We were visiting the Allen County library today and noticed this photo on the wall.  It’s our house!  So we drove down the road to the historical society and spent two of the most precious hours with folks who grew up with people who lived in our home.  Here are a few of the details we have learned so far:
Records reveal that three families from South Carolina came into this area in the early 1800’s.  The Dodson family was one fo them.  Charles Dodson, son of Dr. Dillingham Dodson (the first Allen County graduate of Harvard University) and grandson Charles Dodson, a revolutionary war soldier, married Osthinia Ham, daughter of William and Jennetta Williams Ham, and built this house of logs in October 1829.  The porch was added about 1850 by the son of Charles Dodson, Tillman who was only seven years old when his father died.  Tillman Dodson married Helen Harmon and they became the parents of a daughter, Melissa Dodson who married Thomas W. Smith.  They had three sons, Ewing, Marshall and Ernest, all of whom were born in the house.  The photo we have hanging in our home is of Tillman (holding Melissa), Helen and two of their sons Ewing and Marshall.  Ernest, who would have been born before Melissa is buried in the cemetery (having passed away around a year old).  The rest of the family is also buried in the family cemetery located just outside of our home.  We cannot wait to find out more information soon-particularly about the civil war solider Joseph W. Richards who is buried on the property.

We’re really busy expanding from a farm that supports one family to a farm that supports three.  The two CSA options that support the Howell family are currently full (although we do have a back up list option for our Protein & Vegetable share if anyone is interested.  Email us to be put on the back up list.

We are also creativing new opportunities for the Rolett family through a smaller, year round,  $20 CSA option.  Email them for more information.

And a prepared food CSA called Farm Fresh But Already Fixed created by Emily Cothran and Chelsea Sulesky using protein and vegetables from our farm  Email them for more information.

We’re tired.

Transitioning through the choices of modern convenience is hard work.  Put it to you this way-it doesn’t get handed to you on a silver platter.  We’re balancing harvests on two farms, transitioning our belongings from one farm to another, putting in infrastructure to financially support three families and making sure we have time with our kids (which is our main priority at this stage in life).  The most important thing we are gaining now is a lesson for our kids is that a meaningful life cannot be paid for with money.  It’s hard work, but worth it (most importantly, when others benefit too).  The more we’re given, the more will be expected.  We’re spending a lot of time focusing on the hungry and remaining the least of these as we transition. It’s been made even more difficult having found a unique, historic home as our homeplace-but we’re remaining committed thanks to our friends at HOTEL INC and the Double Dollars program at CFM.

During the transition we’ve learned to expect times to get tough.  The tires blow out, the batteries go dead, it’s hurry up and wait and patience runs thin.  But we truly believe that the hard work we are investing now will pay off in the end for us, our farm partners and the farm members who believe in us.  Our kids are learning what it looks like to look beyond yourself and towards something that benefits an entire community.We look forward to the future and thank each of you for caring about us along the way.