Latest / Cristy M. Diaz Podcast Conversations from the Heart / A Backyard Barnyard with Cristy Fernandez

Transcript

A Backyard Barnyard with Cristy Fernandez · Cristy M. Diaz Podcast Conversations from the Heart

0:00
Good morning everybody. Happy Wednesday.
0:02
Welcome to Mamas in Miami where together
0:04
we're navigating parenthood with
0:06
unwavering solidarity of each other in
0:08
fierce, fierce love. If you are ever
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wondering if farm life exists in Miami,
0:14
I'm about to prove to you that it is.
0:16
We're going to invite my friend Christy
0:18
Fernandez who has defied all odds and
0:21
left the Miami city living and decided
0:24
to start a farm down in Redland with her
0:27
family. Um, so yes, it can be done. You
0:30
still can have a farm in Miami. I see
0:33
that she just joined our chat. I'm going
0:35
to invite her in and we're going to get
0:36
started cuz we have a lot of ground to
0:38
cover.
0:52
Hi Chris, how are you? Hi. Good. And
0:55
you? Good. You're proof that you can
0:57
have a farm in Miami for those that
1:00
think it's not even possible. I know.
1:02
Neither did I a few years ago. That is
1:04
so funny. For all of you guys joining us
1:07
for the very first time. This is Christy
1:09
Fernandez. Her and I go way back how
1:11
far. Christie, I was actually just
1:13
telling my sister today. I'm like, do
1:15
you remember that we met them, your
1:16
whole family, on a cruise? Yes. And
1:19
my little sister was Yeah. It must have
1:23
been probably more than 20 years ago cuz
1:25
my little sister was like four or five.
1:29
Crazy, right? Yes.
1:32
We've just been in touch since. Oh, I
1:34
know. I hate that that's been happening
1:36
more and more as I've been talking to
1:37
people online. It's just proving our
1:39
age. I know. How old we are. Yep. Yep.
1:43
Well, thank you for coming on and
1:45
sharing your story with us. Um, I am
1:49
Well, first of all, tell everybody, um,
1:51
how many children do you have? So, I
1:54
have two girls. Uh, 12. I'm almost
1:56
forgetting their age because I can't
1:58
believe they're so grown, but 12 and
2:00
eight.
2:02
Um, and they've always, my oldest,
2:06
Callie, has always been into horses
2:08
since she was little. She started
2:10
riding. It's just something my husband
2:11
loved and wanted to introduce her to.
2:14
And then that passion and love has
2:17
become our lifestyle like our complete
2:20
lifestyle. When when did you move out
2:23
south? We we moved here in December of
2:29
we bought this house in October of 2001.
2:32
So post pandemic.
2:35
Um which changed so many people in so
2:38
many ways. And for us, there was just
2:40
this calling that we needed this kind of
2:43
freedom for ourselves, for the kids. Um
2:45
during the pandemic, we spent a lot of
2:47
time in our in our farm in Georgia,
2:49
which we love so much, but have never
2:51
really taken the leap to move. So around
2:55
that time, we were really looking to try
2:57
to find some of that peace and space
3:01
here so that my husband could stay here
3:03
working. The girls didn't have to leave,
3:05
you know, their school. We didn't have
3:07
to leave our family. but trying to find
3:10
what we feel over there here and that's
3:13
how we ended up in the Redlands. So we
3:15
yeah December 2021 is when we officially
3:18
moved. We spent Christmas here. That's
3:21
crazy. I remember when I came across the
3:23
pictures the other day that I hadn't
3:25
like heard or seen from you like in so
3:27
long and all of a sudden you have all
3:29
these animals in your back yard and I
3:31
saw a a video of like a horse running
3:34
around your house. Yeah. Christine moved
3:37
here. The last thing I expected was
3:38
Miami. I know. Yeah. Yeah. We uh it all
3:43
happened quick. We moved here and then
3:46
one horse became two and one pig became
3:49
three and two one dog became. So, it's
3:53
Yeah, it's all happened rather quickly.
3:55
So, you bred all of your animals in your
3:57
backyard? Uh except for one horse. So,
4:00
we have two horses here. I could show
4:02
you shortly. I'll turn the camera. Can I
4:04
do that here? Yes, I can.
4:05
Um, so we started with one horse. Her
4:10
name is Faith. Um, last August. So, a
4:14
lot has happened in less than a year.
