Meet Daisy Campanella, 29, who left Florida behind after inheriting her great-grandmother’s 230-acre Missouri farm, plans to restore neglected land, build family homes and raise animals with husband Philip

Daisy Campanella has traded her life in Florida for a new chapter in rural Missouri after inheriting her great-grandmother’s 230-acre family farm. The 29-year-old and her husband, Philip, packed up their belongings, took their two dogs and drove 16 hours to the property, hoping to restore the neglected land, build homes for their family and eventually establish a working farm.Sharing her journey in a video, Daisy spoke about the property’s history, the challenges of starting over and her vision of creating a multi-generational homestead. The farm, once a working dairy operation, now has overgrown pastures, abandoned machinery, vintage vehicles and decades-old belongings waiting to be sorted through.

Daisy Campanella plans to restore her great-grandmother’s neglected farm

The property originally belonged to Daisy’s great-grandmother before being passed down to her uncle and eventually inherited by Daisy. According to her, it was once a busy dairy farm, but years of neglect have left parts of the land overgrown. Some areas have reportedly not been properly maintained for around 30 years.“This place needs a lot of work, it needs a lot of work,” Daisy admitted.The farm contains old tractors, vintage vehicles, equipment and containers filled with belongings. Despite the scale of the restoration, Daisy sees the project as an opportunity to preserve her family’s history.“It’s not just land. There’s an entire family history here,” she said.She hopes to document the transformation and look back in a few years to see how much progress the family has made.

Abandoned tractors and vintage vehicles await restoration

Daisy estimates that the property contains around 10 to 15 tractors, along with vintage cars and trucks. Some vehicles have remained outdoors for so long that vegetation has grown around them.The couple have already started cleaning up parts of the property, including a vintage Chevrolet truck and a 1982 Ford F-100. They are also sorting through scrap metal, furniture, decorations and other belongings to determine what can be salvaged and what needs to be removed.Clearing overgrown areas and preparing the land for future use will take considerable effort. Daisy understands that the project cannot be completed overnight.“But I try to remind myself that we don’t have to do everything overnight,” she said. “This is going to be a project that takes years.”

Daisy and Philip are building a house for her grandmother

One of the couple’s priorities is building a home for Daisy’s grandmother as part of their plan to create a multi-generational homestead. The family is working through the construction process, with the house gradually taking shape.“Watching a house go up from scratch is a completely different experience than just walking into one that’s already finished,” Daisy said.Once the house is ready, Daisy and Philip may live there temporarily with her parents while continuing to restore the property. They eventually hope to build additional homes for relatives, allowing family members to live close to one another while maintaining their own spaces.Their long-term vision includes gardens, landscaped areas and a shared space where relatives can gather for meals and celebrations.“It’s honestly pretty crazy thinking about what this area could look like in five or 10 years,” she said.

Daisy Campanella plans to raise livestock and produce food

The couple also want to turn the inherited land into a productive farm. Their ideas include raising pasture-raised chickens, cattle and pigs, while researching rotational grazing and other livestock-management practices.“We’ve been doing a lot of research into pasture-raised chickens, cattle, pigs, and different ways of managing livestock,” Daisy said.According to her, the property has approximately 120 to 130 acres of usable pasture, alongside wooded areas. The couple hope to prepare the land and explore how it can best support their future farming plans.“One of the things I really love about having this much land is that we have room to explore different ideas,” she said.Daisy is particularly interested in understanding where her family’s food comes from and being involved in the process of producing it.“I really love the idea of knowing where our food’s coming from,” she explained. “Not just buying something at the grocery store and hoping it’s good quality, but actually being involved in the process of raising animals, caring for the land, and producing food.”She also wants to share the difficulties and lessons involved in building a farm from scratch, rather than showing only the finished results.“I want this channel to show the real process, not just the pretty finished result,” she said.

Daisy admits leaving Florida has been difficult

Despite the excitement of starting over, Daisy acknowledged that moving to rural Missouri has brought challenges. The couple are living in an RV on the property while juggling restoration work, construction and plans for the farm.She also misses being closer to her extended family.“One thing I miss the most is being around the rest of my family,” she said.The scale of the work can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when the property needs so much attention.“Sometimes I look around and think, what did we get ourselves into?” she admitted.Nevertheless, Daisy believes the long-term goal makes the sacrifices worthwhile. She hopes the farm will eventually become a place where relatives can spend time together, enjoy the outdoors and build memories across generations.

Daisy hopes to preserve her family’s legacy

For Daisy, restoring the property is about more than renovating land. She wants to preserve her family’s history while giving the farm a new purpose. Completing her grandmother’s house, clearing overgrown areas and planning the agricultural side of the project remain the immediate priorities.The couple’s broader vision includes additional family homes and livestock operations, although Daisy recognises that transforming the property will take years.“Sometimes I still can’t believe this is our life now,” she said, reflecting on the move from Florida to Missouri.She hopes sharing the journey will encourage others to pursue ambitious projects, even when they do not have all the necessary skills at the beginning.“Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you don’t have to know how to do everything before you start,” Daisy said. “Sometimes you just have to be willing to learn along the way.”