On Sharing a Farm....

This blog, as our readers know, is about two families sharing one farm. It isn't such a far-fetched proposition. In the current economic climate, a family might find it difficult to purchase a reasonable chunk of land alone. But, pooling resources with one or more others expands your purchasing power considerably. An added advantage is that improvement costs and labor can be divided up among the families.

The question, then, is could it work for you? Well, that depends - do you have close family or friends that would be willing to embark on a joint venture with you? Would you trust these people with part of your economic future? Because a joint purchase inevitably carries some risk, and you want to make sure that the other half (or two-thirds, or whatever) of your group consists of financially responsible people who aren't going to leave you holding the bag when it comes to the mortgage. It goes without saying that legal advice is probably not a bad idea BEFORE you set up your joint venture - you can't be too careful where your economic future is concerned.

Really, communication is the key to making this work. None of us are perfect, and miscommunications happen. We try to work things through here at Thistledew, and it helps, I think, that we all genuinely care about each other and about making this work. We want the farm to thrive and be successful, so that eventually we can open it to the public. We know that what we have here is special - and we know it isn't worth losing over poor communication.

The biggest advantage from my perspective, though, is having a built in support group and therapist right next door. Melissa and I often share a bottle of wine and hash out our problems while doing minor jobs (like weeding or watering the stock). In fact, right now I am taking a bottle of wine up to the big house where we are staining siding - Melissa will post photos soon!

So, if you're looking for a farm, and having trouble finding something that fits your needs and/or budget, consider joining forces with another family and finding something that fits you both. You'll have a built-in community, and many hands make light work!

Terri