In a bold move to fulfill their childhood dreams, a high school couple from the northern central region of Texas purchased three acres of land on the outskirts of Fort Worth and are now happily living a self-sufficient farm life.
Harry and Jackie (pseudonyms used for privacy reasons) first met in middle school, but sparks truly flew during one of Harry’s high school football games. On a chilly day, he draped his school team jacket over her and even treated her to hot chocolate. From that moment on, the two fell in love.
Their shared dream of a farm began overseas. Harry, now 37 years old and a firefighter, arrived in Fort Worth at the age of 10. His family, of Bosnian descent, had to flee their homeland during the intensified civil war in the early 1990s. They abandoned thousands of acres of farmland and livestock.
Jackie, also 37, revealed to the Epoch Times that Harry’s childhood was filled with “wonderful memories” of sheep, chickens, cows, horses, and turkeys. “He wanted our children to have a similar experience,” she said.
Growing up in Fort Worth, Jackie, who received professional dance training, wasn’t the type to get her hands dirty. Nevertheless, she was always an animal lover and frequently visited relatives’ farms in Wisconsin.
Both of them independently fell in love with the idea of farm life.
“I really liked the idea,” Jackie said. “We started planning and preparing financially.”
The newlyweds married in 2012 and to save money for land purchase and allow Harry to complete his firefighting training, they moved in with Jackie’s parents. Soon, they found a three-acre plot near Jackie’s family lake house.
“We moved onto the land in the summer of 2019. It was a hot and harsh Texas summer, but we’ve been living there ever since,” Jackie said. They named their farm “FireSide Acres.”
For those interested in trying out a homesteading lifestyle, Jackie’s advice is to “take it slow and learn as you go” because they were well aware of their lack of experience.
“We initially planned to raise chickens, a few sheep, and goats. For us, it was important for our two sons to have enough space to play, get dirty, and be lively boys,” Jackie explained. Later, they welcomed a daughter as well.
As a city girl, Jackie admitted she was “spoiled” from a young age – but she had no intention of passing on that habit to her children.
“My mom did everything for me. She cooked for me, cleaned my room, and even did my laundry until I went to college,” she shared. She added that she wants to teach her children to “appreciate what they have, understand how we got it, and the hard work required to maintain this lifestyle.”
This lifestyle has subtly influenced their children.
“Our children now automatically get up on weekends to do household chores without us having to tell them,” Jackie said. She also mentioned that she is healthier now than before because she often lifts 50-pound feed bags and chases after chickens. After farm work, she also teaches dance classes in the evening. Harry helps out whenever he’s not at work.
The pursuit of a healthy, natural lifestyle was one of the reasons they ventured into farm life. Jackie stated that they try to grow their own herbs and vegetables as much as possible, aiming to reduce reliance on modern pharmaceutical companies. They also hope their children receive education in a “small class setting with small town values.”
Speaking of values, Jackie mentioned that their household adopts “to some extent, traditional gender roles.” Although she and Harry agreed that she would stay at home to care for the children while he earns money, the whole family works together towards common goals.
However, farm life wasn’t all smooth sailing, and becoming experienced farmers wasn’t immediate. Over the past six years, they faced numerous challenges and overcame each one.
When they discovered foxes repeatedly preying on their hundreds of chickens, they started getting Great Pyrenees dogs to guard the poultry and purchased cats to control rodents. Crop failures (apart from pumpkins – hence they had “pumpkin every night for months”), led them to seek advice from local farmers, learn about companion planting, and start using organic compost and manure in the soil.
They also realized the destructive power of goats – the cheap fence they initially bought was chewed beyond recognition, leading them to spend more money rebuilding it.
Despite the challenges, their farm dream has come true. They share their daily farm activities and warm moments on social media. Harry and Jackie often dance in the Texas night by the campfire, celebrating life.
Six years later, everything seems to have come full circle. Harry’s family often visits, providing planting advice and naming the land “Little Bosnia.” The fusion of cultures has enriched the family’s life, and the couple appreciates each other’s qualities even more.
“We both know how lucky we are to have found each other. We always strive to maintain communication, listen to each other’s perspectives, to strengthen our marriage,” Jackie said.
To this day, relatives still talk about their Bosnian and American mixed-style wedding from years ago, held at a beautiful venue by Grandbury Lake, blending various traditions.
Now, as they witness the farm flourishing, the couple is preparing to sell the three-acre land and upgrade to five acres. They plan to build the dream barn, a chicken coop, and ultimately create their dream home.