Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michele Hornsby. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michele , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The “HOW” is quite interesting and in some ways by happenstance, faith, and God’s Guidance. My Husband Ray and I lost our son, Justin, to suicide in March of 2017. Justin was 26 years old and had battled addiction for the last several years of his life. We were lost and had no idea how to deal with the grief of such a loss. One day you feel you are coping better, the next, like waves in the ocean, the grief, sadness, feeling useless, and all that goes with it, come crashing down on you. We would wonder, will I ever feel complete again? I often tell others that losing a child felt like losing an appendage. A huge part of me was no longer there. I felt as if I were plucked from the earth, and literally watching life continue without being a part of it.

Our faith was certainly put to the test, on many occasions. A friend who is a counselor and motivational speaker, Dr. Kevin Elko, said to us, “If you want to feel better, go help someone who is hurting.” But how do we go about that? What do we have that would help someone else? Especially at a time when Ray and I are struggling to put one foot in front of the other.

Michele , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We first started attending Suicide Prevention events, sometimes sharing our story, or supporting others who are dealing not only with death but suicide. We began to counsel others and found it to be very cathartic. Lending advice, sharing the emotions we were going through, and trying to tell others what the process had been like for us, to help them better cope. We both felt something missing from our attempt to help soothe others suffering from loss and grief.

The idea of a “group” type therapy was something we considered, as they are not as plentiful as one might expect. With that idea, I decided to try to help Mothers who were in the trauma of losing a child. I organized an event with counselors, clergy, and other moms who are suffering. It was here that I had an epiphany. I realized, my mission was not only to keep Justin’s memory and legacy alive, but to help and guide others through the maze of emotions, feelings, and the unknown. Our event was a big success, I watched while moms talked about their children, and shared stories, and pictures. You could easily see peace come over many of the moms when their child’s name was called. It was then that I realized what Ray and I would do. Keeping the theory of feeling better by helping others, we would hold these events more often, inviting grieving moms to attend and to talk about their child and the challenges they have in everyday life. In the beginning many, as expected were hesitant. No matter if you are trying to feel better, the abyss of sadness is a continuum.

THEN CAME COVID – obviously without the ability to gather our meetings began to become harder. We tried “virtual”, but it simply wasn’t working. This is when everything changed, and our path to our mission began. In May of 2020 Ray wanted to clear some land behind our house. Justin had taken his life on our property, and we were hoping at some point to erect a memorial. Ray mentioned to me he was going to get some goats to assist. Well, I like the idea, but I convinced him to get miniature goats, they would be more pet-like, gentle, and loving. We began with a few Goats. That turned into the decision to add an Alpaca or two. I was in very unfamiliar territory. I am an animal person, but I’ve honestly never tended to “farm” animals. As we began to work with the animals, clean up after them, feed them, and all that goes with it, I realized I was feeling calmer. We now had a little farm. We named the farm Redbird Willow Farm. The red bird had become a fixture in our lives. They began to appear in the strangest of places. We took that as a sign that Justin was near. Less anxiety, my grief, was turning into LOVE. The LOVE of these animals. One night I mentioned to Ray it would be nice to add a Llama. Ray, being the person he is, was then on a mission. At about 2 am one morning he found a Llama on the internet at a farm in Oklahoma. We inquired and found they had a female for sale. She was going to have a baby, and her name was Justine!! If that wasn’t a sign I didn’t know what could be. ”. We now had a little farm. We named the farm Redbird Willow Farm. The red bird had become a fixture in our lives, as they began to appear in the strangest of places. We took that as a sign that Justin was near and embraced that. The Willow Tree has always been my favorite. And not long before Justin died, he mentioned one day seeing a Willow Tree and thinking of me. Being a Mom, knowing he thought of me made me very happy. So, we included the Willow Tree in the farm name.

Once Justine arrived, things began to move fast. While meditating near Justin’s memorial one day, Ray came in and said, “You are probably going to leave me or think I’m crazy, but while sitting, talking to Justin, I heard a voice as clear as day say, “Build a 30-foot cross”. He was shaken and emotional. I didn’t not think he was crazy nor would the thought of leaving ever cross my mind. The cross was erected soon after in the middle of our pasture. It’s a reminder that we almost lost our faith and of our mission to “be a blessing” to people instead of waiting for blessings to come to us. It also serves as a conversation starter, about grief, loss, suicide, love, sadness, and all that goes with it. The farm started to grow. Mini Horses, mini donkeys, mini cattle, more llamas, and more alpacas. I spent a lot of time with the animals, and much of that time was spent just sitting quietly among them. All the animals seemed to sense my broken heart and would be near, often nuzzling, and putting their head on my shoulder or lap. Even the llamas and alpacas, which is not common. Then came my second epiphany. If these animals are making me feel better and provide a sense of comfort, why not share this with others who are hurting? The farm and the animals would serve as a perfect, safe venue where people grieving could come and spend time, without judgment from others about how to handle their grief. At first, we invited some of the Mom’s in our group. They all experienced the same thing I felt, comfort, compassion, and the ability to love unconditionally.

