The YearEnd Recap

I know, it’s not January.  It’s October.

But this marks the end of an important year around here.  One year ago I had to change the name of the blog.  It’s a long, depressing story, so I don’t want to go into it too deep, but I can tell you that before you consider registering a domain name, it is wise to see if someone else has the name copyrighted.  Even if the domain name is available, it doesn’t mean you can have it.

I was happy to concede and change my name, but this meant I was starting over.

I had to start a brand new blog from ground zero.  Starting from zero meant: zero followers, zero rankings on Google and zero advertising/ affiliate programs.

Ugh.

The name change wasn’t just stressful (and time-consuming), it was expensive; AND making money from a blog is much more difficult than people will lead you to believe.

I had to make some really tough decisions throughout the process. One of the decisions we made to offset some of the costs, was to start a “Paid” section of the website for Members only.

It made sense.  I had been trying to figure out a way to provide more in-depth material for a while (eBooks, videos, premium content), and a membership program would allow me to do just that.

Some of the benefits Memberships could provide:

• I wanted to go farther with those who are interested.
• I wanted to teach all the food rebels, who know that bread is not junk food, how to make their own super-healthy, bread.
• I wanted to provide easy, family-friendly recipes & real-food meal plans.
• I wanted to share a more personal look into this crazy, self-sufficient world.
• I wanted to give you instructional videos, farm tours, and homesteading videos.
• I wanted to offer more of everything:  more homesteading, more cooking & more living off the land.

This is why the Memberships were born.

The first thing I’ll say is,

“It’s not for everyone.”

There are plenty of folks sending me hate mail and saying things like, “You expect people to pay you for this?”

Uh, well, definitely not you.  LOL

But its a great fit for others.

If you dig the blog, you’ll probably love the membership.  It’s cheap and you get to feel good about yourself because you are helping feed Trinka (the cow).

I tossed around about 100 ideas before settling on the current program and it is still a work in progress.

I have spent the last year pouring myself into the Members Section of the website.  At this point, there are hundreds of private posts and recipes available exclusively to the Membership Community.  There are videos, eBooks and menu plans.  We have even added access to a second website for Members of Farm Fresh for Life.  It’s called “Just Tell Me What to Cook.”  It is a spiffy site with recipes, menu plans, shopping lists and an inside glimpse into what happens in a homestead kitchen.  Check it out here.

Already a Member?

“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!”

Can I tell you how grateful I am?  I am humbled and blessed to have you here.  You are doing so much.  You’re becoming a homesteading rockstar.  You are giving your family the gift of real-food.   AND you are a part of what we are doing.

Your Membership Counts!

When you join Farm Fresh for Life, it is more than learning to eat real food, I am dedicated to helping you.

Here’s a glimpse at some of the things we do:

• AG-Day.  AG-Day is a local event where elementary children are brought to the county fairgrounds to learn all about Agriculture.  For some of them, it is the only time in their life they will be able to experience farming up close. I take my milk cow every year and teach hundreds of children where milk comes from.
• Farm Tours.  We provide tours of our farm to many groups and clubs throughout the year.  We have hosted, girls clubs, youth groups, church events, and community clubs.
• Wild Flower Hunts.  Just like the name says, a flower identification expert comes to our farm and leads a group around the woods to photograph the native plants.  No picking allowed!
• Free Classes.  We continue to teach classes in the community to help others (at our local Extension Office and Senior Center).  Classes we have provided so far this year:  Cheesemaking, Butter-making, How to Garden like a Master, and Container Gardening.  More classes are scheduled for this fall.
• Outdoor Women at Big Oaks, Kentucky State Fair Commodities Breakfast, Local FFA, and more.  These are just a few of the events we have invested our time and lives into.  We love to give back to our community.  We are always looking for volunteer opportunities and anytime we are asked to participate in events we make it a priority to be there.
• SUPPORT.  When you join you really do get help.  Send me questions.  Send me pictures of your beautiful bread.  Tell me about your new calf!

If you haven’t joined yet, I’d love you to consider being a part of what is happening here.

Members get it all.  Everything today and everything in the future.  As new premium content is delivered you’ll always have access.

And, it’s only $12.99 $10 per month.

I’m having a sale to celebrate the past year.

Joining is only $10 for the next 30 days

• No registration fee.
• No annual fee.
• No commitment.
• Cancel any time.
• It’s only $10 bucks.

There are a bunch of you thinking, “She’s crazy!  There’s no way I’m going to pay for that.”

and that’s OK. I totally understand.

There are others of you saying to yourself, “Wow!  I’ve been wanting this!  I can’t believe it’s only 10 bucks!  ONWARD!”

There are some great membership sites out there.  I have a couple that I follow and I love them.  If you’re new to membership sites, they are fantastic.  They provide additional content, they give personal attention, they provide a community.

Here at FarmFreshForLife, a membership will give you the best of homesteading, more real-food recipes than you can cook, meal plans with shopping lists and instructional videos.

The Premium side is being crammed with new content every week.

If you are considering a membership I want you to know that I love you and your support is appreciated more than you know.  My goal with the Premium Members is to make it the best money you’ve ever spent.  If you’re thinking about it – You rock – I’m so thankful.

If you think I’m nutty for offering a paid membership, that’s OK too.  I am still posting some free content weekly and am so happy to have you here!

The purpose of this blog is to encourage you that you can do this!  I am no one special – just a girl with some land and determination.  If you have a dream to raise your own food – you can do it.  You can eat real food! You can make bread.  You can choose health.

Thanks for your support & being here.  Whether you are a Member or a follower or a first time visitor –  I am so thankful to have you here!

XO,

Candi