Hello, Nice to Meet You
Hi, I’m Deanne.
Many of you have met me through my work in the community, Saturday meat pick up mornings, or the occasional event on my farm. Some thing has drawn you to our farm whether it is our unconventional, sustainable farming practices or our excellent meats. I write a lot about our farm, the doings and goings, the animals, the people. But you don’t often see me front and center, because I am not a front and center kind of person. But for once, I’m going to tell you a little about me, which in the end, is a story about the farm.
I am a third generation farmer. My grandfather purchased my farm in the 50s and it has been passed down through my family since then, first to my dad and then to me. I grew up here. Most of my life has been spent on these 75 acres, watching it shift and change and grow over the years, and paying close attention to it. I made mud pies in the creek. Traipsed through the fields with my dog at my heels. Climbed trees. And let my mind dream. Not much has changed.
I’ve always wanted to live on the farm and loved working with animals, but growing up, our farm was in a conventional crop rotation system, so it was hard to see the possibilities for how I could incorporate my passions into farming. So, I went to college to become a librarian because I am an avid reader of books. I spent several years working professionally in medical and public libraries, but the gravitational pull was always to the outdoors and the farm.
In 2016, my dad spoke with NRCS (the Natural Resources Conservation Service) about programs that would help us to put more of our acreage into pastureland and I got hooked. Fast forward 9 years, and here we are, 75 acres of pasture, fences, waterlines, riparian buffers and silvopasture. Each of those steps were a part of the puzzle that makes our farm what it is today.
When I drove home from my part time job as a librarian in 2017, I remember seeing the first line of fences going in and thinking “I did this” with a little bit of terror and thrill in my heart. I still walk out and think that sometimes when I look at our trees growing bigger, but after 9 years, I’m a bit more impressed that my younger self took the plunge to try something new. That a dream that felt unreachable could be something beautiful.
People often ask me, how did you get into farming? Well, it took a tablespoon of family history, a cup of love for animals, three tablespoons of loving to be outdoors, 16 ounces of stubbornness, and 5 fl. ou. of love for nature and the environment. I think you’ll find that most of those things drive what we do on the farm.
For those of you who have been with us since the beginning, thanks for being great neighbors and support. We’ll see where the next 9 years takes us.
Dogs: Of Loss and Love
As many of you know, we are a dog family. Willow has been with my parents since 2018. My wife and I adopted our dog, Marty in 2023. And we adopted our baby, Pooka, last November.
A farm feels like a dog is a part of its make up; like a necessity along with a tractor, some chickens, and a fence or two. They easily incorporate themselves in our daily work and evening snuggles. So, when we lose one, it shakes up the rhythm of life and is disorienting.
In the beginning of May, we lost Pooka to a rare allergic reaction. Despite rushing her to the emergency vet and the valiant attempts of the staff, there was nothing they could do. As many of you have experienced yourselves, Kait and I were devastated. It took a few weeks to feel anything like normal and there still is a hole where her cheerful little goofiness lived in our hearts.
But as I said before, we are a dog family, specifically a two dog family, and while we will always miss Pooka, we knew it was only a matter of time till we would be ready for our second dog. We feel lucky that while our dogs’ lives feel so short, we get the benefit of loving them and being loved by them.
So this is an introduction to the dog crew on our farm. The happy faces you see in pictures and the new love Kait and I adopted this past weekend.
Willow
Official Title: Queen Bee, Owner and Operator of the Farm
Job: Welcoming Committee
Many of you are familiar with Willow! She loves to greet customers as they come to pick up their meat. Willow was a stray foxhound/Australian cattle dog/pitty mix from Georgia until she came to our farm. She has traveled to the western United States and to Canada with my parents. Her favorite thing is treeing squirrels and daily walks with my dad around the farm. Willow is the official owner and operator of the farm, she just delegates the task to me because she’s too busy.
Marty Mcfly
Official Title: Morale Booster
Job: Champion Snugglebug
If you see me driving around the farm in my Kubota with a dog practically on my lap, that is Marty! He is my dog and best buddy. Marty is cautious around new people, so he doesn’t meet and greet. His job is taking care of me, which he knocks out of the park. Marty is a champion snuggler and reminds me that naps are sometimes a necessity. He is always there to lick my tears on a bad day and make me smile. Marty is a stray from Tennessee. He is an American bully/Australian Shepherd/Bulldog/Pitty Mix and full time cutie pie. His favorite thing is morning coffee time when we all sit on the couch and he gets belly rubs.
Adora
Official Title: Princess of Power
Job: Therapy dog in training
Meet Adora! Our newest member of our dog family. Adora is a sweet girl who loves people, snuggles, and swimming. She has the calmest personality (when she doesn’t have the zoomies) and is learning to be Kait’s companion in her work as a therapist. We still have a lot of time to get to know her, but she already fits well into our family of humans and dogs alike. We think Adora is a lab/pit mix, but time will tell! She is from Mississippi and was found under a house. Her and her five puppies made the trip to Pennsylvania and were in foster homes with wonderful families. Many of her little family have already found their forever homes.
Interested in adopting a dog? We highly recommend To Love a Canine Rescue, Inc. You can see their adoptable pups online with a description of their personalities. They do a great job of matching you with a pup that fits your home and family. The adoption process is smooth, thorough and they provide great support for their adopting families and foster families. Since the dogs are in foster homes, you can talk to the foster families to learn more about your future family member. Check them out at the link below!