Original article by Alison Murrell
with additional reflections from Kim Hayes
A STORY OF LEGACY RENEWED
Sometimes what seems like an ending is really just the beginning. I sat at the top of a staircase watching all my aunts and uncles haul boxes down the stairs of my great-grandparents’ house. They were getting ready to rent out and eventually sell the home. At that moment, I thought, “I might never get to see this again. Remember the memories here? Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa when they sat right there?” That memory of looking down from that staircase stayed clear in my mind for years to come. I never thought that I would get the chance to be in that exact same spot again making memories, shooting baskets into the old grain carts, playing with the farm animals and eating delicious pizza. Yet to every end, there is always a beginning.
Walking onto the Alpha & Omega property, owned by Brad and Kim Hayes, immediately brings in the rich smell of the brick ovens baking pizzas, the sound of cattle mooing in the back field and families laughing. It feels like being transported into a place where all the cares in the world disappear, and the only thing you have to worry about is the growling in your stomach as you wait for your delicious pizza to be served. Your family has the chance to eat together at picnic tables or inside a grain bin gazebo (“grainzebo”) decorated with lights, and the kids get to run over to the goat pen to feed the goats a handful of grain and watch the kid goats play with each other. It’s peaceful, and a place filled with joy, a chance to make memories that last.
The land that Alpha & Omega is built on has a history that is deeply connected to family, community and fun. Previous owners of the property the home stands on, Erwin and Eleanor Reynolds, spent their early years of retirement building their dream home on the property. According to their daughter, Carol, the couple had married in their early 20s. They first met when Eleanor was standing near an open window in her family’s farmhouse, and her father and Erwin were discussing his employment just outside the window. Seeing Eleanor in the window, her father told Erwin, “If you can throw a pail of water on that girl standing in the window, you got the job.” Erwin did just that, filling a pail of water and sloshing it onto Eleanor — who gasped in surprise. He was hired on the spot for simply following directions. The couple married a few years later.
During World War II, Erwin took over Eleanor’s family farm completely and joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. The couple had four children: David, Thomas, Marnell and Carol. After the war, the couple moved to Princeton, Minnesota, and lived in town. Erwin began working for Westman Silo Company, building grain silos across the Midwest, while Eleanor worked as a nurse at the nearby hospital.
When the couple neared retirement, they purchased land just outside of Princeton and sold their home in town. They developed plans to build a house, which Erwin would build himself, with the help of his brothers Rodger and Gerald. After itscompletion, “the farm,” as it was referred to by their family, became the hub for community. Carol remembers, “They had a beautiful yard with big trees behind the house, so other family members would come with their motor homes and spend a couple of weeks there over the summer.” Thanksgiving, Christmas and family reunion celebrations were held there, along with church picnics.
The joy of living out in the country with their horses and chickens lasted for several years, until Erwin and Eleanor moved into a retirement home shortly before they passed away. Eleanor passed away in March 2008, and Erwin passed away later that December. The family kept the property for a few years, renting it out to another family. The house and property aged, with little maintenance, and was eventually sold.
Little did the family know that selling the home would create an opportunity for life to return to the property. The new owners were Brad and Kim Hayes, and they had a dream of beginning a pizza farm on the property. Pizza farms are a form of agritourism that have captured the attention of the media over the years. Brad and Kim were ready to bring that to rural Minnesota.
Kim says part of the reasoning behind starting the farm was because “we need a place where we can come together as a community that’s family-friendly; so that’s really my number one goal — bringing the community together.” They also decided to bring new life into the home by renovating it and giving it a more modern look, while preserving Erwin’s craftsmanship.
Eventually, the property came back to life and “The Farm” was transformed into “Alpha & Omega Farm,” home of wood-fire pizzas made from locally grown and raised products. Kim says, “We opened in October 2020, when no one could go inside. So everyone came outside. There were some good things that came out of Covid, and I think this was one of them.” Alpha & Omega provided an opportunity for visitors to enjoy the fall weather while sitting on picnic tables by fire rings or inside a repurposed grain bin. It also offered a place for children to play and created a safe space for the community after the loss of connection during the pandemic.
"IT FEELS LIKE BEING TRANSPORTED INTO A PLACE WHERE ALL THE CARES IN THE WORLD DISAPPEAR"
Alpha & Omega continues to grow and provide opportunities for more memories with family and friends to be made, by hosting events in the spring, summer and fall. The events include weddings, celebrations of life, business retreats and birthdays. Echoing the farm’s history of being the place where traveling family members camped out in their motor homes, a recent addition to the farm includes two glamping sites for those looking to spend more time outdoors but in a cozy setting. Kim says, “It’s kind of a farm-style glamping. You’re looking right out at the field with the cattle, alpacas and donkeys.”
According to Kim, the people who visit the place are like family, and this is evident as she moves around from table to table, saying, “Hi, friends” and “Hi, family, how are we doing today?” Kim says, “That’s what I want people to feel, even if it’s their first time here, that they’re part of our family or they’re our friends.”
