Diversity & Resilience
Our story
We have always had the dream of self-sufficiency but the spark of our homestead began in 2012 with 5 chickens, a deep-litter chicken run, lots of books and a garden — all of this at a rental in downtown Athens, GA.
In 2015, we made the decision to stay in Athens for keeps. We are now a family of 4 and we live in the woods in a little holler, just north of downtown Athens.
Both of us work full time off the homestead so it seems we never stop. Our backgrounds and education range from horticulture and landscape design to ecology and evolutionary biology. Over the years of raising goats, chickens, ducks, and rabbits, we have basically become vet techs! We love soft fiber and use our cashmere and angora rabbit fiber to spin, knit and weave. All of the farm structures on our property were built by us with help from friends! What meat we don’t grow on the homestead, we find in the woods and streams nearby. Between the 2 of us adults, a lot gets done on the daily.
Our goats provide constant entertainment, milk and fiber and the chickens and ducks help turn plants and poo into beautiful dark soil while making food and fertilizer. Our garden provides lots of veg, herbs and fruit for fresh eating and canning, we just wish the weeds didn’t take over every summer! The growing season is fantastic in this area and with a little attention to detail, you can grow food all year long!
Adventurous Food
We do our best to feed ourselves from our land. That ranges from chanterelle mushrooms to squirrel, from venison to wild boar from garden veg to fresh fish. Our garden excels at growing garlic, strawberries, lettuce, onions, elderberries, okra, and hot peppers! We also have many fruit trees that are beginning to produce along side blueberry bushes.
The Dogs
We LOVE our dogs - both the farm dogs and the Livestock Guardians.
Buttercup was found in a ditch down the road from the homestead. She was probably about 9 weeks old when we found her. We suspect she is your garden variety Pit Bull. She is a loving dog and is safe with her humans and animals on the property! She tells us when anything is amiss or strange around the homestead. She is our sweet tiger pup.
Equinox was our very first farm dog. He loved all animals and people and was a superior animal. He moved from Maine to Georgia and then to 3 different homes in the Athens area before we settled at the homestead. He passed in October 2022 and he will always be missed.
Peregrine was our tiny pound puppy. We rescued her in 2010 from Athens animal control. In her prime, she was an expert roach killer! Peregrine passed away at the good old age of 17 in December 2024. RIP sweet weasel.
Super Hero was our first Livestock Guardian Dog from Farei Kennels, Greenfield, Maine. She was with us for only 3 years before mysteriously passing away. She was devoted and patient, the best dog on a leash ever! She kept the homestead safe from predators day and night and we were devastated to loose her at such a young age.
Farm Personalities
