Gardening / Homesteading

[Jabba The Hutt]

On 8/9/2022 at 6:09 AM, The Guy In Pants said:

 

My wife and I are coming up on 20 years. If I am honest with myself, she has been right more than she has been wrong but I've had my share of victories and I will not sell myself short on those 🤣

 

We looked at the most recent property and not sure what we are going to do. It got a contract with a farmer through mid year next year and the soil is very rocky. To the point of the inability to be graded without rocks the size of small houses being removed in many places. The contract will delay our home building process until about this time next year. there is corn on it now. The price he wants is competitive. But; there is also an old home that will be filled with asbestos and will cost money to be removed. The barn and buildings on there are salvageable in some areas but a couple are being held up by termites holding hands. 

 

On one hand, my wife wants to move away. On the other she grew up here and she doesn't. She says she won't be able to live in her parents house but is not opposed to building here. I am not trying to force her into anything and have her regret it.  We may see about buying up 8 acres behind us which would take us further off the road. We made a list last night of the likes and dislikes about where we are. I can handle the crossdressing uncle walking across the field in a sun dress. I cannot handle the schizophrenic nephew sitting on the porch and singing (Screaming. Its screaming. Off key, high pitched screaming) I despise the traffic. Since they turned the road into 4 lanes its unbearable. I am out walking through the garden at 5:30am on Saturday and some dentist with a mid life crisis Mustang with shit pipes on it decides to hammer down in front of the house. I cant even sit on the porch on Sunday morning as the sun comes up and enjoy my coffee. Tractor trailers hit their jakes just before they get to our house and ride them to the bottom of the hill...day and night. Proximity to all the important places is good and we are near family. Despite their quirkiness, we do care about them all and do a lot to help them as I am the only able bodied male with any sense God gave shoelaces. I can do all I need to do for our homestead if we can get back on those 8 acres. Won't be the scale I wanted to get off the corporate wagon but oh well. Praying about it and just going to let it be. 

 

 

I hear you brother! Just put in an offer back up in NY, 11 acres...tiny, but will keep us busy.

[The Guy In Pants]

2 hours ago, Jabba The Hutt said:

I hear you brother! Just put in an offer back up in NY, 11 acres...tiny, but will keep us busy.

 

Good luck!

[Jabba The Hutt]

On 8/11/2022 at 9:28 AM, The Guy In Pants said:

 

Good luck!

Thanks! Offer was accepted, now gotta make it through inspections and closing!

[The Guy In Pants]

Offer was accepted on the 28 acres 15 minutes from where we are now. Some special circumstances with wait times during due to currently being farmed on most of it. We will need to wait for harvest before perc test etc. I’ll need to walk it and place markers where the large rocks are to avoid them with my tractor. 
 

Won’t lie, huge weight lifted.

 

If we do find something better while we wait; we will just lose our due diligence. No biggie in grand scheme. But, I think it’ll perc.

 

 

[The Guy In Pants]

[Jabba The Hutt]

20 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

Offer was accepted on the 28 acres 15 minutes from where we are now. Some special circumstances with wait times during due to currently being farmed on most of it. We will need to wait for harvest before perc test etc. I’ll need to walk it and place markers where the large rocks are to avoid them with my tractor. 
 

Won’t lie, huge weight lifted.

 

If we do find something better while we wait; we will just lose our due diligence. No biggie in grand scheme. But, I think it’ll perc.

 

 

Congrats! Exciting times

[The Guy In Pants]

2 hours ago, Jabba The Hutt said:

Congrats! Exciting times

 

Thank you! How's your transaction coming?

[Jabba The Hutt]

1 hour ago, The Guy In Pants said:

 

Thank you! How's your transaction coming?

Smooth so far, just need to get ourselves a tenant...

[The Guy In Pants]

1 hour ago, Jabba The Hutt said:

Smooth so far, just need to get ourselves a tenant...

 

Good luck!!

[The Guy In Pants]

I had to cull my boy today. My rooster got sick the other day and we believe it to be coccidia. I am treating the entire flock with corid now.

 

he went downhill fast today. Was mobile this morning. By 4, he was unable to stand and labored breathing and he couldn’t keep his head up. I held him for a bit and then took him to the cone.

 

First time dispatching by hand with a knife. I’m upset with myself because I’m tasked with keeping them well and safe. I failed. Was hard at first but it was the best for him. 

[RochesterRob]

13 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

I had to cull my boy today. My rooster got sick the other day and we believe it to be coccidia. I am treating the entire flock with corid now.

