Enjoying nature’s wonders captures the essence of our feature Rethink:Rural author: Sarah Seufer. Read on to learn more about this budding young writer, outdoor enthusiast and naturalist.
Sarah Seufer lives with her husband, Evan, on 2.5 acres and is surrounded by opportunities that include hunting, hiking and rock climbing and she is within walking distance of national forest land in the mountains of North Carolina. She has enjoyed learning to frog gig, taking small game, foraging and has scouted and hunted for whitetail deer.
If you have been following her on Rethink:Rural, you have seen that she is a talented writer and has a profound respect for nature. She has discussed topics that are very helpful to those who are making a move to a rural property and facing the prospect of installing a septic system, water well installation, planning to build a barn and installing a gravel driveway. These are in addition to articles about foraging, small game hunting and starting a backyard nursery business.
Writing Aspirations were Always Present
Sarah has always aspired to be a writer, but as in many cases, it was a circuitous route. She entered writing competitions as a child in school and always thought that she would be a writer. As life progressed, she decided to go to law school, but writing always remained a first love. She wrote for her college paper, eventually becoming the editor and directing a team of writers. In law school, she worked for the Public Relations Department, writing articles for the school website. She began writing for Rethink:Rural in 2019.
Reading has always been a special interest and some of her favorite books are: “Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate” by Wendy Johnson, “Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Sue Monk Kidd’s, “When the Heart Waits”.
Attaining Proficiency in Rock Climbing
Rock climbing is a sport that Sarah enjoys. After law school, she worked in experiential education and taught kids about teamwork and leadership through rock climbing. Soon after, she met her future husband, Evan, who had been a rock-climbing guide for several years. She said, “Our whole courtship was spent on rocks!” He was very patient in teaching her and they climbed a lot in the Linville Gorge area.
Sarah found rock climbing a “magical” experience and the long-range mountain views and gorgeous sunsets allowed her to “get out of her head” and into the moment. The physical aspect was rewarding as she developed more strength, awareness, and skill.
Additional Interests besides Writing
Due to some health challenges in her 20’s, Sarah sought out alternative healthcare practitioners and became interested in the concept of “Food as Medicine”. This led to her interest in wild meat as an alternate for commercially raised meat products. As she stated, “Wild meat is just so nutrient-dense and healthy”.
One aside of learning to eat healthier by consuming wild meat was the fact that Sarah has become involved in butchering and processing wild game. She has participated in frog gigging and found skinning them to make her “squeamish” but moved on to taking and skinning squirrels. Each step became just a little easier, even though it is difficult and time-consuming. She took her first deer this past November and handled and processed the animal from field to freezer. She said the whole experience was rewarding, especially since she has been steadily working toward this goal for the last two years. 
Sarah is experimenting with cooking wild game with an emphasis on low-and-slow braising and highly recommends fresh venison tenderloin and eggs for breakfast the day after processing the animal. She emphasized the fact that the humane, ethical kill, processing with no waste and the nutritional benefit of wild game is appealing to her. Another benefit is the wonderful taste. She said, “It’s damn delicious.”
Her first solo backcountry camping trip was quite an experience. She heard a grunting noise outside her tent and when she looked, she spotted a sow bear with two cubs. Fortunately, the encounter ended with no major confrontation. She has, more recently, enjoyed car camping and seeing elk and turkeys in the Great Smokies. She said, “It’s okay to take baby steps”.
Yoga and meditation are two more of the many pursuits that Sarah enjoys.
We hope to see many more interesting and informative articles from Sarah in the future and applaud her varied interests and skills. She is a delightful person and it comes through in her writing and conversations.
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