We are closing on our house soon and are having a HUGE moving sale! We have LOTS of really nice stuff to sell because we are downsizing big time! We're moving from a house to an apartment and we're closing and selling both our farm and photography studio.

RAIN OR SHINE! The sale will be in our barn and out of the rain and sun. PARKING is available in a lot in front of the barn or across the street in a turnaround. CASH (no checks) or VENMO.

✻ Friday, August 18, 7:00 am to 6:00 pm
✻ Saturday, August 19, 7:00 am to 3:00 pm
(click the dates above to RSVP for updates)
​
MAYBE Sunday, August 20, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, depending on what we have left - check our Facebook event post (click here) on Saturday evening to confirm - and yes, everything will be discounted that day IF we choose to open. 

NO EARLY BIRDS - we won't open the door until 7:00 am!

Here's a *sampling* of what we'll have for sale [we'll post a video overview soon on the Facebook event pages so be sure to RSVP (click on the dates above) to get updates]:
- antique Singer sewing machine
- patio furniture (dining, lounging, and bistro sets)
- living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture
- retail and point of sale equipment and supplies
- photographic backdrops
- farm and garden hand tools, wheelbarrow, cart, seed spreaders, flower pots, potted plants, patio pavers
- fence stretcher, come-along, hand tools, saw horses
- buckets, feeders, food bowls, alpaca halters, cria supplies
- live traps, fly strips and jug traps, mouse traps (live and snap)
- crock pots, bread machine, rice maker
- Christmas tree, ornaments, decor, outdoor lights
- Halloween costumes and accessories
- electronics, cordless phones, old iPhones (use as iPod)
- weight bench, hand weights, strength bands
- 30 amp glass stove top, chest freezer, dehumidifier
- bird feeders, shepherd's hooks
- yarn, fiber, knit and crochet tools, craft tools and materials
- knitting machine with ribber
- Country Living grain mill + exercise bike to attach to if desired
- pressure washer, paint sprayer, ShopVac
- 10x10 pop-up canopies with LED lights
- Fenton bowl, crystal drinkware, vintage glassware
* plastic folding tables (4', 6', and 8') 
* 36" barn fans (drum style)

* pick up after the sale is over because we'll be using them during the sale

NOTICE: No smoking, pets, or unattended children are permitted anywhere on the property. Thank you in advance for your respectful cooperation. 

All orders placed during our closeout sale using the NOLA17 discount are final. 

Giving gifts to family and friends is a wonderful way to show that we care. You can make your gift giving experience even more meaningful by giving gifts that also help someone in need. We compiled a list of more than 50 social entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations throughout the US that employ individuals that are disabled, in need, or underserved to make and package a variety of goods for sale online. From candles to cookies and kitsch to couture, you will find the perfect gift for everyone on your list while empowering individuals and building strong communities. ​

We’ve arranged our list in alphabetical order and by cause. We worked hard to make our list inclusive, but if you know of an organization that’s missing from our list please contact us. Some organizations spanned more than one category and we included them in both. ​

- Disabilities
- Formerly Incarcerated
- Homeless and Low Income
- Women in Need
- Underserved and At-Risk Youth

ArtLifting
​ArtLifting empowers artists living with homelessness or disabilities through the celebration and sale of their artwork. ArtLifting is about creating opportunity, empowerment, and validation. We offer our artists the chance to secure their own income through the sale of original paintings, prints, and products. By showcasing and selling artwork via ArtLifting.com, our artists gain self-confidence that permeates all aspects of their lives. www.artlifting.com

Aspire CoffeeWorks
Aspire CoffeeWorks offers craft-roasted coffees while opening new horizons for people with disabilities. We are a partnership between Metropolis Coffee Company, one of the nation's top artisan coffee roasters, and Aspire, a non-profit leader helping children and adults with disabilities. Each time you enjoy our coffee, know that your purchase is helping children and adults with disabilities. 100% of Aspire CoffeeWorks' net proceeds benefit Aspire's life-changing programs for people with disabilities. Our coffee is always roasted to order, then packaged and shipped directly to you. We sell coffee, sweet treats, gift baskets, mugs and more! www.aspirecoffeeworks.com

Autism Candles
Since 2006, the Autism Candles candle making project has advocated for inclusion and opportunity. Made by people with autism, each candle is hand labeled, hand poured and when purchased on Amazon each is packaged individually in a white box to easily gift wrap and includes tissue paper. Give the gift of richly scented soybean candle goodness, while supporting equal opportunity. www.autismcandles.com

Beneficial Beans
Beneficial Beans is a social enterprise business designed to engage young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder in various aspects of the food and beverage industry. By combining technical training with on the job experiences, Beneficial Beans arms adults with autism with the skills to achieve personal and professional success. With a mission of training and employing adults with ASD, Beneficial Beans Café is an excellent venue to showcase the abilities, talent, and value of individuals with autism in our community. Products include coffee, on-the-go coffee sets, coffee and tea starter sets, granola and more! http://sarrc-store.myshopify.com/

Crafters for Life
​Crafters For Life, LLC was started in the spring of 2015 based on a skills program in the high school class of the owners' son.  The goal is to take the skills learned in high school and translate them into paying jobs while providing a constructive reason to leave the house after aging out of high school.  We make a growing number of hand crafted items including coasters, key chains, scarfs and eye pillows.  In addition to making the products, the young adults also go into the community to sell them which provides a level of socialization that is normally difficult to find.  As demand for our products increases we can tap into the the list of individuals looking to get involved as well as expand to a growing number of adult day programs looking to partner with us to provide meaningful programming to their members.  We wholesale to several retailers in the Philadelphia region and ship anywhere in the continental United States. www.craftersforlife.com

EV Gifts
We employ young men and women with autism and other developmental disabilities. EV Gifts are truly “Gifts That Give” as each high quality product sold directly employs adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. We seek to help bridge the gap between education and vocation by providing communication structures and manufacturing skills that emphasize the strengths of our unique employees. We sell handmade products including candles and soaps, many holiday-themed. www.gifts.evnc.org

Food for Good Thought
​Formed in 2008, Food for Good Thought was founded by Dr. Audrey Todd. The whole concept came about while considering the probably limited future employment opportunities for her non-verbal son with autism. Food for Good Thought offers vocational and employment services to individuals on the autism spectrum primarily through The Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) or the Medicaid Waiver. Our services are highly customized and tailored to fit the specific needs of the person served including customized employment, job development, career exploration, supported employment, summer programs and more. Products include a gluten-free cookbook, pizza crust mix, spices, body scrubs, soaps and dog biscuits. www.foodforgoodthought.com

Harry's Buttons at Easter Seals
HarrysButtons.com at Easter Seals improves the lives and futures of individuals living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other disabilities by providing employment opportunities. Since the inception of HarrysButtons.com at Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago, we have employed more than 100 individuals and have made more than 300,000 products for 500 businesses. Our team is integrated into all aspects of business operations and receives individualized training with customized support. Every product created at HarrysButtons.com at Easter Seals is an opportunity to achieve growth and independence. This team-oriented environment builds self-esteem and skill sets needed for future employment opportunities. Products include custom buttons, wine bottle charms, magnets and key chains, personalized pendants, bracelets and photo frames, greeting cards, invitations and more!  www.harrysbuttons.com

Hattie's Café & Gifts
Hattie's Café & Gifts features fair trade coffees, fresh baked goods, chocolates, sandwiches and unique gifts. Gift baskets and corporate gifts are available online. Hattie's Café & Gifts is a Hattie Larlham work training program for adults with developmental disabilities. Your patronage provides a safe and educational environment where people with developmental disabilities learn valuable and rewarding career skills as they contribute to their community. www.hattielarlham.org/default.asp

Have Dreams and ILOVESWEETS
Have Dreams Academy provides on-the-job training in a real employment setting for young adults with autism. This training equips Academy participants with critical workplace skills to secure and retain competitive employment. Our extraordinary sweet treats make great teacher, hostess, or corporate gifts, while benefiting young adults with autism. Proceeds from each bakery treat purchased create workplace opportunities for young adults with autism at ILOVESWEETS commercial bakery.
www.ilovesweets.com

In-Focus Project by CSAAC
Sometimes individuals with autism are better able to express themselves in photographs than in words. The In-Focus Project was developed so that individuals with autism with an interest in the arts could take photographs throughout the community and provide neurotypical viewers with a small window of what they see as important in their world. This program gives the participants the resources and supports that they need to become competent visual artists. The In-Focus Project photographers have a voice through these photos, and thereby, whether verbal and non-verbal, they each gain a chance to tell their stories in photographs. https://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51059/t/16088/shop/shop.jsp?storefront_KEY=41

