Introduction

First I want to start by saying welcome and thank you for being part of our journey.  Over the next six years we will be working towards finish working on our current home, continue to grow our skill sets and save up to sell this place and move south.  Somewhere we can follow our dreams..

So who are we?  We are a family of 5.  A dad; Will, a mom; Emily, and three daughters; Olivia Samantha, and Elsie.  We live in northwest CT on approx. one acre of land with 4 goats, 18 chickens, 2 cats, one dog, and an assortment of gold fish.  My goals before we move are to be able to supplement 80% of all of our food shopping.

We have decided to move, but where?  There are 49 other states, that’s a lot of choices.  So I have sat down and looked at what I want to do.  I want to be a nitch farmer.  I want to raise grass fed beef, free range chicken, vegetables, fruit, hold a small CSA, raise pastured pork, and have cow shares.  I want to supply local food to the food movement.  I want to be a house hold name, to my community, maybe farther.  I want to educate those around me to what it takes to grow that food, what is put into it to get it to your plate and what it should taste like.  I don’t want to be rich, in money terms, I just want to wake up in the morning, go outside and not have to commute.  I want to be able to pet my cows before I send them to be made into steaks.  My wife and I want to home school our kids and keep them out of the failing public schools.  And I want to do all of this sustainably.  I don’t want a barn with 1000 bales of hay.  I want a few just in case of a bad winter.  Looking at all of that currently we are thinking Tennessee.  But will  the market support us?  I am not sure yet.  But I have a few years to figure that out.