Being Thankful...

On the Farm...

Things have been busy with the new ducklings and chicks.  Mark works everyday to help with emptying the duck "pond" and feeding and watering all the ducklings and chicks.  We have also been practicing gathering eggs, washing eggs, packing eggs, and storing eggs.  See, a week ago Friday, Mark and I went to meet with his Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) counselor.  It seems that they are trying a "new" customized employment program with Mark's business plan.  We are literally charting new territory here with VR funding for individuals with significant disabilities.  I am going to be honest.  I find it frustrating.  I guess I am being selfish.  I don't want to pave any new trails...I just want them to fund Mark's business.  We are now going through a Discovery process to see what Mark can do for his business and, it is my understanding that, it must be determined that Mark can do "a significant amount of meaningful work" for VR to move forward with funding.  

This is the reason we have been practicing gathering, washing, packing and storing eggs.  The VR counselor is coming to our home on Tuesday for Mark's evaluation.  Please, send good vibes and prayers our way on Tuesday.  I will work at being more thankful for this opportunity...

Then, I got this small stone in the mail yesterday from my mother-in-law:

I think this kind of says it all.  

I am thankful that I have the ability to speak up and help Mark.  

I am thankful that we have gotten so much support from our family and friends as we start this journey. 

I am thankful that we have gotten support from the local community (front page newspaper article and grant funding).

I am thankful that we have a barn that we can use to house the poultry since the coops are not built yet.

I am thankful for a supportive husband that lets me do my crazy ideas.

I am thankful for friends that put together garage sale fundraisers and all the people that donated/came by to purchase items at garage sale.

I am thankful that we were able to purchase a home and property that will meet our farm needs.

I am thankful for my truck to help me get stuff done around the farm.

I am thankful for the Medicaid funding that helps to provide for Mark to be a part of his community.

I am thankful for our church family and the support we have gotten from St. Mary's parish.

I am thankful for the schooling Mark received and that they spent time helping Mark to learn tasks that he would need for his business.

I am thankful that we raised over $11,000 and just got another donation yesterday on the GoFundMe!

I am thankful that I can cry tears of joy as I type this because we are so blessed...

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  to everyone that has helped Mark and our family!

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Denise

Newsletter sign up! Ducklings and chicks arrive!

On the Farm

The ducklings and chicks have arrived this past week!

The ducklings arrived at 5:30AM on Wednesday. There were 25 start and we are down to 21. They have really grown a lot over the past couple days and will be ready for their first supervised swim time soon!

On Friday at 3:12AM, we got the call that the chicks were at the post office. I ventured out to bring them home. There were 78 to start and we have 74 as of this morning (Sunday, November 10th).  

To celebrate these new beginnings, we are starting our own newsletter. By signing up for ReMARKable Farms newsletter, you will get all the updates regarding ReMARKable Eggs and when Mark has eggs for sale and other happenings on the farm delivered right to your inbox.

As a Thank You for signing up, you will get our ReMARKable Eggs cookbook filled with a dozen of our favorite recipes and lots of great information about pastured poultry eggs!

To sign up, click REMARKABLE EGGS COOKBOOK.  

MORE good news to share...

Last August, Mark submitted his business plan to Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). We were told that it was one of the best business plans that they ever saw! BUT they could not provide start up funds for his business (this was upsetting...we had been working with a VR Counselor for months and thought we had completed all the required paperwork correctly).

We contacted Client Assistance Program (CAP) and was assigned a non-attorney advocate to help is appeal the VR decision.  We were allowed to re-vamp Mark's business plan and submit again.  Last Wednesday, we found out that the agency was going to make an exception and fund Mark's business plan!  I don't want to get into all the details, and we still have some more work to do on the business plan, but it appears that things are moving in the right direction now!

I am going to keep this short because I typed most of this out on my smartphone while at the vet hospital with Yeti this morning...more info about these happenings on the ReMARKable Farms Facebook page.

~Denise