What would have been Handsome Brook Farms...

I grew up spending many childhood summers in upstate New York. It was an idyllic way to spend my days, riding horses, traversing slippery rocks in the creek, picking wild blackberries, chopping firewood, rope swings. 

Many people will say "I want to give my children the life I never had." However, I've always dreamt of giving my future children and family an opportunity to live a life like I did in those childhood years. 

So for me, my motivation for the future is to actually return to the past... or at least model the future on the experiences of my past. When I started forming my ideas in my head about what I would like my future farmstead to look like, what to name it, I drew from the place where it all started. Upstate New York.

My grandparents lived in Franklin, New York... on East Handsome Brook Road. I thought to myself that the likelihood of me returning to that area to start my future farmstead was slim. But at least I could pay homage to it by naming my farm after it. I thought 'what a perfect name for a farm, Handsome Brook Farms'. I figured the name was unique enough, yet if I was asked about the origins it had enough of a story behind it. So there it was, my future farmstead... until my hopes were dashed with a simple Google search. 

http://handsomebrookfarm.com

Yep, a family not far from where I grew up had a lovely little farm named... Handsome Brook Farms. Not only was it a farm, it was a bed and breakfast offering similar services to what I plan to offer down the road. Sigh. Good on them though. They appear to be running a good show there. If I'm ever in the area I will likely stop by for a visit. But in the meantime, back to the drawing board. :-)