Joe and Shelly started Sandy Acres in 1992 in Willow Springs, North Carolina, with a small garden, 25 chickens, 8 rabbits, and 3 sheep. They embarked on a journey to achieve the goals of producing one half of all their food, working to preserve the genetics of several rare livestock breeds, and designing the specifics of a farmstead infrastructure that supported their plans. More than twenty years later, even though they have achieved these goals, they continue to learn from, love, and be beat up by the farm in new ways every day. The school of hard knocks is always in session! It is a very creative and rewarding enterprise.
They manage a woodlot for firewood and hunting deer and turkeys. They have a young orchard that is very diverse and starting to produce. Their vegetable garden consists of 48 raised 4’x8’ beds that Shelly meticulously plans, plants and cares for. “Each summer she feeds us well from the bounty and cans anywhere between 500 and 800 jars of food for off-season use. She is in her element being a shepherdess and gardener,” Joe Trumpey said.
Joe teaches courses on Sustainable Food System Design and often hosts students at the farm. Most have no experience with food production and are anxious to get their hands dirty and learn. “We are constantly encouraged by the growing number of young people telling us that they want to ‘get back to the land’ and work in similar ways that we have,” Joe Trumpey said.
The Trumpeys are always interested in helping others get established with rare breeds and are ready to share their experience as well as sell livestock.