Off-Grid Slice of Heaven
Donation protected
Hi! We are Kelvin and Brittany Eldridge. We are ready to begin our off grid self-sustaining lifestyle. We have the perfect slice of land picked out for our dream, but we need your help!
Our Beginning:
Kelvin and I met in high school and it was definitely love at first sight for me but it took Kelvin a little longer to get use to the idea. While I went to college, Kelvin joined the Marines. But after a tour in Afghanistan Kelvin decided it was time to leave the military. Now he is a disabled veteran with PTSD struggling to integrate into civilization, needless to say it has been a process trying to figure out how we need to live since the end of his military career. We tried the traditional 9-5 but it just did not work for him even with therapy. So, we transitioned into the ranch in hopes that being closer to the great outdoors working with animals will help.
The Ranch:
We bought a 30-acre ranch and pulled out Kelvin’s 401K to start our llama breeding and training business. Two weeks after the sale of the property the well was dry. Fast forward three years later, and 1200 feet of dry well holes totaling $30,000, and countless hours hauling water to support 60+ animals, we had to short sale the property and sell off the business. Losing the property was hard but getting rid of the llamas we had invested so much time into and my childhood horse was devastating. Those years trying to get water to the ranch tested our marriage, strained friendships, and depleted our savings. If I could never talk about or think about those three years again I would, it was such a dark time for us.
The Next Chapter:
Once the property was sold, we emptied the rest of our bank account, grabbed two backpacks, a tent, and left the country. We ended up exploring 11 countries in 8 months. The escape from the real world was much needed even if we did smell horrible and pretty much only ate ramen. Every noodle was worth the incredible experiences we had.
During our travels we experienced the simplicity and happiness African tribes live everyday by being removed from the system. We gained valuable skills helping rural farms in the UK. We learned the importance of taking care of our land in Thailand after seeing the devastation of deforestation. Our trip showed us the kind of life and impact we want to have on the world.
The Call:
Then we got the call that our longtime friend Nick had passed away at only 31 years old. Nick and Kelvin were best friends since high school, and I had met both of them at that same time. Nick dropped everything for us and moved to the ranch to help take care of the animals and haul water during that final year at the ranch while we worked regular jobs trying to keep everything going. It was a harsh slap back into reality. We hate ourselves for not being there for him in his time of need when he was there for us during ours.
These past years have taught us that it is the people you are surrounded by that make all the difference in your life. If we didn’t have the friends and family we did during those rough years, I don’t think we would still be married. I would have lost a whole lot more than a house; I could have lost my best friend. It is because of Nick, our friends, and our family that we returned home.
Our Final Chapter:
Now we are back, with a new insight into how we should be living our lives. So, we started working again to make our goal happen. Our goal is to be debt free living on a small off grid farm, where we can harvest our food and try to live self-sufficient and environmentally responsible. Big goal for us and this is where you come in.
We found our farm, but we cannot qualify for any loans because of the short sale on the ranch. The land cost $97,500 its small 20-acre tract with a live creek running through, mature oaks, fertile ground, a tractor, and a small Amish cabin. We plan to add chickens, meat rabbits, bees, and a large garden. All the while we will be creating much needed wildlife habitat for the deer, turkey, and quail in the area by strategically planting additional vegetation that will provide shelter and food.
We Need Your Help:
But like we said at the beginning of this story we need your help desperately. We need to raise $87,500 for the purchase of the land, we have 10% saved, as soon as possible. All the money raised will be used for the initial purchase of the land. We want to raise the full purchase price but if we can even reach half, we may be able to find a lender willing to help. Heck if you know of lender that has loose underwriting terms pass our story along.
Obviously, we are going to keep working towards this dream on our own (we will lower the goal as we save more) but sometimes you just need to ask for help to make dreams come true. Anything helps, even just sharing our story can make a big difference.
We appreciate you listening to our story, remember any donation or simply sharing our story helps move us closer to our dream.