Lambs Farm
​Lambs Farm offers a wide variety of unique items sure to delight your recipient. Choose a gift from the heart that also gives back to the community. When you purchase a gift from Lambs Farm, not only will your recipient delight in your thoughtfulness, you will also provide valuable support for our many programs. Participants demonstrate their accomplishments through the quality of products here – handmade with care by the people of Lambs Farm. These products are perfect for corporate or client gifts, and ordering is easy! Friendly customer service representatives, all employees of Lambs Farm, offer personalized service to every individual. www.lambsfarm.org

Noteworthy Cards by Anderson Center for AutismThese unique cards are created and assembled by students in Anderson Center for Autism’s art and vocational programs. Proceeds from the sale of Noteworthy cards directly support these vital student programs at Anderson Center for Autism. www.andersoncenterforautism.org/product-category/noteworthy-cards/

Miami Is Kind
We employ professionals with Autism/disABILITIES while creating delicious traditional treats. Our first product line are gluten free, deliciously healthy gourmet artisan macaroons. We started in October 2015 hiring two bakers educated in Bakery & Pastry Arts, we hired 2 additional bakers in December 2015 and a fifth baker in Feb 2016. Miami Is Kind demonstrates that with adequate instruction, a properly structured workplace, and a solid business background - like the one I have - persons with Autism/disABILITIES excel at a workplace and make the companies they work for profitable. www.miamiiskind.org

Our Coffee With A Cause
By purchasing Our Coffee with a Cause you will be giving young adults with disabilities an opportunity for gainful employment. These young adults will be applying the label on to the bag of coffee, packaging, shipping and delivering the product. While more advanced young adults will be able to work with an assistant selling coffee using our custom designed iPad app. With multiple flavors of roasted coffee, we’re sure you’ll find something to love. We offer drinking mugs, as well as fresh espresso coffee beans that you can order as well. If you’re a single serve coffee drinker, we also carry multiple flavors of K-Cups Coffee. We also offer a coffee subscription, that allows you to choose from roasted coffee flavors and accessories monthly. www.ourcoffeewithacause.net

Paper Clouds Apparel
Paper Clouds Apparel was formed to showcase the creative minds and artistic abilities of individuals with special needs while raising funds to provide financial support for special needs schools and organizations. We achieve this goal by selling t-shirts, hats and totes featuring artwork designed by individuals with special needs. Paper Clouds Apparel also hires individuals with special needs to package all of our sensory-friendly clothing. Fifty percent of the net proceeds from the sale of all merchandise is given to the cause we are promoting in each campaign. Choose the art, create your shirt and change a life! www.papercloudsapparel.com

Presents of Mind
Presents of Mind is a luxuriously appointed gift shop filled with trendy, classic, and humorous gifts, gourmet foods, local art, and exotic teas. Presents of Mind is owned and operated by Community Options Enterprises Inc., a non-profit organization that provides employment supports to people with disabilities. Our retail associates, looking to gain valuable career experience in retail and store management, have the opportunity to learn point of sale software, soft-selling and customer relations skills, retrieving and processing of orders received through our website, inventory management, store layout and design, and different forms of presentation and display. Our store focuses on meeting the demands that our customers deserve. www.presentsofmind.org

Reid's Gift
Reid's Gift, Inc. is dedicated to creating and maintaining high quality lives for individuals with developmental disabilities. Our entrepreneurs design, create, and sell one-of-a-kind hand-dyed silk scarves and more on Etsy. Each artist personally earns all proceeds from the sale of their products, thus learning creative, business, and money management skills in the process. Their scarves have been described as "gorgeous" with "beautiful detail." www.etsy.com/shop/ReidsGift

ScentsAbility
ScentsAbility is an organization that helps individuals with special needs learn job skills and be independent. Our mission is to teach them how to punch in/out for their shift, how to use a cash register, stock shelves, alphabetize, count money, and how to use a computer to ring up a sale. Building a better future for individuals with special needs! We make amazing custom soy candles for ambiance in the home, baby showers, wedding gifts, or as party favors. Or use the mini-tin with custom logo as a calling card for your company or organization. "Lighting the Path to Independence One Candle at a Time!" www.scentsability.org

SEEDs for Autism
SEEDs For Autism was founded to fill the overwhelming need for a comprehensive program within the adult autism community that focuses on building self-esteem, social skills, and training towards meaningful employment. Our mission is to nurture and grow the spirits and skill of our clients with Autism Spectrum Disorders through education and job training that promotes work ethic, pride and success in an environment that is tailored to the client’s individual needs and comfort. Students at SEEDs are always creating new and interesting products which will be purchasable here as they become available. All proceeds are reinvested back into the programs to continue our ultimate goal of providing autistic students with the best possible opportunity to succeed. We sell jewelry, home and garden products, pet products and more! www.seedsforautism.org

SpecialTees
The mission of Special Tees is to provide training and employment to traditionally “unemployable” individuals and to operate a growing business dedicated to securing employment through training in a controlled, secure environment that understands the difficulties of daily functioning with a mental illness and/or developmental disability. Every penny earned over cost goes back into our program to better serve the mentally and developmentally disabled. Services include screen printing (both silk screening and digital printing), embroidery, tackle twill and ink sublimation. We can print and embroider anything and fill all of your merchandise needs…staff recognition, corporate promotions, team or company uniforms, giveaways and advertising items. Products include tee shirts, tanks, sweatshirts, shorts, jackets, towels, socks, bags, hats, jerseys and more! www.specialteessi.com

Spectrum Designs
The mission of Spectrum Designs is to provide gainful employment and meaningful work opportunities to individuals with autism within a social enterprise in an effort to assist them in leading fuller and more independent  and productive lives. Spectrum is the ideal place for teenagers and young adults with autism to address possible employment barriers for the future.  Our on-site educational staff make it, "The Hidden Gem of Vocational Programs." Spectrum Designs Foundation is a fully functioning apparel customization shop. We use DTG (Direct to Garment), Screen Printing, Embroidery all in our specialized print shop in Port Washington. We help you leave a personalized and lasting impression, while your purchase is making a difference in the lives of people with autism. How cool is that? We can print anything... You Think it, We Ink it! www.spectrumdesigns.org

Spectrum Works
Spectrum Works is an innovative social enterprise employment model born out of the idea that everyone deserves an opportunity to have a productive, fulfilling life. The vision of its co-founder Ann Marie Sullivan is to use employment to empower individuals with autism with the confidence and the skills needed to achieve a sense of independence, purpose and pride. Ultimately, the goal of Spectrum Works goes beyond paychecks and sustainability, it’s about raising awareness that individuals with autism can work and contribute to society. Give us an opportunity to create great products for your company.  Your purchase will not only help support jobs for individuals with autism…it will change lives! We do screen printing, embroidery, promotional products and we have thousands of items to choose from. All profits generated by Spectrum Works are used to fund its job training and employment programs for individuals with autism. www.spectrumworks.org

St. Coletta Shops
St. Coletta of Greater Washington is a nonsectarian, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving children and adults with intellectual disabilities through educational programs. We believe in the immeasurable value of the human spirit and provide an environment that encourages talents, celebrates successes and builds self-esteem. St. Coletta Shops are retail stores attached to programs for adults with intellectual disabilities at St. Coletta of Greater Washington. All items are handmade by our students and adult participants and 100% of the proceeds benefit our programs. Working gives program participants the opportunity to take pride in what they make, practice retail skills and be empowered by daily community integration. www.stcolettashops.com

The Chocolate Spectrum
We are a family owned and operated artisan chocolate company. Our purpose is to offer delicious chocolate confections while also helping individuals with developmental disabilities. We accomplish this two ways:  By providing individuals with developmental disabilities training opportunities and by donating a portion from each item sold to various  charities. When you purchase a box of our wonderful chocolates, we will send a donation to one of several different charities that we have selected. www.thechocolatespectrum.com

Waggies by Maggie & Friends
Waggies by Maggie & Friends is a non-profit dog treat company whose mission is to employ persons with intellectual disabilities.  Our all-natural, vet-approved treats are made with the finest ingredients and contain no preservatives.  We are a unique business that brings employees and volunteers together for the daily operation of producing dog treats.   Being part of the Waggies team empowers our employees to be successful in their work and active members of the community. A purchase of Waggies rewards your dog while supporting employment for members of the community who want to be part of the workforce.  It’s a winning combination! www.waggies.org

Wags in a Bag
Wags in a Bag is dedicated to enhance the lives of our employees with brain injuries, cognitive and developmental disabilities while creating and servicing some of the best handmade, all natural dog treats available. We are committed to serve and support the needs of St. Louis area families whose loved ones needs opportunities to live their lives to the fullest. When you purchase our dog treats, the proceeds will help rehabilitate, train, and employ talented and hardworking individuals. www.wagsinabag.com

