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This summer my family took a road trip, and part of the reason we took this road trip
was to look at the opportunities to move, um, for a couple of reasons. One, about a
year ago, my dad was diagnosed with dementia. He's doing well, it's still in the early stages,
and that is really his story to tell. So I'm not going to say any more about that, except
to say that is part of the reason we are looking at moving out of California. So on this trip
we are looking at moving. Um, another reason is that we're just kind
of done with the whole Southern California, L.A. busy-ness, indebtedness thing that we've
got going on here. And so we took this road trip, looking at
job opportunities, just thinking about interviewing, and that normal kind of thing. And during
this road trip my cousin introduced me to the idea of the "gentleman farmer".
And being the smart aleck that I am I said, "You mean like wearing waistcoats?" No. Um.
What it means is you're not a huge commercial farm marketing to stores, but you're also
bigger than a hobby farm. You're a farm big enough to support the needs of your family.
And so I started thinking about that and I'm not a farm girl at all. And I know some of
you are thinking, "But I just saw pictures of you at your parents farm." My parents bought
that farm after they retired. I grew up mostly in the city. We always had animals, but I
basically haven't a clue. So I got to thinking, "What could we do. If we could get together
enough money and get a place for cash, and have no mortgage, could we learn enough farming,
start enough farm-based business, home-based business to support our needs and no longer
have to go clock in somewhere to earn a pay check?" And it's really this wild crazy idea
for us because I have no talent in that kind of thing and ... some of you may remember
my attempt at gardening... I had like golf ball sized bell peppers, and my cucumbers
were all wacky shapes, and tomatoes, the one thing everyone can grow I couldn't grow.So
I'm thinking about this, and we don't really have the knowledge that's needed to do this
kind of thing. However, I have not yet been able to kill my lavender plants. And so I
was thinking perhaps I can have a lavender field with some um bee hives and maybe a goat
or two, cause they're pretty hardy animals. And then I could make all kinds of neat products
like goat's milk soap with lavender in it. Or with oatmeal in it, sell honey, and so
that's kinda the plan. We are going to, over the next six months, scrape together every
penny we can find, empty out every savings account, look under couches, garage sales,
fund raising, whatever we can do. Get together cash, move out of the city. And the house
we're in right now has no equity. so we're talking small. We are going to move out of
the city, buy a farm, and make a go of it. Chris is looking at home based businesses
that he can do, and I kinda told you what mine are. And we don't have money. We have
no cash, and we have no clue. And that's about it. But what I do have, Oh, I have this journal.
This "Always do what you're afraid to do journal", where I've started putting down ideas and
I'm gathering up little scrapbook pictures of stuff I can make with lavender. And I'm
gonna learn how to harvest my lavender. I have some lavender bushes outside. And um
I'm gonna make a go of it. And then I have these pictures of houses that are for sale
in the area where we are looking. I have this plastered all over the house. I took it to
work with me today. This is why we are working to get to this. And that is our crazy adventure
that we're going to start off on. I have my YouTube channel
notafarmgirl. You can visit my blog, which is notafarmgirl.blogpot.com And I'm going
to have a fundraising page, so if you have money and you just want to donate money to
us to help us get started and leave the city and go to the farm, that's great! I don't
know what that page is. We'll have to add a link to it later. I'm sure my husband can
help with that. Um. And my husband is going to start a YouTube channel where he talks
about his reasons for wanting to leave the city and his talents and business and so forth.
So like us, share us, spread the word please. AND Valerie Marken and Christa Laforett, If
you guys have watched to this point, um Valerie because you kind of inspired the idea, and
Christa, because you guessed it on Facebook, so if you guys got to this point, then my
first batch of whatever lavender product I make, be it soap or lotion or candles, you
guys each get a free one. So that's it. Keep watching us, and I am Not A Farm Girl.