A book should be written about how we came to this place in our lives, but suffice it to say, the Lord has blessed us, continues to bless us, and we are thankful for His leading.
James and Shannon are the parents on the farm with children Margaret(17), Galen(13), Sullivan(10), Israel(6), Lillian(3), and Zion(3). Papa Bob and Grandma Louise (James' parents) are regular helpers along with some others in the homeschool community.
We did not grow up on a farm, but lived in the town of Eden, NC, Shannon on the Country Club side of the railroad tracks and James on the other. We married shortly after college graduation and lived in Durham, NC while James went to graduate school at Duke, studying computer science. James' first and only job is a professor of computer science at Appalachian State University. Shannon worked in development at the Duke Fuqua School of Business before turning toward home after Margaret was born.
After 13 years living on an acre on the side of a hill, we thought it would be good for our goals as a family to get some land and start a farm. We bought the farm in 2004, worked on the inside for about a year and then moved in the summer of 2005 with a newly adopted baby (Lillian) and Shannon 6 months pregnant with Zion. It was quite a year!
Since then we've slowly been figuring out what to do with the farm. We have a good flock of laying hens. We bake bread, granola, and a variety of sweets on a regular basis. Honeybees are a big part of the landscape with 20+ hives. Growing season brings numerous vegetables and rows and rows of sunflowers for selling as cut flowers at the market. Our most recent venture is shitake mushrooms, which will be ready for first harvest in the fall.
We enjoy folks visiting the farm as long as you don't mind getting dirty or having to pitch in and help out!
