Welcome!

As I get settled into my new virtual home, I just wanted to welcome anyone who may have stumbled upon this site.

You can read more about me on the About Me page, but I figured an introduction to my goals for this website would be appropriate.

My name is Shawn and I was born and raised just south of Chicago, IL. I currently live in an East Tennessee suburban city where I dream of moving just an hour away, into a farm of my own.

My fiancee and I want nothing more than to grow and raise our own organic food, creating most of what we eat from our own hands. We want to do this through a combination of new technology and old-world practicality. It's a lofty goal, and already several years in the making, but we feel we're finally ready.

This blog will be a journal of sorts, documenting the trip along the way. Right now, we're at the stage where we'll start looking for our dream farm soon, and we've even been trying to get a headstart by raising meat rabbits in our suburban backyard. I tried raising chickens back there once, but the neighbors didn't enjoy the noise (or the hens curiously exploring their own backyards -- who knew those things could fly over an 8-foot fence!?). If that wasn't enough, the city sent me a nice letter informing me of the "dangers" of raising poultry. Now can you see why we want to get the heck outta here?

So here we are, ready to go in head first. I spend each day reading several magazines, books, blogs, and websites, trying to soak up every drop of knowledge I can about my hopeful future. We're getting married in about three weeks, so right now, that takes priority. But soon afterwards, we'll set out to find that perfect spot of land to call our own. And we'd be happy to have you along for the ride!