In 2015, Blair and I left behind grown children, family, and friends in Canada and relocated to the USA. We are establishing roots in the ‘Show Me’ state of Missouri! We settled on picturesque Spring Hill Farm outside of St. Louis along with a few horses and our mutts.

We purchased Spring Hill Farm from the original owners (siblings) who actually grew up on this farm. We’ve all become good friends, so we’ve gotten to hear the history of Spring Hill Farm and all its stories! It was established in 1963. And while the old farmhouse and barn certainly has needed work, they have great bones! Over the years, we have continued to make improvements from finishing a full remodel of the farmhouse’s main floor, to renovations on the house’s exterior as well as upgrades to the barn (which has evolved into a combination shop/barn). We also had to set up fence lines. It continues to be a labour of love for both of us… and something for Blair to put his creative, finishing-carpenter energy into over time.

We have three horses (Hef, LG, and Birdie) and two dogs (Patsy and EmmyLou (RIP Reba & Dolly). Last year, we rototilled up a bit of our front property and turned it into a community garden. Will it get bigger? Who knows! We’ve also planted ~800 square feet of pollinator habitat. We have bird feeders, bat boxes and our next project is a Barred Owl box. Blair will built it this fall from plans sourced through the St Louis Audubon Society. For now, we continue to manage the farm by continuing to clear brush and weedy growth (honeysuckle) and by planting trees to replace aging ones in the tree lines.

Drop by for a visit!

Photo credit: Kate Colton Studios

*This blog is and always has been a personal channel of expression for me and I am solely responsible for its content.  It does not represent official communications from my employer, Bayer Crop Science, or any other organization. The views expressed in the body of the entries or in comments may not necessarily reflect my views, those of the company or of anyone else. Posts made prior to September 29, 2014 were made when I was either an independent researcher/public speaker or an academic, employed by the University of Saskatchewan.