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Sean & Judi, closed on 140 acres east of Elizabeth, officially splitting it into a home parcel and a farm corporation parcel. Years of dreaming turned into a real piece of ground, with hay fields, creek bottom, and a long, dusty road to improve.
The very first season brought three cuttings of hay and about eight customers. Between grass and alfalfa, the fields produced a few hundred bales and roughly $4,500 in income. It was the proof that the property could pay its own way and that the hay operation had real potential.
By the end of 2018 the pumphouse had been completely rebuilt, a project that ran close to $7,000 but left the water system “perfect.” At the same time, all of the water-court filings for Phase 1 and Phase 2 wells were submitted, with Phase 1 moving toward approval and no objections. It was a big step forward in securing long-term water for the farm.
Phase 1 of the main shop building started with foundation work on January 30 and piers poured on February 1, followed by the slab on February 28. The crew fought mud, flooded roads, and then a March blizzard that dumped snow into 4–5-foot drifts across the slab. Sean, Nik, and Judi spent hours shoveling out the building and digging out the road just to keep the project moving.
By late April the first 40’×60′ building was finished, complete with cupola and trim. After months of weather delays, concrete issues, and road work, the farm finally had a real shop and gathering spot. The only regret: it should have been 20 feet longer.
In May, the family bought a 7,000-bushel grain bin in Fleming, CO, and dismantled it with help from friends and a boom truck, loading it in just three hours. A month later, a 30-foot Aeromotor windmill was purchased and hauled in from Kansas. The skyline of the farm started to look like a real working operation, not just open fields.
Starting in September, thousands of cubic yards of dirt were moved to build the main road, secondary roads, and pads for a future hay barn and ag building. By December, about 600 tons of road base rock had been spread. That same year Sean and Judi sold their house in town and moved to a rental in Parker, committing fully to building out the farm.
Sean and Judi made a major investment in the farm’s future, hauling home a fuel trailer from Lee Agra in Lubbock, a Case 721C wheel loader from KEI, a Bobcat T595 skidsteer, and a John Deere 4-bottom plow with a JD 235 19′ disc. It was the day the farm truly stepped up from “making do” to having the heavy iron needed to move dirt, work ground, and handle hay like a full-scale operation.
During the early COVID-19 lockdown, the new hay barn went up in only one week. Cleary Construction finished the building between March 15–21, right as the rest of the world was shutting down. The barn turned out great and immediately changed how hay could be stored and sold.
With extra time during lockdown, the family tackled a massive cleanup of the creek bottom. Trees were cut, hauled, chipped, and reshaped into a beautiful open area they nicknamed “The Park.” It turned a tangle of deadwood into one of the most peaceful spots on the property.
In July 2020, excavation began for the new ag building, but unexpected groundwater forced a redesign. Thirty-foot caissons were drilled and cased to reach bedrock, adding significant cost but giving the structure a solid foundation. By October, vertical steel frames were going up, marking the start of the main home and shop complex.
2021 brought a very wet spring and a strong hay year, generating around $55,000 in hay sales. The new John Deere 7230 tractor, Hesston/MF 1840 inline baler, and Steffen accumulator and grapple all got their first full season of work. The operation moved from “making do” to running with professional-grade equipment
After roughly 18 months from digging the foundation, the ag building was finally complete. The family moved in around February 2022, trading commuting for living right in the middle of the farm.
In 2023, the farm saw more than 25 inches of rain between May and June, including a 100-year flood on June 22 that destroyed sections of the road and made haying extremely difficult. At the same time, the family partnered with a Colorado avian group to install kestrel nesting boxes—and welcomed a pair of kestrels with two babies in the first season. It was a year of both damage and unexpected wildlife wins.
By fall, the main channel crossing was completely rebuilt with three large rectangular concrete box culverts, bought surplus from a highway project. The old washout turned into a permanent pool that filled with surprise bluegill and minnows carried in by the flood. Firewood storage was upgraded with tote cages so wood could be stacked neat, moved easily, and ready for winter evenings in the new ag building.
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