Love our Goat Barn

Now that we have a homestead we look at everything close before we call it trash.  When someone states something is junk we want to find another purpose for it.  With winter coming we would be in need of a barn for our goats.  We could not afford a barn made out of wood at this time.  We had to become creative.  When looking on craigslist we noticed people were always selling cheap tag along campers.  It gave us an idea to find someone wanting to give away or sell one cheap.  We started looking and sending offers on campers.  Our goal was to only spend $100.  We didn't care what the inside looked like we were going to gut it.  Finally we found one that the person was willing to sell us for $100.  It was in bad shape.  But we seen potential.
We bought it, brought it home and went to work.

 First we stripped everything out of the inside.  Then primed the outside of it white.

We painted the outside a fun color.  Then added some fun shutters.  We made a couple of stalls inside.  There is a great place in the center for milking.  The best part of making the barn out of a camper is if we ever wanted to change the location of our paddock we can move the barn.  Its on wheels.  We just love it.  The goats just love it also.

Building a smoke house out of recycled materials

On the farm we started raising pigs as soon as we could make a place to keep them.  We have had a lot of fun with them.  They really are easy animals to raise.  We have been raising them for the purpose of feeding our family.  For myself that is not always an easy thing.  I have said in other blogs that I don't eat meat.  I have not eaten meat in over thirteen years.  I don't think I ever intend on eating meat again.  I really don't miss it.  The animals we raise on our farm I spend a lot of time with.  So the thought of seeing them every day  and knowing that they will end up in our freezer gives me mixed feelings.  I have to look at the facts.  I treat them humanly.  Every day of their life I give them the best quality they can have.  I treat them like I think they should be treated.  We make sure they have plenty of food, water, space, shelter and whatever care an animal should need to live a happy life.  It's funny the children don't seem to be bothered by the fact of raising the animals knowing that in the end the animals will be slaughtered and the family will end up eating them.  They have no problem naming them.
We did raise two pigs that we slaughtered over the fall.  With slaughtering pigs there is quite the process to it.  I will have to say most everything we have done to this point on this farm we learned from a book or from and online video.  YouTube has been our best friend.  When it came to learning how to process a pig that was the first place we went.  There are hundreds of how to videos.  We found one we liked and watched it over and over again.  Felt confident we new what we were doing.  When I say we I mean Russell.  Then we did it.  With the first pig it went well.  It took a little time.  But went OK.  We were able to slaughter and process our own pig.  Now with doing this you have to make sure your meat is cured properly.  We brind it for 24 hours and then smoked the parts that needed to be smoked.  We smoked the hams and bacon for 24 hours.  Well it turned out great.  They say they have never tastes pork so wonderful.  Its March now and we are all out of fresh pork but two pigs did last a long time.
We built our smoker from all recycled materials.  Everything we picked up from the local dump.  Basically the frame of it is made out of pallets.  Then the rest is made out of other salvage wood we found at the dump week after week.  Then we picked up an old wood stove from the auction for $25.  But I am sure you could get one from the dump if you kept a good eye out.  The pipes we picked up from a salvage yard for only $5.  So the total cost of our smoker was only $30.

The best smoke house!

Don't leave your day job

Making a farm work and then making the farm work for you takes time.  You will need an income to pay for all the start up cost that come with it.  It is not like you have to put a lot of money out the day you start your farm but each week you must invest time and money.  Other than selling a few eggs and maybe a zucchini or two all the money has been out going and not an incoming status.  So far.

As much as we try to use our resources wisely you still have many weekly expenses.  Repairs is a major one.  With an old farm house always something needs to be replaced or repaired.  Animal feed and supplies you need to get them going can add up fast.  Being self sufficient is a major goal of ours but there are items you just have to buy from the big box stores.  We try to be informed shoppers and make sure we are not paying more than we have to for anything.  We never impulse buy, we always do our research and find the best place to purchase. Try to find out if any discounts are available.  We look around our own home first to see if we might have something that would do whatever job needs to be done.  Then we might go to our local dump and see if they might have it there.  While there we look to see if there is something we might need in the future.  I will write a blog later on how we built a smoker house on just supplies from our local dump.  All the wood was free.  The best place we have discovered is our local auction.  When we first moved here we found they have an auction every week.  Then every few months they have an equipment action.  Well we bought thousands of dollars of farm supplies for pennies on the dollar.  It was a fun day also.  Be careful an auction can become an addiction.  We love going.  I mean what is better than finding recycled items and helping someone make a buck at the same time.  The best part is you are not giving all your earnings to the big box stores and you are keeping it with the little guy, just like you.  

The other recourse's are Internet.  Craigslist, ebay, and other swap and trading sites help you save money.  They can help you make money also.  Look around your house.  I am sure you have items you have not touched for months, even years.  Sell it.  You don't need it.  You could use that money for something else.  Trading is big now.  You can make out better sometimes if you trade items.  You don't have to be a farmer to do this.  It works for everyone.  Clear out the clutter and make some money.  Plus we might be able to use something you have. :)

We are trying to make some money selling the handmade crafts Russell makes with the kids.  This will help with repairs and animal feed/care.  You can check out our farm store often for new items they make.

www.etsy.com/shop/RoundHouseFarm7 follow this link and you will see what we are selling this week.  All the profits will go to our homesteads incurred cost to get it going and thriving as an active farm.  

Russell works hard.  He goes to work as a car sales man at Central Maine Toyota in Waterville, Maine.  He works long days and when his day is done there he comes home and does his farm work.  He works hard on the farm on his days off.  He is always repairing or building something.  He has a list a mile long.  He could be home full-time on the farm and have work to do 12 hours a day.  At this time in our journey he is our major income provider and has to keep his day job.  Selling cars is what Russell has done for years and he is a great guy to buy a car from.  He knows the Toyota brand better than anyone.  Plus he is an honest person and likes to get to know people.  That helps him in the business.  Winter is a slow time of year in the automobile business but he works for a great dealership.  They have great customers and a great following.  So he is doing fair for this time of year.  All we can ask is that our bills are paid and that we can move ahead with our farming way of life.  Him working hard most of his day has made this happen for our family.  

So if anyone needs a Toyota, they sell other vehicles also, please go to Central Maine Toyota in Waterville and please ask for Russell Bradley.  Tell him you read his family blog.  He will love it.  

So I guess in closing my blog today I want people to follow their dreams.  Everything takes time, hard work and energy.  The ending result can be your own piece of mind.  The happiness of you doing what you dreamed of.  Most of all if you don't try you will never know.   Give your dreams a try!