Why We Started Helping Families Navigate Life After High School

About Cut River Farm

Cut River Farm began with a home on land in northern Michigan — a garden, some chickens, and a desire to build something real with our family.

What started as a plan to grow food and live closer to the land slowly became something more.

As our kids reached high school graduation, we found ourselves asking the same question many families face:

What comes next?

Not every path felt right.
And not every option was obvious.

So we started looking beyond the traditional route — and discovered something most families aren’t shown.

What We Believe

We believe education matters.

Our kids are taking different paths:

• Community college

• Skilled trades

• Working while learning

• Living and working in places like Disney and Yellowstone National Park

We are not anti-college.

But we’ve seen firsthand that many young adults aren’t ready to commit to a four-year path right out of high school — and too often, they do it anyway.

Not because it’s right for them.

Because it feels like the only option.

There are real-world opportunities that build skills, confidence, and direction before making long-term decisions.

Many families simply don’t know they exist.

We want them to know.

What We Create

Cut River Farm is now focused on helping families navigate life after high school with clarity and intention.

We create:

• Practical guides to real-world paths (Disney, National Parks, and more)

• Step-by-step tools to help teens build skills, save money, and gain experience

• Resources designed to prevent drift and replace it with direction

Everything we create is grounded in what we’re doing with our own kids — and what we’re seeing in the world around us.

Why It Matters

There are thousands of young adults who leave high school without a clear direction.

That doesn’t mean they’re lost.

It often means they haven’t been exposed to the right opportunities yet.

Real experience changes that.

Work.
Travel.
Responsibility.
Exploration.

We believe those things should come before — or at least alongside — major life commitments.

We’re here to help families see what’s possible, and take the next step with confidence.

What Cut River Farm Is

Cut River Farm is:

• A family learning in real time

• A resource for parents and teens navigating what comes next

• A place to find practical, real-world paths forward

We’re building this alongside our kids — and sharing what we learn as we go.