About Brooklyn Homesteader

Meg:

Made by Hand / No 3 The Beekeeper from Made by Hand on Vimeo.

Megan Paska moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2006 by way of Baltimore, Md (her hometown). She was no stranger to growing food when she got here. Meg had been gardening in Maryland, her mother and grandmother had vegetable gardens and the rest of her family managed a 450-acre farmstead in rural Virginia where she would spend summers walking through the pastures and valleys picking Chicory and learning to appreciate the quietude.

Once settled in NYC, she found that her landlords were enthusiastic about having a little bit of dirt to dig around in. So, they tore down the ratty old swimming pool that occupied the backyard and put up a raised bed vegetable garden. Soon after came the bees and honey, then the chickens and fresh eggs. Each season we've taken another step towards creating home in which we can decompress from the craziness that awaits outside of our door and take a little bit of control over our impact on the world.

Brooklyn Homesteader in part chronicles Megan's backyard and rooftop adventures as well as her experiences with amazing urban farming organizations like BK Farmyards and Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, with whom she coordinates educational Beekeeping workshops. Showing folks how much they can do with very little space is the name of the game!

If you have any questions regarding beekeeping or beekeeping services, feel free to check out BK Farmyards Beekeeping page or email the Beekeeper!

Megan hosts workshops and classes frequently from her backyard garden and in local businesses as well as private classes on subjects like gardening, mushroom growing, food preservation and beekeeping. For pricing, please email Meg.

Michael:

Michael James Meier is a southeast Florida native who came to NYC for school and decided to stay put for a while. He was first inspired to pursue the fine art of homesteading by his grandparents, who, back in the day, packed up and bought some land in the North Carolina Smokies. Spending summers there as a youngster, helping tend the kitchen garden, gathering eggs, picking through cow pies, and listening to Andrea Bocelli in his grandpa's workshop, Michael learned a thing or two about living well off the land.

Now, in NYC, Michael's got no land, but living well nonetheless. He worked in online media and advertising for a few years before biting the bullet and making a career out of farming and homesteading. He's currently employed as farm manager at Brooklyn Grange, a series of rooftop farms in Brooklyn and Queens. With whatever spare time he can scrounge, he makes furniture and art from scavenged materials; grows food on fire escapes, balconies, rooftops, and community garden plots; keeps bees; knits and sews; brews his own tipple; and consults and teaches workshops on all of the above for his urban/suburban brethren and sistren.

Got questions for Michael? Email him.

Thanks for visiting!