great idea to make money on the homestead!

If I bought some land, I wonder how many people I could find to come to a workshop on building a strawbale home?

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I believe in God's willingness to heal.

Cyngbaeld's Keep Heritage Farm, breeding a variety of historical birds and LaMancha goats. (It is pronounced King Bold.)

I think the American Spirit is unbeatable and that is why we are what we are. Kudos to all of you....BUT...(uh oh.here it comes, LOL) every COUNTY in the United States of America does all of this already. Combined with our Universities it is called THE COUNTY CO OPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE and our taxes support it.

It is run by many, many professors, teachers, Master Gardeners, Country Fair Winners, Quilting Teachers, Work Shop experts, Master Mechanics and other knowledgable individuals in each field and I never met one that wasn't as "down home" as you could get.

I think we have so many places to learn stuff that we don't even know they are there! When is the last time you checked out your GRANGE? They all have people(your neighbors) who give "hands on" help with just about anything related to homesteading or just "living".

Check out what's around you, you may be surprised at the opportunities.

LQ

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" Live in the Sunshine,
Swim the Sea,
Drink the Wild Air"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing." D. Duck

I wish our co-op was like your co-op.

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Everything works, if you let it.

Hey, I know someone who did just this with cob building. She charged a fee, you came and helped and learned. She included lunch and a camping space. Seemed to work. She brought in an instructor and got some stuff built over the period of several weekends.

Hi,

When I had to rebuild my barn/house I hired a master mason to teach me how to lay block, mix mortar and run a plumb line and square up corners. Basically he spent a week here at the farm from 8 to 5, getting paid to teach me how to lay block. Best investment I ever made!

Of course when I first talk with a man (yep it's always a guy - not too many women work in those fields here) - the guy always starts off by telling me how much he'll charge TO DO the job and I have to back him up and explain that I'm doing the job, he's getting paid to show me how. You should see the look on their faces...but they get an almost vacation from actually working and by the time the week is through...they're really getting into showing me all the "little things" that make a job go faster. I've even been offered jobs with some of these guys as I'm pretty meticulous when it comes to making sure something is done right the first time around.

I don't like classes - sometimes it wastes my time when one or two people don't get the idea and the instructor has to hold up the whole show to re-explain or maybe I'm the one who doesn't "get it" and then I feel bad about having the rest of the class wait for me.

I learned how to operate a backhoe this past spring and now I have water lines to every horse paddock on the farm. I need to learn how to operate a bulldozer, so will hire someone to teach me that as my cousin said I could use his if I learned how to operate it (he doesn't have time to teach me - he's moving and I plan to buy his bulldozer). Figure that might come in handy for clearing out my future pond site.

There's a lot of different ways to learn, this way just works best for me.

Sidepasser

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Be yourself - no one can tell you that you're doing it wrong!

Right on Sidepasser I never thought about doing that its a good plan.

I am not able to start, run, or maintain simple gas machines such as weed eaters, small tillers, etc. It is very frustrating and embarrassing. If it isn't electric, I can't use it. Would love a cozy instruction session with like-bumblers to learn how to use these things. True, if one goes to a rental shop, the guy talks and shows how to use it. But when I get it home, the machine giggles and refuses to cooperate usually. And you should have seen DH and I, trying to follow the instruction manual to winter ready the snow blower. He is as helpless as I am, but men are supposed to be born with innate knowlege of all things mechanical, so are not allowed to ask. Begged the repair shop guy to hold a class, and he just stared at me

We have a community education program here in one of the towns. I often teach cooking classes or frugality classes.
Maybe others could offer classes like that?

BlessedMom

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Goat Milk Soap, Sweaters and more!

You've never been to our county obviously. I don't know where you live but if your counties offer all of that you need to give them a raise.

Here, they have had to fire/lay off so many Ag ext. agents that they don't have enough to go around. Most of the offices have been closed.

No, our county pretty much has to rely upon other counties in the area for help because we just don't have it.

The closest things you can find here are at the library.

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Only IMMORAL people are against MORALITY.

Hi,

Same thing here, the counties had to combine the extension service offices, as in one office for four counties. Try seeing the ag agent when he has to cover four counties :no: . We still have an "office" but very little help comes out of it, you can pick up some pamphlets and things, but no classes unless you can drive to the next county...

Sidepasser

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Be yourself - no one can tell you that you're doing it wrong!

sidepasser!!! Applause!!!! LOL That is just great!

Ma Kettle, I know just what you are saying! After losing my dh this spring, all at once I was doing(?)all of the "yard" stuff. I always HATED those gas powered weed whackers, mowers etc. I HATE to mow! That is the most boring past time that ever existed! You know what did the trick for me? Getting new models that had good booklets with them. AND before purchase I would insist that the store "fire them up" and let ME start them and run them. We have a little SEARS store here, not very big but always ready to help, and along with our little hardware store, they had no problems with doing what I requested.

Now, "No Worries Mate, All Is Apples! " LOL I have a weed whacker, on wheels that is duck soup(sorry ducks. LOL)for me to start and run... a little chain saw that I can operate and, along with the riding mower(boringggg! LOL) that we've had for awhile I have a self-propelled, "walk behind" mower that I can start all by myself and use.

I am not a fast learner and it took some patience on the part of the sales people but they stuck with it and I am happy with what I have now. I try real hard to read all of the material that comes with the equipment and I file it right where I can put my fingers on it when I need to.For some reason many guys toss the booklets!!!!???????? So, now I have my own to my own stuff.

I am having trouble learning how to "winterize" the equipment, but I have good neighbors who can lead me through the steps. LOL

Hang in there, you can do it!

LQ

__________________
" Live in the Sunshine,
Swim the Sea,
Drink the Wild Air"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing." D. Duck