Georgetown resident stars on ‘Farmer Wants A Wife’

“I never thought that I would go on a date with a man and four other women. It was different than I was expecting,” said Georgetown resident Erin Sossamon, who was featured as a contestant on the FOX reality show Farmer Wants a Wife earlier this month.

On the show, contestants leave their lives behind for up to six weeks to see if they can make a connection with a bachelor farmer and find love. Instead of going on lavish dates and to exotic locations like many other dating reality shows, contestants live on the farm with their bachelor and complete farming chores and activities, which serve as the series' “dates.”

The second season of the reality TV program debuted February 1, and the season runs through the spring Thursday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX and on Hulu the following day. Ms. Sossamon was featured on the first two episodes of the season.

Although she didn’t find a romantic connection, she said she formed lasting friendships with the other potential wives on the program. When she found out that she was leaving the show, she said it was more difficult to leave the women than it was to leave her farmer suitor, Ty Ferrel.

“Farmer Wants a Wife was really genuine and real,” Ms. Sossamon said. “It’s not like other [dating] reality TV shows where [contestants] are just making out all the time. We were having deep conversations and getting to know each other, which is why I was drawn to it.”

Participating in a reality TV show isn’t something that she ever thought that she would do, however, it seemed that fate had a different idea. Despite only partially filling out a casting survey, she was contacted by a FOX producer who thought that she would be great for the show. Ms. Sossamon was willing to take the opportunity, she said, because she hadn’t been successful using online dating services.

“You don’t know the person,” Ms. Sossamon said, noting that online it’s easy for individuals to hide their intentions. “I’m dating to marry. I’m 31 years old, and I want to be a wife, and I want to be a mom. I want to find my person, and I felt like this show was more genuine than other reality dating shows.”

Ms. Sossamon researched the show and found that it has had 13 seasons in Australia prior to coming to the U.S. The Australian version of the show has had a very high relationship success rate.

In Georgetown, Ms. Sossamon works as a stylist at Coreena’s Bridal, as a pilates instructor at Trucore and also works as an event planner for Bach Babes, a bachelorette party planning company.

“It’s amazing that I get to help women find their dream wedding dress, but at times, it really does get to me,” she said. “I want that. I want to find my person and I want to go wedding dress shopping with my mom. And I want to have a bachelorette party— stuff like that. I know it will happen on God’s time, and not mine.”

The show’s producers told her that she was selected to be on the show only two days before an initial speed dating event in Alabama. Ms. Sossamon didn’t know what was going to happen. She did not know how long she would be gone or where she was going, so she was told to pack enough clothes for a month and to pack for every type of weather.

In Alabama, the farmer bachelor spoke to eight different women and selected five of them to come back with him to his farm. Ms. Sossamon was invited by Mr. Ferrel to his farm in Sexton, Missouri. She said she admired Mr. Ferrel’s hard working nature and his love for his 12-yearold daughter. He works as a team roper and trainer who also enjoys doing photography.

Ms. Sossamon found being on his farm quite peaceful, however, she was only there for a short period of time. She said was shocked to be sent home only four days after she arrived. However, she did feel she and Ty Ferrel got along better as friends.

“I just thought I was going to have more time to build a stronger connection [with Ty],” she said. And on that second episode, I was the only one to be sent home.

“It was really hard leaving the girls. I spent more time with them than I did with Ty. When I was with those women [after I got rejected] they didn’t show all of it, but we were praying together. Most of those women were crying when I was leaving.”

There wasn’t any drama between the potential wives, and Ms. Sossamon believes that this was in part due to the women being a part of the older age group compared to other dating shows.

“We were all very mature,” she said. “We’re here to find love. We’re here to see if this person is our person. At the end of the day, I don’t think that we had any malicious thoughts or ideas about each other.

“It was kind of like we were a little family, but we were all dating the same guy so it was a little weird. We were in bunk beds in a room in his house. At night, we would just hang out and talk.”

Ms. Sossamon laughingly said that it sometimes felt like she was a part of a family of sister wives, “especially in the morning when we’re all cooking breakfast together.”

Once a mandated no-contact period after shooting the show passed, the women quickly contacted each other. “We talk like once a week, we’re all in a group chat,” Ms. Sossamon said.

They all gathered in Los Angeles to watch the first episode, which none of them had seen prior to it being aired. This was nerve racking for Ms. Sossamon.

“You don’t expect the world, or people you know, to watch you be rejected, but at the same time, it’s genuine. Whatever is meant to be will be. I feel like I had a great experience and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to meet those women and build long lasting friendships with them.

“I’m just excited for the future and what God has in store for me.”