Letters to a farm friend

Phillips begins Pen Pal Pets to explore creativity, educate

BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER

If barnyard animals could talk, what would they share?

That question led one Princeton resident to her latest endeavor.

Emily Phillips, a native of Los Angeles, California, describes herself as an artist and a maker. While attending art school in Ohio, she met her husband, Christopher, who grew up in the Twin Cities metro area. Post college, the two explored living in LA until the birth of their son, Walden, in 2019. However, being new parents in the onset of the coronavirus pandemic led to questions for the Phillips family.

“When we were thinking about what does it mean to do important work and what do we want to teach our child about living, we kind of decided to just make this leap,” Phillips said.

The family moved to Minnesota and purchased 123 acres in Greenbush Township, Mille Lacs County.

While raising ocks of grassfed Katahdin sheep and broiler chickens as well as a ock of egg-laying hens, Phillips began a new creative endeavor to supplement their farm’s income and connect with the community: Pen Pal Pets was born.

“We started our ock of sheep with 10 and you name them and you really get to know them,” Phillips said. “Every animal has its own personality.” pets her ram lamb, Chunk, while wearing her custom-embroidered Psychic Stitch jacket on the Phillips Farmstead in Mille Lacs County. Phillips pens letters from her animals to others in the farmstead’s subscription-based Pen Pal Pets program.

As Phillips dove head rst into regenerative farm practices meant to rebuild soil health, she began creating stories about her animals as a means of entertainment.