Family: Children: Avery, Essa, Ella and Grady
In Town:“I served an apprenticeship to be an electrician and 14 years ago opened Morgan Downum Electric,” Morgan Downum said. “While most of my business is commercial, I also do repairs and am kept really busy. My wife Rachel, a registered nurse in dialysis for 10 years and then a school nurse for three, now serves as the driving force behind homeschooling our four children.
In the Country: “I was raised just down the road from where I now live,” Morgan said. “We use 40 family acres and rent another 40, keeping a 40-head herd split among the locations. Our Angus bull rotates to breed the cows so calving is a constant activity.
“In addition, we raise Katahdin and Gulf Coast Native sheep with the goal of trying to establish a Gulf Coast flock because of their natural parasite resistance and maybe because Rachel finds them so tiny and cute. As part of the homeschooling education, one son became FAMACHA certified for identifying Barber pole worm anemia. We also raise chickens for eggs, one of which won $900 at the Washington County Fair. The farm boasts seven honeybee hives, three swarms of which we captured ourselves. The children are heavily involved with selling eggs, honey and homemade preserves at the farmers market as part of their economic education. All of the children are in 4-H and show, mostly sheep and chickens in addition to a show pig, with each child having a different specialty.”
Blended Lives: “I provide the paycheck and Rachel, who was raised as a townie but dove headfirst into country life, is the school teacher, wife, mom and organizer. In the future we hope to relocate by purchasing more land farther away from our increasingly urban area where we hope to build a dream farm home. In the more immediate future, as our children enter high school we plan for them to participate in dual enrollment classes in order to get college basics out of the way. Each child will also work with me to learn both the electrical and business sides of what I do. Our goal is to have our children fully prepared so they can make informed career choices when the time comes. Rachel always says we are truly a blessed family with everyone enjoying being together as much as possible, and I couldn’t agree more.”