[words] Bookstore
[words]‘ mission is to serve Maplewood and surrounding communities by offering an engaging and welcoming atmosphere for people and families of all stripes to pursue their literary interests. In particular, we are dedicated to the families in our community that have a member with a developmental disability. We strive to help Maplewood become a model community of inclusion through our treatment of disabled customers and employees, especially those with autism. www.wordsbookstore.com

Yard Work and More
The mission of “Yard” Work & More is to promote employment, leisure, social, recreation and housing opportunities to our members and other individuals in our community who have developmental disabilities. We fundraise to create inclusive opportunities in our local community by planning and funding classes for young adults to take at no cost to them or their families. We work to enhance the quality of life for our members by creating inclusive opportunities in the areas of employment, small group recreation, social and community events. We hand make items including a candle line, cards, gift bags, key chains, jewelry, soaps, body scrubs, birdhouses, potpourri bags, scarves, homemade candy and more! www.etsy.com/shop/YardWorkAndMore

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beelove by Sweet Beginnings
Sweet Beginnings, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the North Lawndale Employment Network and offers full-time transitional jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals and others with significant barriers to employment in a green industry. Sweet Beginnings, LLC produces the beelove™ family of products, an all natural line of raw honey and honey-infused body care products. www.beelovebuzz.com

Homeboy Industries
Homeboy Industries provides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of our community. Every purchase helps Homeboy Industries carry out its mission to bring hope to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women through community, free services, and job training in social enterprises. Shop online for foods, books and media, apparel, home and office, bags, and more. www.homeboyindustries.org

Lazlo
We’ve set up shop in Detroit, where we’re hiring men who were trained to sew in prison and paying them a living wage. We use the best materials available to make products that we want to wear every day, and we’re building them to last. We aren’t doing it alone: from partnering with the Michigan Department of Corrections on hiring, to developing fabrics with a mill in LA that shares our commitment to quality, it’s a team effort. In short, we’re doing our best to build a company that we all can feel excited to be a part of. We’ve tried to keep business simple. Invest in your employees, invest in your community and make products you feel great about. Some companies see this as a burden. We see it as an opportunity. www.lazlo.co

Road Twenty-Two
The story behind our clothes feels every bit as good as our fabrics. We employ women who need a chance, who were formerly incarcerated and are on the road to a better life. Made entirely in the USA, our clothes prove that style and social conscience can walk hand in hand. Road Twenty-Two is named for the road leading out of the Central California Women’s Correctional Facility, the largest women’s correctional facility in the world.  Women are released with $200 in their pockets, hardly enough to put them anywhere but back on the streets. That’s where we can help. www.roadtwentytwo.com

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ArtLifting
​ArtLifting empowers artists living with homelessness or disabilities through the celebration and sale of their artwork. ArtLifting is about creating opportunity, empowerment, and validation. We offer our artists the chance to secure their own income through the sale of original paintings, prints, and products. By showcasing and selling artwork via ArtLifting.com, our artists gain self-confidence that permeates all aspects of their lives. www.artlifting.com

Bonfolk
In 2015, Bonfolk was created with the idea that for every pair of socks sold, one would be donated to a shelter, charity or person in need. Bonfolk's founder is a born and bred New Orleanian that is very passionate about her hometown. We kicked it off in the Crescent City, designing socks representative of Louisiana and have now donated over 20,000 pairs in the state. In 2019, our goal is to design socks symbolic of every state in the USA and to be able to donate across the entire nation. www.bonfolk.com

EarthLinks
The EarthLinks Workshop is a micro-enterprise program where participants who are homeless and low-income do organic gardening and create Earth-friendly products, and are paid an hourly stipend for their work. Participants work weekly in our Peace Garden and craft workshop, and set and work toward achieving personal goals, such as acquiring housing, staying in recovery, pursuing education, or working on personal relationships. In 2014, 70 individuals participated in the Workshop Program, earning a modest monthly paycheck to help pay for housing, groceries, transportation, medical care, or other personal needs. www.earthlinks-colorado.org/programs/earthlinks-workshop

Faces of Santa Ana
Faces of Santa Ana was founded by Brian Peterson, an artist from Miami, Florida currently working as a car designer for Kia Motors in Irvine, CA. Faces of Santa Ana is a passion project where we set out to befriend and paint portraits of the homeless community in Santa Ana, CA. We then sell the artwork and use proceeds to help in rehabilitating our newfound friends. The mission of Faces of Santa Ana is to locally help those in need in cities around the world while also inspiring and activating creatives and supporters of the movement. We believe that the creativity we’ve been given is meant for the outward pouring of love. www.facesofsantaana.com

Greyston Bakery
The country’s leading social enterprise since 1982, Greyston provides individuals in Southwest Yonkers, NY with employment skills and resources to lift them out of poverty. Greyston’s unique combination of Open Hiring™ at the world famous Greyston Bakery, Pathmaking and other social services offer a roadmap to assist individuals and families in visualizing their paths to self-sufficiency. Our mindfully-rooted philosophy fuels a commitment to human growth and potential and addresses some of the most challenging problems facing our country today. www.greyston.com

HEAL Homeless Empowerment through Art & Leadership
HEAL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for creative self-expression and personal growth for the homeless community of San Diego. Our Mobile Art Studio is a new, unique approach to achieve our vision. We carry out our mission to empower homeless youth and adults by cultivating values of creativity, work ethic, and leadership in a safe, inclusive space. The price you pay for the art goes directly to the artist who created it. By making a purchase in HEAL’s store, you are not only buying a piece of beautiful artwork. You are providing an empowering stepping stone towards self-sufficiency. www.etsy.com/shop/HEALSanDiego

Homeless Garden Project
GIFTS of love...featuring products made in our training program from herbs and flowers grown at our organic farm. A wide selection of Birch hearts, Soaps, Lavender Bath Salts, Chocolate, Candles, Wreaths and more! The Homeless Garden Project provides job training, transitional employment and support services to people who are homeless. HGP's vibrant education and volunteer program for the broad community blends formal, experiential and service-learning. The programs take place in our 3-acre organic farm and related enterprises. www.homelessgardenproject.org

MADE by DWC
MADE by DWC is a social enterprise created by the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) to break the cycles of chronic homelessness and unemployment. By empowering women to discover talents and develop skills through vocational opportunities, MADE by DWC generates economic and social capital to support programs at DWC and create opportunities for women to overcome barriers to employment. handMADE is our signature line of unique gifts items created in collaboration between DWC program participants and community artists. Our product design workshops equip women with social and vocational skills in a supportive environment where women rebuild self-esteem, discover talents, and develop skills. By purchasing our handmade products, you contribute to breaking the cycles of chronic unemployment and homelessness for women in the Skid Row community.  100% of proceeds support Downtown Women’s Center programs and services. www.madebydwc.org

Mitscoots Outfitters
While volunteering along the streets of Austin, Texas circa 2008, we discovered that right after food and water, there was no greater request among the less fortunate than for a clean pair of socks and some quality gear. So, for every item purchased, we give an equal quality item to someone in need and take pride in employing the transitioning homeless to get each and every style packaged up and ready to go. With every piece of American made gear you purchase, Mitscoots will give an equal quality item to someone in need and employ the transitioning homeless to package things up. Mitscoots makes gear with a mission:  get + give + employ. www.mitscoots.com

Project Home
The mission of the Project HOME community is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society. Support Project HOME's social enterprise work opportunities with a purchase from the HOME Shop. Last year, 40 residents earned income making HOME Made gifts with volunteer facilitators, 8 residents gained food service training while working to create "Sister Mary's Sinfully Delicious Cranberry Sauce," and two residents worked in administrative and sales roles supporting the HOME Shop. Join us today by buying items from our shop. www.projecthome.org/store

MyNew Orleans Photo Project
The MyNew Orleans Photo Project was started in 2016 to lift the voices of those affected by homelessness in New Orleans. Now in our second year, the Project again distributed 100 Fujifilm single-use cameras to people affected by homelessness and asked them to show the city from their unique perspectives. Participants used the cameras to document their own lives and scenes from the city of New Orleans, and submitted hundreds of beautiful and thought-provoking photos. The MyNew Orleans Calendar features 14 photos printed on high gloss paper, captured by MyNew Orleans Photo Project participants. Each photo is accompanied by its creator's personal story. ​ ​www.etsy.com/listing/568270525/2018-mynew-orleans-calendar

