08/06/2026
Before Farmtown was a dream… it was my childhood. 🤎
When I wasn’t even three years old, my family moved to a 400-acre ranch just outside of Orland. My dad raised beef cattle and owned a dairy, and yes… I helped milk cows. But my favorite job was always feeding the baby calves.
Some of my fondest memories were riding in my dad’s dirty ranch truck, or on the tractor with my dad. We’d head to the auction yard, and if I was lucky, we’d stop for ice cream and a slice of pie at Cottage Cafe on the way home.
My summers were spent swimming in the fish pond & cow troughs, playing in the hay barn, and catching pollywogs in the ditch. That’s also where my love for flowers began—picking wildflowers that grew on the ranch and planting seeds my Aunt MaryAnn brought each year when she came to visit.
Looking back, I realize that was simply the good life.
The weathered pieces of metal behind me came from my dad’s dairy barn. To most people, it’s just old rusty tin. To me, it’s a piece of home—a reminder of hard work, and the values that shaped me.
As Farmtown takes on a new life after 8 years, I’m not just decorating a store. I’m bringing a little piece of my childhood with me and creating a place that celebrates a simple, happy life.
Because maybe… these really are the good old days. 🤎
