Everyone has a story. Like most stories, the one about how our family found its way into farming took a few twists and turns, but it ultimately led us back home and toward a simpler, more intentional way of life.
It eventually led us to Our Way.
Nichel (pronounced like Michelle, but with an “N”) grew up in Nassau, Bahamas and never imagined she would one day live on a farm raising livestock. She came to the United States to attend college and pursue a degree in Graphic Design. Somewhere along the way, she met Justin, and the two began talking here and there.
Justin grew up on a dirt road in Zephyrhills, a small town outside the Tampa Bay area in Florida. As a teenager, he raised pigs and cows and showed them each year at the county fair. While he enjoyed the experience, it was not something he envisioned as his future. After high school, Justin moved to the Clearwater area where he also pursued a degree in Graphic Design.
Nichel and Justin eventually began dating and were married a few years later. They entered the workforce and settled into what many would consider a standard way of living. They had a nice house with neighbors just a few feet away. They owned reliable cars that were not brand new but were only a few years old. They had a beautiful baby girl who attended daycare while both mom and dad worked full time.
Moving forward- and moving back home…
In 2011, Nichel and Justin stumbled upon the opportunity to purchase seven acres of land on the same dirt road where Justin grew up. The property was literally next door to the house he grew up in and near the home where his dad still lives today. Frustrated with traffic in Pinellas County and worn down by the daily grind of city life, they wanted something more. They wanted to try things a different way. Their way.
It would take a few years, but eventually, they would find themselves back on that old dirt road.
In 2013, Nichel and Justin were blessed with their second baby girl. Around that time, they became serious about making meaningful changes in their lives. They sold their home in the city and moved back to Zephyrhills. Nichel left her job so she could stay home with the kids and help shape their lives in a more intentional way.
Immediately after moving to the property, they began improving the land and building the infrastructure needed to turn raw acreage into a working farm.
The chicken came first, then the egg.
Shortly after starting this new chapter, Nichel and Justin purchased their first batch of layer chickens from a local feed store. Six months later, they collected their first eggs. It did not take long to realize the difference that authentic, farm fresh, local food makes.
Friends and family noticed the difference too. As word spread, a small but loyal customer base began to grow.
In 2017, Nichel and Justin made things official and launched Our Way Farms, LLC with the goal of providing fresh, high quality food to their community. What began with eggs expanded to pasture raised chicken and turkey. This was real food, raised without antibiotics or hormones, and without relying on large confined feed lot operations. It did not depend on GMO grains or feeds sprayed with harmful chemicals.
It was a different way of doing things, and it still is.
A New Chapter in Tennessee
Eventually, life led the family to Tennessee, where they continue to pursue the same values that started it all. The move brought new land, new challenges, and new opportunities to build on what had already been learned. While the landscape changed, the mission did not.
The focus remains on stewardship, sustainability, and raising food with intention, honesty, and care.