In a bold act to make their childhood dreams a reality, a pair of high school sweethearts from North Central Texas bought three acres on the outskirts of Fort Worth and are now making a go at homestead life.
Haris and Jackie (who wished to use only their first names for this article due to privacy concerns) first met in middle school, but the spark of attraction ignited when they attended his soccer game in high school. She was cold. He lent her his letterman jacket and bought her a hot chocolate. From that point on, they saw each other as more than just friends.
The story of their shared dream of having a homestead began overseas. Haris, who is now 37 and a firefighter, was just 10 when he arrived in Fort Worth. His family is Bosnian and felt the increasing impacts of civil war in the early 1990s as relatives fled their homes. Soon, they also fled, leaving thousands of acres of farmland behind, where they had raised animals.
Haris’s childhood was filled with “fond memories” of being around sheep, chickens, cows, horses, and turkeys, Jackie, 37, told The Epoch Times. “He wanted similar experiences for our kids.”
But Jackie, a Fort Worth native who became a trained dancer, wasn’t always the type of woman to get her hands dirty. She was an animal lover, however, and as a little girl had always loved visiting her relatives’ farm in Wisconsin.
They both latched onto the idea of a homestead.
“I loved the idea,” Jackie said. “We began planning and getting ourselves financially ready.”
For the newly married couple in 2012, that meant moving back into her parents’ house while Haris worked non-stop to save up for land and finished up at the Fire Academy. Before they knew it, they'd found a plot—three acres near the lake house that Jackie’s family owned.
For anyone who wants to try homesteading, Jackie’s advice is to “take it slow and learn as you go,” as they were savvy enough to know they lacked knowledge.
“We planned on starting with just chickens, a few sheep, and goats,” Jackie said. “It was important for us to have lots of room for our two boys—at the time—to play, get muddy, and just be boys.” A toddler sister has since entered the picture.
As a city girl, Jackie admits having been “spoiled” growing up—a trait she refuses to pass on to her children.
“My mom did everything for me. She made my food, she cleaned my room, and she did my laundry practically until I went off to college,” she said, adding that she wants to teach her kids to “appreciate what they have, how we got it, and the hard work it takes to maintain this type of lifestyle.”
And it worked. The lifestyle rubbed off by osmosis.
“Without even asking, our kids will get up and just start doing chores on the weekends,” Jackie said, adding that she’s fitter than ever, as she constantly lifts 50-pound bags of feed and chases chickens. She also teaches evening dance classes when all the chores are done. Haris helps when he’s not at work.
To live healthily and holistically also factored into their homesteading dream. Jackie says growing as many herbs and produce as possible allows them to rely less heavily on modern pharmaceutical companies. They also preferred to have their kids educated in smaller classrooms with “small-town values.”
Speaking of values, Jackie says they practice “somewhat traditional gender roles” at home. But while she and Haris agreed she would stay home with the kids while he earned the bread, they all pitch in mutually toward family goals.
It hasn’t all been rainbows and sunshine on the ranch though; forging seasoned farmers doesn’t happen overnight. Over the past six years, many challenges confronted them, but each was met and tackled in turn.
They also realized just how destructive goats can be; the cheap fencing they'd initially bought proved more expensive in the end, because they ended up having to spend more when it was all torn to shreds.
But despite it all, though, their homestead dream came to fruition. They share their daily grind and happy moments on social media. Haris and Jackie celebrate regularly by dancing in each other’s arms beside the fire in the open Texas evening air.
After six years, they’ve come full circle. Haris’s family, who often visit and give them advice on gardening, call the land “Little Bosnia.” The mixed cultures have enriched all their lives, and the couple appreciate each other’s unique traits.
To this day, relatives still talk about the big Bosnian and American wedding they shared so many years ago, where a mix of traditions came alive at a beautiful venue overlooking Lake Granbury.
After seeing their farm blossom, the couple are now preparing to sell their three-acre plot and upgrade to five acres. They plan to build their dream barn, dream chicken coop, and eventually, dream home.
