Two high schoolers locked eyes at church camp, and a love story of epic proportions began taking its first steps toward eternity.

Sounds kinda stuffy, right?

I, Taylor, could be really soppy and a hopeless romantic, but that doesn't really get us anywhere. So allow me a moment to give you the highpoints of where we have been thus far:

Highschool sweethearts become college newlyweds. These newlyweds begin new careers, a new family, and a new way of life; we had lots of new things hit us in a very short amount of time. We were leaning on The Lord, and making many adjustments on the fly.

During this season, we were inexplicably drawn to something more than the comfortable life we lived. We decided to live very differently than the culture around us, and Kaitlyn left a very lucrative career as a labor and delivery nurse in order to stay home with our children.

So began our "homesteading" phase. We devoted time to studying local flora, bought chickens and meat rabbits, and made strides toward self-sufficiency. Pigs followed shortly thereafter and we began dipping our toes into "pastured pork."

Still, we felt as though there was something that was eluding our grasp, and ministry was becoming increasingly burdensome. In the span of a few years, I gained 80 pounds, developed a heart issue, and dealt with burnout over my faith becoming "my job."

The Lord finally got my attention (I was ignoring Him, to be frank), and He lead me into a different career.

Farming. 

However, this was not going to be the norm; this was to be a radically different job in a part of the world were farmers 30+ years my senior only dream about quitting there day job. To quote someone who felt like they were close enough to me to give unsolicited advice, "people just don't do that around here."

I began to transition out of a stable career that I was pretty good at, with little savings, and four people who depended on me entirely. No pressure, right?

Kaitlyn and I agreed to buying eight feeder pigs to fatten out to a wholesale connection that we had made, and we ended up finishing and selling about 45 hogs that first season (I don't know how to do anything in moderation). However, we had a problem; the hogs we finished were inconsistent (they varied greatly in size and feed efficiency), too fat (one buyer said they preferred to buy meat over lard... that one hurt!), and the meat quality was not living up to the story that many pastured pig gurus claimed would result solely from good management.

I began to scramble to find sources for feeder pigs, and all I could find were "show pig rejects," heritage hogs that finished in 18-24 months, and potbelly crosses. I found that Southern Indiana severely lacked quality pigs for everyday farmers to raise to put food on the table and money in their wallets. This realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and I quickly made adjustments to our farm model to fill this void.

One calendar year after starting with feeder pigs, we had fifteen sows, two boars, and more feeder pigs than I really knew what to do with... until the word got out. Local producers started showing up out of nowhere, and they couldn't get enough of our pigs. 

"They fattened out so fast, and the meat was excellent!"

"I never had to worry about them, even during the winter. These were the hardiest pigs I have ever raised."

"These pigs are what I remember Grandpa raising back in the old days."

Folks, this is why we are here. We want to see families flourishing, farmers thriving, and communities prospering. Hoosiers have always raised hogs, it's in our blood. We want to see that heritage restored, to see that old knowledge reclaimed, those old skills taught, and for families to regain self-reliance. Imagine this: chickens scratching around the barnyard, cows grazing over rolling hills, hogs rooting around in the woods, vegetables ripening in the garden, and children running in and amongst them all. Hosea 10:12 says this: 

"Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you."

This path that God has placed us on is not one that we are to walk alone; we would love for you to walk it with us. Hoosier Seedstock is here to feed you: mind, body, and soul. We want to provide something valuable to as many people as possible. Our social media pages and our email list will work through faith, family, farming, and so much more. Our freezers are full, our pastures are stocked, and our table is open. 

The invitation stands: would you like to come along with us?