Our Journey From Family to Farm
As a little girl I grew up in rural Germantown, truly a one street town filled with farm fields and very few subdivisions. I was envious of my friends who lived in those subdivisions where cable TV, sidewalks and neighbors were the standard. When Chad and I got married in 1994, he dreamed of living in the country and I was adamant about wanting to raise a family “in town.” He grew up spending stretches of time up north with family in Tomahawk, Wisconsin and loved the rural life. He spent time working on dairy farms, hunting and fishing, so for him rural life was a big dream. I won that battle and we raised our boys in West Bend, Wisconsin living a typical suburban life with a nice house, a dog, a cat, great neighbors and an easy commute to work.
On a cold night in the winter of 2017, Chad and I turned on the TV and came across a documentary called Rotten on Netflix. I never imagined that watching a TV show would change the course of our lives, but it did. It planted the seed for change and brought us to where we are now, living on our little farm. Change is never easy and to be honest, I am not an impulsive person. It took a conversation with our dear friends Brad and Angie, at a wedding in the summer of 2017, for us to push forward and follow a dream that had just started to take shape. Angie’s wise words to me were, “life is an adventure, you will miss out if you do not take the leap.”
Shortly after, we began to hunt for our dream home. We wanted space to raise some livestock, to grow our own food, to listen to the quiet at night and not have street lights shining in our windows. We looked high and low, we saw a lot of farms and then we walked through the doors of our home. I began to cry standing in the kitchen of this little farm. I just knew in my soul it was where we needed to be. Thus our journey began…
Initially we set out to simply be self-sustaining. That night of watching the documentary changed how we viewed our personal food chain. I could no longer justify buying simple things like chicken and pork from the grocery store, knowing how that type of food was raised. I could not stomach the thought of sitting down at a table eating food that I knew was not raised with love and respect. Sustainability was something we gradually tackled.
We found a farm to buy feeder pigs from that focused on humane animal husbandry. We bought our first egg layer flock and our first beef cattle from people who chose to raise animals on pasture with love. We planted a big garden and we started our orchard. We immersed ourselves in learning as much as we could about farming in a more traditional fashion. There were tears, losses, successes and joys. As that passion overflowed, we gradually became known to our neighbors and word got out in the larger community. We created a Facebook page and with baby steps, nurtured our farm into a fairly well-known business. Our focus was on creating a sense of community, while being transparent about our products and our processes.
Since then, we have shared our lives with those around us. We have encouraged people to step out of their comfort zone, to learn about the food chain they are a critical part of and to know their local farmers. We have become friends with other business owners, farms and members of our community who have been an incredible support system as we face challenges from those who do not understand our way of life.
What began as a family venture, has become a way to connect people together. Community sustainability is not just about planting a garden or going to a farmers market. It is about making connections with each other, sharing knowledge and understanding how each of us plays a role in making our corner of the world a better place. It means breaking down barriers to accessing locally grown foods, and educating people on how they can improve their environment. We do this so that farming becomes a reality in the homes of others, and to show that even small farms like ours have a place at the big agricultural table.
Having the opportunity to bring our farm into your home is a privilege. We hope you come along for the journey, including all the beautiful moments and the difficult moments. Our goal is to provide a place where questions are answered, without prejudice, and where knowledge is a process that is communal. Thank you for joining us and welcome to our family.