Hi everyone, Thanks to those who responded to my landscaping question!
I was wondering how many posters have an actual working farm versus a hobby farm versus a country property.
I really respect people who farm for a living. It's hard work! Both my parents were the first generation off the (dairy) farm. One grandad also grew potatoes for the market along with dairy. My sole experience with working farms comes from visits to my maternal grandparents farm which had been in the family since the 1820's. It has since been sold to another farmer. My parents always preferred to live out in the country when possible and they inculcated the love of open space in me.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/farmlife/msg031850417853.html
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Three Elms Farm Life
Three Elms Farm is located in north-central Indiana. We’re on the border of what many local call Michiana. Our hobby farm is 10 acres, six of which we’re allowing to naturalize, and the the rest being the house, lawn, and pasture. We have too much lawn and neither of us like mowing so we’re letting the sheep and goats mow the lawn this summer.
The reason we chose Three Elms Farm as our farm-name is due to the three huge Siberian elm trees in our front yard. The biggest of the three is several yards across. They dwarf our two-story house, standing about 3 times as high. They provide awesome shade in the summer, and we’ll often have hundreds of birds sitting on the branches singing in the morning.
http://geekfarmlife.com
The reason we chose Three Elms Farm as our farm-name is due to the three huge Siberian elm trees in our front yard. The biggest of the three is several yards across. They dwarf our two-story house, standing about 3 times as high. They provide awesome shade in the summer, and we’ll often have hundreds of birds sitting on the branches singing in the morning.
http://geekfarmlife.com
Friday, May 2, 2008
Condons Dairy Farm
Lisa & Robert, Kelly (Age 11), Adam (Age 9), Kimberly (Age 6) Bob & Lisa with their family. Kimberly 1st grade, Kelly 6th grade and Adam 4th grade. Our favorite tree (weeping willow) provides a nice background in our front yard.
We run a total of 471 acres of land and milk 155 Holstein dairy cows three times a day. We also raise peas and sweet corn for Seneca Foods, labeled under Green Giant. We rented Bob's father's farm in 1984 and purchased the cattle and machinery. In 1988, we purchased our present farm in Dodge County, away from the urban sprawl of Milwaukee. More Farm Life of The Condon Family
We run a total of 471 acres of land and milk 155 Holstein dairy cows three times a day. We also raise peas and sweet corn for Seneca Foods, labeled under Green Giant. We rented Bob's father's farm in 1984 and purchased the cattle and machinery. In 1988, we purchased our present farm in Dodge County, away from the urban sprawl of Milwaukee. More Farm Life of The Condon Family
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Farmlife Teri Conroy
Farmland or Sprawlmart?
April 29, 2008 at 2:21 am by Teri
Tough question, I know. I’m having such an awful time deciding which I’d prefer.
Picture the enchantment of an expanse of farmland…maybe you’ve driven by it a thousand times and take its innocence and beauty for granted. But, you know it’s there and you actually find comfort in it. Fields of hay and grazing livestock. It’s simple, uncomplicated, and very soothing.
Now, imagine driving by a sprawlmart, or some other big-box store. Breathe in - the paved parking lots, noise, and litter, the cussing for a parking place, the shoplifting, and don’t forget the convenience of picking up some motor oil and Twinkies. It’s hectic, it’s dirty, there’s traffic, and it gives you a headache. You feel impatient and unsettled, trapped within feelings of urgency, competition, and complication.
Again, I ask….farmland or sprawlmart?
Of course, that question isn’t really fair. The real question: Who chooses what gets to be done with the land? Making money is the real business. People are entitled to invest and reap rewards just as developers develop and make their money. Then other questions arise; is it really fair to tell farmers they can’t sell their land and retire on the income? Ooooh, I hate being so frustrated about such.
The complexities have made their way to historic Bender Melons Farm, a 179 acre parcel of beautiful farmland located in rural New Scotland. This land is being considered for big box store development. The Times Union wrote an article with more specifics.
I wish (those of you familiar with me know that I love wishing, dreaming, and imagining), I wish there was a perfect solution. A pretty and appreciated solution. I wish that all of the farmland left in America could be protected just as endangered species are protected. I dream this for all of our children. Still, it is being erased with bulldozers and blacktop, and it’s getting pretty yucky.