4:16
Last August. And then I got a message on
4:19
Instagram about a pig that needed a
4:22
home. So, we welcomed in our first pig
4:25
truffle. And it is very very addicting
4:28
to have these animals because you feel
4:31
so much just again it really just brings
4:34
a sense of peace and simplicity into
4:38
your life. So you kind of want more of
4:40
it even though it brings more work and
4:44
sure everything that comes along with
4:46
it. But um then one um then we got what
4:51
do we get then around in December a lot
4:55
of these we only bought Faith all the
4:58
other animals have been given to me
5:00
through Instagram like people have seen
5:02
how much I love the animals and our the
5:06
little pony which I'll show you now her
5:07
name is Dixie was also like a gift that
5:10
somebody offered me because they saw
5:11
like the kind of home we provide and how
5:13
much I love our animals. So, we got her
5:15
and then we got two other pigs and then
5:16
my daughter Callie, the one that's
5:18
really into riding, she has a horse that
5:20
we do board in in uh here in Homestead
5:22
locally. It's only about 10 minutes
5:24
away, but we do board her even though I
5:26
want her here. My husband and I always
5:28
have those discussions. I'm like, I
5:29
really want to bring the other horse
5:31
here, but since she's like a working
5:33
horse, um we're still debating that. It
5:37
might be a lot. Well, if you want to go
5:40
ahead and and just
5:42
share an image for everybody that's just
5:45
joined. I'm sure they're dying to see
5:47
what a a farm behind your house looks
5:49
like. Yeah, we were out here working, so
5:51
excuse me if I'm like sweaty and gross,
5:54
but this is my here. Let me turn and I
5:57
want to get into all of that. So,
5:58
there's there's her.
6:01
This is little Dixie. Dixie, don't get
6:03
so close, baby. Hold on. Hold on. Hold
6:04
on. I'm trying. Okay, they follow me. So
6:06
they're not going to give me space to So
6:08
that's Faith. She's a quarter horse. My
6:11
daughter does. We ride her every day,
6:13
which is part of owning these animals.
6:15
You have to exercise them. This is
6:17
Dixie. She's become more like the
6:19
emotional support for Faith. Faith could
6:21
not be without her. That's funny. They
6:24
are obsessed with each other. Um this is
6:27
our little setup. My husband built this
6:31
little barn here, right? It's we
6:34
extended that and we have like on the
6:36
side of the house like a grazing area.
6:38
So, but at least this is their home.
6:43
We have like, you know, the fans and we
6:45
give them like high good quality uh
6:48
living here.
6:52
Well, in Miami you have to, right? You
6:53
have to. Yeah. Well, I don't know if you
6:55
have to, but we definitely I couldn't do
6:57
it otherwise. So, this is where we keep
7:01
Dixie. And then around the corner, we
7:04
have our little piggy house with the
7:08
little pigs. And they have their little
7:10
pools that the girls have not cleaned
7:12
yet. Hi, girls. I asked them to have
7:14
that clean. Say hi. Hi, Callie.
7:17
River doing the things that get her
7:20
stitches. River, I saw you recently got
7:23
stitches by sitting there. Are you okay?
7:26
Oh, yeah. It was it was sitting at the
7:29
other farm. Um because it's made out of
7:31
metal. So, it's something like this, but
7:32
made out of metal.
7:35
So, she likes to jump over instead of
7:37
So, this is
7:39
Truffle. He was my first baby. He was
7:41
supposed to be small, but I overfed him
7:43
because I really love feeding them. It's
7:45
very satisfying. But the more you feed
7:48
them, the bigger they get. And then
7:50
that's Pepper there. And then that
7:52
that's Pepper. And that's Dolly. And
7:54
that's their little home, which also has
7:56
a fan. So sweet. And hold on. How do I
8:00
turn this around? Yeah. And you also
8:03
have two dogs. And I have two dogs which
8:05
are inside barking their head off. But
8:07
that was going to be too many variables
8:11
to do this call with because um Bailey
8:14
the little puppy, they're both German
8:16
shepherds, but the puppy jumps into the
8:18
pig pen
8:20
and everything goes crazy and chaotic
8:23
and then they chase the horses. So, for
8:26
the sake of a decent live, I have them
8:29
inside. We have a lot of messages coming
8:32
in saying, "You're living the dream and
8:34
it's a beautiful space for your
8:36
animals." I couldn't agree more. I have
8:38
so many questions for you, Chris. I I
8:41
Okay, so let's start
8:43
with how much does it cost to have a
8:46
farm in your backyard?
8:49
Um,
8:50
it's I should know this, right? Right.
8:53
We should have a budget. No, the money
8:55
the money would just bleed money. Um Oh,
9:00
you know, it's the cost of I mean,
9:03
listen, my husband's a contractor, so he
9:05
built this, you know, at cost, which
9:07
obviously there's like a big savings in
9:08
that. Sure. Um food, we buy it by the
9:11
pallet. So, I couldn't even tell you. I
9:12
mean, horse food is it's not it's like
9:16
maybe $40, $50 a bag, but you go through
9:19
it within like a week, a week and a
9:21
half.
