Kickstarter

So I once was told, that if you do what you love, the money will come.  I guess I never really thought about this saying until lately but it is true.

Jordan and I first met 3 years ago. We did not live in the same city so our friendship was over the phone the last year.  We were on the phone one day talking about farming and dreaming of owning land (not together) somewhere and having our own individual farms. I originally had told her about Hops and how we should farm Hops for financial reasons. She thought that was a great idea!  So we decided to go into business together and become farmers of hops. We all know Hops grows best in Oregon where I was living in Portland and well Jordan is from Sunny California.  Trying to take the sun away from that girl is like trying to get a goat to move where you want it to.  So well I decided if we were going to own a farm together, well I guess I have to give up ol' sunny Portland and move to California.

We started Stay Hoppy Farms with the intention to do Hops, hence the name. We searched for 5 acres all over sonoma county and we actually had 2 offers to lease land.   Both were not the right fit for us.  We searched high and low but  ended up on the goat farm that Jordan actually lives on, and right there before our eyes, the 1 acre paradise was laying there the whole time.  The only problem is we couldn't see it, maybe because literally we couldn't see it, the weeds were to the SKY!  With hops you need more land than one acre so we decided to do veggies.  We sat down and counted how many brassicas we could grow and how much money we would make.  At selling 600 heads of broccoli at $3 dollars a piece , that would bring in about $1800.00.  If we did that twice a year we would both bring in $1800.00.  If only Farmers were rich instead of good looking'!  

I don't think this registered for either of us, we just kept farming and started the land off to the right foot.  We worked morning to night every single day to get the farm ready to plant. We both took money from each of our savings and bought a greenhouse, 5 shovels, a pitchfork and 12 khaki campbell ducks!  We both worked for a month and half straight without taking a full day off until we had plants, swales, and a farm.  We finally had something that looked like a farm, not a field of grass! During all of this we kept talking about how we would love to help families in need or how sad it is that the statistic for the average age of farmers is 60 years old and how it's a dying career.  We talked about how half the time people don't know where their food comes from or what is put in it and how the kids in the US, one of the wealthiest nations in the world has major health issues and how the rise of cancer has grown by over 300%.  There is a lot to talk about when you are farming and working all day!  

Well it only took two weeks before both of us decided that we are going to acknowledge these issues and make a stand and to make that leap of faith with our veggies.  And here we are...we are a non profit educational farm that is going to be dedicated to help others in need, treat the earth well and respect what has been given to us.  

I am astounded by the amount of people who have faith in us and have backed this project as I am writing this in full gratitude for you and your support.  

WE ARE ALMOST TO OUR GOAL thanks to each and everyone of you!  This was just a dream until March 9, 2012 and because of your support, whether we make our goal financially or not, I know 102 people think we can farm and do this.  102 people are a part of this farm.  102 people feel the same way about education and farming go hand in hand.  102 people are changing this world and making a difference.  

I want you to know with the utmost integrity that we will use the kickstarter money only for farm items.  This is going to make a huge difference in the materials that we need for this farm. 

Thank you 102!  You are amazing... 

We are asking everyone that has donated to go the extra mile and for the next 3 days to post our video on their Facebook as a status update so we can make our goal.  You just click share the video.  If you are not on Facebook, if you could share our video on your email list.  Lets see if we can get a large portion of the United States to see our video.  We are only two young women farmers who just simply had a dream...

Thanks so much, 

Kendra and Jordan

Also if you haven't liked our fb page please do, it's here that you will see updates and photos!

also please visit our website too!

www.stayhoppyfarms.org