Craig

Just a few years ago we were living in a subdivision raising five chickens in our backyard.

I had no experience raising animals other than the family dog. The chickens were something for our children to do. I quickly saw how rewarding the caretaking of these birds was for our boys.

I enjoyed how interested our friends and family became in the chickens, and the joy they received from bringing home fresh eggs. These little birds were bringing us closer to our friends and family.

More chicks came, and with them came the smiles of visiting children and their parents. The happiness these little balls of fluff brought was contagious, and I was hooked! I started to read about homesteading and decided to expand “a bit”. Soon, we had a micro-farm in our backyard. We found ourselves spending most of our free time outside watching our animals and learning all of their different traits. 

I continued researching my new hobby and was shocked when I learned about the conditions broiler (meat) chickens were raised in.

Terms like factory farms, debeaking, industrial chicken houses, chlorine baths, etc were enough to make me never want to touch a store bought chicken again… let alone feed it to my children.

We were still new to chickens, but it doesn’t take long to understand what chickens love: fresh air in their lungs, sunshine on their backs, grass under their feet, and bugs in their bellies. None of which are found in the industrial chicken production model. With all this in mind, we decided to raise our first batch of pastured broiler chickens. We decided to source our own grains and use them to make our own chicken feed. This meant we knew exactly what was going into these birds, which meant we knew exactly what we were feeding our family. Sharing these humanely raised birds with friends and family gave me a deeper appreciation for our food and it’s story.

Knowing I was providing healthy, nutrient dense food, to the people I cared about most, and watching how it brought them all together, had quickly become my passion.

Erica

Sometimes I look around and think “I can’t believe this is my life...”

That’s usually when I’m up at 5am for chores and getting head-butted by a goat, or placing an order for a few hundred chicks, chasing pigs, or helping birth a calf… but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I never thought I would love farm life this much. We have learned so much and we do everything as a family. The days I love most are when Craig, my favorite farmhand (and husband), the boys, and I all do chores together. I also love hosting family and friends and sharing our latest adventure. I’m in awe at how much we have already accomplished on the farm and am so excited for what the future holds. I’m so grateful when I look around this place, “I can’t believe this is my life.”