Nestled in between suburban homes and among the whispering tall pines of Gainesville, sits Hidden Hills Farm. Owned by Brittany Forbes, her husband of five years, Chris Hickox, and their daughter Lilly, the 20-acre farm welcomes you with the sweet smell of hay, fresh cut grass and the perplexed stares of their beloved cows, sheep and ponies. The enchanting songs of roosters and chickens welcome you to the door of the farmhouse, as you hear the pitter patter of Maddie approach you. The farm’s livestock dog leaves no guest un-inspected, as they come to pick up freshly baked goods, farm-fresh eggs or florals, all brought to life by Brittany herself.
Hidden Hills Farm is the pride and joy of Forbes, 37, who used to work full time in finance, and most recently as a mortgage loan officer for five years. Inspired by her grandmother‘s hobbies and growing up in the small farming town of Wilson, North Carolina, Forbes always knew that she wanted to try her own hand at it.
“I love baking, I love gardening, creating things, spending time with my farm animals – I just wanted to incorporate all of it into something.”
When they purchased their home in 2016 the only real plans that they had were to renovate and to enjoy the land itself. But that soon changed after they moved in.
“I always knew I wanted to have my own horse and I just happened to see a couple of cute goats on craigslist. So, we started our venture with two goats, which then turned into a few goats and horse, then chickens, then a donkey and later cows… and here we are! I call it ‘farm math,’” says Forbes.
Today, the farm is home to four dogs, two mini horses, four cows, five (and counting) sheep and 40ish chickens. With their ever-growing family of animals, running the farm is now a full-time job for Forbes.
“Owning a farm comes with a lot of responsibilities,” says Forbes.
“I’m up every morning at 6 a.m. because I have to be… to milk the cows. There is no sleeping in for me. I have to be at the barn 10-12 hours later to milk again, so going out of town or doing things on a whim is difficult right now without having someone who knows how to help you,” says Forbes. She reflects that this is also the hardest part of owning the farm.
“I have to be there at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.– every single day, rain or shine, hurricanes and freezing temps. Same with chickens – my rule is – I don’t get to eat or have my coffee until my livestock has had their feed, water and care for the morning. You learn to really appreciate them and the value they bring.”
Even with its long hours and its never-ending need for attention, Forbes knew that the farm, and bringing to life its offerings, was always her calling.
“Growing up in a small farm town that produced tobacco, cotton, wheat, beans and more – I always wanted to try my own hand at it. I would say I didn’t dedicate any real interest into it until moving to Florida – as the saying goes ‘you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.’ After moving to the Florida Keys, Miami and into Fort Lauderdale – I really missed that connection so I wanted to bring a little bit of home with me wherever I went. I started learning to bake my favorite North Carolina cheese biscuits, homemade pimento cheese and chocolate chess pies.”
Today, Forbes spends time crafting delicacies from the offerings on her farm and leaning on what is in season.
“My cows produce dairy for us – I milk the two cows and use their milk for our family. It’s great because I always have fresh milk on hand, and we are big dairy people – nothing beats a cold glass of chocolate milk at night. I get the richest cream from both girls so I can churn it into butter or use it as heavy cream. We use the eggs for everything and then I sell what we don’t use – during the spring we love to hatch a few of the eggs as well to keep the chicken math going.”
Forbes has also added gardening to her repertoire. She is growing seasonal veggies and fruits, which she uses to craft homemade jams and preservers.
“I like our guava jam when it’s in season. I bought this tiny little guava tree years ago. I forgot to plant it so it became rootbound in the plastic pot and down into the soil, so it was planted like that and Chris always made fun of me for it. It lives and thrives so well! I can’t wait to make ice cream with some of the guavas this season – maybe a guava cheesecake or guava and honey.”
There is one farm fresh staple that she is known for, and that is her brown butter chocolate chip cookies. “They are the staple of the farm. We are big chocolate chip cookie fans so I went through several recipes and tweaks before I stamped our favorite recipe. The cinnamon rolls have also been a huge hit and have been one of my most popular recipes,” says Forbes.
And, while the list of edible delights from the farm grows each season, including getting ideas from her loyal social media fans, loyal social media fans, Forbes is most proud of her dairy.
“Honestly, I just love to process milk. My favorite part of this is the cream. I love to see just how much cream each cow produces. Sometimes the cream lines are so heavy – which I love! The creamier the milk – the better! I also love to make butter – mostly because I use so much of it when baking… it’s so much work and not everyone will want to do it – I think it takes a lot of time, dedication, motivation but I’m so, so proud of it and my proud of my cows. I’m definitely the girl that ALWAYS talks about her cows…”
For Forbes, it’s the combination of creating something for others, the love of the land, the animals and bringing it all together that continues to inspire her to grow the farm and its offerings to others.
“[It’s fulfilling] I think because it brings joy to so many other people. People love to see the animals – everyone knows Tulip or my oldest hen – Penny. They’ve seen their stories as we’ve all grown. People are excited about trying the chicken eggs or the baked goods that are hand crafted from the farm that they feel like they are a part of. It’s nice to know that the community and beyond appreciate all the efforts!”
As rewarding as it is, Forbes admits it is hard work. Her advice for anyone who is thinking of starting their own farm and beginning an entrepreneur journey with it is, “It’s difficult, but stick with it and don’t give up – no matter how many times you fail – get back up and try it again. No use crying over spilt milk – literally and figuratively and start small – know your limits. Research is your friend – want chickens? Research the breeds – find traits that you want in your flock – with anything. Same goes for growing – Starting out and even now – I always have so many questions – look for a farming community or friends that you can bounce questions and ideas off of.”
Today, Hidden Hills Farm is bustling with growth and endless possibilities of new and exciting sweet and savory treats and Forbes is all in for the ride. Ultimately Forbes says that the goal with the farm is, “building something sustainable for my family and friends. I love the idea of creating something really fun and unique with it and sharing it with the community. I would love to share more of the farm and get more people interested in creating their own little slice of farm heaven.”
Photos by Sweet Serendipity Photography
