@Frita
I've learned a new word. I had no idea what a tie hacker was or the kind of work they performed. Interesting.
No, I went bougie for me at least on the tractor. Hydrostatic drive, 2021 model. It is a sub-compact but it has a front bucket (very important!) and it came with a tiller (also very important) and a set of forks which I can use when building for material handling. It's small, but that is all I need. I had all of this cash lying around (first world problems, ha) from doing independent jobs and I thought it was time for an investment other than a Roth IRA.
The kid I bought it from was a hoot. He is 28 but he talked as if he was a 60 year old man. He went through every component, knob, and function slowly and demonstrated everything worked as it should. It only had 192 hours on it. He even knocked off $1,500 off the price because that is what the trade-in value offered to him was from a dealership, unprompted by me. And then, when I said I didn't have a trailer big enough to haul it he offered to haul it for me to my property, which I took him up on. It was refreshing dealing with an honest person. I've been trying to sell my mushroom business and the replies I keep getting make me wonder if the general population is mentally retarded. Maybe it is the nature of the product but I've gotten some winners replying to my ad. So this kid reminded me not all of his peers on Facebook Marketplace are stupid. Which was nice.
ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
Fancy tractor, I can imagine you driving it around for fun. And just meeting the former owner and your acquisition story are positive experiences to balance out weirdness of FB marketplace (I have experienced this too outside of more familiar groups. My theory is that the population variance has always existed but was excluded by the print-medium of newspaper and trader magazines. Facebook includes pictures, auto-generated text for those who struggle to write, and provides plenty of “social skills practice” and reinforcement to boost confidence.)
I could totally geek out on tiehack culture but will spare you. By the late 40s/50s, it was dying out. My family transitioned to operating sawmills. My grandfather apprenticed to blacksmith in Sweden when he left formal schooling after second grade. He built their retirement dream home himself, milling all the wood, fabricating all the hardware. My cousin tells a story of her husband meeting my grandma for the first time. She was in her late-60s, splitting her own wood like someone a third her age. He was in awe. I thought it, including all the other skills she had, was normal.
I could totally geek out on tiehack culture but will spare you. By the late 40s/50s, it was dying out. My family transitioned to operating sawmills. My grandfather apprenticed to blacksmith in Sweden when he left formal schooling after second grade. He built their retirement dream home himself, milling all the wood, fabricating all the hardware. My cousin tells a story of her husband meeting my grandma for the first time. She was in her late-60s, splitting her own wood like someone a third her age. He was in awe. I thought it, including all the other skills she had, was normal.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
Yeah my ere-cred is a bit shot these days. I've done all of the financial hard work in the past and now I reap the rewards which is satisfying. My goal in the last third of my life is to actually enjoy the fruits of my earlier preparations. That is why I have a new tractor in my barn. Although this ridiculous weather has kept it in the barn as I have no desire to be riding around in an open cab with wind chills that make your hands go numb. You can't see the ground anyway with all of the snow. It's day to shine is coming soon though as I have many plans for its use.
I also have ancestors from Sweden that settled in Nebraska. They intermarried with German immigrants long ago. All farmers though, Nebraska isn't known for its forests.
Like your forebears, they were pretty tough people. My Grandfather was pretty mean in spirit and act, not your cuddly old man that spoiled his grandkids. My Grandmother wasn't too far behind, haha.
Since I enjoy sharpening things, I've been looking at starting a sharpening side hustle. Currently just looking at videos and doing a bit of research on the tooling I would need. I could get started easily with a $1,000 investment. What I found interesting was the amount of sharpeners that visit Farmer's Markets that sharpen on site. There is really no competition around me but the larger question is whether the market exists in quantity here. I already own a shop and the tools necessary are fairly compact. Worse case scenario is that I would own the tooling to sharpen everything I own for the rest of my life. I'm still in research mode at the moment, we'll see what comes of it.
I also have ancestors from Sweden that settled in Nebraska. They intermarried with German immigrants long ago. All farmers though, Nebraska isn't known for its forests.
