About Our Farm
Where It All Began
Growing up as the sixth-generation daughter of a dairy farmer, I was surrounded by the rhythm of farm life - the hum of cows chewing their cud, the scent of fresh hay and silage, and the daily rituals of milking and feeding.
When my grandfather passed suddenly and my parents welcomed their third daughter, my dad decided to retire from dairying. Still, those early memories - of bottle-feeding calves and pulling the rope to open the barn doors for the cows - stayed with me. They shaped my love for animals and my respect for the hard work that comes with caring for them.
Continuing the Legacy
While the dairy faded into memory, farming never left our family. My dad has lived on the same farm all his life, and my mom worked alongside him every step of the way. Together, they built a life rooted in the land and passed down a work ethic grounded in faith, perseverance, and integrity.
Today, my dad and brother-in-law manage our family’s grain operation, farming acres of corn and soybeans. My dad’s dedication is unwavering - he still wants to be the first farmer in the field each spring and can be found scouting crops well into harvest. His leadership has extended beyond our farm, serving as President of the Farm Bureau and on the Farm Credit Board for many years.
He’s a visionary who has always looked ahead, embracing new methods and technology to keep farming sustainable for the next generation. His foresight and commitment to family have been the heartbeat of our farm’s continued success.
I often think of him as the bridge between past and future - a living example of how tradition and innovation can work hand in hand.
A Designer’s Journey
After earning my B.S. in Plant and Soil Science, specializing in landscape design, I set out to build gardens beyond our family farm. My career took me from the Midwest to Austin, Texas, and later to Santa Monica, California, where I owned a design-build business, designing over 25 years.
During that time, I discovered goat cheese - and with it, a growing curiosity about the goats themselves. Living in Austin during the rise of sustainable and organic food movements, I joined CSA programs and visited small local farms. The goats captured my heart; their character and the quality of their milk felt both nostalgic and new.
For the next two decades, I often said, “Someday, I’ll have goats of my own.”
Coming Home
In late 2017, when a small three-acre farm adjacent to our family land came up for sale, that dream began to take root. I gradually moved back from California, closing my landscape business and returning to help with Countryside Gardens, the greenhouse my parents had built decades earlier.
As my mom began to slow down and my sister transitioned from a 25-year finance career, we came together (three women, three generations) to carry the farm forward in a new way. My other sister continues to design gardens as well, keeping our shared love for plants alive and thriving.
After months of research, I chose the Nigerian Dwarf breed for their manageable size, gentle nature, and rich, high-butterfat milk, perfect for crafting small-batch cheeses and dairy products. What began as a few goats quickly grew into the foundation of Sunny Sister Farm.
Growing Together
Today, our herd has become the heart of our farm. While my dream of producing dairy products remains on the horizon, the goats themselves have taken center stage. Each season brings new kids, new challenges, and new joy.
Spring is our busiest time (kidding season coincides with greenhouse season) so it’s all hands on deck for me, my mom, sister, and our small crew. Between watering plants, transplanting seedlings, and tending to newborn kids, there’s rarely a quiet moment. But it’s the kind of work that fills you with purpose.
Building a Dairy Legacy
In 2025, we completed our first ADGA Linear Appraisal, and the results were encouraging. The appraiser noted the "dairiness" in our herd, and structure in our does - traits that the Nigerian Dwarf breed has been striving to strengthen.
He commented that our girls show “real dairy form - depth, openness of rib, strong udder attachments, and long bone patterns.” Hearing that affirmed what I had hoped: our foundation is solid, and we’re heading in the right direction.
My long-term goal is to earn milk stars and develop a strong line of productive, well-conformed dairy goats - a herd that reflects both the art and science of good breeding.
Looking Ahead
At Sunny Sister Farm, every day is a blend of tradition and new growth. The gardens connect us to our past; the goats carry us into the future.
We are proud to be a multi-generational family farm, where each of us - from my dad in the fields to my mom in the greenhouse, to my sisters and me designing and tending plants - plays a part in continuing the story of this land.
Together, we honor the values passed down through generations: hard work, stewardship, family, and a love for the land.
