Welcome To Our Farm
Welcome to our farm!
Welcome to the craziness that exists on any given day when you have both
children and farm animals!
How'd we get started?
Have you read the book, City Mouse Country Mouse, or ever watched an episode
of Green Acres? Our story started in a similar manner with Lisa having grown
up on a small farm in Southern Indiana with beef and dairy cattle,
horses, chickens, dogs and cats and Larry having grown up smack dab in the
middle of the city of Louisville, Kentucky with no pets at all, EVER, except
a fish tank. And please, fishy people, do not get upset with me (Natalie has a
fish tank) but fish are not furry and as unconditional with their affection!
Ultimately, fate
stepped in and decided our destiny with marriage, lots of student loans, two
dinky old cars, 2 horses, and a move to Cincinnati. Our household quickly
began to grow, first with one dog, then one child, then another dog, then
another child. Upon inheriting our third dog from my parents it was evident we
needed more space than our two bedroom house could provide. Larry was finally
finished with school and training and got a real job, so we moved to the
country! A house was built, a barn was rehabilitated into a functional
structure and after many years of hard work, lots of sweat and a few tears, I
think we've got things just
about how they're supposed to be. Take a look. We strive to have a top quality
operation folks.
Larry has adapted
well and many years of hard work in medical school made him a quick learner.
He can mow with the best of 'em on his big green John Deere, feeds and cleans
animals like a pro, doctors them on occasion, and chops plenty of firewood for
our cold winters. When not farming, he's doctoring for real as an adult and
child psychiatrist for Mercy Health Partners here in Cincinnati. Lisa was
trained early in life by the MANY farm chores growing up (thanks dad) but she
also has a bachelor's degree in Biology from Purdue University, and attended
graduate school at Xavier University. She worked in cardiovascular research both in Louisville at
Humana Heart Institute and in Cincinnati at Shriner's Burns Hospital and
Children's Hospital Medical Center.
She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Social Work at the
University of Cincinnati.
Do our kids like farm
life? Hmmmm, well Mckenzie says she wants to live somewhere exciting like
Chicago or New York City so that should tell you something, Natalie seems to
like all the pets but isn't very happy cleaning up after them, and Matthew
might be our only hope to pass the farm on to when we're gone. He's quite
content to play outside, help me clean the barn, and take care of the animals.
But I bet that might change when he hits puberty. He's only 7 now, life's
pretty simple at that age!
We're committed to
our farm and family. We really do try our best to raise quality donkeys (and
kids!) in a loving, clean, well run operation. We mow and fertilize our
pastures regularly, graze our donkeys with sheep, overseed in the spring and
actively control weeds and insects around our barn with a spray schedule. Our
donkeys are fed good quality grains and hay throughout the year. They are
wormed every six weeks and vaccinated as recommended by our equine
veterinarian. Our children are an active part of this process and provide much
needed socialization and stimulation to the donkeys. In addition, we have
children visit our farm regularly, many with various disabilities, so that our
animals are quite kid friendly.
Visitors are always
welcome and encouraged.
Welcome To Our Farm
Please click the link below to send us an e-mail:
Under The Oaks Farm & Nature Preserve