 

he went downhill fast today. Was mobile this morning. By 4, he was unable to stand and labored breathing and he couldn’t keep his head up. I held him for a bit and then took him to the cone.

 

First time dispatching by hand with a knife. I’m upset with myself because I’m tasked with keeping them well and safe. I failed. Was hard at first but it was the best for him. 

  One of the hardest parts of farming.  You hate to see any of them go but they are mortal just as we are.  

[The Guy In Pants]

21 hours ago, RochesterRob said:

  One of the hardest parts of farming.  You hate to see any of them go but they are mortal just as we are.  

 

Indeed they are. I am hoping I can prevent an illness if that is what took him. It's weird to feel this way about animals, let alone chickens I guess. I have more empathy for them than I do people. 

 

Not sure if its a weakness or a curse. It seems my way of thinking and the emotion I have developed could be related to aging? It really feels like a curse lol

Edited August 29, 2022 by The Guy In Pants

[Koko]

6 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

 

Indeed they are. I am hoping I can prevent an illness if that is what took him. It's weird to feel this way about animals, let alone chickens I guess. I have more empathy for them than I do people. 

 

Not sure if its a weakness or a curse. It seems my way of thinking and the emotion I have developed could be related to aging? It really feels like a curse lol

 

Gordon Ramsay had a magazine/cooking show in England called the 'F Word', about 10 or 15 years ago. Each season he would feature animals that he and his kids raised, which would be butchered and ultimately served at his restaurant in the season finale.

 

He explicitly did this to teach his children to respect where food comes from, and to not be wasteful; that plate of whatever was once a living thing. I always thought that it was a good lesson.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Koko

[The Guy In Pants]

On 8/29/2022 at 12:10 PM, Koko said:

 

Gordon Ramsay had a magazine/cooking show in England called the 'F Word', about 10 or 15 years ago. Each season he would feature animals that he and his kids raised, which would be butchered and ultimately served at his restaurant in the season finale.

 

He explicitly did this to teach his children to respect where food comes from, and to not be wasteful; that plate of whatever was once a living thing. I always thought that it was a good lesson.

That’s a good way to teach them. 
 

Its not so much the rooster as it is everything else. I’m in a pretty heavy slump right now. Really trying to dig myself out of it. I don’t even feel like a person. It’s weird. It’ll pass.

[The Guy In Pants]

Scored a great barter this weekend. Had someone interested in some old metal signs from the local area and in turn I received 20 pieces of galvanized construction fence. Each piece is 6’x12’ with 1 3/8 pipe and welded with 2”x4” openings. Takes all chain link hardware and easily put up and taken down. I think will work for any number of things. 
 

Drive out to the property to check the status of the corn. It’s all brown so should be removed shortly. Once it’s off, we have 20 days to get all the ducks in the row and close on it if it’s going to work.

 

Hope y’all had a good weekend and holiday.

[The Guy In Pants]

We received a call from a local farmer who knew someone looking to sell a large parcel of land currently being farmed on Wednesday of last week. I gave the person a call and was able to look at the property Friday night.  A little closer to where we are now. Total of 49 but may not want to sell all of it. He's 72 and doesn't want to leave it to his kids because they'll sell it to a developer. Wants to keep it farming. It's actually quite beautiful and much more level than the one we are under contract on. I told him my wife and I would discuss and let him know on Saturday.

 

He called me Saturday morning and said he got a realtor. &#%$. That means she is going to push him into a massive market listing and we will lose this. We cannot afford what she is going to list it as and a developer will scoop it up quicker than shit. Pissed me off. He said he was speaking with someone who told him private buyers will steal from him and they recommended a "realtor". Sure they did. A friend or someone in their family. I was going to offer this man the same per acre I am currently under contract for down the road with another private seller. I am not a cheat. I am also not going to over pay. 

 

We are still waiting for the corn to be harvested before we can get a perc test and roll with planning, get the builder on site to do an eval etc. We have 20 days from corn harvesting to close to back out if it wont work. 

 

Hope everyone is doing ok. Go Bills

 

 

 

 

[Ann]

2 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

We received a call from a local farmer who knew someone looking to sell a large parcel of land currently being farmed on Wednesday of last week. I gave the person a call and was able to look at the property Friday night.  A little closer to where we are now. Total of 49 but may not want to sell all of it. He's 72 and doesn't want to leave it to his kids because they'll sell it to a developer. Wants to keep it farming. It's actually quite beautiful and much more level than the one we are under contract on. I told him my wife and I would discuss and let him know on Saturday.

