medium-scale sustainable farming economically viable. That includes sending them all the business we can (including our own), working to remove obstacles in the path to their success, and addressing their needs for access to affordable financing.
Kelly and Her Little Chickens
Hi Carol,
My name is Kelly Brott, and I am a student at CCCC [Central Carolina Community College] in the Sustainable Agriculture Program. This past December you were a guest speaker for the marketing class I was enrolled in, being taught by Robin K.
I was wondering if you had some time available to go over some aspects of my business financials and see if my business would be a good prospect to receive a loan through the Slow Money project?
I would greatly appreciate any guidance you could provide me. I hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely,
Kelly A. Brott
Owner, YKnot Farm LLC
I remembered Kelly. She was a soft-spoken woman with an unusual story. She had recently retired from the military and was trying to set up a farm as a second career. She had a llama and a flock of heritage-breed chickens. Her husband was still in the military and had recently been stationed out of state. They had a teenage daughter, Kayla.
We set up a time for a visit, and she told me a bit more about herself.
She and her husband, Tim, had both been in the US Air Force for the past 16 years. They had lived all over the world, but their dream was to eventually settle down somewhere.
When Kelly reached retirement age, they found a 22-acre farm in rural North Carolina that was within a reasonable drive from Fort Bragg, where Tim was stationed. They settled in, moved their daughter yet again, this time into her sophomore year of high school. But this time they made a promise to her. No more moves. No more new schools. This time, they were staying put.
In discussing options for the next step in her life, Kelly asked herself: “Why not turn my love for animals, wide-open spaces, and being my own boss into my next career path?” “Why not!” quickly became her new mantra. “And the name stuck,” she said, “though the spelling changed a bit when we began to design a brand. ‘Why not’ became YKnot Farm.”
So they got busy building the type of farm that would allow them to raise beef cows, broiler chickens, laying hens, ducks, pigs, and goats. They wanted to raise grass- and forage-based livestock as humanely as possible in the most natural environment they could create. They were adamant about recycling everything they possibly could to reduce their carbon footprint. Kelly planned to renew the soil with compost, making good use of the natural fertilizer her animals would be producing.
About then Tim, who was still on active duty, got transferred to Maryland.
This time, Kelly stayed behind. They had a farm — or at least the bare bones of one — and they had made a promise to Kayla that they meant to keep.
Kelly says about her new career:
Now the hard stuff began. I asked myself — how do I make this happen? My prayers were answered the day I found the Sustainable Agriculture Degree Program at Central Carolina Community College! After one semester it became clear that I could make my dream a reality and YKnot Farm, LLC officially opened for business on June 16, 2010.
Kelly already had a BS degree in Management Studies and an AA in Information Technology, but she enrolled in the Sustainable Ag Program to further her knowledge of farming practices. Kelly may be soft-spoken, but she is also brave, determined, and hard working — traits she would need in order to build and manage a farm and raise her daughter mostly on her own.
Luckily, Kelly connected with the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative, about 30 miles south of her, in Southern Pines. They said they would take most everything she could produce. She also set up a booth a few times at the Asheboro Farmers Market, which was 30
Kelly and Her Little Chickens
Hi Carol,
My name is Kelly Brott, and I am a student at CCCC [Central Carolina Community College] in the Sustainable Agriculture Program. This past December you were a guest speaker for the marketing class I was enrolled in, being taught by Robin K.
I was wondering if you had some time available to go over some aspects of my business financials and see if my business would be a good prospect to receive a loan through the Slow Money project?
I would greatly appreciate any guidance you could provide me. I hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely,
Kelly A. Brott
Owner, YKnot Farm LLC
I remembered Kelly. She was a soft-spoken woman with an unusual story. She had recently retired from the military and was trying to set up a farm as a second career. She had a llama and a flock of heritage-breed chickens. Her husband was still in the military and had recently been stationed out of state. They had a teenage daughter, Kayla.
We set up a time for a visit, and she told me a bit more about herself.
She and her husband, Tim, had both been in the US Air Force for the past 16 years. They had lived all over the world, but their dream was to eventually settle down somewhere.
When Kelly reached retirement age, they found a 22-acre farm in rural North Carolina that was within a reasonable drive from Fort Bragg, where Tim was stationed. They settled in, moved their daughter yet again, this time into her sophomore year of high school. But this time they made a promise to her. No more moves. No more new schools. This time, they were staying put.
In discussing options for the next step in her life, Kelly asked herself: “Why not turn my love for animals, wide-open spaces, and being my own boss into my next career path?” “Why not!” quickly became her new mantra. “And the name stuck,” she said, “though the spelling changed a bit when we began to design a brand. ‘Why not’ became YKnot Farm.”
So they got busy building the type of farm that would allow them to raise beef cows, broiler chickens, laying hens, ducks, pigs, and goats. They wanted to raise grass- and forage-based livestock as humanely as possible in the most natural environment they could create. They were adamant about recycling everything they possibly could to reduce their carbon footprint. Kelly planned to renew the soil with compost, making good use of the natural fertilizer her animals would be producing.
About then Tim, who was still on active duty, got transferred to Maryland.
This time, Kelly stayed behind. They had a farm — or at least the bare bones of one — and they had made a promise to Kayla that they meant to keep.
Kelly says about her new career:
Now the hard stuff began. I asked myself — how do I make this happen? My prayers were answered the day I found the Sustainable Agriculture Degree Program at Central Carolina Community College! After one semester it became clear that I could make my dream a reality and YKnot Farm, LLC officially opened for business on June 16, 2010.
Kelly already had a BS degree in Management Studies and an AA in Information Technology, but she enrolled in the Sustainable Ag Program to further her knowledge of farming practices. Kelly may be soft-spoken, but she is also brave, determined, and hard working — traits she would need in order to build and manage a farm and raise her daughter mostly on her own.
Luckily, Kelly connected with the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative, about 30 miles south of her, in Southern Pines. They said they would take most everything she could produce. She also set up a booth a few times at the Asheboro Farmers Market, which was 30
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