My name is Sarah. I am fifty-five years old. I was born in a ‘burb of Chicago and moved to Mississippi when I was six. I graduated from high school in Jackson. Tried to leave the state but got too cold in Minneapolis, so I came home and graduated from Mississippi State University (Hail State!!). Afterwards, I went to Auburn University for graduate school where I met my now husband. We moved to Seattle in 1993 for him to go to law school. And now, almost 30 years later, I am moving back to Mississippi for 8-9 months of the year in order to start my second career as a farmer.
Why do this?
- My parents are 79 and 80 years old. I am so fortunate that my mother moved all the way to Seattle from Madison, MS, in February, 2008, in order to be nanny to my youngest (thanks, Mom!!!). My father, on the other hand, has lived away from me and my brother in California for 20+ years. It is time to spend some quality time with my dad!!
- I have been searching for a long time for my second career. I had started taking classes at UW to pursue a degree in forestry, and I still plan to continue my studies. However, now that we are buying a 54-acre former dairy farm in Meridian, MS, I plan to attend the school of real life instead. I am not exactly sure whether and how I will pursue my forestry studies, but it is possible I will become an MSU student yet again.
- I am an empath, and in particular, an animal and plant empath. The opportunity to immerse myself daily in the nurturing of all the trees, plants and animals of the new farm is a dream come true!! In addition, the permission to live alone on the farm for most of the year is something that makes me happier than I can describe.
My goal is to set up this farm as a break-even business. If I can turn a profit, so much the better, but that is not a specific goal per se. I want the farm to pay for itself. Exactly how I will make that money is TBD, but it will involve some combination of plant and animal products as well as a wise and creative use of my outbuildings, home and land for retail or space rentals or other money-making ventures.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE!!
The Feminine Farmer 