Rock Spring Farm announces "finalists"

Although the contest ended without our awarding the farm to a winner, Randy and I thought it only fitting to let you know which essays we had stacked in the "finalists" pile. We know you spent hours drafting, revising, and editing your writing. We know it was not an easy task! Just because an essay is not listed below does not mean we didn't like it or that the writing wasn't stellar.

Randy and I had many conversations about the merits of each essay. We agreed; we disagreed. Whittling the entries to the numbers listed below was an incredibly difficult task. The task was challenging because you wrote sincerely and from your hearts.The default pile always was the one with the label "finalist." We were a bit overwhelmed with the thought of eliminating any of the essays, and we certainly were glad we were not the ones who would be picking the winner!

The total number of essays listed here is a bit more than we announced. The reason is that several people submitted more than one essay, and several people were fortunate enough to have both or each of their essays counted as finalists!  

A special thank you goes to Dorine Mahan of Farham, VA. She submitted the first essay, which the trustee received April 17. Thank you, Dorine!

The essays in the finalist pile as of November 25 were:

20150617-01, Shannon Keyes, Zurney
20150627-01, Catherine Herbert
20150627-05, Cathleen Vernon
20150627-06, Anna Ahlbin
20150627-07, Lauren McDonald
20150627-09, Cara Donata-Parker
20150629-01, Amie Vollmer
20150701-03, Leslie Marshall
20150701-04, Janet Croon
20150701-05, Tracey and Richard Terwilliger
20150701-08, John Burkholder
20150701-09, Collin Burkott
20150701-13, Morgan Colonna
20150701-14, Nancy Garner
20150703-08, Angela Bassani
20150703-10, Melissa Rishel
20150703-12, Angela Bassani
20150703-17, Brit Carlson
20150703-24, Brittany Lea Neal
20150706-01, Kenneth Carr
20150706-03, Meghan Brown
20150708-02, Kathryn Mark
20150708-03, Kenneth Wagner
20150708-06, Jennifer Mason
20150803-02, Jessica Wilbourne
20150817-02, Shelby Honeycutt
20150821-05, Carol Minter
20150905-01, Marshella Merritt
20150908-05, Priscilla Britton
20150910-05, Margaret Trotman
20150910-08, Catherine Ford
20150916-01, Julie Davidson Shulman
20150916-11, Amity Stoddard
20150919-04, Stuart Jefferson

20150919-07, Stacie Miller

20150919-10, Steven Frye

20150919-20, Aubrey and Loretta DiVincenzo

20150924-01, Marshella Merritt

20150924-14, Nancy Garner

20151001-34, Anna Danielson

20151001-52, Lesa Mitchell

20151002-05, Sarah Liu

20151002-07, Jared Slater
20151002-15, Elora Forgie
20151002-18, Donald Carter
20151002-28, Carolyn Campbell
20151002-32, Keith Horswill
20151002-41, Stephanie Auer
20151002-42, Nancy and John Ness
20151002-83, John "Brock" Freyer
20151002-89, Adrienne St. Cyr
20151002-95, Jennifer Morris
20151002-117, Richard Jackson II
20151003-47, Denise Leerkes
20151003-55, Michael Anderson
20151003-72, Barbara Parsons
20151005-16, Dawn Hicks
20151104-05, Mary Ann Overfelt
20151106-01, Rachel Stanley
20151109-132, Patrick Smith
20151112-03, Katherine Loveland

I know this honor is bittersweet, but thank you for allowing us to peek into your families' lives!

Keep dreaming and planning!

Rock Spring Farm is for sale

Dear Contestants:

One of the benefits of this contest is that we have met you; thank you for being such awesome people. We are honored and humbled when reading your essays. We admire your courage, your brutal honesty about how you arrived where you are today, and your dreams for the farm. Your ideas are creative and range from simply sitting on the porch enjoying the view to helping soldiers heal and raising heirloom vegetables to rescuing horses.

Another benefit of this contest is that Randy has accepted it is time for us to begin our adventure! I am so grateful. Thank you for affirming his creativity and craftsmanship and giving him permission to dream and pass along his beloved Rock Spring Farm.

