The Farm and the Farmer
33 Acres. One Mission. A Lot of Growth.
Deer Creek Pastures is a regenerative farm in Northeast Georgia built from the ground up by one environmental engineer with a lot of passion and gaining experience day by day.
Meet Nicole (the Farmer)
I came to farming the way a lot of people do — sideways. My career is in environmental engineering and sustainability, which means I spent years thinking about land health, carbon cycles, and ecological systems in conference rooms and spreadsheets. At some point I realized I wanted to actually do it, not just model it.
In 2024 I started Deer Creek Pastures on 33 acres in Northeast Georgia with two Idaho Pasture Pigs, a shelf full of books about soil health and rotational grazing, and more confidence than was probably warranted. Two years in I’ve raised pigs through to my first harvest, sheep and cattle, navigated my first lambing season, dealt with disease, made hard calls, lost animals I loved, and figured out what I’m actually building here.
My vision: a regenerative farm that does things right, produces food worth eating, and doesn’t pretend farming is prettier than it is.
The Farm
Deer Creek Pastures sits on 33 acres in Northeast Georgia — roughly 20 acres of open pasture, 13 acres of hardwood forest, and a year-round creek running through the middle of it. The creek is the heartbeat of the place. The woods are where the ginseng is starting to take root. The pasture is where the work happens.
We use rotational grazing — moving animals to fresh ground on a regular rotation — which builds soil organic matter, encourages diverse forage, and keeps the land from getting worn down in any one spot. It’s slower and more labor-intensive than conventional grazing, but it’s the foundation everything else is built on.
Meet the Animals (Sheep + Cattle)
The Flock – Katahdin Hair Sheep
Katahdin hair sheep were a deliberate choice. They’re bred for this climate, naturally shed their coats without shearing, and have been selectively developed for parasite resistance, which matters a lot in the humid Southeast where barber pole worm is a real and persistent challenge. They’re also mild-flavored and well-muscled, which makes them ideal for the meat share side of the operation.
Our flock started with Stevie (Nicks) and Whitney (Houston), two ewes from a family farm up the road in South Carolina who announced their arrival by out-vocalizing every rooster and dog in the neighborhood.
The flock has grown since then. The flock is now a mix of 6 ewes and 5 rams, with additional ewes arriving Summer 2026. We are working toward a closed, genetically sound herd focused on maternal traits and parasite resistance.
The Herd – Registered Angus Cattle
Blanche and Betty were the first heifers, now cows, to arrive at Deer Creek Pastures, born on the neighboring farm in 2023 and delivering their first calves in 2025. They’re best friends in the way that cattle best friends are — licking each other’s ears, sharing the water trough, hiding together in the woods on hot afternoons, waiting by the gate each morning for treats.
Their calves, Bea and Bunny, arrived at 47 and 58 pounds respectively and have been growing fast ever since. Bea — short for Beatrice, “bringer of joy” — follows me around the pasture and loves a good scratch. Bunny is still working on her trust but is coming around.
The long-term vision for the cattle operation is registered Angus seed stock. We’re retaining heifers and working toward a stable breeding herd (next calf anticipated November 2026!). Bulls and beef shares are on the horizon — but we’re not rushing it. Good cattle take time.
Our Friends in the Pasture in the Sky
Not every animal that comes to this farm stays forever, and some leave sooner than expected. This is part of farming, and part of doing it with integrity.
Dolly and Loretta, our Idaho Pasture Pigs, were the very first animals at Deer Creek Pastures. They arrived as 40-pound piglets and grew into 250-pound gilts who had strong opinions about apples, bananas, and the concept of fences. Raising them taught me more about farming in six months than any book had. They were processed with care and gratitude, and they’ve nourished family and friends ever since.
The sheep flock has also seen some losses due to disease and illness. Lee Ann, a small ewe who was half-sister to Stevie and Whitney, had a brief time on the farm but left her mark. Rosemary delivered a ram in 2025 and twins in 2026 before succumbing to post birth complications.
Elderberry and Peanut were both culled as part of the work of building a clean, healthy flock. Elderberry was my first black sheep and the mother of the farm’s first twins; she was also my first case of CL, a contagious disease I wasn’t willing to let take root in the herd. Peanut was a purebred Katahdin and the undisputed ringleader of every fence escape the farm has ever seen. She never did get the chance to be a mom, and I was sad to see her go. She was my second CL cull.
These animals shaped this farm. They’re remembered here because they deserve to be.
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