About the Black Farm

updated 5-11-99

What is the Black Farm? The Black Farm is the dream of Kristine's cousin Ann Taylor and her husband Paul Brown. They bought the property in 1993 and have been working on it steadily since.

It is located in Prescott National Forest in an area known as the Pine Flats; it sits at an elevation of 5400 feet in the Bradshaw Mountains.

(Mist forshadows the coming snow.)

(Ann in the tall grass with barn behind her.)

The land was once part of the Homestead Mining Claim established in 1904. The house was built circa 1920.

Why do we want to be married there?
The Black Farm is only a few miles from Mayer, Az., yet it's an hour's drive along a dirt road to arrive. The cabin is very rustic; there is no electricity or running water. There is a pump out back, but the water is not potable so it is only good for flushing the toilet.

(This is The Point, where two streams converge. We will hold the ceremony looking in this direction.)

While it may not hold many material comforts, the farm is very peaceful and spiritually calming. In our fast-paced modern world it is not often that we have the opportunity to move backward in time to a slower pace of life. We fell in love with the Farm the first time we went there. Birds and butterflies replace cars. No phone interrupts, no television beckons. The kerosene lamps give off a glow softer than any light bulb. And the stars shine brighter out there.

We want to get married at the Black Farm because it represents an ideal for us. It is a way of life that we aspire to; its value is one of simple pleasures--those that make life meaningful. And we want to share that with our friends and family at our wedding.

Because of the rustic setting of our wedding, we suggest you not wear your 'Sunday Best', pumps or uncomfortable shoes or dresses. Ties and jackets are optional, but would look nice for the photos. The temperature is expected to be between 70 and 80 degrees.