Half Acre Homestead – sunny spaces and a growing flock

Small backyard farms like Half Acre Homestead are exactly the kind of suppliers localFoddr was built to make easier to find – real people raising real food for their local communities.

A small idea that grew

Half Acre Homestead began quietly in mid-2024, when David and Katie Waite acquired six tiny chicks from Tractor Supply – a simple, hopeful start. Not long after, a second batch of eleven chicks joined the homestead, collected in a carpark during the height of the nationwide egg shortage.

From there, the flock grew steadily and intentionally, becoming the lively group of thirty-two hens and three roosters that fills this small suburban space in Mt Juliet today.

Alongside the hens, the three roosters bring their own personalities to the yard. Wellsley, a silver-laced Wyandotte, is the steady alpha who keeps order and breaks up squabbles. Napoleon, a Rhode Island Red who was meant to be a pulletyoung female chicken, struts with confidence and looks after the younger birds despite a streak of attitude. And the newest arrival, Ronald – a young black Australorp – is still finding his place in the hierarchy, not yet fully grown into the rooster he will become.

Around the flock, other parts of the homestead are taking shape: five young apple trees planted for the years ahead, a beehive David will be restarting after a tough first loss, and a garden that is quickly expanding. Four planter boxes last season are set to become sixteen next year. Katie takes the lead on the plant side of the operation, while chicken care is shared between them throughout the day.

Their two daughters are not heavily involved yet, but their seven-year-old already loves collecting eggs and bringing scraps and treats to the flock – small steps that reflect the homestead’s gentle pull into family life.

As a whole, the farm is a team effort, growing in its own steady, deliberate way.

Homeschooling adds its own rhythm to the days, and the homestead has become part of that learning – a place where care, routine, and real food meet.

Choosing quality at every step

David holds a simple philosophy at the centre of his work:

I want to provide the highest-quality product I can. Only local feed and clean spaces with lots of sun.

That commitment shows up everywhere – in the sunlit coops, the clean bedding, the airflow, and the choice to source feed from nearby producers. The scale stays small because the attention stays close; it’s the kind of setup where every bird is known and every detail matters.

Locals follow the homestead on Facebook, where David shares updates on the flock, the apple trees, the rapidly expanding garden, and the long-term plans for honey.

The egg-shortage scramble

When the second batch of chicks was planned for, right in the midst of the egg shortage, David – after many days of calling the local co-op – was eventually told chicks were on the way. He drove thirty minutes to pick some up, only to discover that reservations had been required – something never mentioned on the phone.

So the search continued.

Two Tractor Supply stores later, the second was receiving boxes straight from the post office, and a crowd had already formed. Instead of competing, they began organising themselves: noting who arrived first, how many chicks each person needed, and making sure everyone walked away with something. David left with eleven chicks – a mix of Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires – and a quiet reminder of how quickly strangers can look out for one another.

Why local food matters here

For David, choosing food from small farmers and backyard homesteaders isn’t about trends – it’s about taste, quality, and knowing how your food is raised.

It’s the difference that comes from paying attention to the small, essential details: sunlight, clean feed, calm birds, and real stewardship.

When asked what he hopes for when people buy from local farmers or suppliers like himself, he stated:

… that they are getting closer to the source of their food and pushing the market to prioritize better quality food. If you’ve done a side-by-side comparison of home-raised eggs vs store-bought cheap ones, you’ll understand.

It’s a small difference in the grand scheme of food systems, but for families like the Waites – and for the people who buy from them – it’s a reminder that real food raised with care still has a place in daily life.

Connections already made

Since listing Half Acre Homestead on the localFoddr directory, people have already found and contacted them through the site – a small but meaningful boost for a homestead still finding its footing.