I’m a graphic designer by trade and transitioned to web design about four years ago. Early in my graphic design journey, web design always piqued my interest. Finding a reliable web designer felt almost impossible. So, I decided to teach myself web design. I enrolled in several online courses but largely depended on trial and error. Personally, I believe it’s one of the best ways to learn. Mistakes show you what to avoid next time. I’ve been interacting with computers since my screen printing class in high school, back in 1999. Alongside my work, I’ve always been into PC gaming. As I’ve aged, the allure of spending my entire day in front of a computer has dwindled, be it for work or recreation. I aim to make the most of my life, cherishing moments with my family, my wife, and daughter. Connecting with nature seems like the perfect way to do so. I recall an Instagram reel where someone mentioned, “If your sole purpose in running your business is to get rich, you’ll never succeed.” Money is a welcome byproduct of most endeavors, but it’s not my main motivation for farming. It’s my love for nature, the desire for self-reliance, and the satisfaction of creating a tangible product. Some may find it cheesy, but I genuinely don’t care. I pursue my passions, and others’ opinions don’t matter because, at the end of the day, they aren’t living my life.

Switching to business matters: The first step to launching this business is forming an LLC and then registering the DBA under it. You can either handle this yourself or hire a lawyer. We sought anonymity and initially registered our LLC in Wyoming. This presented challenges. Our Wyoming LLC is domestic, but to operate in Montana, we need another LLC there under the Wyoming one as a foreign LLC. With the paperwork complexities, I’m considering establishing a domestic LLC in Montana and dissolving the Wyoming one.

I’m still in the process of finalizing the DBA name, given the multitude of options and none resonating perfectly. The next step will focus on branding and creating a distinct brand identity. Invest in a skilled designer, not just someone from platforms like Fiverr. It’s unproductive, even in naming your business on such platforms, let alone entrusting them with your brand’s identity. As for design inspiration, I’m drawn to the vintage aesthetics of old fruit and vegetable crate labels. In a subsequent post, I’ll delve into my collaboration with the graphic designer I hired to assist me.