Welcome to Life, Loaves, and the Farmstead — Our Story
Welcome to Lester Farms Homestead — rooted in faith, family, and the good earth of south central Iowa. Just small town folks who may seem like we have it together, but most days, we have no idea what lies ahead - because only God knows that!
Nestled about an hour south of Des Moines, our little piece of the world sits on ground that has been in the Lester family for over five generations. The same soil Brian's family has farmed, prayed over, and poured their lives into is the same soil we walk and farm today — and God willing, the same soil generations after us will call home.
Brian and I found each other in 2014 — on Farmers Only, of all places — and what started as a leap of faith turned into the most beautiful life I could have never dreamed up on my own. He is my best friend, my partner, and honestly, the hardest working human being I have ever known. From sun up to well past sun down, Brian is farming row crops, fixing tractors, running equipment, handling electrical, plumbing, heavy machinery — you name it, he can do it. If it doesn't have a computer running it, he'll fix it. And if it does, he'll still try, and is usually successful. The skills and knowledge God has given him amaze me every day. He is the backbone of this farm and our family in every sense of the word.
And then there's me — I'm Ashley, the farm wife with a hundred ideas and a heart full of passion for this life and will pursue any avenue to protect our way of life. I'm a registered nurse by trade and an old soul by nature. I'd rather be walking through my garden in a flowy dress with my chickens and dogs trailing behind me than just about anywhere else on earth. I like my animals more than most people, and I say that with love. 😄
Speaking of chickens — Brian has come home more than once to find 30 new baby chicks waiting for him. At this point, "chicken lady" is basically my official title.
We raise cattle, tend a big garden, grow corn and soybeans, and I spend my time canning, crocheting, homesteading, baking, and dreaming up the next project. Our last project was building another greenhouse! They just don't make them like they used to, so we build them out of lumber and plastic - oh and a little "oops" here and there! 😄
A couple of years ago, I started making healthier food choices for our family and we'd cut out most bread — but my family missed it. So I did what I always do: I researched (is there such a thing as too much research?!), I learned, and I fell completely in love with sourdough. The science of fermentation (nurse brain), the way it affects carbs and gut health and blood sugar — I am obsessed. What started as feeding my family well has turned into a passion I get to share with yours. I had no idea it was going to lead me to building a website to sell and ship bread to you and yours. I am not a chef nor did I take any culinary classes. I am just a farmwife who is still experimenting and figuring new things out everyday and is just as surprised as you are/will be with what I create/bake (always be a student of this world). I give God all the glory of what is produced on this farm.
Our beef tallow comes straight from our own cattle and as our tallow products grow in popularity, there may be times when we source additional beef suet from trusted friends and neighboring farms — people we know, whose animals are raised with the same care and values we hold on our own farm. We will always be transparent about that, because honesty is just as important to us as the quality of what we make. Our eggs come from our beloved flock and everything we make is created with clean ingredients and honest intention.
We are also blessed with our son, who keeps us on our toes and fills our home with joy in the most wonderful, full-handed way. Brian is his dad, I am his bonus mom, and we wouldn't have it any other way. We keep his name and face private out of love and protection — he is a minor, and his safety always comes first — but he is very much a part of the heart of this farm.
We are also a family of faith — and we don't take a single day on this farm for granted. God makes it rain. God gives us the sunshine. When farming gets hard — and it does — we lean into our faith and keep going, because this life, with all its unknowns and long days and beautiful chaos, is exactly the life we choose every single day.
God willing, this spring and summer we hope to open our farm stand with eggs, fresh produce, bread and baked goods, homemade tallow soap, natural cleaning products, firewood, and whatever else the Lord puts on our hearts to serve our community with.
Our mission is simple: to be a little light in someone's day. To put good, clean, healthy food and products into your hands at prices that are as fair as we can possibly make them. We pour our hearts into everything we make, and we pray that what comes from our farm blesses your family the way this land and life has blessed ours.
Thank you for being here. It means more than you know.
— Ashley & Brian Lester 🌿