9:22
Yeah. Um, pig food is not expensive and
9:25
I actually give my pigs um, I try to go
9:28
to the farmer the flea market here.
9:30
There's like a Mexican flea market on
9:31
like 240 something and I try to go
9:33
Friday mornings and I'll get potatoes
9:35
and cabbages and honestly the the
9:37
cheapest thing they love like any kind
9:39
of root vegetable. Um, heads of lettuce
9:41
go a long way. Um, anything that's ever
9:44
goes bad, fruits and they get all our
9:47
leftovers as long as it's not meat. You
9:49
can't feed the pigs any kind of like
9:50
protein, but any vegetable, grain, they
9:54
pretty much eat it all. Well, that's why
9:56
truffles so fat, right? Right. Uh, so
10:00
that's, you know, that's obviously an
10:01
expense, but nothing crazy. I feel like
10:04
it's actually more expensive to board an
10:07
animal. So, I feel this is more cost
10:10
effective because like my daughter's
10:13
horse that we board um that's like six
10:16
750 a month to so that's like
10:19
practically a mortgage payment. Wow. For
10:23
some it's that's that's where it gets
10:26
pricey um when you board them. So having
10:29
them here is more economical, you know,
10:33
than than boarding. And actually where
10:35
we board is it's actually a very
10:36
reasonable price compared to if you go
10:38
up to like like um like the Weston area,
10:43
Wellington area, it's like double over
10:45
there to board your horses. Right.
10:48
Right. And so what does a typical day
10:50
look like in the Fernandez home? Because
10:52
it must be a lot of work to take care of
10:54
all these animals. We divide and
10:56
conquer. Okay. Because the the reason we
10:59
did this was because it does become like
11:01
a family affair. We're all involved. Um,
11:05
we all play our role in different ways.
11:07
Like, let's say, you know, dinner time
11:09
for instance, we have it really
11:11
downpacked where River will grab the pig
11:14
bowls, you know, clean them out. I'll be
11:16
cutting all their food. You know, I'll
11:18
be preparing their their meal. She'll
11:20
bring the bowls in. I'll put the food.
11:22
River will run out and feed them, clean
11:25
the water. Callie usually takes care of
11:26
the horses. Just puts the feed in. And
11:30
then right after she's we do the pigs,
11:32
you know, we'll do the dogs cuz our dogs
11:34
also get mixed either food or um meat or
11:39
fish or we we always blend something in.
11:42
So they're kind of like spoiled in that
11:44
way, too. So, but we all we all kind of
11:46
do it together. My husband helps a lot.
11:48
He does a lot of the mornings. He's like
11:50
an early riser, so he's up whether he
11:52
wants to be or not, like at 5 in the
11:55
morning at least. So, a lot of the times
11:57
he comes out in the morning and he makes
12:00
it really easy on us because he'll feed
12:02
the horses and he'll feed the pigs. So,
12:07
I we just have to come out and do the
12:09
the dirty work. Um but at least I know
12:11
they're fed, you know, because their
12:13
poop and all that can wait, but I don't
12:15
like to keep them like I don't like to
12:17
get them off schedule with eating. So,
12:20
um so he usually does that during when
12:23
they were when they were in school it
12:24
was different. And so we definitely have
12:25
like a different summer routine than
12:27
when we're in school. When we're in
12:29
school, I do the feeding most of the
12:30
time because my husband takes them down
12:32
to school cuz they're still in Miami.
12:33
They go to Florida Christian. So we
12:35
leave here, we start our our day really
12:37
early, like 6:20, and he'll usually take
12:39
them. And that's when I'll start doing
12:40
the animals and I'll muck the stalls and
12:43
have everything perfect before like my
12:44
gym, before I start my day. Now in the
12:46
summer, we're, you know, a little more
12:49
easy with with that, but he still feeds
12:50
them early. And then I'll go to the gym
12:52
and around this time in this heat is
12:55
where I get my second cardio session.
12:57
Sure. Usually with the girls and we'll
13:00
clean the stalls. You know, just get
13:01
garbage bags, put all the poop in the
13:04
bags. It's not smelly. It's not gross.
13:07
Honestly, both horses and pigs I feel
13:10
like are a lot easier to clean and
13:13
maintain than even a dog. Um I never
13:17
knew that until we owned horses, but
13:19
it's not a big deal. It's pretty easy,
13:21
but I mean it requires, you know, it's
13:23
it's a full-time job.
13:25
It Yes, it takes work. In the beginning,
13:28
I would be out here for like two hours.
