Raised with Respect: Creating a Compassionate Farm and a Resilient Family
In this episode of Unstoppable Stories, host Nathan James is joined by Abigail Compton, military veteran, caregiver, mother of four, and co-owner of Compton Family Farm. Abigail shares a powerful look into her life on and off the farm, from the trauma of her husband being shot in the line of duty, to the deep purpose she’s found in raising animals with care and compassion.
We hear how Abigail balances motherhood, caregiving, and running a sustainable farm, all while continuing her education through the Pillars of Strength Scholarship at UMGC. She speaks openly about the emotional weight of loving animals she knows won’t be with her forever, and how her respect for them has transformed the way she lives and works. Abigail is a remarkable example of resilience and grace, and her story is one you won’t want to miss.
Episode Information
Nathan James:
You've seen plans go left and right. How do you push through?
Abigail Compton:
It's hard. It's certainly hard. I think we all experience it. I don't think any of us are immune from feeling overwhelmed. I think that how we handle it in those moments, it helps us get through it. I try very hard to like take a breath and know that. This moment isn't long term knowing that if you stall, delay, ignore, it's not gonna solve the problem. So really the only way to relieve that stress, anxiety, overwhelmed feeling is to just get through it. And so I think breaking it down and going, okay, what's the first step? Okay, what's the second step?
What's the third step? And just do one thing at a time.
Intro:
Welcome to the UMGC podcast Unstoppable Stories with your host, Nathan James.
Nathan James:
Hello everybody. How we doing today? Uh, it's Nathan y with, uh, hu actually today with Abigail Compton. So happy to have her on today. She's actually a dairy farm business owner, uh, UMGC graduate and the recipient actually of the UMGC scholarship called the Pillars of Strength, uh, scholarship, uh, which is, uh, uh, specifically for caregivers, uh, of. Disabled veterans. Um, and so Abigail, honor and a privilege to be here with you and, um, thank you again for taking time out of your, out of your busy schedule. How are you doing?
Abigail Compton:
Thank you so much for having me. I'm great. How are you?
Nathan James:
Uh, really good. Really good. That's exciting to talk to you. Uh, and, uh, let's jump right in. So Abigail, look a typical morning, uh, for you on the, on the farm essentially, what's that look like for you?
Abigail Compton:
Well, this morning I was up about six. And started getting bottles ready for all of our baby goats. We have, um, I have about 14 baby goats that, um, are bottle fed every day, so getting bottles prepared. And then we just recently got a bull calf who, um, is, uh, a week old and um, today, and so he's also being bottle fed. And then we, but I go into milking our seven goats and then feeding everybody so. Um, you know, that's how my day starts. And then we have four kids, so they jump in and help too.
Nathan James:
Uhhuh, Uhhuh. Look at that. That's a family project. Yeah,
Abigail Compton:
It is. It is.
Nathan James:
So look, you've said 15 years ago. That you never really necessarily saw yourself here. Uh, so what did you expect to look life for? For life to look back, uh, look like back then?
Abigail Compton:
Honestly, I don't even know anymore because it's so crazy where we are now. Um, I honestly didn't 15 years ago, my husband was, um, well he was actually medically retired in 2014, so you know, him getting out, I'm not really sure. Like everything was up in the air when he got out. And, um, I. The focus wasn't 15 years, you know, ahead. It was the there and then. Right. You know, in that moment, in the transition period. Um, but I would've never seen myself owning livestock, running a goat, dairy farm, um, any of those things. But I'm sure glad I am where I landed.
Nathan James:
You've done so many things, right? I mean, I know just from previous conversations with you, I mean, we're talking CNA certified nursing aide. Um, I think that was an initial sort of professional dream that you had. And then here you are, you know, running a farm. Um, so. I mean, what shift or what transition professionally do you think might have surprised you the most if you were looking back on this, uh, from, you know, all that time ago?
Abigail Compton:
Sure. So I did have a passion for, and I still do, for caring for others. I think mine has now changed to nourishing their bodies. Um, through food and agriculture. Um, I thoroughly enjoyed being a nursing assistant and I was going to school for nursing. I am certainly glad for the opportunity to be a nursing assistant and for the experience I had and the patients I cared for. But what I witnessed during that time, um, was that that be going forward in nursing was not a career that was for me, um, and for no other reason that I didn't want to be stuck between the families.
