Mini Horses
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And give a time limit to buy or release o the 1st right of refusal....yes, specify WHO is to have this privilege. Just a safety so they reply within a week, a month, etc.
Farmerjan's journal - Weather
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farmerjan
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Thanks for everyone's input on the right of first refusal. I think we will do something, but I intend for it to just extend to the current generation that I am actually purchasing it from..... the 3 sisters. Of course, I would probably tell any(all) of the family members, if I put it on the market, no to give them right of first refusal, but as a courtesy just to let them know if I decided to sell for any reason. And I like the idea of right of first refusal to have a set time limit..... I think that a month would be the outside limit. But they have dealt very fairly with me so far so I want to extend that back to them.
On that note..... will meet with them tomorrow, to go over the contract, and the added statement about it being "as is" with no guarantees on the sellers part about the well or septic..... although we know the well is still working good since the electric is on and the water comes out of the faucets at a good flow and is clean and smells and tastes good. They drink it when they are working there at the house. They are getting a few more things out; everything is in one room downstairs now and they are sorting through it. Mostly some household stuff left from the mom's time there, a few small things like side tables....some junk to go to the dump. I told them to leave any of the canning jars and any glass mayonaise jars and stuff that I can use for canning.....
Will sign it and put a $500 "deposit" as "earnest money" to make it all legal. He will take it to the bank, so they can order the appraisal, and get the "paperwork" legally going..... thinking closing around July 20th.....
They also did a little more "trimming" around so that the banks' appraisal will go through without a hitch. I think they are really wanting to get out of the paying taxes (rates just went up in the county.... an after effect of lower revenues from the covid shutdown I am sure)..... and as soon as they want I will get the electric switched over to my name. It is a different company than I have here at this house. If it was the same I am sure it wouldn't be any big deal..... might have to pay a deposit since I have no history with this company. But I am also going to get the high speed internet they offer, the line goes right through the property there, and then I will no longer have to rely on the weather like here at the house.... if it is raining or windy it sometimes just won't work or connect....GRRRR.
That "new" TV , I recently got from the friend will be great there as there is good reception for a TV antennae, and there was a TV antennae on the telephone pole that was put up in the yard for the mom years ago. So I will have to get a company to come out and put up a new antennae since this one was damaged in a couple of wind storms.... and a new rotor and then I can get all the local channels. Plus learn how to get this "smart TV" hooked up through the internet stuff. Let someone else do the antennae hook up and all that. Then if there is a problem... it is their headache.
Since it is calling for rain tomorrow, after I meet them, then go to PT at noon, I will probably take a ride up to the one place with the "amish type barns/sheds" and look at some. There are about 3-4 places that have those type buildings. I want one that is wired like for a workshop.... being able to handle several freezers..... and then look over things at the property to see where it would be a good close place to put it. I will have to have it there when I start to move the freezers and all, because I don't think I want to cram them into the mud room. I want an extra fridge too, if I can find one for the house that will fit, I will keep the "ugly" green one for extra. I plan to have it for milk storage, and stuff out of the garden if I need space.... extra things. That will go where the mom had her freezer in the "mud room"/ washer dryer room.
YEP, I am getting psyched..... I want to get the mud room cleaned and ready... painted or whatever. So I can get the washer up there and not go to the laundromat anymore. I won't do the laundry here due to the hard water/limestone/rust/and DIRT, whenever it rains..... And get the clothesline on the poles so I can just dry things there. Get the sink there in that room hooked up with a new drain pipe and all so that I can use it. I am thinking maybe a "laundry tub" instead of the sink in there. I want to look at it closer and see how deep it is. Plus, I need to get some water going into the septic and drain fields, because they have been "dormant" for 6 years. Then after they are being used, to put in an anaerobic bacteria starter. Talked to a septic guy and he said that if it has been sitting that long, and the previous owner was the single older lady, it needs to get some liquid in it before it would even pump..... so washing clothes there seems like a good way to get it "primed"
Have heard from a couple local friends that the jaccuzzi type tubs are nice.... so am leaning towards that. But I haven't ruled out just another claw foot tub. I just know that I am not going to do a one piece tub/surround like is in there since the tubs are just too low.
On that note..... will meet with them tomorrow, to go over the contract, and the added statement about it being "as is" with no guarantees on the sellers part about the well or septic..... although we know the well is still working good since the electric is on and the water comes out of the faucets at a good flow and is clean and smells and tastes good. They drink it when they are working there at the house. They are getting a few more things out; everything is in one room downstairs now and they are sorting through it. Mostly some household stuff left from the mom's time there, a few small things like side tables....some junk to go to the dump. I told them to leave any of the canning jars and any glass mayonaise jars and stuff that I can use for canning.....
