The 100-year-old farmhouse in 1956

Critterhaven is located in Pueblo, Colorado. My parents purchased the farm when I was 2 years old, and I purchased it from them in 1998 after an absence of 26 years. Pueblo has excruciatingly hot summers (100 °F and higher) and bitter cold winters (–15 °F and lower). After miller moth season in the spring, the air fills with mosquitoes, deer flies, and horse flies. I prefer to not be outside during Pueblo's summer days. Pueblo also is a very arid region, with less than 12 in. of precipitation annually.

Critterhaven is a hobby farm (which is another way of saying that I rarely make a profit at any of my farm activities). I try to practice sustainable agriculture and self-sufficiency, growing and preserving all of my own food (animals, vegetables, wine, beer—the staples of life!).

Same old farmhouse moved, remodeled, and expanded

My farm is barely 8 acres, only 2 of which are irrigated for pasture. From 1998 to 2015, I raised Barbados Blackbelly sheep. Health issues prevent me from continuing to work with sheep, but I also raise chickens and have lots of cats. Cats are truly my passion.