Rebel Nell
Rebel Nell was started with the sole purpose of employing, educating and empowering disadvantaged women in Detroit. We make jewelry from unique local materials, while providing a transitional opportunity for women in Detroit.  Our goal is to help these women move from a life of dependence to one of self-reliance, overcoming barriers to employment through the fruits of their own labor.  Working directly with local shelters, we identify women who are ready to make this transition to a new phase in their lives. Our primary goal at Rebel Nell is to restore the confidence in the women we hire.  In addition to employment, we provide financial literacy, business education and a focus on life wellness to help them successfully transition to an independent life. www.rebelnell.com

re:loom
re:loom is a program of Initiative for Affordable Housing (IAH), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in Decatur, Georgia. Founded in 1990 with one home and one homeless family, IAH’s mission is to provide permanent, affordable housing to homeless and low-income families in metro Atlanta. Our rigorous, holistic social services program empowers individuals to reach personal goals and achieve independence. re:loom grew naturally from our work with adults who struggled to secure and maintain jobs. We help individuals address obstacles to employment through paid on-site job training and leadership opportunities. Weavers design and produce handmade products and lead a team of weavehouse volunteers. With a stable salary, 100% healthcare coverage, and opportunities to engage in the operation of the weavehouse, employees gain a financial foundation, leadership skills, and a sense of purpose and accomplishment. With your help, re:loom will continue to support the IAH team in growing our positive impact on homelessness in Atlanta. www.reloom.org

Street Gems Arizona
Street Gems Arizona is a Social Enterprise That Offers Recycled, Wearable Art and Whimsical Gifts Made by Individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness. “Unlocking the innate potential in individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness to instill the confidence to build a sustainable, independent life through simple acts of creative and productive art making.” www.etsy.com/shop/StreetGemsArizona 

Women’s Craft Cooperative at Rosie's Place
Rosie's Place was founded in 1974 as the first women’s shelter in the United States. Our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that helps poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives. The artisans of the Women’s Craft Cooperative at Rosie’s Place create gorgeous hand-crafted items. This successful social enterprise, established in 1996, hires Rosie’s Place guests to craft unique gifts and jewelry of all types. Proceeds from the sales support our vital programs and services for poor and homeless women at Rosie's Place while providing job skills and employment experience for our artisans. The WCC product line began with our signature button brooch and has expanded over the years to respond to evolving styles and to fulfill orders from J. Jill, Frugal Fannie's and other retail stores, national catalogs and websites. www.rosiesplace.org

The Giving Keys
This story begins with a New York hotel room key. Actress and singer/songwriter, Caitlin Crosby, started wearing the hotel key as a necklace while on tour and had the idea to start engraving old, used keys with inspirational words. Realizing that, in a way, we are all like these keys – unique, flawed, scarred, and sometimes discarded by others – she wanted these keys to have their purpose renewed over and over again. Embrace your word, then pass it on to a person you feel needs the message more than you. We employ those transitioning out of homelessness. www.thegivingkeys.com

Women's Bean Project
Women’s Bean Project believes all women have the power to transform their lives through employment. So we hire women who have been chronically unemployed and teach them to work by creating nourishing products. They learn to stand tall, find their purpose and end the cycle of poverty. Because when you change a mother’s life, you change her family’s life. Products include a variety of food and beverages, limited edition handmade jewelry, novelties, gift baskets, and more. www.womensbeanproject.com

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Bright Endeavors
Every candle at Bright Endeavors is about creating powerful moments. These are the moments when everything changes for a young mom. They awaken her self-worth, dreams, potential, and goals. They are the instant a young mom realizes that she has the power to write her story and open doors for her child. And no one can stop her. By investing in young moms with Bright Endeavors, you can touch the lives of two generations at once: the emerging life of a young mom and the unwritten story of her child. We invite you to light the way with us and make these moments possible. www.brightendeavors.org

MADE by DWC
MADE by DWC is a social enterprise created by the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) to break the cycles of chronic homelessness and unemployment. By empowering women to discover talents and develop skills through vocational opportunities, MADE by DWC generates economic and social capital to support programs at DWC and create opportunities for women to overcome barriers to employment. handMADE is our signature line of unique gifts items created in collaboration between DWC program participants and community artists. Our product design workshops equip women with social and vocational skills in a supportive environment where women rebuild self-esteem, discover talents, and develop skills. By purchasing our handmade products, you contribute to breaking the cycles of chronic unemployment and homelessness for women in the Skid Row community.  100% of proceeds support Downtown Women’s Center programs and services. www.madebydwc.org

Rebel Nell
Rebel Nell was started with the sole purpose of employing, educating and empowering disadvantaged women in Detroit. We make jewelry from unique local materials, while providing a transitional opportunity for women in Detroit.  Our goal is to help these women move from a life of dependence to one of self-reliance, overcoming barriers to employment through the fruits of their own labor.  Working directly with local shelters, we identify women who are ready to make this transition to a new phase in their lives. Our primary goal at Rebel Nell is to restore the confidence in the women we hire.  In addition to employment, we provide financial literacy, business education and a focus on life wellness to help them successfully transition to an independent life. www.rebelnell.com

Road Twenty-Two
The story behind our clothes feels every bit as good as our fabrics. We employ women who need a chance, who were formerly incarcerated and are on the road to a better life. Made entirely in the USA, our clothes prove that style and social conscience can walk hand in hand. Road Twenty-Two is named for the road leading out of the Central California Women’s Correctional Facility, the largest women’s correctional facility in the world.  Women are released with $200 in their pockets, hardly enough to put them anywhere but back on the streets. That’s where we can help. www.roadtwentytwo.com

Women’s Craft Cooperative at Rosie's Place
Rosie's Place was founded in 1974 as the first women’s shelter in the United States. Our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that helps poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives. The artisans of the Women’s Craft Cooperative at Rosie’s Place create gorgeous hand-crafted items. This successful social enterprise, established in 1996, hires Rosie’s Place guests to craft unique gifts and jewelry of all types. Proceeds from the sales support our vital programs and services for poor and homeless women at Rosie's Place while providing job skills and employment experience for our artisans. The WCC product line began with our signature button brooch and has expanded over the years to respond to evolving styles and to fulfill orders from J. Jill, Frugal Fannie's and other retail stores, national catalogs and websites. www.rosiesplace.org

Thistle Farms
Thistle Farms is a powerful global community of women healing from prostitution, trafficking and addiction. We employ 50 survivors through our social enterprises: Thistle Farms Home & Body, Thistle Stop Cafe, and an Artisan Studio. Thistle Farms Global helps employ more than 1,500 women. Our national network welcomes more than 30 sister organizations. Started in 1997 by Rev. Becca Stevens under the name Magdalene, Thistle Farms includes a two-year residential program and advocacy services for hundreds of women yearly. We provide education and training through speaking events and immersion workshops. Thistle Farms stands for the truth that love is the most powerful force for change in the world. Join the movement for women's freedom. www.thistlefarms.org

Together We Bake
Founded in 2012, Together We Bake is an empowerment based job training program for women in need of a second chance within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Together We Bake’s mission is to provide a comprehensive workforce training and personal development program to help women gain self-confidence, transferable workforce skills, and invaluable hands-on experience which will allow them to find sustainable employment and move toward self-sufficiency. Together We Bake makes cookies, granola, dried fruit, and more. www.shop.togetherwebake.org

Women's Bean Project
Women’s Bean Project believes all women have the power to transform their lives through employment. So we hire women who have been chronically unemployed and teach them to work by creating nourishing products. They learn to stand tall, find their purpose and end the cycle of poverty. Because when you change a mother’s life, you change her family’s life. Products include a variety of food and beverages, limited edition handmade jewelry, novelties, gift baskets, and more. www.womensbeanproject.com

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Bright Endeavors
Every candle at Bright Endeavors is about creating powerful moments. These are the moments when everything changes for a young mom. They awaken her self-worth, dreams, potential, and goals. They are the instant a young mom realizes that she has the power to write her story and open doors for her child. And no one can stop her. By investing in young moms with Bright Endeavors, you can touch the lives of two generations at once: the emerging life of a young mom and the unwritten story of her child. We invite you to light the way with us and make these moments possible. www.brightendeavors.org

Marwen
Marwen educates and inspires under-served young people through the visual arts. Marwen achieves its mission by providing free visual arts classes to under-served Chicago youth in 6 - 12 grades.  Marwen also provides free college and career counseling to high school students and their families who are interested in pursuing a career in the visual arts or wish to continue their education beyond high school. In addition to everyday greeting cards, every year, Marwen hires a group of exceptionally talented high school students to design greeting and holiday cards. This unique initiative strengthens students’ art-making abilities and exposes them to tangible business skills that can be applied to future professions in the arts. All proceeds benefit Marwen’s free visual art programs for under-served young people. www.marwen.org

