He was the son of farmer Ole Lauritzen Brustad and his wife Dorthe Halvorsdatter Ingier, and took over Brustad Farm after his father died.
He ran the farm till 1706 when he sold it to buy at auction generalauditor Lemforts farm, Smestad, the largest farm in Aker, Oslo, at the time.
To complete the purchase he borrowed NOK 90,000 from Henrich Lachmann on 16 November 1706.
He later changed his last name to Smestad after the farm, and married Ingeborg Andersdatter Grefsen (b.
The estate was divided equally between his son and daughter, with the farm split into Upper and Lower Smestad.