Origin of the Name: Hawk's Hill Farm
In the first few days of owning the farm, my husband Scott was cutting the weeds along the fence when he discovered an injured hawk embedded in the fence close to the ground. It appeared as if the hawk was diving for prey and did not realize that a fence was located in its path. Scott ran to get a pair of wire cutters to free the hawk from the entanglement of the wire fence. The hawk was severely injured and after spending time trying to find a bird rescue facility with no results, we were met with no other option than to try and make the hawk as comfortable as it could be. Water was provided in a bowl and an umbrella was placed above its body for protection from the July summer hot temperatures and scorching sunrays. Each day the hawk progressed ever so slowly in its recovery. I was at a loss on how to help the hawk heal. But on the third day, the hawk rose! There were no remains, feathers or anything left of the hawk to indicate its existence along the fence. The hawk that was on the hill at the farm had healed and flown away. The inspiration for the name Hawk’s Hill Farm was provided along with of course one heck of a great story.
If you build it, they will come.
- Field of Dreams
A miracle is a shift in perception from fear to love.
- Marianne Williamson
Hawk's Hill Farm's Story
It began as a declaration of my dream to my good
friend Kathy McAllen known to many as Hersh from
our days as Boilermakers at Purdue University. “I want to create a space somewhere in Hayesville, North Carolina where people can gather in community. I love this small town and I think it would be a fun mission to tell the stories of the people who live here,” I stated rather loudly as we sipped our wine at the edge of Lake Chatuge. Little did we know how clearly the sound travels to our fellow lake neighbors. We naively thought we were only sharing our private intentions and dreams with each other. We still laugh about this moment in our years of friendship together.
That dream began with the purchase of a home on
Lake Chatuge in 2011 in the beautiful community of
Hayesville, North Carolina. My life was full then as it is
now with hills and valleys and a winding life path. My
home in the mountains which we named Sweetwater
became a place of refuge to rest, recharge, and renew
during the storms in my life. The years of losing my
mother to the cruel disease of dementia along with my
years walking my dear sister Rhonda home while she
lived with cancer were spent here. This space
provided a place to grieve surrounded by the majestic
mountains and the peaceful sound of water. Time
spent here allowed me to restore myself back to a
place where I could serve once again.
During these years, I spent many hours Zillow
searching for the location of where to create this
space to gather in community. Buildings in town,
houses through out the country side were viewed
through the years. One day, however, as I was driving
back from Asheville from a visit with Rhonda a
magical thought came into my mind. The space
should be a farm. From that new vision, my drives in
my jeep began to search out farms that were for sale
in the area. Finally in 2020, a farm about a mile down
the road from our home was on the market to sell. At
first, I felt the location was not right for the mission I
held in my heart. But I knew immediately it was the
one when my husband Scott and I came to view the
property. The view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from
the farm was one that I had visualized in a dream
several nights prior. I was led to purchase this
property. My vision to create a space to gather in
community for inspiration, to connect to self, to
connect to others, and to connect to the land was
ready to be born.