Give a DARN started when Rick and I first met in 2012. He was a feed store manager and I had a marketing company in one of the offices in his store. He asked me one day if I would go with him to take some farm animals to his sons (our son now ♥ ) preschool for a Ag Day celebration. Rick is completely country from his tight wranglers, to his cowboy boots, his heart and his accent. As he walks away from you, you can’t help but notice that washed out ring on his left pocket of his jeans. Me, I was a devoted city girl. I love my high heels, business suits, and car. At the same time though, I do love animals and since I was little I had an obsession with cows. So I was like, absolutely! So we loaded up a miniature horse, a young lady brought her show bull, and thanks to a local FFA teacher we had ducks, rabbits and chickens. It was a hit and all the kids loved the animals and leaning about them and the food they provide. The look on the kids faces were priceless. The smiles and the laughter just warmed our hearts. After that, we kept getting phone calls (referrals) asking if we could come to their school or place of business and bring our traveling farm. Yes of course we can! Seeing how my background is in marketing I told Rick, we need a name for our “traveling farm”. Everything needs a name! LOL So we thought about it and I said, “Our initials together is “DARN”. (Dawn Armstrong Richard Neale). We laughed and thought…DARN. Really? Yup… and so that’s what we called it… Give A DARN! With Ricks love of agriculture and my background in marketing and communications and our equal love of kids…it was a no brainer! He continually teaches me about different aspects of agriculture which I have embraced and fallen in love with and I teach him about getting the word out and marketing. I have not given up on my city roots as you will see me getting out of our F350 with my heels on and skirt or you will see me in the city wearing my boots. I get to live the best of both worlds and do not believe people should have to conform to what people consider to be the norm. I was asked once… how can you be so passionate about farming and agriculture when your from Orlando. My response to them was… I never knew what Type 1 juvenile diabetes was either until my daughter was diagnosed over 4 years ago. Should I not care about that either because she didn’t have it her whole life? You are never truly passionate about anything until it has a huge impact on your life. I may not have been born on a farm…but I got here as soon as I could! I never claimed to be an expert…but I do love it and I do understand the importance of it and so should everyone else in the world. Where better to start than with the kids!
Give a •DARN• 