dancing early days: to be real

early days and dancing: ring my bell

Ambrosia Farms - Celebrating 25 years

I have been fortunate to have lived on this Farm.  The name of the farm was inspired by the Carole King song because much of the words echo what I've felt here.  As mentioned in the song there is a river, reminiscent of Native American life - there is a running stream which really makes sleeping a wonderful experience when the night comes, and beautiful green pastures along with old growth forests.  The area is still quite rural and affordable.  The Amish have recently relocated here bringing both good and bad affects.  But for the most part - nothing has changed since I came here in 1988.

Complimenting my life here is my fiance Gene.  His talents and skills have been important in keeping our animals happy and healthy by building perfect facilities, making green and great hay, keeping us warm in the winters with a wood stockpile, and troubleshooting every possible thing that goes wrong .

Life on a farm is a constant struggle - not only for ourselves but for the animals - making ends meet is hard - even with off farm income.  We have 30 goats, 5 horses, 1 pony, 4 hound dogs, 12 cats - and 215 acres of land with 3 buildings - a dairy barn, a horse barn, and a house.  All of these buildings need constant maintenance and much of the work we don't get to.  All of the animals live with lots of space and freedom to move - including full out running space - a predominant reason the animals live a long and healthy life.  All of this open space, peace and nature is a rare jewel - priceless by todays standards.

Both of us love being outdoors 24/7.  Sometimes we find the chores hard - especially as we are aging. But our caretaker shows no signs of slowing - much older than us - he has been a reliable relief for many many years.

Friends and family have visited often, showing support for all of our undertakings which have included caring for these animals, growing heirloom veggies, making hay, woodshop and sawmill work, pony and horse rides, and goat dairying, agritourism as well as hound dog rescue and adoption of wild horses.  None of our ventures have made money - but they support the farm upkeep and real estate taxes.

We see nearby cow dairy farmers struggle to make a living and large commercial ones that make a living but at the expense of the cow.  And we see more and more cattle farmers.  And some new veggie farms and lots of small local producers of artisan items.  Overall the future of small farming rests in a reliable distribution system that works for small farmers.

We have a great quality of life that offsets what we lose in financial stability.   I am so grateful for my time here.  One thing is certain - the next generation of farmers will be lucky - our conservation practices provide that these resources are preserved!