Newsletter #269 2024 Aug 02 Friday

What a week. Finally, George's lumber is dried, delivered, and stacked. Elmer's been walking around the property like he owns the place; found a break in the fencing yesterday.

Aug 02, 2024

Sawmill Services

No milling jobs this week, but finally unloading the kilns and delivering the lumber to George took the better part of two work days.

We had close to a week of sunny, dry weather, and that was enough to get the lumber across the finish line; at between 5 and 6% moisture content, this lumber is indeed dry. The 2” lumber MC is at top, 1” lumber a bit drier at bottom. It took two trips with the trailer.

That is again the 2” lumber stacked first at top, and the following trip was with the 1” lumber, in the foreground at bottom.

George was here to see the lumber in the kilns on Monday, the 2” was delivered on Tuesday, and the 1” on Wednesday.

Visit the Shop!

Homestead Rebel Farm

The Cornish X are doing great. They are really plowing through the food of course, which is what they have be bred to do. A little of 3 weeks until they’re slaughtered and butchered; if I can lay in the necessary equipment, I’m planning to do it myself this year.

The pigs too are doing well.

If it’s wet, the pigs will form a wallow; it’s what pigs do, like rooting. And it has been wet again.

Men’s Retreat

As a reminder, our next Men’s Retreat is on the calendar for 12-15 September. And we have now added 2025 dates; 20-23 Feb, 5-8 Jun, and 4-7 Sep. If you or someone you know might be interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Visit the Shop!

Farmhouse

The Labor Day weekend has been re-booked, and we are booked now through the second week of September. The house needs to produce in fall, and hopefully we will be able to attract people for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I cleaned up another watercraft and paddled it over to the Farmhouse dock this week. It actually moves along nicely, especially with two people aboard, and can be used for a simple tour of the lake, or as a fishing platform.

As I was giving the guests a farm tour, we were about to the pigs, when one of the kids says, “is that a cow?” I look towards the Farmhouse, and there is Elmer, pretty as you please, mowing the front yard! You can’t make this stuff up. A ton of lawn mower, standing there like it’s just another day. Elmer is the bad boy; Boris never leaves the pasture, even if there’s a break in the fence. Elmer on the other hand, is probably the guy breaking the fence. I’ve noticed though, neither will wander into the woods, which surround the property. That’s a good thing; no oxen showing up at the neighbors like the pigs did a couple of years ago.

Book My Farm Stay Now!

News

What can be said about the theater that now passes for politics in the U.S. Honestly, I’m trying not to let it get to me, and having some success.

I put up a post this morning, couldn’t sleep. Decided to get up at 0330 and write about “Food Safety,” which is what was keeping me awake anyway. Like pretty much everything else, the food safety bureaucracy is not so “good” as it might appear. My opinions, backed up with charts and graphs as usual. Plot spoiler; the real safety issue is not pathogens. And, we don’t want to admit the problem, much less solve the problem; entire industries are dependent on the problem persisting.