My Two Cents
shane
On a more practical note lets discuss some things that need to be addressed here. Yes
there are many fine projects to be engaged in abroad. Yes the farms have a lot of
“potential”. There are however some pressing projects that need to be focused upon right
here at home. Some, such as the sorting of the sheds, we prefer to do ourselves, others,
such as building projects are open for those with the apptitude for the task at hand.
The projects I'm going to refer to all concern the Galway farm, our oldest property.
There is a major need for vast amounts of general cleaning and organizing of tools and
goods. Our workshops and toolsheds, due to an emergency need for storage have
degenerated into a slovenly jumble. We have restored and added a story to
our storage building for the purpose of expediting this project, but need to properly sort
out the stuff, some people once “helped” by just throwing everything in other sheds and
workshops and told us they did a fine job. part of the reason this particular farm is in this
state, so from now on only the present members will be allowed to engage in that particular
task.
Our main house desperately needs an addition over our well and some more insulation
to our“buffer” porches. The house is designed modular so that the external additions such
as the porches act as insulating chambers, thereby increasing heating proficiency. The
addition over the well will enable us to properly plumb and heat our water....right now
there is a serviceable cold water system and hot showers in the summer, this year our
focus shall definitely be upon the house addition.
We also plan on putting in a stone floor so when you come to this farm, don't look so
aghast at our old nasty floor, it wont be there long.
The woodworking shop is attached to my cabin and I’m going to take a personal
interest in restoring it to a working condition now that the storage building has been
rebuilt.
Don't get me wrong..much has been done in the past two years...the scrap metal area was
sorted and organized (no easy undertaking I can tell ya...steel ain’t light!), as stated
previously our main storage building was rebuilt and enlarged, many abandoned vehicles
( many of them “gifts” from former members) were removed, the lumbersheds were
doubled in size and stocked, a new woodshed was erected near the main house, the
solarium was properly roofed and insulated, I restored my cabin and it’s woodstove, our
first attempt at a ferrocement house was completed (with mixed if serviceable results), one
of the personal cabins has been enlarged, the areas behind the barn were cleaned, some
research is being done in creating waste vegetable oil burners, a sliding main gate was built
(and needs to be re- built..my fault hehe, sliding doors aren't my forte’), the original
farmhouse that we lost in a fire years ago has been reframed, re roofed,and sided, many
sheds and outbuildings were restored and/or re-roofed and a few still need it done.
All in all, a busy couple of years. Let me warn you though..the house aint pretty..we
value function not paint and pillows. If ya want paint and pillows that's fine. there's plenty
of cabins here ya can decorate anyway ya want on yer own time. If you come here
expecting a herb growing utopia your in for a disappointment. Yes we’re growing a few
herbs but there's other stuff that needs doing. If you come here expecting a lot of hard
work to get the Galway farm back up to snuff then come on over! If all of this scares the
gee willakers outta you thats A O K too. There's always the the other two farms.....one of
which is very nice for you paint and pillow people.
Best regards,
Shane