Ruckus Entrepreneurs
Ruckus Entrepreneurs is a program of Concordia Place that focuses on preparing tomorrow's leaders. Since 2010, the program has employed and trained hundreds of Chicago area teens. Ruckus integrates a social mission of developing environmentally-conscious teen leaders, who are agents of positive change in their community, with a socially-conscious business venture. Our teen-run enterprise provides innovative entrepreneurial training and internship opportunities, through the development and distribution of teen-made body care products, such as soaps, shea balms, deodorants and lip balms. With support from grants and private gifts, we provide over 75 paid teen internships throughout the year. With every item you purchase, we donate a product to an organization serving those in need. www.ruckusteens.org

Yollocalli Arts Reach
Yollocalli Arts Reach is the award-winning youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art, we offer FREE arts and culture programming to teens and young adults. Located in the heart of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, we serve as an open community center with studio spaces, computer lab, radio production studio, a large art library, and a creative, supportive staff and teaching artists who are always around to help, encourage, and inspire. We aim to strengthen the students’ creative and cultural capital by engaging them with their own cultural discourses through art making. www.yollocalli.org

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These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by Root Down Acres, LLC of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual. Root Down Acres, LLC bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

If you've driven by the farm lately you may have noticed that there's a "for sale" sign out front, and for followers of our blog and social media pages that should come as no surprise. If you've ever driven by our farm and thought to yourself, "I would love to have a farm like that", or you've been following our story but aren't local and like the idea of moving to a farm in Ohio, now is your chance! We put a lot of work into the farm and house in the past 6 years so it's ready for new owners to move in and embark on their own farming adventure! Will those new owners be you?

We occasionally hear someone say that our house is "too small" based on square footage, but once you step inside you realize that our house has an open floor plan and plenty of space. Is our cottage-style farm house a "McMansion"? Of course not! If that's what you're looking for you're in the wrong place. Our "little" house is plenty big enough for a small family or a couple like us. The trend in homes today is toward smaller houses - tiny even - for good reason. You have the space you need to live and less space to clean and heat or cool. Who needs a gigantic house with unnecessary rooms when you can go outside and enjoy 8 acres of woods and a perennial stream, a wrap-around deck, an outdoor seating area and fire pit, or animals out in your pastures?

Here are the Individual Room Dimensions (ft2):

• Living Room: 14x24
• Kitchen and Dining Area: 9x26
• Bathroom: 8x5
• 1st Floor Bedroom 1: 10x14
• 1st Floor Bedroom 2: 10x14
• 2nd Floor Bedroom: 14x24​

The first floor bedrooms have double-doored closets and the second floor bedroom has a walk-in closet. Kitchen and bath cabinets, a linen closet, and coat nook provide plenty of additional storage space in the living area.

​Not included in the square footage of the house is the 850 ft2 unfinished basement with three separate rooms that are clean, dry, well-lit, and fully functional. The furnace, hot water heater, and laundry area are in the main part of the basement, and what used to be a garage is now a workshop with walk-out access to the backyard. We've put in loads of shelving and workbenches that we plan to leave for the new owners that provide all the space you need for home storage and personal projects. 

If you're still looking for something "big", look no further than our custom built 36x64 (2,304 ft2) pole barn with 12' overhangs on three sides (total footprint 60x76)! Add to that two chicken coops, two loafing sheds, and a greenhouse and you've got all the space you need for small farm living! A farm property like ours is enjoyed and utilized as a whole, and cannot be summed up in one number like a house in a neighborhood in Anywhere, USA. 

Below are some updates we've made to the house and farm along with some features in more detail than you'll find in the online listing.

​HOUSE UPDATES

• impact resistant, cool metal color, steel roof with matching gutters
• Water Furnace geothermal heating and cooling plus new ductwork
• EPA-rated energy efficient wood fireplace insert with new chimney liner and brick chimney top
• reverse osmosis drinking water filtration system
• fresh new zero VOC paint throughout the house
• recently updated kitchen with new Frigidaire appliances: range and microwave 2016, dishwasher 2015, fridge 2011
• water and energy efficient Whirlpool Cabrio washer and dryer (new in 2011)
• recently updated bathroom with new vanity and sink
• digital antenna wired in
• perennial landscaping

FARM UPDATES

• custom barn with skylights, overhangs, store, and barn quilt, built with Perma-Column concrete footers that will never rot 
• parking lot at barn with separate driveway from the house
• pastures fenced for rotational grazing
• 12x16 and 4x4 chicken coops with automatic doors and *chickens
• goat run-in shed
• loafing shed
• greenhouse
• no chemicals on most of the property since 2011 (none since 2015 in select areas)
• approved farm sign location with posts and sign (will paint white for new owner) 
• hazelnut trees
• recent professional survey with new markers installed (download survey map below)

HOUSE FEATURES

• Clark-Shawnee school district
• no adjacent neighbors, corner lot, bounded by creek and roads
• low taxes (CAUV)
• French and sliding doors onto wrap around deck
• recently refinished oak floors throughout most of the house
• circular drive
• cottage style architecture
• access to highway, parks, bike trail, shopping
• basement with storage and workshop space

FARM FEATURES

• rich alluvial soils (download soil report below)
• corn base acres and FSA ID established
• Woodland Stewardship Management Plan (download plan below)
• Agricultural zoning
• mulberry trees
• wild raspberries
• dye plants and trees
• trees for syrup tapping
• loads of potential firewood

PROPERTY FEATURES

• recreational fire pit
• woods and creek
• mushroom foraging
• bird and wildlife watching
• hunting, trapping, and fishing

PROPERTY SURVEY - click on file below to download
​Note that this was done before the county took about half of an acre of the property to replace the bridge over Beaver Creek on Croft Road. 

CUSTOM SOILS REPORT - click on file below to download

WOODLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN - click on file below to download

Regency I2400 Wood Fireplace Insert - click here to view link in a new window

Meridian Steel Roof by McElroy Metal - click here to view link in a new window

Water Furnace Geothermal System - click here to view link in a new window

Perma-Column concrete pole barn columns - click here to view link in a new window

Pullet Shut automatic chicken doors - click here to view link in a new window

The diversity of our property makes it suitable habitat for a variety of wildlife and plants. We are also in the migratory flyway of the Sandhill Crane and enjoy watching and listening to them fly over every fall. We even saw a Bald Eagle fly over one afternoon! Below are lists of many (certainly not all - I'm writing this from memory) of the different kinds of wildlife we've seen on the property (listed in no particular order) and a few trees and plants of note. 

In an effort to help support our troops overseas, we are now offering free shipping to APO/FPO addresses. If you have a friend or loved one that is deployed or have "adopted" a soldier or unit, you can now send them anything from our online store for free.

We have alpaca socks that are great to wear year around - they're warm in the winter and they wick sweat in the summer. We're down to our last size of socks (men's shoe size 13-15), but they are discounted 40% so if you know someone with big feet it's a great deal and a great gift! Yarn is always good for knitters and crocheters to work on projects when they have down time. Tea is also a popular item to send in care packages, and we have both black and green loose leaf teas, chai, and of course a variety of herbs for teas. 

If you're shipping to a military APO/FPO address, simply use the code APOFPO at checkout and your shipping will be free. If you'd like us to include a personal note, send us a message after you place your order and we'll be happy to include your message at no charge on one of our alpaca note cards. 

HOW TO SEND APO/FPO MILITARY MAIL You cannot send any items that are restricted by the unit's host country.  To see a full list of restricted items:  http://hqdainet.army.mil/mpsa. To properly address a Military mail piece, we will need the following information:

1. Name of the recipient (rank/grade/rating is optional)
2. The PSC (Postal Service Center), CMR (Community Mail Room), UMR (Unit Mail Room), RPO (Regional Post Office), APO (Army Post Office) or OMDC (Official Mail Distribution Center) number.
3. It is not necessary to add the specific military formation (for instance "1/20 24th Infantry") that the recipient is attached to.
4. For FPO addresses aboard a United States Navy or United States Coast Guard vessel, put the ship's name and hull number, instead of a PSC number.
5. The recipient's Military Post Office Box number.
6. The APO and "state" designator (AA, AP, AE)   Do not use the state that the distribution hub is in (FL, CA, NY).  This may cause delays in your package being processed.
7. The ZIP Code for the unit, preferably the ZIP+4.

UPDATE 8/19/16: We're no longer carrying alpaca socks, herbs, or teas in our shop, but you can still use the APOFPO code in our Etsy shop for yarn and more. 

Drum roll please...

