Our farm might be small but our family is anything but! In 2018, we had both come through difficult divorces and were a newly married and blended family – Jake had 7, Amanda had 4, and we had one together. We had two mini-vans, a shed, a few thousand dollars to spare, and a dozen kids between us. We were starting over {literally} in life. Our land was our actual blank slate to build on – there were almost no trees, no garden, no fences.. just fields filled with dead grass and sandy soil.

Our seemingly difficult situation was actually a blessing in disguise as it forced us to find creative ways to make things work. We had to go against the grain of the mass expenses of modern farming to find an affordable way to raise our own food. We had no farming experience or agriculture related education, no government grants, loans, or outside investments. No barn, shop, or tractor. And no savings to fall back on if we failed.  We looked to the pioneers and homesteaders of old and believed that if we found heritage breeds and heirloom seeds bred for our environment, we could do without the fancy buildings and equipment too.

We have built all that we have by requiring that everything on our farm contributes and “pulls its weight.” We also continuously reinvest what we bring in to improve our effort, and these two principles have allowed us to grow exponentially. Together with our kids, we planted a small farm “seed” and have worked to grow it into something so much more. This regenerative process of working with nature has had a profound impact on us – we’ve watched the roots grow deeper in both our land and family. It has been the family adventure of a lifetime, and we’re so grateful for it!