Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Peterson.
Hi Jenny, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My husband Brett and I built a chicken coop in 2013 and then added a couple of goats. Eight years later, we’ve built up a 1-acre urban farm with chickens, ducks, goats, and pot-belly pigs, as well as raising Bernedoodles. We turned our farm into a Goat Yoga venue three years ago and have hosted countless yoga classes and 32 Bachelorette Goat Yoga classes since then!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We’ve had our share of challenges along the way. Our venue is outdoors, so if it’s raining or just too hot (hello, August), it’s difficult or even impossible to hold classes. My husband and I also have “day jobs” so we’ve had to learn how to manage the classes and marketing for them as we go. Plus, we always have to have baby goats, or at least small goats, for our classes, so planning the breeding times and rotation can be a challenge.
And we’re always learning about our animals — how to raise them better, how to give them the best life, how to help them when they’re injured or ill. We’ve learned so much along the way, and we’ve created a lifestyle that we love. Plus, when we see the joy on people’s faces, it’s all worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We’re a couple of city slickers who decided to create an urban farm, knowing nothing about farming at all. Our farm is on one acre in a residential neighborhood 5 miles from downtown Austin, and we’ve created a niche with our urban farm Goat Yoga classes. Other goat yoga businesses travel to different locations (which is also fun), but here at Berkeley Farm, we want to give people a farm experience.
I’m so proud of the fact that in less than ten years, we’ve learned so much about farming — we’ve mentored other new urban farmers, helped them start their farms and goat herds, and connect our Goat Yoga visitors to a slice of country right in south Austin. People always say things like “This is my dream life,” “I cannot believe how happy I am right now,” and “I never want to leave.” That makes our hearts sing.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
So many! Our neighbor Terri has always helped with animal emergencies, Jenny’s family regularly comes to help out with building projects or larger events, and the staff at Callahan’s General Store has been a great source of knowledge and guidance. Our neighbors are amazing, putting up with a little traffic every now and then for an event — they love what we do and are supportive of our farm. That’s really the most important thing because we’ve created a community here and our neighborhood’s support means everything to us.
Pricing:
- Goat Yoga – $36.00
Contact Info:
- Email: berkeleyfarmatx@gmail.com
- Website: berkeleyfarmaustin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berkeleyfarmatx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BerkeleyFarmATX
- Other: https://members.unation.com/austin/search?q=Berkeley_Farm<clid=161e5da1-8ebf-4cc6-a475-97f94b1a1096
Image Credits
Jenny Peterson
