Community Spotlight: Kyler Family Farm
Kyler Family Farm Rescue & Therapy is a boutique, community‑rooted animal safe haven in the Pacific Northwest, where rescued alpacas, llamas, horses, and other farm companions find safety, purpose, and a whole lot of love. For the past decade, Dan and DebiAnn Kyler have been fostering and adopting farm animals who needed a second chance and a place to call home.
The Heart Behind the Farm
The farm’s heartbeat was shaped early on by Grandpa Bob — “El Jefe Roberto” — a title he never chose but wore with a grin because it fit him too well. When health concerns made traditional employment difficult, the farm became his work, his purpose, and his joy. He poured his care and wisdom into the horses, chickens, and every creature who wandered into his orbit.
Running a farm has always been DebiAnn’s passion — a dream she nurtured with care and determination. Grandpa Bob helped bring that dream to life, drawing on his childhood experiences working at a ranch. His hands-on wisdom shaped how things get done here: simple, practical, and full of heart. Together, they built the farm into what it is today — a place where hard work and love meet in every pasture.
El Jefe passed away a few years ago, but his presence is stitched into the farmland. There’s a real void without him — the kind you feel in the quiet moments between chores, where the emu drumming can be felt in your chest. Grandpa Bob picked up after horses with a smile, never once acting like the work was beneath him. Being a good neighbor mattered to him. Kindness mattered to him. Respect mattered to him. And he had just the right amount of muscle for any task at hand. We miss him deeply, and the small reminders of him around the farm are both heartwarming and reassuring.
Today, we carry forward that same spirit: compassion, consistency, and showing up for the animals and for each other.
Where Rescue, Beauty, and Community Meet
Kyler Family Farm is a place where rescue, beauty, and community all meet on the same hillside. The land itself is part of the magic — on clear days, Mount Rainier rises in the distance while the Salish Sea stretches out below. Our lavender field hums with bees in the summer, and the whole farm feels like a postcard you can walk through.
And the star of the farm? Well… it depends who you ask.
The horses tend to steal the spotlight, but the alpacas, ducks, and sheep all have their own loyal fan clubs. And there is always time for Daisy Mae, our Great Pyrenees guardian and professional hug‑collector. Daisy is a rescue herself, and we’ve been incredibly fortunate to welcome many of our animals through Olympic Peninsula Alpaca Rescue, a partnership that continues to shape our herd and our hearts.
Shout out to Rondi, Greg, and team! https://opalpacarescue.org/
What truly makes the farm unique is the blend of rescue work, mountains, water, fiber, lavender, education, and storytelling that all live side‑by‑side here. Our Fiber & Frolic program transforms fleece into yarn, blankets, rugs, fiber pellets, and learning tools. Our children’s book series, The Whispering Herd, brings the Andes of Peru to life through the personalities of our animals. And woven through it all is the legacy of Grandpa Bob — “El Jefe Roberto” — whose kindness, work ethic, and neighbor‑first spirit still guide the way we show up every day.
Growing With Purpose
One of our biggest challenges has been trying to keep the whole family aligned without losing the heart of the work. As we approach our first full year as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, FarmKeep has become our most valuable tool. It’s helped us stay organized, accountable, and connected through the daily rhythm of rescue life. FarmKeep allows us to track feed weight and cost on a per animal basis.
This year, we’re focused on expanding our equine program, processing inventory, and continuing to build programs that help families engage with the farm in meaningful, hands‑on ways. We want the farm to be a place where people learn, contribute, and feel the same sense of purpose our animals give us every day.
Lessons From Life on the Farm
Record everything from the start — even the small things. Farm days blur together because so much of the work is repetitive, and a picture truly speaks a thousand words. Future‑you will thank present‑you for every note, photo, and reminder.
Think like an animal. Get down on their level and see what they see. Farming requires constant movement and constant awareness: daily walks, checking fences after windstorms, making sure troughs don’t freeze in winter, keeping the ducks warm (but not too warm), and ensuring every animal gets the right food at the right time, the list is endless. And remember: the animals don’t care how the humans are feeling — they just need the work done. Consistency is the most underrated skill in farming.
We love every animal on this farm. But love alone isn’t enough — they need structure, routine, and respect. Alpacas, especially, are humbling teachers. If you’re an attention seeker or carrying a grumpy attitude, leave it at the gate. They’ll be curious about you, but they won’t look to you for affection. Touching them without a halter isn’t impossible, just brief — their “people limit” fills quickly.
The ultimate advice:
Farming isn’t simple — it takes grit, patience, and a deep passion for the work. It demands time, money, and heart. If your only goal is profit, farming may not be the right fit. However, if your purpose is to understand the world through the eyes of those who live closest to it — the animals, the land, and the rhythm of nature — you’ll begin to see the true world the way they do. You will gain purpose, humility, and a kind of joy that can’t be bought.
Staying Organized With FarmKeep
We use FarmKeep daily to keep communication flowing across the farm. Projects on the farm are easy to find — and distractions run at a surplus— so FarmKeep acts as a gentle nudge back to focus on the task at hand. It helps us track tasks, animal care, feed schedules, medical records expenses, and the dozens of micro‑decisions that make up a farm day.
From an accounting mindset, FarmKeep is ideal. It creates a clean trail of traceability, a story for every animal, and a reliable record of what’s been done and what still needs doing. Whether you’re a farmer, beekeeper, or pet owner, it’s the kind of tool that quietly makes everything better. Over the past year, we have experienced the new software developments and we are proud to be Super Users of this incredible product.
Follow Kyler Family Farm
Website: www.KylerFamilyFarm.com
Instagram: @KylerFamilyFarm
