Sawmilling in my blood

The Oscar 28 band sawmill is working good, the log pile is shrinking and the lumber pile is growing. With just a little gas and my time I have become even a bit more self sufficient. This mill is not a "commercial" mill, but just a hobby model, but just the same it works well with little waste. I'm learning a few tricks to get a better product and to get it a bit faster. I have a "sawmill mentor" so I feel like I'm learning fast. To be honest, I'm not a sawmill rookie. I'm a 3rd generation sawyer and I cut my teeth in the family mill that Dad ran commercially from 1972 until 1979. I guess that taught me that mill work is dangerous, hard and dirty. You sweat, you get cut, you get tired. I learned to watch out for the moving parts, you keep your curious fingers out of belts and saws alike. The main problem with the average "hobby mill" operator is that hard work is not something they know. If you can't lift slabs, turn logs, roll beams and love it, you should collect stamps for your hobby. The main advantage to having Oscar in the barnyard is that the logs come direct from our woodlot to the mill thanks to the old Farmall C. The slabs go directly into the sugarhouse and the sawdust, although very little, will go directly into the barn for winter bedding. The lumber is being stuck nearby to dry, or loaded directly onto the 1953 GMC rack body truck for a short trip to the next project. Overall, I like the process.

Dad's mill has taught me how it can be done when you are serious about production.

Farmall C resting under winter's blanket.

Dawn til dusk

The summer is moving fast, the animals are doing well, the gardens seem to be beating the battle with the birds, bugs and weeds right now. We have been enjoying the fresh greens for some time now and the summer squash, broccoli and cabbage are feeding us well. This morning I started at 6:30 AM by cutting some fir logs on the Maher lot. Most of the fir here is hollow in the center, so I cut a few sticks of firewood of the butt of each log. Today I loaded the small logs on my old skoot to haul them to the sawmill without getting them gritty. I was able to saw a few 2x4's out of the otherwise wasted logs. The only thing left was a few slabs and a bit of sawdust. By the way, the sawmill is our newest addition here on the farm. I could use the mill at the homestead, but that would take longer to setup than it is worth. This little mill is an Oscar 28, built by Hud-Son in Barnevald, NY. It is few years old, but seems to do just fine. With a little adjustment I think I can produce some nice lumber. The little 8hp Briggs & Stratton can power the mill while it sips gas. Right now I can saw up to 14 foot logs, and up to 28" in diameter. I´ll have plenty of projects that will get a hand from little Oscar. Sundown came as I milked the goats and put away the day's tools. I´ll do it again tomorrow. By the way, I managed to get about 5 hours in the office today as well. The bills have to be paid, even if we are producing for ourselves. Property taxes cost nearly $500 a month, yes each month. Take care.

Rain ... now some sun?

It's raining again today, looks like more to come as well. The seedlings in the gardens are holding on well, the rain is welcome as they harden and take root. The goats don't like rain, so they are in the barn today. The laying hens don't mind, the meat birds don't know the difference. The beef steer is laying under the big maples at the homestead. Rain is a part of the cycle here on the farm. Humans want sun, we want beach weather, we want hot dry days at the lake, or at the ballfield. The pastures are staying green and the hay is growing tall. Now it's time to look for a few days of dry to get some early hay in the barn. School is almost out for the kids, we're looking forward to progress here on the farm this summer. There are always lots of projects to do. I can't make the list right now, I've got to do what I can and on a rainy day I'm in the office. Take care. Now go produce something.

Thank You

Let's all take a few precious moments this Memorial weekend to think about and thank our military and their families.

Rain comes just in time

"It's springtime in the country and the pasture grass in greenin up real good" Dave Mallett. The spring rain is welcome after a dry few weeks. The grass was just waiting for some water to take off. After watching the PBS special on the Dust Bowl, I'm glad we don't have a drought here very often. We are busy with firewood, spreading manure and getting a new garden spot ready for planting. We've got 5 goat kids, two calves and 20 meat birds in the barn. A dozen new laying hens are getting their feathers and getting bigger every day. Maybe we'll get a pig in a few weeks as well. It's not easy to grow our own food, but I'm sure it is worth it. For all those who want to try it themselves, now is the time to get to it. Don't forget where food comes from.

Easter on the Farm

Easter has come and gone again,as we say goodbye to March and hello to April. We have two more goat kids, a doeling and buckling from momma Emily. The maple season may be done with 25 gallons in the bottles. Firewood is coming we'll as we clear another garden area for the upcoming season. Busy times.

Busy time on the Farm

Things are really busy on the farm these days. The sap has been running well, which means lots of time in the sugar house. Emily and Clover are due to kid soon in the goat barn, and there is more firewood to cut for next winter. We had a great group visiting on Sunday at the sugar house as well. I hope you all had a good time. Off the farm we are working on baseball and softball as well as making a living, of course. The sunny hours will be spent wisely so we can look back and know that we did the best we could. Everyone is busy doing what we love, so we'll keep on doing it. Take care.