We are heartbroken that we have to tell you we did not receive enough entries for the judges to select a winning essay. Nothing would have made us happier than to have awarded Rock Spring Farm to one of you! We appreciate the countless hours you spent dreaming, crafting your essays, agonizing over just the right word to convey your thoughts, and, finally, waiting in joyful anticipation. We only can imagine your disappointment.

We cannot begin our adventure until we sell the farm. We are offering you the first opportunity to buy it. The price is $615,000, which is below market value. If you are interested in buying the farm, please send an e-mail to rockspringfarmvirginia@gmail.com, or call Randy at 804-241-5200. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to finance the farm, but we can give you the contact information of the bankers with whom we work. If none of you is interested, we will list the farm with a real estate firm for a much greater asking price.

Keep in mind that the cottage is rented to a retired police officer who recently completed paramedic training. He works for a firm that provides security detail for high-profile clients. He travels extensively and pays his rent on time. He would like to live on the farm for a long, long time.

We sincerely regret we could not complete the contest as we had expected. We hope you continue to dream, work fervently to accomplish you goals, and live the life you envision. Thank you for sharing your hopes and dreams with us!

We will begin refunding entry fees December 1 in the order we received them.

Randy and Carolyn

Antique walking wheel

Until I purchased this spinning wheel five years ago, 

it had been in the same Essex County family since the Civil War. $450

Three rocking horses

This antique doll rocker (#1) measures 27 inches tall  (19 inches to the withers) 

and 37 inches long tip-to-tip on the rockers. Original condition; showing signs 

that children enjoyed this toy! $350

Randy bought this horse (#2) at an antique store knowing that it is NOT an antique. 

He and Margie liked it and wanted to add this horse to their collection. It is 18 inches

 tall (13 inches to withers) and 21 inches long. $100

This toy horse/rocker (#3) on the rocker measures 15 inches to the saddle, 20 inches tall, and 23 inches long. Randy and Margie were told this was an antique and paid a lot of money for it. After they brought it home, they suspected it is not an antique. $150

Antique baby carriage in very good original condition

This antique baby carriage is in very good original condition. Since Margie and I did not have children, she collected dolls. Her favorites lived in the carriage. $425

Too much stuff!

Randy and I collectively have been married almost 70 years! We are like most American couples: we have too much stuff!!! With our impending move, we have to get rid of stuff. The most logical place to sell our stuff is this Web site. Pictures and descriptions of the stuff we will be selling will be interspersed with our posts about the farm and the contest.

George Carlin was a great comedian, although I never appreciated his language. If you can get past the four-letter words, his routine about too much stuff is hilarious. If you cannot get past his language, please skip the video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac



If you want our treasured and beloved stuff, send an email to rockspringfarmvirginia@gmail.com!

We have a ton of stuff to post, so check back often!

What a day!

Today Margie would have been 62. I've heard lots of stories about her, and I knew I had big shoes to fill when I married Randy. Her friends welcomed me after I had been "vetted." They were polite when "getting to know me," but I knew they were making sure Margie would approve!

Many thanks to Collin Burkott for publishing this poem on the RSF Facebook page in Margie's memory: 

Each year I think of you as I shed so many tears.

It feels like just yesterday though it has been many years.

You're in a better place than this world could give.

Have a happy birthday, the memories I will relive."

Author Unknown

I attended two events today. The first was to meet Harry de Leyer, who in the 1950s bought Snowman for $80. Snowman, a former plowhorse, proved to be a great jumper and all around champion; the pair made history. A documentary of the friendship will be released next year. Tomorrow the film will debut at the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville. You can view the trailer here: www.harryandsnowman.com/trailer

I met Mr. de Leyer at Triple L Tack in Fredericksburg. He signed the Breyer company's replica of Snowman, which I bought, and a copy of a book about him, which I had bought a while back.

I left there to attend a Family Fun Day at the King George Recreation Center. I had bought a booth for my school. We played Spin the Wheel and asked lots of trivia questions. Some of the children answered the questions correctly, and some did not. Each received a prize! The children had fun, and the teachers had fun! We talked with lots of parents, and several said they would call me next week to schedule testing and tutoring classes!