The doctors. I really enjoyed the direct care as a nursing assistant, but I was able to pro provide for the patients. Um, and so nursing was not where I wanted to go with my career. It took me a long time to figure out what I really wanted to do. I'm almost 40 years old and I just feel now like I am finding my footing professionally. Um, and I think that the major shift was after my husband got out. Um, we landed in a beautiful area of Virginia and there's a lot of agriculture, you know, growing here and we found it very, um, enriching to provide our children with the knowledge of how to raise their food, how to butcher their food, how to feed their family, how to care.
For their livestock. Um, and so it's not something I ever saw, but, um, coming but getting here was a very long road, but one that like, I wouldn't trade at all and there was a lot of other like. Short term jobs in there. I worked at PetSmart. I worked, I actually sold airtime for a radio station. I mean, I was a waitress. I did a lot of different things, you know, between, you know, when I graduate high school and now, and so, um, over 20 years, I feel like everything that has happened has prepared me for where we are now
Nathan James:
When it comes to farming. Could you go. A little bit even deeper into maybe what caught your heart about it? What made you fall in love with farming in particular? 'cause I think a lot of our listeners are trying to imagine, I mean, I'm trying to imagine what that, what that might look like. Right? It's not something that would pop up to me. It's like, oh, this is, this is my dream. As amazing as it looks like something caught you about it. And I'm just curious, what if you could talk more about that?
Abigail Compton:
I've always loved animals. Um, and so. You know, having a beautiful piece of property where we can fill it with animals. Although my husband, I don't think, expected me to have so many, um, I often joke with him and say, I mean, you can't put me here and expect anything else from me. Um, but I think like the biggest thing that, you know, was the. The catalyst to moving even more into growing our farm and my business was being able to serve others through nourishment of their bodies.
Nathan James:
I can't help but wonder. How attached you or the kids get to any of these of the animals, right? Like because, okay, I can relate to having pets, right? A pet cat, pet rabbits, and they get names, right? And so here you are, like you said, it's a family project raising these animals. And then I. Their, their little lives come to an end at, at some point. Uh, does, is there an attachment there or how do you get past, like, okay, we love them, but at the same time, you know, they're, they're going to the chopping block eventually.
Abigail Compton:
I think for me, knowing that the f their life was fulfilled, they came to our farm, you know, the end goal was meet. Um, so knowing that from the beginning helps. Um, I'm grateful my children are really understanding, flexible and caring, and so they also know that. Um, thankfully we haven't had any tear shed over anybody going to the butcher or butchering ourselves.
Nathan James:
Wow. Yeah. Um,
Abigail Compton:
But yeah. Yeah, I, you know, the biggest thing is knowing that they are here for a short period of time. Um, I. And it's okay to be attached. They do have names. Um, I have a steer out in our pasture. His name is Gunslinger. Um, he's named my son, named him after a burger, um, because he will become our food. But in the meantime, he gets scratches, he gets pets. We lay in the pasture with him. He runs to us and his head swings around around. And the joy that I see. See that we are able to provide him during his time here, you know, makes the end okay.
Abigail Compton:
I know for sure that our animals lives are far better at our farm than any meat that I could buy at the grocery store. Um, and so that in itself. Is, you know, like a comfort.
Nathan James:
Let's talk a little bit, um, about your husband's journey. Can you share, um, your husband's journey, your, his story and, um, and what being, you know, his caregiver, um, has been like, uh, as well?
Abigail Compton:
So, my husband, joy in the Marine Corps, um. Just after high school. And, um, he was attached to three eight, um, which was an infantry unit. He deployed to Haiti. Um, and then he did two deployments with three eight to Iraq. Um, he was in Ramad and Fallujah. Um, and then he reenlisted, um, to go to. Marsoc, which is Marine Special Operations Command, which is the special forces of the Marine Corps.
