How did I get started?
First off for those new following along in this crazy thing called #farmlife I’m Chelsea, the #farmher who has poured her time, energy, blood, sweat and tears into every aspect of this land.
I’m a future focused achiever with a great desire to learn & I am continuously looking for ways to improve. I’m adept at dealing with problems & constantly figuring out what is wrong & resolving it.
I have a fire burning inside of me that pushes me to do and achieve more everyday. And “every day” means every single day: workdays, weekends, holidays and even vacations. If the day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small I feel dissatisfied.
This past year has left me feeling that way more often than not but it has pushed me to think outside the box.
I have been growing a garden for 20 years now which really dates me but that has always been a passion of mine. Farming not so much that is a beast of a different kind!
The farm all started from the dream of opening a small craft distillery. Funny how life sometimes has different plans.
In 2010 I went back to school to complete my pre-veterinary studies after realizing computer programming was not my thing, even though I had known this a very long time. Meanwhile my brother was opening a distillery in North Bend. I had been knee deep in animal science, microbiology & chemistry classes when he approached me about helping them though the federal liquor license process.
If only I knew then it would send me on a 10 year path jumping through government hoops like a circus animal. The small craft distillery license with the TTB was a walk in the park compared to everything that our local county permitting office has put me through over the years.
I realized quickly the distillery would not be successful long term if we couldn’t supplement the income with events of some kind. That is when I found the farm it wasn’t for sale & it was straight out of a fairytale covered in blackberries with a falling down barn 😂 but there were overgrown fruit trees producing so much fruit despite years of neglect. That year everything changed & I will be sharing how things evolved on this journey soon!