Good Neighbor Podcast: Tri-Cities
Bringing together local businesses and neighbor of the Tri-Cities region. Good Neighbor Podcast hosted by Skip Mauney helps residents discover and connect with your local business owners in and around The Tri-Cities.
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Good Neighbor Podcast: Tri-Cities
EP# 236: Finding Peace at McMillan Farms: A Family's Journey to Creating a Spiritual Retreat
What makes Ryan and Pamela Crick with McMillan Farms LLC a good neighbor?
Faith moves mountains—and sometimes it helps purchase farms. When Ryan Crick mentioned his dream of creating a retreat to a landowner, he was told the property would never be sold. A year later, that same owner called with surprising news: "The Lord told me to sell you this farm."
Nestled in the peaceful countryside of Tennessee, McMillan Farms emerged from this divine directive as a sanctuary where technology takes a backseat to nature's rhythms. Co-owner Pamela Crick reveals the twenty-year journey of transforming raw land into a welcoming retreat complete with fishing ponds, campsites, and a newly finished bathhouse—all designed to help visitors disconnect from screens and reconnect with what matters.
What makes this retreat unique? Unlike many spiritual getaways, McMillan Farms transcends denominational boundaries. "We get a lot of questions about what denomination it is," Pamela explains, "but we aren't a denomination. We are followers of Christ." This inclusive approach creates a space where guests can experience peace without pressure—where faith is evident but never imposed.
The path hasn't been without challenges. Pamela shares the harrowing story of nearly losing her husband to COVID-19—a battle that strengthened their faith when doctors had given up hope. "Two days later, he was home," she recalls of the miraculous recovery that recommitted them to their mission of creating sacred space.
Whether you're planning a church gathering, family reunion, or simply need escape from daily demands, McMillan Farms offers what Pamela describes as "God's country"—a place where rest isn't just permitted but encouraged. Discover this hidden gem before their anticipated completion in 2025 by calling 423-823-2867 or visiting McMillanFarms-Retreat.com, and experience firsthand what happens when faith, family, and four peaceful horses (yes, Pamela rides in her spare time) come together on hallowed ground.
To learn more about McMillan Farms LLC go to:
https://www.mcmillanfarms-retreat.com/home
McMillan Farms LLC
(423) 823-2867
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Skip Monty.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. So we're super excited to have a special guest with us today here in the studio, and I'm sure you'll be just as excited as I am to hear all about them and their business, because today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, ms Pamela Crick, who is co-owner of McMillan Farms LLC. Pam, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having us.
Speaker 2:Well, we're thrilled to have you and, like I said, excited to learn all about you and what you do. So if you don't mind, why don't you kick us off by telling us about your business?
Speaker 3:Why don't you kick us off by telling us about your business? Well, we bought this farm in 2003 and decided that the Lord would like us to turn it into a retreat, and we've been putting in campsites and fishing ponds and pavilion.
Speaker 2:We finished our bathhouse this past year, so it's up and running now for guests to come use also. Oh, wow, wow. So is this specifically for specific types of retreats, or could it be anything?
Speaker 3:It could be we, we invite anybody. Anybody, all right, it could be, we invite anybody, anybody that wants to come get away and get outside and get away from their computers and TVs and spend some time outdoors.
Speaker 2:Sounds like my kind of place. I'm so ready to get unplugged already. So, Pam, how did? How did you guys get into this business originally?
Speaker 3:um, we moved to tennessee in 2000 and um, we bought 10 acres just about three miles from the farm. And um, the man that owned this farm actually sold us that property the first property we bought and he told my husband about a farm that he owned. And my husband, ryan, said well, you'll have to show me someday. So he brought him over here one day and showed it to him and showed it off and showed him all the stuff and my husband said you know what, if you ever decide to sell your farm, I want, I, I would love to build a retreat, we'd love to buy it and build a retreat here. Well, the man told him, no, he would never sell the farm, that he was gonna pass it down to his family and build houses and all that here and whatnot. Anyway, um, about a year later he he called Ryan and told him that the Lord had told him to sell us his farm.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So that's how it started. And here we are, 20 some years later.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:Built a retreat.
Speaker 2:And you built a retreat with divine intervention.
Speaker 3:Exactly, yes, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Wow, very cool. Well, in the in the retreat business camping retreat, pam. What are some myths or misconceptions that people have?
Speaker 3:People think that a retreat has to be associated with one denomination. I found that out. They think that it's a. We get a lot of questions about what denomination is it? And we aren't a. We aren't a denomination. We are followers of Christ and we don't follow any particular denomination.
Speaker 2:Do you have a lot of church groups come in?