Um, and there he did two tours, um, with MARSOC to Afghanistan. His first deployment in 2009. It was the end of December, 2009. He was shot in the head during deployment. Um, and back then, not a whole lot was known about TBIs. Um. Obviously there's been a lot of research, not just in the military, but um, you know, professional athletes. And so I think that the knowledge now in how TBIs, um, not just short term but long term can affect you, is increasing with through research. But back then, not a whole lot was known. It, um, penetrated from the back. Um, he had, he was turning in that moment to get another round or mortar, honestly. I don't know, but he was turning and thankfully he was because when the bullet left the enemy, um, it was headed straight to the center of his head in the front.
He turned and was able to, that bullet rode his head and his helmet and then lodged in the front. Right?
Abigail Compton:
Um. Yeah, his helmet is actually, we loaned it to the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, and it is on display, um, in the MARSOC exhibit on loan from us. Um, so that bullet is still in his helmet, it's lodged in his helmet. Um, they did not send him home. After that injury, he, it took a quite a bit of time to get him off the mountain. They field stitched him up and then um, they took him back to base where he recovered. Uh, and then he went back out and finished the deployments. He did not make it to Germany. They did not do intervention of TBI care.
We had him working just a few days after he was injured backward computers. Um, and then they redeployed him after that. Wow. Back to Afghanistan, to the same location that he was injured the first time. And then since he actually was Mikely retired, not even based on his TBI, um, he has torn his acls, um, three times. So he's sworn, uh, one leg twice and the other leg once. Uh, and then he's als also had shoulder surgery. So it was actually based on post-deployment workup. When he came home, they check out the guys mentally and physically, and during one of those physical exams, he was unable to land on his feet in the same like pressure and they caught him for having a torn AC out.
And that's actually what, um. Started the ca catalyst of having him medically retired. Um, but through that they realized that his TBI was significant. And we spent a month at Nyco, which is at Bethesda. It is a traumatic brain injury, um, like intensive clinic. And so they did a lot of tests, they did therapy, and it was really interesting to see his brain scans. From Nyco. Um, they are more high tech, and so they could take individual slices and you could really see all the, um, the dead tissue essentially, uh, in his frontal lobe. But it was like shotgun blast. It was just a bunch of white, um, dead tissue. And so that translates to short-term memory loss. He'll walk into a room and kind of like he knew what he was going for and now he can't remember.
Um, there, there's just, you know. Some balance issues and there's a lot of things that come along with having a TBI and at this point it's, you know, been TBIs can heal given rest in time, but when you are put back to work almost immediately and then put back out into the field, um, to finish your deployment, rest isn't really, you know. Given. So, um, so he, he didn't get his, you know, brain to heal the way it probably could have given a little more time and rest. Um, but, you know, I honestly believe that we're not given more than we can handle. And, um, this is our new normal. We don't, we don't dwell on. What our life could have, should have, would've been because it's not going to be that.
Um, and that would just create a lot of resentment, frustration, and would hold us back from achieving, you know, anything further. Uh, so we don't, we don't dwell on it. We, you know, this is our new normal and that's okay. My children don't know him any differently. And they will say, dad has, when they were little, they would say, dad has a bad ee, so memory and he can't remember.
And so that's what we just don't be like, you have a bad memory. So, um, but I honestly feel that that life I. And those challenges has made me a better person, a better caregiver to my, my husband, to my children. It's made me just a better human, it's given me more grit. Like I would've never seen myself 20, 30 years ago with the determination and grit that I have now. And so, although like those things that happened, you know. Are difficult. I'm also grateful for those challenges because it has shaped us in a way that I didn't know that individually or as a whole family we would, you know, we would be. And so I'm grateful.
Nathan James:
Yeah. Wow. Um. As a, well, first I want to just say, you know, to your, to your husband, whenever you get a chance to, to listen to this, that how much I appreciate you, how much we appreciate you, um, and, uh, and your story. Uh, thank you so much. Um. Abigail, I wanted to, um, ask you, when it comes to, you know, being a, uh, a military, you know, connected caregiver, um, and being in that community of caregivers, what would be a message or something you'd like to say, you know, to our listeners and just that you would like everyone to know when it comes to, uh, uh, what it means to be a caregiver and maybe how folks can support, right, because I know that.
