When visitors first come to our farm, they often ask how we were so fortunate to find this place. The truth is, my husband Joe and I are the third generation in our family to be caretakers of this land. My dad moved here in the early 1950s with his parents and sister. He grew up showing and milking cattle, fishing in the river, and learning to work hard on this farm. When my parents got married, they moved into the house next door. I grew up with my grandparents on one side and my Uncle John on the other. I remember our family cutting hay, learning to stack and split wood, and taking care of many animals. It was a lot of work, but I loved my animals more than anything. I spent a lot of time gardening with my grandmother and learning to grow many types of flowers. We never purchased plants and started everything from seed. Often, the seeds were collected from the flowers the year before and labeled and saved. Weeding was of utmost importance, as were perfectly straight rows of flowers. I even remember a trip to town to meet Ed Hume and get our photo taken. I know that picture is around here somewhere! I had no idea that someday I would rely quite a bit on all the knowledge I gained from her to start my own rose business. I have realized a lot lately that there are so many things I know how to do without even thinking.

After my grandparents passed away, my husband and I purchased the farm and have been here for over 20 years. Over the decades, this land has raised cattle, horses, chickens, rabbits, vegetable gardens, flowers, and hundreds of roses, as well as four generations of humans. Our two girls are the next generation. They too have learned to show rabbits and horses and learned to work hard. I think it is safe to say that we have all learned from this farm that if you work hard, you get back what you put in. For that life lesson, we are all very lucky to have found this place.