I Interview THE Kristina Holleman of Holleman Farms
Kristina Holleman and her husband RW bought a hundred-acre farm in Greenville, Texas in 2004, looking for some space, a slower pace, and a simpler way of life for their growing family. It took a few years to realize that the farm could be used for more than a giant playground for the kids. In an attempt to supply cleaner and more wholesome food for their family, they started raising chicken, eggs, pork, and beef, milking the family Jersey cow, and growing lots of fresh produce. They learned and grew through the adventures, disasters, and rewarding moments. The journey has been a powerful experience, making the connection between land, labor, and food, and enjoying the privilege of providing clean and healthy foods for family and friends.
Kristina also runs a private Academy on the farm that started this year. St. Isidore Academy began as the result of a small group of Catholic home schooling families coming together to support one another in their faith and in the formation and education of their children. The mission of home schooling is a unique and beautiful calling; those who answer the call seek to build up the Church by protecting and nurturing their families and passing on the faith by the intentional formation and education of their children. But the challenges to answering this call are many. Most families struggle to maintain consistency in schooling in the presence of life’s ups and downs and busy seasons, new babies, illnesses, work schedules and pressures. Teaching many children of different grade levels can be difficult, and most parents do not feel competent in every area of academics, especially as their children reach middle school and high school. Many struggle with the burden of paperwork, records, transcripts, standardized testing, or college applications. In addition, home schooling can sometimes feel isolating, and many parents recognize a need for social interaction and group learning opportunities, and the presence of a supportive community of families. St. Isidore Academy was founded to address all these challenges for the home schooling family, and to provide support and solutions that enable families to continue and to succeed in home schooling.
