Legendary History
Long ago, in 1817, a man named Gideon Rucker came to Tennessee with is wife, Joyce Reade, from Amherst County Virginia. His five brothers followed suit, and they became known as the founders of Middle Tennessee. With over 5,000 acres of land, Gideon built his home on a hill, overlooking the Stones River, right off the old Stagecoach Road that led a traveler all the way to Washington D.C., where he played host to several national dignitaries, including President Andrew Jackson.
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Over the years, the land was sold to Donald and Mildred Paschal, and the farm became home to some of the country's finest Walking Horse legends. World ranking Tennessee Walking champions were trained in the barn on the property. In regognition of Donald's success, he was inducted into the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Hall of Fame in May of 1984.
The Farm Today
Tom and Jeannine Floyd bought the 12-acre farm in 2013 with their kids, Garrett and Elise. After serving in the military for 30 years, Tom and Jeannine wanted an escape from the hustle of a big city, and transition to cultivating land, raising livestock, and restoring a historic house. That desire brought them to the rolling hills and peaceful pastures of rural Tennessee. Ambitiously, they obtained their first head of cattle, 75 chickens, 9 kitties, and 2 dogs within the first 6 months of living in Middle Tennessee.
"After moving so often and living all over the country, Tennessee is the only place that has ever felt like home." Because of this, Tom explains, Culpepper Farms is proud to give back to the community that was so welcoming by being a resource for health-minded folks. "We were called to be good stewards of the Earth," Jeannine concludes, "its our job to not only restore and cultivate the land, but to also honor and respect God's creation, great and small. Through animals we care for, and the food we produce."