View From Our Place
All the animals get along at Beverly Frankeny’s farm.
It’s 5 o’clock in the morning. We’ve awoken to our internal clocks, as we have every morning for the past 10 years. Donning our work clothes, my husband, Jack, and I let our three dogs out the door as we head down the lane to the barn. We hear our roosters crowing on the other side of the woods. And though the barn is almost a quarter mile from our house, the donkeys begin to bray their rather hungry impatience at the sound of the garage door opening. The sun is just beginning rise. The pigs and sheep greet us at their fence, bleating and snorting, hoping for a treat. By the time we reach the barn, the cats have emerged, their purpose obvious. Moonbeam, our Haflinger horse and the leader of our small herd of seven equines, kicks the barn siding. It’s his way of firmly saying “horses first!” We slide open the barn door, and this is how another day begins at Bee Haven Acres. Ten years ago, our children grown and on their own paths, Jack and I made the decision to move to the Ridge and Valley Region of central Pennsylvania’s western Appalachian Mountains. At the time, many of our peers were downsizing and simplifying their lives. We took the opposite path and enthusiastically jumped with both feet into creating a life on 140 acres (100 of which are wooded) in the country. Jack and I designed and built a log home at the edge of the woods. Pastures were fenced, farm buildings were added, gardens and orchards were planted where fields once stood fallow.
Chickens were our first farm animals, quickly followed by ducks (wild and domestic), bees and goats. Our confidence grew as our menagerie expanded, and within a few years we had adopted a Haflinger horse, two ponies, two Sicilian donkeys, two miniature horses, two Kunekune pigs, two Southdown babydoll sheep, several turkeys, a flock of guinea fowl, and a handful of wacky Indian Runner ducks. I retired from nursing to run our farm while Jack continued working as an orthopedic surgeon; last year he semiretired, but helps out at a rural hospital when needed. Over the years our bees have given honey and our chickens, eggs. Each spring we plant a large vegetable garden and preserve some of our yield for use over the winter. We harvest blueberries from 75 bushes, and strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, and peaches from our orchards. Luckily, many farmers in our area raise grass-fed livestock and their meat adds to our quality of life and helps us maintain our commitment to sustainable living. The farm is a hub of activity, from family gatherings in our picnic pavilion and family weddings in the gazebo to preschool class visits and high school photo shoots. There’s something for everyone here. Sharing the beauty of the land and the gentle animals that live here is one of our favorite things. Our area is predominantly rural, populated by small family farms, woodlands and quaint old towns. You can count on seeing a beautiful vista from the top of any ridge, such as green rolling hills and valleys dotted with the white, wooden steeples of tiny village churches. We are blessed to live in a region where we can enjoy four distinct seasons of the year, each with its own weather and beauty. Living on the edge of the woods brings the wilder side of nature into our lives. We share this land with black bear, white-tailed deer, raccoons, skunks, porcupines,
opossums, bobcats, foxes, coyotes and other smaller species. We have had to learn to protect our farm animals while still maintaining a habitat for wild animals. Although the landscape gives a pastoral beauty to the farm, it’s the inhabitants that bring life and love to this acreage. The cast of characters is long and varied (two-legged and four, big and small, furred and feathered) all of them named and part of the family. And while they differ in appearance, they share gentle natures and patient spirits. On any given day, one or several of these personalities will give rise to a tale or two that I share on my blog. For example, our farm dog, Sammie, has been skunked more times than I can count. And some mornings I’ll find our hens (I call them the crazy biker chicks), roosting in a tree instead of their warm house. We spent much time developing relationships based on trust with all of our animals. Creatures whose wilder ancestors would have been natural enemies have learned to coexist without fear. The dogs respect even the smallest animals. Though the backdrop changes with the seasons, every morning of the year begins the same, no matter the weather, no matter
Sharing the beauty of the land and the gentle animals that live here is one of our favorite things.
what is happening in the rest of the world. Several more times throughout the day we will repeat some portion of our morning chores. This is the framework that structures our days here on the farm. And as a result, our lives are filled with purpose and a deep appreciation for the natural world. People often ask us, “What do you grow on your farm?” Our answer is always the same: “We grow love.”