Looking at the Rock Spring Farm Essay Contest Facebook tonight page felt strange. Today was the last day to submit an essay. Now the long wait begins.

The big question weighing on everyone's mind is, "How many entries do you have?" The answer is, "We do not know." We will not know for two to three weeks. We hope we reach our goal; if not, we hope we receive enough entries still to award the farm to a winner. The enrolled agent with whom I spoke earlier this week has not received an answer from the IRS about the taxes we will need to pay on the entry fees. That answer may have a huge impact on the outcome of this contest. As difficult as it is to wait, we must wait patiently

PLEASE do not continue to ask if we reached our goal. To me it feels the same as when (many years ago) I was pregnant and people would ask, "Have you had the baby yet?" You get the idea! Randy and I are reading and evaluating the essays as we get them, and WE PROMISE ... as soon as we know how many essays we received, we will let you know! 

As noted, Randy and I will select 25 finalists and pass those essays along to our judges. At that point, Randy will notify the 25 finalists. We will ask those who make the top 25 to keep their identities confidential, and we will invite them to contact us with questions about the property. Once the judges have selected a winner and two runners-up, we will contact the top three and post the 25 names in no particular order.

Here's the timetable:

November 7, Last day to submit essays
November 30, All essays must be received by this date
December 15, We will give 25 essays to the judges and notify the finalists by 9 p.m.
December 16, We will post the 25 entry numbers (not names), in no particular order.
January 1, 2016, We will contact the winner and the first and second runners-up.
TBD, The winner will visit Rock Spring Farm
TBD, After the winner has acknowledged in writing his or her intent to accept the property, we will announce the name of the winner. However, if for any reason the winner decides not to accept the property, we will repeat the process with the first runner-up.

You are free to continue posting on the RSF Facebook page. Please understand that 'Randy and I will be READING essays and not posting on FB on a regular basis.

Thanks for being such a wonderful, supportive, and amazing community!

You are one decision away from a totally different life!

The Rock Spring Farm Essay Contest will end in about 14 hours. What will you do?

If you are interested in owning a 35-acre hobby farm in rural Essex County, VA, you could write a 1,000-word essay describing what you would do with it and why you want to live in the country.

Here's how to turn that dream into a reality!

Step 1. Visit Rock Spring Farm's Google Drive and access the contest documents. There you will find all the rules and information you need to submit your entry.

Step 2. Visit the contest's Facebook page and look at the photos and the posts about the farm.

Step 3. Organize your thought and start writing!

Step 4. Proofread, revise, and edit your essay until it is says what your heart feels.

Step 5. Print your essay and get it in the mail before the post office closes Nov. 7!!!

Good luck to you!

View the new Rock Spring Farm video!

Enter the RSF Essay Contest today! Deadline November 7, 2015.

Financial realities from Rock Spring Farm's perspective

 “‘Tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes”

 Christopher Bullock, The Cobler of Preston (1716)

Although many attribute the quote about death and taxes to Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain, they seem to have plagiarized Mr. Bullock. Regardless of whom initially voiced that observation, the reality is true.

Many of you have asked why we cannot accept 3,000 entries and declare a winner. Here's why: Our accountant has said the sale of the house via the essay contest will not be treated as a traditional real estate transaction where $500,000 in capital gains taxes automatically are deducted because of our age, length of ownership, etc. Instead, the entry fees will be counted as personal income on which we will be taxed at approximately 40 percent when you combine the taxes we will owe to the IRS and the commonwealth of Virginia.

Let's do the math in light of state and federal income taxes, if we stop at 3,000 entries:

$600,000    amount generated from 3,000 entries at $200 each

-240,000    40% taxes

$360,000    amount left after taxes

By the time we pay the taxes and the expenses associated with the contest, we will have enough money to pay the mortgage with not a lot left over to buy a retirement house.


Let's look at the math, if we receive 5,000 entries:

$1,000,000   amount generated from 5,000 entries at $200 each
-   400,000   40% taxes
$  600,000   amount left after taxes

We then will have enough money to pay the mortgage the bank holds on Rock Spring Farm, buy a retirement home, and contribute some money to each of our four grandsons' college funds.


