06/16/2026
Today marks THREE years on our little farm! 🏡❤️
When we moved here, we had no idea what we were doing or what this would turn into. Every year has brought new animals, new projects, new challenges, and new dreams.
This year has been one of the hardest and most rewarding yet.
We’ve faced predator problems, experienced far fewer losses, and navigated one of the biggest challenges I’ve personally ever faced with my finger injury. It has also put a lot of extra work on my family. Not that they’ve complained, but I know it’s been a lot.
But through it all, we’ve seen so much life, healing, growth, and God’s faithfulness.
One thing that’s been exciting to see this year is that we’ve started focusing less on simply surviving and more on making things easier and better. Every water line, fence, shelter, and routine we improve is one more step toward maintaining instead of building our homestead.
I get asked a lot whether Chris or I grew up this way… and the answer is no, we did not. We both grew up in town, although our dads were hunters.
I always thought we’d buy some land to hunt on but still come home to our clean house in town. I wanted to cement the backyard and paint it green. I didn’t want trees, a garden, or certainly any outdoor animals!
Then in early 2019, I decided to plant some tomato plants with the kids in my in-home daycare so they could watch them grow. That was it for me. I realized I could grow my own food, and suddenly I wanted to grow everything and cook everything from scratch!
When we moved here, the only things we really knew much about were hunting, butchering, and a little gardening. Every animal we’ve added has required hours of research, learning, and problem-solving. Chris has learned to build shelters, fences, and whatever crazy project I dream up next. Together we’ve learned a lot of skills we never imagined we’d need.
At first, our goal was simply to grow and raise food for ourselves. But we quickly decided that since we had the space, we could also provide high-quality meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables for others as well!
As of today, our farm is home to:
🐱 1 spoiled indoor cat
🐶 1 livestock guardian dog
🐓 90 meat birds (temporary residents 😆)
🦆 6 ducks + 6 duck eggs currently incubating
🦃 5 turkeys
🪶 Around 40 quail + 24 eggs in the incubator
🐇 2 angora rabbits, 4 adult meat rabbits, and 7 baby meat rabbits
🐄 3 Highland cows (with one more joining us soon!)
🐖 15 Kune Kune pigs
🐝 No bees. They left me. No rent, no two weeks’ notice, not even a thank you. 😂
That’s about 170 animals, not counting who’s hatching, growing, or arriving soon!
This year brought fewer losses, more growth, more confidence, and bigger dreams than ever before. We’re still working toward greater self-sufficiency, still building, still learning, and still finding ways to improve every day.
We’re incredibly grateful for this little farm, this crazy life, and everyone who follows along on the journey. ❤️🌱🐮🐷🐔
