Living the Dream: Mindy's 12-Acre Farm

As dreams go, moving from a busy part of Portland with three kids to a home on 12 acres in the heart of Oregon's wine country is pretty special. That's what fellow blogger and friend Mindy, her husband and three kids just did. After an exhaustive search for the dream home and property (with the added stress of a deadline to get out of their suddenly sold home), this amazing 1906 home came into their lives. Welcome to Northrop Acres, complete with an apple orchard for hard cider, two donkeys, two turkeys, two goats, a horse, a barn, train tracks and a lot of magic. This post, in many ways, serves as a "before" for Mindy's amazing talents and hard work. Trust me, this whole landscape will be transformed in no time. You should see what she did to her old garden. It was stunning, featured in garden magazines no less.

We recently paid a visit to their new abode, far far away from Portland in the tiny agricultural town of Amity, Oregon. Oh, and wine. This place is loaded with vineyards. Paradise.
OK, now for the tour:



Their home is so sweet with an updated kitchen and bath. We'll see the inside later.



Let's check out the property and the different structures. Facilities Manager especially coveted this barn. It's a large one, two stories and still quite functional. Their sweet dog Libby showed us all around the farm; here she leads us into the barn.


We would love to have such a structure, but alas, we are not so fortunate with our measly two-acre plot.



The train runs right through their property twice a day on weekdays. Apparently it's a ritual now to gather up all kids and critters when it's coming, just to make sure everyone is accounted for. Could you imagine? 

Facilities Manager here: Yes, dear wife, I can imagine. I spent the first 10 years of my life living in a railroad depots in central Idaho. I rode the rails even before I attended first grade. The smell of creosote ties and steel rails takes me back, way back. I envy Mindy and family their train tracks. 


At one point this was for the sheep, but it's vacant right now. It would make a great chicken coop, we think. Grapes are growing in the background on the fence.



Mindy is an amazing gardener, cook and overall home-maker. I visited her garden in Portland a couple of times, blogging about it when she had an open garden a few years ago. You can revisit that post here. She has great plans for her new garden and has dug in already. In this photograph, newly planted beds are being tended to and loaded up with a wonderful assortment of plants. She did take many wonderful plants with her from the old home, I'm happy to note. Apparently in this bed she discovered landscape fabric had been laid down some time ago. As someone who experienced the same thing in my new garden, I can understand her pain. Here's a landscaping tip: skip the landscape fabric for many reasons, please. It doesn't help anything, weeds grow all around it and under it and over it, it blocks nutrients from seeping down into the soil, it's expensive and a pain in the ass to remove.




Their new home has raised beds, a greenhouse and a chicken house, too! They have been able to harvest all manner of veggies in the short time they've lived here. What a treat to have so much space to be able to really grow veggies. As Mindy is an excellent cook, this will serve her and her family well over the years.


This is the building I covet, the greenhouse. Oh man. I can't wait to see what she does with this.


Here you can see the unusual structure and windows from the outside. More grape vines on the right.



Mindy has her own plant prison. I know this scene so well! It's comforting to realize other gardeners really do understand.



Here's a completely re-planted or newly planted area of Mindy's garden. The brick edging/path she uncovered under weeds - she had no idea it was there. What a treasure! The area to the left was composted and planted up, too. Every plant you see here, save for the established trees and shrub on the left are newly planted. It will be fun to see this fill in over the years and then change, too. I will say that in many ways, our journey with our new garden and home and Mindy's journey are parallel. We were both in the same area of Portland, both wanted land to garden, both ended up many miles from Portland with a sort of blank slate and we're both plant nuts. We have differing styles and they have a much larger family, but the basics are the same, just two years apart. I guess we did it on a small scale and they did it on a grand one fitting their awesome family. It's nice to share that with Mindy - some little experiences gardening on this level that not everyone can really understand.



Here's a signature Mindy touch - she has the best antiques and found objects in her garden.


Just a sweet scene, straight out of old memories.



More Mindy touches. I wonder what these containers were?


More of the garden circle bed with the raised beds and greenhouse in the background. These four trees were here, they are Olea 'Arbequina' (olives) - exactly what I have...four of them, too. What a coincidence! It seems these are a few years old and were also laden with fruit. Mine have come back from the dead but are nowhere near this tall yet. 



The picture perfect dining room window.


This tree...just so much personality. Right outside of their dining room window.


Now for the critters: Meet the kindest turkey ever, Leonard and his shy girlfriend Delilah. Oh, he talked and talked and talked. He loves the kids and apparently follows them around. I didn't think I could adore a turkey, but I do. Apparently he used to be "Lena" but . . .well, he's a Leonard, after all. Leonard makes the softest cooing sounds, it's like a bird lullaby.


Doesn't it look like he's hamming it up for the camera?



