Meet Michael Barker

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Barker . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.

Hi Michael, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?
I endeavor to surround myself with people who are visionaries, who aren’t afraid to take risks for big rewards, while reducing my exposure to haters and nay-sayers whenever possible. There are always people in your life that you have to deal with who may be negative, or can’t see the big picture, so I don’t let them steal my energy. I take their negativity and use it as fuel to propel me forward and to seek out others who make their dreams reality.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I own a small family ranch in the heart of the West Central Idaho Mountains. 14 years ago my wife and I decided we would set a goal of building a small, sustainable farm. It took us 10 years of hard work, working two jobs each, to get us where we are today. In 2016 we started with our first livestock, horses, and we have been building on that ever since to include chickens and beef cattle. Starting a ranch from scratch is even harder work than what we had done the previous decade, and while most generational legacy farms and ranches today are being sold off and subdivided for development, we are determined to revitalize the idea of the small family ranch as a path to invest in our children’s futures. We live in a remote area, where food at the grocery store is quite expensive, particularly anything organic, heirloom, free range, or raised without chemicals, pesticides, and other contaminants. Our ranch aims to provide our local and regional communities with high quality, naturally raised food products that are reasonably priced and that families can feel good about consuming. We also want to keep the spirit of ranching alive in this valley, where it has thrived for hundreds of years, in an era when most children are determined to go off to the city and abandon their family ranching legacy.

As the ranch grows we plan to raise our own curated herd of beef cattle, bred to survive in our austere, cold climate, chicks, garlic, and produce in our greenhouses. In the future we plan to also offer educational services to our local school districts with a focus on small-scale farming knowledge and skills for youth. This will include farm tours, hands-on short courses, as well as opportunities for semester long internships. We greatly admire Polyface Farm in Virginia and the Salatin family’s efforts and aspire to build a farm enterprise such as theirs in our mountain west home. (https://polyfacefarms.com)

To support the development of our ranch and agricultural endeavors, we established a wedding and event site on our land, which we refer to as, “The Park.” This 5 acre site is situated in a timbered meadow and is a unique venue in our area. We have a beautiful setting with mountain views, privacy, and unique features you won’t find anywhere else, including a farm pond with dock, unique 6′ tall artisan fire pit sphere, rustic 20′ banquet table, kid’s play area, covered gazebos and concert stage. Future additions include an indoor event center to expand our event season year-round. Our grand opening will be July 1st, 2024 and we are taking bookings for both 2024 and 2025 currently. Our park is open for reservations for weddings, bridal showers, parties, family events, and small business events. Contact us to find out how we can make your event memorable in the serenity of our mountain park!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Fortitude- Dreaming big is challenging, and fortitude will make your dreams a reality. There are going to be lots of really tough times, tough decisions, and sacrifices on the path to achieving your dreams. But as the saying goes, nothing good is ever easy.

Creative problem solving- Without this skill, hurdles presented along your journey will stymie you. You must be able to think your way out of problems and to pivot when immovable barriers try to stop your forward progress. This skill takes practice and typically also involves risk taking, which many people shy away from today. Make a plan, launch it, but also have 3 more backup plans when you have to pivot and follow a more creative, and less straightforward path, to achieve your goals.

Risk Taking- As I just mentioned, have the guts to take risks. Don’t be afraid of failure or you’ll never get anywhere. Take failures a lessons learned and use them to make better decisions, avoid future pitfalls, but above all else, try.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
I go back to the basics, to the data, and I remove the emotion from the situation. Emotion (fear, typically) is often the origin of the overwhelming feelings, not the actual problem itself. Any problem can be overcome when you take time to sit down and think it through. Write down ideas if you need to, or bounce ideas off of a trusted and grounded spouse, friend, or family member who will listen objectively and who will not become overwhelmed themselves by your challenge. Take time to think. I cannot stress this enough. In today’s world we rarely reserve time to just sit and think, we are constantly in motion, constantly “doing.” I have found my best strategy is to make time for myself to think through a challenge when I encounter one. Ensure you find a space away from distractions.

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