It All Started with a Seed
In 2006, Founders Rex and Julianne Buckner began pursuing a calling to establish a safe haven for children in the Middle Tennessee area. After a time of soul searching and prayer, they took a leap of faith and walked away from their professional careers to pursue the dream of creating Mustard Seed Ranch.
Their passion and talents inspired an outpouring of community support that nurtured an astounding season of growth.
Fertile Ground
When Middle Tennessee businesses, churches and individuals were first approached to share in the Mustard Seed dream, there was no land, no homes, no house parents, and no program design. However, it was a dream that captured the imaginations and hearts of an entire community. They shared the vision. They shared faith. They stepped in and stepped up.
115 acres of rural farmland was contributed by an anonymous donor, and support began to pour in from every corner of the community. Across the region, materials and thousands of hours of volunteer labor were donated to help build the first two homes. Local businesses, churches, professionals, self-employed laborers, and volunteers united for a common goal: helping children in need. After construction was completed in April 2009, the first children were welcomed into their new homes.
Taking Root
MSR entered a new season of growth starting in 2012. We introduced our new Director, Tammy Hogan, and added a third home to the property. More children have joined the Mustard Seed family, and the program has been fine-tuned to provide personalized support and therapy for each child.
Branching Out
Now MSR has broken ground on homes 4 and 5 – ready to bring hope to the lives of 16 additional children.