Vine & Branch Farm

10/16/2026

Hey Upstate South Carolina! We wanted to take a moment to introduce ourselves and our farm, Vine & Branch Farm!

We're Cory and Elizabeth, a husband-and-wife team with two little boys, Matthew and Carl, and a passion for farming, raising our family, and being good stewards of the land and animals God has entrusted to us.

Although we're new to farming here in South Carolina, we're certainly not new to the life!

Our farming journey began in 2016 when we moved from Western New York to New Hampshire and started our first farm on 16 wooded acres nestled in a valley. We spent five years there raising pasture-raised pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, rabbits, laying hens, growing produce, and learning an awful lot along the way.

We eventually decided we'd had enough of the long New England winters, frozen water lines, and hauling buckets of water to animals in below-zero temperatures. We made our way south, spending some time in West Virginia before settling in the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee, where we continued farming and growing our family.

So what brought us to South Carolina?

Well, a few things!

We're a homeschooling family, and we've always wanted to raise our children in an environment where learning doesn't have to happen within four walls. We want them to experience the changing seasons, help care for animals, grow their own food, learn practical skills, and develop an appreciation for the world God created.

We also made the decision to start our own commercial refrigeration and HVAC business, something Cory has more than 20 years of experience in. South Carolina gave us the opportunity to establish that business in a new market while still being only about two hours from where we were farming in Tennessee and close enough to the family we moved south to be near.

And can we talk about how beautiful this area is?!

We still have the Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains practically in our backyard, beautiful lakes, four seasons, and so many opportunities to get outside and enjoy God's creation. We absolutely love that!

Now we're preparing for the next chapter of our farming journey in Union County, and we have some pretty exciting plans.

Our vision for Vine & Branch Farm is to create a place where families can come together, learn, build relationships, and have access to quality, locally raised food.

We're working toward establishing a small dairy with A2/A2 Jersey cows, raising grass-fed beef and lamb, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, and eventually offering classes and opportunities for children and adults to learn everything from butter making and bread baking to gardening, animal husbandry, and food preservation.

But there's something we want y'all to understand about us.

We don't raise our animals the way we do, spend the extra money on quality feed, or put so much effort into how we manage our pastures because it's the easiest or cheapest way to farm.

We do it because we believe it matters.

We believe the way animals are raised matters. We believe what goes into our food matters. We believe the way we care for the land matters. And we believe families deserve to know the people raising the food they're putting on their tables.

We won't always have the lowest prices or the most products available, but what we can promise is honesty, hard work, and a genuine commitment to doing the best we can with what God has entrusted to us.

We're still in the planning and building stages, so there's plenty to do before we're ready to welcome everyone to the farm. We'll be sharing the process of getting the property ready, building our dairy, bringing home animals, improving pastures, and all the things that go into starting a farm.

We'd love for y'all to follow along, ask questions, share your thoughts, and get to know our family as we get to know this community.

After all, Vine & Branch Farm isn't just about raising food. Our hope is to create a gathering place for families.

So tell us, where in the Upstate are y'all from? And what would you love to see a local family farm offer?

We look forward to getting to know y'all!

🌿 Vine & Branch Farm
*A Gathering Place for Families*

10/07/2026

This originally started as a comment I wrote to someone who has personally been affected by HUS, but the more I wrote, the more I felt like it needed to be its own post.

HUS, hemolytic uremic syndrome, can develop after an infection with certain strains of E. coli and can become incredibly serious, especially in children. This is exactly WHY knowledge matters, and I genuinely feel like this family was failed by a lack of knowledge shared by the very people who should have been sharing it. Farmers.

Knowledge is power.

The risk of E. coli contamination can be greatly reduced with clean practices. I educate all my customers, and if anyone calls our farm number inquiring about raw milk, I also advise them what questions to ask other farmers and when I would steer VERY clear from a farm.

Even when we stopped farming in Tennessee and moved to South Carolina, I still took calls from people looking for raw milk and shared this information with them. They weren't buying milk from me. It didn't benefit me financially. I shared it because I care and because people deserve to know what questions to ask.