Like your forebears, they were pretty tough people. My Grandfather was pretty mean in spirit and act, not your cuddly old man that spoiled his grandkids. My Grandmother wasn't too far behind, haha.Since I enjoy sharpening things, I've been looking at starting a sharpening side hustle. Currently just looking at videos and doing a bit of research on the tooling I would need. I could get started easily with a $1,000 investment. What I found interesting was the amount of sharpeners that visit Farmer's Markets that sharpen on site. There is really no competition around me but the larger question is whether the market exists in quantity here. I already own a shop and the tools necessary are fairly compact. Worse case scenario is that I would own the tooling to sharpen everything I own for the rest of my life. I'm still in research mode at the moment, we'll see what comes of it.
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SouthernAlchemy
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2021 8:11 pm
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
In foodservice, I encountered two kinds of sharpening services. One was guy in a step van with the equipment and he'd drive around to restaurants, hotels etc. and sharpen personal knives on the spot. Usually an inventory of knives and other equipment for purchase was on the van, too. In more institutional settings, cooks usually didn't have their own knives, so there was often a house set provided by an outside company. Basically there were two sets and the sharpening guy would come around every couple of weeks pick up the dull ones and drop off the sharp ones. Needless to say these were very cheap knives and sorely abused. I'm not sure how you'd feel about maintaining such terrible equipment, but one large account like a hospital might make for an OK side hustle. Never seemed to be a lot of money in it overall, though.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
@southern
The whole endeavor appeals to my nerdiness, fine-tuning and perfecting a skill. Sort of like the mushroom gig. I've been watching videos from people who self-select to put their lives on-line because they are successful. I don't get to hear from the people that tried and couldn't sustain the business or that just hated it.
I watch this kid out of LA who makes $8 per knife sharpened. Not much but he could sharpen 20 knives an hour easily. He has population density, he's young, charismatic and does well. I would have none of those benefits, haha. Going out there and hustling business has always been a weakness of mine and if I had to do that on a consistent basis it would lose a lot of the appeal. But my main advantage is that I wouldn't be looking for a career, work here and there would be fine. The question is whether the investment in tooling is worth it regardless. Still in the research phase on that one.
In the Spring I'll be expanding my blackberry side hustle with a big enough patch on my property that could generate enough income to at least pay the property taxes. I'll be adding fruit trees to the mix and I would like to expand to raspberries as well. If nothing else it would expand my regenerative abilities of the land in a positive way. Having total control over the process would be a huge benefit as the berries I pick now are owned by someone else. I reckon it would take 3 years to establish a mature patch that bears well and about 3 to 5 years for the fruit trees to start bearing enough to matter. I've toyed with the idea of having animals again but I just don't want the hassle of having to protect sheep or chickens for instance. Plants are so much easier to deal with and only require your attention certain times of the year.
The whole endeavor appeals to my nerdiness, fine-tuning and perfecting a skill. Sort of like the mushroom gig. I've been watching videos from people who self-select to put their lives on-line because they are successful. I don't get to hear from the people that tried and couldn't sustain the business or that just hated it.
I watch this kid out of LA who makes $8 per knife sharpened. Not much but he could sharpen 20 knives an hour easily. He has population density, he's young, charismatic and does well. I would have none of those benefits, haha. Going out there and hustling business has always been a weakness of mine and if I had to do that on a consistent basis it would lose a lot of the appeal. But my main advantage is that I wouldn't be looking for a career, work here and there would be fine. The question is whether the investment in tooling is worth it regardless. Still in the research phase on that one.
In the Spring I'll be expanding my blackberry side hustle with a big enough patch on my property that could generate enough income to at least pay the property taxes. I'll be adding fruit trees to the mix and I would like to expand to raspberries as well. If nothing else it would expand my regenerative abilities of the land in a positive way. Having total control over the process would be a huge benefit as the berries I pick now are owned by someone else. I reckon it would take 3 years to establish a mature patch that bears well and about 3 to 5 years for the fruit trees to start bearing enough to matter. I've toyed with the idea of having animals again but I just don't want the hassle of having to protect sheep or chickens for instance. Plants are so much easier to deal with and only require your attention certain times of the year.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
Great update. I always enjoy seeing what you've been up to and what new ventures you're plotting. NIce work with the saws!
