The Last Small Farm

I grew up on a small farm in central Nebraska, where farming ran deep in my roots. One of my grandpas raised market sheep, the other raised hogs, my dad was a cattleman, and my mom brought the goats. Farming was equally shared partnership with woman equal participants. 

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When my mom was diagnosed with MS soon after I was born, and my sister, Jill, struggled with Crohn’s disease and "failure to thrive," food quickly became more than just sustenance—it became medicine. My mom turned to raw milk to help Jill, and soon, what we ate became a central focus in our home.

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For me, though, raising livestock was about the joy of it. I loved riding horses, caring for the animals, helping my dad, and working in the garden.   I left the farm for college and after four years away and graduating with a degree in communications I moved to Kodiak, Alaska—not to farm. 

 

My husband and I met again in Kodiak, got married and had three boys. 

After the first two I realized farming was in my bones and started small, then grew into running the only Grade A certified goat dairy in the state.

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At one point, I thought bigger was better, but I’ve since learned that small and mighty is the way to go. Today, we raise our own island beef, farrow our own hogs, and raise pigs, along with a thriving raw milk dairy with goats and an A2A2 Jersey cow.

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Chickens are essential to our operation, and our donkeys, horses, and mule bring joy to the daily grind.

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I don’t claim to know everything, but I hope to inspire and motivate others to take control of their food, work hard, and truly live a free and fulfilling life.