There absolutely IS RISK in everything, but with everything, knowing safety and biosecurity is what's important.

Before even being allowed to pet those animals or drink the milk, consumers should be educated on the safety measures being taken to mitigate risk and the things THEY can do to mitigate their own risk.

We don't allow open petting on our farm for a reason. Biosecurity. You yourself can bring germs and unwanted stuff here.

Handwashing BEFORE and AFTER, a must.

Shoe coverings, a must.

Not allowing footwear from ANOTHER FARM that hasn't been properly cleaned, a must.

Disease testing annually.

Milk testing regularly for more than just SCC counts or CMT.

Quarantine procedures for introducing new animals to the farm and a quarantine period.

Parasite mitigation through rotational grazing.

All these things help lower risk, but people have to follow the rules.

And let's talk about E. coli for a minute because YES, E. coli can contaminate raw milk. It can also contaminate lettuce, spinach, sprouts and other produce sold in grocery stores. Certain harmful strains of E. coli are carried in the intestinal tract of animals, especially ruminants like cows, sheep and goats, and are shed in F***S. That f***l contamination can then reach food, water, hands, equipment or surfaces. This is also why properly washing produce and preventing cross contamination matters.

Something else that is incredibly important to understand is that an animal simply carrying a pathogen in its intestinal tract does NOT mean that pathogen is automatically being secreted into her milk.

With things like STEC/E. coli, cattle can carry the bacteria in their gut without appearing sick and shed it in their f***s. The pathway we're trying to interrupt is f***l and environmental contamination. Manure gets on a teat, hand, equipment, water, bedding or another surface and THAT contaminated material gets into the milk.

THIS is exactly why clean, dry teats, clean hands, sanitized equipment, a clean milking environment and a closed system matter so much.

There ARE also pathogens and infections that can involve the udder and be shed directly into milk, which is why herd health, disease testing, mastitis monitoring and never putting milk from a sick animal into the food supply are ALSO part of responsible raw milk production.

Preventing P**P, dirt and other environmental contamination from touching or coming into contact with milk, food or food surfaces is exactly why clean practices matter and why we operate a CLOSED milking system.

Open bucket? MORE RISK.

Dirty hands or unclean teats? RISK.

Improperly cleaned and sanitized equipment? RISK.

Unclean milking area? RISK.

No rapid chilling? RISK. Not because lack of chilling creates contamination, but because bacteria that ARE present have an opportunity to multiply.

And let's spell out some of those scary big words CDC and FDA throw out there when talking about raw milk and where they actually come from.

STEC, the type of E. coli associated with HUS: Cattle and other ruminants can carry it in their intestinal tract without looking sick and shed it in their P**P. Manure can contaminate the environment and from there can contaminate food, water, hands, udders, equipment or other surfaces.

Salmonella: Animals can carry Salmonella in their intestinal tract and shed it in their P**P. Again, manure can contaminate the animal, water, hands, equipment and the farm environment, creating a pathway into food.

Campylobacter: Commonly carried in the intestinal tract of animals and shed in their P**P. F***l contamination can then contaminate water, the animal itself, equipment, hands, surfaces or food.

Listeria: This one is more environmental. Listeria can live in soil, water, feed, decaying vegetation and throughout the farm environment. Cattle can ALSO carry it and shed it in their P**P. Dirt, manure, contaminated feed, dirty equipment and environmental contamination are exactly why sanitation matters.

Do you see the pattern here?

P**P.

Dirt.

Contaminated water.

Sick or infected animals.

Dirty equipment.

Dirty hands.

Dirty teats.

Environmental contamination.

NONE of those things should be getting into your milk.

That is literally the entire point of CLEAN MILKING PRACTICES.

Clean animals. Clean teats. Clean hands. Clean and sanitized equipment. Clean milking area. Closed milking system. Healthy, tested animals. Regular milk testing. Proper biosecurity. Rapid chilling.

