Our love story and the Legacy of LePine Farms

Our love story began over 20 years ago, and like most marriages, it’s been a journey of highs, lows, and unforgettable moments. Together, Reed and I have raised five awesome young men who enjoy the farm just about as much as we do. We are proud grandparents to three wonderful little people—who, I’m hoping, are the first of many more!

Reed’s passion for landscaping began long before we met, and today, he runs his own successful company, creating extraordinary outdoor spaces, including our venue! My very satisfying career of choice was a professional mom, fully immersed in the joys and challenges of raising our family. It wasn’t just what I did—it’s who I am!

In 2020, we were blessed with the incredible opportunity to purchase the homestead of Reed’s family’s beautifully maintained heritage farm—a cherished photo spot for graduations, weddings, and countless special moments spanning many decades.

Our barn, a grand red monitor-style beauty built in 1929, has been the star of many photo shoots—sometimes as a majestic backdrop, and other times as the star… and oh, how she shines! The farmhouse, built in 1927, still stands proudly, brimming with charm and character that only time can bestow. Turning down our driveway feels like stepping back to the days of early settlers.

In its youth, the story goes, the farm was a rest stop for weary travelers coming from Clayhurst or Rolla on their way to Dawson Creek for supplies or to bring their harvests to Dawson, the shipping point for this district. Their horses found respite at our hitching post, and the two small cabins beside the barn offered shelter to the settlers as a midpoint in their long journey.’ The land’s first owner, Pete Hauger, immigrated from Norway and built the house in 1927, followed by the barn and outbuildings in 1929. 

One story we hold dear comes from Shirley Grayston, author of Heritage Buildings of the Peace Country Area, in which our house and barn are included, and a longtime resident of Dawson Creek. She shared how, as a young woman, she worked in our kitchen preparing meals for the men who were building the barn and travelers’ cabins—a connection to the past that makes our home even more special and the history more tangible. 

Pete Hauger never married, but the farm remained a refuge for travelers. In 1974, Reed’s parents, Jack and Elda LePine, purchased the property and named it LePine Farms. Jack farmed the land, producing wheat and canola, the same as it does today, with the help of Elda’s father, his father, their two eldest children Nyla and Dale—here and there—and a few farmhands. Elda kept the household running while preparing meals for the workers in the field in the very kitchen that Shirley did nearly 50 years earlier. 

Tragically, in 1976, while crop-dusting his fields, Jack’s plane crashed, and he was killed. Nyla and Dale, only 14 and 11, grew up in a hurry that summer—not only did they lose their father, but the harvest had to come off or be lost, and someone had to take it off. That fall, with the help and guidance of their grandfather and the farmhands, they pulled off what seemed impossible. Nyla worked in the fields, and Dale, barely 12 years old, drove the big old manual steering truck—bringing in the harvest of 1976. Reed was only 5 at the time.