13:30
And I've I have a better method and I'm
13:32
more efficient now, but my husband would
13:34
be like, "How does it take you that that
13:36
long?" But I'd want everything to be
13:38
perfect. And then I'd even like the sand
13:40
that they're in, I would get um I would
13:42
get a rake and make it all nice. And
13:44
then I realized, okay, they don't need
13:46
it. that that's like my OCD thinking
13:48
that these animals have to have
13:49
everything super perfect. But but I
13:51
still, you know, we have to when you the
13:53
water bowls for instance, you got to
13:55
scrub those every day. You don't want
13:57
them to get like with the algae or like
13:59
gross. So, but we haven't we have it
14:01
down pack now. So, it's maybe like an
14:03
hour if we all work together, you know,
14:05
and then in the evenings too. And then
14:08
vacations obviously get more
14:09
complicated. We're taking off on Tuesday
14:11
for for about a week and a half. And
14:14
it's just a lot of planning, making sure
14:15
all the food is ready, having somebody
14:18
here. We have to just pay someone to to
14:21
basically live here. Um, yeah, that was
14:24
going to be my next question to you
14:25
because I know that you and your family
14:27
are very active and you guys travel a
14:29
lot and this is more than just a
14:31
babysitter for a puppy. This is Yeah.
14:34
Yeah. Yeah. So, my my housekeeper,
14:37
which, you know, very grateful. She's
14:39
been with our family for years and
14:40
years. She even worked with my mom and
14:42
everything. So, she's been here for the
14:44
full ride of us moving over here. She
14:47
came all the way over here with me and
14:50
um and she, you know, she knows the
14:52
routine. So, she stays here. She does
14:54
the morning routine, kind of hangs out
14:56
cuz I like them to be supervised. Like,
14:58
I don't like the horses to be here all
15:00
day, you know? I mean, when we leave for
15:02
a few hours or like during school, it's
15:04
fine, but like I don't want It's not
15:05
like somebody comes in the morning,
15:07
leaves, and then doesn't come back until
15:08
the evening and leaves. Of course, I
15:10
feel like all these animals kind of need
15:11
supervision. My pigs are a little
15:13
spoiled and they're used to being let
15:14
out. So, they're in that area for the
15:16
majority of the day, but I give them
15:18
two, three hours of free time most days.
15:22
Um, they're pretty like domesticated.
15:25
That's funny. Do you let the animals go
15:28
inside your house? They the pigs
15:31
sometimes, yeah, for fun, we'll let them
15:33
in or they'll sneak in. Um the dogs,
15:37
yes, they they sleep there and they're
15:39
inside, especially now in the summer,
15:41
cuz I just feel so bad for them. Um the
15:43
horses haven't been in yet. They've
15:45
gotten close, but uh no, the horses
15:48
haven't gone all the way in. Although
15:50
Faith will go into like our little
15:52
terrace area and then we'll give her a
15:54
carrot. So, we want them to feel
15:56
comfortable everywhere. Do and they all
15:59
exist. Do the kids have a newound
16:02
respect for nature now that they're
16:03
living a farm life instead of a city
16:06
life?
16:07
Yeah.
16:10
Yeah. You love it. You love it. Do you
16:12
love it more than when you lived inside
16:14
actual Miami in your townhouse?
16:16
You do. Why do you love it, River?
16:20
Cuz I feel free.
16:23
You feel free. Yeah. They're like I mean
16:26
our lifestyle here is very like just
16:29
barefoot like very simple. Yeah. I don't
16:32
want to show the bottom of your
16:34
feet but but uh it's very healthy like
16:38
they stay busy. This was our goal. I
16:40
mean we we wanted this lifestyle but we
16:42
wanted to try as much as possible to
16:45
keep them bu busy in a healthy way. We
16:48
really try to reduce any like iPad,
16:50
phone time, like when when they have so
16:53
much to do and they know that we all
16:56
chose as a family to live this lifestyle
16:58
and this lifestyle requires work and
17:00
that's our priority. So there's no time
17:03
for being on the phone or chatting or
17:05
playing games until these
17:07
responsibilities are done because these
17:09
are living beings, living souls that
17:11
depend on us and they love to be around
17:13
us. that's what we've created and and it
17:17
it takes work. So, um that was our our
17:21
main goal, you know, to keep them just
17:23
busy and like healthy things. Um and
17:27
when their friends come, it's the same
17:29
thing, you know, everyone's just so
17:31
fascinated by the horses and the animals
17:33
right in the backyard that they
17:35
gravitate to wanting to be inside. So
17:37
it's not like kids don't come and
17:38
they're not on their iPads or sure even
17:40
on TV or anything like they're out here
17:42
barefoot running around getting
17:44
horseback, you know, jumping on the
17:46
horse and feeding the pigs and we
17:48
usually involve them in the feeding and
17:49
all that stuff. So right, so it's become
17:51
pretty pretty normal for us. But I
17:53
understand like I think back and I'm
17:55
like, "Wow, if I would have seen this
17:56
some years ago, I'd be like, whoa,
17:58
what's going on there?"