Jackson the donkey.


Elsa the donkey.


Pride the horse.



Black Goat and White Goat. Yes, those are their names. Maybe we should have a "name the goat" contest! There is also a barn cat named Oscar, although we did not meet him this day. He, well - she, had an eye issue and when he was taken into the vet they discovered Oscar is a she. There are also barn owls who are unnamed, Leroy Jenkins Brown (their orange cat that moved with them), Libby the dog, Daisy the tortoise and Birdy Bird the parakeet. Yup, that's a farm.



On to the apple orchard. These are dwarf apple trees, the fruit is used to make hard cider. A cider company called Art + Science harvests them and makes small batches of hard cider. I'm going to have to seek it out and try it!


Apparently they have several varieties of trees, not just one.



Facilities Manager estimates the orchard at a couple of acres. I really have no idea, but it could be.



Looks like they had orchard mason bees at one point. Maybe they'll have them again, they are fantastic for early pollination. Many farmers rely on them, as honey bees tend to be active later in the season when it's warmed up considerably. Orchard bees are active when it's much cooler and are therefore invaluable for food production.


The edge of the orchard with the barn in the distance.


The Art + Science label.


Here's the art part - apparently every batch gets its own special nature-related artwork. I like this company! Plus, I have to support my friends, right? OK, off to buy cider I go.



The house and garage from a distance in the sheep area.



I love this! Tiny corn against a bright red barn.



Now some of the outlying property. Theirs goes to the oak smack in the middle of the row of trees in the distance.



Here we are at the oak looking back to the property through the grasses.



I think this is a pretty special tree. For some reason Winnie the Pooh and the Hundred Acre Wood comes to mind.


Here's a second oak, their property goes off into the distance.


Happiness. I asked the kids if they liked their new school and their new home, they all said they love it. That's wonderful news, as it can be difficult to move - and this was no subtle just-down-the-street kind of move. These are country kids now, free to run and play and explore, as kids should be able to.


Country life....I love it!


How about a brief look at the home.



This is in the mudroom, Mindy is so talented at displays.



The front porch gets the autumnal treatment, of course!



Mindy is especially fond of donkeys and is, I believe, thrilled to have a couple as new family members. The farm came with all these critters, it's really amazing that just about everything on her "want" list for a home is all here. The donkeys are a bonus.



Ha ha...Mindy humor!


Here's another interior scene demonstrating Mindy's talents at making a house a home.


Their bathroom is so sweet, complete with a claw-foot tub and modern sink.



The side of the home with a fire pit and picnic bench - great places for family and friends to gather and watch the train rumble along.



It feels like a vacation home.


Check out these original floors upstairs - and those nails which are hard to see in this photo. Pure character, this house.



Another of Mindy's great Halloween touches!


For me, this image captures what being here feels like. It's nature, it's freedom, it's kids being able to be kids. I feel like a big kid here on our two-acre plot, close to nature. How wonderful these children will be able to know nature, to smell the grass, to play with their animal friends and have adventures to shape whom they become as adults. We are so thrilled for Mindy and her wonderful family, what an amazing example of all the stars aligning to make this dream come true.

That's it for this week at Chickadee Gardens! As always, thank you for reading and happy gardening!

Comments

  1. Thank you, thank you, for this wonderful tour of Northrup Acres! I've been following Mindy's progress with delight and it's so great to have your pictures to round out my understanding of the farm layout. Of course, I expect to have my own tour at some point but for now, this is perfect. And you're right - those children will grow and develop in such a rich and well-rounded way here. Of all the delights of their new home, I bet this is one of the best things Lonnie and Mindy are observing.

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    1. You are so very welcome, Jane. Yes, you need a tour - believe me we'll be back and I'm sure it will change quickly so it will be fun to observe and document her amazing progress. Great for the kids, they are experiencing magic, for sure.

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  2. Alan and I visited a few weeks ago and it is amazing what they have accomplished so far. I very much look forward to seeing this garden progress. It will be crazy wonderful I'm sure!

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    1. Sweet! Glad you two got a chance to see it. So wonderful, now we all have a "family farm" (as in Garden Blogger's Family..hahah) to visit and be able to pet the donkeys.

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  3. What a wonderful treat this post was! Thanks so much for sharing your visit to Mindy's new home. Those kids must think they're in Shangri-la. I'm so glad to hear they're all happy, I seem to remember she mentioned on her blog that her son wasn't happy at the prospect of moving.

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    1. You are so welcome, Alison! I think the kids realize they are in Shangri-la, at least you can see it on their faces :)

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  4. Excellent, Tamara. You captured fantastic photos and the spirit of life in the country. Of course, you know all about that.

