I consider myself very lucky to have had the oppurtunity to grow up on a farm. There was always some activity going on.
We learned responsibility and good old fashioned morals and enjoyed both the benefits (and trials) of growing up with an extended
family. I'm sure this is the reason I'm such an old fashioned girl at heart. Not everyone loved it as much as I did.
My grandfather (who sadly passed on before being able to see our success) and Aunt Willa were two who did and still do. Our
family is a lot smaller now than it once was but the desire to preserve the farm is still very important to both myself and
my Aunt Willa as well as our spouses who understand what this farm means to us. God willing we will be able to keep it in
the family for generations to come.
I left home the same as all the other kids but was soon drawn back to the beautiful mountain meadows I called home. Although
we hadn't farmed since just before my grandmother died in 1985 I had always had a few horses. I was born with a passion for
horses that none before me seemed to have. Farming yes but horses no. In 1995 shortly I began breeding Arabian horses
and Boxer dogs. In the beginning this was only a sideline because I worked off the farm. Now it has become the main focus.
Although we strive to produce show quality stock they live life as nature intended. Our horses spend most of their time
outdoors except during foaling, severe weather and the occasional illness, living life to the fullest . They eat healthy diets,
socialize, play, scratch, and build muscle in the gently rolling pastures. They live life as nature intended.
They are never mishandled and are always treated with the utmost respect and care.
This is truly a family run operation where even the youngest pitch in. One of the greatest benefits has been being
able to be together as a family (although we don't take too many vacations!) and learning to live in harmony with the world
around us.
My dream is to maintain the farm- and hopefully my horse breeding program- for both myself and future generations. In addition
to Arabians we will be adding a small Rocky Mountain Horse breeding program in the near future. I have found the Rocky Mountain
Horses to have similar dispositions to my beloved Arabians and they are one of the most ideal trail horses. The added bonus
of gait make them the perfect riding partner for the horseback rider who has physical limitations as well.
I will always be grateful to my grandfather, Robert Didrich, who was the inspiration and founder of Violet Hill Farm- without
him my dreams of having a horse farm might never have come to fruition. Another person without whom none of this would be
possible is my Aunt Willa who has always supported the farm in times of need. She has always understood the value of the family
farm. Family farming is becoming more of a rarity then the norm. In this day and age it is only through the coperation of
the entire family that it can be kept growing.
The farm name may have changed but the premise remains the same. Foxwillow will continue on where Violet Hill left off-
as a small but quality breeder of Arabian horses, Boxer dogs and now Missouri Foxtrotters.