We are plain folk with a mortgage and bills associated with living -- insurance, phone, electricity, transportation, food, medical, etc. We do not lead an extravagant life. As much as we would like to submit 25 essays to the judges today, doing so is not financially feasible.

We have been steadfast in our proclamation that this contest never has been about money. It truly is about passing along a legacy.

As soon as we began reading the essays, we realized that our essay contest was much more than a little essay contest. It began to take on a spiritual quality and quickly grew to something much greater. We realized that God was using Rock Spring Farm to answer someone's dream. We feel so blessed and so honored.

I have done everything humanly possible within my means to make this contest successful. In many ways, it is a success. Randy has accepted that the dream he and Margie had is coming to a conclusion, and it is time for our dream to take flight. That is a HUGE blessing!!! Many of you have written how the contest has changed your lives in positive ways. You cannot imagine how awesome that makes us feel; we are so happy for you!

However, we also know that God's time and our time are measured much differently, and God's plans and our plans don't always mesh precisely. This contest is in God's hands. If the course of this contest coincides with the hopes and dreams of this community, there will be great cheer and joyful noise. On the flip side, I hope that if the contest does not coincide with our hopes and dreams that we are strong enough and faithful enough to accept that God has bigger a plan for each of us!

Thank you for your prayers and your support!

Cottage generates rental income

When considering if entering the Rock Spring Farm Essay Contest, keep in mind that the cottage is rented. The annual income is more than enough to pay the annual property taxes and liability insurance premiums.

The two bedroom, one bath cottage is 950 square feet of upscale living with little to no exterior maintenance. Amenities include Hardiplank siding, composite decking, vinyl trim, solid hickory wood flooring throughout the house except tile in kitchen and bath, hickory cabinets, crown moulding, wainscotting, and front and rear porches. The attiic is large enough to be finished and converted into another room. Artesian well.

This is the view from the master bedroom.

This view is standing at the front door looking in. Randy's trademark is unique patterns in hardwood floors. Ignore the messy kitchen; we snapped the pictures when we were painting!

The view from the front porch.

For more pictures, visit facebook.com/virginiahorsefarm. Look in the photo albums!

Contest deadline extends to November 7, 2015

Due to the recent publicity, several people new to the contest have asked that we extend the contest for at least at week. Randy and I have decided to honor those requests and extend the deadline until November 7. This is a fitting date because it would have been Margie's birthday! Margie is Randy's late wife. We WILL NOT extend the contest past November 7.

Hamptonroads.com publishes a story about RockSpring Farm!

For those of you new to the Rock Spring Farm Essay Contest, welcome!

Scroll through the posts to learn about the contest and read the news accounts of our lives and our farm. The newest story is by Philip Walzer at the Virginian-Pilot. Read it here:

hamptonroads.com/2015/10/write-essay-and-you-might-win-farm-near-tappahannock

Phil is writing a longer story that will be printed in the October 28 edition of The Virginian-Pilot.


There is more information at Facebook.com/virginiahorsefarm



This has been an exciting time for Randy and me. We truly love living at the farm, but it is time to for us to launch a new dream.

News Releases and Contest Documents

News Releases

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B0_K7V1Mb8VXdndnREtBSjRnTXM&usp=sharing


1. One lucky essayist will win a 35-acre Virginia hobby farm


2. Win this farm


3. Essay contests sell businesses and private residences (national perspective)


Contest Documents

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0_K7V1Mb8VXfjdNYTk5SUI3YmZLMFBfZENMNHgtdGE1STRHNE4xZ2NPUkx6WmlXd3VLcGc

Facebook

facebook.com/virginiahorsefarm

Free Lance-Star publishes follow-up about the RSF essay contest

http://bit.ly/1iOdEDM


Many thanks to Cathy Dyson, a reporter with the Free Lance-Star, for writing a follow-up article about the Rock Spring Farm essay contest!

The RSF Essay Contest deadline has been extended to October 31, 2015.

Essay Contest Update:

-- Entries must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2015
-- Entries must be received no later than November 14, 2015

-- The winner will be announced New Year's Day 2016 (subject to change based on judges' availability.
-- We will contact the 25 finalists the first week of December.

