Here is today's story of our house and farm.
I butchered the pigs in October, and then, all Winter, I worked on the house with very little distraction. In November the house was holes in the floors and walls, siding stacked on the driveway, no running water, one electrical outlet and no heat. Today it is furniture and appliances and quartz countertops and 4 stories of insulated, electrified, plumbed, heated, cooled and (mostly) dry space.
June 2021
Same Spot, March 2022. From studs to 2,200 square feet of decently nice.
So that was cool. I built a hell of a lot of equity (not that I plan to ever sell this house), learned innumerable skills, worked with my Dad. I became a known entity at Home Depot and the fedex man drove ruts into our driveway. “Build the house” was all I did and all I wanted to do.
Now it’s truly Spring/Summer (the last Spring frost was probably a couple nights ago) and it is time to Farm. The house is what it is, for now. I’ll work on it again soon. The Farm is urgent and important. It’s just a few things. Real quick, then we’ll work on finishing the house up, we need to:
- Build the chick brooder
- Build chicken pasture shelters
- Build pig pasture shelters
- Get a pig feeder
- Put up temporary pig fence
- Go get the pigs
- Mow Field 1
- Prepare the garden
- Plant the seedlings
- Direct seed vegetables
- Direct seed flowers
- Burn the burn piles
- Grind a half-dozen stumps
- Improve farm insurance
- Set up the chicken processing equipment
- Set up the chicken processing chill room
- Turn the water back on in the fields and garages
- Seed 18 acres of pasture
- Plant 165 trees
They say Farmers are busy in the Spring. Our Spring list doesn’t seem too bad. 🙃
I’m getting plenty of vitamin d and fresh air. My biceps, core and hands are getting farmer strong. And the singing birds, the budding trees, the blooming flowers - the awakening of the land is a privilege to behold.
Once we get through the Spring Farm Urgent/Important list, Andrea and I have “Priority List 1” through “Priority List 4” for the house. “Priority List 1” includes grading the exterior so that our basement stays dry. “Priority List 4” includes a stove hood, a coffee table and built-in bed side tables. None of the house projects are that urgent. It is not going to drag on for years, but it is not driving yourself sleepless over. The house is cozy and warm, practical and functional and even beautiful.
Farmboss is comfortable and happy.
Farmhand with his pasture seed.
It’s taken me a while to write a blog. I guess that’s a difference between living out of a backpack as a vagabond and having not a single urgent thing to do, in contrast to owning a farm in November with pigs that need to be butchered, irrigation that is going to burst, half the house siding on the driveway and the kitchen window still just a hole in the wall. That was just year 1. Year 1 was great, but I think that in the future things are going to change a bit for the calmer. Things are coming to me / I am taking them on / the farm and house have gotten to a point that hopefully I’ll take time to journal and share more.
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Life is dang good. Andrea and I spend morning and evenings together, she teaches America’s future during the day, and I play with shovels and tractors and chickens.
Please come see us soon. I’m here all the time. Call ahead if you want, or just show up. Surprise visitors are a welcome delight. And, please, go to our website and treat yourself to some of the best food around – it’s Summer, it’s time to grill, it’s taco Tuesday and lunch salads and friendly gatherings – get yourself some Farmcraft Pasture Raised Chicken. Buy yours, tell your friends. First pickup is in 4 weeks.
Fresh, chilled, never frozen truly Pasture Raised Chicken – June 12:
https://farmcraftfarm.com/products/2022-sunshine-pasture-raised-chicken