I fully admit that I have been suffering an increasing level of anxiety and stress during this home-stretch of buying a farm. The USDA’s program for beginning farmers seeking to finance the purchase of a property for farming is a grueling process and since passing the 200th Day it’s become more difficult for me─largely because…
Category: Updates From the Farm
200 Days
Today marks the 200th day since I first dropped off my application with the USDA’s Farm Service Agency back on September 28th. 200 days slogging my way through the red tape associated with the government-financing process in hopes of one day owning my own forever-farm. Everyone wants to know what’s going on─have we Closed yet?…
Runamuk at Maine School Garden Day
Runamuk has been invited to participate in Maine School Garden Day to talk about bees! It’s been a while since I was able to get out in the community to talk bees, so I’m pretty stoked to have been invited. On Saturday, April 28th teachers from across Maine will gather at the Maine Academy of…
Introducing GreenStalk Vertical Gardens! Our New Affiliate Partner!
I’m excited to introduce Runamuk’s new affiliate partner: GreenStalk Vertical Gardens and you should be too because they’ve given Runamuk a coupon code worth $10 off their stackable garden planters. Check out the new button in my sidebar on the left-hand side of the Runamuk website─pretty sharp right? Honestly, I don’t make much money off…
FSA Loan Request Approved!
Yesterday I received word from my FSA agent that my loan request has been approved. It shouldn’t have been in question, but until I had that Approval letter in my hand I just couldn’t breathe easy. I was approved the first time around─when I applied for financing to purchase the Swinging Bridge Farm; but what…
Parting Ways
After 2 years working together, Paul and I are parting ways. It’s always difficult when you care about someone to admit that you’re on different paths in life, but we’ve both come to terms with it and this will be an amicable parting of ways. Upon closing, Runamuk and I will move to the Hive…
Under Contract AGAIN!
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…
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…
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…