The road to farm-ownership has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride, and it’s a huge relief to have a property under contract again. After letting go of the Swinging Bridge Farm, my realtor, Leah J. Watkins, and I toured the property at 344 School Street last Wednesday. I decided on the spot to…
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Letting go of SBF and Introducing “The Hive House”
I can no longer deny the fact that the Swinging Bridge Farm needs more work than I had initially realized. I paid to have a thorough Home Inspection performed, hoping to prove the appraisal wrong, but wound up further validating it instead. Had the sale gone through I would have used up all my chips…
Surprise Hurdle in FSA Loan Process
When we left off, I’d been waiting for the appraisal to come back on the Swinging Bridge Farm before the FSA would proceed to the final stage of their loan process for Direct Farm Ownership. Everything hinged on that figure, so it was a fairly monumental milestone. I’d expected to hear from Nathan over at…
#WinterGrowingChallenge Update #3 with Salad Dressing Recipes!
Last Thursday evening I finally fed some of my home-grown shoots and sprouts to my boys! Score one for mom! Yay me! Woot woot! Hey─you gotta take those victories where you can get them. Parenting is hard enough without the added pressures of trying to provide your children with a diet low in processed foods….
Chimney Inspection & Appraisal Done!
The FSA hasn’t assigned a date for Closing on the sale of the Swinging Bridge Farm yet, but I can feel that day drawing closer. So far I’ve managed to overcome every hurdle, jump through every hoop set out for me. Last week I got the chimney inspection done, and just yesterday the property was…
Repurposed Containers for Growing Shoots
One of the great things about growing shoots is that it’s so versatile! You don’t need expensive equipment to get started, and most of the required components you probably already have on hand. Sure, there are commercially made germination trays you can purchase, but if you’re not ready to fully commit money to supplies for…
#WinterGrowingChallenge Update #2
Moving into January and the second month of our #WinterGrowingChallenge I’ve decided to step up my seed-sowing activities. Initially I had imagined I would be eating delicious leafy green salads every night when I undertook to grow my own greens, yet I’ve eaten a mere 3 salads since the start of this project. Sure that’s…
Now That We’re Buying a Farm: Looking Ahead to 2018
You may be wondering what’s next for Runamuk now that we’re buying a farm. When will we move? What are we going to do with the new property? Will we get goats and put up a high tunnel to start making cheese and growing high value tomato crops hydroponically? What’s the plan, Sam? Read on…
Runamuk’s 2017 Year’s End Review: Part 2
When I first started selling vegetables nearly 8 years ago, I was a stay-at-home homeschooling mom to 2 rowdy young boys. I wanted to earn an income without having to get a job outside the home, and what started with a 10-family CSA has grown and transformed into a diverse apiary operation with supporting acts…
Runamuk’s 2017 Year’s End Review: Part 1
Here we are at another year’s end. This always seems to be an introspective time for me. A time for reflection and review, for letting go of what no longer serves us and for embracing new things into our lives. Before we move on to 2018 and all that a new year brings with it,…