In the town where I grew up, there was a kinfe sharpening guy, who'd come around every few months with a push cart and walk the streets ringing his bell. He did this for decades and had built up a strong reputation, to the extent that people from neighboring towns would drive around to find him. He'd head out to a different Chicago suburb each week until he completed his rotation. A few months ago, @mountainFrugal, @Jin&Guice, and I were talking about this business so I poked around to see if I could find anything more about his operation. Apparently as of 12 years ago he was only charging $1 for small knives and $2 for big knives! I was surprised by that. I would think you could charge much more and it could serve as a nice small income stream.
In the town where I grew up, there was a kinfe sharpening guy, who'd come around every few months with a push cart and walk the streets ringing his bell. He did this for decades and had built up a strong reputation, to the extent that people from neighboring towns would drive around to find him. He'd head out to a different Chicago suburb each week until he completed his rotation. A few months ago, @mountainFrugal, @Jin&Guice, and I were talking about this business so I poked around to see if I could find anything more about his operation. Apparently as of 12 years ago he was only charging $1 for small knives and $2 for big knives! I was surprised by that. I would think you could charge much more and it could serve as a nice small income stream.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
Why does your hobby need monetization? Is it about feeling valued as a producer? An external objective evaluation at success in developing the skill? Avoidance of living off capital, because it feels distasteful in some way?
I dunno what the demand is, but I wonder if the guys who compete in lumberjack games wouldn't have a niche appreciation of excellence in saw sharpening. Superior work must offer a competitive advantage.
I dunno what the demand is, but I wonder if the guys who compete in lumberjack games wouldn't have a niche appreciation of excellence in saw sharpening. Superior work must offer a competitive advantage.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
Modern era humans have been doing experiments with regenerative agriculture for so long now, I happened upon this video about a Midwest food forest that was created just after the dust bowl, and keeps being rediscovered in remnants of giant fruit and nut trees mixed in with suburban development. Super cool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQZTmb_1gk4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQZTmb_1gk4
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
@animal
There is an old saying that if you are swamped with work then you are charging too little a fee which sounds like your example. The more I research the more I feel the need to diversify in sharpening abilities. For example, chainsaws, knives, lawn mower blades, chisels ,handsaws, etc. The problem arises in the amount of skillset needed to be good in each discipline versus the amount of revenue generated. I don't know if I want to take the plunge for very uncertain monetary gains.
@Scott
Good question. I have found that compensation is the easiest way of people letting you know if you are providing a valuable service. It takes action on their part and a parting of their money. Words don't mean too much really, although they can be nice. Somebody writing a check is completely different.
But no, there is no need to monetize anything that interests me. BUT, I have found that people devalue anything that you give away and some will find you weak and fair game to be exploited. It's very disheartening when this occurs and I tend to unleash the wrath of hell when someone takes advantage of my generosity. Kidding but not kidding. I love the concept of people mutually helping each other but some people...
@7
Enjoyed the video as it aligns with my goals too. Currently I have walnuts, hickory nuts, mulberry, honey locust, and pawpaws on the property that people can consume and a multitude of other species that animals enjoy such as hackberry and oaks. I have a thriving squirrel population in spite of my dog trying to kill every one of them. This Spring I will add fruit trees and I really was envious of all of the persimmons showcased in the video, so I may try some scions or the whole tree itself too in addition. Super cool indeed.
There is an old saying that if you are swamped with work then you are charging too little a fee which sounds like your example. The more I research the more I feel the need to diversify in sharpening abilities. For example, chainsaws, knives, lawn mower blades, chisels ,handsaws, etc. The problem arises in the amount of skillset needed to be good in each discipline versus the amount of revenue generated. I don't know if I want to take the plunge for very uncertain monetary gains.
@Scott
Good question. I have found that compensation is the easiest way of people letting you know if you are providing a valuable service. It takes action on their part and a parting of their money. Words don't mean too much really, although they can be nice. Somebody writing a check is completely different.
But no, there is no need to monetize anything that interests me. BUT, I have found that people devalue anything that you give away and some will find you weak and fair game to be exploited. It's very disheartening when this occurs and I tend to unleash the wrath of hell when someone takes advantage of my generosity. Kidding but not kidding.
