We are the Steffen family. Here we welcome you into a glimpse of our days and also our hearts. You'll find us flawed and broken, yet incredibly loved and accepted by our Father God.

For years our family prayed about owning a farm. In 2021, miracles happened and our dream came true when we sold everything we had and left two acres in southern California to buy an 82-acre farm in Hillsboro, Ohio. Quietly tucked away among sun-dappled woods and rolling hills in Amish country, we are now the grateful caretakers of 'The Open Gate Farm’, a little slice of heaven here on earth.

Here we grow kids, faith, and a garden. Slowly renovating our farmhouse, farming a bit of the land and adding a variety of animals to our family have challenged and grown us (especially me, a former labor and delivery nurse) in ways we never thought possible. But saying we all love it, is an understatement. While there are frustrations and tears (mostly mine), there is also an underlying contentment and joy. It’s exciting to see God weaving an incredible story of healing and redemption, as our little family works together and grows even closer.

Kinderfarm is a family-run ministry; the kids work alongside us now that they're getting older. We value strengthening families, connecting kids to creation, finding balance, discovering truth, and experiencing beauty in the ordinary, everyday - making life simple, yet significant. Our hope is that you find beauty, rest and maybe even a bit of inspiration here. Our farm, along with our successes and failures, is something we want to share with you through farm-school learning adventures and farm-stay retreats. We would be honored if our family, or even our farm, were to be a part of your story.