Hempfield townlively.com
JANUARY 22, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Not-so-fictional fantasy BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
Tyler Burkhart’s decade of DIY BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
F
or many people, the fantasy genre offers mystical words and thrilling adventures that serve as an escape from the stress and tedium of daily life. The realm of fiction is only limited by one’s imagination, allowing avid readers of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels and attendees of the annual Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire to become daring adventurers and sage wizards. For Austin Eschenwald and his wife, Steph, the world of fantasy is far from fiction. Austin was born in Lancaster General Hospital, and he grew up in the Hempfield and East York areas between both his parents’ households. After graduating from Christian School of York in 2011, Austin attended Messiah College, where he met Steph during their freshman year. Today, you can find the husband and wife at Owl & Cedar Homestead, a 5-acre plot of land tucked inside a misty valley in Centralia, Washington. “We wanted to live more resiliently, have less fragility in our lives and reduce our carbon footprint,” Austin said. “We realized how scary it is that we rely on grocery stores and big corporations, so we started trading with local farmers and building personal relationships.” In 2022, Austin, Steph and Steph’s mother, Estelle Ducharme, officially established Owl & Cedar Homestead to sell a variety of artisanal goods, including roasted coffee beans, handmade jewelr y and fantasy-themed drinks such as jun kombucha and wildcrafted sodas. Austin also offers blade sharpening and repair services through the homestead, and his clients include local
In an industry governed by record deals and algorithmic playlists, Tyler Burkhart is a truly independent artist. The Landisville native and prolific singer-songwriter has been writing and recording music for a little more than a decade,
during which time he’s garnered a global following, hundreds of thousands of online listeners and an expansive discography. But Burkhart’s music has never been released under a label - and it isn’t even his main career. Burkhart started guitar lessons when he was 10 years old, but he connected with music See Burkhart pg 8
Austin Eschenwald (right) and his wife, Steph, sold their wares at the Centralia Fantasy Festival in July 2024.
chefs, gardeners and anyone else in the area looking to polish the tools of their trade. In addition to functioning as a rustic home, Owl & Cedar Homestead is a melting pot of each family member’s unique skills. Austin uses whetstones to sharpen each blade by hand; Steph roasts batches of organic, fair-trade coffee beans; and Estelle fashions a variety of handmade crafts. In 2024, Austin built a commercial-grade kitchen on the property to house a coffee roaster as well as the equipment necessary for brewing fermented drinks. Austin, Steph and Estelle sell their products at local farmers markets and fantasy festivals - and they fit right in. Owl & Cedar’s melting pot of products and services revolves around a
central theme; Austin and Steph consider themselves fantasy geeks, and they design and package their merchandise to be suited for tabletop game sessions and Renaissance Faires. The packaging isn’t the only thing that makes Owl & Cedar seem like a vendor that was transported straight from Middle Earth. Austin and Steph make their wildcrafted sodas with ingredients such as wild yeast, pine needles and honey, resulting in a sweet and fizzy beverage that looks more like a magic potion than a Dr Pepper. Owl & Cedar’s jun, a kombucha-like drink that is made with honey instead of white sugar, comes in a variety of flavors, including blackberry basil, black currant and raspberry lemonade. Austin and Steph’s short-term
Photo provided by Abby Burkhart
Tyler Burkhart
An art form like no other BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
Over the centuries, artists have used nearly every material imaginable to make their master pieces. Since human beings first discovered how to express themselves with art, creatives have utilized anything they could get their hands on, from insect dyes to oil paints. Although there are many distinctive mediums, some artists prefer a canvas that cannot be compared to any other: the human body.
See Owl & Cedar pg 4
T he ar t of tattooing has existed for thousands of years, as evidenced by mummified remains adorned with ancient ink. Civilizations in regions such as the Indo-Pacific used a hand-tapping technique to press designs into the skin, and Native American tribes have a long history of using tattoos to signify cultural and social connections. In modern times, traditional tattoos are still an important practice among the Maori peoples of New Zealand. Contemporary tattooing in See Art form pg 3
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