For our pigs, that is! We have two gilts that need to be bred and we have no boar. Friends of ours, Tiffany and her husband, Nate, had a boar they could spare but needed their three goats bred. So we traded breeding services and we brought all the animals home. Two of their goats are in with our Boer buck, Thor, and the other, which is part Boer, is in with our Nubian/Boer buck. The kids should provide plenty of milk and also extra buck kids (lots of tasty meat). It’s a totally win-win situation, as neither of us will be out any money and we’ll both get our animals bred.
Will’s been working on log siding for our house. Rather than pay $50 or more for a piece of log siding to finish our addition, he’s cutting slabs with our portable Hud-Son bandsaw mill and then using sanding discs on our angle grinder to clean off the pieces after he drawknifes them. So far, he’s got several done and they are looking good! My son, Bill, did this with the interior gable ends of his log home and his turned out great. Better than store-bought siding! Cheaper and better is our motto!
Our winter continues to be GREAT. Today it’s sunny and 42 degrees above zero! This is unheard of here in northern Minnesota in January. The usual temperature is 35 below, so you can see why we’re kind of nuts, here. True, it may not continue, but every mild week is a week closer to spring and a week that it’s NOT cold. — Jackie
MrsKK,
No, I don’t make syrup, as we have no maples, very few birch or other alternative trees large enough, yet. It’s pretty early for sapping, as most areas still have a lot of winter yet, regardless of the mild spells most have been experiencing, so far. I’m still looking for more wintery weather to come before the real run of sap is starting.
Jackie
I just love bartering! We were able to get a year’s worth of hay this fall with no cash outlay, thanks to bartering. We’ve also got nearly two year’s worth of firewood by helping a neighbor clear some cropland. Can’t ask for any better than that.
Winter hit pretty hard this week with freezing rain starting on Tuesday and windchills below zero for the first time this winter. We’ve gotten awfully spoiled, though.
Do you make syrup? My brother said the sap has been running, but he didn’t tap yet because they’d seal over before the true run started. Any thoughts?
Great article, just another good example of how barter can save you money. I usually barter my stuff online on barterquest.com, like this you reach an even bigger community possibly willing to trade with you.
Hey, y’all! How to go about locating “like-minded” people in my community (self-sustaining/sustainability/self-sufficiency/survival strategies without too much advertising? Looking for ideas. Thanks!
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