09/17/2026
Yesterday Jeremy and I celebrated our 14th anniversary, and today we’re celebrating Zoe’s 10th birthday! As I reflected on how far we’ve come, and everything we have created, built, and grown together, I realized it was about 10 years ago that Jeremy and I made the decision to keep the farm. From 2008 to 2016 we were here simply to ensure we could care for Jeremy’s Grandpa Mike and keep him active and joyful, and the farm was really begun by accident. However, Grandpa Mike passed away just days before our Zoe was born. His loss left us with a decision to make for our new family: had the farm fulfilled its purpose or was it something we wanted to carry on?
It was a choice that would change how and where we raised our family, how we would earn a living and how we would interface with our community. I can honestly say that I didn’t have a lot I loved yet about Lompoc, and the farm was such a massive amount of work that it seemed the wise choice to lay it down and open a new chapter. But there’s something magically fulfilling about working with land, building something bigger than you, and feeding your community. Some of you may know us as being really busy, or perpetually five-min late, or “doing too much”. But it’s because the farm we chose has our hearts — no matter the struggle. It’s truly been an honor to raise our family here and as we have become more involved in this community, I’m more convinced than ever that Lompoc has the biggest heart and the most soul of anywhere I could have picked to live. What a blessing it is to serve and live alongside you all.
So, thanks for being our home, Lompoc, for showing up for us when times got tough, for championing your small, local farm, for always greeting us with smiles and cheers and wonderful stories. Ten years after our choice, I can say that we’re confident it was the best choice for us.
And happy birthday to the sweet lady that brings enormous smiles to everyone she greets, is a sisterly peacemaker and challenge-taker, and an epic artist; plus a farm tour host, egg collector, and tractor driver here on the farm. The sun smiles when it shines on you 🌞