A little green gate with a welcome sign greets you as you approach Salt and Light Homestead northeast of Salina along the rural roads of New Cambria. Behind the gate sits a small shed where large tomatoes, bright green bell peppers, fresh farm eggs and goat milk soap entice the senses. Beyond the self-serve produce shed is a menagerie of fruit trees, high tunnels and animals — and the warm welcome of Daniel and Lauren Miller, owners of Salt and Light Homestead — along with initially timid hellos from their children. 

NEW FRONTIERS

Daniel grew up in Alabama and moved to the Olathe area for a job, which is where he met his wife, who is originally from the Ottawa area. At the time, with four kids and a job offer in Alaska, the family downsized to one trailer and made their way to The Last Frontier.

“I worked for the State of Alaska as an engineer on their energy infrastructure,” Daniel says. “I had the opportunity to fly to remote villages and walk energy corridors in the middle of the mountains. It was truly an incredible job, but living outside of Anchorage with four young kids who enjoyed being outside wasn’t the best fit for our family.”

Daniel says he got what he calls the “Zillow itch” and began searching for a new frontier. What he found landed him in a unique situation, with an unorthodox way of purchasing a house with land in Kansas.

“I was able to have a conversation with the seller, who liked that we wanted to continue to grow produce on the farm, and he and I made a verbal agreement,” Daniel says. “I got the job back I originally had in Kansas, and we said goodbye to Alaska. The way it all worked out was truly the Lord’s blessing.”

Daniel, Lauren and the kids moved to central Kansas in January of 2023 to live on a farm with mature fruit trees and space for their children to roam without the threat of bears.

WE’RE THE MILLERS

The Millers are busy. Daniel works from his home full time as a nuclear engineer for Kiewit Corporation in Lenexa while he and his wife balance farm life with their seven children – Quincy, Zaiden, Emmy, Piper, Heidi and twins, Annie and Sadie.

Their hands are full, but so are their hearts. Daniel and Lauren lean into their faith — which is how they derived the name of their farm.

“Jesus’ most famous sermon is called the Sermon on the Mount,” Daniel says. “It’s in Matthew Chapter 5, where Jesus tells his disciples they are to be the "light of the world" and the "salt of the earth" — meaning they should be a preserving power against destruction and evil, all while showing the light of the Gospel. The name, Salt and Light, was my wife’s idea, and I thought it was brilliant.”

The family has a warmth about them that feels approachable — like they really want to get to know anyone in their orbit.

“We see the farm as a way to not only produce food but to also share our faith with customers who are comfortable,” Daniel says. “It’s a ministry on both the physical and spiritual levels.”

The name Salt and Light lends not only to a faithful household, but also to their practices as growers.

“When we were just starting on this venture, we didn’t know a lot about raising food,” Daniel admits. “But we thought if we took a leap of faith, we can do this in a way that honors both our customers and our faith. We utilize natural methods of pest control such as neem oil and garlic. We have learned that preemptive applications of natural repellents is the best method for keeping pests off of the crops.  If we just let the bugs move in, they’d wage war, and we’d lose the crop. We are cultivating the food we grow with faith and a lot of Google searches.”

Their farming practices extend to their animals – chickens, goats, a few bovines, a couple of canines and their favorite – Wilfred, the donkey.

“We were able to rescue Wilfred from a very sad situation,” Daniel says. “He was in bad shape when we got him, but he’s so happy here and he’s our favorite animal on the farm.”

Maverick, the friendliest farm dog, didn’t hear that.

RAISED UP RURAL

Where there is an abundance of crops and animals, there’s also an abundance of personalities. While Quincy, the oldest, is a bit more reserved and enjoys collecting scrap metal to create intertwined artwork pieces, Zaiden is ready for the camera and takes his role on the farm as an opportunity for entrepreneurship.

“This week, I made $15 from the beets and these magnets I make,” Zaiden says proudly as he shows off a couple of his magnets. “Last time, I had saved up enough money to buy a belt. Now I’m saving up for some boots.”

Emmy has her own source of income by creating beautiful homemade bracelets. Piper, Heidi and the twins are still learning the ropes — and where there’s an opportunity to pick a couple cherry tomatoes for her own taste test, Heidi is ready.

Raising their children to work hard, be resilient and foster what the earth provides is important to Daniel and Lauren.

"I love what life here is instilling in our kids,” Daniel says. “It’s teaching them how to be self-sufficient and building their skills. We’re showing them through God’s creation how nature works and that there are right and wrong ways to work the earth. It’s so neat for us to learn as a family together.”

Daniel also loves the customer aspect of the homestead.

“We’ve met some really amazing people through the farm,” Daniel adds. “You never know who’s going to come out to the farm, or who you will have a conversation with at the farmers market. We truly enjoy meeting people through the farm who are from all walks of life, and we are humbled and thankful for their support.”

Where Daniel is people-focused, Lauren is garden-focused.

“I like the garden aspect,” Lauren says. “Daniel is great with people and I love watching our hard work grow into all the products we offer.”

The products available from Salt and Light Homestead include, but aren’t limited to slicing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, beets, radishes, cucumbers, green beans, yellow squash, zucchini, bell peppers, jalapenos, lunchbox peppers, pumpkins and potatoes. They also have chickens and goats.

ROOTED IN CONNECTION

Salt and Light Homestead can be visited by either stopping at their self-serve produce stand at their farm in New Cambria or going to the farmers market in Salina on Saturdays. Salt and Light Homestead products can also be found at Prairieland Market, 118 S Santa Fe Avenue in Salina.

“The kids are great with our customers,” Daniel says. “When we go to farmers markets, they are really helpful by chatting with customers or occasionally helping them with their orders. Our customers are also so kind to them, by giving them love, tips and compliments.”

"What's been encouraging, and honestly humbling, is how the community is responding,” Daniel says. “We’re only on year three, but the response from our community is something we are so thankful for.”

What started as timid hellos from the Miller kids ended with a couple of hugs, plus a bag of cucumbers, jalapenos, some slicing tomatoes, a bar of Autumn Fig goat milk soap and the best-smelling green bell peppers — a really nice goodbye.

Learn more about Salt and Light Homestead by visiting www.facebook.com/SaltandLightHomestead. 

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