Our "Local Pickup" shipping option is back! If you pick up your order from us at either our farm in Springfield, Ohio or Wes's photography studio in Westerville, Ohio, then you can now enter a code for free shipping and we'll contact you to schedule a pickup time! 

HOW DOES IT WORK?
​Easy! You shop online as usual, then at checkout you enter the coupon code SHOPLOCAL. When your order comes in we'll see that you used the Local Pickup code and we'll call you to schedule your pick up time and location. Easy peasy!

WHERE DO I PICKUP MY ORDER?
We'll call you to arrange a pick up time and location. You have two options for your pick up location:

1. Our farm located at 3336 Columbus Road, Springfield, OH 45503
2. Wes's photography studio located at 9 East College Avenue, Westerville, OH 43081​

I shared some big news yesterday about us selling our alpacas and ultimately our farm. The response has been what we expected, but I wanted to clear things up a bit. Root Down Acres isn't going away - we're just downsizing our animals and changing locations. Wes and I plan to buy a a place closer to his photography studio in Westerville and continue raising chickens for eggs and keeping bees for honey, which we may sell at farmers markets or restaurants in the area rather than having a brick and mortar farm store like we do here in Springfield.
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I now realize that "homesteading" is more in line with my vision than "farming" - and that's based on my definitions of course. We want to start a family and it will be nice to have Wes within a reasonable driving distance of our home so that he can help me when I need it. With less animals to take care of by myself I'll have time to grow a garden and make things - including making things out of the alpaca and mohair yarn and fiber we have so much of. I have boxes and shelves full of yarn...but no time to knit or weave. The changes we have planned will transition us from alpaca farmers to alpaca fiber artisans, from sellers of seeds to growers of seeds...and that is just fine.

We're not going anywhere...we're just moving. Expect bigger and better things to come, not the worst! For the locals who enjoy just driving by, hopefully the new farmers will have something interesting for you to look at, and for those of you that enjoy shopping with us you'll still be able to buy everything we sell except eggs in our online store, and we'll keep everyone updated of our event and festival schedule. So please stay tuned and enjoy this new adventure with us!

This process is going to take some time and we need your support, so please continue shopping in our Online Farm Store.

Our purchase contract for the sick alpaca gave me the option to have a veterinarian check him out before I purchased him. That is standard wording in a livestock purchase contact but I have never felt the need to have a vet check done because I have always bought livestock from what Ibelieved were trusted farms and the financial investments haven't been huge. With this alpaca, unless he had traces of the green fluid on him when the vet checked him, it wouldn't have been apparent that he had megaesophagus because the only way to test for it is with a barium contrast x-ray. So in this case I had to rely on the word of the owner and veterinary records, but the owner lied and I didn't ask to see the records.
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Herein lies the hard lesson learned. Just because someone seems caring and nice and is willing to answer all of your questions doesn't mean that they're telling you the truth, regardless of how much experience they seem to have and even if they come recommended from a family member who knew them from a knitting guild. Duh, right? Well, it's not that cut and dry - I want to trust people - but you better believe I'll never buy another animal without at least getting veterinary records...even from a "nice old lady".

The Backyardigans are what we call truly free range. They are free to go anywhere they want because there are no fences around our backyard. They know where home is though, so they go about their day and visit all their favorite spots and then come home to roost at night. They could even cross the road if they wanted to, but they never have (in spite of stories some locals have told us to the contrary). The Backyardigans have it a little better than the Big House chickens because the Backyardigans have access to the woods and a more diverse array of habitats to choose from for foraging and loafing. But there's a catch...

​About a month or so ago I noticed that Miss Daisy hadn't laid an egg one morning. Miss Daisy laid an egg almost daily so it was noticeable but not alarming. Then as the day went on I didn't notice Miss Daisy with the other Backyardigans. That seemed odd because the Backyardigans usually stick together except when one goes to the coop to lay an egg, with the exception being Henny Penny who has wandered off alone on more than one occasion only to reappear that evening. So that night when the Backyardigans went in to roost I looked in the coop and Miss Daisy wasn't there. I called and called and she didn't come and the next morning she was nowhere to be found. She never returned and we found no sign of her anywhere on the farm. Miss Daisy is pure white and the least camouflage of any of our chickens, so it's no surprise that she was the first (and to this day the only) hen to disappear. We figure it was a fox or coyote that got her.

So who's better off, the truly free range Backyardigans or the free range Big House chickens? Commercially raised free range chickens? Chickens that aren't free range at all? Like I said before, I'll save that debate for another day, but...

The Big House chickens don't know what they're missing and the Backyardigans don't seem to be scared of their surroundings. I think they'd all be happy in either free range scenario. The Backyardigans would be safer in a fenced pasture and I did feel a twinge of guilt when Miss Daisy disappeared, but given that we've only lost one chicken to a predator in two years I'd say that all the chickens are doing pretty well. In hindsight I wouldn't have done anything differently. Moving forward I don't plan to change anything either unless circumstances change with predators in the area.

So are there pros and cons to raising chickens in a free range environment? Yes.
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Do I think the pros outweigh the cons? Most definitely.

UPDATE 1/13/15: In late 2014 Henny Penny went almost completely blind, so for now our solution has been to fence in the Backyardigans' coop so that she can't go wandering off and get lost or wander into the road. Needless to say, the other Backyardigans weren't very happy about it. Everyone has adjusted though and we're hoping some friends with an enclosed backyard coop will take Henny Penny so that we can let the other Backyardigans roam free again. ​

When the donkeys' new mom, Sandy, arrived I managed to rein in my tears. Okay, I cried a little when she pulled in the driveway with the trailer, but I managed to get it together by the time I got to her truck. Sandy raises Tennessee Walking horses and lowline Angus cattle on an 85 acre farm in East Canton, Ohio. Sandy had been searching for a pair of donkeys to guard her weanlings and when she found out I was selling our donkeys she contacted me about purchasing them. She asked how tall they were and I told her that Agnes was 33" and Myrtle was 38". It turns out that her bull is 38" tall too so they're a perfect fit for her farm!
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You're probably wondering what a 38" tall bull looks like. I was too and I couldn't believe how cute he was when Sandy sent me this picture:

​Agnes and Myrtle's new job will be to guard these little guys:

I wish I could buy hay with love but I can't, so I was faced with a tough decision that had to be made. I love animals - especially my animals - and I wish things could be different, but if farming has taught me anything it's that sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do and, in that situation, all you can do is make the best decision you can given the circumstances and resources available at that moment.
​
So until I can buy hay with love, I'll be thinking of Agnes and Myrtle somewhere over the rainbow...

Our farm was recently featured on the Living the Country Life radio program! Editor-in-Chief Betsy Freese and Editor/Host Jodi Henke share tips from experts across the United States to help you around your acreage.
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I was interviewed over the phone and they aired the segment a month or so later. I admit I was nervous about hearing myself on the radio, but I think it turned out pretty good. You can read the transcript and listen to our segment on the Living the Country Life website.

So 2014 was a difficult year for alpaca births on our farm. Choanal atresia is thought to be passed on when both parents have the gene, so we are considering whether we want to breed Alibi again. If we do, it obviously won't be to the same male. Something good did come of the death of Alibi's cria though - we donated his body to Dr. Cheryl Dewitt to use in one of her alpaca neonatal seminars. I took one of her seminars in 2012 and highly recommend it to anyone planning to breed alpacas. The knowledge that I gained increased my confidence in dealing with difficult births significantly. So Alibi's cria will be used in a seminar to teach alpaca farmers like us how to save a cria - or at least when to call the vet - in birth emergency situations.
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As for Black Mist's cria, we don't know why he was born blind (or partially blind). We plan to have Jack gelded so that he can stay with the female alpacas that he's growing up with and also not have to deal with the fighting and competition among the male alpacas. Plus, we don't know if his condition is genetic so we wouldn't want to breed him anyway. He's going to be disappointed though because, at just 2 months old, he's proving to be quite the ladies man here on the farm! See (and hear - yes, he's orgling!) for yourself:

Please help us welcome our newest alpaca, RDA's Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica) aka "Jack"!
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Jack was born on June 7, 2014 and is Black Mist's first cria. The birth went fast and easy and Black Mist is such a good mom! She needed a little help learning to stand still so that Jack could nurse, but now that she's got the hang of it they're both doing fine. Jack has a white face and chest and white "socks" and, while the rest of his fleece looks black, his primary color is called "dark silver gray" because he has white fibers mixed in with the black. The white pattern on his dark base fleece color is called "tuxedo".

So onto Jack's name...If you're wondering where Jack's fancy name came from you can read about our alpaca naming theme here.

