Are you country enough for ag-personalities.com? Brandy Phelps wants to know

Long story short: Dr. Phelps (above) is an Amelia County, Virginia veterinarian who grew up in rural North Carolina and spent years trying to find a partner with interests similar to hers.

She told reporter Bill Lohmann in a Richmond Times-Dispatch Flair section front page story appearing in yesterday's paper that the goal of her new website, www.ag-personalities.com, is to "bring the good ol' country folks together whether it be for friendship or dating."

Here's the article.

Hunting for love

Veterinarian's matchmaking Web site fosters rural romance

Brandy Phelps grew up in rural North Carolina, a place where dating was complicated because it wasn't easy finding someone with similar interests who was not related to you.

Now an equine veterinarian in Amelia County, Phelps has launched a Web site (www.ag-personalities.com) aimed at helping people in her predicament. Her goal is to "bring the good ol' country folks together whether it be for friendship or dating."

"My sister was kind of my inspiration for this," said Phelps, 27, of her 20-year-old sister, Courtney. "She's had the same frustrations I've had. Gotten hurt. Lied to a lot. She just can't find anybody who likes to do what she does. I'm hoping through this site, a lot of people like us can meet somebody."

Although there are many online dating sites, none "caters to all of those folks with an interest in an agricultural way of life," Phelps said.

"When I say agriculture," she writes on the Web site, "I'm talking about those people who hunt, fish, rodeo, camp, ride horses, raise livestock, farm, ride four-wheelers, watch NASCAR, and love big tires on jacked-up trucks."

In an interview, Phelps said, "I drive a big truck, and I deer hunt. It's hard to find somebody who likes those same things." She's also a fan of deep faith and good manners.

Tana Spruill, 31, lives in eastern North Carolina. She was one of the first two dozen clients to sign up. She heard about the Web site while spending a recent evening with Phelps' family at their farm — "riding four-wheelers with her parents, aunts, uncles and my parents."

"I'm not one to really go looking for love... [but] I truly think this is a wonderful idea as many [people] such as myself with deep-seeded roots in 'country' need it in order to meet men and women who have similar likes, interests and family backgrounds."

No luck yet. "But who knows what tomorrow will bring," she said.

Will Hatcher, 28, a farmer from Cumberland County, is still looking, too.

He's tried numerous dating sites, including an Indiana-based one aimed at farmers (www.farmersonly.com). He's dated a few women he's met online, become pen pals with others. So far, though, he's not found his soul mate through the Internet, and he's become skeptical of such specialized sites.

"If one site tries to set itself apart by focusing on particular groups, then it narrows the pool down too small," said Hatcher, who manages his family's farm, Allendale Hay and Straw. "This would be much better if each and every one of us joined the same site. I want lots of girls to choose from."

However, the underlying issue would remain.

"Rural life takes a toll," said Hatcher, who tries to improve his chances by networking through the Virginia Farm Bureau, the local community college and other organizations and places where he might meet someone who shares his love of farm life.

"I wouldn't trade this job for the world," he said. "My position is, farm life is extremely exciting and can be a very good place to raise a family. It appears, however, that with women taking on working roles more than ever — with fewer of those jobs in the country than people — single women... are staying near the jobs."

Doug Stoughton, director of women's and young farmers' activities with the Virginia Farm Bureau, said a primary function of his program is to help farmers network, professionally and socially.

"I try not to play Dr. Doug," he said with a laugh, "but every now and then, I catch wind of somebody's love life or lack thereof."

Stoughton believes online dating services could help those in rural areas, but some technological problems remain. He knows of one farmer in Southside Virginia who has a dial-up Internet connection and must disconnect the electric fence at his house before logging on because the fence emits a radio frequency that fouls up the computer.

Meantime, Phelps is trying to make her Web site accessible and profitable — after a free 14-day trial period, fees are $13.95 per month or $145 per year — while making sure it maintains a particular tone that will appeal to the sort of people she's hoping to attract.

"I'm managing it and checking everybody's profiles," she said. "Don't want anybody putting any trash on there. That's my nighttime job."

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