Free-range.
/ˈˌfrē ˈˌrānj/
adjective
(of livestock, especially poultry) kept in natural conditions, with freedom of movement.
adjective
(of livestock, especially poultry) kept in natural conditions, with freedom of movement.
We believe that our animals should be raised under the most natural conditions possible while, as their caretakers, providing as best we can for their overall health and safety. We also believe that poultry and livestock bred and raised in this manner are particularly well-suited for the needs of small family farms and homesteads.
At the heart of our farm is our home. Raising animals, growing vegetables, learning time-honored skills, respecting nature, and cultivating a peaceful, prayerful environment for our children -- we believe these are fundamental tasks. In many ways we are cultivating the free-range life for ourselves as much as for our chickens.
Ultimately, we hope that sharing our livestock and poultry - as well as the knowledge and skills we have acquired - with our local community will benefit other families seeking to restore a culture of what is good and true and beautiful.
Who we are.
In December 2013, we made the bold leap to Oklahoma, leaving the remnants of Hurricane Katrina's upheaval behind us, both literally and metaphorically. Over a decade has passed since, and our time in the Sooner State has been a wild ride of animal adventures, woodland exploration, constant learning, and meeting fascinating new faces.
After almost ten years of tending to a motley crew of creatures—starting with the humble chicken and escalating to majestic heights—we found ourselves at the brink of 2024, ready for a seismic shift. Chickens, ducks, geese, peafowl, guinea fowl, quail, turkeys, emus, goats, donkeys, horses, Scottish Highland cattle, pigs—check. Yet, in all this time, we overlooked a crucial addition to our menagerie: sheep, a dream deferred from our early days of fantasizing about country living. A casual conversation during a lengthy drive ignited a spark, setting our minds ablaze with the idea of diving into the world of sheep.
It was time for a change. When we introduced horses to our farm a couple of years ago, we naively believed they wouldn't consume our every waking thought. Lesson learned. As we sought efficiency in managing our time and resources, the decision emerged to streamline our animal portfolio—enter the grand plan: an unwavering focus on sheep, all day, every day. (Aristotle would probably nod approvingly at our single-minded commitment.) In this way, we are able to pool all of our physical resources AND our individual talents and bring it all to our sheep -- managing and nurturing them with the utmost care.
The management of sheep also produces an income so that our free-loader horses can continue to live here rent-free.
We are a homeschooling family and have the luxury of planning our days around the rhythm of the farm. A very large part of our motivation to leave the suburbs and find a place where we could live surrounded by natural things is our homeschool. We believe that humans are best-suited to a thorough study of the Humanities - and so it is that we set out to live a more fully human life as a family. You can find us working tirelessly on some outdoor project during the milder weather months (when those actually come) or inside pouring over books when the heat or cold chases us inside. We may or may not be joined by a few animals in the living room from time to time.
We very much enjoy the life we have made here and very often we feel that when a new family brings home one of the creatures we have raised here, we are really and truly sharing a little piece of our joy with them. And somehow it seems that these are the little things that are sure to make the world a better place.
If you are interested in learning more of the story about our decision to leave suburbia, you can find it here on our blog.
After almost ten years of tending to a motley crew of creatures—starting with the humble chicken and escalating to majestic heights—we found ourselves at the brink of 2024, ready for a seismic shift. Chickens, ducks, geese, peafowl, guinea fowl, quail, turkeys, emus, goats, donkeys, horses, Scottish Highland cattle, pigs—check. Yet, in all this time, we overlooked a crucial addition to our menagerie: sheep, a dream deferred from our early days of fantasizing about country living. A casual conversation during a lengthy drive ignited a spark, setting our minds ablaze with the idea of diving into the world of sheep.
It was time for a change. When we introduced horses to our farm a couple of years ago, we naively believed they wouldn't consume our every waking thought. Lesson learned. As we sought efficiency in managing our time and resources, the decision emerged to streamline our animal portfolio—enter the grand plan: an unwavering focus on sheep, all day, every day. (Aristotle would probably nod approvingly at our single-minded commitment.) In this way, we are able to pool all of our physical resources AND our individual talents and bring it all to our sheep -- managing and nurturing them with the utmost care.
The management of sheep also produces an income so that our free-loader horses can continue to live here rent-free.
We are a homeschooling family and have the luxury of planning our days around the rhythm of the farm. A very large part of our motivation to leave the suburbs and find a place where we could live surrounded by natural things is our homeschool. We believe that humans are best-suited to a thorough study of the Humanities - and so it is that we set out to live a more fully human life as a family. You can find us working tirelessly on some outdoor project during the milder weather months (when those actually come) or inside pouring over books when the heat or cold chases us inside. We may or may not be joined by a few animals in the living room from time to time.
We very much enjoy the life we have made here and very often we feel that when a new family brings home one of the creatures we have raised here, we are really and truly sharing a little piece of our joy with them. And somehow it seems that these are the little things that are sure to make the world a better place.
If you are interested in learning more of the story about our decision to leave suburbia, you can find it here on our blog.
Raised by loving handsEvery animal born on our farm is given individual, hands-on attention right from the start.
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