15 days

image by tere arigo

I received a letter in the mail today from the Farm Service Agency officially announcing that the funds for my farm purchase have been obligated and that the loan is complete.  I have 15 days to sign off that I received the letter and agree to the terms and conditions.

A week ago this would have been INCREDIBLY exciting news.  It would have meant that the farm was mine and that I could close a full 6 weeks early, if the owners were up for it.  It's a huge accomplishment.

But instead, the news was bittersweet...the deadline weighing on me.  I have 15 days to find a comparable property to substitute into the application or my chance at buying a farm this year is most likely gone.

Tomorrow I'm going to see 5 more farms on the market in New London county - pretty much the last few currently on the market that I haven't already seen.  There is a good possibility that I will be able to transfer the application to the Windham county office (because my loan officer is also in charge up there), so if nothing works out tomorrow, next week we'll move further north.  It's further from my family than I wanted to be, but I need to give this opportunity a fighting chance.  I've worked so hard for this, I know I need to give it all I have to give.  No regrets.

I made a few pity-calls today to the state to see if they knew of any properties that meet the criteria of the loan that I may not have come across.  There weren't too many options.  Monday I'll try calling the county UConn extension agency.  Though, it seemed like everyone I spoke to today already knew about me and my situation (my how word in the farm world travels fast!).  I feel blessed to have so many people who care and are rooting for me.  That has to count for something, right?

As one woman at the USDA said on the phone, "You just need a miracle, hunny.  You just need a miracle."

15 days and counting.