Raping such lovely green space with something as chaotic as a big-box store, is intrusive and vulgar and just plain wrong. There’s no going back….and the purity of the land will be gone forever.
There are plenty of shopping centers and big box stores within 20 minutes of this location. I understand why development is inevitable. But, certainly, something more welcoming and fitting with the land can be dreamed up. These investors and developers are so “smart”, why can’t they think of an alternative? And no, I’m not talking about pasting some fancy facade on that sprawlmart. And, I don’t imagine these investors and developers will be living down the road either. Nah, cash in, move on. Find more farmland - search and destroy.
The Altamont Enterprise weekly newspaper has had some interesting coverage of the situation, including a few feisty ‘letters to the editor’. Tim Albright wrote a passionate and informative letter to the editor in the 4/3/08 issue. Highlighted was this quote, “You people should go to hell for you ruin what God creates and replace it with man’s ugly creations.”
Hmmmm, pause for thought….
I think something like a Sturbridge Village would be sweet (that is, if it must be developed). That’s just my dreamy opinion. What do you think?
April 29, 2008 at 2:21 am by Teri
Tough question, I know. I’m having such an awful time deciding which I’d prefer.
Picture the enchantment of an expanse of farmland…maybe you’ve driven by it a thousand times and take its innocence and beauty for granted. But, you know it’s there and you actually find comfort in it. Fields of hay and grazing livestock. It’s simple, uncomplicated, and very soothing.
Now, imagine driving by a sprawlmart, or some other big-box store. Breathe in - the paved parking lots, noise, and litter, the cussing for a parking place, the shoplifting, and don’t forget the convenience of picking up some motor oil and Twinkies. It’s hectic, it’s dirty, there’s traffic, and it gives you a headache. You feel impatient and unsettled, trapped within feelings of urgency, competition, and complication.
Again, I ask….farmland or sprawlmart?
Of course, that question isn’t really fair. The real question: Who chooses what gets to be done with the land? Making money is the real business. People are entitled to invest and reap rewards just as developers develop and make their money. Then other questions arise; is it really fair to tell farmers they can’t sell their land and retire on the income? Ooooh, I hate being so frustrated about such.
The complexities have made their way to historic Bender Melons Farm, a 179 acre parcel of beautiful farmland located in rural New Scotland. This land is being considered for big box store development. The Times Union wrote an article with more specifics.
I wish (those of you familiar with me know that I love wishing, dreaming, and imagining), I wish there was a perfect solution. A pretty and appreciated solution. I wish that all of the farmland left in America could be protected just as endangered species are protected. I dream this for all of our children. Still, it is being erased with bulldozers and blacktop, and it’s getting pretty yucky.
Raping such lovely green space with something as chaotic as a big-box store, is intrusive and vulgar and just plain wrong. There’s no going back….and the purity of the land will be gone forever.
There are plenty of shopping centers and big box stores within 20 minutes of this location. I understand why development is inevitable. But, certainly, something more welcoming and fitting with the land can be dreamed up. These investors and developers are so “smart”, why can’t they think of an alternative? And no, I’m not talking about pasting some fancy facade on that sprawlmart. And, I don’t imagine these investors and developers will be living down the road either. Nah, cash in, move on. Find more farmland - search and destroy.
The Altamont Enterprise weekly newspaper has had some interesting coverage of the situation, including a few feisty ‘letters to the editor’. Tim Albright wrote a passionate and informative letter to the editor in the 4/3/08 issue. Highlighted was this quote, “You people should go to hell for you ruin what God creates and replace it with man’s ugly creations.”
Hmmmm, pause for thought….
I think something like a Sturbridge Village would be sweet (that is, if it must be developed). That’s just my dreamy opinion. What do you think?
Canada Hall Farm Life
Along the St. Lawrence River, farms were quite different from those in Acadia. Starting in 1634, farms were designated according to the seigneurial system, where land grants, called seigneuries, were issued to anyone who could attract settlers. A typical seigneury measured 1 x 3 leagues (or 5 x 15 km) and was divided into long, narrow lots facing the river. These lots were similar in shape to farms in Normandy, where many colonists originated. They were ideally suited to the St. Lawrence Valley, as each lot had direct access to the river and to public roads needed to transport produce to market. The close proximity to neighbours reduced the feeling of isolation, which helped people adapt to life in a new land.
