Finally a Farm Girl

I just realized that I haven’t posted in nearly a year. I had the “cold frames” post drafted for a long time and finally just posted it so that doesn’t count. Honestly, 2020 has been insane! The corona virus has changed so much of the world and how we interact with each other. We are encouraged to wear masks and social distance. When everything really started to hit home in the states, there were shortages of toilet paper and cleaning supplies. It didn’t take long for there to be a shortage of meat, bread, eggs, dry goods, and most frozen foods. It was absolutely crazy for several months. It changed how people were living, many people bought chickens and all the supplies to take care of them were in short supply, it has even been difficult to find large freezers, canning supplies, and the pressure canner that we ordered was on backorder for 6 months because literally everyone else in the States decided to can and preserve things as well.

All of this has changed little of the plans we have been making for the last several years. Despite all the crazy of this year and all the crazy we have experienced in finding a piece of property, we have finally closed on the land that will become Cedar Barrens Farm!!! On Thursday, November 5th, we became the proud owners of 25 acres of completely forested land!! It has several wet weather creeks running through it, at least two places that we would like to shore up for ponds, and a spring fed pond that already exists. There is an utility easement that runs across the front of the property that we will most likely turn into grazing land. It is soooo beautiful. It is going to be spectacular (eventually).

We spent the Friday night after closing camping and the whole next day clearing out a driveway (I made a VIDEO). It was really hard work. It was the first day of forever hard work; I couldn’t be more happy about it. With the driveway cleared, we spent this weekend camping again, only this time with the kids (minus Rachel). They were sweet to indulge me. I know they don’t really understand my dream of becoming a farmer and I don’t expect them to be excited, but it was a wonderful moment for me to have my family together last night next to a camp fire.

It’s finally happening! Over the years, we have thought about our end goal, how we want to farm, various revenue streams, about animals and we have planned what our house is going to look like, but we hadn’t thought what to do now that we are here. Now that we are closed, on land that is completely filled with trees, how are we going to get the family out there ASAP!! We have a lot of ground to cover in a very short amount of time, so that we can move out there. We have electric, water, septic, and not to mention a house to sort out. We can’t really have animals until we are living on the farm. We can set up tunnels for gardening, but honestly we need to use that money for moving and preparing to move. It seems daunting, like really daunting. There is so much to accomplish.

Even though there is so much to do… we are ready. We are taking things one step at a time and have faith that the things we can’t control will fall into place.