As a 9 year old, Ethan Paggi had a great desire to travel and explore nature. His education was tailored through homeschooling to fulfill his dreams by encouraging entrepreneurship in an area of his choice so he could save money to travel while combining it with the study of nature and geography. The deal was struck- we could travel as a family to Africa if he paid the family’s way! He had a gift for animal husbandry and needed a business that could be managed at home. So, he took up the challenge with hard work, much dedication, commitment to quality and service and the simple grit of hand wiping thousands of eggs! Over the next 6 years, he developed an outstanding chicken egg business, delivering egg dozens with its accompanying informative newsletter. As his business flourished, we soon realized that it had outgrown our Los Angeles suburbia residential lot. We needed bigger “pastures”.

Since I had a background in farm living in Scotts Valley, CA, I had always wanted to raise my kids with the gifts that farm life can teach and now inspired by the need for “Ethan’s Chicken Farm” expansion, we decided to buy 20 acres of raw land in Three Rivers, CA. During the next several years, as a family, we transitioned from LA to the foothills of Central California right outside of Sequoia National Park. We bought an additional 60 acres and started building a house with basic infrastructure. This move enabled Ethan to increase his flock and production, allowing him to achieve his goal of a paid international travel trip with his family!

Inspired by her big brother, Aaliyah Paggi saw the lure of entrepreneurship. She wanted to go to Florida, then it became Paris and that ultimately morphed into the love to have her own horse. I think now it has transitioned into saving up for venture capital for an animal friendly coffee shop in Seattle, WA! Any direction she ultimately chooses, she will be unstoppable! Goats were her choice to earn money. So, she saved up to buy four simple goats. She also convinced her brother to chip in his money with her to buy livestock dogs to protect their combined farm animals. She expanded her herd size and quality and was met with great success!

Unfortunately, due to divorce in 2019, I had to take a huge risk and put everything on the line in order to keep the farm. I had the shock of a lifetime coming from a stay-at-home homeschooling mom lifestyle. As a result, to make ends meet on a farm of such scale, I decided to start an Airbnb farm stay. This launched Matanah Meadows, Hebrew for “God’s Gift”. As unfortunate as it was, this radical change in life circumstances opened up ways for me to pursue my dreams. This all started at my university studies of Landscape Architecture, of a small sustainable family farm as a place of education, research and community. Now, I have a captive audience, as I give farm tours, of all the ways we are pursuing regenerative agriculture in the development of a sustainable farm.

Come and stay at Matanah Meadows so you can hear the rest of our story on a farm tour and see all of the new projects we are doing!

-Nissa