First Farm Update I Can't Wait to Share with You
Table of Contents
First Farm Update I Can’t Wait to Share with You post disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to products I love! If you choose to buy something, I will receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you!
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- first farm update
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- farm update
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- a homestead story
If you’re reading this post, you probably already know that I bought a small farm last fall!
But if you’re new to the blog and haven’t read my first post about buying the farm, check it out here!
We’ve been hard at work (especially my dad) and have made a lot of progress (and a lot of new plans!) that I can’t wait to share with you!
I need to thank my dad for all his hard work! I knew I would need my dad’s help with all the farm stuff and farm equipment, but I didn’t realize that he would have to be the person meeting with the contractors, plumbers, electricians, fence builders and trash removal people we would need to get the farm going while I was at work. He’s worked so hard to get my farm to the place it is now. Thank you, Daddy!
Forestry
One of my biggest updates is that I was pre-approved to participate in one of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture‘s Forest Management Programs!
I’ll be working with the National Resources Conservation Service Arkansas (NRCS) to improve the quality of my forests through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
With the help of this program, we’ll add fire breaks and practice prescribed burning to prevent future forest fires. We’ll work to encourage the regrowth of native species. And we’ll improve the habitat of the woods for animals!
To find out how to sign up for the EQIP Programs and check deadlines visit this link!
The Garden
The next big project we’ve been working on is the garden!
We had all the old fencing taken out and added this new fence! We kept the garden in the same plot, but now I have a beautiful, deer-proof fence! And it should last forever!
Check out the cool gate my dad built for me! Eventually, we’ll build a trellis on the top and plant grapes or muscadines.
My dad got the garden all tilled up, and we just planted pumpkins, zinnias, sunflowers, and gourds for fall! Our next big project is getting the irrigation system up. Luckily, it’s rained enough for the pumpkins to start popping up!
Below is what the garden fencing looked like before. You really couldn’t get too close to it because of how grown up it was. It was full of rotten posts and tangled wire, but we got it cleaned up!
The Trash
If you saw my previous post, you know the farm was absolutely covered in trash.
We still have a little cleaning to do, but we’ve actually got most of it cleaned up now!
We had a friend come in and collect all the scrap metal and old fencing. He spent all fall and winter working on it and took truckloads of it to sell!
We burned the rotten wood and brush in some pretty giant (as tall as me) bonfires!
We’ve carried off several dump trailers full of trash. And had to use a skid-steer quite a bit to rip out stubborn fencing and fence posts and move the big stuff.
It’s taken a lot of people a lot of hours, but I can see the end of the trash in sight now!
The Tiny House
If you read my first post, you know I was planning on turning the milking barn above into a (very) tiny house.
When the contractor came to look at it, he thought we should actually redo the cabin below instead because the cost would be similar, and the cabin was much larger.
So we started on the cabin!
We soon found out that the walls had been insulated with thousands of plastic bags!
We knew the electrical and plumbing couldn’t be saved and that the house needed insulation, so we ripped out all the walls.
Then we realized that the siding had termite and water damage. So we ripped that out.
We knew the floor would probably have to be replaced, and it was mushy and rotten as expected, so we ripped that out.
We had already removed the damaged, leaky tin roof.
Finally, there wasn’t much left of the house but the framing. Even that would need repairs. There was water damage, termite damage, and smoke damage from the stove, but most of it was okay. We wanted to save as much of it as possible because the cost of lumber is so high right now.
Once the floor was gone, we could see that the framing that would hold up the floor was bowed and that the house needed some foundation work.
Unfortunately, when the contractor tried to jack up the house to fix the foundation, the house stayed bowed.Â
When the contractor told me the house couldn’t be fixed, I just went home and cried for a while. I had so many plans for the house already.
At that point, I was sad and disappointed and decided to scrap the tiny house project altogether.
So as of right now, the tiny house project is on hold.
The Camper
But don’t worry! I came up with a new scheme!
I bought a camper!
I wanted to start with a small, used camper because I wasn’t sure if I would like camper living. So we spent a few weeks searching camper ads and Facebook marketplace.
After a few heartbreaks when sales fell through, we found the perfect one and bought it!
My parents, boyfriend, and I drove up to Dover, Arkansas to pick it up. Then we hauled my new baby home (after a little stop at Camping World for supplies).
And here she is! Parked at the farm!
I always had kind of wanted a camper. I love camping, but I also love air conditioning. But I didn’t really think I would ever be brave enough to actually buy one! But since my boyfriend loved the idea of a camper too (and was willing to help me tow it with his truck!), I decided to go for it!
I’ll write more about the camper and give you a tour later!
Another reason I wanted to buy a lightly used camper is I wanted to do a little remodeling! So I’ll share that later too!
I’m still learning how to operate and take care of the camper, but I’ve loved having it so far!
I’m open to name suggestions if you want to leave me one in the comments!Â
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- before fence
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- sunset farm
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- home place
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- farmhouse interior
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- view of foothills
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- garden shed
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- salamander
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- bridal wreath bushes
2 Comments
Beth Jones · July 17, 2021 at 8:09 pm
Ask Sidney and Randy about setting up your garden spot w ground covers and drip line watering. We followed their example and we never have to weed, we safe water and it’s very productive. We also have some raised beds that are nice for strawberries, lettuce and flowers. Come see! Beth Jones
mholifield09 · July 18, 2021 at 12:44 pm
I will!!! I would love to come see!
Comments are closed.