Your family garden has finally eeked out a few herbs and veggies this season, hooray! It’s no easy feat to make things grow; we give major props to the folks who go full-fledge farmer and spend their days in the dirt. Take a peek at eight families whose life on the land is a labor of love.

Family Friendly Farms – Grass Valley, Ca

To live a simple agrarian lifestyle, eat good food, and raise lots of kiddos was a dream for the Zeiters. To make it happen they worked overseas in architecture and real estate development for many years before heading home to purchase 173 acres of heaven in the foothills of Northern California.

Family Friendly Farms started with three cows, a garden, and fruit orchards; now they are well-known purveyors of healthy meats including Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Chicken. After years of learning how to ranch and farm at the school of hard knocks, the togetherness of Family Friendly Farms is both ideal and rewarding. Head farmer/dad Philip says, “the most rewarding aspect of owning this farm is the opportunity to work and teach and play and pray with the kids on a daily basis.  We enjoy all three meals a day together, many times eating only what came from the farm.”

It is indeed a family affair: the seven Zeiter kids are very involved in the daily work at Our Lady Ranch. Their daily jobs range from feeding the animals, collecting, washing, and packaging eggs, pasture irrigation, and rotating the animals to building and repairing fences and even the operation of tractors and heavy equipment. The kids also work on the front end of the business: packaging orders, cooking in the food booth at the local farmers market, selling at the market counters, delivering products, and even customer relations—life skills that have thrived from years of being a regular vendor.

The Zeiter Family welcomes visitors to come view the farm and have lively discussions on topics such as farming operations, animal husbandry, healthy food, raising children, family activities and the simple realities of everyday life.

Online: familyfriendlyfarms.com

Do you have a favorite family farm? Share with us in the comments below!

—Gabby Cullen

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