As I have mentioned The Pink Squirrel Farmstead BnB is our long-term goal. It seems like just a dream still. I suppose when you know it will be almost 5 years before Chad plans to retire and we get to move to our DREAM FARM it is just surreal. At times it seems there is nothing but speed bumps between our current home to our forever home. It was a challenge to find the perfect property that met the criteria both of us wanted. We liked a bunch of places but none seemed just right or was way too expensive or we got beat out before we had the chance to place an offer. Once we found the Amish Farm, we crossed our fingers and prayed we would have no more problems. Of course, we had more speed bumps…When I put in an offer on the Farm, I actually offered $10 thousand under the asking price with the anticipation the owner would reject it or rebuttal a counter offer. So, if you were not aware when you go to buy property from an Amish person it is not a super speedy process. It’s not like they are riding on their horse and buggy with a cell phone and Bluetooth air buds hahaha. So, as I am sure all of you are aware I am not the most patient person. I hate waiting. So, when Paula called me what seemed like an eternity of days later, I held my breathe until she was “you will not believe it but they have accepted your offer !!!!” I was able to let out a sigh of relief. Although I have never met the Amish owners of the Farm, I was more than 100% confident it was a done deal. Amish still believe in handshake deals and what they say is as solid as the Farmhouse we are buying.
Of course, my mind began racing 100 miles an hour. I was like OMG what do I do 1st. It was very overwhelming. I contacted the water company; The lady was just the biggest sweetheart and chit chatted with me for awhile like we had know each other all our lives. (Which is one of the many reasons I just adore the rural Kentucky area) I think Chad was able to sense the overwhelmed look on my face. So, he bit the bullet and started to try to locate an Electrician. If you know Chad then you know he absolutely despises talking on the phone and dealing with all the business phone calls and leaves them to me to figure out. I have plenty of titles at our house according to him. Wife, Babe, Bride, Chef, Entrepreneur, Accountant, and Secretary among a slew of other titles I won’t elaborate on lol.
Chad literally tried to call over 20 electricians in that area. He finally found one who would answer his phone (well sometimes). The guy explained in Kentucky you have to have a 20-foot power pole professionally installed and inspected by a certified inspector. The guy said he would go out and take a look at the farm when he had time. Several weeks later when Chad talked to the guy again, he informed us of yet another speed bump…. In rural Kentucky, State law states a property has to have a certified inspected septic system prior to getting a power permit. We were WTF does septic have to do with electricity?? Come to find out a lot of people were putting in homes or trailer houses getting only electric put in, and not septic and were dumping raw sewage on the land or draining to a creek. First thought was well that is gross and nasty, my second thought was how do we know if the Farm’s septic is certified. We called Paula and asked if she knew. Of course, she didn’t but said 1st thing in the morning she would make several phone calls and find out. Did I mention Paula is my Hero! So next morning she called and gave a number to the county septic health inspector. Paula contacted the guy and then 3-way called Chad and he stated he was confident it had never had an inspection. Due to it being a newer Amish Farm. Speed bump time again.
Fortunately, the inspector did say knowing the Amish he would be able to issue a certification because he already knows the quality of work they do on their homes, but he said there is a stipulation due to it being Amish and they never have any intention to get electricity put in they install the septic systems different and skip steps. He made an appointment to come out to the Farm when Chad is there so Dad, Chad, and I can all consult with the inspector to figure out if we will have to only upgrade the system, double the system or totally replace it. Geez these speed bumps are just getting bigger. Luckily, we can still have Electric installed and that will give us sometime to upgrade septic or whatever at a later date.
Next step is to figure out what we want versus what we need and where to put it. Good thing when you buy an Amish Farm is it is a clean slate. We will be able to install electricity and put plugs, lights, light switches, toilets, sinks, showers, washer and dryer hook ups, bath tubs, celling fans, and hence the reason my mind is racing a million miles. Another good thing is we will know exactly how new and what type of electricity and plumbing we have. Which is fantastic for our forever Pink Squirrel Farmstead. Agritourism and Farm Tours | Alternative Farming Systems Information Center | NAL | USDA
Chad and I have spent many hours looking on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, tiktok, Lowe’s (which we love because Chad gets a Military Discount) and have watched a lot of HGTV trying to figure out exactly what we want. We have decided the top floor will be designed for guest with three amazing guest suites. An amazing spa quality bathroom. A little sitting area with a library, tv, and games for guest. The Main floor will be my design for the master bed room, bathroom, Kitchen of my dreams (y’all just know how I love to feed people and cook and bake stuff) dining area, and Living room. I am allowing Chad to have free reign of designing the basement into his “man cave” Oh great I think I have opened Pandora’s box on that one.
By the way many people have asked where we came up with the name of our business. Its actually pretty simple. Pink is my favorite color, Squirrels are my favorite animal, and Farmstead is what we plan to have. When Chad, Carla, and I decided to form a LLC business what better items to use in our name. If you have seen our logo Carla actually hand drew it so that just adds to the awesomeness !!
Pink Squirrel Farmstead 