-- It is difficult for Randy and me to know exactly the number of entries we have. The trustee has a full-time job, is training for a marathon, which almost is a full-time job, and is handling the contest's financial affairs, which is time-consuming as lots of entries are coming in. Please be patient. We will announce when we have reached our goal - promise!

-- The animals, except Diesel -- Queen of the Barn, will go with us, so will the workshop tools and carriages.

-- Mail your essays to
Rock Spring Farm Essay Contest
PO Box 9702
Virginia Beach, VA 23450 USA

-- Entry fee: $200 US

-- Word length: 1,000 words maximum

-- Writing Prompt: How will winning the essay contest impact your life? Why do you want to own and live on a farm in rural Essex County, Virginia? What is your vision for the farm? Provide enough details to let us know that you have the physical and financial ability to care for the farm.

For more information, visit facebook.com/virginiahorsefarm AND Google Drive!

Need help writing tight copy?

Follow the suggestions posted in these link!

http://theexpatfreelancer.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/word-count-limit-got-you-down-try-these.html

http://accentuateservices.com/archives/1367

http://writetodone.com/trouble-sticking-to-your-word-count-try-these-editing-tricks/

http://www.writing-world.com/grammar/less.shtml

http://expertedge.aje.com/2013/01/01/editing-tip-of-the-week-reducing-word-counts/

http://www.rachellegardner.com/how-to-cut-thousands-of-words/

Rock Spring Farm: Three hundred years of courage and dreams

William Pilkinton had a dream. He wanted to own a farm in America. He knew all his dreaming and all his yearning would not make his dream real, so he developed a plan. He set sail from London in 1697 as an indentured servant, worked seven years to pay his debt, saved his earnings, and in 1726 began living his dream. For the next 22 years, Pilkinton lived the life of a yeoman farmer on a good-sized farm with no slaves.

A new dream

Rock Spring Farm's current owner, Randy Silvers, 64, fell in love with the property because of a deep ravine. He overlooked the thistle and the briers, the ramshackle two-story farmhouse and the derelict mobile home that sat vacant. This place was the answer to his prayers.

“I saw that gully and knew right away this farm would be our home. I didn’t even need to walk the rest of the land,” he said. 

A spring is at the bottom of that gully – the spring for which the farm is named, the spring from which Pilkinton drew his water, and the spring that feeds the well of the main house. Renewal. Rebirth. Reflection.

Deed in hand, Silvers set out to build his forever home. He pounded fence posts, attached rails, and painstakingly turned the overgrown fields into pasture for his horses. He razed the farmhouse, removed the mobile home, and built a two-story house atop an English basement. He salvaged the wood from the farmhouse to build out the barn and fashion fireplace mantles and decorative beams for his new home.

That was 20 years ago. Aging has a way of adjusting priorities, and living with rheumatoid arthritis can be painful. It makes mending fences, maintaining pastures, and weeding flower beds quite difficult.

“I have watched Randy slow down considerably,” said Carolyn Berry, Silvers’ wife of six years. “The upkeep for this place requires a lot of physical labor, and his health no longer allows him to keep Rock Spring Farm as the showplace it was just a few years ago. I knew we needed to sell the farm, but every time I mentioned it, Randy would tell me sternly he wasn’t going to sell it. He wanted to live here until the day he died.”

Plans change

After reading articles and watching news clips about a bed and breakfast that was being offered for sale through an essay contest, Silvers agreed a similar contest might be a nice way to transfer ownership of his beloved farm. He has no children and Berry’s children are not interested in living a farm life, so the contest made sense. Another plus - unlike listing the farm for sale with a real estate firm, Silvers would have a say in who would be the next owner.

The couple launched their contest about six months ago and began marketing to people interested in owning a hobby farm in rural Essex County. Dreamers started dreaming and essays trickled in.

“The essays are awe-inspiring – beautifully written, so heartfelt and deserving. People have told us the contest has given them permission to dream, to remember how much they loved growing up on farms, and to reflect about what truly is important in their lives. Some have said dreaming about owning the farm has brought them closer to their spouses, and others have said thinking about the contest has helped them realize how happy they are right where they are with what they have now,” Berry said. “Winning the contest will be a life-changing event for someone, but the contest itself is changing people’s lives.”

