Our Story - Tinsley Family Farmstead
In 2019, my family decided to make a change in our lifestyle – we decided to start looking for our dream country home. To be completely honest, we didn’t know what we wanted exactly. All we knew at this time that our perfect dream home was a few acres with a creek and small patch of woods.
Based on our convictions, after learning about all the different chemicals, GMOs and inhumane treatments in the meat industry - we felt there wasn’t a better time than Now. This was our way of pursuing all natural food without chemicals, wax and inhumane treatment of the animals because we know how the animals were treated before slaughter. Starting a homestead has taught us that we can have good food that is treated humanely, and our animals get to forage and do what they were made to do until that one “bad day” comes and takes them away.
After looking within a 50-mile radius, we decided on a nearing 7 acre lot with woods, a creek and a home nestled in some cedars and pines. With an existing pole barn and a detached two car garage in the back, we had options for our venture of homesteading and small-scale farming.
We were ambitious, and we wanted to start homesteading right away – so we ordered chickens. Then soon after the chickens arrive, we needed goats. After some research, the Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats produced a rich milk that was creamy.
Our first goats were Pippy, and Little Bit for our gals, and Alaska, Titan and Joshua. In the first few weeks, Joshua died – this is where we received a very good lesson in understanding about how important Famancha Scores and parasite maintenance was very important. Poor Joshua was sick when I bought him and because I was new in goat husbandry I didn’t see the signs of coccidia and goat lice with a moderate load of stomach worms…
Later, we purchased two nannies from our friend, Jenifer that I just thought was super sweet when I picked up Pippy and Little Bit. The next spring, Sassafras and Princess Megan joined our farm. As we were waiting for Pippy and Little Bit to mature, our first goat we handbreed was Sassafras and Alaska. This encounter went well, and we delivered two beautiful kids whom we named Lily and Cuddles. Cuddles is a buck while Lily is a doeling.
In 2021, we expanded into Babydoll Sheep – found a wonderful breeder south of us that sold us a breeding pair with a penmate. Babydoll Southdown Sheep are a threatened breed who is naturally polled. These sheep have started to gain popularity due to their small size, higher quality meat and wool, their status according to the livestock conservancy is recovering. These sheep are super docile and easy to take care of.
We also decided the time was right to start keeping American Guinea Hogs. Another great pick for a homesteading hog, but more important they are gentle giants, and easy to keep. I found a rescue and bought a boar with his sister, the plan to date is to find another boar that we can breed both Angie and Ellie in the nearing future. Time will tell if we are successful in lambing later in 2022 as well as producing hogs for consumption.
This year we started two bee hives, tilled an acre of land for wild flowers. Installed a 15’ high tunnel and a 10’ low tunnel, plus two greenhouses. We also started an orchard with planting nearing 60 fruit trees between 2020 and 2021.
Our middle daughter raises pedigreed Holland Lops, we have 8 rabbits and we plan to start breeding our hollands. If anyone is intresteds, please reach out especially if you need one for 4H.
In 2022, we will continue to expand our hog pastures with the addition of a boar as well as planning for 22 Turkeys, 10 guinea fowl and 9 ducks. Later in 2022, we are planning on cleaning up downed trees and preparing to run a fence line through part of our woods, along with part of the creek for additional pasture space. As we are continuing to learn, our goal is to continue to learn about how we can better sustain our farm into the future, and we welcome you on our journey with the Tinsley Family. Thank you.
