Dear Farm Friends, I was a carpenter by trade for approximately 30 years but I always wanted to own my own piece of land. When Susan and I first married we purchased 10 acres in Mableton, Georgia with hopes of having our own homestead. We soon learned that in order to get a construction loan to build a home, the land would need to be free and clear
of liens. Since we were not in a position to pay off our property, our plans had to go on hold. In the mean time we moved on with our lives, purchased our first home, and started our family.
Twenty years and five children later, we sold our acreage for enough money to purchase a five acre farm in Powder Springs, Georgia. Our boys, David and Jacob, had already established a lawn cutting business that was doing quite well. The girls, Leah, Rebekah and Anna, had been making bread to sell and Susan and I owned our own remodeling business. In an effort to include all three of these businesses under one heading we established My Dad & Me as our new trademark
name. My wife Susan has always struggled with asthma, so when we heard that raw milk could help alleviate this condition, we decided to purchase a milk cow. After asking around, we ended
up at Berry College. With the help of Ben Wilson, the dairy manager, we purchased Maggie for $1200. If I could by them for that today, I would by 100 of them! Maggie was a registered thoroughbred Jersey and we all fell in love with her! Maggie was not lactating when we got her but she was pregnant and due to calve soon. A few weeks after getting her home, she gave us a beautiful heifer calf that we named Jill. We started milking Maggie twice a day while allowing her calf Jill to drink all the
milk that she desired. From left to right, our first cow Maggie along with her proud owners, Daniel and David. It didn't take long for us to become inundated with milk. Maggie was giving us about five gallons a day and even with our
making butter and cheese, we had plenty left over. Folks at church started asking about buying some of our milk and we agreed wholeheartedly! We started taking orders for weekly bottles of milk and in the course of a couple of months, we had sold out. We needed another cow! Daniel miking by hand into a pail. We returned to Berry College and purchased Abbey and soon had orders for all of her milk. With farm chores increasing, the remodeling business was starting to interfere with our new
homesteading business. So Susan and I decided to shut down the remodeling and proceed full time with farming. We added several hundred laying hens, started raising broiler chickens for
roasting and increased the size of our gardens. We planted blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, pecan trees and lots more cows. The farm was well on its way. In fact, our little five acres was all but full up! A few of our laying hens foraging on the green pastures. Susan and Daniel cutting some lettuce. Daniel bringing the cows up for milking. Susan and I along with our oldest son David and his new bride, Tina, started looking for a
larger tract of land to expand My Dad & Me Family Farm. In 2014, we located a piece in Piedmont, Alabama, 62 of the most beautiful acres with two farm ponds, plenty of pasture, a large barn and a nice brick ranch home. David and Tina's new home at 463 Pike Rd. Piedmont, Alabama. David, Tina and Willie picking blueberries. Tina milking Beulah in Alabama. One of our second generation Jersey milkers. For approximately seven years, David and Tina, along
with Willie and Ellie and their newborn twins, Heidi and Laura, have run My Dad & Me Farm in Alabama. One year ago, David lost his sweet wife Tina to breast cancer and that left David with trying to care for four children and run a full blown farm. Susan and I made the decision to put the Georgia farm up for sale and move all operations to Alabama where we could assist David with the kids and the farm. Our most valuable set of twins on the farm. Susan holding Heidi and Laura. The Lord opened many doors and blessed us with the farm right next to
our son David so now My Dad & Me Family Farm owns 130 acres with five farm ponds, lots of pasture, lots of timber and the most beautiful sunsets we have ever experienced. Today,
Susan, our youngest daughter Anna, along with myself, David, and the four kiddos are striving to produce the most wonderful healthy food possible. Presently we are expanding our farm store and extending our presence through our Birmingham and Marietta Co-ops. We have plenty of milk and eggs and we would love for you to come and join us! An abundance of fresh creamy Jersey milk. Susan takes the excess fresh milk and makes sour cream, yogurt and various cheeses. Grandson, Joshua, with his grandad, Daniel, planting the garden. Willie loving on one of his new piglets. Can you hear the squeal! Hannah Kate enjoying one of the farm's many kitties. It is a good thing God made cats so flexible and tolerant! Ellie loves her kitties and her blankie and her rag doll and of course her thumb! Tina somehow talked Rudy into holding the leashes of these seven calves. Of all the farm babies, these are our favorites! Susan collecting the last few scraggly tomatoes before the winter freeze gets them. Holly and Ivy when they were just babies! Susan and Joshua picking blackberries. Fresh pasture raised, organically fed chicken. Susan and grandson Gabe picking collards. David and the kids enjoying their new home. We would love for you to come join us at My Dad & Me Family Farm! * Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and leave us your comments!
https://www.instagram.com/mydadandmefamilyfarm/ See you soon at the farm! Daniel, Susan and Anna, David, Willie, Ellie, Heidi and Laura |
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