I love the concept of people mutually helping each other but some people...@7
Enjoyed the video as it aligns with my goals too. Currently I have walnuts, hickory nuts, mulberry, honey locust, and pawpaws on the property that people can consume and a multitude of other species that animals enjoy such as hackberry and oaks. I have a thriving squirrel population in spite of my dog trying to kill every one of them. This Spring I will add fruit trees and I really was envious of all of the persimmons showcased in the video, so I may try some scions or the whole tree itself too in addition. Super cool indeed.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
A couple of milestones. This month I have finished clearing my land with this section above the last of it AND the photo below it represents the last section of fence I will have to stretch. My entire property now has new fencing over the entire eight acres but more importantly the vegetation and trees are managed in every fence line. I bought the property 5 years ago and it has taken this long to get this property into the shape I envisioned from the start. I don't have to worry about others animals entering my property, every neighbor knows exactly where our property lines are located, and if I ever want to raise some animals myself the property is ready. And it looks so good too.
With that said, I am now aware that I'll have to create new purposes for the land, mainly food. My plan is to start 300 feet of blackberries the next couple of months as well as fruit trees. Now that I have a tractor with a tiller this shouldn't be too hard, I may even put in some wildflower beds for the pollinators, which reminds me that I really need to learn how to keep bees. It has taken literally 5 years to get this property to ground zero and now it is time to start building. It's quite exciting.
My garden is right behind my barn and until a couple weeks ago I had no electricity to this structure. I fixed that. The lights were given to me by a neighbor that salvaged them from his workplace. He had installed them a year prior and was instructed to throw them in a dumpster when they renovated a section of his workplace. He instead loaded all 15 of them in his truck and gave me 5, four of which are in the barn above. To say they are bright is an understatement. I also added a few outlets for when I am working on farm machinery. Another milestone.
This massive tree broke off in a windstorm 4 and a half years ago which was such a shame. This tree, a black oak, measured 17 feet in circumference chest high when it was destroyed. It was beautiful before that fateful day and was by far the largest tree I had on the property, although I have some other large trees too that I hope stay upright. Over the years I have hacked on this specimen until the large trunks were left. With the fence finally completed I broke out my 24 inch chainsaw and went to work to salvage the rest of the wood for firewood. This is where I had to leave off until I get a bigger saw. Let me tell you that the pictures don't do this tree justice, and when you are on a ladder 15 feet in the air with a large chainsaw your sense of action and reaction as well as all of the physics you have ever learned comes into play.
The butt that is still up in the air will probably have to be cut by a professional as I don't have a large enough saw. I don't want to leave it wedged up there and I know a guy, so we'll see.
I applied for another job. I even created a new resume and everything which hasn't happened for many years, haha. I don't hold out much hope but I would like a shot at it because it interests me, which is uncommon.
The guys I have worked with in the past are changing directions, one pretty much being forced to retire and the other dropped all of his detailed work. Now he just builds barns and he doesn't need me for that when he has a plethora of youngsters he can choose from his church. It's interesting as last year I thought I would be busy with these guys for the foreseeable future then everything changed. I could always venture out on my own but the headaches of doing everything yourself! Much better to let someone else absorb those problems. I don't mind making a little bit less money to avoid irritating issues.
Once this weather becomes more pleasurable I am going to start sighting in my firearms. I made this portable shooting stand for that purpose, which comprises of the table, two sawhorses, and a stool. Easy project that took a couple of hours. Fortunately I have a natural backstop consisting of a hill beyond my stream. What I don't have is a ton of flat land but I should be able to shoot out to a couple hundred yards at least. Like most people, I am right-handed.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
The little machine that could! I had envisioned my tree cutter using a chainsaw to free this snag but all he did was grab it with his grapple and twist it off the main trunk. Right tool for the right job. He estimated that the log weighed over 2,000 lbs and other than spinning his wheels in the mud the little tractor had no problem. I remember when this monster first fell thinking there was no way I was ever going to be able to clean this mess up and here I am with everything on the ground. Lots of firewood but I'm leaving the main trunk for animals, fungi, and bugs. A healthy forest needs standing dead trees.