Dreams change

“When we launched the contest it was just that – an essay contest by which people could buy the opportunity to own the farm for a lot less than its assessed value of $600,000. As we read the essays and replied to posts on Facebook, we began to realize the incredible responsibility we have,” Berry said.

“This contest is more than an essay contest. It is someone's future, and it really no longer is ours. It belongs to the people who are submitting the essays. We realized God is using our farm and this contest to answer the prayers of someone who is dreaming of owning a small farm and needs this land more than we do. Knowing that we have a role in this miracle is extraordinary and provides us with amazing feelings of joy and thanksgiving.” 

The contest and the affirmation of the farm's beauty and the quality of Silvers' craftsmanship have given him permission to dream. 

“I have accepted that it is time to put the dream Margie and I had behind me. We lived our dream, and I am excited about the next chapter of my life,” Silvers said. “It is time for a new dream; it is time for Carolyn and me to live our dream.”

Berry said that was the first objective of the contest. “Randy needed to be at peace with selling the farm and moving,” she said. “The second objective is to deed the farm to someone who loves it as much as we do.”

Berry and Silvers have a passion for horses. The new owners need not. “They might love alpacas, goats, sheep, or donkeys,” Silvers said. “Some folks have written they plan to use the land to raise heirloom flowers and vegetables. Others want a peaceful place to live and entertain family and friends.”

Dreams can come true

October 1, 2015, is the deadline to enter the contest. More than 2,500 hopefuls have written their 1,000-word essays, submitted their $200 entry fees, and are praying they find out Thanksgiving Day they have been chosen as the farm’s new owner.

“Mr. Pilkinton had a big dream and he had the courage to make it come true,” Silvers said. “He molded this land into the Rock Spring Farm of his dreams. Twenty years ago it became my dream and I worked hard to make it just the way I wanted it. Now it's time for the dream to belong to someone else.”

To award the farm Thanksgiving Day, Berry and Silvers need to receive approximately 2,000 more essays. “Walt Disney said, ‘All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them,’” Silvers said. “This farm is a phenomenal opportunity. Its legacy is of dreaming and courage and it’s waiting to take shape for someone who has the passion and courage to enter this contest and pursue living on a hobby farm in rural Essex County."

To read the contest rules and other contest documents, visit <http://bit.ly/1ERoUJj>. To learn more about the contest, visit <rockspringfarm.org> and <facebook.com/virginiahorsefarm>.

Be sure to visit our Facebook page!

facebook.com/virginiahorsefarm

Heather Sullivan and NBC 12 in Richmond, Virginia

NBC 12 in Richmond, Virginia, broadcast a news story about the Rock Spring Farm Essay Contest Wednesday, September 9, during its 5 p.m. newscast.

Thank you, Heather Sullivan!


http://www.nbc12.com/story/29978999/essex-couple-selling-farm-through-contest

Listening to the crickets this gorgeous Saturday evening!

Media Coverage of the Rock Spring Farm Essay Contest

Newspapers

Washington Post - August 2, 2015

This 35-acre Virginia farm could be yours for $200 and a thousand words

http://wapo.st/1ISotRa

Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star - April 8, 2015, April 20, 2015, October 1, 2015

Essex County couple plans to give away horse farm in essay contest

http://bitly.com/1Dk2q14

Dyson: Personal tidbits about people that don't make it into the paper are some of the most memorable

http://bit.ly/1DcyfLN

Deadline extended for essay contest, which has Essex County horse farm as prize

http://bit.ly/1iOdEDM


Television

NBC 12, Richmond, VA - September 9, 2015
Essex couple selling farm through contest

http://www.nbc12.com/story/29978999/essex-couple-selling-farm-through-contest



WJAL TV 7, Washington, D.C. - July 28, 2015

Va. couple gives away 35-acre horse farm in essay contest

http://bit.ly/1STzW2f

Radio

​WAMU 88.5: Metro Connection - July 17, 2015

Couple plans to give away 35-acre Virginia farm through an essay contest

http://bitly.com/1gFxQqH

Internet

Horse Collaborative - August 3, 2015
Yes, There’s an Essay Contest to Win a Historic Virginia Horse Farm for $200

http://bit.ly/1TabIGl



HelloGiggles.com - August 3, 2015

For $200 and an essay, you could own a seriously massive farm

http://hellogiggles.com/essay-farm/



Patch.Com - July 21, 2015

Couple Giving Away 35-Acre Virginia Farm in Essay Contest

http://bit.ly/1IdwPzd

HorseAndMan.Com - July 21, 2015

WRITE AN ESSAY – WIN THIS HORSE FARM!! 