18:00
Truffle. Oh yeah, Truffle loves to bury
18:02
himself. Um, how do you, um, you still
18:06
have your kids in school over on this
18:09
end. How has the traffic been? If
18:11
anybody's actually considering making
18:13
the leap. I It's one of those things
18:15
that they're like, "Oh my god, I wish I
18:16
could do it, but they're too scared to
18:18
do it because of the distances. Have you
18:21
I mean, I'm sure you've adapted to
18:22
traffic, but how bad is it to get?"
18:24
That's all it is. It's just playing with
18:26
traffic and the times. So we don't when
18:30
when we lived um down like in the
18:32
Shannondoa area, it would take us cuz
18:35
they started Florida Christian when we
18:36
were still down there. It would take us
18:38
the exact amount of time as it takes us
18:40
from here to Florida Christian. Um the
18:44
only difference is we need to leave
18:46
obviously earlier to avoid traffic. So
18:48
the girls don't have to really be in
18:50
school till 7:45. We leave here at 6:20.
18:53
We found like the sweet spot of time. If
18:55
we leave at 6:20, it's pretty smooth. We
18:59
beat traffic. We're there by 710. So,
19:03
what does it take? It takes like about
19:04
40 minutes or less. Some No, about 40
19:07
minutes. Um, and we have time to take
19:10
them to Sergio's or Dong Bang or like we
19:13
get there and we get to wait, which is
19:15
fine because we avoid traffic. Yeah, I
19:17
could leave later, but then I'd be in
19:18
bumper to bumper traffic and I don't
19:20
like to start my day stressed out like
19:21
that. So, we rather just wake up a
19:23
little earlier. um my husband has to
19:25
work, you know, down that way anyway, so
19:28
most of the time he'd be making that
19:29
trip regardless. So, it's pretty easy.
19:32
And then coming back is about the same
19:35
thing. Um it's actually been really nice
19:37
cuz he just ends work earlier. He works
19:40
for himself, so he has that ability, but
19:42
he'll usually pick up the girls because
19:45
he's passing, you know, he's getting on
19:46
the turnpike anyways. So, he'll just be
19:48
on bird, get the girls at three, and we
19:51
beat traffic that way, too. Now
19:52
obviously we avoid you know coming
19:56
coming this way at 5:00 p.m. So you know
20:00
sometimes the girls have wanted to do
20:02
extracurricular activities in school
20:04
that starts to become more challenging.
20:06
And anyways honestly with all the
20:08
horseback riding I mean Callie needs to
20:10
ride two horses almost every day. Faith
20:12
here and then we go to the other place
20:13
and she rides there. So, she doesn't
20:14
really have time for any other
20:16
extracurriculars, especially since she
20:18
wants to do this like professionally as,
20:21
you know, as a sport. Um, but those are
20:23
the only little things. You know, if
20:25
your kid is really active in school
20:26
activities, there's still a lot of
20:27
people that live here in Homestead and
20:29
their kids um get home at 7:00 and
20:32
they're just in traffic. But, we have
20:34
created kind of a lifestyle where we do
20:36
avoid that. Sure. I've never really I
20:40
think this week cuz there was like a
20:41
fatal accident on the turnpike on I
20:43
think it was Monday was the first time
20:45
and I actually thought it I'm like wow
20:46
this is the first time in two years that
20:47
I'm actually stuck on the turnpike. Oh
20:50
wow. The first the first time I ever
20:52
experienced that. Right. So it's the
20:54
traffic is not bad when we have people
20:56
over. Yeah. I don't invite for anyone to
20:58
come over at 600 p.m. on a Friday
20:59
because I don't want to put them through
21:01
through torture, you know, things like
21:03
that. So we just play around those
21:05
times. But it hasn't really been any
21:07
kind of like hindrance for anything.
21:09
Well, that's good. So, would you say the
21:12
biggest challenge your children have
21:14
faced living the farm life is just the
21:17
distance and that there's not enough
21:19
hours in the day to do it all or would
21:21
you find another challenge besides that
21:25
that they've encountered?
21:28
Any challenges?
21:31
No. Any challenges that you could think
21:33
of? probably waking up super early.
21:36
Waking up super early. Callie said, you
21:39
know, even though they're really quick,
21:41
we're really quick in the morning. Our
21:42
whole family, we can really get up and
21:44
going really fast. So, we wake up like
21:46
they leave at 6:20, but we don't wake
21:48
them up till 5:45.
