History of Our Wonderful Farm
Formation
History has taught us many lessons. The history of this operation began with a steep learning
curve. This is due in part because farming and ranching both have unique nomenclature. What
does it mean to build fences using the criteria: Horse-high, pig-tight, and bull-strong? What is
the significance of the differential between hoof-weight and hang-weight? What is the
gestation period of a cow? How about the gestation period of a pig? What is the difference
between a meat goat and a milk goat? As youths, we wondered about the meaning and
importance of such language when we heard the old-timers speaking about the farming,
ranching and the Great Depression, etc. Perhaps we should have listened a bit closer to our
parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles when they told stories of their rural childhood!
Little did we know at that time, years ago that we would learn, first-hand the meaning of these
important farming (and ranching) axioms. Well, they are no longer here to ask, but others have
been willing to share their knowledge, wisdom, and experience. For example, a highly
credentialed agent from one of the local university’s agricultural extension centers visited our
property to observe our operation, examine our well water and condition of our hay and grass,
then advise, counsel and lend his valuable expertise. He told us, if you want to have cows, you
have to have lots of good grass. Add to this, if you want to keep your cows on your own grass,
and not your neighbor’s cucumber patch, you have to have good fencing. This at first seems
quite reasonable, but try doing it! Then, you learn some real lessons on what to do, and what
not to do!
The Early Days
Our story begins in 2014. In February of that year, we spotted a fairly run down and not-so-well
attended piece of property while driving on some of the country’s back-roads in North Georgia.
There also appeared to be a somewhat dilapidated barn toward the front of the nestled-out
acreage. Seeing the property was up for sale, and not seeing any sign to forbid us, we hopped
over the fence gate and walked around what appeared to be 10 acres or so. The largely wooded
parcel needed oodles of attention; fallen trees, high grass mixed with a variety of weeds and
noxious plants.
So, we made a quick decision; made an offer the next day. It was accepted! Our transition from
urban life to country living began with blood, sweat and tears, literally. The next two months,
we arranged financing and made a plan to remodel the barn. In early May, a three-month
construction project began. The contractor assured us we would be ready to move by the end
of July. This was important because our rental lease agreement was up for renewal by August
1. we moved in on July 30 th ! Wow, that was close. Then, the next year or so, we repurposed a
rickety old bird house, transitioning it into a large chicken coop, began building fences (horse
high, pig tight and bull strong), and bought a few cows, pigs, goats, and chickens; no horses
though, but did you know cows can jump?
Settling In
We organized the business as an LLC. Every opportunity, we would gain a burn permit from the
salient regulatory authority and began the long process of burning old fallen lumber, termite
ridden wood, and as much of the old and unusable items from someone’s former and lost
dreams. Soon, we began hearing from neighbors how much of an improvement the property
appeared to be. We even hosted an open house to get to know all of our surrounding
neighbors. We felt that we had crossed some important hurdles and difficult milestones; we
knew in our hearts that we now belonged to this new way of life and at this very location, on
God’s green earth.
Today
In August 2024, we crossed the first 10-year historical milestone. While in many ways, this new
lifestyle still contains aspects of difficult and strenuous physical labor, we have recognized that
it is not so hard that new people cannot learn to do this. Today, we are fortunate to be able to
pay good people to provide us with assistance on many of the more difficult tasks. I suppose if
we did not have that, we might be forced to think of the unthinkable, and sell out. However, we
are living the dream. Now, a dozen years after taking that first step, we have gained confidence
and knowledge that we might never have acquired had we remained as suburbanites, living 25’
away from the next-door neighbor. A side benefit is that we have made so many friends among
the country folks that live in these parts. Many have been helpful to our growth!
We have had mostly satisfying and thrilling experiences with this endeavor. Notwithstanding,
there have been some difficult and there have been times of uncertain challenges; sprayed by
skunks, occasionally frightened (almost at times to the point of death) by copperheads and
rattlesnakes, unaware of large mounds of fire-ant hills until it was too late, mama cows losing
their calf by drowning in one of the five ponds during a rain storm, stings by wasps and yellow
jackets, kicks by male calf’s that did not want to be castrated, broken legs of mama cows who
got tangled up between a 14’ cattle gate and losing battle with a determined bull, a breech calf
birth, a mama cow that rejected her calf and had to be bottle fed, bobcats, hawks and owls
stealing our chickens, erosion of roads and walk ways due to excessive rain fall, constantly
falling trees that need to be removed (both the fallen tree and the root system so that it does
not catch in a plow, etc.).
Yet fortunately, all is well today out here in the quiet and peaceful country! Today, we utilize
almost all of the now 65 acres of our little farm and ranch for agriculture related endeavors.
The beauty of this story started with a dream, a decision to accept a new challenge and
adventure, then followed by God’s providence in the form of additional land purchase
opportunities. By God’s grace, we have been able to acquire smaller, contiguous land to add to
that original 11.7 acre parcel we spotted on a back-road country drive in February 2014.
The numerous country songs by country music artists living and working only a couple of hours
north of us in Nashville, Tennessee seem to depict this lifestyle fairly accurately. For example,
check out these songs: Where the Green Grass Grows by Tim McGraw and The Only Way I
Know by Jason Aldein, Eric Church, and Luke Bryan. The lyrics of these talented
singer/songwriters describe much of what we have and do here.