QUICK NOTE: This story is from 2018. The FSA Beginning Farmer programs are still active as of this writing—the continuing resolution passed in November 2025 specifically reaffirmed funding through September 2026. That said, there may be changes in how these programs are being administered under the current administration, so I’d encourage anyone interested to contact their local FSA office directly for the most current information.
The day I bought my farm will live forever as one of the greatest days of my life.
An agonizingly long and tumultuous journey, culminating in the purchase of the 53-acre property where the Runamuk Acres Conservation Farm now resides.
A miracle happened that day. My miracle.
HI.👋I’m Sam from Maine Homestead Life, a newsletter that teaches the skills our grandparents knew: how to grow, raise, and make REAL food and live independently from corporate food systems. Become a paid subscriber to Maine Homestead Life for just $7 a month or $70/annually to unlock every benefit in our comprehensive membership package.
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I Bought a Farm!
On June 27th, 2018, I came out of the Somerset County USDA building in Skowhegan, Maine, with a Deed and a set of keys.
During the 30 minute drive to from the office to my new farm, I vacillated between bouts of uncontrollable laughter, wild shrieking, and floods of tears. Tears of indescribable joy, followed by tears of immense relief.
I was so high, I was literally on Cloud 9 and I probably shouldn’t have been driving.
Somehow I had managed to work my way into farm-ownership. Me. A girl from an extremely dysfunctional, low-income, non-farming family. Literally trailer park trash─with no means and no education to speak of.
I bought a farm!
How I Bought A Farm With NO Money
Utilizing funds earmarked for disadvantaged women farmers, I bought my farm as a beginning farmer through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. There was no down-payment, and I received a low 3.5% interest rate on this federal loan. The only funds I had to come up with were that of the Earnest Offer, which I was able to crowd-fund from my local community.
On paper (as in, when I started filing a Schedule F with my taxes) it took nearly 10 years to obtain that victory. When in reality, I think my entire life was leading me to that moment─so that I could do the work I am doing today.
So, if you’re here because you’re looking for a quick and easy way to farm-ownership, you’re in the wrong place, my friend.
But, if you’re here because you’re serious about growing food and feeding community—regardless of how long it takes—then you’re exactly where you belong.
Want the Full Roadmap?
If my story has you thinking maybe I could do this too — I wrote the guide I wish I’d had back then.
How to Buy a Farm With NO Money walks you through the entire process:
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Getting started in farming, filing a DBA, and handling taxes
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Growing your operation and cultivating community
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Involving your family in the journey
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Every loan program the USDA Farm Service Agency offers and how each one works
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The step-by-step process of working with your local USDA Service Center
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How to crowdfund your Earnest Offer
Grab the ebook on Gumroad for $14 → Available at Gumroad
Or—become a paid Maine Homestead Life subscriber for $7/month
and get the ebook free, along with every other paid benefit.
What is the Runamuk Acres Conservation Farm?
Runamuk Acres is a small family-farm owned and operated by me, Samantha Burns, with help from my son, BraeTek. The farm produces mixed vegetables organically grown and pastured lamb—all sold directly from our on-site farmstand.
In 2020, conservation lands at Runamuk Acres were contracted to the USDA/NRCS for a 50-year commitment to wildlife preservation. With miles of trails running through these protected habitats, Runamuk is open to the public for hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or biking—offering visitors a chance to connect with nature one-on-one.
The farm’s mission:
“To protect wildlife through the conservation of beneficial insects and soil microbial life, providing an ecological and financial benefit to the entire community — the soil, water, wildlife, plants, and people.”
Our sheep aren’t just cute and friendly tourist attractions, though guests do love them. They’re organic lawnmowers performing work crucial to this farm’s objective: creating a healthier habitat—both above and below ground—for local wildlife.
This is my why. For everything.
Our Backstory
2026 at Runamuk
This year is a getting-back-to-basics kind of year at Runamuk. After the long haul of building the farm from the ground up, 2026 is about tending what’s already here—restoring the gardens, keeping the farmstand stocked, caring for the flock, and making sure the land and infrastructure are in good shape for the years ahead. Farms don’t just grow; they need maintenance, attention, and a whole lot of elbow grease to stay healthy. That’s the work on the ground this year.
What is growing in a big way is the work I do right here—the writing, the video storytelling, and the community that’s building around Maine Homestead Life.
This is the year I lean fully into sharing what I know. More video content from the farm—the kind that takes you right out into the pasture with the sheep or into the garden with me. Livestreams where we can actually talk back and forth. Workshops for folks who want to learn the skills our grandparents knew—growing, preserving, raising, making.
Because here’s the thing: the farm is only one piece of the mission. The teaching is the other half—helping more people reconnect with real food, with the land, with a way of living that doesn’t depend on a corporate food system. That’s what Maine Homestead Life is, and that’s what 2026 is building toward.
More on all of this soon—including a closer look at what paid subscribers make possible, and what we’re working toward together.
Other ways to support Runamuk:
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Instead of buying me a coffee, you can “buy the sheep a cookie” or donate for a “bag of sheep-feed” by making a one-time donation through PayPal or Venmo.
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Purchase a farm-share for yourself, or donate the funds to a family in need.
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Volunteer your time or donate an item from our farm’s Wish List!
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If your brand supports sustainable living, green initiatives, or making homesteading accessible to folks from all walks of life, I’d love to connect — reach out at eco.farm.steward@gmail.com to request our media kit.