21:50
So, it's not what, you know, but yeah,
21:53
they go to bed. Oh, we're we are good
21:56
with that. By 7:30, 8:00, my kids are in
22:00
bed. That's something we've always, you
22:02
know, been been strict about. Um because
22:06
we want an early bedtime for them. I
22:08
need my peace in the evening. So it
22:10
works out. So they're used to like
22:12
they're brushing their teeth and getting
22:14
into bed and we say our prayers by 8 and
22:16
that's it. Lights out. Um so they do
22:20
they still get like I do make sure that
22:22
they get at least nine sometimes even 10
22:24
hours of sleep. Sure. Is there any
22:26
thought of maybe you moving schools for
22:29
the girls at some point closer or
22:31
homeschooling considering that Kathy
22:33
wants to do this professionally?
22:35
No, I don't think I'd be prepared for
22:39
homeschooling nor I mean the girls are
22:41
really social and they they thrive in
22:44
school, both of them, both of their
22:46
personalities. So, um I love their
22:49
school. Wait, River, you're whispering
22:51
and then you're distracting me. I want
22:52
to do home school. River wants to do
22:54
homechool because in her head she thinks
22:56
homeschool is like three hours of work
22:58
and then the rest play and you get to
22:59
wear your pajamas to school. Yeah,
23:02
that's why River because she's very and
23:04
that's why she wants um homeschool. But
23:08
but no, I love Florida Christian. Really
23:10
happy. It's all the way until 12th
23:11
grade. So the only we'd only leave that
23:15
school if we would leave Miami, which
23:17
would always still be will never happen.
23:20
They say we love we love Georgia. I'd
23:22
love more land. I'd love to have a bunch
23:26
of stalls and be able to do the boarding
23:28
myself for horses. I mean, we could
23:30
always do that here, right? But we'll
23:35
see. But no, I I I love the school. We
23:37
don't mind the drive to Miami. I
23:38
wouldn't change that. And there's really
23:39
nothing around here necessarily that
23:41
that calls my attention to to Do you
23:44
have a nice community out there now?
23:46
Have you community? Yes. Yeah. It's
23:48
really really It's really safe. It's so
23:50
family oriented. I mean, there's
23:52
different pockets just like anywhere in
23:53
Miami, but where we're located, which is
23:57
really close to everyone knows the
23:58
cinnamon uh roll, the cinnamon buns, and
24:01
like banana berry farms, we're right by
24:03
there. So, it's a really, really nice
24:06
neighborhood. We walk the horses up and
24:08
down the street. Um, everyone's really
24:11
friendly. Uh, we have really great
24:13
friends that live right behind us. They
24:15
could ride horses on on like the
24:17
sidewalk. We go like around like a
24:19
threeb block perimeter riding the horse
24:21
and on the ATV. Um so yeah, we found it
24:25
was just like all meant to be where
24:27
where we are. Where you are today? Yeah,
24:29
that's amazing. Where do you foresee
24:32
your farm life in 10 years? 10 years.
24:36
Definitely more land. Definitely. That's
24:38
at like that's more like a three to five
24:40
year plan. Definitely want more more
24:43
land because I want more animals, but
24:45
we're kind of maxed out here. My next
24:47
animal would definitely be one of those
24:49
Highland cows.
24:52
I'm dying for one, but it wouldn't be
24:53
fair because they need to graze. That's
24:56
another thing when you mentioned
24:57
expense.
24:59
Um, how does that must be expensive and
25:02
the resing the grass. So, we have like a
25:05
a it's called like a paddic area. So,
25:07
it's an area where we'll put the Are the
25:09
horses there now? Yep. Where we put the
25:11
horses to graze. I'll just walk over
25:12
anyways to get some air. I just realized
25:14
I could have put like a filter to not
25:16
look as Oh, it's greasy. I just I just
25:19
saw this little thing. I haven't been
25:21
doing lives in like years. So, we're in
25:23
familia here with the mom tribe, so it's
25:25
all good. Um, let me uh let me walk this
25:30
way and show you what a paddic. So, this
25:31
is what we have to resod. And this does
25:34
get pricey and they mess it up as you
25:36
will see. Let me turn this around again.
25:41
There's River in her favorite position.
25:43
Always. So, this is like the paddic
25:46
area. So, this is where we give the
25:48
horses like um time to
25:52
graze. So, horses are typically like if
25:55
they're not riding or if they're not in
25:57
a stall, they're always eating grass.
25:58
They're like
25:59
non-stop grass eaters. So, we have to
26:03
put them here for relatively short
26:06
periods of time or we would be
26:08
resolding, which is a couple thousand
26:09
dollars every 3 months or so. So, I have
26:12
to put them in here like for maybe an
26:15
hour or two. You see how they'll start
26:16
like digging up and then before you know
26:18
it, this whole thing will become dirt,
26:20
which it already was um a couple months
26:24
ago maybe. And then we resold it. So,
26:27
we're trying to see if this will last at
26:28
least 6 months.
