More About Our Farm
Thank you for visiting our website! We are glad you have taken the time to get connected with us!!
My name is Carrie, I’m kinda the crazy lady who tries to run this small farm in rural Coral, MI. My husband supports the farm by working as a computer geek. My kids (of the human variety) all help out with feeding, putting up hay, cleaning, and everything else that comes with running a farm. So, in essence this is our farm. We all enjoy the fruits of our labor, and we all work together through the blood sweat and tears.
We first started this farm in Allendale when my oldest was 14 (2010). Meaghan saved her money and purchased two Nigerian Dwarf goats, a dog house, and fencing to keep the goats. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with these super fun-loving energetic kritters! Then we just started buying goats, one after another until we had really exploded. That was not the best way to get where we are today, but that does fit my personality. I tend to jump in with both feet on anything that interests me until I’m way over my head.
In 2016 God provided us with an old Amish house in Coral. We now have nearly 40 acres of land, with very few neighbors, in a quiet area where we can enjoy and expand our farm. The house and barn appear to be one of, if not the first, farm in Coral (late 1800's). We have two ponds, one of which we have utilized within the cow pasture to save on hauling water. The 20ish acres of open field behind the house has been planted with beautiful hay in the fall of 2020. We have added fencing, gates, and various other things to give the animals secure places to live. There is still a lot of work to be done on the farm both in the house, and in the barnyard. This is definitely home for me!
The main reason for starting this farm was to help the kids with food allergies. All eight of them had sever asthma/allergies that we could only get under control with managing food. Originally that was quite foreign for me. With God’s help I was able to help the kids get off all meds. However, our journey did not stop there. I could help them stay off meds, but they just weren’t super healthy. After starting the farm and getting the kids raw goat milk, and homegrown meats, they began to thrive. The health benefits of raising our own food became so obvious.
A lot has changed since we started the farm in 2010. We now have cows, chickens, sheep, bunnies, Livestock guardian dogs, cats, pigs (seasonally), llama, and of course several breeds of goats. Three of the girls (now adults) have moved out of the house, and four of the 8 have graduated from school. I use the goat milk for making soaps, lotion, cheeses, yogurt, and kefir. I use the sheep, angora goats, angora rabbits, and Llama for spinning, weaving, knitting, and crocheting. We use the chickens for eggs and sometimes meat. The cows and pigs have been a great source of meat for the family. We are also gardening and learning to take care of our fruit trees and grape vines. I’m looking forward to continuing to learn more skills, and share both the knowledge and products with you!