February Newsletter 2025

A LOVE STORY THAT BEGAN ON THE SLOPES AND IS ROOTED IN RESILIENCE

In 1987, fate (and a bit of snow magic) brought Peter and I together in the mountains of Park City, Utah. I was working as a concierge at a hotel, and Peter, visiting from Canada, was one of the guests. We spent a few blissful days skiing together. Peter returned to Canada and with no cell phones or emails back then, we kept in touch the old-fashioned way: writing letters filled with dreams and stories.

After the ski season, I moved to Aspen, Colorado, for a seasonal job. Peter came to visit, and something inside me said, “this guy checks all the boxes.” I decided to take a leap of faith and traveled to Vancouver, Canada, landing a job as a nanny just to be near him.

Our love grew, and in 1990, we tied the knot. Together, we moved to a farm in Scio, Oregon. It wasn’t easy—just the two of us, our dog Mishka, and a herd of Holstein bull calves we were raising for beef. We eventually added chickens, geese, and turkeys, and dove headfirst into farm life. It was backbreaking, often cold, and rainy—but we had each other, and that made all the difference.

The next chapter of our lives began when we moved to Winton, California, to expand our calf-raising business. Life threw us a devastating challenge when we lost our first child, Nicholas, just six days after he was born. At the time, we had just moved into a remodeled water tank house of 685-square-feet. In his memory, we named the calf ranch Nicholas Calf Ranch.

Despite the heartache, we found moments of humor. One unforgettable afternoon, Peter was mowing the thick, towering weeds around the farm, and let’s just say a tick managed to find its way into a very unfortunate spot—I’ll leave the details to your imagination. His reaction was priceless, and we still laugh about it today.

As time went on, we became deeply concerned about the rapidly diminishing agricultural land in California. Peter had become Merced County Farm Bureau President and was on the front lines of all the development. We formed a nonprofit, Valley Land Alliance, and spent countless hours advocating for laws to protect California’s unique farmland. But unfortunately, California was changing: pollution, gang activity, garbage, excessive spraying, employee issues, water worries, and relentless urban sprawl made it clear that it was time for a change.

Returning to Oregon felt like coming home. We named our farm in Silverton Whole Circle Farms, inspired by our belief that everything is connected. We settled on 100 beautiful acres with a peaceful creek. Coincidentally, it was the first year hemp was legalized, and it called to us. Discovering its powerful medicinal properties still takes my breath away. Even today, I feel blessed that we can plant and harvest a crop that was outlawed for so long.

This month, we’re excited to plant 2,500 native plants as part of our ongoing effort to focus on reducing soil erosion, improving water quality, and enhancing wildlife habitats through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, or CREP.

Looking back on our journey, I see a story filled with love, resilience, and growth. Through every challenge and change, Peter has been my rock, my partner, and my greatest joy. As Valentine’s Day approaches, I celebrate not just where we’ve been, but where we’re headed—hand in hand.