It’s easy to believe that Erwin and Eleanor would be proud of the new life and community the farm has started. Every year since it’s opening, Erwin and Eleanor’s daughter Carol and her husband, Craig, along with her children and grandchildren visit Alpha & Omega. They enjoy the pizzas and coming together as a family. “I really think it’s beautiful. I think that Mom and Dad would be so pleased,” Carol says.
Nearly 10 years later, I had the chance to stand at the top of the stairs of the place I once thought I might never see again. This time the place was filled with joy, hope, laughter and community once more. Sometimes what appears to be the ending is really just the beginning of something wonderful.
"LIVING LIKE SOMEONE LEFT THE GATE OPEN ISN’T JUST ABOUT FREEDOM — IT’S ABOUT EMBRACING THE UNEXPECTED GIFTS THAT COME WHEN WE STAY OPEN TO POSSIBILITY"
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REFLECTIONS: THE HEART BEHIND ALPHA & OMEGA
By Kim Hayes, Owner of Alpha & Omega Farm
When I first read Alison’s beautiful story about our farm, I was moved to tears. Her personal connection to this property — having sat on those same stairs as a child — gave me a new appreciation for the legacy we’ve inherited. Through her eyes, I saw our farm’s story woven together with threads of past and present, creating a tapestry of community, family and new beginnings that spans generations.
The story of Erwin and Eleanor Reynolds has become part of our own family lore. That playful beginning — a pail of water tossed through an open window — reminds me that the best love stories often start with laughter. I can’t help but think about how their story mirrors what we try to create here at Alpha & Omega Farm — a place where families gather, where laughter flows as freely as that pail of water once did, and where communities come together to create lasting memories.
Looking at our farm today, I see echoes of Erwin and Eleanor’s legacy everywhere — in the careful craftsmanship of the house Erwin built with his own hands, in the warmth of community they fostered, and in the way their spirit of hospitality lives on in every pizza we serve and every gathering we host. When we renovated the farmhouse, we made a conscious decision to preserve Erwin’s craftsmanship while bringing in modern touches that would serve our new purpose. Their legacy of love continues to inspire us every day.
LIVING LIKE SOMEONE LEFT THE GATE OPEN
You know that saying, “Live like someone left the gate open”? That became our guiding philosophy during the pandemic. When most businesses were closing their doors, we found ourselves in the unique position of just opening ours — wide open to the fresh air and sunshine.
In a time when the world felt like it was closing in, with barriers going up everywhere, we chose to think differently. Just as farm animals discover unexpected joy when they find an open gate, we found that creating an open, welcoming space could bring that same sense of freedom and discovery to our community during a challenging time.
The pandemic may have closed many gates, but it inspired us to swing ours wide open — safely and thoughtfully. We created outdoor spaces where people could breathe freely, laugh openly and remember what community felt like. Those fire pits and picnic tables became more than just seating — they became gathering spots where families could escape the confines of their homes and find connection again
Living like someone left the gate open isn’t just about freedom — it’s about embracing the unexpected gifts that come when we stay open to possibility. Just as our pizza farm wasn’t in the original plan for this property, some of the best things in life happen when we leave the gate open to new opportunities, even during challenging times.
A LEGACY THAT LIVES ON
What moves me most about our farm’s story is how it has truly come full circle. Where once the Reynolds family gathered for reunions and holidays, now new families create their own traditions around our fire pits and pizza ovens. Where once motor homes parked under shady trees for summer visits, now glamping tents offer visitors a chance to wake up to the sight of alpacas grazing in the morning mist.
The most touching part of our story, though, is how the Reynolds family, including their daughter Carol and her extended family, still visit us. Watching them enjoy our pizzas in the home her father built brings tears to my eyes. When Carol told me, “I think that Mom and Dad would be so pleased,” I knew we had honored their legacy in the best possible way.
As Alison so beautifully put it, “Sometimes what appears to be the ending is really just the beginning of something wonderful.” That’s exactly what Alpha & Omega Farm represents — a new beginning that honors all that came before while creating space for new memories to be made.
Every season brings new faces and returning friends to our tables. I love greeting everyone who visits as “family” because that’s exactly what this place is about — creating a sense of belonging that transcends the typical customer relationship. When I see children playing on our grounds, teenagers disconnecting from their phones to actually talk to each other and grandparents sharing stories around the fire, I know we’ve created exactly what we set out to build: a true community gathering place.
As we continue to write the next chapters of Alpha & Omega Farm’s story, I’m filled with gratitude for the rich history that preceded us and excitement for the new memories we’ll continue to make together. From Erwin and Eleanor’s first splash of water to the crackle of our wood-fire ovens today, this land has always been about bringing people together
We invite you to become part of our story. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning like an old friend, our gates are always open.
Alpha & Omega Farm serves wood-fire pizza made with locally sourced ingredients just outside Princeton, Minnesota. Open from May through October, the farm also offers glamping accommodations and corporate event hosting. Visit their website at https://alphaomegafarm.co/ (and no, that is not a typo; it is “.co”) or follow their social media pages for current hours and special events.
