Hi. My name is Gina Kerr.
I’ve been a massage therapist for almost 20 years in Arizona, but now I’m a full-time farmer, a step-mom to 21 year old Aleister, and mom to 10 year old Lily and 7 year old Connor.
My husband Josh works full time in IT. We are working towards becoming a self-sustaining farm. Josh enjoys building and maintaining the infrastructure on the farm. Taking care of the pigs and other animals and helping Gina in the garden, especially with the water lines.
I’ll be working the 2 acre garden and hoop houses, growing fruit and veggies with natural methods for our consumption, plenty for our benefactors (my in-laws), winter stores and trade, and offerings to take to the local Farmer’s Markets in town plus a growing CSA. We’ll also be raising chickens, ducks, and rabbits for eggs and meat. We added pigs to the mix in 2018. We keep sows to breed for spring piglets
. They are Berkshire pigs for fair, wholesale and retail sales at the market and on-farm.
Horses are in the plan. It’s the last of my ultimate goals to have horses, but I want to be prepared and financially secure before bringing them to the farm. Plus, the kids will be a bit older and we’ll have a handle on the rest of the farm chores. They’re a lot of work and money, but they are so worth it!! I’m not trying to kid myself. We need to build a shelter structure and fencing for field rotation and that’ll take some time (and dinero!!). But it’s something to look forward to and to work hard for.
My Lily is excited to begin planting her Secret Garden in a clearing behind the house. We just put in Lily of the Valley bulbs and wildflower seeds and we’ll plant some Day Lilies. I have no idea why she choose to plant Lilies?!? I had no hand in that decision… *snicker*
Connor is looking forward to raising chicks and growing flowers for market. He has a special love for animals and we have to guard against him latching onto the farm beasts and deciding they are his!
I homeschool both little ones. Lily is in fifth grade and excelling at everything. It is my “joy” and challenge to teach Connor to read. We affectionately call him our cannonball and the amount of patience I have had to conjure up is impressive even to me.
I homeschooled Aleister from 6th grade and he graduated high school at 16. He started college classes at 13 and finished up his Associates degree soon after we moved. He transferred to Michigan Tech and is now working on his accelerated Master’s degree in Physics.