http://bit.ly/1DjLJFA

TheBlaze.Com - July 21, 2015

Virginia Couple Giving Away Their 35-Acre, $600,000 Farm in Essay Contest
http://bit.ly/1JyUe0a

Curbed - July 20, 2015

The Only Asking Price for This Virginia Farm is 1,000 Words

http://bit.ly/1VVr2FE

Time.com - July 20, 2015

You Could Win a 35-Acre Farm Just By Writing an Essay

http://ti.me/1IuYv3X

ThePlaidHorse.Com - April 7, 2015

Win a 35-acre Virginia horse farm by writing an essay

http://bit.ly/1LThE0H

  

Listen to WAMU's Metro Connection

Rebecca Sheir, the award-winning host of WAMU's Metro Connection, interviewed us Sunday, July 12, 2015. She is editing hours of talking with us into a six-minute story about the Rock Spring Farm Essay Contest that will be broadcast Friday at 1 p.m. and again Saturday morning at 7.

If you are unable to listen to the program on your radio, you can listen online and by podcast; follow the link below.

Rebecca reported on a neighboring town, Port Royal, two weeks ago. Click the July 3, 2015, link to learn about the town 10 miles north of Rock Spring Farm: Endangered Port Royal, Virginia, Fights To Keep Itself From History's Dustbin

http://wamu.org/author/rebecca_sheir

Enter to win this 35-acre farm!

It could be yours!

Virginia is for Lovers! So where better to own a hobby farm to raise goats, alpacas, rabbits, sheep, chickens, horses, or more -- especially one you can own for an essay and an entry fee of $200? The 35-acre Rock Spring Farm, located on Virginia's Middle Peninsula in Essex County, will become the property of an essayist who can convince a panel of judges – educators, horse enthusiasts, and hobby farmers – he or she wants to live in rural Essex County. The Rock Spring Farm Essay Contest will end Oct. 31, 2015; all entries must be received by Nov. 17, 2015.  The new owner will be announced on or before Jan. 1, 2016.To learn more, scroll through the articles posted in this blog, or visit the Rock Spring Farm Facebook page:  

https://www.facebook.com/virginiahorsefarm 

To download the entry form, contest rules, and FAQs, visit:  http://bit.ly/1ERoUJj

Are you struggling with writer's block?

Here are a few tips to help you improve your writing!

1. Don't stress.

2. This essay is not an academic paper; there is no research involved, and you do not have to write a traditional five-paragraph essay!

3. Write from your heart. Let us get to know you (anonymously).

4. Grab our attention with your introduction.

5. Tell us stories; how did you get involved with your hobby?

6. Show us your passion for your horses, alpacas, sheep, goats, chickens, or whatever animal has captured your heart by describing how you interact with them.

7. Why do you want to live on a farm in a rural area? How will living here bolster your hobby and improve your life?

8. Spend time organizing your essay. This is the most important step! Taking the time now to organize your writing will save you hours of revising time and spare you hours of anxiety.

9. When you begin writing, think of the computer screen or the blank piece of paper as your best friend. What would you tell your best friend? Write it!

10. Arrange your ideas so your words flow from one sentence to the next. Each sentence should connect and not sound choppy. The ending sentence of one paragraph should flow into and connect with the first sentence of the next paragraph.

11. Print your paper and read your writing out loud! You will be amazed at how hearing your words will improve your writing, especially if you are not reading from the computer screen!

12. Give yourself plenty of time to plan, organize, and write your first draft. Begin now!

13. Improve your writing by allowing your words to settle and your mind to rest. After your break, whether a day, a week, or even one hour, reread your work - out loud - from a hard copy! Does your writing make sense and sound fluid? If yes, begin the editing process. If not, revise your writing until you're satisfied.

