A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Chad Addie

A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Chad Addie

Chad Addie is a man touched by the divine. Much of his success can be attributed to a strong work ethic and a devout wife but there are just some moments too perfect to be manmade. These opportunities, Chad says, are orchestrated by God.

Chad and his wife, Nancy, lay their roots and raise their llamas on a plot in rural La Porte. They dubbed their farm Addie Acres. While the story of how they found their home is a serendipitous one, it is not where the couple’s fairy tale begins.

They met in late 1996 and joined their families as one in 1999. Chad had four children from a previous marriage, Nancy had two.

Before they lived at Addie Acres, they rented a home on Johnson Rd. Many LaPorte natives recognize that spot as the old llama farm.

The owners did not know that Nancy Addie had llamas on her wishlist. She called her list Desires of the Heart, and it included rabbits, chickens, dogs, and other animals. One of the first pets Chad and his wife got together was a Golden Retriever named Cody.

Over the years they have adopted a dozen more companions, from a chihuahua to a miniature horse, and that was their plan from day one. The couple chose the farm for its proven aptitude at holding in llamas.

They never expected the owners would gift them llamas to start with. When miraculous things start to happen, that is when you know you are on the right path in life.

“We have stuff happen all the time,” said Chad.

Nancy agrees. “God has given us so much. We are just trying to give back.”

They make giving back look easy. It is natural for them because, as Chad says, “Faith that is real is based on mercy.”

Chad’s career has him working with a lot of disenfranchised youth. He is able to help them as an Educational Consultant by putting up more schools where they are needed. For a while Chad did this freelance but in the Summer of 2016 he joined 5 Star Life, an education organization based on character.

Some of his other acts of kindness have been on a more intimate level. In early July of that same year he gave a ride to a young man in the middle of a ten mile walk home from work. Chad said he felt a calling toward the stranger.

Prior to that the couple rescued a frightened puppy from the Addie Acres barn. Biscuit, a pitbull with a splash of lab in his blood, was five months old at the time. He had strayed too far from his mother and got caught in a storm. He went to the barn to hide.

At first, Nancy and Chad were hesitant about keeping a pup of his breed. A little more research taught them it would be okay.

Besides, when Nancy held the pup for the first time a voice seemed to speak in her thoughts. She knew, “He’s going to save your life someday.”

“We are so quick to judge,” said Chad. “That won’t bring the healing we need in the community.”

The Addie’s chose, instead, to open their hearts and their farm. People are welcome to visit the growing brood of various species, or browse Nancy’s pictures online. Addie Acres was a gift to them, and they want to share that blessing.

In late Spring of 2012, the owners of the Johnson Rd property were ready to come back home to LaPorte and needed their house back. The Addie’s began their search for a permanent residence. They were looking for something to buy, that would fit their needs.

Their realtor, Betty Daniels, was about to go on vacation when she stumbled across a home for sale. It was perfect- plenty of land, a cozy building, a barn, and a beautiful view of the LaPorte sky. Even though it was for sale by owner and Daniels would not make any money off of it, she suggested it to the couple.

The only problem was that the owner was already finalizing a sale with another buyer. It seemed the property would become a trucking station.

Chad told the owner, Casmir Pulaski, “You want it to be a family farm.”

Pulaski did. He had built it to be that way, had raised animals himself on the land, with his family.

So, he sold it to the Addie’s instead.

It was a series of events that led the couple to the home they were meant to be in. A circumstance too perfect to describe as anything but a miracle.