Sandra and Michael thought homeownership was beyond their reach. They never imagined it was not only possible but that they could reduce their housing expenses by buying a home.

They were living in a manufactured house with their three children and their dog. The home was built in the 1970s, before building codes were updated. It was poorly insulated, had a leak in the roof, and dry rot. They knew they needed to move. Sandra and Michael agreed they wanted to buy a house, but they didn’t see how they could afford it.

When Geoff Scott and John Mathia teamed up to open a farm in northwest Oregon, they envisioned producing high-quality meat raised in an environmentally-sustainable manner. Their products were attractive to local customers and sold quickly, enabling them to expand to a 47-acre plot in Hillsboro. However, they struggled to find resources to support their continued growth.

“It’s hard to be a small farmer,” said Geoff. “There’s no help out there for the business side of operations.”