Janelle Brown has always been the one with the level head. If you’ve followed Sister Wives for any length of time, you know she was the "logical" one, the person who actually understood the family’s taxes and didn't just operate on pure emotion. But after her very public split from Kody Brown, things shifted. She didn't just move on; she completely uprooted her life. That’s how we ended up with Janelle Brown Taeda Farms, a project that is part business, part healing journey, and a whole lot of North Carolina dirt.
Honestly, it caught some fans off guard. One minute she’s in a trailer on Coyote Pass in Flagstaff, and the next, she’s buying 150-plus acres in Chocowinity, North Carolina. It’s a massive pivot.
The Reality of Taeda Farms
So, what is it? Basically, it’s a flower farm in the making. But it’s not just about selling a few bouquets at a roadside stand. Janelle and her daughter, Maddie Brush, founded the LLC in late 2024 with a much bigger vision. They’re calling it "halfway homesteading." The name itself, "Taeda," comes from the Pinus taeda, better known as the Loblolly pine. These trees are everywhere on the property. Janelle has mentioned that the word also means "torch" in Latin, which feels pretty symbolic for someone essentially starting their life over from scratch in their 50s.
It’s been a slow process. Like, really slow.
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If you’ve ever tried to develop raw land, you know the nightmare of permits. Janelle hasn't sugarcoated it. They’ve dealt with erosion risks, soil testing, and the endless "red tape" of North Carolina’s agricultural regulations. You can't just drop a seed in the ground and hope for the best when you're dealing with 156 acres of former timber land. Most of 2025 was spent just clearing "volunteer" trees and prepping long-term perennial beds.
Why North Carolina?
The move wasn't random. Maddie lives less than 30 minutes away with her husband Caleb and their kids. For Janelle, this venture seems less about "fame" and more about being a grandmother while building something she actually owns. For thirty years, her assets were tied up in a "family fund" that she recently hinted was a mess to untangle. Now? Everything at Janelle Brown Taeda Farms is hers.
The Business Plan (It’s Not Just Flowers)
A lot of people think she’s just planting tulips and calling it a day. That’s not the vibe. According to her updates on the Taeda Farms blog, there’s a multi-phase roadmap that looks something like this:
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- Phase 1: The You-Pick Experience. This is slated for a potential launch in late May 2026. The idea is to have people come out, walk the fields, and cut their own flowers.
- Phase 2: The Lifestyle Brand. They’ve already started this. If you go to their site, they aren't selling many flowers yet, but they are selling aprons, linen towels, and "farm-inspired" apparel. It’s a smart move—monetize the brand while the plants are still growing.
- Phase 3: Event Space and Lodging. This is the "big dream" part. Janelle has talked about building a lodge for weddings and retreats, plus small cabins for coffee-shop-style getaways.
It’s an ambitious plan. Some skeptics on Reddit and social media have wondered if it's "too much" for someone who spent most of her life in the desert. Flagstaff is dry; North Carolina is a humid, buggy jungle in the summer. But if you see the footage of her on the property, she looks more at peace than she ever did during those tense "porch conversations" in Arizona.
The Role of "Strive with Janelle"
It’s worth noting that Janelle Brown Taeda Farms isn't her only iron in the fire. She’s still active with her health coaching brand, Strive with Janelle. She’s been using her "Detox" theme for 2026 to focus on clearing out the physical and mental clutter. It’s all interconnected—the farm provides the physical labor and the nature, while the coaching provides the community.
Is It Actually Going to Succeed?
Success is a relative term here. If you're looking for a massive commercial floral empire, maybe not. But as a sustainable family business? It has legs. Janelle has the "star power" from the show to drive initial traffic, but she’s also being realistic about the learning curve.
She’s working with land developers like Earl Brock to clear the residential plots for her new home on the property. She’s not trying to do it all with a hand shovel. She’s investing real capital—reportedly around $289,000 for the land alone—into this.
One thing is for sure: the "logical" sister wife isn't playing around. She’s building a "forever home" that isn't dependent on anyone else's approval. After decades of compromise, that might be the biggest success of all.
What to Watch For Next
If you're interested in following the progress of Janelle Brown Taeda Farms, keep an eye on these specific milestones:
- The 2026 Spring Bloom: This will be the first real test of their soil prep. If the "You-Pick" event happens in May 2026, it marks the transition from a "land project" to a "public business."
- The Home Build: Janelle is currently finishing her personal residence on the acreage. Moving out of rental life and into her own home on the farm will likely signal a shift in her content toward interior design and "coastal-meets-southwest" aesthetics.
- The Shop Expansion: Watch for more functional farm goods. They are leaning heavily into the "slow living" niche, which is massive on Discover and Pinterest right now.
- Legal Resolutions: Any updates regarding the Coyote Pass land in Arizona will likely impact how much more she can invest into the North Carolina property.
The best way to stay updated is via the official Taeda Farms newsletter or Janelle’s personal "Strive" updates. She’s been consistent about sharing the "unfiltered" side of farm life—the mud, the bugs, and the permit delays included.