Our farm is nestled in the Appalachian foothills of northeastern Alabama, a place filled with breathtaking views, cold creeks, deep woods, green rolling hills, and fields of hay and cotton. We purchased the land years ago when we were looking for a weekend retreat from the bustling city to give our children a taste of small-town living and a peaceful getaway where we could all live — as our neighbors like to say — ‘wide open.’ Coming here was one of our best ideas.
The land all around us is steeped in Creek Indian history and lore. ‘Cerakko’ [loosely pronounced cha-raako] means ‘horse’ in the Creek lexicon and seemed a fitting name for our humble little farm. The heart and soul of it is Merlin, a Thoroughbred race horse who inspired us to find him a retirement home when old racing injuries eventually ended his show jumping career. That gray horse captured our hearts, as well as those of everyone who ever met him, and it’s his image that’s drawn into our logo. Merlin (born ‘Luminaskra’ in 1991 in Lexington, Kentucky) died in 2014 and is buried on the farm.