Originally from Chicago, Christina moved to Arkansas thirty years ago. She met her husband, raised a family, and had a career as a scrub tech for two decades. When Covid hit, she knew it was time for a change and left her profession to spend more time at home and with her grandkids. That was the first pandemic-induced decision on her journey from a hobby farm to a commercial farm.
Christina and her husband purchased ten acres of land with an apple orchard in Avoca in 2006. They established a hobby farm with cows, chickens, and honey bees. She built a side business making soaps and natural cleaning products, selling the items at the Downtown Rogers Farmers’ Market.
Christina saw people acting selfishly with resources during the pandemic, which was upsetting. She felt thankful for the farm but thought it was underutilized, saying, “I just realized how fortunate we are to have land and thought it should be more than just a hobby. We could feed people. I remember wishing I was growing enough vegetables to donate to those without. I wanted to be self-sufficient but also to make a difference. I kept asking myself, ‘Why don’t we grow vegetables on our land?’ and knew I wanted to change that.”
There was a tiny obstacle with the decision to expand the property into vegetable production for profit. They didn’t know how. Christina had only grown vegetables in her previous postage-stamp-sized backyard. It’s a giant leap from a small garden patch to a profitable commercial farm. Attempts were made with a few crops, but they couldn’t get out of the red to be profitable. The transition from hobby to production farm proved challenging, and she wanted to do it properly. That’s when Christina discovered the CAFF Farm School and applied.
“Knowing how to do it right and being able to contribute to the regional food system is why I’m in the program, “ she says. “ I look forward to expanding our offering at the local market with fresh fruits and vegetables. It will be an accomplishment.” And her ambitions for the family farm don’t end there. She’s hoping to purchase adjacent land for expansion and maybe an educational patch for local children. Christina’s son, whom she says can grow anything, has a degree in botany. He is farming in California, but she’d like to get him involved in the family farm someday.
Christina says the farm has always been a meaningful way to connect as a family. Her decades as a scrub tech were demanding, with odd hours, sometimes 30-hour shifts, and frequently being on call. She sacrificed much family time, which she is making up for now. “I wanted my family to have a connection to the earth,” she says. “I love it when my grandkids come out to play with the cows, pet a goat, or feed the chickens. I’m teaching them how we eat. I want them to know where their food comes from and what it takes to produce it.”
Her advice for anyone interested in farming is to get the education and training to succeed. “Look for a program like the CAFF Farm School. It’s well-rounded with a horticulture and business curriculum. Trust me, I’m speaking from experience. You need both to be productive and profitable. And don’t get discouraged if you aren’t an immediate success or it’s rough. Farming is a calling. You’ll have to learn to accept the good with the bad.”
If you want to turn your hobby farm into a commercial operation, the CAFF Farm School might also be a good fit for you. Explore details of the program at LearnToFarm.org and apply now for the upcoming year.
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