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March 2024

Couple trades city for regenerative farming life

Life looks vastly different now for Clay and Malissa Trotter than it did 10 years ago, and they really wouldn’t have it any other way. The pair of Wayland graduates lives New Deal, a rural suburb of Lubbock, where they run Trotter Farmstead as a way of life and a way to bless the community with the fruits of their regenerative farming operation.

Clay, originally from nearby Littlefield, met Portales, N.M.,-native Malissa the first day of Koinonia,

Wayland’s freshman orientation. They were fairly inseparable from that point and married a few years later in Hale Center, where he was serving as youth minister at First Baptist Church. While working on his WBU degree, Clay decided to commission into the Army, so he began participating in the ROTC at Texas Tech simultaneously. He earned his degree in history in 2009 and went directly into the Army, serving eight years. He then joined the Lubbock Police Department, working as a patrolman and as part of LPD’s mounted patrol unit.

Malissa earned her education degree in 2005 and began teaching at the middle school level. She then completed a master’s degree at Texas Tech and taught at the college level as well. She left teaching to pursue business opportunities that allowed more flexibility with her two daughters, whom she home schools while working as operations and finance manager for an engineering firm.

From the outside looking in, Clay and Melissa were living the American dream. But they both began praying around 2014 for God to reveal what his plan was for their family life.

“We had the house, we had the cars, we had the jobs and all the things, and yet there was an emptiness that didn’t feel like we were really living at the faith level that says this is comfortable and nice, but what are we really creating? What is this life God is intending for us?” recalls Malissa. “We had young kids, and there is something compelling about parenthood that makes you think about where you’re going and what you’re doing. It’s more than just living, it’s the impact, that legacy aspect.”

So in 2015, the Trotters made a drastic change, selling everything and purchasing a 40-acre plot just north of Lubbock. It was raw, undeveloped and full of potential for the family that came in with zero experience in farm operations. They built a house and erected barns and fences, and Trotter Farmstead was born officially in 2019. By 2020, the farming aspect was in full swing.

“It’s like jumping out of an airplane and building a parachute on the way down. That’s exactly how

we did it. We landed on a few animals to raise: We can get grass-fed beef locally but we could not get meat chickens to eat or bacon,” says Clay. “By 2021, we were really raising a lot of animals. We grew like 1700% in a 12-month period, and went from 150 chickens one year to 1000 chickens the next. Same with the pigs, from 2 the first year, then 30, then by our third year we did 90. It was pretty crazy.”

Malissa said the regenerative farming model is at the heart of the operation and their desire to life healthy and best manage God’s creation.

“We always wanted to have land and be connected to our food, and we wanted our children to understand that agriculture background and this is what it means to connect with the land and to experience the seasons and the ebb and flow of life,” she says. “It was really rooted in our fundamental desire to be part of the synergy between the land, the animals and the ecology. Everything we do out here is based on that desire to honor the process God has intended for us, not to interrupt and control it but to steward and guide it.”

Malissa noted that their methods are considered pretty unconventional. For example, pasture-raised chickens for meat are rare because they are labor-intensive and doesn’t give the highest return on investment. They stood firm.

“So we just stayed rooted in that desire to honor the process and have an amazing product in the end. You hear the saying ‘thy food is thy medicine,’ but it’s also what our animals are eating and how they live that impacts the quality of food,” she says. “All of that is our driving force of what we’ve done out here.”

Never intending to create a massive farming enterprise, the Trotters have since scaled their livestock count to what they can market in the area in quarter, half and whole processed pork bundles. They also sell their packaged breakfast meats and chickens through a few Lubbock

retailers and online through Canyon Valley Provisions out of Post. Around 75 percent of what they produce is sold to bulk ordering customers and do much of this through their website:  

The Trotters do not breed their own pigs but purchase young pigs from a farrower and raise them on pasture using a custom ration they create using local vendors. After six months, the animals are sent to a processor in Seminole for packaging to sell. Chickens work similarly, with the fowl on pasture for around six months. The difference is that the Trotters – with a crew of helpers – do the butchering and processing of those themselves.

“Fundamentally, we focus on nutrient-dense food while healing the land. We use the animals to stimulate the soil, heal the soil and feed our neighbors. Our three pillars are how we steward them, not using any antibiotics; then we move them on the land to stimulate that; and we feed locally,” says Malissa.

The family is also into sharing their knowledge. They regular teach classes on the benefits of pasture-raised meats at Veritas Medical, a doctor’s office in Lubbock with a store attached selling their products. They’ve also helped other families venture into regenerative farming using the tips and tricks they have learned along the way.

“I think we’re open and surrendered to what God wants to do with it. But with this approach, it is more labor-intensive so mechanizing things is very limited because we want to stay connected. That just creates a little more limitation on the growth possibilities,” added Malissa. “Maybe in retirement we’ll be doing it more but now it’s just more honoring the needs of the local community.”

 

Navy medical logistician serving fellow soldiers

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON – Black History Month marks a time to celebrate the contributions of African Americans to overcoming racial inequities and promoting opportunities for equal advancement within the Black community. It is also a time to honor the many contributions African-Americans have made to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the nation.

For Naval Medical Forces Support Command (NMFSC), Lt. Zainob Andu, a regional logistician and

assistant deputy chief of staff for logistics, is a representation of the highly professional and diverse active-duty workforce within the Department of the Navy.

