“She likes to ride on everybody’s shoulders like a little pirate.” 

At the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle, Jeremy and Staci from Gooseberry Bridge Farm shared stories as colorful as their homestead. Nestled on twelve acres in Rogersville, Missouri, their farm blends flower fields, vegetables and a menagerie of animals with humor, heart and a dash of chaos.

Chickens: The Gateway to Farm Life

Jeremy jokes that “chickens are the gateway to everything else.” For the couple, that gateway arrived in 2016, when they brought home chickens, sheep and rabbits. Today, the farm hosts around 70 egg-laying chickens, 20 silkies, goats, pigs, ducks, turkeys, rabbits and a Highland cow or two.

These animals aren’t just cute, they’re part of a carefully orchestrated system.

Chickens help control bugs, stir compost and even scatter flower seeds, creating a sustainable “circle of life” that keeps the farm flourishing.

Meet Alex: The Shoulder-Riding Silkie

“We originally thought Alex was a rooster… then she laid an egg on a visitor’s lap.”

Of all the animals at Gooseberry Bridge, Alex the Silkie chicken seems to bring main character energy. Known for hopping onto visitors’ shoulders, Alex earned her pirate nickname for her fearless perching habits. And in true farm-life fashion, she once laid an egg… directly on a visitor’s lap, revealing that the assumed rooster was, in fact, a hen.

Alex has even starred in a children’s book, Farm Animals, by Kizzy Roberts, a former circus vet tech who has a knack for capturing animals’ personalities in print.

Gardens, Greenhouses, and a Circle of Life

The farm combines charm with practicality. Their 1880s farmhouse sits amid a 4,000-square-foot vegetable garden, a half-acre flower field, and rotating pastures. Ducks follow the cows, chickens scratch through compost, and leftover flowers become feed, all contributing to the farm’s anti-waste philosophy.

Eggs that aren’t eaten right away are preserved using traditional methods like water glassing (where fresh, clean eggs are stored in a solution of water and pickling lime) ensuring nothing goes to waste while allowing the family. and visiting guests, to enjoy fresh eggs year-round.

Preserving the Harvest

Jeremy and Staci’s recent book, The Preserver’s Garden, guides readers in growing and preserving their own vegetables. The advice is simple: start small, freeze or can your first harvest, then gradually expand. Tomatoes and green beans are the couple’s specialties, but they encourage beginners to find one crop and one preservation method to begin.

“Even if you don’t grow everything yourself, you can still top up your diet with fresh eggs, veggies and homemade preserves.”

With storage solutions ranging from repurposed dining rooms to under-bed spaces, Gooseberry Bridge Farm demonstrates that preservation is possible anywhere.

The farm is also an educational haven. Seasonal visits allow guests to experience farm life firsthand – snuggling baby animals, picking flowers, and learning about sustainable farming practices. From watching chickens scratch through compost to seeing the ducks follow the cows, visitors get a window into the careful balance that keeps the farm thriving. Guests can also see firsthand how produce from the garden is transformed into jams, pickles and more, giving a glimpse of the “circle of life” that defines the farm.

Gooseberry Bridge Farm offers a mix of fun, education, and inspiration. As Staci says, “Even a little bit at a time, and you’ll get better at it.”

Thanks so much to Staci and Jeremy for their time. To find out more about the farm and their book, check out the Gooseberry Bridge Farm website.

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