Fair Hill Farmstead Life

Millennial couple Bobby and Kerry Sykes and son Malachi dive headfirst into rotational grazing – starting regenerative farming with zero prior experience. Bobby was told he couldn’t produce a tender tasty steak on grass alone, took it as a challenge, and successfully proved the naysayers wrong. Hear about what it takes, working with a rookie butcher, learning how to de-compact soil, angering cows with tall grass, eating carnivore, grassfed cattle genetics, the big-picture benefit of having a farm, thoughts on the greater homesteading movement and micro-farms, and heart-moving stories from his customers. Bobby and Kerry have hit their groove and built a strong local following for their all-natural top quality beef in Central Ohio. This couple is just getting started and will be around for a long time to come. Visit them at www.pleasantvalleyfamilyfarms.com to read about clean, all grass fed beef.

Meet the FarmHer in the iconic orange visor… she’s Grace, the Shepherdess at Harmony Farms. Raising Dorper Sheep near the Dallas Fort Worth area in Texas, she’s driven, humble, candid, and successful. Grace spills the sheep beans on rotational grazing, talks about the importance of great neighbors, helpful mentors, farming in the USA today, challenges in our food chain today, her thought process behind getting into sheep farming and more. Chock FULL of great marketing tips and specific motivational info, we get a taste of what she’s up to next – growth, progress, and helping others succeed at starting farming at www.shepherdess.com

Paul Bradshaw and Greenfire Farms brought the first autosexing breed chickens to America, (outlandishly popular Bielefelder and Cream Legbar), plus 70 other breeds- *doubling* the number of chicken breeds available in the USA through the years. He talks about his mission, the haters, the grueling process, and his passion for stewardship and his appreciation for his top tier staff and scientific minds working with him on his farm. His meteoric rise to prominence stimulated hatcheries across the nation to step up their game in return. His injection of new utility and top quality genetics through 20 years of chicken detective work across the globe and relentless pursuit of legal importation makes the best quality of the world's most fascinating chicken breeds available to discerning customers at www.greenfirefarms.com

Sandy decided to make a dream come true when she retired. She and her husband bought a farmette and she planted her garden, heck it was her first tomato plant! And she was just getting started. 3 years in, Sandy shares the feeling of discovery and the awakening process- the first wondrous taste of a homegrown potato, learning about canning, and the personal empowerment and happiness from keeping chickens. Today she has egg customers and keeps goats too. Sandy shares specific tips on how she accumulated a mountain of knowledge one step at a time with zero prior experience. She’s the grandma who bought a farm and now is on a huge never-ending autodidactic adventure at Sweet Tea Yankee Farm in Illinois. All this in just the first 3 years. And she's just getting started! Sandy’s living her best life and loving every second, and shares words of encouragement to young people especially who dreamed of this lifestyle and thinks it’s out of reach. Spoiler alert: it isn't.

Meet cattleman Patrick Bookman, breeder of Wagyu cattle in central Ohio with his family in their business Bookman Brothers Cattle Company in Stoutsville Ohio. In his third year of startup phase, Bookman produces top quality breeding stock. Patrick talks about the high tech world of AI, frozen embryos, and the lucrative value in this burgeoning segment of USA beef and the beef market overall. With peer support, he's learned from the amazing network of Wagyu breeders spanning the globe. Patrick emphasizes the importance of top quality genetics from Japan and dispels myths around Wagyu and Kobe beef. He talks about his dreams of new fencing, having a 4wd tractor during mud season in Ohio, and expansion. Patrick speaks plainly of his wife's admirable adaptability to farm life, the support of his family, and how he can't resist when his young daughter wants 40 baby chicks instead of the dozen planned.

Amika Ryan of Copia Cove shares her story of her journey from the hospitality industry in Switzerland and Dubai to shepherding in Montana and finding profitability with Icelandic Sheep. She started from scratch with 270 sheep and a plan. Today she is best known for her felted fleece rugs, authentic Nordic skin crafts and more. Amika talks candidly about fun with LARPing, processing her own sheep, explains "rooing", offers advice for how to start shepherding, how she balances shepherding and motherhood, and emphasizes the importance of having a cool truck, awesome mentors, great reference books, a great shearer and the best hay guy around.

Farm Life Humorist -Author Heather Benson of Dalarna Farm talks about starting her farmstead, moving it to another state, and how to view fails as educational experiences. She shares her thoughts on the mysteries of tractors, why agriculture needs a "for Dummies" series of manuals, the phenomena of "Lambnesia", the mental benefit of farm life, and why actually Doing a Thing is really a HUGE deal for humans in today's continually virtualized world.

Noelle Bartholdi and James Dickey talk about their adventures, experience and progress thus far, in making an intention life shift to farmstead in Tennessee. Full of tips on how to choose land, what to expect, and how to wade into farmsteading/homesteading before diving into the deep end when you're reading to make a massive shift to a more sustainable, resilient lifestyle.

WINTER STRESS- Learn from my winter blunders, be prepared to help your animals thru winter. Sheep, goats, turkeys, chickens etc. Includes specific tips on high-stress times and how that works before during and after major weather events.

CHICKENS- Winterizing tips, nutrition, reducing stress, coop designs for health, electronet hacks, water supply and so much more.

RAMS: handling BAD BOYS this time of year, get the job done, and avoiding injury to humans. Learn about my flock setup, dealing with jerkiness, ramminess, and year-round arrangements and more.

Soul-searching honest talking about harvesting meat animals, and the psychology of raising an animal for meat, with love, and the impact it can have on your relationship with food, its impact on my children, and bigger picture / life implications.

Tips and tricks on handling sheep, and how not to... especially understanding their behavior and starting cheap. Lambs, ewes, rams.

Introducing ourselves, our mission, and more.