Welcome to Down County Roads

Welcome to Down Country Roads!  I've been encouraged to begin a blog which shares what day to day life is like on a small family farm in Kansas.  So here goes!

My husband, Terry and I live on roughly 365 acres in the northern flint hills area of Kansas.  Our farm was purchased in 1927 by Terry’s granddad and has been farmed, tended and loved by each generation since. 

Our family research tells us that Terry's family located west of Olsburg, Kansas in the mid 1800's.  His great-grandparents came from Sweden and decided this area was suitable for farming, raising cattle and raising a family. 

In 1927 Terry's grandfather and grandmother, Ernest and Edith, purchased the farm we live on today, from the original owners family. Terry's Dad, Marvin, was born and raised on the farm along with one brother and two sisters. 

In 1950, Terry’s folks married and moved to the home place while farming with Marvin’s brother. When the time came, Pat and Marvin began raising their family here and instilled a strong work ethic and respect for the land in their children.

Terry is the third generation to live on the farm.  We carried on the family dairy operation until 1983 when we focused more on raising beef cattle in addition to the farm work. 

Our older son, Adam, and his wife Tawnya (whose family are also farmers) are close by.  They stay in touch with the farm as much as they can.

Luke, our younger son, is the fourth generation to work on the family farm. When hay season rolls around, you'll usually find Luke in the hayfield or tending to his cattle.

We are so proud to have been blessed with the opportunity to raise our family here on the farm and instill the same values of honesty, character and integrity that have been passed down to us.

Living in the country has given us a deep appreciation for all God has blessed us with.  We have the tallgrass prairie and flint hills all around us, wide open sky that is usually a brilliant blue during the day and crowded with stars at night.  There are deer, turkey, birds and other wildlife we enjoy watching.  Occasionally we catch a glimpse of a bald eagle family and the water in the creek is kinda fun to go splash around in now and then.

Our roots go deep in the prairie of Kansas.  We love to share our way of life with others and help them learn about how farming impacts their way of life. 

There is a great deal of history in our area which is of special interest to me. Our way of life is the basis for our agritourism business, Kansas Flint Hills Tours.  I’ll share more with you about how that ties in with our love of rural Kansas in my next post.

Thanks for stopping by to see what’s happening Down Country Roads!

Blessings,

Jeannie