Jessica Lah

The Barton family found me on CouchSurfers and boy, I’m glad they did. After being continuously beaten down my long uphills over the Cascades, I was ready for a break. I asked if I could stay for 2 nights, and I ended up staying for 3 because it was so much fun.

The Barton Family Farm is located in a farming valley just 5 miles north of a Colville. On 470 acres, the farm itself maybe takes under 30 acres, the rest is a nation park sized mountainside of rocks, a lake, and gorgeous forest.

The farm crop is hay but is known for a zoo of animals. The following is a list of animals on the farm
pet Magpie bird named Jeepers
dogs and cat
horses
cows
chickens
goats
sheep
pigs
donkey
llama
Russian duck
Geese
emu
turkeys
guineapig
peacock and peafowl
guinea fowl
quail
Polish crested chickens

The family, while smaller in number, are equally as dynamic. Siblings: Luke, Rachel, Ellie and Claire are well raised, responsible and extremely welcoming. Ellie and Claire, twins of the age 21 are a rock of the household. Between they two, they milk goats and cows twice a day, tend to customers buying hay, garden, churn butter, culture cheeses, cook family dinners, spindle wool, knit, and feed all the animals throughout the day. An incredible duo, I’ve never met such responsible young females.

Ellie at the table, Claire cooking

Rachel, a young beauty of 14 has initiative and drive. Between tapping her feet to Irish jigs, she is an artist, and shares responsibilities with her older twins. Her posture is strong and tall, with modest confidence. And Luke. Luke throws. He throws sticks, rocks, anything he can get his hands on. At age seven, he has as much energy as the 3 year dog he runs around in circles with. At times, he’s mischievous, but never malicious. A good hearted boy, he toured me through the property and showed me all his little hideouts.

Then there’s mother and wife, Angie. Angie is the blood, the life pulsing through the family and the farm. A beautiful silvered haired woman who was destined and built for farm life. Angie handles everything from heavy farm equipment, to beastly animals (she was gored by a horned cow during my visit). Even in the hardness of her hands, and strapping tall body, there’s an unweathered life energy that flows through her. Cracking jokes, teasing her kids, running through trails up mountains, swimming in streams, and climbing the sides of log cabins to catch a pack rat, Angie’s spirit knows no age. And why should it? She is complete and completely happy with her family and her farm.

Overlook of the farm only halfway to the top of 470 acres.
Rt to Lt: Ellie, Angie, Jake