A Little Dot on the Prairie Map
Our StoryIt started on a quiet spring evening in 1993. A soft and hopeful invitation—“Do you wanna come see my cows?”—which led us down a quiet dirt road to a secluded spot, where something meaningful sparked.
Penned with my whole heart,
Faye Fossay— November 2024
“Our vision for the Down Home Farm is rooted in simplicity and authenticity—a place just off the beaten path, where nature and agriculture harmoniously unite. It’s a peaceful spot, with a river winding alongside and open skies above, where life moves a little slower and meaning feels simpler. The magic that first sparked here on our first date in the spring of 1993 has only grown deeper over time. This isn’t about polish or pretense; it’s about a life that feels true, grounded, and filled with meaning—a place where our story began, and one we’re nurturing to welcome others in.”
Bryan & Faye Fossay
Est. April 1993, Our Quiet Legacy Continues
— Our Beginning
The Spark of Something Lasting
Spring 1993, not long after our first date. This is Bryan, back at the place where our story began to unfold. These early days showed me the quiet steady farm life he was rooted in. This place became part of us, grounding our story from the very beginning.
For years, our family has known this property as the Dauphinais Farm— named after the pioneering family, whose name we’ve always pronounced “duff-nee”. When we dreamed of creating something more here, we knew we wanted a name that carried the same sense of home, roots, and belonging. Inspired by the song Down Home by Alabama, the words just felt right — a name that speaks to the feeling we hope you’ll find here.
— The Early Years
In the Heart of Farmlife
Those early days were filled with sweet, simple moments on the farm. I’d tag along for hours, helping with chores, riding in the combine, tending cattle, and just being together with our pups trailing behind us. Life felt new and exciting, and was beautifully uncomplicated back then. Those days became the foundation for everything that would follow.
Bryan Circa 1994
Early Days on His Farm
Faye Circa 1994
Finding Her Place in His World
— The Little Things that Made Us
Held Together by Simple Joys
Four years later, we married, and that sweet, simple life began to change. We welcomed two children, each bringing their own light and joy, while learning to balance family with the real demands of farm life. There were beautiful moments, but also challenges—financial hurdles, long days, and constant juggling.
Yet through it all, a quiet hope stayed with me — that maybe, one day, the place where our story began could become something more than “just” land we farmed. Not something bigger, but something with purpose — a quiet space we could share.
— Finding a Way Foward
A New Chapter Begins
As the years have passed, our vision for this land has taken shape. The Dauphinais Farm is just one special piece of our farm, but it has always held possibility.
This is the season where we’re imagining what more this place can become. Not just crop land, but a space that invites connection and creativity — where others can pause, breathe, and experience its quiet calm. Like farming itself, it will unfold season by season — photography first, then stays, with the potential for other meaningful experiences to grow from here.
This Was Us Then
CIRCA 2005
This Is Us These Days
OCTOBER 2024
— Where New Chapters Unfold
We Hope You’ll Join Us
The Down Home Farm is a potential path to diversify — a way to gently share the quiet charm and magic that has always inspired us, while creating something we can grow into over time. It’s a dream that was quietly waiting for its moment, and now we’re taking it step by step.
This is where our story began and continues, and we’d be honoured to have you follow along as it unfolds. Here, you’ll find the simple calm of the prairie, the quiet magic of a life connected to nature, and the peace that has sustained us.
For snapshots of the everyday moments that make this life ours, take a look at @fayefossay on Instagram. And for a front-row seat to the Down Home Farm as it takes shape, follow @thedownhomefarm.
We thank you for being here.