TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
The farm will be open to the public on Saturdays beginning this month. Customers can expect cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, squash, watermelons, potatoes, onions and wild blackberries this year. Faith says they “are expecting a bumper crop.” They also sell at local farmers’ markets, including CEP Ark-La-Tex Cluster Farmers’ Co-op. Additionally, while they cannot sell off-farm, Texas Cottage Laws allow them to sell their free-range chickens processed for meat. Faith recalls that she thought all chicken was the same, “but these are not chickens like you get in the store. They are big and so tender, and you can taste the difference,” she said. It has been five years since William and Faith made that journey to their new home. They have since built a house and a new life here in Bowie County. They travel back to the Metroplex from time to time and recognize that familiar tension surrounding city life. Faith said, “when I cross the Sulphur River on the way home, it feels like everything melts away.” With fresh air, good food and exercise, Faith’s health has improved, and every year, they are “picking up the pieces from the damage the disease has done.”
William and Faith have been married for 23 years and have six children and thirteen grandchildren, with one more on the way! Their family was supportive of their decision to relocate and reinvent themselves. Their children even come in to help when it is harvest time. In addition to Faith’s improved health, she says that this simple life “provides a sense of stability for my family. Our kids know this farm has been here for 150 years, and they know it will still be here. Someday, they can pick up where we left off.” Faith and William recognize the importance of families staying together and weathering storms together. They encourage others who are able to “go back to living a simple life with traditional skills. We need that right now.” As they ponder the benefits of their hard work and what it will mean for future generations, this couple enjoys thinking about what they are building for their children and grandchildren. As Faith says quite simply, “It’s a legacy.” Find more information about the Ellis family and their farm- fresh products at LongWalkSpring.com or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
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LIFE & STYLE
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