“Frenchie Farm started with our two French Bulldogs who were having a lot of health issues at the time,” says farm founder and homesteader Colleen Hinds. “So we made a big lifestyle shift for our dogs and for ourselves to achieve more of a healthy lifestyle.”
After founding Frenchie Farm in the suburbs of Chicago, Hinds noticed a significant improvement in the health of her dogs. And since then Hinds and her family have embraced a more holistic lifestyle through practicing regenerative farming methods.
“Ultimately we wanted to be able to produce as much of our own food as possible,” she explains.
Taking a moment out from homestead duties and teaching farm classes for the community’s kids, we spoke to Hinds about embracing sustainable practices and restoring a farmhouse from the 1800s. We also got the scoop on a couple of escape artist cattle.
Moving to a Farming Lifestyle
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A large part of the reason Hinds and her husband founded Frenchie Farm was to provide their children opportunities to benefit from a farming lifestyle.
“It’s been a wonderful experience to see our kids grow up on a farm and to see them go out and be able to grow their own food, harvest their own food and collect eggs,” says Hinds.
Beyond her immediate family, Hinds also teaches farm classes to children from the local community. As many as 100 kids attend classes each week.
Read more: Make art with your kids using leaves from around the farm!
Renovating the Farmhouse
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The 1800s farmhouse is a key hub at Frenchie Farms. “We are still very much in the midst of renovating it!” says Hinds. “My husband is a contractor and specializes in restoring old historic homes. So it’s been a perfect fit for us.”
Honoring a Sense of History
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Talking about the farmhouse at Frenchie Farm, Hinds says the couple’s approach to renovation involves respecting the past while moving forwards.
“We’re really proud of being able to keep the historic features and historic charm of the house,” she says. “We always want to maintain the integrity of the house, while being able to update it to feel like it’s our home.”
Meet the Escaping Cattle
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Harry and Larry, a Highland cattle pair, are two of the animal residents at Frenchie Farm. And Hinds describes the duo as “extremely naughty.”
She recalls how back in November, they managed to escape in the middle of the night. The pair proceeded to embark on a joy run through the neighborhood.
“It was very terrifying and very funny at the same time,” she says. “They are very cute and very naughty and slowly becoming a bit more personable as well.”
Read more: Meet the Scottish Highland cattle of Little Tail Farms!
Keeping Things Sustainable
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Along with being able to provide healthier homegrown food for her family, Hinds says that endorsing sustainable farming practices is an important part of running her homestead.
“We’re a regenerative farm. So we know we’re making a good impact on the environment,” she says.
Follow Frenchie Farm at Instagram.