Every single one of these things creates another barrier between a potential pathogen and the milk our families are going to drink.

Does that make raw milk zero risk?

NO.

Nothing I do as a farmer can promise you zero risk. What I CAN do is understand where those risks come from, create as many barriers as possible between those risks and our milk, test, monitor, maintain clean practices and EDUCATE the families consuming our product.

This is what a knowledgeable farmer who wants their consumer to feel EMPOWERED to make food choices based on informed decisions should share. It's also our standard practice and how I feel most should operate, but some are still in the learning stages.

Farming is an evolving labor of love. I surely don't know everything, but I'm willing to learn and absolutely willing to share what I DO know.

I don't believe in pretending raw milk has zero risk.

I believe in knowing what the risks ARE, understanding where they come from, doing everything within our power as farmers to mitigate those risks, and giving consumers the knowledge to make an informed decision for THEIR family.

Because knowledge is power.

10/05/2026

🥛 Would your family buy fresh, local milk? We’d love your input!

As we continue building Vine & Branch Farm; A Gathering Place for Families, one of the things we’re most excited about is getting back into dairy farming and providing fresh, local milk to families in our community.

Before we make some of the bigger decisions about our herd, cow vs. goat milk, how much milk we need to plan for, bottling, pickup days, and possible pickup locations, we want to hear from the families who would actually be buying it.

We put together a quick survey to help us understand what our community is looking for: including how many gallons your family would typically use, cow or goat milk preference, glass vs. plastic, preferred pickup days and locations, and what families are currently paying for local milk.

This is NOT a preorder and there is absolutely no commitment to purchase. We’re simply trying to build this part of our farm around what local families actually need instead of guessing.

If fresh, local milk is something your family would be interested in, we would be incredibly grateful if you took a couple of minutes to fill it out:

🥛 Milk Interest Survey:

Fill out the Vine & Branch Farm milk survey https://forms.gle/UH4Z4b38ubYsEW8D6?utm_source=chatgpt.com

And please share this post with other local families who may be interested! The more responses we receive, the better we can plan for what our community actually wants.

We’re so excited to see Vine & Branch Farm begin taking shape.

A Gathering Place for Families.

We are working toward bringing fresh, local milk to families in our community through Vine & Branch Farm — A Gathering Place for Families. As we plan our dairy, we would love to better understand what local families are looking for — including cow and goat milk, how much your family would typica...

