The Farmhouse Ranch on Persimmon Hill

05/30/2026

Yesterday, I was blessed by a group of women who came to learn the art of cheesemaking.

They could have spent their Friday doing a hundred different things, but instead they chose to gather around the table, slow down for a few hours, and learn a skill that has nourished families for generations.

Together we made Bøvrè, ricotta, and traditional mozzarella. We talked cultures, milk, and cheesemaking science. We shared a wholesome meal, plenty of laughter, and conversations about family, health, dreams, and the things that matter most.

One of my favorite parts of teaching isn’t just watching someone learn how to make cheese—it’s watching confidence grow. Seeing someone realize, “I can do this at home.”

There is something special about learning with your hands. About turning simple ingredients into something beautiful. About preserving skills that once lived in nearly every kitchen.

Thank you to each woman who joined us. Your questions, stories, and willingness to learn made the day what it was. THANK YOU!!

If you’ve not heard it today—you are loved, wanted, and seen. 🤍🧀🥛

05/29/2026

Looking forward to advocating, cultivating, and empowering in D.C. this coming week!

The countdown is on!

Next week, women in agriculture from around the world gather in Washington, D.C. to advocate, cultivate, and empower.

05/29/2026

Some nights on the farm, every part of you wants to call it quits.

The boots feel heavier. The barn feels longer. The chores seem endless. You start thinking about how good the couch and a warm bed sound.

But then you remember why you keep going.

You push forward for the family God entrusted to you.
You push forward because the animals still depend on you.
You push forward because providing honest food and serving others is work worth doing.

And most of all, you push forward because anything done faithfully for God is never wasted.

Farm life teaches you that purpose is often found on the other side of exhaustion. The late nights, sore backs, and long days become offerings of love for your family, your community, and the Lord.

Sometimes the greatest victories aren’t loud or glamorous. Sometimes they look like one more load carried, one more stall cleaned, one more evening of refusing to quit.

By God’s grace, we keep showing up.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” — Colossians 3:23 ESV

-Ryan

05/29/2026

This evening, after milking, I looked around and smiled.

A dog that still thinks he’s a lap dog, despite weighing more than me. A cheesemaking class ready for tomorrow. Fresh cream in my coffee this morning. A book I poured my heart into.

And an apron my oldest daughter made for me.

“The Milkmaid. The Maker. The Mentor.”

I haven’t even worn it yet, but it may already be one of my favorite gifts I’ve ever received.

Because woven into that apron are years of watching.

Years of seeing her mom milk cows, teach classes, write books, love people, chase dreams, and work toward things that often felt bigger than we were.

To most people, it’s fabric and thread.

To me, it’s a reminder.

A reminder that our children are always watching. That the things we do every day matter. That the lessons we teach, the traditions we preserve, the skills we pass on, and the love we pour into our families leave a mark long after the work is done.

The greatest thing we’re building isn’t a dairy parlor, a market, a class, or even a business.

We’re building a legacy.

One where our children know how to work with their hands, care for animals, create something beautiful, feed families, love others well, and forgive like Jesus.

And today, between a giant momma-loving dog, fresh cream, and an embroidered apron — I am thankful, even while being covered in mud after evening chores.

If you’ve not heard it today—you are loved. 🤍

05/27/2026

From early morning milkings… to delivery list prep… to fresh blueberries… to raw cream cheese… to rewriting my entire class book for Friday because of a glitch. 🫠

And it’s not even noon yet. 😂

Some days feel like a full week before lunchtime — but this beautiful, messy, made-from-scratch life keeps moving right along. And somehow? There’s still joy tucked in between the chaos. 🤍

Thankful for the beauty sweetly woven into this life.

If you’ve not heard it today, you are wanted, needed, and loved.

05/27/2026

Family!
Each one of us, unique, beautiful, and irreplaceable. We have the incredible blessing of living life together, all the time. 24/7, 365 days a year, under one roof with very little separation. While most families spend the majority of their days apart, God has graciously allowed us to be home with one another, the way families once lived for generations.
It’s not always easy. There are struggles and tired, grumpy moments like any family. But there are also so many beautiful, joy-filled memories we get to create and laugh about together. Every single day, during our prayer time, we thank God for this gift of constant closeness.
Husbands, God has entrusted you with a family to love, protect, and lead. Even on the hard days when you’re exhausted, remember: this is your sacred responsibility and your greatest honor. Lead them well.

-Ryan

05/26/2026

Coffee and shine, or resurrect with the best of them!

But don’t let the mud that gets thrown at you today slow you down.

If you’ve not heard it yet today, you are wanted, needed, and seen. ❤️🥛

P.S. I’m so thankful for running water! And that I have the ability to shower after these muddy mornings. 😘

05/25/2026

Yesterday was filled with beautiful moments, conversations, tears, and laughter.

After church, a bit of conversation, and me crying for a moment — we headed to the new market and dairy parlor to work.

And when I say work, I mean I sat in a lawn chair finishing the first 146 pages of my book… while the littlest and her daddy framed walls inside this dream we’ve been building together.

For being the powerhouse of a woman that I am, I’m actually very tender… but shh, don’t tell anyone. ;)

I looked up from my notebook over and over again just watching them.
Her tiny hands holding boards.
His patience teaching her.
The giggles.
The teamwork.
The joy.

And suddenly it hit me — this place is already becoming so much more than a building.

These walls will hold stories.
They’ll hold classes and conversations.
Milk and meals.
Learning and laughter.
People healing their relationships with food, farming, family, and tradition.

There will be tired mornings here and beautiful victories.
Cheese being made.
Children learning where food comes from.
Farmers gathering around tables.
Families reconnecting.

And somehow, yesterday, in the middle of sawdust, notebooks, tears, and sunshine pouring through unfinished walls… it already felt like a touch of home to me. 🤍

If you’ve not heard it today — you are loved.

05/23/2026

Love…. Give it. Show it. Be it.

So thankful for the “God winks” I get to witness daily.

Happy Weekend, !

05/21/2026

A little peek into our upcoming cheese class… 🧀🤍

Not just recipes — but truly understanding the why behind cheesemaking.

This diagram breaks down casein micelles — the protein structures in milk that transform during coagulation to create curds, trap butterfat, and form cheese.

Because cheesemaking is part tradition, part science, and honestly… a little bit of magic too. ✨

I’m so excited to teach this class and help others understand milk on a deeper level — not just how to make cheese, but how milk itself works.