My toolbox is getting close to completion. Here is a photo with the tills removed. I recently finished refurbishing the chisels which took a fair amount of time fitting the handles and sharpening them properly, as well as building a custom holder for the toolbox. My goal is to be able to access every tool without having to remove something first, as well as every tool being user ready. I'm getting there.
A happy surprise! The tool chest came with a lock but no key and after searching the internet I could not find a match to the lock. But then I decided to paint the box and when I removed the side handles the maker had thought ahead and hidden a spare key. It's kind of neat to think that 50-70 years ago someone I will never know did this for my benefit.
I matched the paint on a saw box that I found at a yard saw years ago. I like the match but it's too new and shiny compared to the smaller box. I need to throw some dirt on it, haha.
My back burner project. For someone that doesn't have a job I am very busy all of the time. Yesterday I worked on my car all day, the day before that I worked on future garden sites, etc, etc. Currently I am trellising blackberry vines in anticipation of July harvests. Once the grass starts to grow then I'll be mowing quite a bit. Anyway, this treehouse will get built but slowly as I want to enjoy the process and not treat it as work. It's the journey, right?
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
The toolbox is looking great!Looks like everything is coming together in time for summer. Hopefully you don't get dragged away on too many of other people's projects this year.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
@theanimal
Thanks! I am really pleased with the results. The guy at Colonial Homestead said it would value at $2,000 easily even with a plain box. He had some toolboxes on display for $3000 and up. Not quite sure who is paying those prices however.
The image above is a bloom of one of my paw-paw trees. I have three trees in flower and I am hoping that I get at least a few fruits this summer. The trees are still small so who knows but I've never tasted the fruit of these trees before. Cautiously optimistic. Very exciting discovery.
My Spring cover crop mix, red clover and over-wintered kale. I'll probably cut it all and till the garden soon, a couple weeks or so. The cut clover will help with nitrogen once it's tilled. I am slowly making my garden into something I am proud of and it all starts with the soil. I've flirted with the idea of starting a worm farm for the castings but my system of beneficial cover crops and top-dressings of compost seem to be working quite well. I had a great garden last year. Plus I have to learn how to say no to every project out there that interests me.
This project has been keeping me busy. I put in 3 one hundred feet rows of blackberries and 6 fruit trees: two apple, two peach, two plum. The photo above is before I transplanted the blackberries. I still have about a hundred plants to go before I am finished. This is a 3 year project for marketable results. It's been a lot of digging and at the end of the day I am covered in mud (it's been raining a lot here) and I need a soaking bath to get fully clean, especially my hands. I'm excited though, the hard part is almost done. The blue thing is a jig I made to make the holes in the cover; just take a blow torch and burn the holes.
I took a trip to Ohio Amish country and picked up this froe. Long drive but it was worth it not only for the tool but having a knowledgeable person to explain what I needed. Who knew there were so many things to look for in such a simple tool.
It works quite well. I never thought I would be making hand riven shingles but here I am, haha. It's actually quite enjoyable and relaxing, assuming you have quality wood to split. Another critical key to success is having a notch to leverage the bolt against the froe, which if you look at the large log I've cut different sizes into it with a chainsaw. I thought about putting a metal roof on my treehouse but this will look much cooler for sure. The next step is to clean up the shingles with a drawknife and I will need to build a spoke horse. Future project.
Thanks! I am really pleased with the results. The guy at Colonial Homestead said it would value at $2,000 easily even with a plain box. He had some toolboxes on display for $3000 and up. Not quite sure who is paying those prices however.
The image above is a bloom of one of my paw-paw trees. I have three trees in flower and I am hoping that I get at least a few fruits this summer. The trees are still small so who knows but I've never tasted the fruit of these trees before. Cautiously optimistic. Very exciting discovery.
My Spring cover crop mix, red clover and over-wintered kale. I'll probably cut it all and till the garden soon, a couple weeks or so. The cut clover will help with nitrogen once it's tilled. I am slowly making my garden into something I am proud of and it all starts with the soil. I've flirted with the idea of starting a worm farm for the castings but my system of beneficial cover crops and top-dressings of compost seem to be working quite well. I had a great garden last year. Plus I have to learn how to say no to every project out there that interests me.
