Muriel’s Grateful Garden Homestead

Growing up in a three- generation family of nine, Muriel Cruickshank’s family would have struggled with food insecurity if it were not for the bounty from her mother’s garden.

Living in Carroll County, where young people were often tempted with easy access to drugs and alcohol, Muriel’s parents, Catherine and Stephen, created a home that was a safe haven for young people in the community. Kids knew Catherine’s home was safe, loving, accepting, accessible, and food was abundant.

These early experiences are what drives Muriel to create and nurture the same at her Grateful Elm Homestead in Overlea. Muriel and her husband Patrick moved to Overlea in 2019. They wanted enough land to farm, growing food that would not just feed her family, but the community as well. They were drawn to Overlea because they wanted to live and raise a family in an older community that was diverse, had soul, character and history. The home they chose, a very large 1913 house with a half-acre of land was just what Muriel was looking for. Muriel, who considers herself an Urban Farmer now, has a stall at the Overlea Farmers Market, fulfilling a 15-year dream. Providing accessible organically grown produce, feeding her community and those who may be experiencing food insecurity. Of particular importance, the market enables Muriel to receive SNAP, EBT, and Breadcoin. Fulfilling her dream while the market fulfills its vision of lessening food insecurity as well.

This milestone step for Muriel is the pathway to her vision of one day, creating her homestead into the same welcoming environment as Catherine did. Muriel sees her future homestead now as a retreat, for people needing respite, connecting to food, its joy and to each other. Follow Muriel’s journey about daily life, homesteading and her 1913 Folk Victorian home renovations on Instagram @ thegratefulelm. Follow Muriel and her garden, information about harvests for the market and CSA shares @the.grateful.garden

Visit Muriel at the Overlea Farmers Market, where she will talk with you about her produce, her love of the great foods she grows and if needed, how to prepare a great meal using her produce.