Oftentimes our society doesn't look like, doesn't really, it can kind of overlook, um, the fact that of everything, the heroes that our, our, our caregivers truly are. Um, so I'm just wanted to give you the mic to share what's on your heart as it relates to, you know, what it means to bear. Be a caregiver and, and, and what you'd like folks to know?
Abigail Compton:
I honestly believe it's a privilege to be a caregiver. Um, you know, my husband served our country and now I am caring for him. So it's a privilege and an honor to be able to, to care of him. Um, and. Um, you know, there's several organizations that do support caregivers locally. I am part of one called the Yellow Ribbon Fund, um, and they do amazing workshops specifically for caregivers of veterans. Um, they do workshops, they'll. Treat you like for the get togethers, like coffee and lunch and pottery classes and, um, salt caves and hot yoga and float spa. Like they do so much for the caregivers in the DMV area. Um, and so I really appreciate that, you know, patrons donate to the Yellow Ribbon Fund so that there's moments of like respite for us as caregivers where we can go.
Connect with other caregivers. Um, and, and there's, there's a bond there. It's an unspoken bond. And you know, it's not about what kind of injury our husband has, it's about, um, you know, connecting on a level where we all are a part of this club that we didn't ask to be in, but that, you know, we, we enjoy being in because we have camaraderie. Through that connection. Um, and so I'm grateful for, you know, the people who support the Yellow Ribbon Fund. Um. To make it possible for us to connect with each other.
Nathan James:
That's wonderful. Wow. Well, at at, at one point your story intersected with UMGC, um, and ultimately you ended up graduating. It was wonderful. I got to be a part of your story in that way too, uh, which was really great to be front row for that. Tell us a little bit about, uh. How you got connected with GMGC and, uh, we'll, we'll go from there.
Abigail Compton:
It was actually another caregiver. Um, we were at an event by the Yellow Ribbon Fund. And, um, and so wow. She had been through the pillars of strength. Um, she had been, you know, given a, a scholarship through Pillars of Strength. Mm-hmm. And she was talking about it at this retreat and it started me thinking like, Hey. Like, maybe you should apply. Um, I hadn't finished school. I still didn't know what I wanted to do when I grew up. Um, and so I was like, you know, at this point in my life, I deserve not for my husband, not for my children, but for my.
Self to finish school. I had spent so much time, you know, I had been in and outta school several times. I had been to community college where we were stationed. I had taken classes with other online colleges and life happens and I have four children, so, you know, you get busy. I had children, my husband needed care. We were transitioning out, whatever it was, and I never was able to complete college. And so I was like, well, I deserve this. And let me apply. So I started working on my application and honestly, I never expected to be a recipient in a million years. There's so many, so many deserving um, caregivers, and so I. But I had to try. So when I got the call and was awarded the Pillars of Strength Scholarship, I was just overjoyed with like gratitude to be able to complete my education. And so that. How we ended up, um, you know, colliding here and it was the best experience I had. Um, I enjoyed being able to work at my own pace, you know, I could take less classes over the summer. Yeah. Or like last summer, I really packed all my classes because I was determined to graduate in December. Um, and I knew that was, I knew it was gonna be challenging. Um, but yeah,
Nathan James:
I think did five classes.
Abigail Compton:
Southern Yes, I did it. Yeah. Yeah. That was like, I kept thinking to myself, you can withdraw before the withdrawal date. But then also I was like, no, you can do this. You can finish. You have a goal. Like everything else I've been through in life, like, you can do this. And so I, I, you know, buckled down and. Found my grit and got through it, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity and experiences I had. Um, being a student with, you know, through UMGC
Nathan James:
In the process as you're working through, you know, semesters where, for example, you had five classes and or you know, at a time and, and, and, and your, your mom and a caregiver, what's the magic, what's the secret sauce? Right? Like obviously you had the determination, but especially I'm sure when Chime got particularly challenging. How are you managing all of this at the same time and juggling it?