This project has been keeping me busy. I put in 3 one hundred feet rows of blackberries and 6 fruit trees: two apple, two peach, two plum. The photo above is before I transplanted the blackberries. I still have about a hundred plants to go before I am finished. This is a 3 year project for marketable results. It's been a lot of digging and at the end of the day I am covered in mud (it's been raining a lot here) and I need a soaking bath to get fully clean, especially my hands. I'm excited though, the hard part is almost done. The blue thing is a jig I made to make the holes in the cover; just take a blow torch and burn the holes.
I took a trip to Ohio Amish country and picked up this froe. Long drive but it was worth it not only for the tool but having a knowledgeable person to explain what I needed. Who knew there were so many things to look for in such a simple tool.
It works quite well. I never thought I would be making hand riven shingles but here I am, haha. It's actually quite enjoyable and relaxing, assuming you have quality wood to split. Another critical key to success is having a notch to leverage the bolt against the froe, which if you look at the large log I've cut different sizes into it with a chainsaw. I thought about putting a metal roof on my treehouse but this will look much cooler for sure. The next step is to clean up the shingles with a drawknife and I will need to build a spoke horse. Future project.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
I would go insane if I had to make a living being a farmer. Never knowing what the weather or pests were going to do, planting always as a gamble. The key is to plant enough variety so that if one variant struggles then maybe another will thrive? With that said, I have had some successes and disappointments already this year. My strawberries are looking great and almost every blackberry transplant is thriving. Out of 300 plants, maybe 20 are struggling? Not bad. Five of the six fruit trees I've planted are doing really well; keeping an eye on one of my peach trees that is showing signs of distress.
But my tomato grow this year has been lackluster and it's because I didn't get the nutrient ratio correct with my hydroponic system. I switched to a new bottle of liquid fertilizer and something is off, either the factory screwed up or I don't know if I am honest. I may have to buy plants for the first time in years. And most disappointing is the established blackberry patch that I pick from looks anemic this year. I have done a lot of work cleaning this neglected mess up and for whatever reason it is already underperforming in growth. Compared to my small patch on my property it looks pathetic. But until recently nothing has been done for their health and the only thing I have done is clear out the weeds, vines, and small trees growing in the rows. The proof will be in the yield come July, but right now it looks like a loss.
Anybody grow blackberries? How do you keep them healthy? I clearly need to do some research but I have been hesitant because I don't own the mature patch.
The shave horse is complete. My goal was to build it for zero dollars with parts and pieces I already owned. Mission accomplished. It works quite well and why shouldn't it as it is such a simple tool? I did a rough calculation of the number of shingles I would need to clad the roof and four sides of my treehouse and it's about 1,200 give or take. I don't know if I have enough wood for that so I am going to exhaust the material I do have and at least have a wooden shingle roof and maybe clad the gable ends under the pitch? Contrast that some vertical running boards for visual interest maybe. I haven't finalized anything on this build so I am just running with external circumstances. And this has to be the slowest I have ever built something too but so many other things in my life take precedence over this completely unnecessary pleasure.
I've started a house build with Habitat for Humanity. At 56 I am the youngest volunteer there and it makes me feel like a rock star outperforming these 75 year old men. Haha. They look at me like I look at the Amish people I work with, full of nostalgia at what I used to be able to do. It's funny how that all works out and how people crest and wane. Good group of guys though and I am enjoying the process so far as it gives me an excuse to firstly help other people but more importantly it gets me out of my house and property and allows me the chance for interaction with other fellow human beings. Not sitting around a table telling lies but doing something productive together and naturally conversing and sharing stories. And I get to lend my expertise which inflates my ego but a lot of the volunteers only posses a cursory knowledge so it's beneficial for all parties involved.
