The ranch
“The Ultimate Goal of Farming is not the growing of the crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
Masanobu Fukuaka
When Norela Harrington came to The Farm, it was just known as Bent River Ranch.
“George and Mildred Geiler, my maternal grandparents, bought the ranch in 1959. My grandfather’s health was not good, so they wanted to slow their lives down by moving to a small town and reducing the size of my grandfather’s optometric practice. They came to the ranch with a red willy’s jeep and a ’57 Step side, a 4X4 Chevy pickup truck made to order. My mother was a school teacher and took a job in Camp Verde, a 30 minute drive away. We spent a great deal of our time growing up on the ranch.
After parenting three of our own kids and a couple extras, I finally gained some understanding of the gift my grandfather blessed me with. I was with him whenever I could be. We set gopher traps together on the ranch and we irrigated. We stretched fence, burnt weeds, drove tractors and chased cows. Somehow, he conveyed to me that I was a critical part of the operation and that all chores went better when I was helping. Have you ever “worked” with a three or four year old? Going better is a stretch on a really good day, and then there are days where it must have been all interruptions and obstacles. I had the most delightful pair of red rubber boots to irrigate in. I have so many memories of my boot being caught in a gopher hole and suctioned off my foot in the mud. I’d yell, “Grandpa!” and he would come and giggle with me as we tried to find the missing boot, empty out the mud and water and stuff my foot back into it. My cowboy uncle and aunt gave me a retired cowpony when I was very small. I can still vividly feel the thump of hitting the ground and all the air going out of my lungs when the mare, Midas, kicked up her heals and sent me sailing through the air. My family was a “get back on the horse, kind of group”. Reflecting back on these memories, I think I understand why I love the property so much and am so excited about Future Hope and their horse operation that is on the property. “