Our story begins in January 2020, when a health scare forced us to reconsider everything about how we were living. What started as a desperate search for a healthier lifestyle became an adventure that would transform our entire family.
In March 2022, we packed up our three children and left the comfort of suburban Bellville for Tesselaarsdal - a tiny village in the Overberg that most people have never heard of.
Froggie Farm, our 38-acre piece of heaven, came with spectacular views of the Kleinrivier Mountain Range, more challenges than we could have imagined, and a community that would become our chosen family.
Our family of six includes three energetic children who've adapted to farm life with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and my mother Sue who helps educate the little ones while keeping us all sane.
Writer, teacher, and reluctant farmer learning to embrace chaos and community
The patient husband, IT professional, and DIY enthusiast who can fix anything with cable ties
Our eldest, the chicken entrepreneur with a heart for business and adventure
The middle child who grew the best vegetables and sailed his homemade raft
Our youngest, the chicken whisperer and fearless explorer
The super woman who teaches the children and keeps us all sane
Arrived at Froggie Farm with high hopes and no farming experience
Adopted two destructive puppies and learned about "farmer drama"
Started our chicken adventure and planted our first (failed) garden
Survived a month without electricity and learned about community
Successfully raised and processed our first broiler chickens
Fought a veld fire with our neighbors at midnight
Started working with Tessies Youth and found our purpose
Froggie Farm is now home to free-range chickens, four dogs, and whatever wildlife decides to visit. We grow vegetables (with varying success), make our own bread, and have learned that community is everything.
Our journey has taught us that success isn't avoiding failure - it's learning to fail forward. Every disaster became a lesson, every challenge strengthened our family bonds, and every neighbor who helped became part of our story.
We share our story not because we've mastered farm life (we haven't), but because we've learned that the best adventures come when you're brave enough to begin before you're ready.
We'd love to hear from you! Whether you're considering your own farming adventure or just want to say hello.
louise@dawe.co.za