26:30
So, we have to be strategic. Like, we'll
26:32
leave them out here a couple of hours,
26:34
then we'll like go back to like this
26:36
just our normal backyard. We'll let them
26:38
graze in the front backyard. So, we kind
26:40
of try to like the front backyard. The
26:43
front yard. Um, and kind of just cycle
26:47
them around so that they eat all the
26:48
grass evenly and don't Wow. just eat all
26:52
that grass. But then I also, again, she
26:54
has a pretty big um she has a pretty big
26:58
area there. I just like to give them
27:00
space. I know I what's it called? What I
27:02
do to animals? I um OCD. You give them
27:05
the human I give them there's like a
27:07
there's a term for what I do like I give
27:09
animals like human emotions. So I feel
27:11
like they need space because I like
27:13
space and horses are fine in a stall
27:17
supposedly, but I don't like my horses
27:19
to be stuck in a stall all day. And
27:21
Christie, where did where did you
27:23
educate yourself on all of this? Because
27:26
being a Miami girl, it's not something
27:28
we're we're we know instinctually. Yeah.
27:32
Do you have like Instagram groups or or
27:34
websites that you relied on? No. My
27:37
daughter Cali, she's been loving this
27:39
since she was so little. She reads books
27:42
um whenever she's on the computer. These
27:43
are the kind of things that she like
27:45
researches and stuff. And again, it's
27:47
been a lot of years. She's 12. She's
27:48
been doing this since she was three. Um,
27:51
and my husband has, you know, we've made
27:54
a lot of friends here. Um, and he knows
27:57
a lot through all his friends that have
27:59
had more experience. We have, you know,
28:02
a handful of close friends that know a
28:04
lot about horses. So, we've learned a
28:06
lot from them.
28:08
Um, and yeah, that's pretty much it. I
28:12
mean, I'm not I don't ride, like you
28:13
said. I mean, I'm a Miami girl. I was
28:15
raised my mom raised me to be scared of
28:16
horses. To this day, I've tried it a few
28:18
times and I personally don't feel too
28:21
comfortable
28:22
um riding them. I don't want to hurt
28:24
myself. I still have that like that fear
28:26
that's been instilled in me since I was
28:29
a kid, but I love the animal. So, I'm
28:31
more the one that does the nurturing and
28:33
the feeding and the, you know, the
28:36
cleaning, like that aspect of it. And
28:38
then my daughter and my husband are more
28:39
again like just the writing and just
28:42
knowing what to feed them and all the
28:44
stuff. And then I kind of do it. Sounds
28:46
like you guys have divided the
28:47
responsibilities pretty evenly in terms
28:49
of your likes and dislikes and what you
28:52
know, what you don't know. Yeah. What
28:54
would you say is the best family
28:56
tradition that's come out of a family
28:58
farm?
29:00
I mean, I think day-to-day life, I'd
29:02
have to say that's the first thing that
29:03
comes to my to my mind, just the
29:07
daytoday lifestyle that that this is.
29:11
So, yeah, absolutely. It's it's
29:14
definitely an everyday an everyday
29:17
thing. Um, if anybody is considering it,
29:21
um, would you do it again? No. Oh my
29:23
gosh. I can't imagine I can't imag Yeah.
29:27
I mean, everything happens at the right
29:29
time in people's lives. I can't imagine
29:33
not having this now. Like,
29:35
this it sounds cheesy, but like just
29:38
saved me. like it's given me a whole
29:41
different perspective on like the
29:43
priorities um in my life and I think
29:45
it's just been so healthy for the
29:47
direction of my daughter's lives. Um so
29:52
yeah, I love Yeah, I wouldn't change
29:56
this for the one more just random
29:58
question. Heaven forbid there's a storm,
30:01
what do you do with all the animals?
30:03
Yeah, that's that's a great question. I
30:05
have the pigs
30:06
inside. Um, it's so many variables to
30:10
that. We do have our farm in Georgia.
30:12
So, if there would be a really big storm
30:14
that looks like it's going to hit, let's
30:16
say, Miami, like an Andrew type of
30:18
thing. Um, we would just, we're
30:20
actually, we have a trailer now. We're
30:22
going to get a bigger trailer um soon.
30:24
We're actually going to go look at them
30:25
this weekend. So, we would just get the
30:27
horses and pigs in the little pigs and
30:32
the dogs and go to our place in Georgia.
30:35
Oh, what about Glory? We'll figure all
30:38
those details out. Have you had Have you
30:41
had a a scare with a storm living at
30:43
that house yet? No. Yes. No, we haven't.
30:46
Yes. Please. With the legs in your No. A
30:49
scare about a storm. Oh, no. No. Like a
30:52
hurricane or something? No. No, we
30:54
haven't. Because in the past two years
30:55
there hasn't. The summers have been, you
30:58
know, fine.
