Skip to content
From hauling livestock and powering work to delivering flowers, see how F-150 Lightning is “a total gamechanger” for Chris Yamamoto and his seven-acre farm.

This Little Ducky Went Electric

Little Ducky Flower Farm sits on seven acres about an hour outside of Chicago in Barrington, Illinois. My wife, Sarah, and I founded the farm in 2022, and we've loved every second of it since then.

We have ducks, geese, sheep and hundreds of plants on our slice of paradise, which requires a lot of transport and feeding. We purchased an F-150 Lightning a few months after opening the farm for its first year and it was easily the best decision we’ve made.

I wasn’t initially convinced an electric vehicle was the right fit, but now there’s no going back. I still have to fill one jerry can at the gas station for my diesel tractor (electric upgrade incoming!) and it’s a constant reminder of why I’m happy to have made the switch to electric power.

The truck is so much more versatile than I initially anticipated. Ford did a great job making the Lightning suitable as a work truck, but also great on the roads. It has nearly replaced all my vehicles – it’s more comfortable and affordable for us to run than my sedan and gas truck thanks to our home charging set up. I don’t think my ducks were bothered by my gas truck’s idle noise, but I enjoy the extra peace with Lightning.

From hauling livestock and powering work to delivering flowers, see how F-150 Lightning is “a total gamechanger” for Chris Yamamoto and his seven-acre farm.
From hauling livestock and powering work to delivering flowers, see how F-150 Lightning is “a total gamechanger” for Chris Yamamoto and his seven-acre farm.

At night, I plug the truck into my home charger and the truck is ready to go in the morning.

I never really worry about range or running out of charge, either. After a full day of errands – whether that’s taking my sheep to the vet, hauling hay from multiple local suppliers on a single trip, or towing a tractor– the truck always has plenty of power for all my evening chores around the property.

This truck is a total gamechanger for our work around the farm. The Lightning makes our flower deliveries a breeze with the roomy frunk up front where the engine would be in a gas-powered truck. If we ever lose power on the farm, I feel secure knowing my truck can keep the essentials running by using Pro Power On-Board.

From hauling livestock and powering work to delivering flowers, see how F-150 Lightning is “a total gamechanger” for Chris Yamamoto and his seven-acre farm.
From hauling livestock and powering work to delivering flowers, see how F-150 Lightning is “a total gamechanger” for Chris Yamamoto and his seven-acre farm.

Another surprise about owning an electric truck is all the extra space. We use our F-150 Lightning to haul livestock, transport feed, and deliver flowers. The huge frunk (with drain) keeps our flowers safe during transit, and I can easily load and remove heavy items right out the front.

Starting out, we only had a battery-powered weedwhacker to complement our suite of gas-powered tools. Since then, we’ve purchased our Lightning and upgraded to all-electric power tools, lawnmowers, and a utility terrain vehicle (UTV). Solar power and charging will come to the farm soon too, so keep your eyes out for that.

Why an electric truck? We're aiming to create a more efficient, sustainable and energy independent farm, and electric vehicles are a key part of that. The charging capabilities of the truck really make the switch to electric tools a no brainer – no more filling jerry cans at the gas station or fiddling with small engine repair. I always keep a bank of tool batteries with the truck – when a tool runs out of power, I just plug in the used battery and swap it for a fresh one.

From hauling livestock and powering work to delivering flowers, see how F-150 Lightning is “a total gamechanger” for Chris Yamamoto and his seven-acre farm.
From hauling livestock and powering work to delivering flowers, see how F-150 Lightning is “a total gamechanger” for Chris Yamamoto and his seven-acre farm.
From hauling livestock and powering work to delivering flowers, see how F-150 Lightning is “a total gamechanger” for Chris Yamamoto and his seven-acre farm.

On big jobs around the farm, I really appreciate how much time I save using the Lightning pickup. I used to have to trek back to the garage or barn to swap tool batteries during a job – and that time really adds up. Now, I can just plug the dead batteries into my truck right next to me and have them charge while I work. There’s only two of us on the farm so I jump at any opportunity to make our work more efficient.

My advice for people considering the F-150 Lightning? Go drive one yourself. You’ll be surprised by what it’s capable of.

Chris Yamamoto is founder of Little Ducky Flower Farm in Barrington, Illinois.

From hauling livestock and powering work to delivering flowers, see how F-150 Lightning is “a total gamechanger” for Chris Yamamoto and his seven-acre farm.