We moved to create our mini farm! I can hardly believe it. Having land, gardens, and chickens has been a dream for my husband and me for over a decade. But the time was never right. We were having our children and learning about their (and eventually mine) neurodivergence. We moved across the country. Just all the things!
But in April of 2024, I looked around at my life and felt unsettled. The kids were in a really good place. They needed me much less for daily life. Our homeschooling routine was established and smooth. I was ready for a new season for myself.
Choosing the Right Place
The time was right, so I called our realtor to discuss options for buying land. We quickly decided that we were not interested in building. We had a rough idea of wanting five to ten acres.
Because we homeschool, we were not concerned with the area. We just needed the new place to be an easy commute for my husband. So, we worked within a radius of his job.
Indiana is in the heart of farm country with countless small farming communities. It took some time, but we eventually found a six-and-a-half-acre property we loved. The house was smaller, which is what I wanted. If we were going to start a farm, then I needed a house that required less upkeep.
By the end of August, we moved in and got settled into the new place!
Naming the Mini Farm Storybook Acres
The previous owners of our new farmhouse and property were not farmers. There hasn’t been any active farming on the property in decades. The would-be pastures are so overgrown that we couldn’t walk through them.
But we have dreams! We wanted to name our farm because we eventually plan to sell various farm goods. I wanted to combine my love of reading with this new chapter. I reached out to my Booktok friends and asked for suggestions.
We settled on Storybook Acres, and I love it so much. It’s perfect. We plan to infuse literary words into all the products we sell.
Even though our dreams for this place are vast, the reality of making those dreams come true is much slower. I’ve had lots of opportunities to practice being patient, as I would tell my kids. There’s been lots of bumps along the road…and mice. We had to clear out a plethora of mice nests in the barn.
Looking to Our Farming Future
We have only lived on our farm for about four months. Much of that time has been dedicated to decorating and renovating the house that was built in 1962. In fact, one of my goals for 2025 is to make this new place feel like home.
In the fall, we planted our fruit orchard. We have McIntosh and Honeycrisp apple trees, Elberta peach trees, and Chicago Hardy fig trees, as well as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I have plans to have a 1000-square-foot garden eventually. But that might need to come in stages.
Chickens will be our first livestock. We hope to get both egg-laying and meat chickens. The kids want goats, but we will wait and see what we think of the chickens first.
I’m so excited for the future of our mini farm. I plan to share all the things here in this little corner of Intentionally Well and on our new YouTube channel. I hope you follow along as we learn and grow in this new season of life!