Open Barn

Not sure if “Open Barn” is really a thing, but we are rolling with it here at Freedom Farms.

I LOVE to gather! I really enjoy having people over to our home (…though I don’t really like the unrealistic pressure I put on myself to have a neat, clean, and tidy home every time someone comes over—but I’ve gotten 110% less psycho than I was a few years ago!).

Like many others, this past year has looked a lot different for us, with far fewer gatherings than usual. We’ve done our best to make the most of the situation and restrictions. Over the summer, we offered fishing and baseball camps at our home. Our goal was to give kids a safe place to hang out with other kids and simply enjoy being kids.

More and more things continue to open up here in Illinois, but living in a very rural community (…our nearest large town of 12,000 people is 30 miles away, and the nearest city is just under two hours away…) means our options for activities are limited. On a whim, I told Curtis we should have an Open Barn and let others enjoy the abundance of cuteness in our barn.

Lambs are so fun! They skip, jump, and prance all over. Plus, it’s always a special experience to bottle-feed a baby animal. So, on a Thursday, I posted on social media that we were inviting people of all ages—from 3 months to 103—to come out to the farm on Saturday.

By no means is this any kind of petting zoo, but it is a place of love + laughter, with cute animals running around, making it smell like a true farm. Thirty—yes, 30!—people came out! It was a great time.

New and old friends enjoyed petting the lambs, watching the chickens roam, and a few brave kids even ventured out into the cold to see the three pigs in their pen. RaeRae’s belly got full, and she absolutely ate up all the extra attention. A couple of kiddos who were hesitant at first soon felt right at ease, hand-feeding the animals corn and hay.

One sweet grandmother gifted us a super cute calendar filled with pictures of lambs. It was a day full of joy! My heart was full! (And, thankfully, thanks to a sweet friend, my family’s bellies were full too! She knew the farm was hopping and grabbed us lunch from a local family-owned restaurant. Little acts of kindness mean so much!)

Have a dream on your heart?

Do you have an idea but not all the details? A desire to make an impact? Do it! Do it scared! Do it not knowing all the ins & outs! Do for 1 what you want to do for 100!

Living a Life Set Apart,

Rachel Alyse

Scripture:

"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." — Hebrews 13:2

Quote:

"Instead of building a taller fence, build a longer table."

I love this quote!! We did just that… we had a table built to seat 12 people in our home! We have gathered with so many people from all walks of life, from newborns to those rich in wisdom. Sitting, chatting, and building community together has been such a gift.