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EILEEN & JAMES

 

LITTLE SEED FARM

​

New York City to Lebanon, Tennessee

Meandering down country roads, you know you've arrived at Little Seed Farm when you spot a driveway lined with Bradford Pear trees on either side. It is a grand entrance in the springtime with the fragrant pear blossoms in bloom. Life is everywhere; the electric green of new spring grass, flowers bursting from the ground, baby chicks cheeping, dogs barking, and the joyful bleating of new baby goats. James is on his way out to milk the goats, while Eileen and their son George feed the congregating brood of chickens out front. There is much on the agenda today; the daily feeding and milking rounds, soap making, new product development, packaging design and correspondence with vendors. Eileen and James Ray, when they were planning their escape from New York City, never imagined they would build a nationally recognized organic skincare and body products brand, but looking back on their journey they couldn’t be happier with how things have turned out.
 
Eileen and James met in New York City in their early twenties. Eileen worked as a clothing designer at a big fashion house, splitting her time between New York and Milan. James was worked as a financial analyst on Wall Street. James had his country exit strategy in motion from the moment he moved to New York – he would work tirelessly, not complain and save nearly everything he made. He opted to live in a Hell's Kitchen apartment with several roommates and shared his room (and a bed) with a baker friend who had an opposite schedule. The baker would bring James bread in the morning when he would get home from work, just as James would be leaving for a long day at the office. Many of his colleagues would spend their earnings on extravagancies but James socked his salary away so he could eventually make his great escape to the big-wide open to farm and leave the corporate rat race behind.
 
Eileen was on board with James' grand plan for their future and they began researching small communities all over the country. They were looking for farms that would fit within their budget within an 1.5 hour drive of a city, with ample water and few natural disasters. When they stumbled upon a homestead in Lebanon, Tennessee, with 80+ acres of pastures and woodlands, a sturdy barn, and a modest house, they fell in love. The farm had been on the market for several years and although it was priced well over what they could spend, they decided to write a letter to the owner and offer what they could. Amazingly the owner, moved by their letter, accepted their offer. 
 
Not wasting any time, Eileen and James got to work rehabbing the farm and establishing their goat herd. James originally planned to continue working remotely as an analyst until they figured out how to make their farm profitable but, just a few months after they had moved, his company went under and he was out of a job. With start-up expenses piling up and a baby on the way, they were desperate to find a way to earn a living. Eileen had recently developed a goat milk soap that helped calm her grandmother's skin condition and she wondered if that might be their saving grace. They brought their first batch to the farmers market in Nashville and were astounded when it flew off the shelves. Out of necessity and ingenuity, Little Seed Farm small-batch soaps and skincare company was born.
 
Eileen and James quickly ramped up their business to meet their growing demand. Several years in, their soaps and skincare products are sold at stores all over the country and through their online store. They have won numerous awards and have a rapidly growing base of loyal customers. Each morning James, Eileen and George head out to do farm chores. James and a small team of employees make all of their products in small batches, Eileen does all of their packaging design, new product development and marketing. When the farm chores slow in the winter season James focuses on grant writing. Grants have helped them expand their products offerings, hire new employees and make their operation 100% solar-powered. With Eileen's creativity and James' tireless work ethic, they have built a sustainable farm business that will provide for themselves and their family into the future. Although they both admit they work harder now than they did in the city, their work is fulfilling and their quality of life has far exceeded their expectations. (Click here to jump to their interview)
 
www.littleseedfarm.com

Eileen James

What inspired you to move to the country? 

We were disheartened with our industries of work. Fashion and finance. A lack of inspiration was the inspiration, I guess you could say.  

 

 

Initially what was the hardest part about making the move? What challenges came later?

Financial challenges were a big issue at the beginning. James was supposed to work remotely for 3-5 years in his existing role as a financial analyst, but the company he worked for went out of business 6 months after the move.

 

Farming itself is a huge challenge, particularly for two people that literally had no background in farming at all. In addition, our families live in New Mexico and Vermont/Connecticut, so we have no family within 1,000 miles. We do have a few friends, but most of them live in Nashville and have city lives. So we are pretty much on our own here.