Will sign it and put a $500 "deposit" as "earnest money" to make it all legal. He will take it to the bank, so they can order the appraisal, and get the "paperwork" legally going..... thinking closing around July 20th.....
They also did a little more "trimming" around so that the banks' appraisal will go through without a hitch. I think they are really wanting to get out of the paying taxes (rates just went up in the county.... an after effect of lower revenues from the covid shutdown I am sure)..... and as soon as they want I will get the electric switched over to my name. It is a different company than I have here at this house. If it was the same I am sure it wouldn't be any big deal..... might have to pay a deposit since I have no history with this company. But I am also going to get the high speed internet they offer, the line goes right through the property there, and then I will no longer have to rely on the weather like here at the house.... if it is raining or windy it sometimes just won't work or connect....GRRRR.
That "new" TV , I recently got from the friend will be great there as there is good reception for a TV antennae, and there was a TV antennae on the telephone pole that was put up in the yard for the mom years ago. So I will have to get a company to come out and put up a new antennae since this one was damaged in a couple of wind storms.... and a new rotor and then I can get all the local channels. Plus learn how to get this "smart TV" hooked up through the internet stuff. Let someone else do the antennae hook up and all that. Then if there is a problem... it is their headache.
Since it is calling for rain tomorrow, after I meet them, then go to PT at noon, I will probably take a ride up to the one place with the "amish type barns/sheds" and look at some. There are about 3-4 places that have those type buildings. I want one that is wired like for a workshop.... being able to handle several freezers..... and then look over things at the property to see where it would be a good close place to put it. I will have to have it there when I start to move the freezers and all, because I don't think I want to cram them into the mud room. I want an extra fridge too, if I can find one for the house that will fit, I will keep the "ugly" green one for extra. I plan to have it for milk storage, and stuff out of the garden if I need space.... extra things. That will go where the mom had her freezer in the "mud room"/ washer dryer room.
YEP, I am getting psyched..... I want to get the mud room cleaned and ready... painted or whatever. So I can get the washer up there and not go to the laundromat anymore. I won't do the laundry here due to the hard water/limestone/rust/and DIRT, whenever it rains..... And get the clothesline on the poles so I can just dry things there. Get the sink there in that room hooked up with a new drain pipe and all so that I can use it. I am thinking maybe a "laundry tub" instead of the sink in there. I want to look at it closer and see how deep it is. Plus, I need to get some water going into the septic and drain fields, because they have been "dormant" for 6 years. Then after they are being used, to put in an anaerobic bacteria starter. Talked to a septic guy and he said that if it has been sitting that long, and the previous owner was the single older lady, it needs to get some liquid in it before it would even pump..... so washing clothes there seems like a good way to get it "primed"
Have heard from a couple local friends that the jaccuzzi type tubs are nice.... so am leaning towards that. But I haven't ruled out just another claw foot tub. I just know that I am not going to do a one piece tub/surround like is in there since the tubs are just too low.
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farmerjan
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Today was cloudy, sprinkley this afternoon with a light rain this evening. 59 to 66 spread. I got a text that there were some calves out at a pasture so had to go there. 3 calves went through the high tensile fence.... which I HATE because unless you keep it "hot" (electrified) it will "stretch" and they just go through it; so these calves went through it, went down the woods, into a neighbors property along the fence. Of course, he has woven wire (field fence) so they couldn't get back with their momma's. So I went up and had to make them go back through the brush and briars, back up through the woods to where they could go back through the fence and back to their mommas..... ALOT of FUN with this ankle/knees going through the brush and crap. At least it wasn't raining then so I didn't get wet on top of it all. But they are back. There was no earthly reason to go through it except they are calves.... so why not?!!!!
Needless to say, it messed up my day plans, but I got my stuff together and went to work to test on time and all, but didn't get much else done. I did stop by son's property where the guys were working. Told them that I would get the chicken pen moved over to the spot they had cleared so they could clean up the brushy crap right around where it was, and they could have more "moving room" right there for their equipment. The one guy is from upstate NY and his family had a dairy farm. We had lots to talk about, lots of stuff in common, he moved down here years ago, with his wife and family, like I did....because we liked it here and the taxes were reasonable and the weather good because of not so much winter....anyway, he said that if all I was going to do is move then pen that they could probably just pick it up since it isn't attached to the ground and "walk the pen and chickens in it" over to the other spot. I said that was nice of them to offer, but that they didn't have to. He said that it looked like they were going to get rained out of work the next couple of days, with the forecast and I said that I would have it moved by the first of next week. Well, I went by there when I came home, it was lightly raining already, and they had moved it for me. Really nice of them. He had said that they could probably do it easy and I said that I would appreciate it for 3 healthy strong guys to do it but that I could get it done over the weekend. I really didn't expect them to do it.