Farms were highly diversified operations, designed to produce food for the family, with a small surplus available for sale at local markets. Wheat, a primary crop, was used to produce flour for bread, a staple food in New France. It was rotated with oats, corn, barley, and tobacco. There were also vegetable gardens and fruit trees. The livestock included pigs, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and poultry. Farm families, however, were never totally self-sufficient. They produced simple tools, clothing from homespun wool and flax, and shoes from hand-cured hides, but for other items, they depended on local artisans, such as blacksmiths and coopers.
The farmhouse on display is typical of the New France era. The steep roof shed snow, and the walls were plastered and whitewashed to prevent the squared logs from rotting. An average farmhouse measured 8 m x 6 m in size and usually had a thatch or cedar-shingle roof. Inside, there were normally one or two rooms, divided by a central fireplace used for cooking and heating. The furniture was handmade, and the walls were often decorated with religious symbols.
Farms were highly diversified operations, designed to produce food for the family, with a small surplus available for sale at local markets. Wheat, a primary crop, was used to produce flour for bread, a staple food in New France. It was rotated with oats, corn, barley, and tobacco. There were also vegetable gardens and fruit trees. The livestock included pigs, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and poultry. Farm families, however, were never totally self-sufficient. They produced simple tools, clothing from homespun wool and flax, and shoes from hand-cured hides, but for other items, they depended on local artisans, such as blacksmiths and coopers.
The farmhouse on display is typical of the New France era. The steep roof shed snow, and the walls were plastered and whitewashed to prevent the squared logs from rotting. An average farmhouse measured 8 m x 6 m in size and usually had a thatch or cedar-shingle roof. Inside, there were normally one or two rooms, divided by a central fireplace used for cooking and heating. The furniture was handmade, and the walls were often decorated with religious symbols.
Tobacco Farm Life
Since 1983, the Tobacco Farm Life Museum has been preserving the history and cultural heritage of Eastern North Carolina farm life. The museum was started by a group of local families who had pride in their past and a strong volunteer spirit. Having seen the way of life of their parents and grandparents becoming obsolete, these families wanted to preserve this personal and special history of the Eastern North Carolina flu-cured tobacco farm family for future generations.
The museum has grown to an internationally recognized and accredited museum and today continues to interpret and present this important rural legacy to the public.
Come visit and step back in time to a turn-of-the-century homestead, including a restored house and detached kitchen, smokehouse, log tobacco barn, and even an outhouse. The 6,000 square foot museum features both permanent and rotating exhibits on farm life, southern medicine, domestic skills, rural social life, and artifacts.
Take a trip back in time to a simpler way of life. . .
The Tobacco Farm Life Museum is located on Highway 301 North in Kenly, North Carolina, just off Interstate 95 at exit 107. Get directions.
The museum has grown to an internationally recognized and accredited museum and today continues to interpret and present this important rural legacy to the public.
Come visit and step back in time to a turn-of-the-century homestead, including a restored house and detached kitchen, smokehouse, log tobacco barn, and even an outhouse. The 6,000 square foot museum features both permanent and rotating exhibits on farm life, southern medicine, domestic skills, rural social life, and artifacts.
Take a trip back in time to a simpler way of life. . .
The Tobacco Farm Life Museum is located on Highway 301 North in Kenly, North Carolina, just off Interstate 95 at exit 107. Get directions.
Farm Life
The Great Depression changed the lives of people who lived and farmed on the Great Plains and in turn, changed America. The government programs that helped them to live through the 1930s changed the future of agriculture forever. Weather touched every part of life in the "Dirty 30s": dust, insects, summer heat and winter cold. York County farm families didn't have heat, light or indoor bathrooms like people who lived in town. Many farm families raised most of their own food – eggs and chickens, milk and beef from their own cows, and vegetables from their gardens.
People who grew up during the Depression said, "No one had any money. We were all in the same boat." Neighbors helped each other through hard times, sickness, and accidents. Farm families got together with neighbors at school programs, church dinners, or dances. Children and adults found ways to have fun for free – playing board games, listening to the radio, or going to outdoor movies in town.
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/life_01.html
People who grew up during the Depression said, "No one had any money. We were all in the same boat." Neighbors helped each other through hard times, sickness, and accidents. Farm families got together with neighbors at school programs, church dinners, or dances. Children and adults found ways to have fun for free – playing board games, listening to the radio, or going to outdoor movies in town.
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/life_01.html
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