A year in the life of a small family farm in America: Day 36 of life on our little farm

Today seemed to drag a bit, got eggs ready to ship, shipped pendants out. It was bleak and sort of over cast all day, but it did turn around latter, in the afternoon with a trip to West Plains, Mo to Meeks a sort of hardware store. I bought the equivalent of 30 sheets of chipboard for 12.90 cents. They were 12 inches by 48 inches, very cool, all cut very nice. 120 of them to the count. I took the horse trailer, with my husband Michael , Rachael our daughter and Elijah and Elisha are boys with us. It was a nice drive and a whole new world driving a van with a horse trailer in tow, over all I felt I did fairly good with it and seemed to have gone through most of the road things that make me nervous, such as big trucks passing me and of course cones in the road that seem to go on forever. I found out the have a habit for humanity store up in west plains and look forward to spending some money with those nice people.

So here is our cost list of redoing the trailer:

· $575.00 solid pine cabinets, including sink base and bathroom base and counter tops.

· $5.00 white black splash tile, full box.

· $200. Wood burning cook stove.

· $12.90 subfloor

· $2.00 marble pre-station counter, with mini sink hole cut out.

· $75.00 moveable kitchen island with extra storage.

· $15.00 kitchen linen dresser, French providential-being restored in my studio.

· Grand total so far: $884.90

Now about what this would cost new, or un-salvaged:

· $2498 for solid wood cabinets, including both sink bases not counter tops.

· $204.00 before tax 3 -6' Milano Amber Laminate counter tops

· $29.76 before tax for a box of white 4” tile.

· $2950. Wood burning, six burner cook stove

· $335.10 subfloor

· $350.00 moveable kitchen island

· $230.00 marble prep-station with mini sink hole cut out.

· $450.00 French Providential linen dresser.

· Grand total for all this retail or new: $7046.86

The difference or savings is $6161.96, none too shabby and much more earth friendly.

Next I will shop for insulation, drywall, shingles,got the flooring picked out, just need to figure out how to get it a bit cheaper and of course lighting, the sink and perhaps a few other items. I have the paint colors picked out for everything except the stove. So this is where we are at with this.

On the farm front, no new babies today. Still need to get the fences up and such. Did make progress on the hay, and now have five different people we can get it from, we will never be out of hay again. Sunday I will be getting 15 round bales that we need in the worst way, as I have reverted to using square bales to feed everyone. I do not really know which way is cheaper only that it is less labor intensive in the long run for us to buy hay in the round bales and roll them out to each pen only once a week. So I am happy about that. I plan to buy a hay ring in the morning, for the horses, It should make a bale last two weeks instead on one, so we will save the cost of the ring in just one month.

We have a baby goat that thinks it is the reincarnation of Harry Houdini..lol No matter what we do it figures a way out, it can be quite maddening…She is not even a week old and all ready giving me problems. Now I have to decide if I think we can break her of this or if she will have to find a new home. If at three days old she is this smart what will she be like at a month, 6 months, ect. I really dislike even thinking about it, after having such a nice day.

Just to let you know we had a lovely pot roast for dinner and ugly fruit for dessert, I am gonna plant the seeds and grow some trees.

Well that is about all I can say for the moment.

Our blessings upon you all…

Shekhinah, Michael and the kids and critters on Mahanaim Farm