The First Post
[Brad] So for all those that don't know the story of Bantry Bay Farm we will start from the beginning which is how we all met. [Luke] I first met Mike when we were about 7 years old in little league baseball. We became good friends many years later at the end of high-school. When I moved to Vancouver in the summer of 2003, Mike decided to move in with me and Lane(friend from high-school). We have lived together in Vancouver ever since then. I met Jason (Brad's Brother) on the SFU football team in 2001. One of the things we first had in common was that we didn't like SFU football, so we both quit that year, but stayed good friends while we lived in residence for the first two years of University. A couple months after Mike moved in with me and Lane, Jason got back from his trip to Australia, and moved in with the three of us. [Brad] I moved down to Vancouver around the fall of 2003 to go to school. I lived with my parents in Surrey and commuted an hour and a half to SFU. When Jason got back, I started to hang out with Jason, Luke, Mike, and Lane. Around November 2004 Lane told us that he would be moving to Guatemala at the start of January to spend time with Sofia (who he was going to propose to that Christmas). So because he was leaving and Luke Mike and Jason wanted to keep rent cheap and knew that I was hating the long commute. They offered to let me move in with them in Coquitlam. So I did just that in December of 2004. [Kath] Hello folks, sit back and let me take you on a little journey. In August of 2004, after graduating from school, I took a little trip out to Vancouver to visit my friend Naomi. The night that I arrived she invited her two friends Jason and Luke out for a night of Flamenco. Well I must have felt a wave in the Matrix because something told me that their arrival was important. A couple of days later we bumped into them on the bus in downtown Vancouver(like that ever happens-another wave in the Matrix). Naomi had to go back to work and I wanted to check out Salt Spring Island so I rang the guys and invited them to come along. Jason kindly declined and after some deliberation Luke accepted. Off we went to the Island having no idea that we were about to fall in love, or for all you disbelievers, we were about to become such fools. I returned to Halifax(where I was living) but soon realized a big change was needed in my life. Luke and I kept in touch and after a couple of months I decided to move out to B.C., a place I had wanted to live for some time. I moved in with him and the rest of the gang in April after Luke's brother Ben got married to Sara. The wedding was in a barn and it was sweet! In May Luke and I took off Wwoofing for the summer and the seeds of farming were planted. We are very thankful to Richard & Diana, Jennifer Abbott, Helen and John, and Ron, Erin, Shanoa and family, all of whom housed and taught us about the world of organics and shaped our future. At last, after we learned about the current state of our world food supply, Luke and I went to visit my sister and brother-in-law(Lori and Tony) and it was then that they jokingly proposed we farm the land on Bantry Bay. Rather quickly the joke became a legitimate idea and then a real plan. Luke went back to Vancouver and asked the guys who eventually made their choices(Brad=Go, Jason=Stay, Mike=Go). I don't think they ever thought we would take them up on the offer but here we go!!! Thanks mi Hermana and Undacuvabratha [Mike] That brings us to tonight. We just ate din din here at the Aune's. Our last supper in BC for a looong time. We also said our goodbye's to Jason, our lone roommate who will remain here in Vancouver. Each of us had a moment alone with Jason to talk with him and say our goodbye's. It was really great, and I think it finally hammered home the idea that we're leaving. Up until that point it has all seemed a little surreal, the idea that we're just picking up and leaving to go start a farm. We've been working and planning and studying for the last 3 months but tonight may be the first time it's really felt like its happening to me and not some other person. It feels like there are so many wonderful things in front of us that I can't even imagine. In about 6 hours we'll be on a flight to somewhere I've never been, to stay with people I've never met. But I can't wait to get there, and I can't wait to meet them. I speak for everyone when I say thank you to every one of you who has given us your support and love over the past few months. [Brad] And so begins Bantry Bay Farm! Soon we will have our website up and running which will have lots of information about us and the farm, and the location of the farm. Pictures will be added shortly after the website is up. Well T-minus 4 hours till take off if the weather coincides :P So Adios, and in case I don't see ya good after-noon, good evening and good night.
posted by Anonymous @ 1/31/2006 05:08:00 p.m.
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