One of the guys had said yesterday when he saw the chickens....."oh, looks like dinner".... So I think that I will find out if they go home every evening (don't know if they are close enough here or travel for this clearing/road building and go home on the weekends) since the company is based out of eastern Va..... and I will take some of the already processed birds up and give them to them to take home to cook. It isn't like I am "strapped" for chicken. I put 40+ in the freezer last fall. That was very nice of them to take the time and effort to move them for me. Even if it probably didn't take much time, it was still very considerate of them to do it.
So that is one less thing on my list. My son is leaving in the morning to take the feeder calves up to the friend in upstate VT. With this rain, we can't make hay, so a good time to go. It might clear off by late Sat or Sunday.... and I haven't seen the forecast for next week. But the boss at VDOT wants to start the road "patching" , next week.... and my son runs the "oiler" that puts down the "tar" that they then spread the gravel stuff on and it gets rolled to make it somewhat like pavement but without actually having to use asphalt. It makes a hard surface road but isn't actual "asphalt pavement". After a few years of it it seems like pavement though. So the boss wants him back for that so there were alot of good reasons to go now with these calves.
The good thing is, he is taking the "new truck" that he got from his grandfather (my dad) a couple months ago, and is borrowing an aluminum cattle trailer from a friend to haul the calves. It is longer than ours so they will have more room for comfort, and it is lighter than our heavier older steel cattle trailer. Sides more closed in, but it will be cool weather so not worried about temps, and will protect them if it is rainy and wet. Better to not get wet and catch pneumonia. Fuel mileage will be better. AND, that leaves me with the other truck and cattle trailer which is good since there is a sale on Friday of a farmer selling out of his angus herd. Some cow/calf pairs, some bred cows for fall calves, and 3 registered bulls. I was thinking that we might find a few to add since we have been culling cows lately. They may be "higher than a kite in price", but maybe not. If there are a few that I can get reasonable, then I might pick them up. We also are going to sell a bull that has an attitude.... we don't really need another per se, but have another that is getting some age on him - we've had him 7 or 8 years I think. So it won't hurt to look. You never know when you might pick up a good deal. We could use a few more cows that are "spring calving" as it seems we have alot that are fall calving. Won't hurt to go look.
So things are looking up all around.
Needless to say, it messed up my day plans, but I got my stuff together and went to work to test on time and all, but didn't get much else done. I did stop by son's property where the guys were working. Told them that I would get the chicken pen moved over to the spot they had cleared so they could clean up the brushy crap right around where it was, and they could have more "moving room" right there for their equipment. The one guy is from upstate NY and his family had a dairy farm. We had lots to talk about, lots of stuff in common, he moved down here years ago, with his wife and family, like I did....because we liked it here and the taxes were reasonable and the weather good because of not so much winter....anyway, he said that if all I was going to do is move then pen that they could probably just pick it up since it isn't attached to the ground and "walk the pen and chickens in it" over to the other spot. I said that was nice of them to offer, but that they didn't have to. He said that it looked like they were going to get rained out of work the next couple of days, with the forecast and I said that I would have it moved by the first of next week. Well, I went by there when I came home, it was lightly raining already, and they had moved it for me. Really nice of them. He had said that they could probably do it easy and I said that I would appreciate it for 3 healthy strong guys to do it but that I could get it done over the weekend. I really didn't expect them to do it.
One of the guys had said yesterday when he saw the chickens....."oh, looks like dinner".... So I think that I will find out if they go home every evening (don't know if they are close enough here or travel for this clearing/road building and go home on the weekends) since the company is based out of eastern Va..... and I will take some of the already processed birds up and give them to them to take home to cook. It isn't like I am "strapped" for chicken. I put 40+ in the freezer last fall. That was very nice of them to take the time and effort to move them for me. Even if it probably didn't take much time, it was still very considerate of them to do it.
So that is one less thing on my list. My son is leaving in the morning to take the feeder calves up to the friend in upstate VT. With this rain, we can't make hay, so a good time to go. It might clear off by late Sat or Sunday.... and I haven't seen the forecast for next week. But the boss at VDOT wants to start the road "patching" , next week.... and my son runs the "oiler" that puts down the "tar" that they then spread the gravel stuff on and it gets rolled to make it somewhat like pavement but without actually having to use asphalt. It makes a hard surface road but isn't actual "asphalt pavement". After a few years of it it seems like pavement though. So the boss wants him back for that so there were alot of good reasons to go now with these calves.
