our roots

My husband, Matthew, and I started gardening at a community garden in Manhattan, KS as newlyweds. For us, establishing habits for our new family meant understanding how to put healthy food on our table in a way that was also healthy for the environment and our community.  Our love of gardening soon out grew our small community plot and we started dreaming of something bigger.

We bought an old farmhouse in Wamego and the accompanying land to start our dream - a functional family farm.  We want a fulfilling and knowleddeable lifestyle for our children. We want them to grow up surrounded by the outdoors, taking responsibility for what they can, learning where their food comes from, and respecting the source of the meat we eat. We also want to share these values with our community.

We used our knowledge of soil science to improve the nutrient content of the garden beds; we learned to harvest honey from our hives, and reestablish hives after a tornado chased our queens away; we learned how to tend chickens, then sheep, then pigs; we planted rows and rows of garlic bulbs, flower bulbs, and raspberry bushes. With our knees and hands in the dirt, we have worked for years to build something we are proud of.

We see the dream of the farm realized when we watch our kids eat fresh produce straight from the plant or vine; seeing lambs play king of the mountain in the magical glow of twilight; gathering the first chicken egg after waiting so many weeks for the hens to mature; and looking towards the heavens at the starry night sky.  We also realize the struggle of farming when we have to take care of our livestock even in incredible sickness; lost our favorite rooster to a hawk; or worked diligently for weeks to take care of crops only to lose them to a pest infestation or heavy rain storm. Trying to complete the work load on a farm is like scooping water from a sinking boat, especially with kids who don't always agree with our dream of them working beside us. But we find joy in the struggle because it is wrapped in the dream and because it is ours.

Jen Campbell