About

Welcome!  My name is Tonya, and I grew up on a 300-acre farm in rural Virginia that has been in my family for over 100 years.  After graduating from college, receiving my master’s degree in speech and language pathology, and living and working in a small city for six years, I decided to return to the place of my childhood.  Here, in this rural area, on this patch of green, where for four generations my family has farmed, gardened, and lived, I, too wanted to be a part of this continuity.  As a fourth generation farmgirl, I have many interests that not only include, but also go beyond the basics of farming, gardening, sheep and chicken-keeping.  It is all of this and more that I plan on sharing in this blog.

My great-grandparents purchased Green Hill Farm in 1912, and over the past 100 years, the farm has been operated as a dairy, small grain, fruit orchard, and hobby farm.  In 2003, my husband, Scott and I were gifted my family’s homeplace and 20 acres.  We completed restoration of the home in 2004.   Over the past ten years, we have also restored a 250-year-old cottage that is located on the property as well as a number of barns and sheds.  The cottage serves as guest quarters as well as an occasional bed and breakfast.  We live next door to my parents who also live on the farm.

After participating in a class called Shepherd’s Weekend in 2007, we acquired three rare breed Scottish Blackface sheep.  In 2008, we added seven more Blackface sheep to our little flock.  Although these sheep are rare in the United States, they are very common in northern England and Scotland.  Blackface sheep are exceptionally wooly and are sheared twice yearly.  Their wool is coarse as they don’t produce much lanolin and are mainly considered a meat sheep; however, their wool is used in making Harris Tweed clothing and rugs in the United Kingdom. We have used their wool in comforters, pillows, and roving.

In 2010, we added heirloom chickens to our farm menagerie of sheep, cats, and dogs, starting with 15 chicks from a friend.  The next year, we ordered more hens bringing our flock size to 25.  Soon we began selling our fresh, multi-colored, heirloom eggs to a restaurant and bed and breakfast in our area.

We also enjoy flower and vegetable gardening.  We have a small kitchen garden where we grow heirloom vegetables which we share with our chickens.  Taking a natural, organic approach to gardening as well as managing our livestock and pets is a priority to us.  We use non-GMO seeds in our vegetable garden and natural products in managing the welfare of our animals.

Scott and I support local farmers and restaurants who source local, organic, non-GMO food.  We also recently completed the level 1 sommelier certification through the International Wine Guild in March 2014.  The completion of this course has greatly increased our understanding and appreciation of wines.  Not only do we apreciate good food and wine, but we enjoy traveling and discovering new places as well.

I hope you enjoy the eclectic offerings of this fourth generation farmgirl!

On this blog,  I plan to share the following:

– -Reflections on farm life

— Chicken and Sheep-Keeping posts

— Gardening Tips

— Recipes

— Wine education & food pairing tips

— Travel destinations

— and much more.

 

179 Comments »

  3. Great news!!! I posted a new blog on my web page in which I was nominated for the “Harmony and Peace Award.” The best news is that I have also nominated YOU and your blog to receive this this award as well. I really do appreciate and enjoy your blog, so keep up the fantastic work. I hope you not only enjoy this award, but you will use it to encourage others!! https://goodtimestories.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/the-harmony-and-peace-award-2/

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  8. I’m a farm girl wanna be 🙂 total poser until I can do it in the reals! I can hardly wait to have my very own chickens!! I know the first blog I will visit when I get that farm & chickens! Thx for stopping by my blog today 🙂

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  12. Awe love what you had to say about growing up and returning to the family farm, that is awesome I myself have grew up on a farm all my life and I couldn’t think of anything any better to be doing:) Enjoyed reading about you and looking forward to reading more of your post:)

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  17. Pingback: More Happy Than Not | Putting my Feet in the Dirt

  20. Thanks for visiting my blog, Tonya! I was hooked on your blog when I had seen the chicken photo on your blog. I was born and raised in the city, but live in the ‘burbs now. We’ve been raising chickens for eggs for the past year and it’s been a lot of fun. I look forward to catching up on your blog.

    Rob

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  21. So many components drew me here: memories of my farmgirl childhood, the sheep (the look of which had me initially “place” you in Great Britain!), the small girl on a tractor, the non-GMOs and more. I love it here and I’ll stay! Thanks for the lovely site you have.

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  29. Pingback: The Liebster Award | Putting my Feet in the Dirt
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  33. Your blog sounds fascinating! I spent a lot of my time in Virgina when I was a teen (many, many years ago)! A close friend moved to the Fredrickburg area and I would go to visit for a few weeks each summer. I was always overwhelmed by how friendly everyone was! I’m from NJ. People are a wee bit more testy up here! Looking forward to learning more about your farm and family.

