š± What Started as Survival Is Becoming a Farm
Thereās a version of me that built this life because she had no other choice.
And now?
Sheās building something bigger on purpose.
What started as survival is becoming something realāa working farm, a safe space, and a future that doesnāt depend on anyone handing it to me. Itās a little messy. A little chaotic. But itās mine.
And Iām not done yet.
š ļø The Steps Iām Taking Right Now
Lately, Iāve been deep in the process of applying for grantsāanything that can help take what Iāve started and turn it into something sustainable long-term.
On the farm side, Iāve been working with programs like:
EQIP to improve land, fencing, and animal housing
REAP to move toward solar and energy independence
Value-Added Producer Grant to turn what I grow into products that support this farm
But I didnāt stop there.
As a woman building this from the ground up, Iāve also applied to:
Amber Grant
Hey Helen Grant
Women Founders Grant
Because this isnāt just a farm.
Itās a business. Itās a brand. Itās a future Iām building with my own two hands.
š What These Grants Will Actually Do
This isnāt about āextras.ā
This is about building a farm that worksāwith the land, not against it.
These grants would help me:
Put in proper fencing so my animals are safe and grazing can be managed the right way
Build winter housing that can actually handle New Hampshire weather
Create a greenhouse space that makes growing possible beyond a short season
Set up a compost system that turns waste into healthy, living soil
Install solar so the farm can run more independently
Build raised beds to work with my rocky land instead of fighting it
Add pollinators like bees to support everything growing here
And on the business side?
They help me turn what Iām growing into something moreāproducts, experiences, and a space that can support itself long-term.
š¼ The Why Behind All of This
This farm is more than animals and gardens.
Itās a place Iām building for myselfāone that feels safe, grounded, and real.
A place where things are allowed to grow, even after everything theyāve been through.
Iām an abuse survivor.
And instead of letting that define me, Iām building something out of it.
Something steady. Something alive. Something that gives back.
Healing doesnāt always look pretty.
Sometimes it looks like mud, early mornings, trial and error, and doing things the hard way until they finally start to work.
But thereās something powerful about creating something with your own handsāsomething that feeds you, supports you, and stands on its own.
Thatās what Iām building here.
š® Where This Is Going
Right now, itās still in-between.
Still growing. Still figuring itself out.
But every stepāevery application, every plan, every late night thinking about what this could becomeāis moving it forward.
This isnāt just a farm.
Itās a foundation.
And if everything Iām working toward comes together, itās going to be something really damn beautiful.