Almost ready for free Fridays project. The fencing. It's almost a pig pen already so I'll finish her off this weekend.
28' square- 3 sides quanza hut against garage 8Lx6Wx5H . Water on down slope food opposite corner bedding up top.
Hope it works.

The weather was stellar and dried up the mud. After a very late night dancing, I was able to complete my pig house today. Almost ready for those little piggies

hot tuna
The weather was stellar and dried up the mud. After a very late night dancing, I was able to complete my pig house today. Almost ready for those little piggies

 
Looking great, only question I have is the spacing on the floor boards...depending on the piglets size you may need to put hardware cloth or cardboard on the floor for a couple of weeks to prevent them getting hooves caught. 
 

That church building renovation turns out to be sumpthin ain't to yer liken, move your piggery slightly up wind.    and buy a few more pigs.
 
If ya ain't thought of it already, talk to the grocery, deli, convenient  stores and ask for their slightly used produce etc.  'cept that becomes a PITA pickin that stuff up.

 
 The lumber on that is worth some serious bucks.

Up and at em' early today.
Well they been working on the brown church for 2 years and that's about as far as they got. The word is , it's supposed to be relocated because of historical but I'm not thinking that's going to happen none to soon. The same 2 guys started the White church across the street about a month ago and are just trying to stabilize it from collapsing.
Essentially , they got 2 projects going and I haven't seen them around for a few weeks so it may be many years before I have concerns of a front neighbor.
 
As for the farm and garden,
Pigs -  They are pretty expensive to buy on the hoof around here, a piglet is about $100 each or a full grown slaughter pig is about  $300. Im the kinda guy who will try anything at least once so we shall see how the first time goes. I already got people asking me to raise and slaughter for them , not really what I want to do . A co worker has done pigs for about 7 years. He did the feed them anything and everything once and said they tasted horrible. I'm going to use caution on what I feed them.
Fruit Trees - I have 4 apple trees and just put in 2 full size peach trees . I'm looking to put in 2 pear trees next along with the strawberry patch. Next year I may do some raspberries and black berries.
I love canning and my wife likes making jam so I want my storage look like Clint's on steroids , lol.
Veggies - Tomatoes , tomatoes , tomatoes !! Nothing like homegrown tomato sauce. I think we had 17 quarts last year and that's not enough so I'm going to try and double my tomato yield this season. Also going to try cabbage in containers for the first time , anyone have any success at that ?
The other usual's are pole beans, bush beans, podded peas, spinach (already been eating some) , LOTS of pickling cukes, squash, carrots( mine never seem to produce ) , head lettuce, garlic and LOTS of peppers.  Next season I'd like to try potatoes & turnips I need to find the space , our soil is terrible = heavy clay, I've tried adding peat and sand but it hasn't worked well so I stick with the raised bed method and input good soil in them.
The green house will be an over the summer project to where I can try to get the late and second yield crops in there. I'm also going to try a cold frame as suggested here.
 
As that Crappie guy said, it's a lot of work and I'm a workaholic. I can not just sit still. I don't watch TV nor spend much time on the internet, except now, lol.. I need projects, fishing and hunting to keep my heart beating..

It started raining and my drive to play in the mud is just not there .
Nice tips Clint. I'm figuring on 6-10 heads of cabbage. Not to worried about black berries, I got some place for them along the back woodline. We both enjoy canning so I do get help there , not so much on the maintaining of the garden though. That's pretty much all me.i may have screwed up yesterday. It was bright and sunny so I moved a bunch of plants outside for the day. The tomato plants are not very happy right now. Hoping the indoor green room makes them so again.
As said, it's gloomy weather so I might as well do some much needed cleaning of the man cave with the woodstove cranking.

Off topic:
Anyone interested, can listen or download the show we danced to Friday night.
Local pub, local musicians. There were 123 paying people not counting the walk ins. I can't remember a crowd that size in a very long time there. Must be spring fever. Don't think there wasn't 1 person not dancing.
https://archive.org/details/wheel2018-03-30.pub

The sun broke out and so did I. Painted the pig house. Pulled the cover back across the pool which blew off for some reason only last night. Got a sump pump in there now to drain some off.

As far a gypsum, funny you say that. I have access to all gyp and lime I could ever need in all our lifetimes put together. It's a key ingredient to making cement, which is what I do for a JOB , ugh.
I got rid of the rototiller years ago. Maybe if this thing progresses, I may go back to 1again but I'm liking the ease of raised beds and crates.
Shortly the house will be filled with family and craziness. I'm going to bring in another load of wood so I can be comfortable away from it all in the man cave.
Thank gosh for such a loving wife 😀

outdoorperson
For your strawberry plants try these varieties, Charlotte-this is a everbearing type,sweet fruit from june till fall.Also try Mara Des Bois, another everbearing type bears fruit from early summer  through summer. I've had very good luck with these varieties, I brought the plants and the grow tub tower, fertilizer from Gurney's seed and nursery co.for $37.00 There ph# is 513-354-1492.

Thanks for the response outdoors,
I've purchased from gurney in the past. No complaints and good service.
However, my strawberry plants have already been bought locally a few weeks ago just waiting to plant. I'm doing 2 circular rows ( 24) of Ozark beauty and 1 (12) patch of earlyglow. The cooperative extension recommends there here.

Can't you all tell I'm bored and spending to much time inside...
Pig house was painted front recycled leftover stuff I had.
As for them digging. That white stuff is old ceramic molds, plaster. I smashed with a sledge hammer. The garage foundation is 4 feet deep block. I used the molds for fill and if they try digging into that, they will not like it.

 Miss the Berkel not near as good cond. as this but was fun..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOin3ENc1lU
 
crappy
 
The one Hobart grinder I had had two grinders, with one out the side, guess so you wouldn't have to clean going from beef to pork. Those things are beasts.
 

Crappy looking at the forecast this coming week, I might only need the syrup to make snowcones. My favorite flavor is 7 & 7 of which I may have several..... a day!!!

I'm thinking pellet stove, if I don't move , for my basement for next winter. Pros and cons along with do's and don'ts will be appreciated.

I constructed 2, 4X8 raised beds.  Filled them with good size rocks for the first 5 inches, then a layer of leaves and chicken poop, top soil for the last 5 inches.  All set

Tufff day at the house . Volunteered to do a brake job that turned into an all day project.
The only thing i accomplished on the farm and garden was to cut this crate in half i scored yesterday. I will be putting the 2 piglets in them for the ride home tomorrow.
Also scored a front door for the barrel stove smokehouse.

My wife can get free burlap bags so I will be trying those for weed control this year. Just rake them up and burn in the fall I hope

How's that Rich,hope it works 'cause along with everyone else I'm sick of winter.