About Joseph Lugones – Founder of Homesteading International
Veteran. Homesteader. Community Builder.
I’m Joseph Lugones—founder of OMG – Beyond Reality and Homesteading International. My journey began in 2000, when I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps straight out of high school. Over the next nine years, I served in Afghanistan and with the 31st MEU in Okinawa, rising to the rank of Sergeant. After returning home, I joined the Air Force Reserve, earned my pilot’s license, and completed a degree in electrical engineering. My civilian career spanned aviation, real estate, and operations—but nothing taught me more than what came next.
A New Chapter in Ocala, Florida
In 2021, my wife and I moved to Ocala with our daughters to start fresh. We opened Woody’s Wild Wings, a small family-run restaurant in Dunnellon. We did everything ourselves—cooking, cleaning, serving—often with our kids by our side. It was more than a restaurant. It was a reflection of our core values: hard work, faith, family, and service.
But just nine months later, we were forced to shut down. Between the pandemic, rising food prices, and supply chain disruptions, it became unsustainable. That experience broke our hearts—but it also opened our eyes.
From Crisis to Clarity: The Birth of OMG
We asked ourselves:
- Why were small businesses collapsing while food still existed?
- Why weren’t communities more self-sufficient?
- Why were families relying on broken systems instead of each other?
We realized: it wasn’t about a lack of food—it was a lack of local resilience.
So in August 2022, we purchased a raw piece of land in Ocala and began building from the ground up. We started with microgreens, but quickly expanded into chickens, bees, a nursery, juice production, educational workshops, and farm-to-table experiences. We called it Ocala Microgreens—until we outgrew the name.
Today, we are OMG – Beyond Reality because that’s what people say when they see it:
“This feels like something out of this world… until it becomes your way of life.”
Sharing the Blueprint
In 2024, we launched Homesteading International, a global platform offering hands-on and online education in:
- Sustainable farming
- Animal husbandry
- Permaculture
- Off-grid living
- Carpentry & construction
- Food preservation & emergency preparedness
Our goal is to help individuals and families everywhere reclaim their power by reconnecting with nature, skills, and community.
A Mission Fueled by Loss—and Hope
This mission is deeply personal. Over the past few years, I’ve lost my mother and two close friends—all to health issues that could have been prevented through better nutrition and lifestyle choices.
- My mom passed during COVID, after being overwhelmed by medications.
- A friend died at 43 from diabetic complications.
- Another passed 3 months after his wedding.
These tragedies revealed a brutal truth: our health system treats symptoms, not root causes. The real answers are in our soil, not our pharmacies.
That’s why I’ve dedicated my life to growing solutions, teaching resilience, and empowering others—not with theory, but with action.
Why I’m Doing This
Because I’ve seen how fragile our systems really are.
Because I want a better life for my family—and yours.
Because service doesn’t stop with the military.
Because real change happens locally, with your hands in the dirt and your heart in the right place.
Join the Movement
OMG – Beyond Reality and Homesteading International offer more than programs—they offer a way forward.
🌱 Grow your own food
🛠️ Learn practical skills
🤝 Connect with your community
🏡 Live in sync with the land
💪 Reclaim your health and freedom
Whether you’re just starting out or ready to go all in—we invite you to be part of this movement.
Let’s grow food.
Let’s grow people.
Let’s grow a legacy—from the ground up.
👣 Explore More
- About OMG – Beyond Reality
- Learn with Homesteading International
- Visit Our Ocala Farm
- Start Your Homestead Journey