Welcome to 

Mosshollow Hill

Mosshollow Hill is located in Aromas, a small community in the coastal hills of California and split between three counties: Monterey, San Benito, and a little bit of Santa Cruz. Brett McCleary, a history and social science teacher at Davis Intermediate School, lives there with his partner, Susan, also a public school teacher, and their dog, Sierra, a Leonberger. The story of Mosshollow Hill began in the summer of 2014. Brett and Susan purchased their home and began creating their own personal dreamland that featured art, wet-felting, and small-scale farming. They took on this ambitious endeavor with a plan to become more self-sufficient and capable of controlling the way food was raised and grown. “After 11 years, we have learned that our ‘ideal’ is extremely time consuming and not realistic while juggling commuting and full-time teaching careers. The self-sufficient aspect is more hobbyist these days,” Brett explained.

Brett and Susan have raised many animals on their farm. They currently have sixteen chickens, all named after various literary and pop-culture characters; two sheep, named Daisy and Dottie; two goats, Snackly and Scrappy; and two cats, Enola and Eboshi. The eggs from the chickens are sold to friends and neighbors, which helps cover some of the costs of organic foods. Brett went on to explain, “The wool from our sheep gets sheared, cleaned, processed, and is available for purchase. Susan is a fiber artist and teaches felting workshops. Our wool is great for spinning and felting.” 

Living in a more rural area has its advantages and disadvantages. With farm life comes California wildlife, and there is plenty of it. Brett has come across many common animals that live throughout the state. “We live in an area that has everything from mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats, to rabbits, skunks, opossums, hawks, owls, ravens, turkeys, tons of song birds, and assorted reptiles,” Brett stated. To which he then added, “AND !#$%ing  gophers!”

In addition to the abundant supply of eggs, Mosshollow Farm also features over 20 semi- dwarf fruit trees. According to Brett, “Some produce well, but we are forced to battle the birds and squirrels for ripe fruit.” Berries and citrus continue to grow successfully, and Brett explained, “The avocados are just reaching maturity, which takes five to ten years, so we look forward to more of those soon.” Farming requires lots and lots of patience, but after all, Brett and Susan are teachers. “Our garden produces good harvests of beans, peas, and squash. Tomatoes are great one year and not so great the next. You can find carrots, asparagus, potatoes, herbs, and leafy greens depending on the time of year, “ said Brett.

Owning a farm takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and creativity, and with it comes many challenges. Brett explained, “All animals need to be cared for and protected. We rely on a well, so rainfall is important. With the droughts over the last eleven years we have struggled to keep everything going. Sometimes you have to give up on certain crops or yields. Five acres is a lot of land and requires a large amount of work to maintain.” Part of battling nature also involves managing wildlife. “Gophers and squirrels can wipe out months of effort in a day.” Brett avoids using poisons, and added, “It gets challenging to find solutions. Installing a barn owl box and having owls for one year was extremely exciting.” When asked about his successes on the farm, Brett stated, “Building structures, homes, and fences for the animals allows me to get creative with architecture and woodworking and trying to incorporate new materials and repurposing the old. Animals also become part of the solutions to problems. Sheep, goats, and chickens do amazing weed abatement and pest control. They provide manure for composting and hours of entertainment.”

In addition to caring for the orchard, garden, and animals, Brett enjoys carpentry, cooking, and photography. Brett stated, “Pre-pandemic we hosted open studio art tours and felting workshops as well as friend and family gatherings. We look forward to returning to those soon.” If you are interested in learning more about Mosshollow Hill, be sure to check out the website: https://www.mosshollowhill.com/.