Runamuk Acres Conservation Farm
Soil-first farming, building health from the ground up!
If you are a beginning farmer, a homesteader looking to scale up, or even an avid gardener seeking to increase the efficiency of your labors─don’t miss Runamuk’s upcoming Jang Seeder Giveaway! Beginning on Monday, October 16th, 2017 and running through Monday, November 20th, 2017, dedicated followers and new readers alike can participate to win a…
Yesterday morning I had a meeting with Janice Ramirez at the Somerset County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) regarding my loan application, their requirements, and the process involved in government financing of the Swinging Bridge Farm. I’ve visited them 2 or 3 times before, but the representatives there are always patient and kind; they seem…
After 12 days of agonizing back and forth negotiations with the Seller of the Swinging Bridge Farm, I learned last night that they are hesitant to make a commitment with me at this time. When I received the news last night I was at Johnny’s after hours with a few devout supporters who joined me…
Having spent several years now pouring over real estate listings in search of my own forever farm, I have become painfully aware of the cost of farmland. Farmland prices are rising, and good land for farming is becoming increasingly scarce. This has serious implications for the future of the nation’s farm economy and farm system,…
If you’ve been anxiously awaiting news regarding my bid for the Swinging Bridge Farm, then I am glad for the company. It has been a long week of negotiations and I had hoped to be able to post with cause for celebration, but as of this moment I cannot say if my offer will be…
Swinging Bridge Farm was everything I’d hoped it would be and more. We have decided to make an offer on the old place, in hopes of building the Runamuk Conservation Farm there. On Friday as Paul and I made our way to 619 Middle Road to meet Leah, I couldn’t help feeling that I was…
A couple of weeks ago this cool thing happened to me where a complete stranger contacted me out of the blue and offered her services as a real estate agent. I was surprised by the unexpected offer and a little caught off guard. Last winter as I began exploring properties once again, I contacted a…
For the first time in my 7 years of beekeeping I am trying my hand at raising my own Queens. I’m excited for what this new skill means for my apiary and now wonder why I didn’t start sooner! We’re at the height of the growing season now and I am out there in the…
It’s with a bit of self-debasement that I’ve ruefully dubbed this year’s garden “the Redneck’s Garden.” Having been born and raised in the backwoods of Maine, rarely venturing farther than Augusta─forever in jeans, boots and flannel─arriving at parties with my trusted PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon beer) and preferring a campfire with friends to the crowded…
One of the great things about beekeeping is that I can do it from anywhere. Everyone wants beehives on their property, especially if someone else is going to do the work and all the land-owner has to do is sit back and enjoy the bees. I’ve had so many offers for apiary locations that I’ve…