Meet the Crawfords

The Pearl is the crowning jewel on years of hard work, both professionally and personally. For over 25 years, we have owned and operated Crawford Farm. What started as a small, run-down farm on the edge of a little town has truly become our home and haven. It’s where we raised our four children, where we’ve spent thousands of hours doing work we love, and where we have created some of our sweetest memories. Our sincere hope is that we can share that last treasure with countless more people through The Pearl.

John and I (Hi, I’m Lana!) have been married over 30 years and in that time we’ve learned a lot; about each other, about ourselves, and most importantly about the blessings of love and unity.

But it’s been a journey. We’ve come a long way since we were butting heads in a college agronomy class 35 years ago. John was the definition of “too cool for school”. Though, it wasn’t because he was actually cool (a point he’ll argue), it was because he’d rather be working than be in class. I respect hard work, but John frequently was the cause for agronomy classes to last until the very last minute. He liked to challenge our professor by asking a question requiring a long explanation at the end of class. I found this to be annoying because it often made me late for work…..So…when he asked me to dance at one of the college functions, I refused! He was not impressed with me either. We finally came to an understanding during Homecoming preparations when we were working together and realized we had much in common. And the story begins!

Our marriage has been the most meaningful work we’ve ever done. And “work” is the correct term. We don’t always see the world in the same way. John is analytical and logical and I am a high-achiever (perfectionist) with a flair for creativity. But, we complement each other and are better together than we could be alone. As a team, we pursue our careers, guide four thoughtful and loving children, and manage a working farm.

Having both been raised on farms, John and I wanted our kids to have the same opportunities to learn the lessons and build the values we did. Our work growing up taught us to take pride in hard work, be dedicated, and act with integrity. It also taught us to appreciate nature and to take good care of the natural blessings God has given us. All of which, we hope we’ve passed down to our children in some measure. At the very least, I hope they remember what my father used to tell me, “If you do a job right the first time, you won’t have to do it again.” It’s a phrase I think about and repeat often.

In the last few years, our two oldest kids got married and added two amazing people to our family. Those events lit my creative spark as I started to envision a beautiful country wedding venue! I was freshly retired from elementary school administration and not ready to be a retired housewife “waiting” for John to get home every day from his job at the Hamilton Bank. So, with a lot of prayer, a can-do attitude, and some patience for John’s seemingly endless (but necessary) number-crunching, we built and founded the Pearl. Every day since has come with new challenges, new opportunities, and especially, new blessings.

From the very bottom of our hearts, we hope the time you spend with us at the Pearl creates special and lasting memories for you and your loved ones. We are blessed to have the opportunity to serve you and hope our little hill can be a blessing on your special day.

With love,

Lana Crawford