Born in Chicago, Andu enlisted in America’s Navy in 2001 as a hospital corpsman. While enlisted, she earned her bachelor’s degree at Wayland's Hawaii campus in 2012, and in 2015 completed a Master of Business Administration from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. While assigned to NMFSC, Andu assists in streamlining business processes, strengthening communication between the command echelons, and educating/training personnel on the changes occurring in the logistics community.

“It is our mission to make life in logistics easy and to encourage personal growth and development,” said Andu, a Medical Service Corps officer. “Problem solving is what we do; the goal is always get the customer what they need.”

According to Andu, humility is a great strength to possess in the Navy.

“I have learned patience and understanding to say what you mean and mean what you say,” said Andu, who was commissioned through the Medical Service Corps In-service Procurement Program in 2017. “I can teach, but on the same token, I can learn.”

One of Andu’s personal goals while assigned to NMFSC is to make the selection list for lieutenant commander.

“I have been fortunate to encounter leaders who believed in me even when I doubted myself,” said Andu. “They encouraged me and ensured I was able to take the classes I needed to finish my

degree, and I am truly grateful to them.”

Andu said that one of the best parts of being in the Navy is the travel.

“I have visited and lived in countries most people dream of,” said Andu, who met her Army husband while serving and birthed her son while stationed in Italy. “I have made an impact on a global scale as a leader of Sailors who have excelled in the military as well as civilians owning their own business to those working for Fortune 500 companies. Seeing them thrive in and out of the Navy is why I do what I do.”

Prior to assignment at NMFSC, Andu has served with the Marines with 2nd Marine Division to serving on the USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) and at hospitals and clinics in Hawaii and Italy.

“I meet people where they are and encourage, motivate and build them up,” said Andu. “I give my Sailors what they want and need and that is a chance…a chance to show what they can do, a chance to shine, a chance to be bold and unapologetic, a chance to be great.”

Possessing a diverse workforce is important to NMFSC as it acknowledges individual strengths of each Sailor, civilian and contractor, and the potential they bring to accomplishing the command’s mission.

NMFSC develops and delivers integrated education and training that produces operational medical experts to project Medical Power in support of Naval Superiority.

Provided by the Department of Defense Public Information service

 

Devotional: Are you trying to be accepted by God?

 Perfectionism is a thief. It promises rewards, but it steals joy. Why? Because perfection is an unattainable goal.

If you get the idea that God is going to accept you based on your performance, that is a trap. Think about it. If you believe God is going to accept you based on your performance in your quiet time, Bible study, giving, and witnessing, then you will never know if you’ve done enough. You will never truly feel accepted.

If we could achieve perfection, we wouldn’t need a Savior. If you’re a perfectionist, you’ll end up angry with God because things don’t work out just right. Everything in life is not neat; something is going to happen that’s going to make you a little angry with God. Or maybe you’re going to be afraid of God.

We get the idea that God is up in Heaven judging us. He’s sort of a hard-nosed teacher or parent saying, “David gets a C-. Bob did terrible. Scotty did all right, but he sure could do better.” This is our idea of God, and we’ll never be able to live up to the demands He has on us that we have made for ourselves.

We began in the Spirit when we were saved, but now we’re trying to prove to God just how good we can be.

• What comes to mind when you think about who God is?
• In what areas do you put high standards on yourself?

Practice this: Identify the areas in which you wrestle with perfectionism and repent. 

Always remember, Jesus loves you the way you are. 

 

In the Mix

Though it was 100 years in the making, the first school-sponsored dance at Wayland was worth the wait. On April 3, 2009, as the after-party for the traditional Academy Awards event, students, faculty, and staff proceeded to make history at the Plainview Country Club.

Students danced non-stop for the three hours, enjoying a variety of music from “Music to the Maxx.” Participants received commemorative T-shirts featuring winged pigs as a tongue-in-cheek jab at the long-awaited event, and students enjoyed desserts and lemonade to fuel their energy for the late-night dance.

There were a few people who provided some sound bites and memorable moments during this “moment in time”.  Jeff Coleman, a junior at the time (via Borger) broke into some break-dance moves while quoted as saying, “This is a lot of fun…a metric ton of fun!” He followed up by mentioning that he didn’t think it would ever happen at Wayland during his time.

A few faculty and staff members got into action as well, some serving as official chaperones and others there just to enjoy the first dance with students. Former professor of religion (27 years), Dr. Gary Manning, got into the mix and took in the moment with his wife, Paulette.  He expressed excitement at seeing the dance become a reality.  “This is way overdue. I’ve been pushing it for 20 years, and I said all along if at all possible, I wanted to be at the first dance”, he said. “This is just great. The kids are loving it; the faculty is loving it. We’re all just having a great time.”

“When pigs fly” is an adynaton, a way of saying that something will never happen. The phrase is often used for humorous effect, to scoff at over-ambition. Wayland Baptist University has come a long way in its 115 years: From being the first college in the former confederate south to be integrated voluntarily to attracting many students from abroad and from all faiths and religious denominations to just recently announcing our first female president in our institution’s history.

As an alumnus, you should be proud of being a part of Wayland’s heritage that stands today.  We will continue to grow our enrollment through the many stories we can tell future students as they make the decision of where to attend college.  In the meantime, we will continue to refine and improve what we are already doing here at Wayland and that is a good place to start.

Just don’t ever say those infamous words of “When Pigs Fly,” because you just might see history in the making one day.

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