Why we Love the Toby Way
|
In 1978, Marc & Louissa Geese built their family a house on a hill in Fresno, Ohio.
Around 40 years (and 30 added acres) later, they turned that well-built, well-loved home over to their oldest daughter, Becky (that’s me 😊 ) and my husband, Brian Frame. Brian and I spent many of our weekends for 3 years remodeling, rebuilding, and repurposing most of that original house. Our goal and dream is to spend the rest of our lives watching the sun rise over these hills, growing our hobby farm into a sustainable source of products and education for our community, and teaching our grandkids why the best things in life really are homemade. During that whole remodeling process, we joked that our pomeranian Toby was the best supervisor we could ask for. Every weekend, he would pile up on the front seat of my truck right between us, endure the 3 hour drive, and then watch closely (sometimes too closely) as we replaced plumbing, reworked electrical systems, and eventually started to see something that looked like the dream in our minds. No matter what else was going on Toby had his schedule, and he made sure to interrupt us when it was time for his milk, his walk, his tummy scratch, his snack (preferrably ice cream), and anything else he could think of that we may have forgotten to do for him through the day. He kept us on task, and he always got his way. We looked forward to the day when we would move to the farm as a family. In July of 2019, just as we were pulling together the final pieces of the main living space and making arrangements to sell our house, start a new job, and jump straight into the daunting task of moving, our world was rocked when an illness unexpectedly took our fluffy little supervisor away from us. This little guy that meant so very much to both of us would not be moving to the farm with us afterall. The name of our home, Toby Way Farm, is our way of keeping him a big part of our dream. Toby’s Way was to take things slow, stop and make new friends along the way, greet the world with a smile that showed from his nose to his tail, sit in the sun on the first warm day of spring and look for the shade in the heat of summer, romp in the snow with reckless abandon, and love with everything he had. Our hope, as we work to build our home, is that we are creating a space where others can come and enjoy a quiet view, find something sweet to eat, and join us in doing things the Toby Way. |
When it comes to actually running a small farm we all like to say we do things the "right way", but that means something different to everyone. For us, the right way means happy, healthy livestock that are treated like pets and loved like family. It means purchasing or bartering for the supplies we need from local suppliers and farmers as much as possible. We are members of our local Farm Bureau, support our Coshocton County 4H programs and the County Fair, and we get creative when it comes to incorporating the local community into our piece of this world.
Our roadside market isn't manned, it runs on the honor system. Prices are marked clearly and there is a cash box at the door for collecting payment. If they're a little short this time around, we know our patrons will make it up on their next visit. If you come in needing food for your family, we aren't going to let you go home empty handed. We only use simple and wholesome ingredients in our baked goods and fruit jams. This includes organic flour, cane sugar, and fresh local produce when possible. We feed our critters good food and keep things as natural as we can. Our gardens are tended but not perfect. They're productive but not overworked. Nature knows best - we're just here to help. Our hope is to one day offer classes on skills like canning, gardening, woodworking, and beekeeping. Until then, we'll keep growing our own skills. Learning is a full time job that pays well. We believe Wholesome is a goal, Simple is a virtue, and Honest is a promise. We hope when you visit us, you'll feel the same. ~Brian & Becky Frame |
|
Resources we like
www.fresnohio.com A fun community site all about Fresno
tmkfarmservice.com Critter feed and farm service - they deliver!
www.betterhensandgardens.com A Blog about critters, what's not to like??
adga.org ALL our goats are registered with the American Dairy Goat Association
thriftyhomesteader.com More critter blogs, with an eye toward not breaking the bank
www.thewoolyappalachian.com A local lady with big dreams and a passion for natual animal fibers and the beautiful things she can make with them
tmkfarmservice.com Critter feed and farm service - they deliver!
www.betterhensandgardens.com A Blog about critters, what's not to like??
adga.org ALL our goats are registered with the American Dairy Goat Association
thriftyhomesteader.com More critter blogs, with an eye toward not breaking the bank
www.thewoolyappalachian.com A local lady with big dreams and a passion for natual animal fibers and the beautiful things she can make with them
