What to do with all the mess

[twstanley]

Great point Adron! Our list also has the cost estimate attached, sometimes the wife and I consider what we are going to do next and factor the budget in, i.e. "Well let's put off X till next month as it will cost to much right now, we will do Y instead." Where Y is something that takes some effort but is also something we have the tools and materials on hand to do already....fencing repair comes under that.

I have found that fencing is never ever really done, you can always find a spot or two that needs repairing, tightening, improving a creek wash, etc.

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[pearcefamilyco]

Thanks for the advice. I am starting my list. I will post pictures so you guys can see progress when I get time. I'll also show the views from where our house will be. They are beautiful. My husband and I have greatly appreciated it. We have been mulling around ideas for extra money as well. We have thought about puting in an R.V. park area on part of the acreage. In our area there is a real need for one as the camp grounds are always booked and now we have seasonal construction workers having a hard time finding places to stay. We let our hunters park their trailers at our ranch, but don't have any electric or sewer hookups, so we thought instead of puting up cabins, this would be a cheaper alternative. Any thoughts on that?

I have been talking to our extension office, but they just cut the ag agent position, so I talked with the natural resources guy who gave me companies that can evaluate the property, but for a hefty fee. I also got our neighboring county's ag agent's number and am on a list for him to get back with. We'll see how that goes.

I think the list is really going to help with both a sense of accomplishment and figuring out what we can tackle first. Yes, fencing is continual. Especially with elk and deer.

The scrap metal guy is a good idea. My dad is really interested in that. I just need to make sure he understands that if he wants it, it isn't my job to load it and take it in for him. Not as easy as it sounds.

I haven't gotten a dog yet. We have 4 already that I'm sure would take care of the problem, but with the bait we've laid out, I am worried about letting them loose yet. Maybe next spring.

Well, I will keep you posted and post pictures as soon as I can. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[BlueRidge]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
The buildings (barn, houses, shop, etc) are in such disrepair that we have to tear them all down.

[/ QUOTE ]

What kind of construction? There are companies that PAY for old barns, tear them down for you, and haul the wood away. Then they sell it for a high price to city folks for decorating! There are lots of 'rustic' restaraunts &amp; such being built with old barn wood and metal roofing for paneling.

Hang in there, and remember what Will Rogers said - "Buy land. They aren't making any more of it."

Turn that place around and the neighbors will figure out what really happened.

[lbrown59]

<font color="blue"> One mans trash is another mans treasure! ALL the junk and things you want tore down, offer it free for hauling off!

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I've gotten rid of a lot of junk over the years by placing it at the foot on my driveway and hanging a sign saying free on it.

A couple of days ago a guy picked up the busted up concrete , 4 old junk space heaters, old pipe, bed frames and rails several scrap electrical panels, etc.,
and 2 old sets of rusted dilapidated trailer steps.
Took everything that was down there.

While the guy was loading it all up my next door neighbor came over and asked me what I was up to.
I told him I was having a yard sale and everything's free. LOL.

Over the years I've gotten rid of old junk hot water tanks worn out appliances, etc., this way.
Why pay the trash man 10 to 15 bucks per item to haul it away when there's people out there who will take it off your hands for free <font color="red"> ????? </font color>

I have an old upright deep freeze that I keep my diesel and gasoline in.
I could have given that thing away at least 10 times in the 12 years it been setting there.
People are always wanting then to use to store things in.

[QRTRHRS]

Don't take this wrong but:

I would not recommend horse boarding in itself to anyone. If you already make your living training, breeding, buying and selling then you would already have some infrastructure in place. If not then consider this, do you want to work seven days a week at least part of the day or pay someone to do the work for you? You need to be well versed in animal husbandry so when those emergencies (sickness or injury) happen, you know what to do. You need to provide fresh water 24/7/365, pasture/horse quality hay, grain, worming schedule. There is a lot more. And, consider that the horses are usually easier to deal with than the owners are.

Boarding mostly offsets costs already occoured in a horse operation. It is part of a lifestyle so the extra work and responsiblity are just part of the day. Other than that, you don't have much of a life.

That said, my wife and I care for ~20 horses. I work full time while she is home tending to the horses. I spend all my "free time" maintaining/upgrading the property or cleaning paddocks every few days. I actually don't get to spend as much time with the horses as I would like. There is something about the company of animals that is very satisfying although some people may "turn up their nose at you".

Good luck and don't forget to stop to smell the flowers in your endeavor.

[lbrown59]

The end of my drive way down by the road is my trash disposal and recycling canter.
Last week I set an old vacuum cleaner down there. It was gone before the day was over.
The other day ago I put an old range hood there it was gone within a couple of days.
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MY FIRST CAR http://chevy.tocmp.com/chevyscrapbook/files/kamp50.jpg
OUR FIRST CAR http://www.hubcapcafe.com/ocs/pages01/chev6003.htm
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[pearcefamilyco]

We are making some progress. We aren't boarding horses, but we are leasing out the place for grazing pasture and focusing on the hunting more. We are SLOWLY cleaning. With steel prices the way they are right now, we are doing well with taking in scrap iron. We have plenty of cars that will go there this summer as well. Hopefully the cows will help with some of the weeds. We did spray last year, but our local extension agent said we should introduce some cattle back in to help clean it up now. I found a guy that is awesome with only 14 pairs to come in and he is responsible for the fence upkeep. It's been great. Hunting was a great success. My 2006 season was booked by the end of January. Things are starting to look up! If someone explains to me how to put pictures in here, I'll put some in.

Stephanie

[pearcefamilyco]

I figured out the picture thing. It is attached.

[BlueRidge]

Some nice animals there. Glad you're getting it done. Keep up the good work!

[lopezian]

Stephanie, From your description of the place, I think you might want to look at ( http://stockmangrassfarmer.net/ )

That is a print newsletter that has great advice and success stories for situations exactly like yours. They also have a bunch of articles online for free. The philosophy may be a little different than what you are used to. They don't say "I'm a dairy farmer" or "I raise horses". They like to say "I'm a grass farmer", and the animals are just a way to improve the grass crop.

Once you put the focus in the quality and sustainability of pasture instead of on the animals, you can make some amazing improvements to your land. It is intensive farming, though, requiring frequent movement of animals among pastures. You may have cows or horses on a pasture for 3 days before moving them. Lots of electric fencing makes dividing up the pasture and moving animals easier.

A neighbor of mine has transformed his 160 acres from an over-grazed, muddy, low-fertility pit into a verdant show place without chemical fertilizer and without intensive plowing or mowing, all through careful pasture management. I'm a believer, but then I'm not the one out moving the animals all the time.

-lopezian