Abigail Compton:
I honestly don't know. I look back and I am like, oh my gosh, I don't even know how I did all that. But I think that having a supportive family, my husband was so, so, so supportive, um, and my kids were okay. That's huge. You know? Yeah. It's huge when you have support. Um, my friends understood that like, if I couldn't go do something with them, like they were supportive. They were, they were just as determined for me to finish the, you know, as I was. So having a support network, you, that's...
Nathan James:
Special?
Abigail Compton:
It is. And I think it was also really special. My children, so my oldest, he'll be 14 in July, and I think having, and then my son underneath him, he just turned 12. So they're the oldest too. And so for them, they knew I was. Finishing school. Um, so they had patience when I had to go, you know, write a paper instead of being outside playing with them. They really stepped up and did a lot of the farm chores over those two years.
Um, because the deal was when I finished school, I would take over all the farm chores, the morning and evening chores, but my boys really stepped up so that I could spend that time, you know? Of submitting assignments or whatever it was, um, in the morning and in the evening. So having the support, and I also think it's really important, my kids saw me. Finish school. Um, you know, I think it proves to them you don't have to go right away, but that it is, it is something you can accomplish later in life. Um, and that education is so true, accessible at any age. Um, and so it was really important that they saw that, uh, and I'm grateful for them and their support.
So I think the biggest thing is having a good support network.
Nathan James:
Yeah. Wow. Uh, they say it takes a village, right?
Abigail Compton:
It does. It does. Wow.
Nathan James:
So, yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, you graduated, um, what did it mean to graduate? And especially like, I think from my understanding, you may have, there may have been some folks that weren't quite sure if you were gonna graduate or what your path was gonna look like. Um. Right. Am I, if I'm, if I'm hitting that Yeah. Target, but what did it mean to you to graduate even with that?
Abigail Compton:
It meant a lot. It was like a culmination of 20 years of feeling like I was never going to achieve it. And so, um, every time I would start school, I would try to get a little flack every now and then. Like, oh, you're starting again. Are you gonna ever finish? And so it was Gotcha. You know, it was really nice to like. Put a little nice bow on it and say, I'm done. I did it. I did it for myself. I didn't do it because I was expected to right out of high school or, um, you know, go into a career that. In the end, I didn't like or love. Um, and so having, finishing at my age, um, after 20 years, it was a little sweeter than I think it would've been if I had finished right outta high school. Um, because it worked so hard to get to where I am. Uh, and so, you know, like it was just, it was like, it was like the cherry on the Sunday to, to graduate.
Nathan James:
I love how your educational journey reflected your life journey so much, right? It took 20 years. It can be easy for folks to think education fits in the box, right? The four year box, right? And now you're trying to cram your life into that and, and that works for some folks. Um, but at the end of the day, it is completely okay and even recommended for your education. To fit into your overall life's journey, because some things take priority, right? Where you're gonna have to move things back a little bit. Um, but the fact that you're taking this time, especially your passion for caring for others has been like, that's one thing that stands out to me, has just stood out throughout all of those 20 years. Right. Um, CNA. Taking care of your husband, taking care of your family, taking care of the farm. Um, and through all of that, you're still weaving in education and finishing what you began. Ultimately. That's pretty unstoppable stuff. So shout out to you and to your, you know, your husband and your kids and your friends who, uh, they sound like an amazing cheerleader section.
Abigail Compton:
I'm not gonna lie about them. They are. I'm really blessed.
Nathan James:
Yeah. Ah, okay. Okay. So looking forward now, uh, you've got the farm. My understanding is that from, from conversations with you, it's not necessarily your goal to grow the farm, to be this super big entity, right? Um, but more so to focus, I think, on sustainability. Uh, could you talk about that?
Abigail Compton:
You know, it's hard to start from scratch. A lot of large farms, um, are generations built, and so we don't have that behind us. But what we do have is passion. And so, um, I'm looking at growing. Slow because I don't, what I don't wanna do is take out loans to fund our farm. So the goal is for it to be self-sustainable, so for our animals to, whether it be through butchering or milk herd share, um, to essentially pay for themselves their food and their vet costs.
Um, and as we slowly grow, you know, then we can expand, you know, but it's important for us to not tax our family, um, you know, further and to first be a resource for our family and then for others. So, slow growth is important. We ended up, I had to sell a bunch of my chickens, well, all my chickens, um, we had foxes coming up and so instead of, and then they drew coyotes out too.