09/30/2026

A little sneak peek of what we’re praying could become Vine & Branch Farm…
These are just pictures of pastures right now.
But when we look at them, we see so much more.
We see cows grazing here that provide our community with A2/A2 raw milk.
We see cattle and sheep moving through these fields producing grass-fed, grass-finished beef and lamb.
We see chickens following behind them—raised on pasture with non-GMO feed—providing chicken and eggs for families who want to know exactly how their food was raised.
And yes, we hope families will drive from Spartanburg, Greenville, Greer, Woodruff, Clinton, Union and the surrounding communities for that food.
But food is only the beginning of Vine & Branch Farm.
We don't dream of building a farm where you pull up, grab a gallon of milk and leave.
We dream of building a place where your children yell “We're going to the farm!” when you tell them it's time to pick up the milk.
A place where you planned to stay for 15 minutes and somehow you're still there two hours later.
Where children have room to roam, climb, build, dig, create and get muddy.
Where they can watch a calf drink a bottle, gather an egg, see sheep grazing, learn how food grows, help in a garden, build something with their hands, splash and experiment with water, wander a nature trail, bake bread, or sit around a fire.
Where learning doesn't always look like sitting at a desk while an adult talks.
It looks like doing.
We see homeschool days and field trips. Nature groups and practical-life classes. Gardening and cooking. Building and creating. Seasonal farm experiences. Summer days spent outside. Campfires and family nights. A pavilion filled with people eating together.
We see a farm store where you can provision your family with real food—and a place outside its doors that makes your children beg you not to leave yet.
We see little children growing up knowing the farmers who feed them.
We see older children being trusted with real work, real tools, real responsibility and opportunities to help younger ones.
We see parents participating with their children instead of constantly dropping them somewhere and leaving.
We see mothers finding other mothers. Fathers building friendships. Children finding their people. Families who may have felt like they were doing life alone finding an actual village.
We see churches, homeschool families, traditional-school families, grandparents, neighbors and people who simply want something slower and more meaningful than another afternoon spent staring at screens.
That is what would make Vine & Branch worth the drive.
You might come from 30 minutes away because you need milk.
But we hope eventually you come because this is where your people are.
Because Saturday morning at the farm has become part of your family's rhythm.
Because your children have favorite animals here.
Because there's always something new to learn, build, harvest, cook or explore.
Because somebody knows your name when you pull down the driveway.
Because in a world that keeps making childhood faster, more scheduled, more indoors and more disconnected, we want to create a place where families can slow down and do life together.
And underneath all of it is something even bigger.
Vine & Branch belongs to God before it ever belongs to us.
We want whatever is built here to point families back toward Him—to the beauty of His creation, the goodness of work, the gift of food, the importance of community, and the responsibility we have to care for what He gives us.
We don't know yet whether these particular fields will become that place.
There is financing ahead. An appraisal. Inspections. A closing that has to happen. And we're still asking God to make His answer clear.
But if these are the fields He gives us…
Oh, the things we can imagine growing her
Not just crops.
Not just livestock.
Children. Friendships. Skills. Faith. Community. Memories. Families.
Vine & Branch Farm
A Gathering Place for Families.
“I am the vine; you are the branches.” — John 15:5

09/28/2026

Vine & Branch Farm — Prayer Update

We have an exciting update to share, but more than anything, we are asking our friends and family to keep praying with us.

For a long time, we have been praying for the Lord to lead us to the land where Vine & Branch Farm can take root—a place where we can raise good food, steward animals and land well, welcome families, let children experience agriculture and God's creation, and build a community centered around faith, fellowship, and serving others.

This week, we took another big step forward. We made an offer on a beautiful 96-acre farm, received a counteroffer, and we have agreed on a purchase price.

But we aren't calling it our farm yet.
There is still a long road between agreeing on a price and standing on that land knowing it is ours. We are beginning the USDA Farm Service Agency financing process, and there are appraisals, inspections, due diligence, approvals, and so many details still ahead.

And truthfully, we still don't know if this is the place God has for Vine & Branch Farm.

We may not know until every door has opened and we're actually standing there.

So our prayer isn't, “God, please give us this farm.”

It's “God, lead us.”

If this is where He wants Vine & Branch Farm to grow, we pray that He makes the path clear and provides what is needed to get us there. If it isn't, we pray that He closes the door—even if we're disappointed—and redirects us to where we're supposed to be.

Please pray for wisdom and discernment for Cory and me, for the financing and appraisal process, for the inspections and due diligence, for the seller and everyone helping us through this process, and most of all that our excitement never becomes louder than God's direction.

Vine & Branch Farm has never simply been about buying land. We want to build a gathering place for families—a place rooted in faith, good food, hard work, community, and the beauty of God's creation. We want to steward whatever He gives us well.

We're excited. We're hopeful. And we're holding it with open hands.
If this is the place, He'll get us there. If it isn't, we trust Him with that too.

“I am the vine; you are the branches.” — John 15:5

09/23/2026

A prayer request for Vine & Branch Farm

This morning, we submitted an offer on a piece of land that could become the home of Vine & Branch Farm.

And if you saw it today, you might not immediately see what we see.

It is densely wooded. Years of unmanaged growth have left thick underbrush beneath the trees. There are no beautiful green silvopastures waiting for cattle and sheep. No dairy barn. No gathering tables. No winding paths where children are running ahead of their parents.

Right now, much of it is simply woods.
But when we walked it, we could see what it could become.

