Underneath the overgrowth and underbrush, Michallia Summerville, BSN, ENPC, Emergency Department, found her paradise in Bates City, MO, population 220.
She and her husband, Landon, purchased property in the small town in 2021. Today, they call it home. “We found hidden treasures like fruit trees and outbuildings when we started mowing and cleaning up the land,” Michallia remembers.
Buying the 10 acres, which includes three ponds, was a dream for Michallia, who grew up with horses and chickens, and wanted land where she could raise her own animals. She currently has three horses, four goats, several rabbits and chickens, as well as four dogs and four cats.
Landon fishes and hunts, and Michallia focuses on caring for animals and plants that give back: the chickens lay the eggs they eat; the goats provide milk; the garden produces vegetables for eating and canning, and the fruit trees grow cherries, mulberries and peaches. The couple also gathers morel mushrooms in the spring.
Michallia finds that farm life is a constant teacher. For example, after some unfortunate incidents with predators, she and Landon learned they need to contain the chickens at night. They’ve also learned that goats will get into anything. Michallia laughs, “It’s impossible to ‘goat proof’ everything. Our goat, Wilma, thinks she’s a dog and follows us everywhere.”
Life is busy for Michallia and Landon, a Blue Springs police officer, with morning and evening chores, mending fences, repairing and constructing outbuildings, and preparing the animals for winter. “There’s always something that needs you, so there is never a day to simply rest, but I wouldn’t change our lives,” she says.
During her hourlong commute from the hospital home, Michallia decompresses from the hectic pace of the ED to the quiet of rural life. “There’s a peacefulness living out here,” she smiles. “The sky is so clear that the stars go on forever. And at night, it’s so quiet you can hear the leaves rustle.”
