I was born in 1981 in a quiet neighborhood in Waco, Texas. When I was 7 years old, my parents made a decision to leave the city and start a small family homestead where we grew a huge garden, picked lots of fresh peaches, and raised chickens, rabbits and goats for the first time (which was quite a change from our very small town lot, Cocker Spaniel and 2 hamsters!). They taught me from an early age the value of working with my hands and finding a whole way of life rooted in the land. My family became a part of Homestead Heritage (an intentional Christian agrarian community) around the same time. Art and fine craftsmanship has always been encouraged in the context of the community, and I began taking woodworking lessons from the community’s master craftsmen. I carved my first spoon when I was about 10 years old. It quickly became Mom’s favorite kitchen utensil, and she used it almost every day until she passed away nearly 10 years later. I turned my first project on the lathe when I was 12 or 13. That mallet still sits on my workbench and sees daily use. I have made furniture, guitars, and many things in-between, but enjoy making functional and traditional kitchenware most of all, with the enthusiastic help of my wife, Crissa, and our children, Sarah Anne, Jeremiah, Jason, Gabriel and Nathan.

In the spring of 2019, we moved to a small farm in the southwest corner of Virginia. We raise vegetables, a small herd of cows (Black Angus, Hereford and Jersey), lots of laying hens, 3 cats, 2 ponies (Percy and Bingo), and of course, our much loved mutt, Rusty. Our homestead is on the south side of Moccasin Ridge, and all the varieties  of hardwoods that I have always used for my crafts grow right here in my woodlot!

When we are not busy in the shop, in the garden, visiting with friends, milking cows, attending church gatherings, finding more wood, fixing fences, reading the Bible, gathering eggs, fishing, harvesting morels, picking blackberries, cutting hay, deer hunting, pruning our orchard, or cooking, you might find me playing the harmonica…