This week on the show, Little People, Big World patriarch Matt Roloff built something special for his current and future grandchildren with the hopes they will keep the farm in the family “for generations to come.”
Caryn and Matt enjoyed a sunny morning on the deck, drinking coffee, when Caryn asked Matt what project he was working on, as he had a hard hat, pens and paper scattered in front of him.
Matt’s project included a sandbox with buried treasures for the grandkids
Matt told Caryn about his plans to build a sandbox for the grandbabies, and revealed that he was going to bury treasure capsules in the sand.
Matt explained that he would be putting treasures and little notes inside each capsule and read one of his notes to Caryn.
“You found me, if you are finding this first, please call all your cousins and get together in a room for this treasure is to be shared or divided up between you all,” read one of Matt’s notes.
Caryn loved the idea, and Matt revealed that he had been working on the sandbox for over a year, but just got around to making it happen.
“You know, it’s not just a sandbox. This is encapsulation of thoughts, of uh, wishes for my grandkids. So this has got another layer to it. It’s got hidden secrets as you go down,” Matt explained.
Matt took Caryn over to the sandbox to demonstrate how Jackson would be tossing a capsule into the ditch, and then fill the hole with more dirt afterwards. Matt even planned on sprinkling some coins into the dirt to get the grandkids excited about digging.
“Matt’s getting pretty sentimental in his old age. And this, with this time capsule, I think he really has thought about putting his intentions for the grandkids and memories of the farm, and burying them into the soil here, and hopefully keeping it around for many, many, many years,” Caryn told cameras during her confessional with Matt.
Jackson helped Matt with the capsules and Zach appreciated the experience
Later in the episode, Zach brought Jackson over to the farm to help Matt put together the treasure capsules for the sandbox.
“I think it’s cool that my dad is thinking up cool things for his grandkids to do and experience,” Zach confessed.
Matt, who admitted he “missed” Amy on the farm last year, let Jackson sort through a huge pile of coins and pick out which ones he wanted to put in the capsules.
Matt made the capsules a collection of “everything from, like, a Bible, that has some verses that are important to Grandpa, fishing hooks so they can always learn how to fish and feed themselves, survival things, some inspirational things. And then, of course, some treasures.”
“Sharing is my theme in these capsules because I want to make sure that I do what I can to protect the, you know, notion that the farm needs to be available to multiple people,” Matt said.
On the day of the capsule burying, Zach and Tori came with their kids, as well as Caryn to watch.
Matt included a letter for his grandchildren, wishing the farm stays in the family for ‘generations to come’
Matt read his letter to Jackson, “It says, this letter to all my dearest grandchildren: I’m not sure how many of you there are at the time you find this treasure, but I love you all. I hope I’m still alive and well when you find this. But if I’m in Heaven you know that I am watching over you.”
Matt talked recently about keeping the farm in the family, and explained why his son Jeremy wasn’t buying the farm.
Matt confessed that he found comfort in the fact of knowing the Roloff Farm “will remain in the family, I hope, for generations to come.”
He continued, “I’m sad I won’t be on Earth to see all that, but it’ll be interesting to look down from above and hopefully watch the kids share.”
Little People, Big World airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c on TLC and Discovery Plus.