I work as a Realtor for Real Living HER. We have two small children Campbell and Parker who are our little helpers around our family farm. I grew up with farming background and feel very strongly about raising our children the same way. It is important that our children are raised with the same values and are very aware of where their food comes from and how much hard work it takes to feed our family and the world’s population. It is a crazy way of life but we cannot imagine it any other way.
What we do:
Matt is a writer/editor/photographer for a major agricultural publication and has been for the last 12 years in which he covers every aspect of the state's top industry. In addition, he writes a freelance column distributed free for newspapers to use around the state to promote awareness of agricultural issues. It gets up to half a million circulation in small community newspapers. He has also written and illustrated two children's books, in a cooperative venture with a State University and USDA funding, to promote youth safety in work and play on the farm. To promote these, and my three other books, he visits schools to give presentations on the importance of writing and agriculture. I am a realtor and regularly work with farmers selling or buying land as well as individuals looking to buy and sells homes, land and investments. We both grew up on farms. Matt had a dairy operation when he was young but have since switched to a 30-acre choose and cut Christmas tree operation and Shiitake mushroom production. Matt and I are active in every aspect of the family's Christmas tree operation including planting in the spring, mowing, shearing and farm maintenance in the summer, and harvesting and working with customers during the sales season. We help make wreathes and arrangements and sell baked goods from the farm gift shop.
In addition, we raise and show a flock of Registered Horned Dorset sheep. Most of the sheep are sold to breeders around the U.S. or harvested and sold for meat locally to private customers and to a local market. We also raise meat chickens for local sales, layers for eggs and meat rabbits for show and for market. I have a love to baking and preparing fresh and local foods for our family and friends to enjoy and also learn a bit about where their food comes from through my business Local Flavor Foods.
