This trip had a two-fold purpose. The first was to find a property to be the heart of our permaculture project in Bulgaria. We had narrowed it down to the village of Malak Preslavets, where our Bulgarian-born children lived for nine years before coming home. We set aside almost three weeks to find the right location. We found it in less than three hours.
The purchase process is complicated, requiring us to establish a business in Bulgaria in order to qualify for residency. And we will have just 30 days after the initial deposit is made to complete the purchase with the balance of funds. We need to raise just under $10,000 by Christmas. Any funds surplus to purchase fees will be used to begin making improvements.
Because we will be able to operate a small business, initially making products exclusively for our US farm shop, we will be able to match financial gifts which will be donated for the needs of the children and young people we serve. Like Dorothy Day, we don’t seek tax exempt status, but rather seek to establish a social enterprise that benefits all stakeholders – our employees, volunteers, communities, the young people we serve, the environment, as well as our family.