14. Edit your paper one step at a time. Is the first letter of each sentence capitalized? (Check the entire paper for just capitalization mistakes.) Are proper nouns capitalized? Does each sentence have the proper punctuation? (Go through again to check for punctuation mistakes.) It might sound tedious, but focusing on one area at a time means you will be less likely to miss a mistake!

15. Have you written complete sentences, not fragments?

16. Check subject-verb agreement (They have, he has, etc.)

17. Did you write "your" when you intended to write "you're" for you are?

18. Are verb tenses correct?

19. Use a dictionary to make sure your words are spelled correctly; use a thesaurus to select the precise word!

20. Submit your paper BEFORE the deadline to ensure we receive it BEFORE the cut-off date!

I hope you have found these suggestions helpful! If you have questions, please post them here for all to see!

Good luck!

Here are a few Internet sites that you might find helpful:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/start-writing-essays/id551643200

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/100-beautiful-and-ugly-words/

http://www.businessinsider.com/words-to-eliminate-from-your-vocabulary-2015-5

http://bit.ly/1FVT1JH

http://www.grammarly.com/blog/2014/fix-your-grammar-please/?utm_campaign=Blog_Augment_1&utm_source=Facebook_org&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_post

http://www.grammarly.com/blog/2015/four-indispensable-writing-principles-for-people-with-language-based-learning-disabilities/?source=trending&position=3

http://www.grammarly.com/blog/2015/how-to-use-the-passive-voice-correctly-2/?source=next

http://www.grammarly.com/blog/2014/know-your-latin-i-e-vs-e-g/?source=trending&position=2

http://contests.about.com/…/wi…/tp/howtowinessaycontests.htm

Flocabulary.com and the writing process

I love the Web site flocabulary.com. In fact, I love it so much that I bought a subscription for each of my students! (You can sign up for a trial subscription.) The site teaches via educational hip-hop music and videos. My students love it. I was reviewing the language arts section today with one of my students and clicked on the topic "Writing Process." The site had this to say:

The Writing Process

At this point in time, I would like all of you to get your pens and pencils out, your favorite piece of paper. Because we are about to Plan, Organize, Write, Edit and Revise.

I've been there, procrastinating for days,
Not putting anything on the page.
But if someday you're trying to get paid,
Put a little POWER in your writing game.
It doesn't matter the form or the topic,
Just use POWER like a socket.
P is for Plan, that's step one,
Organize next, in order to get it done.
W is Write, let the words flow,
Then time to Edit if you didn't know.
Last, Revise, make any changes,
A good writer rewrites and rearranges.
Submit your writing to wherever it goes,
Publish, print or email I suppose.
Write smart, keep your readers on their toes,
Here's a spark to make your writing explode.

Yeah, we've got the POWER to write,
Feeling so good, 'cause we powered the night.
First we Plan, son, then Organize,
Then we Write, then we Edit... Oh! Then Revise.

Plan first, decide what you're writing,
What's a good topic that will be exciting?
Who's your audience, who will be the reader?
Are you writing for your peer or a teacher?
Brainstorm ideas and then learn more,
That's research and it's good for sure.
Organize next, pick which facts
You want to lead with, and which to hold back.
Get ideas in order — that's great,
Put your best first and last like a relay race.
Then Write, let it flow right away,
Let your fingers tap dance on the keys, Cab Calloway.
It's a rough draft, it'll have mistakes,
That's OK, just write on the page.
Then Edit — read your writing back,
Is it really, really clear? Is it missing any facts?
Look it over carefully for any mistakes,
Be Sherlock Holmes on a grammatical case.
Get a tutor or a parent, someone you trust,
To put their eyes on it and say what's up.
Then Revise, rework and rewrite,
Put in time to make it come out nice.
Whether it was written by hand or typed,
Your writing game will be colder than ice!

Yeah, we've got the POWER to write,
Feeling so good, 'cause we powered the night.
First we Plan, son, then Organize,
Then we Write, then we Edit... Oh! Then Revise.