As the Official Tractor of Tough, we strive to make our products as tough as our customers. Being tough can take on a lot of different forms: strength, tenacity, resilience, perseverance, state of mind.
And when it comes to John and Audrey Krafft, they’re as tough as they come.
John and Audrey live on Kraffty Farms in Kenwood, California, up in Sonoma County. They have about 8 acres of land where John was born and raised, and on it they have cows and pigs for meat, chickens for eggs, and bees for honey, goats for ground control, and some dogs to protect the animals.
But John and Audrey’s life changed forever in October of 2017 when the North Bay Fires destroyed their home.
It was a windy night, and John was packing to head out of town for work for a few days. Audrey smelled smoke, but John wrote it off. Then a neighbor called and told them there were fires nearby and they should get out of there. The two of them left with nothing more than John’s overnight bag, expecting to be gone for only a couple of hours. But as they made it to the main road, they realized things were far more significant than they thought. The fire had jumped the highway. Smoke and ash and giant burning embers were everywhere. They feared the worst, and when they finally were able to make it back to their property, confirmed what they expected. Almost everything was destroyed. Their homes and outbuildings and everything inside, their Max 26 tractor and tools. The only things that survived were their animals, and a handful of tractor implements and attachments.
But instead of giving up and losing hope, they immediately decided to rebuild, and use the fire as an opportunity.
John works in mapping, and completely reconfigured the layout to accommodate his new vision for the property and allow for growth. They moved into a 5th wheel on the land, upgraded their tractor to a Mahindra 2555 and got to work.
With both of them working full time at home, they would carve out anytime they could to the rebuild.
They started with the perimeter and used their tractor and an auger to drill and place over 400 fence posts. They then rebuilt the outbuildings for the animals and started on the barn, main house, and guest house.
When we went to visit the Kraffts in April, they had just moved into their new home, and like any homesteader, there is still more work to be done.
Their next projects are to clear space for a garden and start to plant fruits and vegetables to eat and share with their community.
“A really special thing happened after the fires and during this rebuild process. We were never very close or connected to our neighbors before, and now we’re all like a family. We trade our eggs for lemons and produce, help each other with bigger land projects, and try to support one another as much as we can,” said John, about his biggest lessons from the fire.
And John and Audrey are great neighbors to have. John is the local tractor hand, likening having a tractor to having a pickup truck. He often is asked to help clear a tree, move a mailbox, or dig some posts, and happily obliges. And Audrey started her own cookie dough business during the pandemic, offering sugar-free and gluten-free dessert options at their local markets, and teaching baking classes in town.
When asked what advice they have for first time homesteaders, both expressed the importance of having steady jobs where you have the flexibility to work remotely. “We couldn’t do what we do and take care of our animals if we were commuting to an office every day,” said Audrey. They also shared how critical it is to connect with the local community, and not be afraid to ask for help when you need it. “I was never a big community person, and now can’t imagine living any other way. It feels like a very old school way of life, but also a really natural way of life.”
As for tractor tips, John’s biggest advice is to work with a dealer that you trust and have a solid relationship with. “I bought my first tractor and the tractor I have now at Truck Tops in Santa Rosa, and every time I walk in the door, my sales rep Chris knows my name and asks how I’m doing. It’s key to know you can count on them for questions, advice, service and maintenance,” said John, about his dealer experience. His second piece of advice is to go as big as you can afford. “When it comes to tractors, bigger truly is better. And don’t skimp on attachments and implements, either. Because they’re really what gets the job done.”
You can connect with the Krafft family on Instagram @KrafftyFarms to see what they’re up to, and what new projects they’re working on. And if you want to learn more about Audrey’s cookies, check out krafftykitchen.com (we had some…. they’re delicious).
Thank you to Audrey and John for opening your home up to us and sharing your story.
If you’d like to be featured as a part of our Customer Spotlight Series, shoot us an email with a little bit about you and your journey to [email protected]