Speaker 3:No, a few, but we're not real popular yet. We don't do a lot of advertising because we're still working on some stuff. We're trying to get it all nice and finished we should be done by the end of this year, 2025. Finished we should be done by the end of this year, 2025. We should be completed by the end of 2025 and do some heavy advertising. You know stuff like that.
Speaker 2:I don't do a lot of advertising right now because we've been a work in progress all these years. Gotcha Gotcha Well outside of work. What do you do for fun If there is time out of work?
Speaker 3:Well, we both work. My husband works full time, I work part time off the farm. But for fun I like to go camping and riding my horses.
Speaker 2:Oh nice, what kind of horses do you have?
Speaker 3:I have a Pasafino, I have a Rackin' Horse, I have a Quarter Horse and I have a Rocky Mountain Horse. I have four all together.
Speaker 2:Four. Oh wow, very nice, very nice. I'm a walking horse kind of guy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they're nice.
Speaker 2:They're easy to ride. They're easier to ride, oh very very very. Absolutely Well, let's switch gears for just a second. So and this could be professionally or personally, but can you think of a hardship or a life challenge that you've overcome and how it made you stronger coming out the other side?
Speaker 3:Oh boy, yeah, yeah, well, phew, my husband got COVID and we almost lost him.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:And sorry.
Speaker 2:That's okay.
Speaker 3:Anyway, after that, that changed both of us, it changed both of us, it changed both of us and we came out a lot stronger on the other side of that, because we were on our knees so much More than we've ever been on our knees before praying and talking to the Lord, and just boy that was awful, awful, so he must have got hit pretty hard he did.
Speaker 3:He did they. The doctor came in the in the at the end. They came in and told him they didn't intubate him. We didn't do that, he didn't need it, but he it was close anyway he. The doctor came in and told him he was. He said there's nothing more we can do for you and just let me give you this shot of medicine and you'll go to sleep and you'll pass peacefully in your sleep.
Speaker 2:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and Ryan said no, absolutely not. He said I'm not done yet. He said God has more for me to do. I'm not ready to die yet and God's not ready for done yet. He said God has more for me to do. I'm not ready to die yet and God's not ready for me yet. And I'm not, no, I'm not doing that. So he didn't. And they they started him on some steroids, which typically is their first go-to with COVID steroids. Well, he couldn't take steroids because he has a reaction to them. And he told the doctor. He said just start me on the steroids and and if I die here, I die here. If I die at home, I die at home. But put me on the steroids. It doesn't matter what reaction I have. If they'll help, just put me on them. Two days later he was home.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so that was a, that was a. Was that the kind of hardship you were looking?
Speaker 2:for you know a lot of people talk about what happened during COVID. I mean because you know it affected everybody.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, people lost people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we didn't know, we didn't, we didn't, he couldn't. Oh, you know he couldn't work. He couldn't work and we, it was just, it was awful. You know I couldn't work and we, it was just, it was awful, you know I couldn't work either.
Speaker 2:We were both. I was a basket case. I'm sure was he good. He's good today, though he's good today. Yep awesome, say hi ryan hi, very good, good to hear. Good to hear what if? Um Pam, if you could think of one thing that you would like our listeners to remember about Macmillan Farms, what would that be?
Speaker 3:That it's peaceful. It's peaceful here. It's God's country. This is a place to come and rest and we hope that people that come here will rest and enjoy the outdoors. We'll rest and enjoy the outdoors. You know we don't push our beliefs, but people will know what we stand for here. You know we don't Just come and relax and chill and have a good time and spend time with your family. That's the most important thing.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Well, that's a very good thing to remember. Yeah, so if any of our listeners are interested in learning more, if they've got an event, they'd like to potentially look at your farm to host it, how would they learn more?
Speaker 3:You can call my phone. My phone number is 423-823-2867. Or you can go to our website it's McMillanFarms-Retreatcom and see what's going on there also.
Speaker 2:McMillanFarms-Retreat.
Speaker 3:Yes, dash, retreat.
Speaker 2:Dash Retreat. Sorry, dot com. Very good. All com Very good. All right, Very good. Well, pam, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to spend some time with me and with our listeners. Thank you, and we wish you all the best moving forward, particularly as you get everything where you want it to be and get things cranking. Thank you Absolutely and maybe we can have you back. Uh, once you get, you have your grand opening, we can have you back again.
Speaker 3:Oh, that would be awesome.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely All right, very good, all right. Well, you guys have a blessed rest of the day.
Speaker 3:Thank you, you too.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the good neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnp try dash cities dot com. That's gnp try dash cities dot com, or call 423-719-5873. ¶¶.