We could see Cory and me working tree by tree, acre by acre—removing undergrowth, selectively opening the canopy, letting sunlight reach soil that hasn't seen enough of it in years.

Planting and encouraging forage beneath the trees. Building fence. Running water. Improving soil. Establishing pasture.

Not clearing the woods away, but bringing the land back into productive life—creating silvopastures where beautiful mature trees remain overhead while grass grows beneath them and Jersey cows, Herefords and sheep graze through the shade.

And we know that transformation wouldn't happen in a season.
It would take years.

Years of sweat, muddy boots, sore bodies, equipment breaking at inconvenient times, projects taking longer than expected, learning, correcting mistakes, planting, waiting, pruning, building and trying again.

But there would also be fruit.

The first time we see grass growing where tangled brush once stood.
The first cow grazing beneath those trees.
The first glass of milk produced from that land.
The first children running those paths.
The first family gathered around a table who arrived not knowing anyone and leaves having found a friend.
The first person who realizes, “I have a place here.”

There is something deeply biblical to us about that kind of work.
God's picture of fruitfulness throughout Scripture isn't one of instant gratification. There is planting. Tending. Pruning. Waiting. Harvesting. Restoring what has been neglected. Being faithful with what has been entrusted to us.

And that is what we want Vine & Branch Farm to be.
Not something polished that we simply purchase.
Something we steward into being with our own hands, over many years, alongside our children and other families.

A working farm that produces good food, yes—but also a place of hospitality. A place where families gather. Where children learn where food comes from. Where people work beside one another, eat together, slow down, build relationships and know that there is room for them at the table.

But before we can clear a single acre or drive a single fence post, there are a lot of doors that have to open.

So we're asking you to pray with us.
Pray that if this is the land God intends for Vine & Branch Farm, our offer is received well.

Pray over the financing, appraisal, inspections, due diligence, land and soil evaluations, agricultural planning and the countless details we don't even know to anticipate yet.

Pray for wisdom to recognize problems we shouldn't overlook simply because we've fallen in love with the possibilities.

Pray for provision for the enormous amount of work ahead if it does become ours.

And most importantly, pray that we continue holding all of this with open hands.

Because as much as we can stand in those woods and imagine sunlight filtering through the trees onto green pasture, animals grazing and families gathering beneath them, we don't want our vision more than we want God's direction.

If this is the place, we pray He makes the path clear.

And if it isn't, we pray He closes the door clearly and gives us the peace to walk away.

For now, we're waiting, praying and dreaming about what might someday grow from those woods.

Vine & Branch Farm
A Gathering Place for Families

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5

09/18/2026

🌿 Friends, we need your input as we dream about the future of Vine & Branch Farm.
We’re looking at potential farm locations, and we keep coming back to one question: How far would you realistically travel for a place you genuinely wanted to be?
Not just a farm store.
Imagine being able to pick up A2/A2 raw milk, eggs, non-GMO pasture-raised beef, chicken and lamb — but also staying awhile.
A place where families can gather. Where your kids know the animals and have room to explore while you actually sit and visit with friends. Where you might spend a Saturday learning to can tomatoes, preserve a harvest, bake bread or make something from scratch alongside your kids instead of dropping them off somewhere.
Imagine long farm-table dinners with friends, good food, twinkly lights and kids running around nearby. Homeschool gatherings. Seasonal events. Classes and workshops. A pavilion where people can come together. A farm market filled not only with what we raise, but things grown and made by other local families too.
A gathering place for families — not somewhere you rush in and out of.
So tell us honestly: Would you regularly travel 15 minutes? 30? 45? An hour?
And does the answer change depending on why you're coming? Maybe you'd drive 30–45 minutes every week or two for milk, meat and groceries, but an hour for a preservation class or an evening around the farm table.
What would make you happily drive 30–45+ minutes to Vine & Branch — and keep coming back?
We really want to hear it all. The practical things, the dreamy things, and especially the things you wish existed for families but haven't been able to find yet. ❤️

Vine & Branch Farm — A Gathering Place for Families.