The blackjack oak is a member of the red oak family and can be found in Adams, Lawrence, Pike, and Scioto counties in Ohio and in the southern and central United States. It is a relatively small oak, and hazards include overgrowth by taller woody species through succession as well as losses due to logging. Blackjack oaks grow on dry, sterile, usually sandy soil in open upland woods and barrens. Blackjack oaks thrive where many woody species cannot, and is often a dominate tree in savannas and forests adjacent to grasslands. In addition to providing cover for wildlife, blackjack oak acorns are an important source of food for birds and mammals. Blackjack oak wood is hard, heavy, and strong and is used mainly for fence posts, railroad ties, and fuel.

For more information on blackjack oaks visit these sites: ODNR Rare Plants of Ohio USFS FEIA Tree List USDA Plants Database (several daditional info links on this page) Wikipedia Quercus marilandica.

To celebrate the new arrivals we're having a contest! Whoever correctly guesses the birthday of Alibi's cria wins a skein of Alibi's yarn, and whoever correctly guesses the birthday of Black Mist's cria wins a skein of Black Mist's yarn! Bonus: If you guess the correct birthday and the color of the cria you'll also win a set of Alpaca Note Cards from our farm!
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Here are your clues:

• Alibi is dark fawn
• AllBlack is dark brown
• Black Mist is true black
• Challenger's Boomer is light silver gray
• Alibi is due on May 16th
• Black Mist is due on May 27th
• The average gestation period for alpacas is 11 months, but they can go longer or shorter

To enter, submit your guesses as a comment below. Your name and email address are required. Submit your guesses for:

• Alibi's cria birthday and color
• Black Mist's cria birthday and color

You can only guess one birthday and one color for each alpaca's cria and you can't submit a different guess later - your first submission is the one that counts. In the event of a tie, the winner will be randomly selected from the correct responses. Contest limited to individuals with US mailing addresses only (or local pickups). Good luck! 

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. ​

Today is the first day of Daylight Savings Time here in Ohio and the "spring forward" by an hour has my internal clock off kilter for the day. We're just 11 days away from the Spring Equinox and after this long, bitterly cold winter I couldn't be happier for spring to arrive! Spring is a busy time on a farm - probably the busiest by far here on our farm - although winter has kept us pretty busy too! So today I'm writing about "Springing Forward and Falling Back" - the title of this blog post inspired by the Daylight Savings Time change today (we "fall back" an hour in the fall for those of you that don't have Daylight Savings Time in your area). On a farm you work with the seasons and in the busy spring you "spring forward" with work too: spring cleaning, de-winterizing, starting seeds, preparing the soil, checking the bees, fencing, rotating pastures, etc., etc., - all the stuff you couldn't do all winter. Of course in the fall you "fall back" and you settle in and prepare for winter.

We started this farm in 2011 and have been moving forward full steam ever since. Many of our local customers have commented that they can't believe how much work we've done in such a short time since we moved here. Honestly, either can we when we look back on the past almost 3 years. This past winter was pretty hard on us with all the snow and subzero temperatures, and many of you know from following us on Facebook that we had to euthanize an alpaca over the winter as well. While I was planning for spring tasks I decided that in addition to "springing forward" this year we're also going to "fall back".

We still have some pretty big projects to complete and I just want to get them done! Gardening isn't fun when you're so darn busy doing other projects that the weeds take over and you're constantly fighting it. Adding more beehives isn't fun when you're so darn busy with other projects that you can't seem to find a day to check on them and when you do you find they've all swarmed. And so on and so forth, so...

This year we aren't putting in a garden. I may do some potted veggies and herbs up at the house for us, but we probably won't have any produce for sale. Instead, we're going to plant cover crops and let the soil rest and replenish (and let the farmers rest and replenish too!). After we sold out of honey so fast last year we wanted to put in more beehives this spring to meet the demand next year, but that's just not going to happen either. Instead, we're going to focus on the bees we have and take our time building hive boxes and getting ready to add more bees next spring.

So this year we're going to spring forward, fall back, and hopefully reach an equilibrium. Going full steam is great because you get stuff done quick, but it doesn't do anybody any good when you burn up your engine! We will have eggs of course - our hens are already laying up to 2 dozen a day from a low of 4 per day this winter. We hope to have 1 or 2 honey harvests this year if the bees made it through winter. We have 2 pregnant alpacas - Black Mist and Alibi - that are due to have cria this spring so we'll have some fluffy little huacaya babies running around on the farm soon! I plan to start dyeing yarn and fleece and we also got a knitting machine that I've been learning to use over the winter, so we're going to have some cool new fiber products available. So once we finish all the remaining major farm projects I plan to relax and have some fun on this farm!
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The farm market "Grand Re-Opening" is April 19th and I'm really looking forward to seeing all of our local customers again and meeting some new customers too! I'll be sending out a reminder and posting on this blog as well with more info on the Grand Re-Opening, including some really awesome specials we're going to have that weekend. Until then, have a happy spring!

Please help us welcome our newest alpaca, RDA's Slender Willow (Salix petiolaris) aka "Willow"! If you are wondering what this crazy name is all about you can read about our alpaca naming theme here.

Willow was born on October 5, 2013 and is Shimmer's 7th cria. Shimmer is such a good mom too and Missy didn't even have to milk her! Finally, a trouble-free birth (Missy had to milk and bottle feed for the last two cria births on the farm). Willow is white and has the cutest furry feet, and she has really long legs which is why we picked the "slender willow" for her name. She is very alert and spunky and has been practicing "running" in the stall. Shimmer is ready to go outside and we can't wait to see Willow in the pasture with Summer and Pip. (We keep the new mom and cria in a stall for the first 24 hours to make sure the cria is eating and pooping before turning them out in the pasture).

The slender willow (Salix petiolaris), also known as the meadow willow, is a threatened species in Ohio. You can see the complete list of rare plants in Ohio here. Like other willows (Salicaceae family), the slender willow grows in wet areas, including wet meadows, low prairies, swamps, marshes, and lake and stream shorelines. The slender willow is native to the lower 48 states of the U.S. and throughout Canada.

The *specific epithet of the slender willow, petiolaris, is named after its petioles which are long compared to other willows. Petioles are the stalk that joins a leaf to the stem of a plant. The genus, Salix, comes from from the Latin word for "jump" which is a reference to the rapid growth of willows in general. Many willows have a bitter tasting bark that contains derivatives of salicylic acid which is the primary compound in aspirin and many topical acne treatments.
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Willows are important for stabilizing the banks of streams and shorelines of lakes and ponds and providing in-stream shade for fish such as trout. Willows also provide food for a variety of wildlife including rabbits and deer that graze on the leaves, a secondary food source for beaver, and an important food source for birds that eat the buds in winter. The slender willow also plays an important role in pollination and bee populations because it attracts large numbers of native bees.
You can find more information on identifying characteristics of the slender willow here.

A fun part of having babies born on the farm is choosing their names. Most of the animals we have on the farm came named already, but lately we've had some baby animals on the farm and were able to name them ourselves. Missy has given some of the chickens names based on their personality or appearance - like Miss Daisy the leghorn hen and Cock-a-Doodle-Blue the blue laced red Wyandotte rooster. Wes named the angora goat brothers after beer ingredients - Barley and Hops - since he's a home brewer.

Beginning this summer - on the Summer Solstice in fact - we had our first cria (baby alpaca) born on the farm. This was significant in the realm of baby naming here at Root Down Acres, LLC because Missy thought long and hard about how she would name the alpacas. The alpacas will be registered (there's an Alpaca Registry, Inc.) and a lot of alpacas have long or fancy names - like race horses - on their registration certificates. For instance, our alpaca that we call Artie is actually named TDF Accoyo King Arthur - a real mouthful! Some alpaca farms have themes for their alpaca names, like naming them after their dam and sire (A Forest Moon came from Aussie Hill's Moonstone and Black Peruvian Royal Forest) or after alcoholic beverages (Hot Buttered Rum came from the same farm as Rumm Runner [that's his sire actually - see the connection?] and CCAP's Principio Pale Ale).

So back to the Summer Solstice...and our first cria. Guess what we named her? RDA's Summer Solstice - and we call her Summer for short. So did Missy pick a celestial theme? No. However, Missy picked a theme straight from nature and when our cria was born on a day as significant in the natural cycles of the Earth as the first day of summer, well it was a no brainer. So cria born on the Summer or Winter Solstice and Spring or Autumnal Equinox will be exceptions to the theme.

What theme you say? We've decided to name our cria the names of rare native Ohio plants, taken from the most current list maintained by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This includes threatened, endangered, and extirpated (no longer present in the state) plants that grow naturally in the state of Ohio. Sounds boring, right? No, not at all you say! Exactly!

