Spring 2025 Update

So, what have we been doing all this time?

During COVID we won a USDA grant of $250,000 that enabled us to explore the viability of urban microlivestock in the form of quail. Some of you would have seen Patrick at the Barton Creek Farmers Market every Saturday morning. Our kids came to be recognized by the birds on their shoulders as they walked around visiting the other vendors.

Quail Power

For our Quail Power brand, we earned food managers’ certificates and obtained a pet food manufacturing permit. We hired a chef to create original recipes and produced and sold pickled quail eggs in multiple flavors, along with fresh specialty eggs, fresh quail eggs, and fresh yogurt and kefir. A number of customers came weekly to purchase kefir for strengthening gut microbiomes, as recommended by Dr. William Davis in his book, Super Gut. 

Investor

Early in 2023 a man at the farmers market saw our Nature Towns banner and told Patrick, “This is the future!” He suggested he might fund a town himself - and he did turn out to be someone with enough wealth and real estate experience to do so. However, after months of discussion and meetings, his partners failed to support his passion.

Transitions

In the meantime, we moved house, as we were bursting at the seams in our little place with two big dogs and two growing teenagers.

Accelerator

During 2024, we participated in a terrific year-long incubator called WithLife. We’ll share more about that experience in an upcoming newsletter.

So it’s been quite a journey!