Marissa
Marissa is the creator, storyteller, and creative spirit behind Five Acre Wood Homestead. A lifelong lover of gardening, herbal medicine, preserving food, foraging, art, and traditional skills, she is passionate about keeping the old ways alive and sharing them with a modern audience. Whether she’s experimenting with a new craft, tending the garden, or turning wild plants into remedies, Marissa believes life should be filled with creativity, laughter, self-reliance, and a strong connection to the land. Through her writing and teaching, she shares both the triumphs and the chaos of homestead life with honesty, humor, and heart.
Skip
Known around here as Mr. Homestead, Skip is the builder, problem-solver, and driving force behind many of the projects at the 5 Acre Wood. If something needs to be built, repaired, moved, or improved, he’s usually the one making it happen.
At 6’4″ and 270 pounds, he’s definitely the muscle of the operation, but he’s also the practical mind behind countless ideas and improvements. From tackling major projects to keeping everything running smoothly, Skip brings dedication, hard work, and a can-do attitude to everything he does.
He’s my life partner, my biggest supporter, and the person who helps turn big ideas into reality around here.
James
James is the heart and foundation of the shop. As the big brother and a master mechanic with more than 40 years of hands-on experience, he has dedicated his life to the trade and built a reputation for quality workmanship, honesty, and hard work.
His creativity, resourcefulness, and determination have made him the go-to person for tackling tough challenges. From fabricating custom solutions out of spare parts to bringing ambitious ideas to life, there’s very little James can’t build, fix, or improve. That same work ethic and ingenuity remain at the core of the shop today, reflecting the values it was built on from the very beginning.
Katie
Katie is the Homestead Daughter and the digital powerhouse behind Five Acre Wood Homestead. As the oldest of seven children—and the only girl among six brothers—she grew up keeping everyone on their toes and still enjoys giving her brothers a hard time whenever possible. While she doesn’t live on the homestead, she helps bring it to life online through website management, content creation, social media, and the endless stream of digital projects she’s always working on. Katie combines creativity and strategy to help share the homestead’s mission with a growing community of like-minded people.
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