THANK YOU in advance!
To share, copy the link below.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/Off-grid-slice-of-heaven
Our Beginning:
Kelvin and I met in high school and it was definitely love at first sight for me but it took Kelvin a little longer to get use to the idea. While I went to college, Kelvin joined the Marines. But after a tour in Afghanistan Kelvin decided it was time to leave the military. Now he is a disabled veteran with PTSD struggling to integrate into civilization, needless to say it has been a process trying to figure out how we need to live since the end of his military career. We tried the traditional 9-5 but it just did not work for him even with therapy. So, we transitioned into the ranch in hopes that being closer to the great outdoors working with animals will help.
The Ranch:
We bought a 30-acre ranch and pulled out Kelvin’s 401K to start our llama breeding and training business. Two weeks after the sale of the property the well was dry. Fast forward three years later, and 1200 feet of dry well holes totaling $30,000, and countless hours hauling water to support 60+ animals, we had to short sale the property and sell off the business. Losing the property was hard but getting rid of the llamas we had invested so much time into and my childhood horse was devastating. Those years trying to get water to the ranch tested our marriage, strained friendships, and depleted our savings. If I could never talk about or think about those three years again I would, it was such a dark time for us.
The Next Chapter:
Once the property was sold, we emptied the rest of our bank account, grabbed two backpacks, a tent, and left the country. We ended up exploring 11 countries in 8 months. The escape from the real world was much needed even if we did smell horrible and pretty much only ate ramen. Every noodle was worth the incredible experiences we had.
During our travels we experienced the simplicity and happiness African tribes live everyday by being removed from the system. We gained valuable skills helping rural farms in the UK. We learned the importance of taking care of our land in Thailand after seeing the devastation of deforestation. Our trip showed us the kind of life and impact we want to have on the world.
The Call:
Then we got the call that our longtime friend Nick had passed away at only 31 years old. Nick and Kelvin were best friends since high school, and I had met both of them at that same time. Nick dropped everything for us and moved to the ranch to help take care of the animals and haul water during that final year at the ranch while we worked regular jobs trying to keep everything going. It was a harsh slap back into reality. We hate ourselves for not being there for him in his time of need when he was there for us during ours.
These past years have taught us that it is the people you are surrounded by that make all the difference in your life. If we didn’t have the friends and family we did during those rough years, I don’t think we would still be married. I would have lost a whole lot more than a house; I could have lost my best friend. It is because of Nick, our friends, and our family that we returned home.
Our Final Chapter:
Now we are back, with a new insight into how we should be living our lives. So, we started working again to make our goal happen. Our goal is to be debt free living on a small off grid farm, where we can harvest our food and try to live self-sufficient and environmentally responsible. Big goal for us and this is where you come in.
We found our farm, but we cannot qualify for any loans because of the short sale on the ranch. The land cost $97,500 its small 20-acre tract with a live creek running through, mature oaks, fertile ground, a tractor, and a small Amish cabin. We plan to add chickens, meat rabbits, bees, and a large garden. All the while we will be creating much needed wildlife habitat for the deer, turkey, and quail in the area by strategically planting additional vegetation that will provide shelter and food.
We Need Your Help:
But like we said at the beginning of this story we need your help desperately. We need to raise $87,500 for the purchase of the land, we have 10% saved, as soon as possible. All the money raised will be used for the initial purchase of the land. We want to raise the full purchase price but if we can even reach half, we may be able to find a lender willing to help. Heck if you know of lender that has loose underwriting terms pass our story along.
Obviously, we are going to keep working towards this dream on our own (we will lower the goal as we save more) but sometimes you just need to ask for help to make dreams come true. Anything helps, even just sharing our story can make a big difference.
We appreciate you listening to our story, remember any donation or simply sharing our story helps move us closer to our dream.
THANK YOU in advance!
To share, copy the link below.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/Off-grid-slice-of-heaven
Organizer
Brittany Eldridge
Organizer
Littleton, CO