08/30/2026

There are a lot of irons in the fire for Vine & Branch Farm right now… and we would really love your prayers.

We have been pouring so much work, research and prayer into figuring out what the next step for this farm looks like. Right now we're pursuing leased land to begin raising cattle, reaching out to landowners, exploring potential properties near those opportunities, and continuing to search for the place that could someday become the permanent home for the much bigger vision we've carried for years.

Because Vine & Branch has never just been about owning a farm or selling food.
We dream of building a gathering place for families and community.

A working farm where cattle move frequently onto fresh pasture, chickens follow behind, soil is protected and rebuilt, and animals are raised in ways that work with the land rather than taking from it. A place where stewardship isn't something we talk about — it's visible in how we care for the soil, the animals, the woods and everything entrusted to us.

But we also dream of long tables filled with people.

A pavilion where neighbors gather to learn things together that once passed naturally from generation to generation — baking bread, canning food, gardening, cooking from scratch, preserving a harvest, raising animals and caring for the land.

Gardens. Trails through the woods. A beautiful natural place to explore. Farm dinners and workshops. Children running around while parents talk. Older generations teaching younger ones.

Families, adults and neighbors learning from each other and building relationships.

A place to slow down. A place to learn. A place to gather. A place to belong.

That's the picture behind all of the phone calls, spreadsheets, farm plans, property searches, letters to landowners, pasture research, financing conversations and countless hours happening behind the scenes right now.

And there are several possible paths in front of us.

We don't know which one is ours yet.
So if you believe in what we're trying to build, would you pray with us?

Pray for the landowners we're reaching out to. Pray for the leasing opportunities we're pursuing. Pray over the properties we're considering and the people God may put in our path.

Pray that the wrong doors close, even when we want them to open. That the right ones open clearly. And that we have the wisdom to recognize the difference.
Most of all, pray that we don't become so attached to our vision for Vine & Branch that we miss God's vision for it.

We have no idea exactly where all of these moving pieces will lead us yet.
But we know what we hope to build when we get there.

Vine & Branch Farm — A Gathering Place for Families.

And if this vision makes you think of someone with land, someone who loves agriculture, or someone who simply believes in what we're building, we'd be grateful if you shared our story with them.

08/23/2026

Simple pleasures. Made more nourishing.

Tomorrow evening we’re gathering with our church family for a marshmallow roasting night, and of course I couldn’t resist making homemade marshmallows to enjoy. 🤍🔥

Because I truly believe you don’t have to give up the sweet moments of childhood and community to pursue a more nourishing way of living.

These marshmallows are made with:
🍯 Local honey
🐄 Grass-fed beef collagen gelatin
🌿 Organic marshmallow root infusion
✨ Simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about sharing with your family

There is something so special about slowing down, gathering around a fire, roasting marshmallows, and creating memories — especially when we can bring a little more intention into the food we share.

At Vine & Branch Farm, we’re passionate about returning to the simple things: real food, responsible stewardship, gathering together, and nourishing our families well. 🌿

Here’s to homemade traditions, sticky fingers, warm fires, and sweet moments made a little more wholesome. 🤎

08/19/2026

This is Vine & Branch Farm. And before we tell you where we're going, we should probably tell you why we're going there.

For almost ten years, we've been chasing a feeling that has been surprisingly hard to put into words.

A slower life. A more connected life.
A life where our children grow up alongside us instead of being shuffled from one separate part of life to another.

Where learning happens around the kitchen table, in the pasture, beside an animal, while planting something, building something, cooking something—or standing beside Mom and Dad while we figure something out ourselves.

We're Elizabeth and Cory Bower, and we're raising two little boys who are very much in the thick of this dream with us.

And when we say with us, we mean it.

There have been chickens processed with a baby growing in my belly.

Chickens processed with little hands and little feet underfoot.

Morning milkings that didn't care whether we were tired.

Animals fed with children tagging along.

Fences built and rebuilt.

Muddy boots by the door.

