Marshall '08 and Katherine (Whitmire) '06 Teague: Stewarding Creation
We all experience the consequences of what took place in Genesis 3 on a daily basis. From the tragic news stories that cross our social media feeds to relational conflicts with others to frustrations in our daily labors, we know well the effects of the Fall of Man. Katherine (Whitmire) ’06 and Marshall Teague ’08 have grappled with this at the ground level–on the very soil we stand upon–as they encounter the realities of the curse upon creation: “thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you” (Gen. 3:18). But their call to participate in Christ’s redemption of creation spurs them forward, first as farmers and now in their care of man’s best friend.
From College to Sustainable Farming
Marshall was very familiar with Covenant as his father taught youth ministry courses for the college. As he weighed his options of attending a small Christian college versus a large state school, Marshall felt pulled to the unique community at Covenant. “I really liked the smaller school setting.” Katherine also lived locally and during high school was exposed to Covenant through alumni. “I ran into a lot of Covenant grads and was always really impressed with how they thought about life and the world. I fell in love with what the school was about, and that’s why I decided to go there.”
While at Covenant, they were both shaped by the community on campus and by their professors. Katherine was an English education major, and her love of writing was influenced by Dr. Foreman. “He operates in my head still. Whenever I write, it’s like he has a permanent place in my head and I think about him agreeing or disagreeing with what I’ve written.” Her Bible and doctrine classes also shaped her faith and understanding of God. “I was so taken by the material. I just ate it up. I think it was the professors and their instruction that stood out, but it was also the Holy Spirit using it in my own heart.”
Marshall’s experience was similar. He found a rich community on campus, and today the same group of guys get together annually for a backpacking trip where they use the time intentionally to talk about their lives. Marshall studied community development because he was drawn to the idea of exploring holistic brokenness. He wanted to explore how the fall of man explains the brokenness we see in the world, and sought an answer to the question: “How do we view this idea of holistic brokenness, holistic poverty, and how do we address that?” His senior thesis was focused on the brokenness of creation, a topic that he would later find himself wanting to understand at a deeper level. He too was profoundly shaped by his Bible classes. “I’ll never forget Dr. MacDougall tearing up as he talked about the Apostle Paul.”
Katherine taught for a couple of years after graduation. She then pivoted to youth ministry and worked as the senior high youth ministry director at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church. After marriage, they moved to Oregon where they worked at an equine based program for children–a place where Marshall had completed his community development internship. There, they were exposed to the importance of sustainable farming and were challenged to consider what it might look like for them to participate in stewarding creation in that way. Marshall comments that a friend said to him, “You are a Christian. You, more than anyone, should care about this.” That led him to research the topic further and then follow the call to farming.
Marshall and Katherine moved back to Lookout Mountain, where they leased land to start a farm. They learned from others in the farming community about the trade. They also taught local school children about farm life. They saw seven years of productivity, raising chickens and hogs for meat, as well as chicken and quail eggs. During that time, they developed relationships with other farms around the country that were also conscientious about using the land well and leaving it better than they found it. While they no longer farm themselves, they continue to partner with other farmers to help them sell their products under their brand.
From Farming to Pet Day Care
Their transition from farming to caring for dogs didn’t happen overnight. A friend first approached them about kenneling his dog, and they agreed to try it. That one person told another person, and eventually, through word of mouth, they found themselves running a dog kennel, and in 2019, they purchased land for the kennels. When travel stopped because of the pandemic in 2020, they had to pivot again and started picking up dogs from pet owners in the mornings and bringing them home again in the afternoons–a day care program for canines. They also produce their own dog food, using the pasture-raised meats sourced from sustainable farms with whom they partner.
These days, they own a van with special straps that the dogs are harnessed into each morning for pick up. They drive around the mountain and even into the city to pick up dogs who then spend the day on their property running and playing together. Because their business continues to grow, they recently built another building to house dogs. Marshall and Katherine both say that what they love most about their work is developing long-term relationships with the dogs and their owners.
When asked how Covenant prepared them for what they are doing now, Marshall responded, “The core principle that we manage the dogs with is the same in which we managed the farm: everything has a design. When we align stewardship as best we can with God’s design for something, it’s fruitful. It’s the same with our staff. They all have a design. The more that we abide with that, the more fruitful it is for them.” Marshall and Katherine find that the truths they learned about God and the world He made are part of their DNA and how they view everything, even their business. Marshall says, “We fight to keep this idea at the foundation of our business: if there is brokenness at the ends of the earth, and if Jesus left and said ‘you are the emissaries of the Kingdom’ and we are supposed to take reconciliation to the ends of the earth, then how we do this, how we think about the dogs, customers, and our staff, is shaped by those core principals we learned at Covenant.” Katherine agrees, “how Covenant makes students think about the world in such a compelling way is transformative and can apply to wherever you find yourself in life.”
To learn more about Marshall and Katherine’s business, visit their website, Eden Thistle Dog Company.