Oh, wow. And so instead, no way of. Yeah. And so we were having a little pack of coyotes coming up to our barn and I can't have that with baby goat. You know, coming up soon. So instead of trying to force something, um, we ended up selling all of our poultry, and that way they had better lives. They weren't always in fear. Um, and so, you know, sometimes you have to pivot and, and that's okay too. So, you know, being understanding, not being hard and fast and like, you know. Sticking to the game plan, but being able to like see what isn't working and pivot and, and do that for the betterment of your livestock, but also for sustainability. Um, because the option there was have my livestock eaten and I wouldn't get eggs or sell my livestock, they still are producing for somebody else and I just go buy eggs from another friend who's a farmer. And so being able to be flexible. Um, figuring out what works best within your parameters is what's important. You know, for us, and actually, honestly, I probably have learned more in the two and a half years about being like, you know, a little flexible, um, from UMGC, having to pivot, having to change my plans, having to jump onto this assignment, and. Taking business classes and having to learn to be flexible has really, you know, led me to where I am.
And, and I'm just grateful, um, for, for all those lessons that have taught me to, you know, bend a little bit because I'm pretty rigid. It's taken me a long time to be flexible. And so, um, you know, those lessons over the last couple years have really helped.
Nathan James:
Yeah. You know, that just sparked a question for me. What is it like to feel overwhelmed? Um, 'cause I know you've had, I imagine you've had moments and to push through that. Right. Just, just those moments where may like those rock bottom moments. 'cause you watched your husband go through each of those episodes. Right. Um, you've seen plans go left and right, just like you just described. How do you push through? What does that look like to. Have you had, what's that been like? You know, to be overwhelmed and have to push through that.
Abigail Compton:
It's hard. It's certainly hard. I think we all experience it. I don't think any of us are immune from feeling overwhelmed. I think that how we handle it in those moments, it helps us get through it. I try very hard to like. Take a breath and know that this moment isn't long-term. I think that is helpful, knowing that if you stall, delay, ignore, it's not gonna solve the problem. Um, so really the only way to relieve that stress, anxiety, overwhelmed feeling is to just get through it, figure out and break it down. So a lot of times like those, you're overwhelmed because. It's feels like a lot of things either going on or that you have to do at one time. And so I think breaking it down and going, okay, what's the first thing? What's the first step? Okay, what's the second step? What's the third step? And just, you know, do one thing at a time. One thing at a time helps, you know, get through that moment. Um, and that's how I have tried to navigate, you know, those moments.
Nathan James:
That's so good. That's so good. You, you sound like a coach, a life coach. You know, I'm just like, yes, ma'am. Okay, I got it. Um, um, okay. Um, and you know, these steps that you've taken, if you've pushed through those tough times, I just want emphasize this from knowing you that. This isn't someone who is doing this just to survive. You know, Abigail is a thriver and is always looking to also help others who may be caught in some of the situations or other situations. How can we turn this into something that helps the next person, which I've found just remarkable honestly about you, Abigail. Um, and even with the farm, I know the farm isn't just too. Simply turn profits. You've had meaningful connections, right? You've had meaningful connections and made meaningful partnerships, um, with, with others as well, with the produce or, so I wanted to give you a chance to talk a little bit about that. Um, maybe particularly in helping folks in the military community, I think.
But go for it.
Abigail Compton:
Yeah, I am extremely grateful as we got into livestock and farming. Um, I started with a couple chickens and two goats and, um, it quickly grew. Uh, we have about 30 goats, um, on our farm right now, and honestly, that is a huge passion for me. But through that. Um, I have been blessed to meet some really awesome mentors, um, one of which is a dear friend Erica Gored. She owns Hawk Newberry and actually is where I brought my first two goats from, and she's been an amazing mentor. And, um, so the thing is, is she gives selflessly and has helped me through situations that I'm learning and. I strive to do the same thing for other people who are new, um, because I don't think gatekeeping information is helpful to anybody. And because so many people have been so helpful with information, it's important to do the same thing moving forward. Um. You know, after, after this podcast, I'm actually going to another farm, um, to meet a vet for a friend. He has gotta go do something and he's got a cow down with milk fever. And so it's, I got the call this morning and so from here I'm gonna run over there.