 

He called me Saturday morning and said he got a realtor. &#%$. That means she is going to push him into a massive market listing and we will lose this. We cannot afford what she is going to list it as and a developer will scoop it up quicker than shit. Pissed me off. He said he was speaking with someone who told him private buyers will steal from him and they recommended a "realtor". Sure they did. A friend or someone in their family. I was going to offer this man the same per acre I am currently under contract for down the road with another private seller. I am not a cheat. I am also not going to over pay. 

He wants the money more than to keep it farmland. It is happening everywhere.  I think my husband was the last person in this country to call the farmers next door to see if either one of them wanted the land (one guy hopped on it).

 

[RochesterRob]

14 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

We received a call from a local farmer who knew someone looking to sell a large parcel of land currently being farmed on Wednesday of last week. I gave the person a call and was able to look at the property Friday night.  A little closer to where we are now. Total of 49 but may not want to sell all of it. He's 72 and doesn't want to leave it to his kids because they'll sell it to a developer. Wants to keep it farming. It's actually quite beautiful and much more level than the one we are under contract on. I told him my wife and I would discuss and let him know on Saturday.

 

He called me Saturday morning and said he got a realtor. &#%$. That means she is going to push him into a massive market listing and we will lose this. We cannot afford what she is going to list it as and a developer will scoop it up quicker than shit. Pissed me off. He said he was speaking with someone who told him private buyers will steal from him and they recommended a "realtor". Sure they did. A friend or someone in their family. I was going to offer this man the same per acre I am currently under contract for down the road with another private seller. I am not a cheat. I am also not going to over pay. 

 

We are still waiting for the corn to be harvested before we can get a perc test and roll with planning, get the builder on site to do an eval etc. We have 20 days from corn harvesting to close to back out if it wont work. 

 

Hope everyone is doing ok. Go Bills

 

 

 

 

  You don't have to say where this is but even if development was not an option the Mennonites will greatly overpay for marginal agricultural ground.  They have pushed far out of Southern PA in most directions.  If this guy wants to keep it in farmland and the realtor is onboard I bet she is calling key Mennonites in Lancaster County PA or advertising in the local farm paper Lancaster Farming.  

[The Guy In Pants]

21 hours ago, Ann said:

He wants the money more than to keep it farmland. It is happening everywhere.  I think my husband was the last person in this country to call the farmers next door to see if either one of them wanted the land (one guy hopped on it).

 

 

I believe he does. We met him last night. We listened as he told us how the land has been in his family for over a hundred years. He doesn't want it to go and be subdivided. He said tell me what you'd do with the land and make me an offer. Our realtor was there. We asked to walk the property again and he had to leave so we did. My realtor called him when we left and gave him our offer which was right between the highest comp per acre and the lowest comp that had recently sold. He told her he had to think about it. I know what he's doing.  He told us a guy from the city wanted to give him a massive amount of money for 1 acre to build a big home. He's not interested in selling to us "just because we will keep it what it was". 

 

I wish he would just be honest and say yes or no. Stop wasting my time. I've had enough of being outbid and plans fall through over the course of years as we have attempted to make this work. I'm tired. I have put off improvements where we are in anticipation of not being here. I didn't put in a fall garden. 

 

I am unsure as to why the corn has not been harvested on the other property yet. All adjoining fields of other farmers are already done. 

[The Guy In Pants]

9 hours ago, RochesterRob said:

  You don't have to say where this is but even if development was not an option the Mennonites will greatly overpay for marginal agricultural ground.  They have pushed far out of Southern PA in most directions.  If this guy wants to keep it in farmland and the realtor is onboard I bet she is calling key Mennonites in Lancaster County PA or advertising in the local farm paper Lancaster Farming.  

 

It's in the south. Not many of them around here but he is not under contract with that other realtor. Just using her for advice. We gave him an offer last night. He has to "think about it". It was more than generous per acre. She'll tell him to go to market and it'll be subdivided. He'll have his money and the land will be wasted for "growth".

 

 

Where we are now is a very heavy traffic area and its 4 lanes. It went 4 lanes about 10 years ago. 20 years ago it was nothing. It has been my wife's family farm for also over 100 years. In fact; her  family owned most of the county back in the day. So many of them in fact; their last names are spelled differently but still related...weird as hell. None of them want to sell as they are leaving it to their children but many of them live far away. So; they'll just dump it anyway. 

 

To make it even more fun; they just rezoned the land next to us that is for sale to industrial/office. So, that's nice. 

 

Will see how this other land goes. Impatiently waiting.

Edited September 13, 2022 by The Guy In Pants