Home Sw�t Homestead Couple chooses area for sustainable living
By Sherry Clark Corsicana Explore Photos courtesy of Christa Castillo Kormos
Editor ’ s note : Sherry Clark is co-founder of Purdon Groves a farm , table , venue and retreat property .
Last month our oldest son and his wife moved from Southern California to our farm , Purdon Groves . McClendon ( Mac ) and Yessika are living and working on the farm , while moving toward their goal of homesteading and living sustainably . Here ’ s their story .
Like many of us , the pandemic left its mark on Mac and Yessika . They took a hard look at their life and decided to make a significant shift . He left a 15 year career in the Audio , Video and Lighting install industry . She left behind a tight knit community of friends and fellow creatives - some of whom helped create the cob structure ( built from dirt , straw , sand and water ) that has served as her art studio and resale shop .
McClendon , who grew up in the North Atlanta suburbs and completed a degree in Personal Financial Planning at the University of Georgia , says there are a few key things that impacted him : the work ethic modeled by his dad ( my husband , Houston ); a work trip to Lake Tahoe , California ; and thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail with his two brothers . Ultimately , those three experiences led him to a two month hiking trek in New Zealand .
Yessika grew up in Southern California and Las Vegas . She was always creative , and even studied a semester at the Art Institute , before deciding to try something different . Over the course of the next several years , she lived in an art commune in
16 Explore Corsicana | Summer 2022