Everlee Acres - The Beginning

Raised bed made from mostly repurposed wood

It is hard to decide where the genesis of this idea began. It seems like a crazy idea but I feel it is something that a lot of people my age have talked about at one time or another. Though it usually just stays as talk. Rarely, if ever, does it become an actual, tangible, thing that people do. Unless you’re crazy like us.

The idea is buying a tract of land and building a community with all your friends. We talked about it as kids. How cool it would be to be able to see everyone you liked all the time. Growing up, that dream faded because the real world is rude and tells you it's not possible, or worse, that it's “not normal.” But we have become determined to see this dream through.

We started a facebook messenger group with interested friends and talked about where this community might be located and what roles each person might take on. Even within this messenger group some friends were more skeptical than others, thinking that it was all talk and would never happen. Overtime, other friends decided this wasn’t for them because of one reason or another. Ultimately, it is currently narrowed down to four of us. Well, four adults anyway. Myself, Christie, Justin, and Caity - as well as Justin and Caity’s two children, our three dogs, four cats, and X number of reptiles. We have one close friend who is a nomadic soul and we expect (and hope) to have her at the farm for a few months at a time here and there. Christie’s parents are also interested in this journey and may be joining us for a time. We are excited to see the dynamics of the farm as they grow and change.

So what else is important to us besides living close to friends and family? Living as sustainably and eco-friendly as possible. Giving back to our communities and focusing our work on equity. Appreciation for the land and the indigenous peoples that it was stolen from, and respecting and honoring their traditions and shared knowledge. Sharing the information that we learn with the community to increase the number of folks who can grow and process their own food. And this is how Everlee Acres was born.