Welcome to Locally Grown! Locally Grown introduces you to the people and stories behind local Lake County businesses. Today it is our pleasure to introduce you to Lisa Moser. Lisa is the owner of Tumbledown Farm in Old Mill Creek.
Lisa is originally from Concord, Massachusetts. She met her husband Rick while attending Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Upon graduation, they married and lived for three years in New York City, then decided to raise their three kids in Rick’s hometown of Glenview, Illinois. As they were edging towards becoming empty nesters, they came across and quickly fell in love with a beautiful historic little farm-house in Old Mill Creek. With a leap of faith, they decided that was where they wanted to be. Five years later, Tumbledown Farm has been beautifully restored and improved. The property serves not only as a home for Rick and Lisa, but as unique workspace for personal growth, workshops, and classes for visitors.
From the very beginning, Lisa knew the 1856 farm had unique potential. As she went through many transitions in her personal life during the restoration of the property, Tumbledown Farm evolved. After two years, she decided to leave school and her job to be the official “farm manager”. She tackled the 8-acre challenge of taming buckthorn, became a bee keeper, managed the up-keep and restoration of the 150+ year old home, tended to the chickens and the gardens. During the process something unexpected happened: she learned to take a breath and be still.
“It was hard because in trying to be still I realized, like so many of us, I had been treading water for years, just trying to keep up.”
Slowly, Lisa saw that the farm was offering so many gifts. She felt she was meant to share it but didn’t know how. Something kept gnawing at her-she knew there was a purpose for the farm higher than that of just a home. One morning she came across this quote by Thomas Merton: “If we don’t know our own story well, in its darkness as well as its light, we cannot know the story of the ‘the other’ in its fullness. And if we cannot empathize imaginatively with other people’s stories, how much can we really know about the real news of the world?” Lisa thought, “this is what the farm has given me! A beautiful space to sit with my own story-all the ups and downs, and a chance to have another one unfold. That is what I want to offer to others.”
Lisa had no business start-up, management, or computer skills, and no idea how to build the business she was envisioning. Despite this she knew Tumbledown Farm should be a place for people to come to grow, to reflect and to be still. Years later, she feels so fortunate that her backyard provided her a safe haven to explore and learn new things, and she wants to offer that same opportunity to others.
“Tumbledown Farm provides a chance to pause and breath new light into your stories; for new light creates new space, and new space can’t help but grow compassion for all. I think Tumbledown Farm is unique because it’s one place that has a wide variety of offerings for personal growth; painting, gardening, bee keeping, writing, soul collage, cooking, meditation. One can experiences these in a beautiful setting.”
Currently, the farm has gardening, mosaic and painting classes coming up, and has a special guest speaker, Allie Cashel, scheduled in September. Check out the website for additions to the schedule, and to learn more about the farm or read Lisa’s blog.
Get to know Lisa next week as she sits in as our guest editor and brings you her picks for the week on our Facebook Page and in our Newsletter.
Tumbledown Farm
8750 Millburn Road, Old Mill Creek | 224-372-7186
[email protected]
Disclosure: Tumbledown Farm is our featured Locally Grown Business of the Month. This series of features is part of a paid partnership with Little Lake County. Contact littlelakecounty[at]gmail[dot]com if you are interested in featuring your own locally-owned business in our series.
Leave a Reply