Miller County Homesteader Clare Oliver Sells Goods Throughout the Ark-La-Tex
By Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

Clare stands with several of the farm’s residents, including a dairy cow named Ruby and a bunny named Smudge. photo by shane darby

Growing up in Louisiana, Clare Oliver was always surrounded by animals and spent much of her time outdoors. Her family members grew gardens, and those early years helped her see agriculture as a labor of love. Today, she and her family have built Vesta Homestead, a small working farm in Genoa. Through this growing business, Clare takes pride in her work and in the community she serves.

“When I started, I had a few chickens, and I lived in town on a small corner lot in the city,” Clare said. “I had a little handful of chickens, and in the backyard along the fence line, I grew what I could in container beds, raised beds, and with bucket gardening. I grew anything I could—flowers, produce. It’s just amazing how much you can grow without needing a lot of space.”

From the beginning, Clare knew she wanted one day to turn her small-scale homestead into a career. She went to college to study biology, conservation, and wildlife, and she soaked in the wisdom of friends she made through the Texarkana and Atlanta Farmers Markets. She read a lot of books and found trusted online resources to help her build her knowledge and skills.

Everyone does their part to help Clare on the Vesta Homestead. Pictured below, son Simon feeds the goats, son Landon and husband Christopher hold prized chickens, and oldest child Byron poses with the family’s smiling dog, Bear.

The more she learned about homesteading, the more she loved the way it provided natural food options for her family.

“My entire adult life, I’ve taken steps to just know better and do better with what we put in and on our bodies, especially as a mom motivated to make sure I try to do what’s best for my family’s well-being,” she said. “I started learning about different products and what they do. I kind of went down a rabbit hole into health and wellness. We know our animals, from birth or hatching—whether we consume them or we get milk from them. We know everything about where it came from and how it was nurtured.”

As her knowledge and skills grew, so did her willingness to make a bold career move.

“I quit my full-time job and moved into homesteading full-time,” Clare said. “Working toward self-sufficiency was a goal our family has had for as long as I can remember. We took steps here and there, constantly learning.”

The Olivers started with a piece of land filled with trees, plus a few unwanted critters, and cleared it all themselves. submitted photos

She started her business with one small table at farmers markets; her presence there now requires a 200-square-foot tent with many tables of products. Her space at the market is not the only thing that has expanded over time. Her family has expanded the Vesta Homesteading footprint twice: once with a few acres, and now with quite a bit of land that has given them plenty of room to grow. They have long-term plans for a website, farm store, and an event venue, but for now, Vesta Homestead’s current offerings keep her on her toes.

“We sell fresh eggs, plants, seed starts, seasonal produce, and handmade wool items,” Clare said. “We also have sourdough baked goods, other handmade gifts, and specialty treats. Some of my biggest sellers are goat-milk soaps.”

The business (whose name comes from the Roman goddess of hearth, home, and family) includes chickens, geese, ducks, quails, hogs, goats, and a dairy cow. Clare and her family work to cultivate soil and take pride in having built their farm from the ground up.

“It is so rewarding to say, ‘Hey, I grew that,’” Clare said. “For us to say, ‘Hey, we built that.’ We are real big on [using] what [we] have. I have thrifted and used [Facebook Marketplace] to find pretty much everything we have out here, and I’m so proud of that. It doesn’t have to look pretty, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to fit you and your family and your needs.”

Another rewarding part of her work, Clare said, is the community she has been able to engage with through the farmers markets.

“Going to farmers markets is really more than just buying goods,” she said. “It’s really about community and getting to know all the local people that work to grow your food and make handmade things. They really care about each person that purchases from them or even stops to strike up a conversation. We have some of the best customers.”

In addition to selling at local farmers markets, Vesta also has products for sale at Full House Furniture.

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Of Hearth and Home