Thursday, June 9, 2011

Goodbye Cruel World

No worries. Not that serious. But we are saying goodbye. Not to blogging, heaven forbid. Nope. We are saying goodbye...to our farm.

WHAT ?!?!?

Its true Mon Ami, my mostest bestest man person and I have decided that things are going so well, too well in fact and we want off the Gravy Train. Oh don't be so shocked. It's not like we're planning to move to CHINA or something. Confused ? Join the pub. I'll let that soak in a minute while you gaze upon a related picture.



Shall we continue ?

OK then. Here's the rest of the story. Last week I was mowing the Never ending lawn and I realized I did not want to keep mowing the Never ending lawn. Like the big rig mama I am, I shut 'er down, walked over to Keith who was feeding hogs and said, "I'm done." He knew I was not talking about the Never rending lawn. He said, now pay attention as this is the really cool part, "Me too."

That's how the really big decisions get made here on South Pork Ranch LLC. We headed to the kitchen table where we talked quite a long time. For those of you with lives of your own I'll summarize. If you do not have a life of your own please send me $29.95 cash or check and I'll send you the entire transcript.

The big summary:
     Farm business going very well. New customers every day
     Keith and I working 80-100 hrs each , EACH week
     Can not keep up with the work. Need to hire full time employees
     We are working harder and harder and enjoying it less and less
     Instead...we want to homestead.

No, not the I have a turkey in my backyard therefore I homestead kind of homestead. We mean buy a few acres, build a tiny house, build a huge garden, raise a few animals and support ourselves DEBT FREE. We want to live off of say $5000 a year (to buy stuff like coffee)  which we would acquire through small on farm jobs like free lance writing, sales of a few head of livestock each year and dare I say it ? Soap making. We will barter for items we cannot make ourselves. We are going to sell or give away approximately 75% of our possessions in order to make this move. Are you starting to get the picture ?  We want to live off the land baby !
Our "one day" is here and now.


See that ? Way out there on the horizon ? It's our future.

But first things  first. We must put our farm, our house, our certified organic dairy, beef and pork business up for sale. We've already interviewed one realtor and we have already had one phone call from a gentlemen wanting to see the place next week. We have also seen one piece of prospective property to purchase. ONE is not a lonely number. (Quick, which sappy 70's rock band sang that tune? First one to tell me by commenting on this blog gets a FREE South Pork Ranch T-shirt. Soon to be a collectors item.) We are moving ahead and we need your help.


This is a map

Here is how. If you are a current customer of ours and you want to have these same products available to you in the future please keep buying from us. We want to sell the house, farm and business as a whole turn key certified organic operation; livestock, buildings, equipment, customer contacts and all. Prospective buyers will want to see our books, (but they can't have Angela's Ashes, its too dear) our income statements, budgets etc...They will also want to see customers coming and going. So please keep coming and going.

We will keep you up to date as this evolves. Until actual sale time it will be business as usual. This could take years . If you see us out and about please don't hesitate to ask us about our plans to sell the farm. Its not a secret.

Not anymore :)

But if you refer back to some of my posts and look a little closer you mind find that I had been leaving a few clues. http://midlifefarmwife.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-man-john.html

P.S. This is what we are hoping to buy. 5-10 acres. Part wooded, part pasture. A creek or pond would be fab. Old buildings OK but not required. Old house OK but not required. Water, electric and gas lines not needed. Secluded area off the beaten track would be ideal. No lawns need apply. MUST BE within 40 miles of Pontiac, Illinois. The GK's are far to excited about all of this to leave them behind. Wish us luck. We're going to need it.

P.S.S. As soon as all the figures are figured and the attorney gets together with the accountant and the realtor, I'll tell you all our farm and the asking price. Maybe one of you followers would like to relocate to the Prairie State. Hmmmmmm?

15 comments:

  1. Sounds exciting, brave and wonderful. Congratulations on your decision!! xo Jen

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  2. Songwriter Harry Nilsson and performed by Three Dog Night and also done by the Beatles. The correct title is "One".
    It is wonderful that you and your hubbie are in such tune with each other. Good luck on the new adventure.

