I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. But I definitely never thought I’d be a farmer.
Shelli and I were married in 2011, and started out living in a tiny basement apartment. A year or two into our marriage a few things happened around the same time… I had some major issues with my teeth, which got my started on journey of healthy eating (my favorite breakfast food used to be Pop-Tarts!). We had our first son. And I happened to see a picture of my cousin showing off his new farm boots. I thought it was weird. He got his new boots to go intern at Polyface Farms…. It was a combination of the desire for healthy food, a good atmosphere to raise our children, and my cousin’s influence that made me decide I wanted to be a farmer. So, we talked to our landlords, and they let us go ahead and get a few chickens and put in a couple small raised beds. That didn’t satisfy for long…
After searching for awhile, we found 5 1/2 acres of land in Cable, Ohio. Because of our small budget, we moved into a travel trailer and with some help from family, built a small farmhouse. We put in a garden, bought an old tractor, a milk cow, and some chickens… and the adventure began.
We raised pastured eggs and chemical-free garden vegetables to sell at a couple local farmer’s markets, then branched into selling only on an online farmer’s market platform (which we loved, by the way!). After the arrival of our third child, we decided it was time to let go of the market garden for a time (to give Shelli a break). Through the farmer’s market, we connected with a local store. We’re still selling pastured non-GMO eggs and fresh asparagus and rhubarb there. Our goal now is to keep up those sales, and raise as much of our own food as possible. We raise our own pastured eggs and chicken, grass-fed milk and beef, and chemical-free fruits and vegetables.
We are passionate about the benefits of home-grown, nutrient-dense food, and take great measures to raise our animals and plants in the way we feel God intended for them to be raised. We’ve learned a lot on this journey, and are excited for you to join us as we share that information and delve even deeper.