It's super important to be connected within your community. Be helpful. Be connected, be supportive to each other. And so part of, you know, my community isn't just, you know, people in agriculture, it's military families. And I reached out to Yellow Ribbon Fund and offered to do a butchering workshop, which we'll actually have this weekend. Um, and so people, some. Caregiver wives, um, and their spouses have signed up to come and do a butchering workshop. So they'll get to start to finish, butcher their own bird that they'll take home. Um, and it's so important for me to give back. This isn't the first time I've been connected with. A nonprofit. Um, when my husband was with marsoc, I helped co-found a grassroots organization called Raising Raiders. And it was, uh, four military spouses who set up an organization. We saw a need. Um, and we started by doing a front run, and then we were like, oh, wait, we could be a nonprofit and do better. And we supported caregivers. Um, we've supported military families and it wasn't just for people out of the military, but it was for our active families. Our husbands are often gone training. Um, and it was things like, you know, we helped fund soccer camp, we helped pay for school for a spouse. Um, we provided nourishment to, um, in the form of like protein drinks and things like that for our service members. But there's so much more. But we did a lot of benevolence work. Um, as well. And so I just really, really enjoy seeing other people survive and thrive. Um, and so if I can be a small part of that journey for them, helping them, um, you know, that's all I really want to, to see is, is us, you know, helping each other because none of us are going to be able to move forward.
Without a little extra help. I think we all end up thriving in those situations when we all give a little bit. And so, um, you know, it's just, I really have a passion for giving back, uh, and, and. Ultimately I would love to see our farm sustainable so I can do a little more of the giving back through the farm side, um, as well.
Nathan James:
Okay. So the, what's the name of your farm?
Abigail Compton:
Compton Family Farm, um, is our overall farm. And then, um, which is my husband owns. Compton Family Farm, but I own Compton Family Farm Dairy. Um, and so the one that is under my name, we do have the dairy goats. I have a dairy cow. She's still young, so she's not in milk yet. Um, and then we do like added value, so I make homemade body butters. Um, I make jams and jellies. I make homemade pasta. Um, you know, all the things I like to eat, I love to share with everybody else. So, um,
Nathan James:
Yeah. Is there, is there, is there any way our listeners would be able to follow that, your journey or to support, you know, um, your farm?
Abigail Compton:
Sure. So I'm working on a website, you know, I've only been out of school for a couple months and I'm catching up on all the things that didn't get done.
Nathan James:
But I do have a face,
Abigail Compton:
I do have a Facebook page, um, that I try to update often. And I do have an Instagram also. So you can find, um, us on Facebook, the Under Compton Family Farm.
Nathan James:
Compton Family Farm, everybody.
Abigail Compton:
Yes.
Nathan James:
All right. Yeah, yeah. I'm just giving folks time to write it down. We're gonna wrap up here, but I gotta give a shout out to I believe the cow that I heard in the background. I'm sure everyone heard it too. That's awesome, folks. This is very real. We're, we're, we're talking Abigail on the farm and, uh, and, and the cow wanted a piece of the interview too, so I just wanted to give them a shout out to what, what was the It was a baby cow.
I understand. A calf. He is, what's their name?
Abigail Compton:
He's a week old today and his name is Ron Wan. Just a week? Yes. He's named after a burger. So. That way we remember the ultimate goal of these animals.
Nathan James:
Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's something else Well shout out, uh uh, welcome to the world after a week. Um, and Abigail, thank you again.
Seriously, I can't thank you enough for taking your time, uh, and uh, I know you're gonna be off to the next thing, so we'll let you go. But, um, appreciate you and I also wanna say to. Our listeners and our viewers, thank you for taking time to watch, um, and to listen. And, uh, if you want to hear more unstoppable stories, just remember if you haven't done this yet to like and subscribe.
Okay? Um, and we'll be back, uh, with more. Okay? So for now, everyone take care of yourself. Um, and we'll see you uh, next time.
Abigail Compton:
Bye. Thank you.