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  3. Sorry...meant to say "don't send me the T shirt"....I already won soap. I just can't help myself when someone asks a question I HAVE to answer it.

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  4. How exciting!!! I wish you the best of luck!! :-)

    BTW- I loved your "one turkey" comment...... lol My old co-worker had 1 silkie chicken that lived on the balcony of her apartment....but to hear her talk, you'd think she was chicken farmer extraordinaire!

    -Crystal
    http://noodlevilleadventures.blogspot.com

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  5. So if I copy mybabyjohn's answer and say "One" do I win the T-shirt??!! HEHEHEHE

    You're living the dream, baby, your living the dream! Go for it!

    Sounds like the same story of the farm that we bought~ the couple were out baling hay one day when the wife got mad and said I quit. They had a fight in the hay field (Witnessed by our neighbor and since reported to us) which ended up with them walking up to the house and never farming again. Leaving twenty years worth of old machinery, fencing, and falling down sheds for some sucker to come and fix up (that would be us).

    Somedays I forget that this was our dream. A little plot of land, a creek, my kids and husband with no debt or crying goats sounds good some days! And I know how to make soap too!

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  6. The soap has arrived. I swear our postal service is waaaaay better now that our posties are on rotating strikes.....what gives? Now, I am going to prepare a photo shoot and post the pictures on my blog. Thank you so much.....

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  7. You have, for some time now, been my guru of enlightenment. I admire your insight, courage, and spontaneity. And this decision, surprising at first, is so you.

    You have succeeded at everything you have attempted...mother, nurse, leader, farm wife, grandmother, organic merchandiser, blogger, author, and soap maker. I have no doubt you will be just as successful in your future endeavors...Love ya and wish you the best of luck. You are so cool!

    Big J

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  8. Donna,
    This is fabulous and inspiring. Kudo's to y'all for following your dreams and your heart!

    I hope you keep us in the loop. I'd love to follow along to see how everything goes.

    Does this mean we won't be neighbors in Clare now? :-)

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  9. Oh you people..I cannot beleive that not one of you said "ARE YOU FRIGGIN' NUTS ?!" All this support and encouragement. I am undeserving and so appreciative.
    Crystal, the image of a balcony chicken is too funny, thanks for that.Crazy farm, you most certainly DO get the free T-shirt since MBJ has so sweetly declined. Please email me at opies99@gmail.com with address and size. I would be honored if you would wear our farm shirt around your farm ! MBJ, clean up your act. Big J, time for us to get together again. Way past time. And finally Toni, I will NEVER give up my Clare dream. First novel published and I am there for at least one entire month.

    And yes, I will keep on blogging through our transition and after, you poor people you.

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  10. Cheers with a Guiness held high. I continue to be amazed at how you work and follow your dreams. Quite the adventurers you are. Congratulations and don't move to far, I don't see yee often enough as it is.

    Love ya GF
    Deb

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  11. Ah Deb, don't cha know when we design our new home it will have that little corner with the FP just like O'Laughlins and there will always be a seat for you!

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  12. Wow, Glad for you! That sounds exactly like our escape plan except for the location. Dreams are wonder full. And wonderful too! The best to you guys. Wish I was close enough.

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  13. Wow, wow, wow, this is big news. I hear you so loud and clear though. Dan and I talk about our homestead and when he's tired of going over the road (he's a truck driver) we talk about supporting ourselves here. The biggest obstacle is the mortgage. That and the place was neglected for so long that a lot of repairs and upgrades are truly needed, everything from the house to the pasture. Still, we have the freedom to work at our own pace, and that counts for a lot.

    I'm excited for you. I love that you and your DH are so in tuned. It will be so much fun reading about the unfolding of your new adventure.

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  14. Thanks Leigh. Keith and I often have the same goals but not always the same plan to get to those goals ! But with each passing year we come together more easily. This will be our "retirement" home, our last home if indeed it is meant to be. Even if the farm does not sell quickly we know where we are going. Just south of Crazy Town.

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  15. So who are you listed with and what are you asking?

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