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    1. Thank you Grace and it was wonderful to FINALLY meet you! :)

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  5. I was hoping for some closer shots of the donkeys... ;) I'm super envious of 12 acres, but I don't know that I could jump right in and have a farm. What a life change!

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    1. Oh, Alan, sorry to disappoint. Haha..well, those photos are about all I saw of the donkeys - close up and wanting to nuzzle their big ol' snouts. What a life change for sure. Facilities Manager and I were discussing that if we had come across this property in our travels when searching for a home, would we have bought it? Two people managing all this? I think we would have, but we'd need to adopt some extended family to live with us. That's where garden bloggers, our extended family comes in :)

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  6. My heart is so happy Mindy and family found their way to Northrup Acres. It's perfect. Thanks for the wonderful tour :)

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    1. Ours are too, Jen - and wasn't it YOU who turned them onto this amazing property? Wow...you are the rock star! I hope you get a chance to get out there soon!

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  7. Gah, so fun to read! Even though I, of course, see all the things we want to do, it's not a bad start for only two months of settling in. I'm so excited to look back at your post this time next year to see how things have changed. We are literally living the dream. It's still hard to believe. I couldn't love it here any more. It's so pretty!!! The quality of life for all five of us has been drastically changed for the better. Not a moment of regret. And I'd say your other half is pretty good at estimating land size...the orchard is two and a half acres. ;)

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    1. I'm so thrilled you like it! There are so many more photos I took that I wanted to include, but I had to keep it a reasonable length. For instance the garden along the road - I didn't even get a chance to photograph it! You've done so much already and the place just glows with magic. You ARE living the dream and we're all here cheering for you guys! Thank you for having us all out, we look forward to more visits.

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  8. Well, this is a really cool moving story! I love it when obstacles are erased as though they were never meant to be. I had similar experiences when I sold my house in Portland and moved to NE Alabama - a beautiful place to live. Who knew? Now I get to follow Mindy's journey as well as yours. Thank you.

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    1. Isn't it moving? I know..she kept visualizing what their dream property would look like and well, here it is. Amazing. Wow - you made quite a move too. I didn't know but will keep my eyes open for NE Alabama stories! Cheers!

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  9. I love this post. Can't wait to see it all in person. Thanks for sharing. So happy for the family. That parting shot is killer.

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    1. You will love it, Patricia. We are so happy for them too! Yes, don't you have memories of doing that as a kid? I love that photo too.

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  10. The house is charming and the farm is a dream! Mindy must have great karma to have found such a perfect place for her family. I love all the critters too!

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    1. Oh, charming and dreamy are great adjectives, Kris. Mindy has AWESOME karma, by the way. They've been through a lot of ca-ca in the old Portland neighborhood, it's so nice that they did a 180 to these surroundings.

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  11. Thank you so much for all these photos! I was bummed to not be able to attend the gathering, it is amazing what Mindy and family have already done. They really are at home. Such a happy place...

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    1. You bet, Danger! Well...we'll have to have a road trip out there so you can visit. Such a happy place indeed.

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  12. I enjoyed this wonderful post so much, I´m a real country life lover and has grown up on a farm, also my children have grown up outside with goats and all other kind of critters. But your friends are so lucky to live on a real estate. I almost envy them, but....I´m too old and live in a small crowded country, but I´m also happy with my garden and green surroundings.
    Thank you for sharing this with us and I wish you all a nice weekend.

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Janneke. Where did you grow up? Outside of Amsterdam, or somewhere nearby? You have a wonderful garden, by the way. It's the heart of the gardener that matters :) Have a wonderful weekend yourself, Janneke!

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  13. I'm as thrilled for Mindy and her family as I was for you when you found your awesome property! Living an urban gardener's dream! How great would it be to have all that space to grow whatever one wished?!

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    1. Aw, you are the best, Peter! Mindy and family are super happy and she is living the dream. Although dealing with landscape fabric. D'OH! To have that much space...that is where the imagination kicks in and all manner of gardens are conjured up in dreams.

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  14. LOVE this. I've followed Mindy's FB page and blog for awhile and had to deal with my jealousy...lol....over their treasured find. What a dream that property is and Amity is a neat area. I've been through it a few times. I too can't wait to see all she does with it

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    1. Oh, wonderful Kirstin! I'm thrilled you found the post and get to see what she's up to. Amity is so wonderful, and we are all so excited for her and her family. Hers is a garden to watch as it progresses, for sure.

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  15. Such a joyful post. I do wish this family the very best.

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    1. Yay! Thank you Lisa, I'm sure Mindy is grateful :)

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  16. Thank you so much for sharing this. I miss Mindy's blog posts so much! The photos you captured are wonderful!

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    1. You are so welcome, Joanna! I miss her posts too...hopefully she'll have some time this winter when she's forced inside! :)

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