It’s so nice to meet you! We’re the Roberts family at JAD Farms! I’m Debbie (the “D” in JAD)– the voice behind the scenes here at Simply JAD. And my handsome hubby, Jim (the “J”), is the hard workin’, cow milkin’, garden plantin’, chicken raisin’ farmer round these parts.
We made the decision in 2017/2018 to pack up our suburban lifestyle and move to the country. We bought some land, built a house, and have been working on establishing a self-reliant homestead ever since. We currently have a garden (definitely a work in progress), a flock of laying hens (and about once a year we also raise a flock of chickens for meat), and we also have some cows (some of which are jersey milk cows, and the others are being raised for meat). We hope to add some honey bees to the farm, and maybe even some pigs as well! But we’re taking it one step at a time. 😉
A little about me… I’m a wife to my amazing husband, mom to four pretty awesome kiddos (two girls, two boys), and I’m blessed to be a stay-at-home mom. I’m a lover of all things clean and organized (although my house may choose to prove me wrong the minute someone rings my doorbell), I enjoy baking, crafting, your basic DIY projects (if it takes longer than a day… it may never get done!), learning new things, family traditions, holidays, music that touches my soul, and I am totally new to this whole country life! I grew up as a suburban girl in Southern California, but self-reliance was a strong part of my upbringing, so I’m appreciating the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone into a more ‘live off the land’ type of life.
Something I’ve learned in my journey of life is that if I really want to enjoy something, I need to slow down and simplify. As life gets more hectic, my enjoyment of it lessens. Moving to the country has been a step in the right direction for me, but slowing down and simplifying is an intentional effort that can be made regardless of where you live! I hope I can share some of that with you!
As for the rest of the family… Hubby is a wonderful provider who juggles teaching Physical Education in the public school system, selling Real Estate on the side, and holding down the homestead. He is a country boy at heart (he grew up on land in the country) and enjoys fishing, hunting, working with his hands, DIY projects (even if they take longer than a day 😉), and working the land. He provides the farming know-how that has allowed us to turn our country dreams into a homestead reality.
Our four kiddos were our main inspiration for moving to a country lifestyle. It was time to move away from the ‘hustle and bustle’ to a slower, more fulfilling life that we could engage with them in. Together, we are all learning so much about hard work, respect for the land, respect for the animals and where our food comes from, and an overall greater appreciation for the beautiful world our Father in Heaven has given us.
Our faith in Jesus Christ is the anchor to our everyday chaos. Whatever craziness may come our way, we know that God is mindful and at the helm, and we work to keep that knowledge present in everything we do.
Every day is an adventure as we learn and grow. We’re so glad you’re here to share this journey with us! We hope it inspires you on your journey as well! If there’s ever anything we can help you with, we’d love to hear from you!
Blessings to you and yours!
