Five Years Ago, We Stepped Onto a Junkyard—and Everything Changed
Five years ago today, Jason and I stood on 20 acres of overgrown land that most people would have walked away from without a second glance.
It wasn’t beautiful. It wasn’t peaceful. It certainly wasn’t romantic.
It was a junkyard.
Rusting cars. Old warehouses. Tall weeds reclaiming everything. Broken concrete. Silence that felt heavy, not calming. There was nothing about it that resembled what Anson Arbor Farm is today.
And yet… something pulled us in.
Seeing What Wasn’t There (Yet)
That first visit wasn’t about what the land was — it was about what it could be.
We walked slowly. We talked quietly. We imagined loudly. I remember it was a cold and snowy weekend.
We pictured winding paths instead of tire tracks.
We saw light-filled cottages instead of debris.
We imagined couples arriving through the gated entrance.
We didn’t have a business plan neatly tied with a bow. We didn’t have funding lined up or answers to all the questions. What we had was a shared feeling — one that’s hard to explain unless you’ve felt it yourself.
“This could be something really special.”
The Long Way Around
The five years since that day have been anything but easy.
There were countless obstacles — financing hurdles, construction delays, decisions that felt impossibly heavy, moments when quitting would have been the logical choice. There were days we questioned ourselves, days we were exhausted, and days when progress felt painfully slow.
But there were also moments of deep gratitude:
The first time a cottage we finished (Willow Cottage)
The first booking (The Haman’s, guests that have turned into friends)
The first guest arrival (Tondra & Troy, friends and some of our biggest supporters)
The first guest message saying, “We didn’t want to leave.”
Every challenge refined the vision. Every delay forced intention. Every setback reminded us why we started.
I wasn’t until the cottages were done that we realized, we weren’t just building cottages…
We were creating space — for connection, for rest, for people to slow down together.
From Junkyard to a Place That Holds Stories
Today, this land holds anniversaries, honeymoons, quiet mornings, deep conversations, surprise proposals, and memories that matter.
Where there was once clutter and chaos, there is now calm.
Where there was once mud and cows, there is now purpose.
And without that leap of faith, there wouldn’t be this place that we are incredibly proud to share.
Why This Anniversary Matters
This five-year milestone isn’t just about time passing.
It’s about believing in something before it exists.
It’s about choosing the harder path because it felt meaningful.
It’s about honoring the journey — not just the finished product.
When guests arrive at Anson Arbor Farm today, many don’t know the full story of what this land once was. But they feel the intention behind it. They feel the care, the thoughtfulness, the subtle invitation to slow down.
And that makes every step of the journey worth it.
Looking Ahead
We don’t take a single moment here for granted.
Five years ago, this was a junkyard.
Today, it’s a place where people come to reconnect.
And tomorrow, the story keeps unfolding.
Thank you to every guest, every supporter, and every person who believed in this dream — sometimes even before we fully did ourselves.
Here’s to five years of transformation, and to everything still to come. 🌿