First Snow of the Year

I woke up this morning to the first snow of the year.  Everything was so quiet and so white: just how a first snow should be.

Exactly how much snow did we get?  One Poquita's height worth.  (About 8 inches)  :-)

It was Poquita, Neckie, Gertrude, and Honey Sunshine's first time playing out in the snow!  Poor Neckie (still missing most of her feathers) came outside SHIVERING and ate snow by the beak-full while standing on one foot (that's right - a chicken/turkey that looks like an ostrich and stands like a flamingo).  Fluffy Honey didn't understand why she was so cold and scratched around to fine some green grass.

Speckles is just plain miserable.  He insists the snow is my fault and hasn't stopped complaining.  He wasn't even happy when I brought out a loaf of stale bread for a treat because he doesn't like to eat it when it has snow on it. Nothing like a picky rooster.

He gathered up a few of the more adventurous girls (and Poquita, who will do anything to be near me) to inspect my shoveling job.  I don't take their lack of enthusiasm personally - it's pretty hard to impress chickens in a snow storm.

It's all good...

photo from canellevanille.com

Everything in the farm purchasing world is good.  The current owners accepted the letter (albeit a little later than expected) and just asked to be updated on the loan process as it develops.  My real estate is handling all of the details associated with the house and my loan officer is handling all of the details associated with the farm business.  I've gathered a really trustworthy team of people to guide me through this process, and that's really all I can do is trust.  And be patient.  Everything will come together.

I finally took time tonight to tell most of my friends and people that have helped guide me through this process.  I didn't want to share prematurely (especially because things didn't work out so well the first time I gave it a try), but let me say, it feels REALLY good to have people feel happy with you.  I've got quite the community of people supporting me and that's a pretty powerful thing.  I need to be better about reminding myself of that power at times of worry.

I've got this.  I've got everything and everyone I need to make this dream come together.

A Sigh, and a Deep Breath

image from amrphotography.com

My meeting with the loan officers about my mortgage application this afternoon went really well.  I rocked out to my favorite CD on the drive to the office and had a sudden bout of confidence when I was presenting my business plan.  It still needs tweaking, but it was pretty solid and the loan officers were impressed.  I even was able to meet with NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Services) about completing a land survey and applying for cost-share programs (to help put up hoop houses, fencing, etc).

The application will take a long time to process, and that's stressful.  The only thing I can do is be prepared to make adjustments and get them whatever they need as quickly as possible.  Tomorrow, that means letters of reference, pay stubs, the deed and legal documents for the house, and a check for $13.50.  The day after?  Who knows.  But I'm ready for anything and determined to make it work.

For the first time since I signed the contract, I sighed with relief.  One more hurdle down, countless more to go.  What I didn't expect was that the next one would be SO soon.  The contract required a letter of pre-approval (which was later renegotiated to be a letter stating that my loan was in process) was needed by 6:00PM.  I left the loan agency at 5:15 and drove 30 minutes to my real estate agents office, which was locked and closed for the night.  I called her cell phone about 8 times, with no answer.

I raced home (continuing to call) and tried to scan the letter in to mail to my agent, as well as the listing agent.  Wouldn't you know that I couldn't get the scanner to work?  I quickly called the listing agent at home (she wasn't very happy) and got a fax number, then rushed to the library to send it out.  I was 18 minutes late and still don't have confirmation it was received, but I did the best that I could.  If the sellers want to void the contract over it, they certainly have the right to, but I really hope they don't.

Hopefully tomorrow will bring confirmation, as well as appointments for home, well, and septic inspections and radon, etc tests.  I'm nervous paying for all of those tests without more confirmation from the loan officers, but part of the contract is that they must be completed by January 30th and I don't want to be stuck with a much more expensive problem later down the road because I skipped out on a home inspection.

Details, details, details!  I just have to stay focused on the big picture and trust that everything will work out well in the end.

I'm nervous

image from weheartit.com

I'm nervous for my meeting with the loan officer tomorrow.

In the four days since I signed a contract to purchase a farm, I've managed to pull together the loan application, business plan, marketing proposal, general growing plan, and income/expense sheets with enterprise budgets (which is a full 20 pages on it's own!).  K and my parents have been super supportive, and I feel really good with what I've been able to put together.  It really looks like a solid business (I can only hope that executing it goes as smoothly!).

I'm nervous because I need a letter from the loan office tomorrow afternoon in order to satisfy the contract.  I signed on Friday without realizing there was a line written that requires a mortgage pre-approval letter by tomorrow.  Unfortunately, the government doesn't give out pre-approval letters or make promises until they are 100% sure.  It takes time to process the application, and in the meantime the only reassurance I can provide will be formal updates on my application process.

