Once upon a time, a handsome woodsman and a fair maiden fell madly in love. They started a flipbook business with only a few coins and big dreams. Through lots of hard work, wisdom from mentors, and prayers, their business blossomed. They were even issued a patent! These lovebirds were hired for many fancy balls throughout the kingdom, including ones for her Majesty Martha Stewart, Princess Miranda Lambert, and even Sir Snoop Dogg. They swooned at weddings, thrived at corporate parties, and felt old at Proms. Always innovating, they introduced Braintone Art, where guests could paint using only their minds. They helped launch SpotMyPhotos with cutting edge photography technology. Sure, life gave them lots of ups and downs through the years, but this couple had a beautiful family, friends they loved, supportive extended family, and were headed into Year 14 of their business. In fact, it was to be their busiest spring season yet!

Then all of a sudden, a wicked virus overtook the land. Festivities were cancelled, and everyone ran inside their houses to hide. The event business they built came to a crashing halt. These lovebirds prayed and applied for jobs, but none seemed “just right.” So they continued to pray. And God kept pointing them back to the land they owned. “What do people need?” God whispered to them. “Healthy food to stay strong,” they answered, for their kingdom had become overrun with frankenfoods. “I want a farm with happy animals that are well-cared for that produces nutrient-dense foods for my family,” said the fair maiden mama. “And I want a transparent farm where people feel connected to their food and are able to provide for their families,” noted the handsome woodsman daddy. Visions of a place where friends could gather together to learn and build up a strong community danced in their heads as they tended their mini Hereford cows, chickens, hogs and fruit trees.

And thus began Crunchy Mama Farms in Alvord, Texas. Through lots of hard work, wisdom from mentors, lots of prayers, and the desire to teach others to provide humanely raised food for their families, this handsome woodsman, his lovely fair maiden and their little entrepreneurs-in-training lived happily ever after.

The end.

(Just kidding. It’s only the beginning of this new adventure.)

Meet Amy, Crunchy Mama herself. She adores God, living a holistic lifestyle and hanging out with other crunchy mamas. She’s a big fan of witty conversation, delicious food that makes her family feel good, constantly learning, and hidden stashes of decadent chocolate.

And she’s picky. But in a good way. She likes to say “detail-oriented.” You’ll notice Amy if you’re out and about. She’s the one reading every ingredient label in the grocery store with a baby strapped to her back…unknowingly making a disgusted face and sadly putting the package back on the shelf. She’s the mom soaking in the wisdom from yet another grandma she’s adopted, learning how to can veggies from the CSA or fermet kombucha or gleaning the knowledge of how best to raise her babies. She’s the one pouring through a stack of nature books or Sally Fallon Morrell’s latest cookbook. You might find her reading gorgeously illustrated picture books to her kids before bed or curling up with an inspiring decluttering book (although she hasn’t quite nailed that decluttering part yet…). Heck, if there’s a book, you’ll probably find her there. This lady loves to learn and teach others, especially if it has to do with caring for our bodies or the world around us.

Meet Shawn, the brawn behind Crunchy Mama Farms. This guy is uh-mazing. He’s one of the hardest workers you’ll ever meet.

Shawn will be your instructor in the butchery classes. He grew up on a farm in Michigan, caring for pigs, a goat, sheep, horses and ducks. He was actively involved in 4-H and Boy Scouts and thrives on being in the beautiful outdoors. He’s not afraid to put in hard work. But the unique thing about Shawn is that he doesn’t simply work hard, he works SMART. He’s a mastermind at logistics and solving problems. When you come to visit the farm, you’ll be amazed to find out that he built most of the infrastructure (the farm kitchen building, fences, irrigation, chicken tractors and the brooder, grapevine trellises, etc). Shawn learned how to do all of this from watching hours upon hours of YouTube tutorials, voraciously reading books, taking a permaculture course and picking up wisdom from mentors. Shawn has some incredible friends who are willing to lend a hand, whom he and Amy are truly grateful for. An avid hunter, Shawn grew up fishing the pristine lakes of Michigan and hunting deer and hogs in Texas. But he also gained knowledge of how to butcher animals by working at a well-known slaughterhouse on the kill floor and at the cut table. Shawn is excited to share his knowledge with others through Crunchy Mama Farms.