Hi, my name is Gannon. I’m an aspiring small-time farmer, hobby writer, and first and foremost, a dreamer. Technically, I’m a second-generation farmer. My parents purchased our ~35-acre property in Northeast Pennsylvania in the early 2000s and began hobby farming around 2008. They did a little of everything: cows, goats, sheep, chickens, gardening- I think we grew wheat once? They were satisfied with farming for themselves, along with running a full-time business elsewhere.
After a stint living in New Mexico, I returned to the farm in the fall of 2023. I found myself at a crossroads: settle my affairs at home and return to the southwest permanently (where there was some family), or rededicate myself to the farm. At 20 years old, I chose the farm. We called the farm simply ‘Oak Hill Highland Farm’ both for the Scottish Highlands we raise, and for our location on top of Oak Hill (one of several around the country.)
For two years now, I have been on a journey dotted with both successes (occasional) and failures (daily). My long-term vision includes creating a sizeable food garden and agricultural tourist attraction. I hope to create something enjoyable to share with surrounding communities and to someday make at least a part-time living for myself while doing it. My current efforts include a blueberry patch of 110 bushes and counting, ~75 laying hens, a half-acre of fields for corn and pumpkins, and an incoming batch of Christmas tree transplants for the spring.
I created this blog for two reasons: 1. to promote my farm through sharing my ups and downs with you, my readers, and 2. to provide myself a place to keep record of all my progress and past efforts. I called it The Farming Fool because of how I got started. A lot of those farming were born into multi-generational operations; for them, it was the obvious path. I chose this road, and you could call someone a fool for that. It’s a lot of work- hard work, the pay isn’t always so great, and you’re ever at the mercy of Mother Nature. For me, I think it’s a worthwhile effort, and if you choose to follow along, I hope you will too.
