Meet the Farm Crew and the “Cream Team”

Grandma – I’m the lady behind the Homestead!

I’m Erica (or “The Milk Lady,” as my customers’ kids like to holler when they see me pull up). I’m the solo-lady behind Grandma’s Homestead — a one-woman show with a Jersey cow herd, a bunch of chickens, and a big ol’ love for slow, simple livin’. I started this farm in my 40s as a single woman with big dreams, a small patch of land, and absolutely no experience.

Today, I raise dairy cows, pigs, chickens, gardens, and grandkids. I want to make everything from scratch and share what I learn along the way so other women (and men too) can do the same — whether they’ve got a whole farm or just a dream in their heart.

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the country.

Jersey Cows

My “Cream Team”

The milkmaids, butter queens, and the heart of this farm.

🐮 Ariel
The original girl who started this whole adventure with me as a calf. She’s now the mama of Belle and the undisputed Queen Bee of the Homestead. Nothing happens around here without Ariel knowing about it first.

🐮 Elsa
Elsa came to the homestead just a few months before having her first calf. Neither of us had any experience — I’d never milked a cow, and nobody had ever milked her — so we learned side-by-side. Today she’s one of the calmest, most easy going cows I could ever dream of having.

🐮 Belle
Belle was born right here on the homestead. Her mama is Ariel. She grew up watching the milking crew and was raised to join them someday — and now she’s officially ready to start her own milking journey, with her first calf on the way soon.

🐮 Anna (Sweetheart)
Anna earned her nickname fair and square. She joined the homestead to become part of the milking crew, and this fall she welcomed her calf, Moana. Today she’s the cow giving the most milk — steady, sweet, and always first in line at the stanchion, well right behind Ariel that is.

🐮 Tinker Bell (Tink)
Tink made a long road trip to get to the homestead, arriving just before her calf was born. She settled in fast and quickly became one of the girls giving the most milk — but now she’s taking it easy and getting ready to have her next calf next year.

🐷 The Kune Kune Pigs — the Pasture Comedians
Look at these chunky little butterball marshmallows crammed together like they’re posing for a family Christmas card nobody asked for but EVERYBODY needed. These short-legged, snort-laughin’, grass-munchin’ wiggle-beans keep the whole homestead entertained. Whether they’re lining up like a trio of spotted meatloafs, arguing over snacks, floppin’ over for belly rubs, or following me around like I’m the Queen of Treats, they bring nothing but joy, chaos, and comic relief to chore time. The farm wouldn’t be half as fun without ’em.

🐔 The Chickens — the Breakfast Crew
Scratchin’, peckin’, struttin’, and gossipin’ from sunup to sundown. These ladies run the place like a feathered HOA. They lay the eggs, keep the bugs in check, and argue with each other like they’re on a farmyard reality show.

They’re equal parts chaos and charm — always underfoot, always chatty, and always certain you brought snacks (even when you absolutely did not).

The eggs are just a bonus. The entertainment? Free and daily.

Grandkids & Family

👧👦 My Grandkids – favorite farmhands

Always underfoot, always helpin’ (or at least tryin’). They bring the fun, the noise, and the heart to this place.

🤠 My Son – The heavy lifter

When something needs moved, fixed, hauled, or wrangled. I love him — complaints, eye rolls, and all.

👨‍🔧 My Dad – There’s a whole lot I couldn’t do without him.

Always there when something needs built, repaired, or brainstormed. He’s the quiet backbone of this homestead.

🐶 Cowpoke (the Grand-Dog) The well-known spotted sidekick ridin’ shotgun on milk deliveries

Greeting customers,, and supervisin’ every delivery and barn chore with his whole heart (and whole tail).

🐕‍🦺 Roxie — Livestock Guardian Extraordinaire
The night-shift sheriff of the homestead. Roxie keeps watch while the rest of us sleep like rocks, patrolling the fence lines with her “don’t-even-try-it” stare. Coyotes, raccoons, stray dogs, sketchy shadows — she handles ’em all with quiet confidence and zero hesitation.

But the second the danger is handled, this girl transforms into a 90-pound toddler who expects to be petted anytime a human hand isn’t actively doing something else. If you pause for even a breath, she’s wedging her head under your arm like,
“Hey!… you forgot my pats.”

🐱 The Barn Cats — pest control specialists
Nine of the sneakiest, sassiest, sun-soakin’, mouse-huntin’ supervisors you’ll ever meet. They patrol the hay bales, nap in every warm spot they ain’t supposed to, and act like they own the deed to this farm, all while impatiently waiting for their share of the warm milk each day.