Small Family Farm in Jeopardy

Hello and greetings from the far north of NY. We are a small local farm going through some hard times, watching our home crumbling, and our land taxes mounting, while I, a now disabled woman (had a hemorrhagic stroke so 1/2 of me is there but struggles) tries to keep our farm from being taken away from my son and I. 

So many farms have collapsed, while we tried to have vegetables, fruits, jams, and breads to sell. Covid collapsed everything and we lost our following, our customers at farmers markets and our farm stand, who came from both from across the Canadian border, and from states and other countries, who had visited our beautiful Adirondacks summers.

Our vegetables went to our pigs and chickens, then the pigs found their way to the freezer, and I canned everything I could. 

My partner left for greener pastures, and the dark got darker. 

My son wants to resurrect the farm again, but as a hay farm for all the horse farms around, and keep our farm stand going with vegetables for locals. Sounds reasonable, but the loan I took out to start the farm, and the mortgage weigh heavily on me. 

I have no car, and I wish I could go back to substitute teaching. 

I have a children’s book out, (Tippy’s New Friend), royalties start later this summer, and the second book in the series (Tippy Goes to California) is due out this fall. The future looks a little brighter, but books are a dime a dozen these days as are authors.  

NY State takes your land if the land and school taxes aren’t paid within a year.  Electricity prices are through the roof, and disability only covers my mortgage and bills. 

Plus we have that farm loan…sigh.

I am at my wits end, with siding rotting, the furnace chimney falling in, no hot water, and basement storm windows blown out. I need help. If I weren’t disabled, and Covid hit shortly after, we wouldn’t be in this mess, but the past is the past, and we need to dig in and keep pushing toward the future. If you could find it in your heart to help, it would be so greatly appreciated.