I've also had the pleasure of selling several items on Facebook Marketplace recently. I don't know if it is worth it. The premise is simple, right? I have something for sell, haha, this is the price I would like, would you like to buy it? You don't want to pay the asking price? Just offer me less than half of what I am asking or better yet, just ask me to give it to you. Or make a random comment about anything. Or give a response that can be interpreted multiple ways, or better yet, one that makes absolutely no sense at all to one of my questions. If you do show interest and lead me on with positive comments, then ghost me immediately. Or take a week to respond to our conversation. At midnight or two in the morning. Or demand a response to an insultingly low offer.
Downsizing has its costs.
But my tomato grow this year has been lackluster and it's because I didn't get the nutrient ratio correct with my hydroponic system. I switched to a new bottle of liquid fertilizer and something is off, either the factory screwed up or I don't know if I am honest. I may have to buy plants for the first time in years. And most disappointing is the established blackberry patch that I pick from looks anemic this year. I have done a lot of work cleaning this neglected mess up and for whatever reason it is already underperforming in growth. Compared to my small patch on my property it looks pathetic. But until recently nothing has been done for their health and the only thing I have done is clear out the weeds, vines, and small trees growing in the rows. The proof will be in the yield come July, but right now it looks like a loss.
Anybody grow blackberries? How do you keep them healthy? I clearly need to do some research but I have been hesitant because I don't own the mature patch.
The shave horse is complete. My goal was to build it for zero dollars with parts and pieces I already owned. Mission accomplished. It works quite well and why shouldn't it as it is such a simple tool? I did a rough calculation of the number of shingles I would need to clad the roof and four sides of my treehouse and it's about 1,200 give or take. I don't know if I have enough wood for that so I am going to exhaust the material I do have and at least have a wooden shingle roof and maybe clad the gable ends under the pitch? Contrast that some vertical running boards for visual interest maybe. I haven't finalized anything on this build so I am just running with external circumstances. And this has to be the slowest I have ever built something too but so many other things in my life take precedence over this completely unnecessary pleasure.
I've started a house build with Habitat for Humanity. At 56 I am the youngest volunteer there and it makes me feel like a rock star outperforming these 75 year old men. Haha. They look at me like I look at the Amish people I work with, full of nostalgia at what I used to be able to do. It's funny how that all works out and how people crest and wane. Good group of guys though and I am enjoying the process so far as it gives me an excuse to firstly help other people but more importantly it gets me out of my house and property and allows me the chance for interaction with other fellow human beings. Not sitting around a table telling lies but doing something productive together and naturally conversing and sharing stories. And I get to lend my expertise which inflates my ego but a lot of the volunteers only posses a cursory knowledge so it's beneficial for all parties involved.
I've also had the pleasure of selling several items on Facebook Marketplace recently. I don't know if it is worth it. The premise is simple, right? I have something for sell, haha, this is the price I would like, would you like to buy it? You don't want to pay the asking price? Just offer me less than half of what I am asking or better yet, just ask me to give it to you. Or make a random comment about anything. Or give a response that can be interpreted multiple ways, or better yet, one that makes absolutely no sense at all to one of my questions. If you do show interest and lead me on with positive comments, then ghost me immediately. Or take a week to respond to our conversation. At midnight or two in the morning. Or demand a response to an insultingly low offer.
Downsizing has its costs.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
The only suggestion I have regarding blackberries is that they like fruit tree litter in terms of soil composition, and as you likely know they generally fruit on two year old canes. So, I would leave leaf litter (largely maple) on ground in fall and prune all canes that already fruited. Other than that, I have more often had trouble with aggressive thorny growth when not isolated.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
Thanks for sharing! When I started with the Dutch "marktplaats" I had a similiar experience. It's like a different country with different customs and beliefs.
One can stop the conversation at any time: that's efficient, not ghosting. If one replies to insulting bids, one is a fool who deserves to suffer. One asks open questions (why/when/how/what/who) to avoid single word answers. One does not expect or offer exclusivity, the first person to pay gets the item. A negative review is blackmail that one must ignore.
