Daily Inspiration: Meet Anne Akers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Akers.

Hi Anne, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up on a small family farm with a huge garden, cows, pigs, and chickens which we raised for our personal use. As a child, I woke up each morning with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. My husband, after earning his Master’s degree, took a job as a county extension agent in a rural county in Virginia. I would say we were gravitating towards rural living.

When we had children we chose to live in the suburbs with strong school systems. Once we became empty nesters, we honed in on the idea of moving to the country and starting a small farm or business of some sort such as a winery or a bed and breakfast.. We knew we wanted some sort of side hustle after we retired. We knew we wanted to live in the country. We had visited several wineries and small farm businesses. We enjoyed animals. So we started looking.

We purchased our small farm in 2015 in Franklin County, NC. Alpacas were trending at the time, so taking inspiration from our love of the fiber arts, we decided to design our farm around the idea of “from farm to sweater” (or something along those lines).,

We started with a herd of five alpacas that another family had inherited and really didn’t want. We added a donkey for protection. Then came Angora goats, similar story to the alpacas. The farmer who had them no longer wanted them and was going to take them to market if no one purchased them. We added a couple of llamas for protection but also to see what could be made from their fiber. When we realized much alpaca yarn is blended with wool to add elasticity, we decided to add sheep to our farm. We let our grandchildren pick out lambs from a friend’s farm and then they began showing them at the State Fair. (Last year one of our ewes won grand champion in the youth division and was reserve grand champion in the adult division.)

Caring for livestock today is a lot different than when I was a child when hay cost only $4 a bale or less. So to help support our farm, we became an agritourism farm opening our farm up to public tours. We opened a small farm store as well and a farm stay last year through Air BnB.

As a former educator, it became clear to me that what we were doing with our farm tours was education. So in addition to farm tours, we host both public school and home school fieldtrips, community groups, classes, and special events. We do 45 to 60 minute guided walking tours with our visitors educating them about fiber animals and their care and the uses of their fiber but we also talk about small farms and the life of a farmer. We have added lavender as a value-add to our farm and incorporate that into our farm products but also education as well.

We are truly a small operation – my husband and I conduct all the tours. When we have bigger events such as a large school fieldtrip, we bring in some excellent volunteers, but otherwise, when we say it is a small family farm, we do mean small.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not a smooth road and if there are any small family farms that say its a smooth road, I’d like to meet them! LOL

SOME of the struggles:

* Cost of feeding and caring for the animals (grain, vet bills, hay, fencing, pasture, shelter, etc.)
* Processing animal fiber – not enough small mills and the time to get it processed can be years, not to mention cost
* Physicality for the farmer/farmHer
* Weather
* Insurance: finding companies willing to cover agritourism farms, unclear expectations, etc.
* Tax related issues such as reporting, unclear guidelines, recognition of agritourism as farming, etc.
* Infringing development around farm land
* cost of but also time maintaining a website and social media
* finding a life/work balance

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I love crafting and always have for as long as I can remember. Loved watching my grandmother quilt and crochet and enjoyed her beautiful flower gardens. Learned to knit when I was nine and to crochet when I was a freshman in college. When we were first married, I became addicted to counted cross stitch and made everyone presents because we really didn’t have money to buy presents. Crafting was my happy time. I so enjoy thinking about the person I make something for as I make it.

When I had grandchildren, I started knitting or crocheting them things such as blankets, hats, dresses, sweaters, and even stuffed animals. I know they will have much to remember me by and to share with their children one day. And that makes me happy as well. That’s probably what I am most proud of and that my grandchildren see the love I had for them in my art.

While in graduate school, I started pottery and still love working with clay but the farm doesn’t give me much time to sit at a wheel anymore. I’m trying to find time to learn to spin my own fiber. I do basic, simple weaving but plan to get much better at it as time allows. And my newest fiber art is needle felting!

Now I make some things for my store from my animal fiber. There is a true satisfaction in working with my own animals’ fiber. I think about the animal that the fiber came from and it makes me happy knowing that the animal will live on in something beautiful and practical. I love knowing that this aspect of farming is something that doesn’t require the animal to be harvested.

I really can’t define what sets me apart from others. Rather, I feel a connection, a kinship, a warm sisterhood with other like-minded fiber farmHers. that I have connected with either locally and in person or through social media groups over the years. We all give each other support and hope and inspiration to keep going. I would love to think that I served as inspiration for someone else because I would be in such good company with who have inspired and continue to inspire me.

How do you think about happiness?
I pretty much covered this in the prior question. Making things for my loved ones or as gifts makes me happy. Making art with fiber makes me happy. Educating people about our farm makes me happy. Connecting with other like-minded farmhers and fiber artists makes me happy. But, bottom line, my sweet animals make me the happiest. I can sit with them all day listening to their silly sounds and watching them cavort and carry on. They transport my life to a different plain where there is no politics or chaos and they give me hope.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://twodachshundfarm.com
• Instagram: @twodachshundfarm
• Facebook: @twodachshundfarm