Missy has always loved nature and went to college to study ecology. Now she's a farmer. Not just a farmer though - she fancies herself an ecologistand a farmer - and a goal of hers is to educate people about the natural world and farming and the relationship between the two as well as our relationship as a species (Homo sapiens that is) to both. So when we name a cria we're going to give it the name of a rare native Ohio plant and introduce both the animal and its namesake to raise awareness of the importance of native plants (and native species in general).

Why care about native plants, rare ones in particular? To paraphrasePaul Ehrlich, author of Native Plants: Relationship of Biodiversity to the Function of the Biosphere, removing native species from an ecosystem is like taking rivets out of an airplane wing; it is impossible to know which one will be the last one that was holding the whole thing together. Biodiversity is the diversity of species in an ecosystem or habitat. Some people can't see the forest for the trees, but what about the lichen and forbs and shrubs and vines and...well, you get it. Forests (and all other ecosystem types) are made up of all sorts of organisms, and all of those organisms interact with one another in a variety of ways - some we can see and others we can't - and that's why biodiversity is important. What happens if a plant disappears? Or an insect? What if a plant depends on an insect for pollination or an insect depends on a plant for nectar? Those relationships are called plant-pollinator mutualisms and there are hundreds of thousands of them!
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So we're proud to introduce our newest cria: RDA's Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata) aka "Pip"!

Pip is a white suri male and was born on August 4th to Soleil - one of our white suri females - and weighed 16.2 pounds.

Pip's namesake, pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata), is a small evergreen plant with small white or pink flowers that bloom mid-summer. Pipsissewa grows in dry, shady woods throughout the U.S. and Canada and spreads out across the forest floor with shallow modified stems called rhizomes from which new plants grow. Pipsissewa is derived from the Native American name pipsiskeweu meaning "it breaks into small pieces”. Other common names include prince’s pine, bitter wintergreen, fragrant wintergreen, groundholly, and king’s cure.

Pipsissewa derives some of its food from fungi in the soil. These are nutrients that the plant can't extract from the soil itself, but the fungi can. This type of interaction between species is called a symbiosis, and in this case it's a parasitic symbiosis because the plant derives nutrients from the soil through the fungi but the fungi receives nothing in return from the plant. This is in contrast to a mycorrhizal relationship which is a more common mutualistic symbiosis - both species benefit - between a fungi and a plant whereby the plant derives nutrients from the fungi that it extracts from the soil and the fungi derives carbohydrates from the plant that it makes during photosynthesis.

Other interesting facts about pipsissewa is that it is used to make root beer flavoring for candy and soft drinks and it has medicinal properties. Among other medicinal uses, pipsissewa has long been used to treat urinary and kidney problems and rheumatism and also has antimicrobial properties.

So I had never seen a 2 horse trailer before, but I had done all sorts of online research on trailer pricing, etc. while I was in Louisiana and this particular 2 horse trailer seemed to be in good condition and a good price. I emailed the seller some questions, she sent me more photos, and the deal was a go. Well, Wes went to get the trailer and then went to get the ultrasound machine and (1) the trailer had no ramps to wheel the 300 pound robot into the trailer and (2) even if it did, the robot wouldn't fit in the trailer anyway due to the center divider. So my wonderful, patient, loving husband rented a U-Haul truck to get my robot. My robot which to this day I have not plugged in and tried out because I can't find a manual for it and I am pretty sure it is missing a cord. But I got it for $56!
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By the way, this 2 horse trailer looked nice and big online but it turns out it has a dressing area taking up about 1/3 of the space. My alpacas aren't really into western wear so they have no need for a dressing area, so I can only fit a few of my animals in it at any given time (and only males or females because there isn't enough space to separate them). So if you're interested in trading a nice 2 horse trailer for a livestock trailer please give me a call!

And more exciting news - the alpacas are suri alpacas! We currently have huacaya alpacas, and we are really excited to add suri alpacas to our herd. Suri alpaca fleece is very different from huacaya alpaca fleece and suri-huacaya blended yarn is really wonderful! You can read a little bit about the difference on our Fiber Products page. The alpacas are all white so I can dye their fleece as well. We are getting two bred females, Shimmer who is bred to a white male and is due in September and Soleil who is bred to a bay black male and is due in July; Shimmer's 2012 female cria, Diamond, who will turn 1 year old in August; and a proven male, Rembrandt, who is 4 years old and who we can breed to any of our new girls and their offspring except for Soleil (they have the same paternal grandfather).

Our new suri alpacas will be here in time for shearing in May, so we'll be debuting the first suri alpaca yarn from the farm with our next batch of yarn later this year. All of our new animals will be here in time for the grand opening of the Farm Market which we anticipate will be sometime in mid-to-late April, so you will be able to see them out in the pasture if you come for that exciting event. And it won't be long before we have babies too! We thought we were going to have wait until our huacaya girls have their babies in Spring 2014, so we are very excited to have cria due this year! Stay tuned for more photos and news as we get closer to moving day for these exciting new additions to our farm.
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Update as of March 29, 2013: I can hardly believe it myself, but we are actually going to get 5 new suri alpacas! We added 1 more alpaca to the deal and her name is Espirit. She's a beige female who is also pregnant and is due on May 20, 2013! That's a week before my birthday - maybe she'll go a little long and surprise me with a birthday cria! Either way, we are even more excited now and can't wait for all of our new arrivals to come to the farm next week! Oh, and she's Soleil's dam too, so we'll have 2 mother-daughter pairs on the farm (for now anyway, until the new babies arrive)!

Chick delivery!  

​What came first - the chicken or the egg? Well, we won't answer that question here, but I can tell you that the chicken came first here at Root Down Acres, LLC! On January 2, 2013 I drove to Meyer Hatchery in Polk, OH and picked up 52 1-day old chicks! I could've had the chicks mailed, but I also needed to pick up organic chick feed and it was cheaper to drive there to pick that up than it was to have it shipped so I just picked everything up at the same time.
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Actually what came first was a lot of research and then building the brooder boxes and buying supplies. I built two brooder boxes, each one 3.5 feet by 6.5 feet, with moveable partitions so I can start using half the box and then expand as the chicks grow and need more space. The brooder boxes are also fully collapsible so I can break them down and store them relatively flat between batches of chicks. I lined the floor of the brooder boxes with linoleum remnants to keep the concrete floor under them dry (that's the "wood" at the bottom), and the linoleum is also easy to clean and removable as well. I wrapped the edges of the linoleum up the sides of the brooder boxes which provided the added benefit of insulation and eliminated drafts under the edges of the boxes. And yes, these brooder boxes are in our basement!

In the photo above I had put out both oyster shell and grit, in addition to food and water, and then it dawned on me that the chicks won't need the oyster shell until they start laying eggs so I took the oyster shell out. The yellow square is the radiant heat brooder that I started out with. The U-shaped brackets on the wall of the brooder box hold the roost once the chicks are ready for it, and I needed to make the roosts removable so I could collapse the brooder boxes between uses.
In the photo below you can see Plan B with the infrared heat lamps. We were still fine tuning the setup at this point. We ended up moving the lamps to the center of the brooder box because I'm too short to reach them at the back of the box and they have to be moved out of the way to open the lids on the boxes.

Today Ohio State plays Michigan and since I'm an Ohio native and Ohio State alumna I root for the Bucks! Well so do the farm animals and today Agnes and Myrtle showed their Ohio State team spirit by annihilating this Michigan pumpkin! It didn't take long for them to realize that this golden gourd was theirs to enjoy: ​

Then they got to work on that ugly block "M" (this version made with blueberry jam): ​

Once all evidence of the team from up north was gone we broke the pumpkin open to reveal some of their favorite treats: apples and flax meal: ​

This is Myrtle, one of our miniature donkeys, and Agnes is the other one in the background. These were our first animals on the farm and they were almost the first animals to leave the farm. I got them to live with the alpacas but this fall when the pasture started to wear down and I started feeding hay I quickly discovered that the alpacas and donkeys didn't speak the same language. The donkeys got a little kick happy and I had to move them out of the alpaca pasture. I decided that even though I love them (and I really do love them - they are so sweet!) I had to be practical and we just didn't have the resources in these early days of farming to house them elsewhere on the farm. I found them a really good home and then... I changed my mind!

If you keep reading this blog you'll discover that I am often very serious, literal, and practical (I am a scientist by training after all!) even though I am really very fun, silly, and a bit of a dreamer (I am human after all!). But this time I decided that I didn't have to be 100% practical all of the time. Everyone needs happiness in their lives and these little donkeys make me very happy.
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This story is pretty typical of my first year farming. I've read all sorts of books, talked to people, scoured the web for information, and planned like crazy, but until you get boots (or hooves) on the ground you just never know how things are going to work out!