A Journey
From an early age, agriculture shaped who I am. Growing up on our family farm, I worked alongside my father and neighboring farmers, learning to respect the land, care for animals, and appreciate the value of community. Those early lessons planted the seeds of stewardship that guide me today.
Now, with my husband, Travis, and our kids, I carry that work forward at Plaid Perch Farm. Together, we practice responsible stewardship through rotational grazing, the preservation of rare breeds, and mindful care for our animals and the environment.
At Plaid Perch Farm, we believe heritage breeds and fiber craft skills hold timeless value. They strengthen the community, safeguard the environment, and contribute to creating a more sustainable future. Guided by stewardship of the land and our animals, we work to raise awareness of heritage sheep breeds and the many benefits of wool. Our farm is rooted in community and committed to social justice, honoring the connections between people, animals, and the earth while fostering a future where all can share in these gifts.
My passion for stewarding the land and its animals began at a young age. I raised hogs, cattle, and row crops on our family farm, learning the importance of working with nature rather than against it. My father encouraged me to take responsibility for my own livestock and crops, lessons that taught me resilience, humility, and care. Today, stewardship at Plaid Perch Farm means regenerating our soil with rotational grazing, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring our livestock thrive as part of a balanced ecosystem.
In high school, I read an article titled “Extinction in the Farmyard.” It opened my eyes to the reality that domestic livestock breeds can disappear forever, just like wild species. This discovery sparked a lifelong commitment to raising awareness about genetic diversity and the value of heritage breeds. From my first endangered chickens to our current flocks of Shetland and Romeldale CVM sheep and our herd of Dexter and Belted Galloway cattle, I’ve worked to help preserve these remarkable breeds while sharing their stories with others.
Preserving heritage breeds and practicing sustainable farming is not a journey taken alone. Conferences, mentors, and peers have built a community of encouragement and shared learning that sustains me. Whether it’s farmers sharing grazing strategies or knitters teaching me a new stitch, these communities remind me that collaboration makes us stronger. Fiber arts, too, have connected me with others. Beginning with my grandmother teaching me to crochet, my mother’s sewing, and coworkers at Living History Farms, who nurtured my knitting. These creative bonds have been just as vital as farming ones in shaping who I am.
Being a gay man, a fiber artist, and a farmer devoted to sustainability means I don’t always fit into traditional molds. Yet those differences have helped me see the importance of justice, equity, and inclusion in farming and beyond. Just as biodiversity strengthens ecosystems, human diversity strengthens communities. At Plaid Perch Farm, we welcome and uplift people of all identities, believing that everyone deserves to share in the work of caring for the land, animals, and one another.
This is the story of Plaid Perch Farm and of my own journey as its steward. It’s a story still unfolding. Rooted in stewardship, community, awareness, and social justice, I look forward to the paths it will open and the people it will bring into our circle.
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