The good thing is, he is taking the "new truck" that he got from his grandfather (my dad) a couple months ago, and is borrowing an aluminum cattle trailer from a friend to haul the calves. It is longer than ours so they will have more room for comfort, and it is lighter than our heavier older steel cattle trailer. Sides more closed in, but it will be cool weather so not worried about temps, and will protect them if it is rainy and wet. Better to not get wet and catch pneumonia. Fuel mileage will be better. AND, that leaves me with the other truck and cattle trailer which is good since there is a sale on Friday of a farmer selling out of his angus herd. Some cow/calf pairs, some bred cows for fall calves, and 3 registered bulls. I was thinking that we might find a few to add since we have been culling cows lately. They may be "higher than a kite in price", but maybe not. If there are a few that I can get reasonable, then I might pick them up. We also are going to sell a bull that has an attitude.... we don't really need another per se, but have another that is getting some age on him - we've had him 7 or 8 years I think. So it won't hurt to look. You never know when you might pick up a good deal. We could use a few more cows that are "spring calving" as it seems we have alot that are fall calving. Won't hurt to go look.
So things are looking up all around.
Baymule
Herd Master
What? I need to wire BJ up and plug him in?
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farmerjan
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COOL, almost chilly RAINY morning. 59 to start.... rained a good part of the night that I heard on the roof.... I am going to get the samples packed before I go up to meet the owners at the house and go over the contract. Also go and put the cow in for the calves for the day. Stop and see if the chickens made it okay through the night on the new ground and that it didn't get too muddy.... I have shavings to put down if I have to. Don't want to use the shredded paper there as it might look messy but the shavings will just fade as they break down over time. The shredded paper will be for the chicken houses and then composted for the garden at the house. Then the PT appt then go to look at a few buildings since I will be more than halfway there when at PT. Too wet to do much else. This rain is going to make the already cut and harvested hay fields really come back. And the ones he got the fertilizer spread on will really jump. YAY. Too bad we didn't get more done, but there will be 2nd growth coming up through the ones that are mature hay. More fiber, a little lower quality as it is over mature.... but with still working other jobs, you do what you can do. Plus, the limited windows we have had for making the hay.... you can cut alot more hay, than you can get dry, raked and baled in the time frame allowed. We could have done some more if we were doing nothing but hay.... but am thankful for what we have gotten done and made decent with no rain. Time to pack samples.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
Rain has pros & cons for farming. Sometimes a "forced" day off is a good thing. 
Check out those buildings!
Check out those buildings!
Bruce
Herd Master
What part? And why the heck are people up here paying to truck feeder calves from Virginia?? We have plenty of bovines in Vermont! I could see it (without further explanation) if they were breeding stock.
What cool weather? It is low 80s today, high 80s tomorrow!
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
I was gonna ask Jan if ya, Bruce, was getting some pasture mates for your Boys.... 
Bruce
Herd Master
Um, nope. Not set up for cattle!
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farmerjan
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@Bruce ; The friend of ours works with cattle and in the ag industry, sells equipment They used to have a small dairy here and raised calves for a few years. He says there aren't any 5-6 wt feeders around to meet the demand of people wanting to raise them. He is getting 7 heifers so he can start breeding a few and raise some of his own. Also 10 steers to raise and sell as beef. Obviously there aren't enough to meet the demand. He also said that if these are what he is looking for, we may be hauling another load.
I am not sure exactly where he is now, just know that he is close to the Canadian border. I will ask my son when he gets back. They moved up there about 10-15 years ago, and then they got divorced, and he stayed in the ag field. I guess he has some property as he said there wasn't anything on it last year and it needs to be grazed. Maybe the prices up there were just too high for feeders and buying them here,and getting them trucked is still a better deal. I do know he said that the 1.55 for the steers was fine and he will pay the fuel. I think the heifers are 1.40..... We aren't going to make a ton of money, but it gives my son a "paid trip" to go by and see his grandparents in NH also.
I am not sure exactly where he is now, just know that he is close to the Canadian border. I will ask my son when he gets back. They moved up there about 10-15 years ago, and then they got divorced, and he stayed in the ag field. I guess he has some property as he said there wasn't anything on it last year and it needs to be grazed. Maybe the prices up there were just too high for feeders and buying them here,and getting them trucked is still a better deal. I do know he said that the 1.55 for the steers was fine and he will pay the fuel. I think the heifers are 1.40..... We aren't going to make a ton of money, but it gives my son a "paid trip" to go by and see his grandparents in NH also.