Meals on our table that we knew intimately because we'd participated in nearly every part of putting them there.

Our children are still little. They don't know yet that some of the ordinary moments of their childhood are the very moments we've spent years trying to create for them.

But we do.

And that's probably where the deepest part of this dream lives.

We've farmed in New Hampshire, West Virginia and Tennessee. We've raised dairy cows, laying hens, broilers and other livestock. We've sold food directly to families and watched batches of chickens sell out. We've learned about pasture and fencing and processing and animal husbandry—and we've learned plenty of lessons the hard way, too.

But farming was never just about farming for us.

It was about life together.

When we sold our Tennessee farm and moved our family to South Carolina this April, we weren't walking away from that life.

We were looking for the place where we could finally grow it into what we've imagined for all these years.

Because somewhere along the way, we realized we didn't only want this for our children.

We started longing for deeper community ourselves.

We're a homeschooling family. We want our boys to grow up surrounded by people of different ages, abilities and experiences. We want them learning from real life and real people. We want friendships that go beyond an hour-long activity once a week. We want people who know one another, help one another, teach one another and genuinely do life alongside one another.

And we've realized we're not the only family longing for that.

So the dream grew.

What if the farm could become one of the places where those missing pieces reconnect?

What if the same land producing milk, eggs and chicken could also be where a child learns to care for an animal?

What if the kitchen where food from the farm is prepared could also be where someone learns to bake bread, preserve a harvest or cook from scratch?

What if homeschool lessons happened with dirt under fingernails?

What if families could learn together instead of parents always dropping children off?

What if an older generation had somewhere to pass down skills and wisdom to a younger one?

What if people knew the farmer producing their food—and the farmer knew the families sitting around the tables eating it?
What if community became less about attending something and more about belonging somewhere?

That is Vine & Branch Farm.

And the name carries the heart of it.

Jesus tells us in John 15:5:
“I am the vine; you are the branches.”
Christ is the Vine.
We are the branches.

And branches weren't created to exist disconnected from their source—or from one another.

We want Christ at the center of what we're building. We want to steward the land, animals, resources, abilities and relationships God entrusts to us well.

And we want to spend our lives helping reconnect some of the branches modern life has pulled apart:
Faith and everyday life.
Parents and children.
People and their food.
Children and the natural world.
Learning and doing.
Older generations and younger ones.
Families and community.

Not because we think we're going to fix the world with a farm.

But because this is what we know.

We know animals.
We know food.
We know farming.
We know business.

We're learning every day how to raise these two little boys God entrusted to us.

And we know what it feels like to desperately want deeper connection and community for your family.

So we're building with what God has put in our hands.

Today, Vine & Branch Farm doesn't have an address.

After selling our Tennessee farm and moving to South Carolina in April, we are actively searching for and pursuing the Upstate property that will become our family's permanent farm.

We're walking properties. We're planning. We're pursuing financing. We're evaluating land not just for what it is today, but for what could grow there over the next ten, twenty and hopefully fifty years.

Someday, Lord willing, there will be Jersey cows in the pasture.
There will be eggs to gather and chickens moving across grass.
There will be food leaving this farm and nourishing families throughout our community.
There will be children learning.
There will be families gathering.
There will be meals shared, skills passed down, friendships formed and memories made.

And somewhere in the middle of it all will probably be our two boys—dirty, barefoot, asking a million questions and very likely standing exactly where we're trying to work. 🤍

That's the dream.
Not simply to build a farm.
To build a life around the things we believe matter and support our community.

To nourish.
To steward.
To teach.
To gather.
To belong.
And to remain rooted in the One from whom all of it grows.

🌿 Vine & Branch Farm
A Gathering Place for Families.

Nourishing Food • Responsible Stewardship • Family • Education • Community
Faith • Family • Farm •

We're still looking for the land.

But after nearly a decade of building toward this, we believe we're finally planting the roots of home.

And we'd love for you to grow with us.

Like our page, share it, and follow along for the journey.