31:00
Knock on wood there. Yeah. And I mean
31:02
there's a lot of We have a big garage.
31:04
So, other things I thought of, if it's
31:06
like going to be a storm that's not
31:07
going to be big or we don't know exactly
31:09
where it's going to go, I feel like I
31:12
would just stick everyone in the garage.
31:14
If the pigs could be Yeah, I would stick
31:17
the horses in the garage. There's
31:18
windows girls. I bet you didn't know
31:21
this about um the zoo here in Miami when
31:24
it was called the Metro Zoo. That's when
31:26
Hurricane Andrew came. Do you guys know
31:28
where they stuck all the flamingos at
31:30
the Metro Zoo during Hurricane Andrew?
31:32
Alligator pen? No, they stuck them all
31:34
in the bathroom. Oh, look at that. If
31:38
you go to the bathroom, the very first
31:40
bathroom when you get to the zoo today,
31:42
there's a big picture of all the
31:43
flamingos inside. Oh my god, that is the
31:45
bathroom at the zoo. And that's where
31:46
they spent Hurricane Andrew in the
31:48
bathroom. Very cool. Yeah, you have to
31:50
use your resources. That's why I'll pick
31:52
a bathroom or a room, put the three
31:53
pigs. The dogs are with us. Easy. And
31:56
then the two horses, I would put them in
31:59
the garage. Wow. With some shavings, and
32:01
I don't care. They poop. We pick it up.
32:03
We figure that part out. And then the
32:05
horse that's in over there, we would
32:07
probably bring her over here, too, just
32:08
so I can have peace of mind. Good
32:10
morning, Metal. Wow. That That's crazy.
32:13
I hope that it doesn't come to that this
32:15
summer. I'm knocking on wood for you.
32:17
Yeah. And for anybody else that you
32:20
know, it would it would just just be a
32:21
mission, but it's not like I mean, we
32:23
figure it out like I wouldn't be worried
32:25
about it. We just have to plan and
32:26
execute and
32:29
well girls and Christie, thank you so
32:32
much for opening your doors and showing
32:34
us a little piece of your world. This
32:36
has been amazing and I hope you guys
32:38
will come back. I I wish you guys well
32:40
in your future horse competition. I
32:42
think I saw that there's one coming up,
32:44
right? She's starting a new series. Um
32:47
she does uh sorting like cow sorting.
32:50
So, she just competed in like a world
32:52
champion in Texas for one division. Um,
32:56
but now there's a different division
32:58
that starts now in the summer. So, she's
32:59
kind of going everywhere just to just to
33:02
practice as much as possible. So, yeah,
33:04
we're driving up tomorrow to like the
33:06
Ocala area. The competition's on Friday.
33:09
Um, and then it's like every month until
33:11
September or something. Please keep us
33:14
posted. That I can't wait to see. And
33:17
you know what I would love to see one
33:18
day, girls? I saw and heard that you
33:21
guys make peppermint snacks for your
33:23
horses. Yes.
33:25
Yeah. Do they love it? Yes, they do. She
33:29
loves cooking them. She wants to do bake
33:31
them every single day. Um her little
33:34
Callie does a lot of little like jobs
33:36
like that, like washing horses. She goes
33:39
around Homestead to a few um places and
33:42
and bathes them and grooms them and she
33:44
tries to sell her treats because she,
33:46
you know, she's saving up for all the
33:49
expenses. And yeah, the first thing
33:50
she's saving up for is a a special
33:52
saddle. She has one, but it's a
33:53
different saddle. It's a cow um a cow
33:55
sorting saddle. So, she's saving up for
33:57
that and doing her little jobs. So, I
34:01
love it. Fernandez, ladies, thank you so
34:04
much for sharing your story with us. We
34:07
cannot wait to hear more stories to come
34:09
in the future. Right now, I'm going to
34:11
extinguish our little tribal fire that
34:13
we always do virtually at the end of our
34:16
our tribal meetings because, as you
34:17
know, it takes a village to raise these
34:19
kiddos and we think that you guys doing
34:21
an amazing job with your girls.
34:22
Christie, thank you so much everybody.
34:25
Thank you for joining us today. If you
34:27
liked your story today, please like,
34:29
share, and follow. Um, next week we are
34:32
going to be um hearing from my dear
34:34
friend Ivon Barroso who has Mateo, her
34:38
son, with a very special story and he's
34:40
just a living miracle and we cannot wait
34:42
to hear it. So everybody, may your
34:44
coffee stay strong and your sanity's
34:46
intact. Thank you all for coming today.
34:48
Thanks Christie. Awesome. Bye. Take
34:50
care.
34:52
[Music]