​About Self Mayed Homestead

​Self Mayed Homestead is a family-run, farm-to-table kitchen in Newburg, WV, specializing in homemade meals, catering, baked goods, and community food services. We combine global flavors, Appalachian roots, and real homemade cooking to feed our neighbors with quality, heart, and honesty.

What began as a simple homestead hobby in the desert between Death Valley and Las Vegas — in the little rural town of Pahrump, NV — grew into a full, thriving food business serving families, farms, community groups, and workplaces. We grow what we can, partner with local producers, and design menus that honor real-life budgets without ever compromising on flavor or quality.

What We Offer

Self Mayed Homestead isn’t just a catering kitchen — it’s a full, multi-service community hub. Throughout the year, we provide:

• Catering Services
From holiday feasts and workplace luncheons to weddings and family celebrations — all made from scratch with homestead care.

• Wednesday Smart Balance Meals
Colorful, portion-balanced plates designed for busy families, seniors, and anyone wanting real homemade food in the middle of the week.

• Friday Supper Bowls
Hearty, comforting one-pot meals served hot and ready to go — perfect for winter evenings.

• Seasonal Farmers Market Booth
Fresh produce, herbs, flowers, baked goods, skincare, Funk Fighter body wash, and more — all grown or made on our homestead.

• Summer BBQ Menu
Slow-smoked meats, bold L.A.–style Mexican flavors, and backyard favorites — crafted by Pit Master Rollin’ Mike.

• Gardening Classes
Hands-on teaching in seeds, soil, homesteading, and seasonal growing.

• Health & Nutrition Education
Balanced plate teaching, Eat the Rainbow, portion control, and practical wellness tips based on real-life cooking.
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• Loaves & Love Ministry
A volunteer-supported program delivering free home-cooked meals to neighbors in need every Thursday — feeding people with dignity and love.

Kozue Maye - Executive Chef (Certified Food Protection Manager)

Kozue Maye is a chef, gardener, and artisan dedicated to creating vibrant, nourishing meals that highlight the best of local, seasonal ingredients. Born and raised on a small island in Japan, she grew up helping her grandparents with their catering business, gaining early hands-on experience in farming, food preparation, and hospitality. Trained by her grandparents — both traditional Japanese chefs — she learned early the importance of discipline, technique, and respect for ingredients. Her grandmother’s favorite saying, “Season food like you mean it!” continues to guide her cooking today.
Kozue’s culinary education expanded far beyond her family kitchen. Over the years she was trained by:

• Japanese chefs specializing in Italian cuisine,
• Japanese chefs specializing in Korean cuisine,
• Chinese chefs,
• Southern Gospel “Big Mamas” from church kitchens, and
• a Greek Church mother who taught her Old-World breads and hospitality.

This rare blend of East Asian, Southern American, Mediterranean, and homestyle comfort influences gives her a uniquely diverse and adaptable culinary style.
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People often say Kozue’s food is seasoned just right — flavorful, comforting, and never harsh or overpowering. That’s because she’s a very picky eater herself. She cooks every meal the way she wants to enjoy it: balanced, colorful, and gentle enough to let each ingredient speak for itself. If she can’t eat it, she won’t serve it — and that’s why she grows her own vegetables and cooks with such intention.

Kozue’s love for farm-to-table cooking blossomed alongside her husband, Rollin’ Mike, as they hosted Farm-to-Fork events on their Nevada homestead — gatherings known for unforgettable flavors and heartfelt hospitality.

In addition to her culinary creativity, Kozue bakes fresh breads and desserts to order, ensuring every meal ends on a lovingly crafted sweet note. She is also a certified florist, creating custom centerpieces and bouquets for weddings and events. During the growing season, she cultivates her own edible flowers and herbs, using them to garnish dishes with natural color, fragrance, and elegance.

Before launching Self Mayed Catering Company in West Virginia, Kozue served as the WVU Extension Service Family Nutrition Program Health Educator for Preston County, where she taught healthy eating, gardening, and nutrition. During her time in the department, she and her community were two-time award winners, recognized for excellence in programming, outreach, and impact.

Since relocating to West Virginia in 2022, Kozue has combined her skills in cooking, gardening, education, and floral artistry to lead Self Mayed Catering Company. Whether crafting a custom menu or adding floral finishing touches, her mission is simple: to create exceptional, meaningful dining experiences that bring people together through food, beauty, and connection.

Mike Maye -  Pit master

Rollin’ Mike – BBQ Pit Master, Grill Engineer & Culinary Craftsman
Born and raised in sunny California, Rollin’ Mike grew up surrounded by backyard BBQ culture, L.A. taco stands, carne asada on open flames, and the bold flavors of West Coast street food. Those roots shaped his signature style: big, bold, smoky, hearty — “man’s food” the way real Mountaineers would eat it. If Kozue’s food is delicate, balanced, and colorful, Mike’s cooking hits deeper — comforting, rugged, full of soul, and unapologetically satisfying.

Mike’s culinary experience was shaped not just in kitchens, but around the world. Before settling into homestead life, he spent years touring internationally as a Stage Manager, traveling through multiple countries and cities. On the road, he ate authentic foods from different cultures — street vendors, local diners, and home-cooked meals shared backstage. Those travels expanded his palate and helped him understand flavors from a global point of view, influencing the depth and creativity of his cooking today.

For decades, he has honed the art of slow-smoked meats, open-fire grilling, and authentic L.A.–style Mexican dishes. His food is known for flavor that comes from patience, technique, and the kind of instinct you only get from years behind a grill. Brisket, pulled pork, carne asada, loaded burritos, street taco boxes, and summertime BBQ feasts — if it’s smoky, meaty, and packed with flavor, Rollin’ Mike is the man behind it.

But Mike isn’t just a pit master — he’s an innovator.
He welds and builds his own custom BBQ rigs, smokers, grills, and outdoor cookers. Every piece is engineered by hand, designed to solve problems, improve smoke flow, or enhance heat control in ways nobody else has even imagined. His equipment is as unique as his cooking style — rugged, efficient, and built to last.

Despite their opposite styles, something magic happens when Mike and Kozue create a dish together. His bold “man’s food” and her delicate, balanced flavors come together like peanut butter and jelly — two different worlds that somehow fit perfectly. Their collaboration is the heart of Self Mayed Homestead: hearty meets delicate, smoky meets colorful, comfort meets elegance — just like Kozue & Mike.

Here in West Virginia, Rollin’ Mike leads the Summer BBQ Menu, bringing roadside favorites, smoked meats, fiesta-style dishes, L.A. flavors, and his signature comfort cooking to the mountains. His food has earned a reputation for being hearty, bold, generous, and addictive — the kind of cooking that fills the belly and stays with you.

If Rollin’ Mike is cooking, the grill is hot, the portions are big, and nobody leaves hungry.