The article tells about the amazing peasant Justas Walker, who overcomes all difficulties with a smile, for which the Russians called him the Merry Milkman.
short biography
Justas David Walker was born on April 28, 1982 in Oakley , Kansas (USA). Justas is a visually impaired person, so peer bullying was impossible to avoid. He was taken from school from the third grade, and his parents preferred to give his son a home education. Justas's great-grandfather and grandfather were farmers, and their parents, Protestant missionaries, were engaged in forestry.
Arrival in Russia
His parents moved to Russia when Justas Walker celebrated his 11th birthday. Since 1994, they have been preaching in the village of Takuchet in the Boguchansky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It was no coincidence that his parents chose a deaf Siberian settlement: it was an opportunity to be closer to real human troubles and joys, away from the stifling city bustle. In the village they settled down for a long time, since in Russia the situation was very alarming.
After 6 years, his parents returned to their homeland, and Justas Walker, despite his young age, remained in his beloved Russia.
Start of activity
In the period from 2004 to 2009, he was engaged in the forest business, having his own sawmill. Soon, Justas Walker, whose biography is covered in the article, sold it and decided to devote himself entirely to farming. He wanted to get an economy that would allow him to feel all the values of family life. This is a matter that not only parents can deal with, but also children can easily participate in it.
With the money received from the sale of the sawmill, Justas bought horses and goats, as he wanted to conduct his work on horse drawn traction. In the first two years of his farming activity, he was haunted by failure. In addition to frequent misunderstandings with the villagers, his business suffered losses. After someone cut half of the livestock, Jastas decided to sell the remaining horses and buy a tractor. Over time, relations with the villagers improved, and now everyone in the Russian village of Takuchet is trying to help each other. Jastas is the only farmer here.
Justas Walker: Family and Personal Life
In 2009, Justas married an American Rebecca, who speaks Russian. Justas has three small children. A lot of attention is paid to them by Justas Walker. He plans to give them an education at home, as his parents once did. According to Justas himself, his work combines family and spiritual traditions, and also allows you to earn money. It is agriculture in the Russian Federation today that provides an excellent opportunity to introduce various business projects. While doing what he loves on earth, he can watch his children grow up. He has a large economy: 12 goats, which he personally milks with his hands, cows and gobies, rams, poultry and a vegetable garden.
How are things going on the farm
The wife of Justas is only involved in cooking and cleaning the house, and the rest of the work, Justas takes over. The products that the Walker family farm produces are made not only for the family, but also for sale. These are feta, mozzarella, ricotta, yogurt, kefir cheeses. There are more and more people who want to buy it every day, but today the volume of production is less than demand. To expand his farm, Justas tried to apply for a grant, but came to the conclusion that spending a large amount of time traveling to seminars and spending time on the Internet was very unprofitable for the farm. It’s easier to buy more livestock, to milk it during the year, and the benefits will increase. All that he wants from the government is that it does not bother him.
Farmer and pastor
The main reason for farming in the Boguchansky district is spiritual work. Justas is a pastor of the Protestant church, in addition to agriculture, he preaches the Word of God. The village administration gave Walker an abandoned house, to which he made a small extension. In one half, Justas lives with his family, in the other half a prayer service is held. This part of the house is more like a chapel.
Attitude to life
The harsh Siberian climate, according to Walker Justas, does not scare him at all, but, on the contrary, delights him, especially when he leaves his house on a frosty morning and sees smoke coming from the pipes of neighboring huts, and the silence of the surrounding world calms him down. In general, he tries to relate to everything easily, accepts problems with humor, does not focus on failures.
Brand "Funky Justas"
After his farming activities became known not only in the circles of the village of Takuchet, and his fame spread throughout Russia, then journalists became frequent guests. Farmer Justas Walker is very popular, he was popularly called the Merry Milkman for an unusual laugh. He started his own video blog and can now talk about rural life and its advantages, about farming. After Walker Justas became known for his farm work and products, he began to receive calls about cooperation from those partners who once did not believe in him and refused for no apparent reason.
The Russians recognized and fell in love with Walker. His popularity was the reason why the advertising agency drew attention to him, after which his own brand “Merry Jastas” appeared. A modestly smiling good-natured "Russian American" flaunts on the logo. Now Walker is not just a farmer - he is a brand person. He is known as the Merry Milkman.
Big plans
The Siberian American owns more than 27 hectares of land. In his opinion, only long-term investments, perseverance and love for a free lifestyle are needed. Walker loves the village with all his heart, this is one of the main secrets of the farmer's great success. Now the plans of the popular farmer to create a farm away from the modern noisy world, which will become an ideal. Walker also wants to create a school for farmers, where his like-minded people could study, so that all interested beginners could manage the farm, learn from his experience. The training course is six months, in which he will be able to show all the details of housekeeping: from the correct slaughter of sheep to the safe reception of labor in goats.
Justas Walker - Who Is It? He is a vivid example for those who dream of farming, but are not confident in their abilities. After all, the main thing is to overcome all difficulties with a smile, as Walker does it every day.