Scott Fox
In Town: “I am retired military and moved here from Fort Knox, Ky., about two years ago. I got caught in the large layoff at Superior where I worked as an HR journalist. I just started a new job at Wachter, an electrical company, in Lowell, Ark., that supplies electrical service to the big box stores like Walmart. I am one of the dispatchers who organize repairs for the nationwide company. This job allows my wife to be a stay-at-home mom with our four boys ranging in age from 11 to 17.”
In the Country: “We came here with the intention of living in the country because both my wife and I grew up in the Montana countryside. We had a taste of city life in the military and knew we wanted a country life. We bought 1.2 acres on a hillside outside Prairie Grove, Ark. In spite of the small acreage we have 90 chickens, 30 of which will soon be slaughtered for our personal use. The chicks are now maturing enough to start laying eggs very soon and people have been asking for them already because we use all non-GMO feed. My four boys help out. One feeds and waters the chickens twice a day and everybody in the family helps collect eggs. Twice a week all the boys clean out the duck pond with one feeding and watering our pig. Because we want to be as self-sufficient as possible, we also have a substantial garden and used native rock to help build terraces on the slope.”
Future Plans: “We plan to double the size of our garden for next year, sell eggs and eventually have a fruit orchard. A neighbor whose land touches mine has 10 acres he has asked me to help clear. In exchange he is going to allow us to raise a few cattle on it, something everyone is looking forward to. I worked on a ranch as a kid and am partial to Black Angus.”
