David Bailey, 40, and Dana Tiel were advertising professionals in Los Angeles before deciding to trade city life for a different kind of challenge.
asserted
Bailey → advertise → challenge
Their growing interest in gardening got them thinking about farming.
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them → grow → farming
Before they knew it, they had their eyes set on a 16-acre farm in Mariposa, California, with a four-acre apple orchard and an established hard cider business.
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eyes → know → orchard
They purchased the property for $925,000, despite there being no house on the land.
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They → purchase → land
They spent another $100,000 converting the barn loft into a home.
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They → spend → home
Their curiosity project has now grown into Sierra Cider, a family destination offering cider tastings, a petting zoo, a seasonal pumpkin patch and a pick-your-own apple orchard.
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project → grow → own
Pic credit: Facebook/ sierracider
Where a pastime search ended
Pic credit: Facebook/ sierracider
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ended → end → ?
The couple started looking for properties as a pastime.
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couple → start → pastime
For about three months, they sent each other listings during the workday, ruling out anything above 500 acres.
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they → send → acres
Then, on the drive back from visiting Dana’s mother in Oregon, they passed an orange grove.
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they → visit → grove
‘I think what we want is a citrus grove or apple orchard,’ she told her husband, as reported by Realtor.com.
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she → think → Realtor.com
She changed the search that afternoon and found the Mariposa listing within minutes.
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She → change → minutes
My wife and I had always dreamed of living on a farm someday, so when the pandemic hit and we were cooped up in our house in LA, we decided to make the most insane COVID purchase imaginable.
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we → dream → purchase
When we found this 800-tree farm with a business attached to it, it was the perfect opportunity to not only learn new skills but also use our experience as advertising creatives to build the brand," David told Collabs.io Mag.
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David → find → Mag
The seller was offering a turnkey hard cider business, with the equipment included.
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equipment → offer → business
The couple wondered what the catch was.
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catch → wonder → ?
It turned out to be the lack of a house.
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It → turn → house
The couple felt it was too high for a property with no living space.
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it → feel → space
They made an offer and eventually settled at $925,000.
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They → make → 925,000
They skipped a USDA loan and borrowed from an agricultural lender that specialises in small businesses.
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that → skip → businesses
The loan carries an adjustable interest rate, a detail they accepted with their eyes open.
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they → carry → eyes
Turning a hayloft into a home
Pic credit: Facebook/ sierracider
Buying the property was only the beginning.
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Buying → turn → property
The challenge was about to start.
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challenge → start → ?
The couple, of course, needed a place to live.
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couple → need → place
The barn had a loft that could be converted into a one-bedroom apartment.
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that → have → apartment
The previous owners had always intended the space to become living quarters, so gas and plumbing lines already reached it.
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lines → intend → it
That saved time, but the renovation still took seven months and cost about $100,000.
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renovation → save → 100,000
Pic credit: Facebook/ sierracider
Living on site during the work was harder than they expected, however.
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they → live → work
They stayed in Airbnbs for two months before moving into a camper for another five.
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They → stay → five
All this time, the couple were still working full-time in advertising while learning to run a farm and a small business.
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couple → work → farm
Bailey admitted that they questioned the decision almost every day.
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they → admit → decision
Bailey’s parents strongly opposed the purchase, and his uncle, who also serves as their accountant, did the same.
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who → oppose → same
This only made things worse for them.
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things → make → them
They considered backing out several times but decided they would regret not taking the chance more.
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they → consider → chance
Pic credit: Facebook/ sierracider
Today, the property operates as Sierra Cider.
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property → operate → Cider
The tasting room is open from Friday to Sunday, and the grounds include a petting zoo, a seasonal pumpkin patch and a pick-your-own orchard that runs from August through October.
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that → include → October
People can sit and enjoy their cider while their children play in the fenced compound.
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children → sit → compound
The farm also hosts summer camps for children.
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farm → host → children
The orchard grows many varieties of apples, mostly cider apples.
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orchard → grow → apples
The harvest season starts in July, and Bailey’s favourite part remains the picking itself.
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part → start → July
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
