It may take some years, but here are our plans, most of which we’ve already input into our own and other rural properties’ activities in past decades.
We will be living as self-sustainably as possible, both because it’s eco-friendly AND eco-nomical. This will include milking our dairy goat, collecting chicken eggs, fishing, organic gardening and orcharding. (Not a verb, not even a word – but it SHOULD be!) I am a certified riding instructor and have spent over 2 decades competing at international events and coaching others to do same. http://internationallycertifiedcoach.webs.com/ Richard will be helping me to build a small cross-country course with our natural and salvaged/reclaimed materials, so that I can continue to train anyone who would like to “ship in”. Weekend courses will eventually be offered for this as well, once our bunk-house and/or eco-homes (tree house, log cabin, straw-bale and earth-bag homes) are under way for guests. Eventually we hope to turn these into B&B rentals, and offer horses and pets to come along for the holiday with their ‘people’. Also, guests may like to partake in our informal courses on living “off-grid”, or living “off the land”. Some may like to simply come for some quiet fishing expeditions, as Richard will be becoming an expert on all the best fishing holes! (If he wants to eat meat, anyway!) We plan to offer a fun competition at some point, hopefully annually, called: From Paddle to Saddle. This will incorporate the best of canoeing in our lakes with riding through our fields and forest.
In conjunction with my Rural Revivals and Rustic Revivals businesses, I have already been the successful organizer of the Carlisle Country Craft and Old-fashioned Market Mercantile for 3 years, and ran the Rural Creators’ Collective art shop for 2! (https://www.facebook.com/ruralcreatorscollective/?fref=ts) Richard and my mother Joy are excellent assistants and artisans as well; Richard is a wood craftsman and Joy spins and weaves beautiful wools with natural dyes into rugs and blankets/shawls. Rustic Revivals creates many salvage art and folk-art works, most items being upcycled into useful as well as whimsical objects. We hope to continue a smaller version of this wonderful type of pioneer crafts and organic foods festival annually, right on our farm. Photos from past years can be seen here: https://carlisleshow.wordpress.com/ if you want to start planning ahead! Tour at that site for some idea of what it was all about, or just google the name, starting with “Carlisle Country Craft and…” And as soon as we can fix up the back ‘shed’, it will be a Rustic Revivals shop where you can come browse, purchase, sip hot or iced tea and homemade organic muffins or wood-oven bread before setting off to walk our nature trails through field, forest and brookside! As for Rural Revivals, it covers several historic and country-preserving passions. We’re a country-themed decorating and renovations company which Richard and I have been operating. We are like the Canadian Chip and Joanna Gaines, and Richard’s every bit as comical and clumsy as good ole Chip! With several fixer-uppers under our tool belts in 4 different countries, we’d love to help you make your “small spaces” into “georgic graces”. See our renovation offerings/details at http://rusticrevivals.wix.com/ruralrevivals OR some of our funny but informative television clips at my youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7kbWM8WJU6AXktM9NjPnpw
Rural Revivals also does farm preservation (don’t sell out to developers, we’ll show you how to keep making money without losing your beautiful land!) by consulting with and organizing/planning various money-generating activities on your farm, OR planning and decorating special events such as weddings, reunions, and conferences. See our Facebook page under Photos/Albums/Ideas for… (if this link doesn’t work: https://www.facebook.com/rural.revivals/media_set?set=a.103972229665551.5667.100001583233066&type=3 . There you’ll find many ideas of our experiences in the past, and what could help YOU now!
These are just a few, then, (see photo and funny verses below!) of our plans for the fabulous future at Blue Belldon Farm, Blue Bell Corner, New Brunswick. If you’d like more information on any of the above, simply email me at rusticrevivals@yahoo.ca! Julie
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