Dream: Legal Resilience and Homesteading Reframed with Eva Moss

Mary and Emma have an enlightening conversation this week with grower and legal educator Eva Moss, discussing an aspect of the homestead dream that is too often overlooked. Knowing farm law and preparing for unexpected issues through healthy communication before they come up creates legal protection for all parties involved. Eva shares with us the story of how a life transition left her and her farm legally vulnerable. With help, she found her way through that experience all the wiser, and now uses her voice and legal knowledge to educate the farming community through her work at Farm Commons. Throughout the episode, Eva speaks to the power of finding healthy pathways forward in our relationships within the business, with each other and with the land. She reminds us that we have the power to create our own solutions and that we have significant creative power to (legally) cultivate the lady farmer life we’re dreaming of if we take the time to talk about our needs and goals. Mary, Emma and Eva also discuss how to cultivate a slow life as a hardworking homesteader and the important distinction between self-sufficiency and community resiliency. 1:30 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk about Plastic Free July!  7:30 - Introducing Eva Moss Let’s get into the episode:  9:25 - Eva introduces herself  18:30 - Creating a foundation...grounded in the law  21:30 - Eva’s homestead story  26:30 - Finding pathways   32:00 - A great place to start  39:30 - Looking ahead  47:00 - Setting boundaries  50:00 - Grappling with “homesteading”  57:00 - Carving out community  59:30 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you?    Shop our Plastic Free July zero waste products in the marketplace!  Use Code: plasticfreejuly for 15% OFF   Things Mentioned: Plastic Free July  Lady Farmer Marketplace Heart Strong Farm Farm Commons North Carolina Farm Link Land Link Montgomery  Thistle Farms Cooperative Extension