As youngsters, we (Randy and Lesa) spent summers working on farms owned by our relatives; so we learned about food production, self-reliance, and sustainability. As adults, we became engineers and managers for a large corporation, and were transferred many times. As time passed, we became increasingly concerned about our food supply, and tried to become more self-reliant with each move; but were hampered by suburban restrictions.
Then, after transferring to Northeastern Ohio, we stumbled upon a large farm that was being subdivided; and that was located only minutes from work. One ten-acre parcel looked particularly appealing; it was mostly wooded, but had a southerly slope and one level corner of an old farm field. We thought the southerly exposure would be perfect for a passive solar home, and our escape from suburbia – we purchased the lot.
Overhead View of Bramblestone Farm
Perhaps we should’ve done a bit more homework; as we started clearing the land and preparing for that home, we found rocks (boulder-size) everywhere we dug. And, those nice wooded slopes were covered with brambles. Despite this, we gradually built our new home, and eventually escaped suburbia. After the home, we added a deck, patio, barn, chicken coop, and fencing; and ran into rocks and brambles every step of the way. Thus, it became Bramblestone Farm.
Brambestone Farm Products
At Bramblestone, we believe that food grown without antibiotics, hormones, artificial fertilizers, insecticides, or herbicides is important; so we try to produce our own without these additives. We raise heritage Buckeye chickens for meat and eggs, Nigerian Dwarf goats for milk, honeybees for honey, and grow various fruits and vegetables. Today we sell the excess eggs and honey that the chickens and bees supply as well as goat milk or goat milk & honey skin-care products.
We try to be self-reliant, so the goats and chickens forage on four wooded acres that have been fenced, the old farm field is used for growing produce and alfalfa, bedding from the goats and chickens is composted for fertilizer, and the honey bees pollinate the fruits and vegetables. It’s not practical for us to grow the grain for the goats and chickens, but we do try to buy from local organic suppliers – we prefer to support local farms, not far away feed mills and trucking companies.
Nigerian Dwarf Goats
Each spring, we’ll also have Nigerian Dwarf kids for sale. The planned parentage for the kids appears on the website “Kidding Page”, and details on the parents can be found by clicking does and bucks. All Bramblestone Nigerian Dwarves are dual registered AGS/ADGA, and all adults have been tested and certified to be free of CAE, CL, Johne’s, TB, and Brucellosis.