Not replying seems repulsive to me, but once I forced myself into it, the market place experience changed. it is now overall pleasant, and I remember a lot of friendly and happy customers.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
I was recently with two guys talking about blackberries. I could give a shit about blackberries but because we were in a business type environment I had to listen to these two talk about blackberries. I don't know anything about blackberries and I had never before been in or was forced to listen to a conversation about blackberries so I had no idea about the types of people who talk about blackberries but all I could think about during their conversation was that these two seemed like the least likely people to talk about blackberries. I guess in retrospect I was just wrong and shouldn't have been wasting my time thinking about people who talk about blackberries. They were talking about making home made liquers with them.
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
@7
I know they like a heavy mulch but my question is how long does a "mother" plant remain viable? The old patch that I pick is over 15 years old. Do you have to let it "spread" so it always remains fresh? Does that make sense? And other than mulch and the nutrients that provides, does one ever fertilize the plants too? I took over the patch three years ago and it's taken me this long to get it under control from the weeds and now that it looks properly tended the plants are underperforming. Maybe I've destroyed some symbiotic relationship.
@delay
These people drive me crazy because my time is valuable. Although I have to say I've met some nice people that I have sold some stuff. Had a courteous guy and his wife come get some ATV parts the other day. Pleasant couple.
I have no problem not responding if they are being ridiculous. I truly feel though that for some people this is a form of entertainment and an excuse to take up someone's day. Then you have the hustlers that only want a steal that they can re-sell immediately. Then the dummies, haha.
If you are patient then the item eventually finds a home but usually I can't wait to declare "sold" on an item so I don't receive any more responses.
I know they like a heavy mulch but my question is how long does a "mother" plant remain viable? The old patch that I pick is over 15 years old. Do you have to let it "spread" so it always remains fresh? Does that make sense? And other than mulch and the nutrients that provides, does one ever fertilize the plants too? I took over the patch three years ago and it's taken me this long to get it under control from the weeds and now that it looks properly tended the plants are underperforming. Maybe I've destroyed some symbiotic relationship.
@delay
These people drive me crazy because my time is valuable. Although I have to say I've met some nice people that I have sold some stuff. Had a courteous guy and his wife come get some ATV parts the other day. Pleasant couple.
I have no problem not responding if they are being ridiculous. I truly feel though that for some people this is a form of entertainment and an excuse to take up someone's day. Then you have the hustlers that only want a steal that they can re-sell immediately. Then the dummies, haha.
If you are patient then the item eventually finds a home but usually I can't wait to declare "sold" on an item so I don't receive any more responses.
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suomalainen
- Posts: 1262
- Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:49 pm
Re: ffj's Early Retirement (round 2)
I doubt that you "destroyed" anything. Another thought might be that your clean-up interfered with natural tendency towards rooting new plants through tipping. I mean, generally what is going to happen is that a patch is going to grow out from a theoretical "mother" plant towards the sun or in a rough circle if the patch is in full sun. The natural setting for blackberry is the sunny edge of a wooded area, thus the need for cooler or even damp feet. Blackberries also need some period of winter cooling, but this shouldn't be an issue in Kentucky, even over the next few decades of climate change, unless the variety chosen/found was bred/spread for more northern setting. Apparently, blackberry plants have 15 to 40 year year lifespan, and tip-rooting, both natural and purposefully attempted would extend the lifespan of a patch.ffj wrote:Maybe I've destroyed some symbiotic relationship.
Climate change is going to present serious issues for small orchardists at some latitudes in the U.S. as the rough line between suitability for temperate vs. tropical fruit creeps northward. So, this is something you might want to consider when choosing varieties of fruiting plants with long lifetimes. According to the research I did for my final project in IT/Data, you should be safe estimating for worst case scenario at most 1.5 zones warmer in your remaining lifetime (or through 2075), and you should be north of the line where, for example, apples will likely completely fail, but any perennial currently found growing on your property may increasingly find conditions a bit warmer than it "expected." The colder your county is currently, the more rapidly it will warm with climate change, but the narrower discontinuity between temperate fruits which require cooling period and tropical fruits which don't require cooling period, but will not survive a freeze is more likely to be an issue. IOW, given that it is unlikely that you will be able to successfully grow mangoes in Kentucky in 2075, it remains likely that you will still be able to successfully grow blackberries (on the basis of likely temperature range alone), especially if you slowly start integrating more southern varietals.