Now it was very clear. The farm was going to be our way of reaching people, and instilling hope. Someone who visited used the moniker “The Healing Farm”. WOW, that was perfect. Word began to travel via social media, and my phone was non-stop. We developed our business plan keeping our mission in our minds to help others. We began to have visitors from all over the state. At the same time, we decided to take some of the animals to different venues, Nursing Homes, Hospitals, and Home visits with the same feeling of peace and comfort with the animals. I had never experienced anything like this. I was humbled to be a part of anyone’s healing journey. Remember Justine? Well, she gave birth on the farm, to a male “cria”. He was born on International Bereaved Mother’s Day. Again, another confirmation of our mission and our journey. We named the cria “Willow”. The significance of Willows’s birth led to us to host an annual event on Bereaved Mother’s Day, for Mom’s to gather, share stories, share tears, share hugs and share love. That has also led to a monthly meeting open to all who want to attend to help each other through this unbelievable journey.

The Farm had over 5 thousand visitors in 2023 and we will easily break that record this year. We have grown and housed over 100 animals. Among them, all the aforementioned, plus, Emus, a 100-pound Tortoise, Peacocks, Chickens, Hedgehogs, Rabbits, Mini Pigs, a Sugar Glider, a Kangaroo, a Wallaby, a Highland Cow, a Zebra, 5 Cats, a Herd guard Dog, ducks and I am likely forgetting something.

The farm has been featured in several media outlets, resulting in more people seeking comfort and visiting. Of course, the farm brings joy and fun to everyone who visits and we never in our wildest dreams would have thought it would be what it is today.

We’ve held large events; we offer experiences for almost any occasion and continue to uphold our commitment to Justin and our Mission.

Children’s Book Story
It’s impossible to describe grief. No matter who you are, or who you have lost, it’s different for everyone. Based on my experience, losing a child compounds the grief. Again, based on my experience, Suicide compounds it even more. My point? Many sleepless nights. It was during those nights that one night I had an idea. 2 am, I was making notes about writing a Children’s Book, featuring Justin. I guess it’s like songwriting, as I had the story in my head, but getting it on paper was amazingly challenging. I sat on it for a long time. The premise of the story is based on Justin’s childhood. Justin was a gregarious personality. Always ready with a kind word or a kind gesture. His smile was contagious, and adults and kids were drawn to his personality. As the words for the book began to come to me, it was a no-brainer, the book would be about Justin, being kind and helping others. Out of nowhere, the title came to me “Just-in Time To Be Kind”, chronicling Justin’s kindness gestures as an adolescent.

Finally, I put the crux of my vision in a rough draft form. What now? Well, I needed someone to read and critique it. I’ve never done anything like this before and had no idea where to start. As a result, I sat on the idea for over a year. With encouragement from Ray, I began to write my vision, minus illustration. I never understood when people talked about writers and their fear of allowing others to read their work. Even for a children’s book, I felt that fear and pressure. Again, I did nothing. Again, with Ray’s encouragement, I reached out to a friend who is an accomplished author, Beth Duke. It took a lot to muster up the courage to tell her about the book. I didn’t want to come off as I’m sure many people do – “Hey you’re an author, read my book and tell me what you think?” Beth is a special person who understood I wasn’t trying to take advantage of our friendship, rather I needed guidance. Beth came to the farm for a visit. I gave her what I had done to that point, and she liked it!!! RELIEF!!! WOW, SHE LIKED IT. Beth said she is familiar with publishing, but not about children’s books. She recommended a publisher in the UK she was familiar with who published children’s books. We were introduced through emails; I submitted my idea, knowing many authors never get published. Many make hundreds of attempts with no positive results. I prepared myself for that reality, thinking I may never hear from them.

Much to my SURPRISE – Little Steps Publishing responded that they were INTERESTED in publishing. I was astounded, in my wildest dreams I wasn’t expecting this. I thought at best, someday we may self-publish and sell online. It’s a painstaking process to finalize. I was fortunate to have Little Feet, to walk me through. They helped find a fantastic illustrator. The Book “Just-in Time To Be Kind” is available for presale on Amazon and other outlets, and will debut in October. Distribution via Lerner Publishing. The reality of seeing it unfold was surreal. It was very emotional and likewise rewarding. To think, all over the world Justin will play a role in the lives of little ones and his name will be called time after time. Since I had the rough draft before publication, one of the most humbling and emotional experiences has been reading the book at a library where we were invited to bring and share our llamas. Full circle, again surreal, but one of the most gratifying feelings I’ve ever experienced.

Things to NOTE
• Many of the animals on our farm are named in memory of a lost child, or a lost loved one.
• We have counseled many farm visitors who were contemplating ending their lives
• We host two large events each year, one in the Spring, the other in the Fall.
• We offer “experiences” for those who want something special for their loved one.
• We customize many of the “experiences” to suit specific needs
• We have groups visit from Schools, Rehab facilities, Organizations for those who face physical and mental challenges, assisted living groups, nursing homes, and the list goes on.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redbird_willow_farm?igsh=MW5zZThjeXI2aWhwNg==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=redbird%20willow%20farm