Our Shepherds Farm

Who We Are:

     Hi: We are Phillip And Yvonne Cook.

      We purchased our farm as a place to raise our children, and to serve our Savior, Jesus Christ.

     Our oldest, Girls, one 25, the younger 24. The  three Boys, are now 21,18, and our youngest now 16.

     As we  considered a move to the farm, the Lord Placed thoughts for this ministry on fathers heart, while attending a home school conference At the Lancaster Mennonite High School. While having lunch,  Father turned to the others at the table and asked, (having explained the vision he had received.),   If we do this, would anyone desire to come? Most of the many families sitting at near tables, turned and asked where? And; how soon? 

     Our family has mostly moved on, and the Lord has again put this on our heart...  For this reason we are offering this to the Home School, and other families, anywhere within a driving distance.  Here we are today...  ...making this offer available to your family...

Our Farm

    The early 1900s style farm will teach your family (through living and work here), about a life of a previous era...

     A time before electricity,  Time when Gas Lights, Gas Refrigerators, and ice houses, were modern technology!  A time before we assumed all cooking had to be done all at once, in a rush. (This is why there will still  be coal cook stoves to bake bread, cook dinners, and bake pies, and cakes.) 

    For one week you go back to, when a loving mother, and the other family members, made most of the family's clothing, and loved having the ability to produce healthy and interesting meals.

    Our cottages (as we build them) will have the best insulation and construction possible, Yet the finishings appear to be primative by todays standards. Future plans (as funds become available) are to install a composting toilet in each cabin, for those who may be concerned about using the "privy" at night, (or when it is bitter cold during the winter months).  We will provide in a separate shower building (to be shared by all cottages) to allow that modern luxury. We will, manage to put an old fashioned bathtub in each cabin, as this was more typical to the period represented.

    We will raise crops, such as grains, vegetables, nuts, fruit, and flax for fiber. In addition to hay for our animals.

    We plan to constantly increase the variety of animals  to what granpa would have had, from a cow or two for milk, and goats to keep the hedgerows clean, and to entertain us while, maybe providing goats milk and meat, there will soon be a little flock of sheep for wool and meat. And don't forget the pigs. There will  be a mixed group of poultry, for eggs, and meat and shear entertainment.  these will include Chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, and maybe some other weird birds. 

    We often see several types of wild animals, from the problems we endure like deer, groundhogs, and rabbits;  to pheasants, quail, sometimes an oppossum, or raccoon, and always the rodents good and bad. There are loads of songbirds,  toads, and frogs and yes even sometimes a snake will pass by...  We see earthworms when we are working the fields. As well as many other little insects, and BUGS. Oh yes, we raise honey bees, and when working them, those who are not allergic, are welcome to don a suit, and help.

    This is only a partial list of your possible  experiances while here, bring a microscope and you might look at the soil microbes, and fungi, or the pond microbes.