Nurturing Life^™

So much about the land embraces me. It nurtures and has nurtured me in difficult traumatic times. I'm not a generational farmer in the sense of knowing anything about the land. So in essence, what would be traditional inspirations don't reside within. It was more of a bonding with the ancestors that didn't get to be on the land or were on the land in adverse nonhuman conditions that pulls me along and when it gets tough (which is most of the time) remembering what is must have been like to live in constant fear, frustration, violence, etc. I say to myself almost daily… "What can I not do, if they could survive that?

So many heritages, so little time (smile). Such a hard question to answer as after years of research on what chickens to try, 20 years ago the Australorp was the first poultry breed I started out with. I chose them due to their laid back temperament, high volume brown egg laying ability, and what as written to describe them in two words: dual purpose. And then I saw the Polish girls… with their bouffant hairdo, chick-ism mohawk fuzzy non-comb, reminding me of the 60's and the Easter Sunday prep in the neighborhood beauty shop. The Polish girls are everything the Aussies are not. Low volume white egg layers and from all intensive purposes would be considered a showgirl. A true Ms. Prissy. Here was a bird that reminded me of the masterminds of exotic hairstyles: waves, curls, up-doos, bang and flips. And then there are the 'Meghan Markles… 'er the Sussex. See what I mean?

Coming from an almost impossible to exhale urban environment realizing at a young age that you were not wanted in the mainstream of its vibrancy, this Ag homestead lifestyle provides opportunity to inhale and exhale, to take in the essence of life, to learn fundamentals, to imbibe the senses slowly, deliberately within relative safety. And although the learning curve from city to farm, from trauma nurse to farmer is steep, I continue to live a multi-dimensional purpose driven life, hopeful that humanity finds itself able to do the same.

The favorite part was getting to meet the Manna Pro team and learning about their mission to partner with the Conservancy. And having the chance to help with that mission. As an avid user of Manna Pro's duckling feed, for this farmer struggling like many others to stay afloat, being honored and included in the "Nurturing Life" campaign, embraces those truths. During our on farm time, I visualized the sincere commitment to products that maximize the health and well being of our flock and by Team Manna Pro crossing the country to meet with other kindred spirit farmers, it solidified that our endangered breeds future legacy must be acknowledged.

I had a "pocket farm" when I lived in the suburbs - chickens, bees, a garden and a mini orchard. When my mom passed, I had the opportunity to move to this family farm. It's always been something I've wanted to do, so I just did it. Growing things is in my blood!

The Buckeye Chicken is dear to my heart. With Buckeyes, you can have a self-sustaining flock. They're very productive. They have a nice temperament and wonderful mothering skills. I've used Buckeye hens to brood every kind of poultry but geese.

Every day on my farm I get to see the results of my labor.

I appreciate having images of my farm shared with the public and recorded for the future. If we want these breeds to continue in the future, they need (and deserve) attention.

It's in our bones, seeking a more fulfilling lifestyle. Being in this space helps us connect with nature, community and one another. Small farm. Big impact.

Sebastopol geese! We LOVE our geese! They are full of personality and bring such adventure to our little farm.

We love homesteading because it holds us committed to ourselves and one another, while giving back to the land and our community. It challenges us in ways we never thought possible and allows us to live a very full life.

We loved being able to highlight our little slice of paradise, while also being able to share about some Heritage breed geese and why we do what we do!

We share our lifestyle with as many people as we possibly can. To be able to teach people about animals is so much fun. To encourage people to consider a lifestyle of agriculture is very important to me. Animals can bring so much joy to someone's heart, share the love!

So many heritages, so little time (smile). Such a hard question to answer as after years of research on what chickens to try, 20 years ago the Australorp was the first poultry breed I started out with. I chose them due to their laid back temperament, high volume brown egg laying ability, and what as written to describe them in two words: dual purpose. And then I saw the Polish girls… with their bouffant hairdo, chick-ism mohawk fuzzy non-comb, reminding me of the 60's and the Easter Sunday prep in the neighborhood beauty shop. The Polish girls are everything the Aussies are not. Low volume white egg layers and from all intensive purposes would be considered a showgirl. A true Ms. Prissy. Here was a bird that reminded me of the masterminds of exotic hairstyles: waves, curls, up-doos, bang and flips. And then there are the 'Meghan Markles… 'er the Sussex. See what I mean?

My favorite heritage breed is fainting goats. I started out with three fainting goats and simply fell in love with them. Fainting goats are so very special, they learn their names, they are very social animals, they DO NOT jump on things and they are quiet. They get along very well with all of our other livestock. This includes horses, cattle, chickens, ducks, turkeys, cats and dogs.

I was inspired to start my farm because of my love for animals and open space. Agriculture is so very important for everyone. It does not take a lot of land to have agriculture in your life.

I worked on a couple of small farms in France that produced specialty foods for restaurants and market. I saw how revered their regional heritage breeds were and how great the food was and thought that there could be an opportunity to show people in the United States why these breeds are important and worthwhile.

Meishan Pigs. They are possibly the oldest existing pig breed in the world and they are the only Chinese breed of pig in the United States. They're not just unique, Meishan pigs are wonderful to work with and I think they are the perfect pigs for small farmers. They're sweet and docile while being easier on the land but they're still very hardy and resilient.

I don't consider myself a homesteader. While I farm on a smaller scale I am still a commercial pork and poultry producer. I farm very little for sustenance, it's mostly for market and restaurants. I rely on fellow farmers for most of what I eat. Because I sell directly I get to talk with my customers face to face. It's been an honor to hear from farmers market customers who bought something from us just for a special occasion. That I get to contribute, even in a tiny way, to people's best memories makes me really happy.

The crew was great. They were so enthusiastic about the animals and the people they had visited. I love being able to share the work that I do with people and I'm really happy to see folks who show interest in heritage breeds.

We were accidental farmers, responding to both a practical and spiritual need to deepen our relationship with the land and our family.

We love all our heritage breeds, from our Gulf Coast Natives to our American Chinchilla rabbits, to our Dorking chickens. We love them for so many reasons, especially their resilience and versatile natures.

Creativity and Community.

We were grateful to be able to share a bit of our story with others and represent our beloved heritage breeds. Thank you!