The seed of Country Critters was planted early in my life, long before I realized it. I grew up on a private island (Joe Island), homeschooled by my parents and surrounded by tropical nature. My days were spent caring for the animals we had. Poultry, livestock, dogs, parrots and other critters. I would run the beach in the morning watching the fiddler crabs and sand pipers scurry away, witness the fish jump and simply breathe in the rhythms of life on land.

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I also became fond of the ocean, because of our family's clam farm in the bay off the shore of our island. It opened up an entirely different world of nature to me beneath the surface. I spent countless hours observing sealife as they carried on with their daily routines. I became family to a small herd of manatees that grew from three members to four one year. Over time, I learned to identify nearly every species of fish, crab, conch, and mollusk in the area.

 

I later earned an internship at Mote Marine Aquarium and Laboratory, which led me to start my own aquarium company. From there, I became a boat captain and eventually built up my own exotic animal farm. Through my experiences, I gained a deep appreciation for the beauty and balance of our entire ecosystems, above and below the waterline.​ 

 

Living so closely with the land and sea shaped how I see the world and my responsibility within it. It taught me how interconnected everything is - how the land provides for us, and how our care for it matters in return. I've come to understand this harmony as part of a greater design, created with intention and purpose. And we have been commanded by the Creator of this entire ecosystem to protect, nurture, and care for it.

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Country Critters exists to teach and remind others that our true purpose on earth is to be stewards of the creaters of the sea, land and skies. To remind others that God provided us with everything we need to thrive in our own ecosystem. This farm is a space where curiosity, husbandry, and connection can take root and flourish as a community. 

 

Let’s grow our seeds together and remember we are all part of a greater design.