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    • Hi Nancy! Thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog. I’m so happy you have positive memories of your time in Virginia. The friendliness of its people is one thing I admire about the South. I love the title of your blog. My front porch is my “happy place,” too! I read your “about” page yesterday evening. And, you’re not going to believe this, but I was just photographing two antique rocking chairs on my front porch yesterday morning for a future post I planned to call, “My Happy Place.” ( I’ll title it something different now 😊). So, anyway, I thought that was an interesting coincidence! If you don’t mind, I may mention it as well as your blog in that upcoming post. Many thanks for your interest! 😊

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  36. I enjoyed your About page, Tonya. It sounds like you have a wonderful life on your family farm. My wife is also a Speech and Language Pathologist. I look forward to hearing more of your stories.

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  38. Hello, Tonya! Just clicking around the blogosphere and commenting on blogs that I think are fun and interesting, and you’re one of them. October is my birthday month, so consider this an invitation to my month-long birthday party. Hope to see you over at That’s So Jacob sometime! Ciao for now!

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    • Hi Dan! Sorry for the delay in responding. I’ve been traveling. Thank you so much for the compliment. It’s very kind of you to consider my blog for this wonderful award! I’m happy to accept and looking forward to it…no face. 😉

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  40. I grew up in central Virginia and love seeing the pictures of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the backgrounds of your pictures. You have a lovely farm and a wonderful blog! 🙂

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  42. Hello Tonya!
    I was rather eager to see your blog as soon as I read it as Fourth Generation Farm Girl.
    There is a reason for that, as I am a Third Generation Entrepreneur. My Grand Father established in 1908.
    I was very glad to see this about of yours, being the fourth generation kid you stick to your family’s tradition and livelihood. I congratulate you on that. Its rare to see. I wish you all the best to happen and you and your hubby continue to do that and be an example to others in this modern world.
    You have adopted new things and have added to your assets- it means you have added Glory to your Family.
    I shall browse your blog for other things.
    In a way, I envy you for one thing, because I always wanted to live life like yours – I mean in the Farms. It is just beautiful over there, I know and can understand. It is like being in a second heaven; living all by yourself, without disturbing others. Living with the Animals is just so good, you understand more than me.
    Meanwhile I thank you for visiting me. I also personally recommend you to read my Posts wherein I have mentioned about my family and about me– ‘About’, ‘Hello! This is Me’ , ‘I know you are the soul. But…’
    See you soon Again. I Follow you, for I have to come back again.
    Love to YOU and HUBBY and to Your MOTHER and FATHER.
    Shiva

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    • Hello Shiva!
      I apologize for my late reply. It is lovely to meet you! Thank you so much for your kind comments and well wishes. Moving to my family’s farm and saving my ancestral home was a labor of love. I feel very connected to this place. My soul is at peace among the meadows, mountains, and animals, and I feel very grateful. It sounds like you have continuity in your family’s business as well. I think following in one’s family’s footsteps can be very meaningful and fulfilling. I look forward to visiting and following your blog as well as reading more about you and your family.

      Love to YOU and your FAMILY. 🙂

      Tonya

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  45. Hi Tonya, it’s nice to meet you! I found your blog on A Momma’s View. Your blog is so interesting to me, it sounds lovely to live on a farm! I love gardening and attempting to grow fruits and vegetables 🙂 Take care, Jenny

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  47. Tonya, what an amazing life you have! My mother grew up on a farm in Leitrim, Ireland and I have fond memories of visiting her childhood home. Your farm looks so beautiful and I love your cover photo being that I am partial to sheep as well (I have several little ones around my home, mostly from Ireland). I look forward to exploring your blog and learning more about your interesting corner of the world. Most be lovely to return to your childhood home and provide nurturing and love, perhaps for the fifth generation 🙂

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    • Kathy, many thanks for visiting my blog. Welcome! Your comments are so kind! It has been a labor of love saving my ancestral home and farm–very fulfilling. How wonderful to visit your mother’s childhood home in Ireland. I’m sure the farm is just lovely. Your sheep sound wonderful! We enjoy ours so much! I’m looking forward to visiting your blog as well! 🙂

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  50. What a fabulous “about” page you have here! Very interesting as well as impressive. I love your commitment-not only to your farm, to your home, to your community to your healthy lifestyle, but to your efforts in accomplishing this!

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