 

 

What surprised you most about country living? Did it meet your expectations?

It has exceeded our expectations. We spent a ton of time visiting farms, reading and generally preparing ourselves for the move, so there weren’t any huge surprises. We knew farming would be difficult, but I think it’s much harder than most people imagine. It’s a beautiful and rewarding life, but it’s the hardest work you’ll ever do. 

 

 

What were the hardest things to get used to? What do you miss the most about the city?

Eileen misses being able to go to the neat little shops and local hangouts in Brooklyn/NYC with friends. Not having a nearby creative outlet can be difficult for her at times. James is perfectly content with the change and doesn’t miss much about his previous life.

 

It’s hard to get used to not having good food readily available. We’re way out in the country, so no pizza delivery, no grocery stores within 25 minutes, and the nearest good restaurants are in Nashville, which is about 40 min away. We’ve heard of far more remote circumstances, so I don’t think we have it the worst by any means, but it’s still a change and something we had to adapt to. We cook probably 20 of 21 meals per week, at least.

 

 

Would you ever go back to an urban existence? 

No. 

 

 

What do you appreciate most about life in the country? 

The pace, the friendliness of the people and the peacefulness.  

 

 

What advice would you give to someone thinking of moving out of the city?

Be ready to work twice as hard as you ever worked in the city. If you plan to be a full-time farmer be ready for some serious ups and downs and some major struggles to gain a firm financial footing. Save your money while you can, because starting a farm is expensive!

 

 

When you go back to visit the city, what are the first three things on your to-do list?

Food, drinks...and maybe another drink?

 

 

Where do you draw your inspiration and passion from for your work?

Our surroundings provide the most inspiration and passion. We live and work with each other 24/7. Our farm and our family is our life, so we have to pull from each other, the animals and the ecosystem that makes up our 84-acre-farm. 

 

 

Have you noticed a change in yourself and/or your work since moving away from the city?

We’re both a lot more patient. James in particular. Working with Mother Nature forces you to slow down. If you push nature too hard or too fast she will undoubtedly punish you. We work very hard to adapt our lives around what is best for the animals vs. many farmers that try to do the opposite.

 

 

Walk us through a typical day in your country existence? How does it compare to the day to day in the city?

We run a dairy, so every single morning and evening, 7 days per week, we milk the goats. At least 3-4 days per week James makes soap and Eileen makes skincare products. James’ days can run from 6am until 10pm or later depending on the season. We distribute all of our products, in addition to the manufacturing and packaging, so that takes up a meaningful amount of time. We also manage some meat animals (pigs, cows, chickens, etc.) for personal use, so that takes some time and Spring thru Fall we have a garden.

 

Our days in the city were standard 8-12 hours days in a big skyscraper in NYC. Eileen was a fashion designer and James worked at a small hedge fund doing investment analysis and advice.

 

 

Are there things that you are able to do here that you wouldn’t have dared to try before moving from the city?

Pretty much everything we do! We have ultimate freedom. No neighbors. Eighty four acres of land bordered by state forest. It’s pretty amazing.

 

 

Is there a specific place or space that makes you feel inspired? 

The farm is definitely the first thing that comes to mind. 

 

 

What are some common misperceptions about life in the country? What do you want people to know/understand about life in small communities? 

The people out here are really smart and have a ton of common sense. I think a lot of the stereotypes about rednecks, etc. can be true, but only for a small percentage of the rural population. Most folks are very virtuous and honest, they all work extremely hard, and they have a deep respect for other humans. 

 

 

What are your future plans/goals for the coming year?

We just introduced a liquid soap to partner with our bar soaps. We may pursue a few other skincare products, but our biggest plan is just to try to keep up with demand and keep a good work/life balance. Running a dairy can be very taxing, but this year we’ll be hiring our first employees, so that should take some of the workload off our shoulders.

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We also plan to go 100% solar this Spring!

 

 

 

      PODCAST  

JAMES RAY

Tune into our Urban Exodus Podcast conversation from November of 2020. We speak about building an ethical business, weathering the pandemic, speaking up for what you believe in and so much more!   

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