My Journey From City Slicker to Farm Girl

The farming seed was planted, when we found out our eldest daughter had several food intolerances after experiencing months of colic.  I needed to revamp my entire diet ASAP. So, we closed down the auto racing business, moved by Jason’s family, and dove right in with researching holistic and naturopathic options, learning how to clean up our diet, and sourcing food.

A couple years later, after our son was born, we struggled to find local farms with a steady inventory of organic, 100% grass-fed beef. Anything else and the kids would either react to it or refuse to eat it. As we were talking one day, Jason said, “We should start raising our own cattle. It’s hard to find around here.” Naturally, I laughed, chalking it up to another ambitious idea. After it was brought up a few more times I realized he was serious.

Jason is great at envisioning and pursuing new ventures when he sees a need or finds something interesting. I am great at the organizing and planning end of things….and hesitating with the unknown! In my head, I knew it “could work”, especially if it was something we put our minds too. But mostly I thought, “He wants me be a farm girl and do what??? He gone crazy!”

The next step was approaching my in-laws to ask if we could raise a couple cattle on their land. (In case you’re wondering – that was hubby’s idea too!) Knowing we had a need and wanting to help, they graciously agreed. And so the planning began.

The initial thought was to get two cattle, use the existing lean-to barn and fencing, and raise the cattle for immediate family. Jason put a lot of time into researching natural care, rotational grazing, organic practices and alternatives, breed selection, and much more.

We brought home our first two heifers in fall of 2015. It didn’t go well. Within minutes, the older one found the one small part of fencing that somehow lost power, and proceeded to ever so calmly walk out of the fence. She wandered around the area for four months before we got her back, but that’s a story for another day!

P.S. We promptly named her Wanda, and that’s her and her younger sister Shaggy in the picture above.

Things got better as we found our groove. It wasn’t long into our journey, that someone brought up it wasn’t any more work to raise a bunch of cattle versus just a couple. (In case you’re wondering here too – that was actually my father-in-laws idea, go figure!) So the herd increased to what we could manage with available land.

Along with this came building a bigger lean-to barn, putting in fencing, adding waterers, redoing the stockyard, putting in more fencing, beginning to sell the beef directly to consumers, and just in case I forgot – putting in more fencing! It’s a good thing there was four of us!

2017 was a frenzied mix of driving back and forth from our house to the farm, late night after late night, my mother-in-law providing meals and watching the kiddos, scrapes, bruised shins, shocks from the fence, researching retail licenses, and growing closer as a family.

Today, we rotationally graze around thirty head of 100% grass-fed, organic beef cattle with my in-laws, dodge too many chickens in the barn yard, and grow produce (and flowers) in the garden beds.

So, here I am, several years in, adding the occupation “Farm Girl” to my resume! The jewelry, heels, business wear, makeup and updo’s have been traded in for a silicone wedding ring around the farm, mud boots, casual clothes, bare face, and ponytails!

I’ve never imagined having the opportunities to work with all the various equipment, walk amongst the cattle, watch live births, get sprayed with cow poo, and pray and cry over them like you would family members.

It’s not even remotely close to what I envisioned for myself, but I love what we’ve all built together. When life gets hectic, walking outside, spending time with the cattle, and working in the gardens calms my soul. God continues to bless us in unexpected ways. And if I’m honest – I’m kinda diggin’ being a farm girl, living life on the farm.