Sefton Unit visits Five Feline Hobby Farm

The Sefton HCE Unit traveled to the Five Feline Hobby Farm in Charleston on a outing during garden harvest time this year.

The owners Julie Miller and Donna Coonce, greeted the group at the front door, inviting them into home and introducing them to a delightful way of living, blending the traditions of the past with present-day living.
Julie & Donna
Julie Miller was a lifelong resident of Brownstown. Her father, Jesse Miller, served as the village president of Brownstown, and her mother, Betty, still lives in Brownstown and has long been a supporter of and worker for the community.
Julie became partners with her friend, Donna Coonce, in purchasing 5.5 acres of ground, in Charleston, building a beautiful home, and establishing a unique farm with a unique name, “Five Feline Hobby Farm.”
While they do follow their hobbies, such as gardening,  harvesting, canning and preserving the fruit of their labors, it is much more than just a “hobby” farm … and also more than a productive and attractive enhancement of the grounds. It also is a blend of their respective families heritages.
Both girls hold full-time jobs and still responsibly maintain their farm with care and with environmental consciousness in all aspects. Donna teaches classes at Southern Illinois University, and Julie works for the Department of Children and Family Services.
They try to eat as healthfully as possible, using limited chemicals. They mix their own insecticide sprays, using onions and garlic. They grow tobacco to steep into insecticide tea, and pick off worms and predators by hand.  Their fertilizer and soil amendments come from compost and tilling under cover crops.
Donna is a Master Gardener.
Meet Julie and Donna as they share their story of preserving their families’ traditions, enjoying life on their farm and also sharing with others as they welcome visitors and groups to tour their Five Feline Hobby Farm.
The Beginning
It all began in 2002, when they purchased a 5.5-acre tract of land in Hutton Township, Coles County.
They describe the rural property then as “overgrown and full of trash.”
They were drawn to the site by a very old post and beam-constructed barn built on a rock foundation.
They envisioned using the lumber from the barn to reconstruct an old cabin. However, closer inspection revealed the old wood was too deteriorated to make this plan a reality.
When they realized that this was not viable, the vision changed into one of creating beautiful and productive gardens, an orchard, greenhouses, gardens, waterfalls, trails through the beauties of nature and … bees, all on a hobby scale for their enjoyment and for sharing with others.
Visions, Imagination, Commitment and WORK
The cleanup work on the barn work began. For insurance reasons (as the barn wood was so dry and old), the barn was burned, but only after all that could be salvaged was saved.
The old rock formation is still in place, a reminder perhaps of a vision that did not come to pass, but also a connection to a past when the barn (and its builder) were strong and sturdy.
The salvaged wood and metal has been repurposed throughout the farm.
The fireplace mantel is made partially from the barn wood.  The beam supporting the upper floor is covered with the barn wood, and picture frames are also made from It. Outside, the wood has been used for garden beds, sign posts and other decorative features.
Outside, Heritages Preserved
The vegetable and flower gardens flourish, Julie said, due to Donna’s work in them. The garden is well-kept, with no weeds, because, Julie said, Donna hoes it every day.
“I take care of the house and Donna works in the gardens,” she said.
One of Donna’s favorite projects is her “Grandma’s Orchard,” marked by a simple sign. The orchard is patterned after Donna’s great-grandparents’ orchard, using the original diagram in James Payne’s handwriting.
She said that they are heirloom varieties approximately three years old and expected to bear fruit in the next few years.
Another of Donna’s favorites is her “Grandmother’s Flower Garden,” with the flowers blooming from her grandmother’s saved seeds.
Julie also has shared her family heritage through the farm. Near the barn’s old rock foundation, her dad’s old left-handed plow holds a place of honor. Her dad brought the plow to her before his death. She also has his John Deere farm wagon, which carried him to his burial, pulled behind his John Deere tractor, all according to his wishes.
Their home and property, while being worked and productive, also honors their families through the many traditions and memories it preserves,
Also Adventures, Surprises and Mysteries
The old property has revealed interesting facts of its history.
One mysterious example is an embedded wagon wheel in a creek bank. Not knowing how this came to be, they have fun making up possible explanations such as, “Perhaps the Lincolns rode through here and got stuck in the mud,” or “The horses may still be under the creek bank somewhere, just waiting for us to pull them out.”
They also found there is a cellar where the old farmhouse stood. They burned off the cover crop of weeds and saplings, along with parts of the old garage.
They then cleverly inserted a liner, pump, rocks and plants, made a waterfall and added some goldfish and cattails. The water that evaporates is refilled with an old well.
“It is now an entertaining and relaxing place,” they said.
The Name of the Farm …
…is in itself unique and a little mysterious. They named it in honor of their five cats… Snowball, Phantom, Thumper, Sassy and Raine.
They have a large, beautiful, outside enclosure, complete with flowers, butterflies, a flagstone path and decorative wall, chairs and a table – a feline’s dream – all enclosed by  predator-proof fencing.
Their cats lie in the sunshine, and have their own entrance to the safe and pleasant basement, from which steps lead them up to the door to the living room, should they be invited into the house. They seem quiet and peaceful, compatible with one another and the world in general.
So Much More
A tour takes you on a path through the wooded area wit pretty wild flowers, daisies and black-eyed Susans, over a creek, with little surprises along the way that reveal the girls’ sense of humor.
Also along the way you will see a “Caution, Bees” sign, and you will see them flying around their hives, un- mindful of their visitors. The girls collect honey for their table from the bees.
The group was served a variety of refreshments, much of which were a result of their works and labors … and ingenuity.  
The day provided fulfillment for all senses: Sight, in nature’s beauty; sound, the birds’ songs in the trees and the waterfall; taste, the bountiful table offered; and feeling, the welcome, warmth and sharing of their home
Those who were on the outing were LaVonne Kramer, Sally Behrends, Phyllis Bruno, DeeDee Diveley, Flo Allen, Betty Miller, Panzi Blackwell, and a guest, Bill Blackwell, who served as driver and troubleshooter.
For more information: www.fivefelinefarm.com , [email protected], www.facebook.com/fivefelinefarm, 3713 N County Road 2200E Charleston, Ill. 61920
     
   
                        
   
      
 
   

Donna Coonce, front left, and Julie Miller, front right, are shown on their farm with those who visited the farm on a recent outing. In front are Coonce, Delores Dukeman, LaVonne Kramer and Miller. In back are Sally Behrends, Phyllis Bruno, DeeDee Diveley, Flo Allen, Betty Miller and Bill Blackwell. Behind them is Jesse Miller’s plow.