Well here's something I didn't think I'd ever do again; post on this blog!? But here I am anyway. Why? Because I've missed it. Simple as that. Yeah, I tried a new blog, but this one feels so much comfier (and finished. LOL.). I think I may start blogging here a bit more frequently, too. And with that announcement, I guess I owe y'all an update.
So, where am I? What's new? Oh dear... It's a long story. I'm in Missouri, living with my husband. By some weird twist of fate, he got discharged from his dream job in the military. A few years ago, this wouldn't haven even been a possible happenstance, but for some reason the military is letting a lot of people go. And he was one of them. We. Were. Devastated. So he came home from California, and we were left wondering what on earth to do. We had no jobs, no house, no plans... But God was good. My husband's sister (who I was interning under) allowed us to spend a few months in the loft, where I had already been living for the last year until we found a more permanent situation, and his dad's boss just happened to be looking for another employee, working construction.
We spent the winter scouring Craigslist ads for a place to rent. The loft was great, but it cold... So cold. Every morning we'd wake up to the INSIDE of the house hovering around 25 degrees. It was so cold that we couldn't have running water. Heck, it was so cold that if you wanted to warm up, all you had to do was open the fridge door and stand there. But despite the hardships, that loft is still a pleasant memory in my mind. It might have been cold, but we had each other; and being together again was a true blessing.
After weeks and weeks of searching, we found ourselves a place to call home. It's a small apartment (duplex really; a 1930's style house that's been turned into a top floor and bottom floor apartment for two families) in the next town over. We signed the contract and promised ourselves for a year of living there. I figured I could put up with a year of apartment living... Right? Turns out it's a lot harder than I thought. The hardest part for me is that pets aren't allowed. And for a farm girl who has always had at least one critter? It's TOUGH. It's a nice place, I can't argue that. ButI do miss the countryside... So now our weekends are spent back on the in-laws place, enjoying all the open space and critters. LOL.
So what are our plans now, if the military is no longer an option? Well, I'm pleased to say that we're looking around at local properties for sale/rent. This girl gets to farm again! I've had my long break from it, and now I'm ready to come back. I've been busy writing up business plans, and getting buyers lined up. We're looking at starting up a small-scale veal operation come next spring! We've had a huge amount of interest, and the net profits should be enough to support living in the country again. So I'm excited. Beyond veal, I'm considering the idea of having a small/medium scale lavender field to go with it; but it depends on where we end up living. I wouldn't mind getting sheep, either... What their purpose would be though, I haven't decided yet. I like the idea of dairy sheep, but that's a huge investment. Wool sheep are awesome, but there's not much market here. So we'll see. And yes, I have every intention of getting another farm dog. I still have such mixed feelings over Gyp... Best dog I ever had, but he's so happy where he is that in my heart I know giving him up was the right decision. I have no idea what breed I'll get next. Part of me wants just a relaxed English Lab to pal around with. But then the other part of me wants another English Shepherd. Maybe I should get both. ;) LOL.
I think that's the majority of things for now. I wish I could blog daily, but alas we currently have no internet at our house. So I have to wait for the weekends when we're visiting family. It's all so crazy. Life has not turned out to be what I expected, but it's not a bad life either. It's just crazy is what it is.
4 comments:
Hellooooo!
Thank you for writing, and personally I'm hoping you get your farm. I'd love to read about your adventures, successes, failures, and ideas. Your blog is my favorite.
God bless!
Tasha
Welcome back Farm Girl! I missed your farm blog posts and am so happy to hear you will be coming back to farm. Veal, lavender and sheep – a whole new slate for you - that will all be very interesting to hear about. What about your micro greens I thought those were a marketing success, low cost start up and profitable too – and would get your foot in the door at restaurants for future veal sales? I look forward to hearing about your new adventures! Kari
Kari,
I've thought about doing the micros (tried it last summer), but I need another year or so to get used to the new climate here. I'm so used to growing things in OR, that MO is proving quite the challenge. We already have 8 or 10 restaurants that want to buy veal from us, plus 2 or 3 meat clubs, so if anything, the veal will be a way to get our foot in the door if we ever try the micros again. Meanwhile in OR, my sister is still running my old microgreen business and doing quite well! :)
great place to see a knowledge :)
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