Fulfilled by Faithful Harvest

DEXTER — Rooted in faith, grown by hand and shared with community — this is how Christian and Abby Padilla sum up the homestead they have worked hard to create. Four years ago, the couple decided to invest in growing healthy food, and they have not looked back since. In November 2025, they founded Faithful Harvest.

In early July, the Padillas completed another phase of their business plan when they opened a farm stand at the end of their driveway in Dexter. Every Thursday, they sell a wide array of fruits, vegetables, sourdough breads, canned goods, baked goods, homemade candles and soaps. During what has become known to the locals as Farmstand Thursdays, from 8 a.m. to sunset, customers can find the fruits of the family’s labor.

“When we started, our goal was to fill our freezer for a year,” Christian said. “Since opening the farmstand, … the amount of ideas has definitely accelerated. This isn’t just a dream anymore; we can see the payoff now.”

However, a large portion of the work happens right down the road. A mile from town is where Christian’s parents’ property is located; the land and sheds on the property were used by the previous owners as a pig farm, but the Padillas had a different plan.

With one garden bed made by hand, six hens and a $100 chicken coop they bought from a friend, Christian and Abby started working on their dreams. Abby quit her nursing job to give her more time to focus on homesteading. Christian, who has a background in construction, said the infrastructure remodeling came naturally to him.

Together, the couple reinforced the pig confinement to house their 70 meat chickens, 47 laying hens and two pigs.

Fast forward to today, the Padillas have built 35 raised garden beds, planted an orchard and are in the process of incorporating a better system for irrigation.

“It’s a little bit terrifying to think too far into the future and all the dreams we have for our business,” Abby said. “But it was also terrifying four years ago when we started, and just pulled the trigger and decided to go for it.”

Instead of starting with 20 chickens as they had discussed, the couple bought 70. Now, every year during the middle of summer, Christian, Abby and both sets of their parents come together for the new family tradition of processing their flock and filling their freezers for the year.

The Padillas also gather approximately 20-25 eggs daily from their laying hens. Abby uses fresh eggs for her baked goods, but the couple also partners with Heidi’s Corner in Rose Creek, where the owner buys them and then sells them directly to consumers.

“This whole thing has been a learning process, … figuring out what is the priority for today … because the list always tends to be a mile long,” Abby said. “There is so much that goes into growing and processing your own food.”

Tirelessly pursuing her aspirations, Abby worked out many of the kinks in her canning methods and sourdough recipes before jumping in with both feet.

“First, it was 20 loaves and then 30,” Abby said. “I even set the oven on fire at one point. … It took a lot of time to figure out how I could maximize my space and my recipe to make large batches. And now that I’ve got it, I am not changing a thing.”

The Padillas said early efforts during the first few years were solely for themselves. However, after being invited to attend and sell goods at a fall market, they said they fell in love with the community aspect.

“Last fall, we attended our first market at Orpington Acres, and even though it was a bit chaotic for us, we loved it,” Christian said. “We knew this is exactly what we wanted to pursue.”

Abby learned the basics of baking and livestock while growing up on a small hobby farm near New Prague. Christian is local to Dexter and said he grew up surrounded by agriculture, occasionally helping friends and farmers on different jobs along the way.

Planting, growing, baking and canning all come down to the couple’s mission to provide for themselves and others and incorporate the values they were raised with, they said.

“My mom tells me all the time that she loves to see what the property is becoming,” Christian said. “Our parents are both very supportive.”

Christian and Abby have hosted markets at Abby’s parents’ thrift store in her hometown, and many people come, even if it is just to say hello, Abby said.

“We are mind blown by the amount of support that community, family and friends have met us with,” Abby said. “It’s a very rewarding yet humbling business to be in.”

Encouraging others is an important part of the message Christian and Abby choose to share. They are the first to remind others that, with all the resources out there, nobody has to be an expert to chase their dreams. Credit is paid where credit is due, Abby said. The Padillas have an entire bookshelf dedicated to their learning journey, and their path is one they have not walked alone.

“We’ve never stopped believing that this is the right step and that this is what we should be doing,” Christian said. “Everything we’ve done at the homestead has been with our own two hands as a team, …  but our faith is what has made it possible.”

The Padillas now see their dreams taking hold.

“We want people to have access to healthy food for their bodies,” Abby said. “We want to help people get back to a way of life that we think is a little bit forgotten.”