Fostering Community
The Community of Our Lady’s Ranch
A Spiritual Way of Life is centered in Jesus Christ with the guidance of Our Blessed Mother through her messages of Medjugorje, “A Way of Salvation.”
A Sustainable Lifestyle is rooted in the wholesome activities of a small family farm, established in a rural setting by “A People Set Apart.”
A Catholic Family Homestead is operated by a small group of people with a common faith, common desires, and common goals. “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.”
As long as I can remember, my dad (Phil) has talked about his desire to build a community at Our Lady’s Ranch. He tried again and again to help various families, individuals, and religious over the years, but many of them left after only a short time, and some took advantage of his hospitality. Even though our family experienced each of the four types of Community life during that period, it took those many years of trials for God to teach dad that our community at that time was our own little family (but not so little considering there were seven of us kids). We were living and learning mostly about the community lifestyle of:
Type #1 – THE HOMESTEADING FAMILY
This scenario consists of a single family unit that desires a Catholic - Agrarian lifestyle with Christo-Centric values. Daily interactions allow many bonding opportunities between the parents and their children. Activities include sharing healthy meals together, home-schooling, gardening, on-site recreation, and prayer times that instill in the children a strong work ethic, while promoting the main purpose of life which is “To know, love, and serve God in this life, so as to be happy with him forever in the next.” (Baltimore Catechism, revised edition 1941).
We lived this first homesteading type as a family for almost twenty years, with all of the bonding, love, hardship, and growing that comes with it. Over the past five years our family has undergone massive changes as outlined in The Zeiter Family: Then and Now. During our time of change, OLR was also undergoing a season of growth when the White family and Isaiah and Stevenson moved to the Ranch. They represented a new beginning of solid Catholics who wanted to explore the homesteading, agrarian, community life in a way that was truly centered in Christ. With these new friends we were evolving into the community scenario of:
Type #3 – THE NEIGHBORHOOD FAMILY
This Catholic neighborhood allows individuals and families who are not blood-related to enjoy a community experience together through a strong bond of unity in Jesus. Each person or family may own property and/or rent a dwelling, while enjoying all the common grounds and facilities together. Farming tasks and daily activities can be shared among families for a more efficient and social way of life, while offering flexibility for vacations and/or retreats. Housing units are available for singles, groups of singles, and/or families who desire to enjoy the advantages of Catholic friendships in a neighborhood setting.
Then we put out job opportunities for working at Our Lady’s Ranch and change began happening at breakneck speed. Now, we have four young adults living on the property with a fifth moving out soon. They all live in their own little dwellings with multiple opportunities to come together for work, meals, prayer, recreation, and rest. Everything seems to be falling into place, while preparing the ground for one of dad’s biggest dreams, which came to fruition just one month ago… Zach came back!
Growing up on the ranch taught us kids hard work and responsibility at very young ages. Starting in middle school, Zachary (Zeiter kid #2) was working the same hours as a grown man. In high school he knew more life skills than most people do twice his age. And then he went to college, got married, and had a baby girl. On March 25, 2023, he moved back to Our Lady’s Ranch with his wife, Cecilia, and their one-year-old daughter, Thalia.
When Zach and Cecilia got married, they knew that they wanted to move back to the Ranch eventually. The appeal of raising kids in such a beautiful and wholesome environment is an opportunity that's just too good to pass up. And Zach knows the Ranch and the operations here like the back of his hand. He's been pouring out blood, sweat, tears, and love into this place since he was a kid so how could he not come back?! And as it turns out, Zach and his family arrived on the feast of the Annunciation. Their timing was just shy of their two year wedding anniversary and just in time for all of the amazing changes happening with Family Friendly Farms (the pasture-raised meat business that supports OLR)!
It is really wonderful for me to see him back in the house where it all started for us at Our Lady’s Ranch. That little house behind them in the photo, we call “The Cottage” and it is where we first lived when we moved onto the property in 2005. When that little modular home was dropped off, the truck driver couldn’t believe we were going to live in it. “I’ve taken units looking better than this to the dump,” he said. But after some major renovations, it became home. We lived there for almost four years, during which time two more kids were born (six kids at that point). We were a little squished but we loved being so close. And the lawn may have been star thistle in the summer, but we loved playing outside. We were working a 170 acre ranch with city parents, but the struggles only brought us closer together.
I have so many fond memories of innocence in the Cottage, and I’m so excited that a Zeiter is within its walls again! My dad is excited too — He honestly hopes that all of us will move back with our families someday. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see 😉 Zach is now the operations manager for Family Friendly Farms, and working with the young adults living there to further develop Our Lady’s Ranch. The lawns are no longer star thistle but grass, the garden is freshly planted, and the pastures are green. After twenty-three years, Our Lady’s Ranch is truly becoming a homesteading paradise from the constant love of toiling hands.
Everyday life here has truly become:
Type #2 – THE EXTENDED FAMILY
This homestead occurs when two, three, or more blood-related families of separate households decide to build a neighborhood together. Grandparents, parents with children, and/or siblings with children can enjoy this opportunity to live as neighbors. This multi-generational option creates communities with a variety of financial options based on each extended family’s needs and desires. After the pioneering family members start a homestead, then more family members usually follow.
Each individual and family has autonomy while also coming together for prayer, work, meals, and recreation to the degree that it suits them. It is a group effort to improve the property and grow, while also bringing in revenue to support the people living here.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that —
By walking with God, practicing patience, and working hard… Dreams do come true :)
Blessings and Peace to you,
Tyler Straight
Oldest Zeiter Kid
OLR Design & Outreach Manager
