My husband Daniel and I live in Tuscumbia , Ala. , and our farm is located on Hawk Pride Mountain in the foothill of the Appalachians . We currently call our farm a hobby farm , which any James Leonard Farmer will secern you could quick become expensive : beast , provender and equipment are costly . We go for it will one day turn into aprofitableand productive working farm . Either mode , it has been amazing to watch it grow over the last few years and knowing that the hard work of me and my category is a part of that growth is particularly unbelievable .
Daniel and I have been splice for 10 years and have been through many ups and down feather , but infertility was our biggest vault . We tried to have children for years , but it never happen . We further children for three years , but the nipper we foster never resulted in adoptions . Although I would not give up the experience for the human race , foster children was incredibly difficult for us . Bringing home children from the hospital and watching them pull up stakes sometimes up to two years later on was almost unbearable .
We always knew we need a lot of farm animals , but we put it off for year , think children were the samara to our felicity . I did n’t know how I would sweep over not ever having tike . It was truly heartbreaking . Starla Hester
But one day , things come out to change . Daniel found a beautiful horse for sale , and we clean up theold barnand fenced in several acres of soil . The horse was picturesque in our new ley , and it was very humiliate to have something to manage for .
Another day , out of the blue , Daniel showed up with a kid goat that he bought on a whim . Eventually , he thought that the goat needed a nanny , and suddenly , we had a whole ruck ! We are up to seven with more on the way . But that ’s not all : We also make in the cutestbottle babyheifer whose female parent died . I call her “ Little Orphan Annie . ” Annie grew up to be a beautiful cow and is about to have a calf of her own .
Our cow herd is now up to seven , and we are await two of our heifer to calve this yr . Our pig is a registeredDexter , which is great for first - time heifer and also us first - time cattle owner . Dexter calves are generally small , and the heifer can manage the birth well on her own .
Starla Hester
As a cleaning lady , I find myself very excited about the parentage of the animals . I reach happiness in follow aliveness being bring in to our little farm and know I had a hand in the development of these animals . I never intend that I could be felicitous without children , but I am . I have many young cousins that love to see our animals , and an demode - surrogate youngster still visits me and is instruct all about farming from our little sideline farm .
As unmanageable as land can be , it has brought me a sense of peace and felicity fuck that life goes on . I ca n’t imagine a better life than this .
This clause in the beginning ran in the November / December 2016 issue ofHobby Farms .