My only hope is that the current homeowners will be understanding.  The loan officer told me that he actually met with them as well this morning (they are also seeking a loan to purchase a farm), so hopefully they will be sympathetic to the process.  I've got all of my eggs in one basket, hoping that this mortgage goes through, and it makes me a little nervous.

Sometimes I wish that I weren't QUITE so good at worrying.

Progress Report: Four Months

image from theswellsideofthepillow.tumblr.com

About halfway through this past month, I was doubting whether or not I would have any progress towards finding a farm of my own.  Between the holidays and a bout of pneumonia, I didn't accomplish very much (as reflected below).

Thankfully, finding a farm is not about quantity of accomplishments, but about quality.  It took reexamining my values (ie. realizing that I didn't want a house that needed gutting) and expanding my search to find a new farm with potential.  Once I found a property that I felt I could develop a business around, drafting a contract and negotiating a purchase price went relatively quickly.  Exactly 4 months from the day I left my job to pursue this crazy dream, I bought a farm!

I'm really excited about taking this big step (despite the waves of nervousness and anxiety over everything that still needs to happen in order for it all to come together!).  I'm still having trouble believing it: I bought a farm!

Things I've Accomplished:

1. Farm Tours: Visited a Plainfield Farm and went on a marathon Six-Farm Tour.
2. Attended the second part of a financial farm planning course, through Holistic Farm Planning.
3. BOUGHT A FARM!

Things I'm Still Working On:

1. Preparing my loan application and business plan for my Wednesday afternoon mortgage-approval meeting.
2. Scheduling home (etc) inspections.
3. Meeting other Lebanon Farmers.
4. Learning more about registering the farm and establishing it as a business.
5. Creating a specific crop/livestock plan for 2012.
6. Developing a logo and website (I made good progress this past weekend!).
7. Begin drafting orders for seeds/chicks/supplies.
8. Conduct a land survey through NRCS.
9. Search for part-time work closer to Lebanon.
10. Figure out all of the other details of purchasing a farm that I don't know about yet!

image from etsy.com

To check out past progress reports, click here:
One Month
Two Months
Three Months

The Coldest Chicken

My poor chicken Neckie chose the coldest week of the year to molt!  Her "toupe" is all pin feathers (new feathers coming in) and she's missing most of her down feathers as well.  I thought being a turken in single digit temperatures was bad enough, but this poor chicken must be freezing!

Thankfully, her fluffy sisters keep her warm at night and the forecast looks a little warmer.  Most of the girls have started laying again because of the longer days, and Neckie is keeping up with the rest of the flock (which means her chapped skin and lack of feathers is a bigger concern to me than it is to her!)

I fried up three of the eggs this morning: Neckie's is the BRIGHT orange egg in the top left of the pan (and it had the loveliest pink shell).

On top of homefries and pork sausage (from our fall pigs) it was the perfect January breakfast.  And the perfect example of why I'm so excited to have a farm of my own.  Nothing is more satisfying than sitting down to a meal made entirely of food fresh from the farm.

I bought a farm today!

quote by Nelson Mandela via ffffound.com

It's still sort of difficult to believe.  I bought a farm today.

I got a phone call from my real estate agent around 11:00, while I was busy making lunch for 150 preschoolers.  I made a trip to the dumpster to listen to the message (no cell phones allowed) and text K: We got the farm!

The current owners accepted my offer of $312,000, with the stipulation that I have the contract and the deposit in before 2:00PM (they were leaving for New Hampshire for the weekend to purchase a farm of their own).  I quickly fed all of the kids and took a 30 minute break - just enough time to run to the bank for a money order and dash to the real estate agent's office to sign the new draft of the contract.

My agent wasn't in, but had left the contract at the front desk. With a quick signature, I bought a farm.  The office staff wasn't very impressed and it was sort of a non-event.  I rushed back to work and then to a meeting afterward, keeping my secret excitement.

I don't think it'll feel real until I have the keys in my hand.  Or at least until the mortgage is improved and the home is inspected.  I have a meeting with the loan officer on Wednesday afternoon and a lot of work to do before then to make sure I'm confident with my business proposal and application.  I feel good about it, but it's another hurdle.  Just one of many, I'm sure.

Four months ago today, I quit my job to pursue this crazy dream, and today I made one more very large step towards making it come true.  I've impressed myself, and feel stronger because of it.  I'll get through the other hurdles and make this work.  On May 1st, I'll move into my first home onto my first farm.

I bought a farm today! :-D