We are a family farm established by Dan and Liz Buckles in
2019 to focus on creating a safe, fun, and wonder-filled rural living and learning environment
for our children, grandchildren, and inner-city children to experience a variety of animals, crops, and general farm life! After a 50+ year professional career and raising 5 children we saw how much life
had changed from our own upbringing and th
ought it was a worthwhile endeavor to recreate
some memories and establish new ones for the next generation to experience. The first is 10 acres located on the intercoastal
waterway on Jacksonville’s historic Black Hammock Island. Surrounded by hundreds of acres of preserved acreage in the 7 Creeks Recreation Area (7 Creeks Recreation Area – Jacksonville
Timucuan Parks Foundation), the City of Jacksonville, Florida Department of Natural Resources, and the National Park Service have joined forces to create, preserve, and protect some of the most iconic Florida flora, fauna, and wildlife. Our second location is located in Wilkes County, North Carolina. At this location we are in the
heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northwestern North Carolina near the summit of
Leatherwood Mountain. Surrounded by a variety of commercial farms, as well as located in an
equestrian community with over 65 miles of curated trails, we seek to offer families the
experience of life in a slower paced community nestled in God’s creation where man, beast,
and life on a mule or horse ranch intersect in the most profound ways. As we establish our online presence, we invite you to follow along with us! We are lifelong
learners that are not afraid to reach out and try new things with people who may have been
doing them for a while. We thought it looked like fun and jumped in feet first to learn for
ourselves! Not always a pretty sight but it is never a dull moment. Here are some of the things that are happening:
Pilgrim Ridge Farms – Jacksonville
1. Great Pyrenees Livestock Guardian Dogs – the defender and protector of all life that
belongs on the farms. Faithful friends who always welcome new friends and dutiful
protectors of their livestock from the many predators on our beautiful island
(coyotes, hawks, bears, racoons, bobcats, and much more). Boaz was bred from Mill Creek Family Farms and Ruth was bred from Wells' Providence Pyrenees.
2. Great Pyrenees Puppies have arrived November 25,2022! Boaz is the sire and Ruth is
the dam. If you are living the rural life and want to stop loss of your stock our Great
Pyrenees are working dogs training their pups to be the same. Head over to our
page to see photos and more! Send us a DM with any questions.
3. Mule Training and Riding – Dottie is our first mule and works with Dan on improving
his riding skills! Dwarf Pygmy Goats – Meet Liz’s three fun loving pets Ethel, Missy, and Buttercup. They are curious, playful, and love their animal crackers! We expect to get some
more as our visitor traffic picks up. We want all our visitors to be able to play with a
goat!
5. Chickens – the spring will bring a new load of freshly hatched chicks that will
produce eggs for our family. This will be a fun experience as we raise a new brood. Meet Oreo, the first hen we had that was hatched in our daughter’s fourth grade
classroom by her students! See how this hen changed our lives and likely will change
yours too! Pilgrim Ridge Farms – Ferguson, NC
1. Mountain Mule- Our mule Dottie reigns here in the equestrian community. In May
2023 Dottie will be joining the Leatherwood Mountain Mule Days! Most of the
equines in Leatherwood are horses but Dan and a few other mule men (and women)
are doing their best to show off mules from around the country. Lots of fun at this
event to share in person or online.
